Date Archives May 2020

Isolation Diaries: PK8303 and Eid-ul-Fitr | Lockdown Day 64

Family & Personal People & More

Dear 2020,

Have you had enough already?

Amid a pandemic and global crisis, my nation is now bearing a national tragedy. And that too right before Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. We lost many precious lives and for some out there, it was a loss of a lifetime. Eid this year was different to begin with, many of our traditions were to be held at home, online and in quarantine.

In my household, it has not been the same for many years now. After I lost my father to Multiple Myeloma in 2012 and my brother, Anas to a bike accident in 2014, Eid is more about prayers and missing them even more. So for my family, it wasn’t of a big change anyway. We washed, put on clean clothing, offered prayers, and made Pa and Anas’ favorite repast. And honestly, we prefer the simplicity and the essentialism of Eid.

I’ve been reading, some nasty comments on social media, criticizing people who dressed up for Eid. As long as you stayed indoors and were not responsible for an unnecessary congregation, who cares! To each with its own, we are already at the mercy of an outbreak, and we must do everything in our hands (literally) to keep our overall well-being at best. If you stayed in your pajamas all day long and binged Ertuğrul, that’s okay and if you wore a pair of 6-inch stilettos and posed for that perfect sun-kissed selfie up on the roof-top, that’s perfectly fine as well. Be kind. It is very easy to pour out negativity hiding behind a handle/username and it is impossible to comprehend an individual’s personal life from the outside.

In fact, my baby brother and I spent the day, splashing around the inflatable pool all afternoon and that was okay too. Although I think that made us miss Anas a whole lot more. Not to mention, the Biryani spread, reminded us of Pa’s annual Eid Day Party for our extended family. So, yes, it wasn’t perfect but it was everything to be grateful for.

Its been 64 days of lockdown, Mom is itching to go outside for things that do not involve life-saving drugs and pantry items. Areeb cannot focus on his curriculum anymore and I am scared to think the world might have switched to remote for good. Do you think our work-life will never be centralized again? shudders

 

MINIMALISM: The Joy of ONE

Minimalism & Sustainability

To live with less possessions has been my ultimate goal for a few years now. Unlike what others propose, I actually dream of sleeping in a bedroom with only a mattress, natural lighting and a nightstand; quintessential Minimalism – cliched but practical.

I’ve not only contemplated but also experienced the simplicity and the joy of owning only 1 of many things including life’s necessities. While to some this may sound extreme, owning one of each item has turned my life around; easy decisions, quick actions and quality pieces to name a few advantages.

I’ve been able to save up on time, energy and money for things that matter the most. During my journey, I realized that we possess ‘duplicates’ of almost everything in our homes, offices and lives. This wasn’t always an opportunity of joy. Owning 1 of each possession mean’t I’d be surrounded by things I loved the most, I was more intentional with the usage and it would mean I’d be making use of everything I own. “Love people and use things because the opposite never works” is the most shared quote from the Minimalism Film, and I completely agree.

So, here I am sharing with you, 25 things, I own only 1 of:

  1. Wristwatch – its sleek, its minimalist and I wear it everyday.
  2. Scrunchie – its a mauve satin, its soft, it does not leave kinks in my hair and is a cute wrist accessory.
  3. Hair Tool – a small hair dryer that my father got me years ago, and since I don’t heat-style my hair ever (may be once a year), it is more than enough for me.
  4. Skincare – I have 1 of each, a day cream, night cream, mask and an eye cream. I prefer simple skincare as opposed to a whole lot of products on my face.
  5. Beauty – I own 1 of each beauty product that I could possibly use including 1 BB cream, 1 bronzer, 1 eye-shadow quad, 1 eyeliner, 1 mascara, and most importantly 1 sunscreen.
  6. Bookmark – I own 1 bookmark which I absolutely love (and we will not be talking about the 1000 books lined up on my bookshelves).
  7. Phone Case – As opposed to my delinquent teenage years, I no longer own matching phone cases to my outfits, 1 clear, simple one suits me all year long.
  8. Handbag – Remember the days with 46 bags, well no more sweetheart, I technically own 4 but one is a day bag, the second is a crossbody, third is a backpack and the fourth is an evening clutch, one from each category serves me well.
  9. Traditional Festive Wear – Believe it or not, I own only 1 traditional, festive outfit that I use until the point, it is literally falling apart.
  10. Active Wear – I own a very good quality pair of leggings and sports bra from Lulu Lemon and it is more than what I need. It is expensive but the investment is completely worth it.
  11. Yoga Mat – 2 years ago, I purchased a good quality yoga mat, it has served me well and I do not plan to buy a new one anytime soon.
  12. Coffee Tumbler – I used to have 3 on-the-go tumblers but I ended up giving 1 to my brother and one to my bestie and now I am completely content with 1 that is my absolute favorite – no touchy!
  13. Stationery – I used to be a stationery monster and a religious diarist with everything you can imagine right from Disneyland to WarnerBros Studios to Paperchase and now I own 1 single, blue pointer that lives in my everyday handbag.
  14. Sunglasses – In one point of my life, I did have a sunglasses fetish but now I feel blessed owing only one but super quality, investment piece from Gucci.
  15. Strapless Bra – Why would you need more than 1 strapless bra?
  16. Wallet – Well thats nothing impressive is it? Everyone owns 1 wallet but I also have 1 credit card, 1 bank account, 1 key-chain and about 10 coffee reward cards from all over the city.
  17. Sneakers – I own 1 pair of sneakers and although I have had my eye on another style, who needs shoes now, walking is a thing of the past!
  18. Earphones – 1 pair and that is more than enough, I take care of them and cherish them.
  19. Brush and Comb – I own 1 of each, and it is like my personal and affordable hair salon which is accessible at all times.
  20. Anklet – Hell yeah just one baby! My entire jewelry collection now fits inside a Pandora Bracelet box and it makes me very proud.
  21. Laptop – Well this is a definitely cheat because I own 1 Windows (HP) laptop and 1 iOS (MacBook) but hey I earn my living off of them so I don’t mind.
  22. Hat – I own 1 straw-esque hat for those good, old days at the beach and I cannot wait to use it next Summer, fingers-crossed.
  23. Knick-knacks/Decor – I decluttered all of my decor items around 3 years ago and now adorning my bookcase is 1, little faux, potted Aloe Vera plant.
  24. Cleaner – Trust me all you need is 1 all-propose cleaner and the rest are just a marketing scam.
  25. Swimsuit – When you live in my part of the world, you will probably use some kind of swim-wear once or twice in your lifetime but for a water-baby like me this is definitely a good change.

