5 things - May 19

"My goal now is to remember every place I've been, only do things I love and not say yes when I don't mean it." - Sandra Bullock

Almost two months have gone by since I've posted these "five things." Sorry self. Big shocker you couldn't keep this up. But let bygones be bygones and let's just get back on the saddle, shall we?

1. Lately I've been pre-occupied by thoughts of female friendships, identifying rooted problems, One Direction, loveless-ness, and all the books I haven't been reading. Personally, I'm in an okay place - a place I really, really love. I'm thankful when I'm calm and not thinking about unrequited love. It gives me the delusion or the hope to trudge on to better things- things that could actually lead me to my life goals. 

2. Let's talk about my One Direction obsession (you brought this to yourself, reader). It all started when I heard their latest song, Night Changes, on a road trip with friends. The beat was just so catchy. It was nostalgic and upbeat. A song that makes you think of old lovers even though it doesn't talk about old lovers. It's that song that puts you in a good mood while still celebrating the repressed romantic in you. When I got home I downloaded their documentary and now we're here. I'm officially a 28-year-old Directioner who adores Harry Styles, defends boy band music, convinces people they can actually sing, and denies it's unbecoming. Their music makes me happy, which, in my world, is all that matters. Well... that, and the fact that these boys are charming as hell. I mean just look at them. I'm sold.

3. As if I'm qualified to give out recommendations, please check out the following. They are worth it.

Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie's Americanah - It's a book about Nigeria interspersed with a love story and a commentary on race and culture. The thing I love about this book is that it perfectly encapsulates the third world experience. Even though its primary theme is about Nigerians and Africans, I could easily relate to the small and big things that makeup the postcolonial experience. The love story, though central, is just an added bonus - something to think about and root for. Adichie's incisive yet humane observations make her characters incredibly relatable. The feelings  that this novel elicits are too real, too familiar, it'll make you care.

Housebound - Another wonderful addition to the horror genre. This film is a riot. It's hilarious, unpredictable, and incredibly entertaining. It's rare to find a horror film that delivers the scares and the laughs in perfect measure. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Trevor Noah's stand-up concerts, Amy Schumer's videos (this one's pure gold), and old-school Eddie Murphy stand-up concerts (Raw and Delirious). I've been a fan of stand-up specials since I got hooked on Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, and Ricky Gervais' concerts. Observational comedy is the best thing EVER. My salvation, cure, and inspiration. That and Justin Bieber's roast. Major props to the intelligent people who write these things.

I'll write a separate entry on great articles I've read each week. 

4. In April, I've applied for a US Visa to visit my mother and my sisters in Texas. It was an unfortunate experience which led me to cry hysterically in my hotel room even though I already expected that outcome. The entire experience was like a splash of cold water on my face. It stirred all the things I need to do, all the things I actually wanted to do. The fact that it will never be an easy road for me to visit three members of my family made me recalibrate my life. I'll always be a work in progress. I just wish good health to help me focus, and discipline to keep me going. 

5. I went on a short beach vacation earlier this month. It was a lackluster trip full of excitement and expectations which weren't met. I would have wanted more time to do absolutely nothing on the beach. I would have wanted a beach house, a comfortable cottage, a hammock in between trees, a big, used-up box - any place with enough shade to laze around, sip ice-cold shake, and recharge my spirits. Instead we've had a very taxing trip amidst the sweltering heat. We arrived in an overcrowded beach which barely had space for swimming due to the gazillion boats docked on the beachfront. We had no space, no cottage, and a kitchen so far away. The piercing heat was the perfect punctuation to such an effortful trip. We've had these annual summer getaways for seven years now and this one's definitely not the most successful. It was also the first time we revisited a location.

I therefore conclude never to return to old places... and old loves. That's not the direction I'm aiming for.