Month: May 2020

Life
24 May 2020

U.S. Deaths Near 100,000, An Incalculable Loss

By now, most of you have seen this image of the front page of the New York Times for today. It’s the one thing that I keep seeing all over my social media. I saw it for the first time last night along with this tweet:

I thought about sharing the photo on the left with a comment about how we’ve social distanced long enough so everyone go nuts this weekend. To be clear, I’m being sarcastic; I don’t actually believe that. But as I spent minutes staring at this photo, I decided snark wasn’t the way to go late into the night. This image alone is powerful enough. But that won’t fix the divide that is tearing across America as people continue to show different standards for social distancing. For me, it feels both annoying and frustrating that even those closest to me and I cannot align.

Memorial Day Weekend is going to be the ultimate test, isn’t it? As I think about how many days into shelter-in-place we are, I wonder what this weekend’s setback will do to our country. Are we reopening too soon? Are we going to reopen only to have to restrict once again? I know in the end I have to make decisions that are best for me and my household. Seeing these names along with these one line obituaries should scare you. I don’t want this list to continue to grow and these people deserve so much more of a remembrance than what this is. They can’t because people keep dying and this magnitude of a list doesn’t do them justice. Here is where we stand with all of this on some of the more current pieces:

Life
23 May 2020

The Ways the World Is Taking On Social Distancing

By the time 2020 is over, I’m never going to want to hear the words “social distancing” again. Despite how frequently it comes up, it by no means diminishes how important it is. As countries start to recover and begin their re-opening process, I’m curious to see how they approach it. Last month we shared how [Singapore] was tackling this and in my opinion, they set the bar high. Above, the Izu Shabonten Zoo in Shizuoka, Japan has filled their restaurant with the cutest and most cuddly stuffed critters. Honestly, this seems like something I’d be okay with even without the pandemic. Wouldn’t you agree that this beats filling seats with blow up dolls? The plushies aren’t just there for a cute visual though. They’re being used to mark appropriate safe distances for diners within the restaurant.

[Source]

In another part of the world, a restaurant in Sweden offers a very different, but more isolated experience. Earlier this month, a chef-husband and wife duo opened up a new concept that allowed diners to be in a bucolic field and receive their meal via basket and clothes line. Completely contactless! This contactless concept doesn’t just go for social distancing in businesses, it is also about updating how they deal with customers in an increasingly digital world. Because people are afraid of touching pretty much anything but they still need to go out, stores are able to implement new Payment Terminal machines that can be completely contactless and accept multiple ways of paying without narrowing in to one area, like using a credit/debit card, making it easier on shoppers.

[Source]

And back home, a little bit more locally San Francisco parks are adopting the 6ft apart circles inspired by Brooklyn’s parks. Pictured above is Dolores Park in the Mission, but these circles created this past Thursday just in time for the long weekend are living at three other parks within the city. Don’t let your guard down just yet; these circles are meant for groups that are still within the same household of each other.

[Source]

Design
23 May 2020

Instagram Will Allow Video Chat Up To 50 People

Pauline De Leon/Hypebae

Due to COVID-19, the rise in video calls has soared more than ever before. I remember even earlier this year before all of this happened, a coworker of mine told me that she regularly does FaceTime with her group of girlfriends every Saturday morning to figure out their plans for the day. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had used FaceTime and video calls that weren’t for work were rare. These days, it’s a constant. There is no shortage of channels that people can use to connect with others and that number is growing. After Facebook announced that they’d let their Messenger users video chat with 50 people, Instagram has now decided to hop on board.

For the time being, the feature is only enabled in the United States, but is expected to become more widely available. Your only prerequisite is to have Facebook Messenger already downloaded since it will be an integration of the two platforms.

[Source]

Life
23 May 2020

Saturday Check In: Long Weekend Edition

Even though it feels like we’ve been experiencing summer for a couple weeks now, this is usually the weekend to solidify it. As a treat, I was able to also take off Friday giving myself a four-day weekend that I didn’t realize I also needed. With all of us still in shelter-in-place (some practicing, some not) the delight of a long weekend doesn’t hit the same as it once did. It’s hard to feel like we are entering summer when we essentially have something already that resembles a summer break.

Despite that, I’m noticing that time is just flying by, but also that it’s hard to tell the differences between a weekday and a weekend. Normally during Memorial Day Weekend, we’d be headed out on a day trip or even taking a trip. A year ago, I was in Denver with my girlfriends and this year we’re just going to have to get creative. In an article that I read about time in quarantine, a sentence stood out to me.

