As you can tell, I'm really interested in the squidgy right now. The sort of wacky and weird; dramatic linings, 70s psychedelic influences, zebra and cow print, soft hues but vibrant colours, cowboy boots, accentuation of the feminine shape, loud but understated. I think it's a very appropriate mood board for the spring time, without it being an obvious remnant of Easter's pastel throw-up. Yikes, graphic. I think after the winter season with it's over-the-top oversized silhouettes, I'm starting to lean towards the tight-fitting, skin-showing cuts again. Pinterest is, of course, dominated by the skinny, white, non-disabled body, but I do believe these pieces would look great on anyone. Out with the Instagram six-pack and in with the whimsical, fun and frilly fashion for all. 
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Aside from planning my outfits, I've also been manifesting a great deal. With manifesting, of course, comes the interior decoration. Similar to my fashion interest in the squidgy, I gravitate towards the spherical, the smooth, the groovy mixed with the almost vintage eclecticism that's distinctly European. I think my taste is very heavily influenced by the Scandinavian style but it's a lot more earthy and classic to move away from being too infantile. I've been thinking a lot about pottery, repurposed wood, and brass picture frames. I've also been obsessed with spaces like the Azulik hotel and Javier Senosiain's "Organic House", which you can definitely see here. Oh, and Emily Ratajkowski's loft home.  

Pictures taken and edited by: Selena Soemakno
Model: Melchior Burgzorg

I am here to share my wisdom with all of you, namely my ability to like everything so much that I have to get it out on a platform before it drives me to madness. I am honestly too excited to write much so let's just get started, shall we? 

Street Food - Since watching the trailer, I knew I wanted to have a look at this new Netflix series, especially since they had an episode dedicated to Yogyakarta. To be real, I was procrastinating while doing an essay so instead of watching from the very beginning, I opted to just go ahead and watch the Jogja episode. As it turns out, none of them are connected. Man, let's start off with; she's a beaut. My father's a big fan of watching street food shows on TV and we used to always make fun of the Westerners who come to Asia and try to describe our food with their odd and seemingly unfitting Western descriptions. Also, watching them eat sambel is a darkly funny thing. 
       Street Food, however, does not follow that format. Instead, we learn about the food through the eyes of the local. The Jogja episode follows Mbah Sentinem, a 100 year old grandmother who makes jajanan pasar (market snacks). But more than that, this episode is a love story between Mbah Sentinem, her mother, the family she provides for, and her food. After watching it, it left a gnawing feeling of adoration for my culture at the depth of my stomach and it definitely made me cry. The food, the process, and all the actors in what makes food in Jogja delicious were wonderfully shot without that Orientalist, othering view that many "street food" shows have on TV.
       On top of that, there is a huge stigma around being an active elderly in the Javanese culture, I've noticed. Once you reach a certain age, society tends to fuss over you and tell you to stay home, watch over the kids and take it easy. To watch Mbah Sentinem and all her vigor, all her love for life and hilarious humor made me so happy. It made me want to go back home and revisit all the places I went to as a child. I highly recommend. 
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Tuca and Bertie - Alright, since I wrote mini heartfelt essays for the other ones, I'll keep this one short and sweet. Tuca and Bertie stars two comedic geniuses: Ali Wong (she is killing it this month!) and Tiffany Haddish - with the addition of the beautiful Steven Yeun, Awkwafina, and Nicole Byer (also Tessa Thompson, Laverne Cox, and many more amazing people in Hollywood). The show is such a gorgeous thing conceptually (they live in an animal version of New York) and visually,  it's a cross between Adventure Time and BoJack Horseman. It has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for good reason.
​     The show explores sexual harassment, female friendships, addiction, confidence, anxiety, family, female ambition, female anatomy, and other general adulting things in the most absurdist way possible. I love it. It's hilarious. Also that scene where Bertie has a mental breakdown in the grocery store is exactly what I experience every single time I go grocery shopping. ​

YouTube - ​Bon Appétit has got it made, baby! Last summer, I was obsessed with watching  their It's Alive show that stars who's-better-than-us-vinny Brad Leone and anything that Claire Saffitz does because of her super Virgo precision. I've opened my eyes since then, and have dabbled in the world of Chris, Carla, Andy, and Molly. Priya is growing on me. It's just such a great cooking channel that makes me want to cook and also doesn't make me fear cooking (which is a hard thing to do when you've got someone like me as an audience member). I still truly love It's Alive and would recommend it to those who are new to the BA Test Kitchen. ​

Aute Cuture by Rosalía - ​Thank God for Rosalía, huh? If you haven't listened to her El Mal Querer album, I recommend you start there. But Aute Cuture is such a summer bop and has big early Beyoncé vibes that I can't explain. It makes me want to smile fiercely as though I'm in a music video and go for a run at the same time. Also, she makes me genuinely want to learn Spanish just so I can sing along. I love that pop artists are moving back towards the deep, more meaningful lyrical tunes and I have to say Rosalía is at the front lines. 

