Coronal Journal: Sunday Roundup #1

To (slightly) break up the monotony of telling you what I’m doing every day (i.e. nothing), here is the first of my weekly Sunday roundups to talk about a few things that are keeping me (sort of) sane.

Reading

The Coronavirus is Rewriting our Imaginations: an article in the New Yorker by Kim Stanley Robinson that I found really thought-provoking, especially the parts about structures of feeling and values.

Gone Girl: I’m not usually one for thrillers, but I really sped through this book and watched the film the day I finished it. It’s not a perfect book by any means, but it’s very readable and will definitely give you a lot to think about.

Listening

Hardly A Fit Subject for Levity: I worked last year with author Ian MacPherson on his novel, Sloot (which is an absolute cracker, by the way). Ian is keeping himself somewhat sane in lockdown by starting a series of podcast episodes, which are just as funny as the book. There are now two episodes available, under 15 min each.

It’s OK to feel overwhelmed. Here’s what to do next: Elizabeth Gilbert’s remote TEDtalk is lovely and very calming. I know it’s just affirming my place at the very extreme end of the basic white girl spectrum, but I just think she has a lovely voice and an optimistic demeanour and I like listening to her.

Watching

Normal People: Of course I’ve been watching Normal People, like every other person on the planet, but unlike every other person on the planet, I can’t say I’m completely convinced by it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautifully filmed, the actors are amazing and have incredible chemistry and it’s very #relatable, but something about the story irks me – something about the way this clearly very dysfunctional relationship is held up as some kind of romantic ideal when it’s so obviously fucked up (like everyone’s first relationships are, when you’re figuring out how to relationship). I did enjoy it, though. Statistically, you will too.

Eurovision (Again): Every Saturday at 8pm, a classic Eurovision Song Contest from years gone by is streamed live on YouTube. There is even a voting system online for today’s audience to recast the votes! Yesterday was supposed to be the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, so Eurovision Again was suspended for a week while we all watched 30 second clips of the Eurovision Songs That Never Were. A moment of silence for Think About Things, Iceland’s entry that is the winner of everyone’s hearts (even if not the official winner of the contest).

Buying

Literary Love Letters by Lauren Katalinich: I have been watching Lauren’s gorgeous calligraphy on Instagram as it’s totally mesmerising, and she also gives a little etymological explanation of the word in the captions (and I’m such a nerd for that sort of thing). You can also buy cards and prints of her work – I bought one to send to a friend this week and it is just stunning. You can find her on Instagram here and her Etsy shop here.

The Pantry Underwear: I discovered this gorgeous brand on Instagram and at just the right time because I was desperately in need of new bras. They offer FREE Facetime fittings; mine was so helpful and I didn’t feel under any pressure to buy anything (I did, though, because the bras are so STUNNING). The bras come in a range of sizes and it’s such a relief to find actually nice bras in bigger sizes that don’t look like they’ve been inspired by Tesco’s Bags for Life. Plus, they’re independently owned, so you can do a good deed by buying from them. I honestly can’t recommend them enough. You can check them out here.

Laughing

Hard relate to this tweet about how we end calls these days.

Princess Diana Memorial flavoured Panda Pops. Was this… a real thing? If not, don’t tell me, I want to believe that it was.

I know this is a bit old by now, but I don’t think I will ever get over Elton John performing on One World: Together at Home.

Eating

The Pantry Underwear cheesecake: Another reason you really need to get on board with The Pantry Underwear is that they posted the recipe for this gorgeous cheesecake on their Instagram stories.

Greek yoghurt pancakes: I’ve made Greek yoghurt pancakes twice over the past couple of weeks, once just for me (treat yo’ self) and once for boyfriend and flatmate as well. Look, this is probably one of the few times it’s going to be acceptable to be eating pancakes in your pyjamas at 11:30am on a random Thursday, so we might as well make the most of it.

First Class Bakes: Finally, if you want to support another local business and also be overwhelmed with yumminess (who doesn’t), have a look at my cousin Liam’s Etsy shop. I promise you, the brownies will change your life.

That’s all for this week, folks. Hope you’re all as ok as you can be. Until tomorrow xxx