ainsoofiyah

The day of resurrection 

4-History 

Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History 

1. Two days off and two weeks’ break | I took two days off and was granted an unofficial two weeks break from work to reset and recharge my mind before starting a new project. So, I hosted a mini readathon with myself and spent about 6-7 hours reading a day ;) 
   
   
2. Create an ASB account | After repeated failed attempts online, I finally had the chance to visit the bank, successfully register my personal ASB account. Adulting step 7, checked. 
   
   
3. Husna’s Birthday | Our youngest family member turned nine in March. We had a small family gathering and celebrated her birthday. She got her Dolores’ dress from Encanto that she wanted as a present which was nice. 
   
   
4. NCT Dream comeback | I’ve been a long-time fan of NCT, so I was already excited to hear about Dream’s comeback, which also means more of Dream’s content. Both albums’ versions are gorgeous, and I could not choose just one, so I bought both. Never Goodbye and Teddy Bear are a few of my favorite b-sidetracks. 
   
   
   
   
   
5. What I watched | I also watched the light and rom-com dramas, Forecasting Love & Weather and Business Proposal, but these three are my favorite.
   
   ♡ The Pirates 2: I followed all of their promotions, and it was one of the movies I anticipated in 2022. I was disappointed when I heard it did not get a cinema release in Malaysia but went straight to Netflix. I’m sure I would enjoy this movie much more at the cinema. In case you’re reluctant to watch, just to let you know, the casts are Han Hyo Joo, Kang Ha Neul, Lee Kwang Soo, Chae Soo Bin, and Sehun.
   
   ♡ Rookie Cops: I was skeptical at first with Kang Daniel taking the lead role, but he did a great job portraying police university student Wi Seung Hyun. Not a thriller if that is what you are expecting. I love the friendship between the students, which is so fresh to watch, and every little moment makes me enjoy the show.
   
   ♡ Thirty-Nine: Jeon Mi-do is everyone’s girl crush in Hospital Playlist, but watching her in Thiry-Nine, I can’t help but fall deeper with her. Michanjoo friendship is the strongest, solid, and breathtakingly beautiful. Five-star. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Tracey Sling Bag | I fell in love with this Tracey sling bag as soon as I locked eyes with it. Resisted the temptation and regretted my decision when it was out of stock. Luckily, it was back in stock, and I checked it out as soon as possible. 
   
   
7. Small gatherings with colleagues. First time gathering after working remotely and didn’t see anyone for almost a year. It was so awkward at first, but things were comfortable thanks to a few friends. 
   
   
8. Milliot & Co x Disney heels | If you know me well, you’d know I’m a sucker for Disney princess movies. I’ve been eyeing those Disney heels from Milliot & co. They’re stunning, and I’m still contemplating if I should get them for Eid. 
   
   
9. Gigi coffee | I tried out a few Gigi Coffees because of the hype that went around recently. But, it was hardly available in my area. Out of the three coffees I've tried, I like sea salt caramel macchiato with an espresso shot the most.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Book Journaling | I usually would just instinctively annotate any phrases or quotes I love in a book and never look at them again once done. At some point, I felt it was pointless reading a book and forgetting what I’d gone through. Like fate, I came across this video on Youtube, changed my book journaling habit, and to date, loving this new practice.
    
    
11. Approaching Ramadhan | We are approaching the Holy Month of Ramadhan. How are you preparing before entering into The Holy Month? Did you set up certain goals that you want to achieve by the end of the month? It’s not too late yet if you haven’t. As for me, personally, I feel like I’m not mentally and spiritually ready for Ramadhan, but one of the goals I want to achieve by the end of the month is to read more Islamic books, as I can barely remember when was my last time reading Islamic books. I will share my reading plan in the next post ;)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
12. What I read | March continued to be a solid reading month for me. Read a total of 12 books and exceeded half of my yearly goals mainly because I had two weeks of break, so I had more time for reading. I love most of the books I read last month.
    
    ♡ The Quest For Meaning by Tariq Ramadhan
    ♡ Secrets of Divine Love by A.Helwa
    ♡ A Doctor in the House by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
    ♡ The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
    ♡ Islam and Secularism by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas
    ♡ I Lost My Way by Yasmin Mogahed
    ♡ Timeless Seeds of Advice by B. B. Abdulla
    ♡ Animal Farm by Geoge Orwell
    ♡ The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
    ♡ Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
    ♡ The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
    ♡ A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

1. Chinese new year | I began my February by spending my off-day crossing off one of my bucket lists when things go back to normal - visiting Mitsui Premium Outlet. Although I didn't get anything there and the mall was unexpectedly dull, I still had a great window shopping day and watching people roaming around the outlet.  
   
