Astral Drop: 2020

Oeuvre

I am soooo bad at waking up early when I’m on vacation and I solely blame it on being a night owl. My brain for no specific reason is more functional at night. Whether it’s writing, cleaning or playing; I unconsciously start doing my main tasks when clock hits 7PM. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love waking up early when school is on-going, like I literally have no problem with it and that is why I wanted to incorporate that habit fully into my life even on the days I don’t have to.

2. Exercising at night

Again with doing things at night, I tend put off working out until it gets dark just because… I don’t know… I like showering at night more than in the middle of the day? Yup, sound about right, but the main reason I want to change this is because exercising makes me more awake than tired and also, I’d rather boost my energy mid-day by working out so I could actually be more productive afterwards.

3. Neglecting my hair

I am the worst person when it comes to hair care. I dread conditioning it, I am always too lazy at brushing and combing and much more obviously would not care, even an ounce of putting hair masks on. Currently my hair is growing preeeeety long and I want to put more effort on it so that I won’t look like a dull, long-haired witch all the time. I’d like to set aside time for styling it every often and not just settle for a low bun or a pony tail.

4. Focusing on short-term goals

I am currently on my health/weight loss journey this quarantine season and I’ve set goals of basically eating healthier rather than dieting. Included with that goal is to exercise daily which I religiously did for a month and a half. Unfortunately, I got sucked into this hole of not seeing immediate results which caused me to be unmotivated and eventually stop, which tends to happen when I lose focus on my long-term goals, and that is why I wanted to get rid of that bad habit/mindset.

5. People pleasing

Oh to the times I couldn’t even count of me pleasing people rather than prioritising my inner peace. I have this bad habit for a long time now, and I have been praying for it to change because honestly, it’s tiring. It’s hard for me to say no to things especially when it would make the others happy or if it would make me more normal. At first, I thought it was just peer pressure but growing up I find it quite more self-benefiting because it makes me feel good that they are pleased by my… decision, I guess? and I definitely want to change that. Normalize rejecting plans and saying no Ciele, it’s 2020 common.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,"

- Colossians 3:23

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, by Ciele Anolin

Lifestyle

Tiny Desk Area + Décor

Trying to fit a desk area in a tiny bedroom is truly a struggle most people face including me, and luckily I found my way around it; a desk and shelf half & half.

I have a small square bedroom with a built-in closet and a bad idea to put a huge bed along with it. As this two occupied most of the floor space of the room, the only other furniture I was able to add was a side table that acts as my night stand and storage shelf. Whichever way I try, the table wasn’t enough to hold my stuff and act as my desk area as well. It worked well as a nightstand but was way too low for a desk, so when I saw this compact desk hack on a tiny NYC apartment feature, I immediately went for it.

Basically, the idea was to make use of the blank wall at the foot of my bed by putting a single shelf unit to act as, not only a shelf, but my desk as well. It turned out exactly like how I imagined it to be. Since we’re improvising and dealing with limited area, if you’re planning on recreating this as well, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

∙ measure an optimum height for the shelf to avoid back pain

∙ get a fairly wide shelf that could fit your laptop and some extra workspace

∙ go for a slightly thicker shelf as well for sturdiness against the weight when you’re using it as a desk

∙ provide leg space beneath no matter what! sitting cross-legged for a long time is uncomfortable

Despite it being mainly an area to put my laptop on and study, I cannot just leave it bare and undecorated. Keeping practicality in mind, I placed two of the things I use daily, my devotional book and my Q&A a Day journal. I also have a few plants sitting there to bask in glory sun. I also framed two postcards I got abroad for some makeshift artwork. Other than those, I just added bits of travel trinkets and random things; a music box, a crystal, a room and linen spray and a bottle of coins for keep.

Above my shelf is just a white wall with a hanging pentagon board where I put cute cards mainly for aesthetic, a dream catcher and a string with wooden clothespin which usually hangs polaroid photos but I recently removed them for a change.

Aaaaaaaaand that’s about everything about my compact desk/shelf area! Hope you find this helpful ♡

"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart."

- Proverbs 17:3

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, by Ciele Anolin

Oeuvre

An Open Letter After This Pandemic

Hey there, the past few months hasn't been great for anyone so far, isn't it? From wildfires, volcanic eruption to the pandemic, everybody's had their fair share of struggles since the new year, and with that comes a great wave of emotions rushing towards us. I know we all want to go back to our normal lives and spend the days outside but behind that excitement stood fear. Fear of the unknown and of the aftermath of the global pandemic.

I'm just here to say that I know it's a weird time adjusting to the "new normal" life after quarantine and that it'll take a bit of getting used to so it's completely fine to feel disoriented. It's alright to take things slow, feel out the situation in your community. I know that being able to take things slow before getting back to work is a privilege, especially since a lot of families' income were affected during the lockdowns, but what I mean is that it's imperative for us to process all that had happened in order to move forward and go back to the hussle. Some might be able to go back to their normal routines immediately but some of us would face the transitioning operations of public transport system. Students like me, would obviously need to adjust with the interrupted academic year schedule. All of us would deal with the inevitable change. The pandemic might've been under controlled now as you're reading this but there isn't a certainty it won't comeback.

Be careful but most importantly be hopeful. Leaving the season of being locked down at home carries a responsibility for us not just to pick ourselves up but to help each other rise from the fall we've all been as well.

Continue life looking forward and looking back at the pandemic as a ginormous obstacle humanity had faced and conquered. Support local businesses and dine at the restaurants in your community. Don't stop looking after each other's back after the pandemic. It may have given us a hard blow at life but maybe it's also a reminder for humanity to be kinder to each other.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit."