The year 2018 is off to a good start. The first week has been quiet, with me spending time with my family, watching movies, and reading books. Because it was peaceful, it was pretty much uneventful. I was home most of the time and didn’t make plans during the weekend. Here’s how the first seven days of the year went in short snippets.
Reading
I’ve made significant progress on Soseki Natsume’s I Am a Cat but I’m still super behind, so I decided to read a graphic novel in between to stay on track of my goal to read 20 books (including graphic novels) this year. Tonight I’ll start reading X-Men: Mutant Genesis 2.0, which collects seven issues from 1991 and gives them a digital makeover. I browsed through the book and it’s bursting with colors and action. Excited to get started!
I also finished the seventh and eighth issues of TEAM magazine, with Boy Abunda and Paolo Ballesteros on the covers. My favorite story from the Boy issue is an essay by Martin Yambao about a date he had in Singapore with a mute guy. It was wonderfully written. An excerpt of the script of Hanging Out was included and now I’m curious to see the show (I still haven’t seen it!).
The Paolo issue had a redesigned look without the border on the cover and I like it, but I’m having issues with the spacing of the paragraphs inside. Doesn’t really matter because the content is great: a well-shot feature on gorgeous sex toys, the dynamics of twins where one is gay and one isn’t, and two stories about dating in the time of HIV. The issue came with a zine called What Remains, a tragic poem about breaking up by Nanie de Castro. Brent Sabas’s illustrations were perfection.
Writing
I didn’t write much this week. I wrote a story on a cooking class I attended on my trip to Korea and a feature on a Korean restaurant in Manila.
Listening
The Sleep playlist on Spotify. I listen to it night after night.
Watching
Today is the last day of the Metro Manila Film Festival and I was able to catch Deadma Walking before it closed. In the film, gay man John Samson (Joross Gamboa) sets up an elaborate plot with his best friend Mark (Edgar Allan Guzman) to fake his own death so he can hear what people will say about him. It had its tender moments and I enjoyed it as much as the popular Ang Larawan. Guzman won Best Supporting Actor for his role and he totally deserved it.
I’m also going on a marathon of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since I wasn’t able to watch everything. So far I’ve seen Iron Man and it’s just as good as when I first saw it. Robert Downey Jr. is the perfect Tony Stark and is an excellent choice to start the multi-billion franchise.
Decided to finally catch up on The Crown this week. I’m so obsessed with the lives of British royalty that I was able to watch all 10 episodes of the second season this weekend! This season is character-driven and I got to know them more and watch them develop. Princess Margaret is favorite of the lot and the real-life princess is even more notorious. Reports say that people despised her condescension.
I’m going to watch Black Mirror‘s second season next!
Thinking
Of what the future holds. This year will mark a turning point in my life but nothing has been set in stone so I don’t want to talk about it yet.
Wishing
That this year will be good for everyone.
Hoping
That I will be able to meet my goals for the year and see more of my friends.
Loving
That I am making progress on my reading and watching.
Wanting
To maintain this peaceful vibe for the rest of the year (and my life).
Needing
To make sure that I get started on Project Minimalism, where I take a look at the items I gathered throughout 2017 and dispose of the ones I no longer need.
Feeling
Happy that the first week of 2018 has been chill. I hope it will be like this for the rest of the year.
Clicking
Princess Margaret was the unruly royal who loved men almost as much as she loved partying and loathed the idea of a quiet life. Intriguing companion piece for viewers of The Crown.
The Sunday Currently was originally created by SiddaThornton.