Heroine by Col3trane - Col3trane released an albuuuum. How blessed are we this summer, y'all? So blessed. Too blessed. He just has such a distinct voice and all of his beats are always so good - yet so different. His entire Tsarina album was genius and I have to say Heroine is a great follow up. My favorite track from the record right now is The Fruits (I mean, a collab with RAYE? Come on.) 

Sucker Punch by Sigrid - Now that we've established that Rosalía is the Spanish pop princess, let's establish that Sigrid is the Norwegian pop bad ass. I love girl power and Sigrid packs a massive punch (aha! Get it?) She is so talented and after watching a live video of her performing Strangers, I realized just how powerful her voice is - which you wouldn't otherwise guess considering how soft and melodic (and almost yodel-y her voice is on her tracks). Her music makes me feel like I'm Robyn in a neo-neon-horror film about a teen pop star. My favorites from the record are Don't Kill My Vibe, Strangers, and Sucker Punch. 

I've been reading a lot. Like, a lot a lot. But that's just because I'm taking an American Literature class so I thought I'd share my top 3 favs with you: 

1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - Why did I like this book? Because it destroyed me, that's why. I think it was so gorgeously written and I love the way all the characters view life and deal with their love for life. Largely, it is a story about a little boy who lost his father due to 9/11 and goes on a scavenger hunt after he finds his father's last puzzle for him; a key. However, it's really about the small things in life that makes you feel glad you are alive. The love you share between you and the people around you, the kindness, the guilt, the fear, the heartbreak. My heart stings a little just thinking about it. 
2. Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates - This book isn't even an "oh, yeah, that was a worthy read" type of situation. I think it's a "this book should be a bible and implemented in syllabi worldwide, but esppecially in the US". I won't write too much because I'm planning to post my book review, but it's basically just a heart-wrenchingly beautiful love letter from a father to his son about being black and having a black body in the United States of America. Read it. 
3. Sexy by Jhumpa Lahiri - This is a short story that's almost framed as if Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and The City had a racial existential crisis. Reading it at first, I thought the main character was a mixed-race woman. Turns out, she's white?! Wow. Wild. Basically it's a white woman who has an affair with a wealthy Indian man and as a way of getting closer to him, she tries to consume Indian culture as best she can. Or perhaps, as a way of getting closer to Indian culture, she tries to consume him as best she can. That's up to you to decide, I suppose. 

      I thrifted the blouse at Mee&Gee. Got it for $5. Facts. It's got shoulder pads and everything. The pants I got from Uniqlo. These are my first pair of white pants and I feel like a real responsible adult. (Eating with it on gives me mad anxiety, I don't know how all of you white-clothing-owning-adults do it). 

      I saw a post somewhere (could have been Leandra Medine or Tan France) saying that we'll regret this whole 'tiny glasses trend' very soon. I agree, but I love it right now and I will over-indulge on the internet for me to cringe at when I look back at my social media platforms. It's called self-awareness and the circle of life. It be like that. Anyway, I got these skinny/tiny/baby sunnies from Bershka. Oh, and the ambiguous abstract earrings (I think it looks like a person's torso) are from Monki!

     What do you think about the tiny glasses trend? Is it as stupid as the big orthopaedic sneaker trend? Will we all hate this blog post in two months? I suppose only time will tell. And you, in the comments, if you'd like!

     Hi, folks! Guess who's back from the (academic) dead? You guessed it! I'm here and I'm ready to update you all on the fun times I had in Hong Kong over the winter break. Yes, I'm aware that was about a month and a half ago). And yes, I will also be posting the vlogs that I made while I was there real soon. 
      On another note, I wanted to share a great piece of Hong Kong with you all: the Mee & Gee thrift shop(s) in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Situated on the sidelines of the lane that is blocked out for the Ladies Market in Mong Kok, Mee & Gee holds all sorts of hidden gems - ranging from FILA sweatshirts to boujie-silky blouses.