“People lose track of time when the future is in question,” – Refinery29

Without anything to look forward to whether it is plans or trips, I’m noticing that it’s easier for me to get my days and weeks all mixed up. Those moments in my calendar year were what helped me to identify my seasons and the time of year. Currently, all of that is lost. However you choose to spend your Memorial Day Weekend, I hope you’re taking care of yourself, practicing social distancing, and hanging in there!

Here are two pieces that I read related to me writing this post:

  • The Trouble with Quarantine Fridays [Digg]
  • Time Is Slipping Away From Us All [Refinery29]

Culture
22 May 2020

Blog Roundup

Before this year, I didn’t know that May was Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage month. While it has been a slow journey for me to become more acquainted with my culture and history, I know now I can appreciate this much more at my age. I think some of this has to do with the environment I grew up in and not having that kind of community until after graduating college and starting my career. Without even knowing how special this month was, we got into Korean drama all on our own and started to read and watch pieces that were all tied to the celebration of this month. By no means do I think that means I’ve done all the work that there is, but I’m excited to continue educating myself. I’ve really been enjoying this and have shared a majority of them here with you all!

  • Studio Ghibli Producer is Giving Free Drawing Lessons Online [High Snobiety]
  • Trump’s Refusal to cover up actually reveals his greatest fears [The Cut]
  • 11 Phrases People Love to Hear [The Ladders]
  • Forget Productivity: Let ‘Wuliao’ Be Your Quarantine Philosophy [Refinery29]
  • How to Make Pancake Cereal – TikTok’s Latest Food Trend [Hypebae]
  • MSG is a Valuable Kitchen Staple, If You Know How To Use It [The Takeout]
  • Where New Yorkers Moved to Escape Coronavirus [New York Times]
  • It Is Scientifically Proven That Flowers Make You Feel Better [Vogue]
  • The Ultimate Guide to Instant Noodles [Eater]
  • The Childhood Sweethearts Who Eloped to the Mountains [The Cut]
  • What K-Pop’s Beautiful Men Can Teach Us About Masculinity [Refinery29]
  • How Street Culture Shaped Asian-American Identity [High Snobiety]
  • Jay Park on K-Pop and Cultural Appropriation [VICE]

Music
22 May 2020

Song of the Day

The Weeknd – In Your Eyes Remix ft. Doja Cat

Doesn’t it just seem like Doja Cat is the darling of 2020? All of her songs have been bops and she’s clearly a hit amongst the generation currently on Tik Tok. I haven’t heard one song that I didn’t love from her and this collab is perfection.

Style
20 May 2020

The Shoes We’re Dreaming About Wearing Someday

It feels strange to say that we have an urge to buy all of these shoes right now because I feel like we never have that moment! I think that’s my internal feelings telling me that I clearly miss the outside world and taking my shoes out. When it comes to shoes, I generally skew minimal, but there’s something very “spacey” about these ones that I’m attached to. The AF1 trainers (bottom) are sporting a very casual camouflage-print that you may not notice at first sight. While I like how eclectic these are, purple is one of my favorite colors so I’d probably be more likely to wear the top pair. These will be available in June!

[Source]

If you’re looking to get a head start on fall, these corduroy Dr. Martens might do the job. Personally, I don’t own a pair, but have been trying to find the most perfect ones for the last year. I’m a sucker for corduroy, but have always leaned towards them for skirts and jackets, never shoes. This might be the unique piece I’m looking for to complete the closet. This boot in particular is an updated version of their classic 1460 boot and a collaboration between the brand and Undercover’s Jun Takahashi. This boot release will be available on the Dr. Martens website starting May 23rd.

[Source]

And last, but not least, how can you not love this understated, but cheeky pair of Nike’s Blazer Mid “Sketch.” I’m not a fan of shoes that look like something has been done to them yet the prices have soared and are ridiculous. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about – the pairs of shoes that have been “intentionally” scuffed because that was the design. “Sketch” is not one of those pairs. This is actually a quirky take on the iconic “Swoosh” that we can get behind. They are being sold [here!]

[Source]

Music
19 May 2020

Music Video of the Day

Isn’t this song so catchy? I never believed that I could be a Harry Styles fan after liking only one song off his debut album, but this one has been a game changer. It’s also pretty weird to watch a music video like this because life as we know it will never be like this in the near future. Here’s hoping that our restrictions will lift when it is safe again and we can have summer days like this.

Design
18 May 2020

A Massive Wave

An enormous wave installation has landed at the Seoul Aquarium and we can’t stop watching this video of it. From the outside, the waves look like they are contained to the glass structure and are crashing into the windows. However, as an individual walking by, the waves will look massive, but you won’t be able to hear the installation. That’s because the installation is an anamorphic illusion. Designed by digital agency, [District] the piece was created using an advertising screen.

[Source]