   
2. 500 jumps in 15 min | It was such an accomplishment that I couldn't ignore for breaking my last 300 skips record in a month, even though I abandoned this routine for the next three weeks. Sorry for being inconsistent frail, dear self.  
   
   
3. Sunset at Tanjung Emas | Being stuck at home for almost two years made me appreciate the beauty of the sunset even as someone who wasn't into nature. I enjoyed my slow evening at Tanjung Emas, watching the sunset and listening to my favourite playlist, and forgetting about those stressful things for a moment.  
   
   
   
   
   
4. A date with myself | I am someone who needs company where ever I go. I'd rather starve myself than eat alone, especially in public spaces. But I don't know what was into me, last weekend, I went to KL by public transport and roamed around KLCC all alone, for the first time in 26 years of my life, and I had a good time. Hanging out with friends and family is great, but wasting a few hours in the bookstore without rushing and being rushed was such a healing moment for me. Maybe I should do this once in a month.  
   
   
5. I had one stressful meeting with my team one day and was in a bad mood for the whole day. Painting was such great escapism, and I had a therapeutic moment. And I certainly need to place a new order of more DIY paintings for my future well-being. 
   
   
6. ZUS Spanish Latte | Recently, I've fallen too hard with ZUS Spanish latte. It's perfectly suited to my taste. If it weren't for its excessive sugar, I would drink it every morning before starting my day.  
   



7. What I watched |
   Hwang Jin Yi - It's an old drama series. Hwang Jin Yi is a familiar name in Korean culture. An illegitimate daughter climbed her way to success against all the odds and class hierarchy. It was new to see the fragile side of Hwang Jin Yi throughout the drama, but I expected to see more of her ambitious side and how she'd get to the top instead of her love affair.  
   
   I also rewatched lots of dramas and TV shows in February instead of new dramas. I watched Angel's last mission when I was in the mood for crying, I am Not a Robot when I need comedy and Lending You My House of Wheels for healing - no kidding, I kept on repeating this show.
   
   
8. Reading my old diaries | I was one day reminisced my day by reading my old journals from 2008. One or two logs are missing in between, but reading those 11 diaries since 2008, was cringing in a way. Still, it was also lovely to learn my growth, how my views and perceptions changed over time, my sadness and happiness moments, and I don't regret not throwing them away. Thank you, mom, for still keeping my diaries from I was 12 so that I could hang on to my old memories.  
   
   
   
   

9. What I read | My reading habits still went strong even though I wasn't really impressed with most of the books rated between three to four-star. Bookdepository mail arrived earlier than expected. Usually, it took more than a month, so I expected them in the early of March as I made my order at the end of January, but received all of them in the middle of February. I can't complain though. I finished nine books within 28 days, most of them are classics.
   
   
   -A World Without Islam by Graham E. Fuller
   -10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
   -To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   -Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
   -Little Women pt.1 by Louisa May Alcott
   -Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne and Peter Holeinone
   -The Apple and the Tree: Life As Dr Mahathir's Daughter Marina Mahathir
   -Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
   -A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
   
   



10. Cosy Playlist | I ran into this playlist shared by @thesunalsoreads on Instagram, and I instantly be smitten by her playlist. It is the perfect go-to songs to set up the cosy moods with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in another while wrapped up in a blanket with rain on another side of the window.
    
    
11. Scented candle | Now that all my scented candles are all used up, I was hunting for a new candle and ended up choosing Bath & Body Works. I was thorn between Champagne Toast, Rosewater & Ivy, and Black Cherry Merlot. They had a Buy 2 Free 1 Sale, it was tempting, but I ended up picking Rosewater & Ivy. Priorities.
    
    
12. KLAB BookFest | It was my first time visiting a book festival in a while. Since I wasn't into local publishers these days (not that I looked down on them), I thought I wouldn't spend much time there, but it went longer than expected. I was itching to buy more books, but I kept reasoning that I had to finish those unfinished books I purchased before purchasing more books. And.. let's just say it went well.