      The one I fell in love with the most was the one I'm wearing in the pictures above...and throughout the rest of this blogpost. My mom and I took an excessive amount of fire fit pics, okay? Deal with it. Anyways, I found a collection of these blouses. They had all sorts of colours, prints, sizes, and models. The best part? They were all 10 HKD each. That's like,  €1.50 for a blouse!!! I've seen some pretty nice thrift shops in NL. But so far, nothing beats Mee & Gee.
     The store is wedged in a little alleyway, between a New Balance store and the famous Ladies Market. In the picture above, I'm posing right in the middle of said alleyway. As you can see, that $10 sign is legit, y'all. 
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    Pro tip: there are two Mee & Gee stores right across the street from each other, but they do sell a different assortment of clothes to choose from. When I visited, I personally found more things in the Mee & Gee store by the New Balance shop. If you're looking for those crazy printed blouses specifically, I suggest you visit that one first. However, if you do have time, I recommend checking both out!
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     To take the look a few steps further, I paired the blouse with a gorgeous faux leather jacket from Musium Div., which I got for Christmas. Unfortunately, the faux leather started giving out and crumbling around the sleeves, so I traded it in for some other cute pieces (including a hoodie, two ribboned-trousers, and a colour-blocking mini skirt). At least it held up long enough for a great Insta post, though. 

      I also paired it with some slinky dress pants from H&M that I've had for forever. Obviously, the look would have been much more ethical and eco-conscious if I had paired it with some thrifted pants - which is a quest for my next Hong Kong trip!
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      Lastly, I complemented the look with some layered chains from H&M. The gold chains matched with the gold hardware of the blouse's buttons. Plus, it made the look a little bit more modern (if the New Balance sneakers didn't already balance out the look enough...hehe, get it?) (Pleas excuse my jokes, it's almost midnight and I'm writing this post for the second time because I accidentally deleted it the first time). 
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   To end the great day of an impromptu outfit photoshoot, my mother (aka my personal photographer) and the two kiddos (aka my siblings, whom we dragged around Mong Kok while we took pictures) stopped by the pop-up Sweet Monster shop. I got myself a citrusy-summery-bubbly drink and took a really cool picture so now you all have to look at it, too. 

       All in all, I learned that I am quite fond of looking like someone's grandmother from the 60's-80's. Still not sure which era those prints came from. Comment below if you know. Also, please don't hesitate to comment some great, thrifty places you may know (in HK, or otherwise). I'd love to check out the thrifty scene some more! 

For an explanation of what menjelang means, check out my first Menjelang Favorites post from last month. For the break down of everything I've been into the past month-ish, look no further. I don't know what it is but I feel like I go through music phases. In the winter time, I'm really in to indie and alt music. In the summer time, especially nearing my birthday (August 12th, hit your Leo girl up!!!), I get really in to hip-hop and R&B hype music. It's like my inner Insta Baddie shines through as it gets closer to my birthday. Not really, I think it's just my inner extra Leo shining through. 
Enough about my zodiac sign. Here are some really cool things you should check out because I like them. Hope you find something new. Or at least just something to distract yourself with so you can forget the fact that we're all slaves to capitalism and social constructs for a while. Cool. 

Marcel The Shell with Shoes On - Created by Jenny Slate and her (ex?) husband, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Marcel The Shell with Shoes On is a web series + kid's story book (I think). Marcel is a tiny shell and he goes around the house he lives, showing an unseen interviewer his life. It's adorable, it's incredibly witty, and oddly calming. It's so Pure. 

The Incredible Jessica James (2017) - Got Netflix? Stream it. Don't got Netflix? Putlocker it. Jessica James is an incredible role model and I am constantly telling myself to emulate her. She's honest and she's beautiful and she's struggling in the way everyone struggles and she's an awesome writer so get with it.

Your Name (2016) - To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Japanese movies/TV shows. I've tried, but I Just Don't Get It. Plus, cis women are so hyper sexualized in Japanese culture that the characters in animation always sound super breathy and it's just weird and it makes me uncomfortable. But, if you can get passed that and you're looking for something beautifully illustrated and a crazy plot that makes you go ?!?!?!?!?! then Your Name is perfect. It's about love and space and time and it's kind of nuts but I like it, and the cheesiness of the love story. 

Her (2013)- This movie was great and weird and intriguing and beautiful. Love is such a wild human concept in itself so to pair that up with technology is like double thinking for me and I love thinking about societal concepts and the protagonists challenges just that. Coolio. I cried, if that makes it any more convincing. 

