Special Edition: 2021 Favourites

Books, Art, Places...

Hello intersectional thinkers 👋

Greetings from snowy Vancouver ☃ This week’s reflection ended up being an annual wrap up of favourites.

Best Books

» English fiction: The Spy and Traitor by Ben Macintyre

Apparently, this was Bill Gate’s Top 5 Books for 2020. I guess he’s got good taste in books.

This masterpiece is a gripping story about a Soviet KGB agent Oleg Gordievsky’s life. From promising rising KGB agent to being recruited by the British MI6, to providing counterintelligence and being suspected of treason, to being called back to Moscow and grilled for a confession, to finally trying to pull of an impossible escape.

It’s got the suspense, drama, diplomatic elegance, and behind the scene reveals. So good. Especially if you shop at Safeway.

Gordievsky is still alive at the ripe age of 83, living somewhere in the UK.

» Japanese fiction: Hotel Cactus by Irie Kaori

Set in an old stone-built apartment, lived a hat on the third floor, a cucumber on the second, and the number 2 on the ground floor. Each with a distinct personality, the story follows their almost ordinary daily lives.

There are no English translations – probably because if you translated this, it’d be a story about nothing. Not unlike like Terrace House (the Japanese reality TV show) or Midnight Diner (a Japanese series based on a mang), there’s not much drama, nothing too exciting. Time just passes. And before you know it, you’ve fallen deep into their world.

» English Non-fiction: The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

A controversial take on how our growing overprotection over ourselves, especially in the university setting, is actually hurting us. It’s based on the authors’ Atlantic article with the same name. Whether you agree with the arguments or not, it definitely stretches our understanding of why our world seems to be crumbling from within.

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Places

» Abruzzo, Italy: a hidden gem. Or as a local Abruzzian said: “People here don’t want to welcome foreigners. Life is too good.”

I can see why. Even the beautifully rugged landscape had a cool air of superiority. See photographic evidence below:

Almost snobby isn’t it.

Rugged, majestic, and just a tad snobby?

» Kyoto by the sea, Japan: okay, to be completely honest, I didn’t want to put this one on the list. It’s so good I wanted to keep it to myself. But then I realized I didn’t have that many subscribers, so … all good!

Every knows the traditional sights of Kyoto – the temples, the geishas, the tea houses. But don’t be fooled by the must visits. The more remote seaside Kyoto is stunning, historic, and authentic.

Traditional fishing village

Seems I like the sun above mountain composition…

» Ernest Ice Cream, Vancouver: recommended by all locals including me. The Whiskey Hazelnut is so addictive you’ll be thinking about it for months, even years, from that first unforgettable lick. Even the vegan ice creams are delicious…

They’re not always in a truck, but if you see one along the Sea Wall, try one!

Art

» The Tate YouTube channel: they make art relevant. Less intimidating. More human story than anything else.

A memorable one: Shirin Neshat – Dreams Are Where Our Fears Live

What an eloquent insight.

» WTAPS: Pronounced double-taps, this is the in-the-know Supreme-rivaling Japanese fashion brand that has lines out the door for their drops. You can get their stuff on Mr Porters or, better, in Harajuku where Japanese street fashion really started. Props to my beloved low key show off cousin for letting me in on this fashionable secret.

» NFTs: hmmmm I’ll report back when I decide on what to get.

» Ronnie Chieng’s “Hope You Get Rich” Chinese New Year Red Pockets (set of 5): These envelopes are profound. I’m not a huge fan of Ronnie Chieng’s stand up (I prefer Jimmy O. Yang). But “Hope you get rich” encapsulates an important part of Chinese culture that’s hard to articulate otherwise.

Maybe it doesn’t hit the same when you don’t celebrate Chinese New Year. But if you know anyone who does, give this to them (with a few dollars inside) and you’ll be their favourite person for the year. Try it.

Favourite quote:

Chaucer is dead, Spencer is dead, so is Milton, so is Shakespeare, and I'm not feeling so well myself.

– Mark Twain

Favourie source of music: my downstairs neighbor (see what I mean here)

There are more but these are the top favourites I couldn’t get out of my head. I’ll share more next week if I think of some!

Any favourites you had in 2021? Please reply and share! I’m still doing my holiday shopping and desparately need some inspiration.

Enjoy the last 2 weeks of 2021!

Vicky