Quarantine Picks, Volume 2
AKA, the things that have helped me maintain a semblance of sanity during this pandemic
Ever since I wrote my first installment of Quarantine Picks, a lot of things have changed. As much as it’s important to stick to a bucket list of sorts, it’s also important to go off the beaten path from time to time. When quarantine started, I made a bucket list of everything that I wanted to do, read, and watch. I guess time flies so fast when you have a lot of time on your hands, and you’re constantly finding ways to distract yourself to escape from everything that’s happening with the world. But anyway, here are some of the things that I am enjoying lately.
Haikyuu!!
One of the more surprising things about being on stan Twitter is seeing your mutuals rave about certain animes. After years of seeing my mutuals talk about Haikyuu on my timeline, I finally sipped the Haikyuu kool-aid and started watching it as a way to escape from the grim news cycle after Duterte’s most recent SONA. I’m not even a fan of sports, but this show has made me feel seen. Haikyuu is about community, teamwork, and facing one’s insecurities just to get better at things you’re passionate about. Anyway, Tooru Oikawa might be my first anime crush. He’s amazing, hardworking, and has a firm grip on his inferiority complex. He’s also a huge flirt, lol. Or maybe he’s just annoyingly pa-fall.
I’m currently in the second season, and the Nekoma team might be my new favorite next to Karasuno. Haha. Anyway, enjoy this clip of Oikawa turning on the charms in this Tagalog dub of Haikyuu.
The latest piece that I wrote for Mid-Heaven, where I talked about recreating my second youth with K-pop and finding community, friendships, and finding my voice within that realm of pop culture. In that same piece, I also talked about the three albums shaping my twenties and how these albums fit into my experiences.
This Oikawa x Aoba Johsai shirt ! I’m a Karasuno girl through and through, but I gotta rep my man Oikawa. I got this shirt for Php 450, which is reasonable for its quality.
Garlic salt. It’s my personal bougie replacement for Maggi Magic Sarap. It elevates the taste of every dish that I make!!!
Madge Reyes’ Pulse & Plie workout for Recess, which is very helpful for inflexible people like me!
The Superfood Grocer’s Matcha Green Tea powder! As much as I am a coffee girl, I also have a love affair with matcha. A recent matcha craving prompted me to buy it, and I’ve been making matcha lattes at least once a week ever since. If you think about the cost per usage of this matcha powder, it’s on the expensive side, so I’m trying my best to lengthen its shelf life.
This Tsaastrology x The Kimbop Show special episode on idol natal charts! The episode featured Ong Seungwoo, Kang Daniel, and Seventeen’s Hoshi’s natal charts, and it’s such a riot to listen to. Geminis are stereotyped as the most vilified group in the realm of astrology, but I think they’re just misunderstood (well, 50% of the time). Hoshi’s all-Gemini natal chart still continues to blow my mind, and yet his utter Gemini-ness is the reason why he’s one of my biases in Seventeen. I loved this episode so much that it prompted me to write a one-shot fic about Hoshi and Wonwoo as a couple.
Heng:garae by Seventeen! It’s been two months since they released this EP, but I still can’t stop listening to it.
BLK Cosmetics’ Airy Matte Tints. If you’re a fan of BLK Cosmetics’ original liquid matte lipsticks, this is a more comfortable version of it. It comes in a bunch of flattering nude/MLBB shades, and it smells like watermelon. Staying power is pretty good too. I got the shades Bare Nude and Nutmeg, which are colors that are right up my alley.
I’ll leave you with this really cute digital illustration of Wonwoo that I commissioned from @babbidraws! If you want to have some art made, hit them up! Also, please take care of yourselves and don’t forget to stay angry at the oppressive institutions surrounding you.
Until the next brain dump,
Lea