The Weekly Rec

Reading: Classmates’ Narratives

I recently finished writing a narrative in my English class, and realized many of my classmates and friends had written their own. Out of curiosity, I read a lot of different stories and was shocked and inspired! A lot of stories were really well-written, touching, and personal. It’s been nice to read stories written by people my age, because there’s a enhanced level understanding and relatability. 

This has made me want to read even more people’s narratives and stories. If you’re interested in sharing, you should submit to the literary magazine so we can all stay connected through our stories while we are away from one another.

 

Watching: Run BTS! 

Major confession, I am indeed a BTS stan. A BTS stan with plenty of posters pinned in my bedroom and Korean lyrics memorized in my head. If you don’t know, BTS is a Korean boy band that has become the biggest boy band in the world. One reason they’ve gained so much popularity is through their social media presence. This factor has allowed me to become immersed in their video and music content through quarantine, when social media is one of our only connections to one another. 

Specifically, Run BTS! Is a weekly show the group puts out for the fans, typically showing them playing games or traveling. It won’t be as entertaining if you’re not a fan, but I am a big one.

 

Listening To: Sleepless In__________ – Epik High

This EP was released in March, 2019 but I have only discovered it very recently. It features seven different tracks, with lofi beats, discussing loneliness, insomnia, and depression. The soft melodies are often intertwined with an old school hip hop sound, and elevated through the lyrics which ring of vulnerability. One of my favorite lyrics in the EP is, “We tried to build a future/All we got’s a broken past”.

I must also mention that this month is both Asian Pacific American Heritage Month as well as Mental Health Awareness Month, and this album is made by different Asians and Asian Americans discussing mental health. Something that is rare and often stigmatized in the community, which makes the EP all the more significant and beautiful.

 

Making: Pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite foods to make because it’s completely up to you on how you want to customize it! Plus, it’s delicious. It consists of making the bread, which you get to knead like Play-doh; the sauce, which you get to paint over your crust canvas; the cheese, which you get to sprinkle (and maybe add a lot of); and the toppings, which you get to dice, and place. The end result is a delicious pizza that is most likely both lighter and healthier than a pizza from somewhere like Dominoes of Papa John’s.

I follow this recipe, though I’m sure most online will all work perfectly fine. 

 

Doing: Painting

I’ve always loved painting, and with all the free time that I have received, I’ve found even more time to improve my art. Painting allows me time to express myself, think, listen to music and podcasts, and switch my brain from concrete subjects like chemistry, to a much more abstract world.