12 Things in October

Hello November! October was filled with so many blessings and so much good news. Malaysia is finally in recovering phase. 90% of adults population had been vaccinated. Interstate and overseas borders reopened after 10 months, and I'm glad it was a fantastic month. So, here I am with another installment of the monthly 12 things that made my heart feel a little happier in October.  

cover page inspired by @ihggs

1. What I’ve been watching...
   Downton Abbey -I guess as I get older, I'm more drawn towards chill and family genres and less inclined to thrillers. Downton Abbey is genuinely a classic series. Perfect drama to chill and get lost in the world of the Crawley family. I really hate Violet's character at first, but her character becomes likable and funny as the series goes by. I am still not over the death of Matthew & Lady Sybil, in case you were wondering.
   Squid game - After so much hype (though I was very late), I found Squid Game disappointing despite the exciting start. A solid 3/5 from me.
   One the Woman - My friend recommended this drama to me. I was sus at first as I had never heard of this drama, but guys, it turns out to be really good!  
2. Ubotie keyboard & headset |I finally caved in and bought my dream keyboard and headset from Amazon to complete my desk set-up. I just love the clicking sound it makes. They're white, super cute with bits of purple, which is perfect for my desk!  
3. Favorite & Wanted Albums |
   Favorite from NCT 127 - Definitely one of my favorite songs of the year. Before I start working, whenever I need a little pick me up, I blast the whole album from my CD player and have a little solo dance party.
   Love Cut from CNBlue - I remember growing up listening to CNBlue's songs back when I was a teenager. I last followed them before their enlistment, and that was three years ago. Just recently, I learned about their mini-album comeback - Wanted, and I was stunned with their song, Love Cut. It has an old-school vibe and brings old nostalgic memories back. Fascinating, isn't?
4. What I read in October | Despite having a temporary reading slump for a week, I'm still proud as I managed to finish all four books and achieved my monthly goals.
   - Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery
   - The 5AM club by Robin Sharma
   - The lonely City by Olivia Laing
   - Letters to Young Muslim by Omar Saif Ghobash 
5. New Instagram account | I finally created my second Instagram account to post random stuff. Named @ainofgreengables to honor my current favorite series and because I have no other cool name to come up with. Feel free to check my account if any of you are interested.  
6. Coffee dates | After I completed my 14 days of post-vaccine quarantine in early October, I've been crossing off a few of my bucket lists, and one of them is going on coffee dates. Started my first-weekend meeting with my high school friends, followed by my colleagues from my internship, and ended my third weekend catching up with my cousins. The last three weekends were all well-spent.  
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   *Three different coffees from three different cafes
7. A home café and personal library | Scrolling through Pinterest of home cafes and libraries was a recent hobby of mine. I can't wait to own a home just so I can set up a little café and personal library one day.  
8. An Apple watch |Right now, I'm using a smartwatch I bought from Shopee, but it doesn't work really well. I was at first bought it from Shopee because I thought I wouldn't be using it as much, but now I believe that it's time to get the real deal. I went to two authorized reseller stores, unfortunately, they were all sold out. I'm hoping to get it by the end of this month.  
9. Back to hometown | I finally had the chance to visit my hometown in Johor after 10 months due to Covid 19 restriction. Thankfully, my grandma still recognized me.  
10. Mom's and Liyana's birthday | It was my mom's and my little sister's birthday in October. We got together and celebrated mom's birthday with my maternal grandmother and our closest family in Johor, and I thought nothing could be more perfect than this. Unfortunately, we couldn't celebrate my sister's birthday as she was already back at her boarding school.  
11. Re-organizing closet | Honestly, I never consider my closet as messy (maybe not super neat but never messy) and never thought I would need the help of Marie Kondo. Just one fine day, I was binge-watching on YouTube and came across her video, tried her method, and guys, it is such a game-changer! And I love how she finds folding as an act of caring - as, after each fold, you smooth your hand over the fabric in a soothing motion. It's new to me.  
12. New running shoes | I've been meaning to buy new sports shoes as I have nothing proper to wear whenever I go jogging. I found this adorable mix of purple and grey Nike running shoes, and it's so beautiful. As the price is a little bit more than my budget, I walked by the shop a few times before convincing myself that I indeed needed them in my life. It felt satisfying to splurge on something for myself after a stressful month.  
    
    

Thank you, October, for each story, and welcome to November. May it be another full of good news and blessings.