There is a very good chance that I might be forgetting a few more things but for now this looks good. Someday, I’d also like to talk to about the things I own 2 of but now the ball is in your court. Tell me what things you only own 1 of? Or may be parts of your home, you’d like to delcutter? I’d love to hear. Ciao!

 

Meet My Millennial-esque Resume

Business, Tech & Workplace Minimalism & Sustainability

Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the ultimate millennial profile! It is soooo adorable, I just want you people to see it:

And before you question the un-readable font and my choice of colors, remember; we are the ones staying indoors during the pandemic, we are the ones who care for the planet, we are ones paying-off loans and we are the ones who save up for a menstrual cup so we can continue to reduce our carbon footprint. So, don’t judge! XX

Isolation Diaries: 18-hour Shifts, Epilators & A New Favorite Book | Lockdown Day 41

Books & Reading Business, Tech & Workplace Family & Personal

Hello! Long time no see. It has been completely manic lately and I feel utterly blessed. Its been 7 weeks of lockdown and while on one hand, we are finally accepting the ‘new normal’, lack of funds and resources are driving people off the edge.

In the midst of these uncharted times, I feel blessed beyond measure that I have some kind of work to earn a part of my livelihood, I know its not the same with everyone. During a Pandemic, business owners and/or product owners wear multiple hats; earlier as my role as a supervisor, I now find myself splitting my day into 11 different functions across 18 work hours which is definitely challenging but also gives me the opportunity to learn new crafts. Turns out, I can build tech products and tabulate a P&L report as well!

When I am not lost among a bunch of metrics, invoicing and Kanban moves; I occupy my breaks with helping around the house. Now that we are home all the time, I decided to finally give my mother what she always wanted – a daughter who can do more than just boil the water. I try to prepare Iftari – Blessed Meal and take care of mopping and dishes. But it doesn’t help much with Mom taking it easy, she feels that tenacious need to do-over everything I just did. May be I am not doing it right or may be she is just being a Mother.

As I scrub down the floor, my baby brother often walks by and elucidates on how I am turning into a Gorilla thanks to all the extra ‘fuzz’ on my body. Two more weeks and I’ll be growing a beard. Years ago, my father was wonderful to get me a Braun Silk Epil that has continued to be my savior but once you go Wax, nothing else comes close! And as much as I hate to admit it, I miss my brow-lady and that familiar feeling of smooth, smooth underarms.

So work is erratic, TV is down, my Tech Lead wants “Flexible Hours”, vinyl gloves are running out, new books on Kindle are $10.99 a piece, Mom thinks I need to get married during Quarantine (as it would be easy to take a leave of absence from work *facepalm*), Areeb wants to have a BBQ party with his friends up on a rooftop which of course Mom forbids and I have absolutely no idea what to do about my growing love handles! All in all, we’ve air in our lungs, potatoes in the pantry and free movies on YouTube, couldn’t be more grateful.

And just when I thought my inability to concentrate on a book was spiralling out of control, I found a new favorite book! That’s right, imagine me advocating a book which is not ‘Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl’ or ‘Animal Farm’ or ‘Ghachar Ghochar‘ or the ‘Cormoran Strike Books‘; I fell completely in love with ‘A Gentleman in Moscow‘ by Amor Towles. This book is inspiring, smooth and sparkling filled with hope, perseverance, ingenuity and impeccable manners amid isolation. It felt like the most appropriate story for these testing times. I got my copy from Liberty Books and it is also available on Kindle, highly recommend it. And now back to our regular scheduled whining…

As Rachel said, “The nights are the hardest. But then the day comes and that’s every bit as hard as the night. And then the night comes again…”; I think that’s the one feeling that we all share right now, all it took was 1 pandemic to bring the human race together like never before. Everyday we wake-up, work, eat and sleep in the same surrounding and yet we are confronted with life’s greatest challenges – ranging from tackling the bills on the counter to deciding Saturday night’s movie/film pick.

If you are still reading my babble, I hope you are taking care of yourself and I pray that this ordeal will soon come to an end with nothing but the good and pure remaining.