Health documentaries on food (What The Health + That Sugar Film.) - These documentaries were so eye-opening. The food industry has been a hot topic on my mind for the last month because it's crazy. Yet another thing that the government has manipulated in the name of capitalism and we as members of the market are so blind that we sit there like zombies while we are literally trashing our bodies. To make matters worst, consumerism has been ingrained so deeply into our culture that it's unnatural to go vegan or to cut out refined sugar. Even the products that are marketed to be healthy/low fat/sugar-free are damaging!! Not to mention the ecological impact the food industry has. We really need to get educated on this and real fast too so we can stop romanticizing the foods that are essentially hurting us. 

​Youtube Videos - 

Viners truly do suck but Enya is hilarious and her little rant is so entertaining, especially since everything she spews out is the literal truth. 
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Just watch it. You'll get it.
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PRETTYMUCH - (Gossip Girl voice) New Boyband Alert! Word on the street Simon Cowell's got a new group of talented boys to fill the void One Direction left. Okay, back to Sel voice now. Not to be dramatic but I'm in love. Kidding. Not really. They've got major talent and they dance. With hip hop and R&B influences, It Boy hypeskater styles, and the fact that they're 3/5 POC will probably take them to the top. Also the fact that I can't seem to choose a fav to stan is really concerning. Anyways, their new single called Would You Mind is a consensual bop!

Billie Eilish - This girl. Hoooooooo my god, where do I even start?? I love teenage girls who make music with simple lyrics, deep themes, and dark undertones. Eilish talks about self-love (or lack thereof) in idontwanttobeyouanymore, romantic love (and lack thereof) in Party Favor, murdering her friends and her lover (which is probably a metaphor for violently cutting them out of her life) in Bellyache. She recently released her EP, Dont Smile at Me, and it's a freaking masterpiece. Listen to it. I love her. 

MY PLAYLIST VIDEO!!! IS LIT!!! WATCH & LISTEN TO IT!!! - 

Meet Me in The Cosmos by Jack Cheng - It's middle-grade Lit and I've only gotten a few pages in but it's already made me actually giggle out loud more than the other stuff I read. Told in transcripts of voice recordings eleven year old Alex makes, Cheng explores life on Earth through his protagonist who is very passionate about outer space and rockets.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Thomas explores the current racial climate in America. Starr, the protagonist, witnesses the shooting of her childhood best friend (done by a cop). Thomas also explores the two worlds Starr has to   manoeuvre between as she goes to a fancy prep school but lives in a poor neighbourhood.

Spiderman: Homecoming fanfiction - Don't shame fanfiction. It's just as much art as mainstream literature. My favorite's Leyla's (spidereyhes on Tumblr) Skyline. There's so much on Tumblr and Archives of Our Own. My favorite AU is Stark!Reader x Peter Parker for obvious reasons. 

Solid colors - I'm always in black. Always. I wore what I used to think was the ugliest greenest shirt I own. I ended up liking it. A mission of mine is to now be more in to colors. (Also I think I'm just succumbing to the current It Alt Artsy Skater Girl trend).

Fishnet socks - The fishnet tights trend is cute and all but let's be real here, sitting on a chair and having your butt press up against netting the whole day isn't cute. The socks are an easier alternative. They're not uncomfortable but still present themselves just to add a little edgy pizzazz. Yes, I just said the word pizzazz. Well, typed. 

Cauliflower rice - My parents have been doing the Keto diet so they've been trying to find rice substitutes. My mom ended up making this cauliflower rice and it turned out sooooo good. It's a vegan substitute, too! Here's the recipe she used since I love you and I want to include you in this cool meal.

Vegan Cookie Dough - Cookie dough is amazing. Vegan cookie dough is even more amazing. If you live in the Jakarta/Tangerang area, @kookie.do is on Instagram and they've got the best vegan cookie dough that you definitely need to try out.

Menjelang is an Indonesian word with a few English translations, including 'approaching', 'towards', and 'near'. It gives a sense of almost, with an underlying promise that it will be. I always scribble my favorites down on random scraps of papers and notebooks midway through the end and the beginning of two different months. Most of the time my favorites are things that are still very new to my life (songs with lyrics I still need to memorize, books I still need to finish), but that's because discovering excites me. It is my favorite thing. This combined with the fact that I think I am utterly uninteresting, these lists are usually disregarded quickly. But I'm learning how to have enough confidence to share.