What technology reminds us, eh?

My Spotify Wrapped was a pleasant surprise. I looked through the slide deck and I thought "oh, wow, hmm, yes this makes sense." I suspect that this primarily includes registered or certain types of artists? I didn't see anything related to the ambient, deep sleep, lo-fi, relaxing bossa nova, or instrumental tracks I listen to everyday. That's okay. There was one artist that I don't listen to nor was part of any of my playlists, but she appeared among my top artists--maybe a random occurrence? Hopefully not a promotional gimmick. Not nice. (Update: our home smart speaker is connected to my account and my children request songs so the mystery has been solved!)

I'm very pleased with my top song. I concur, Spotify. I think it's a beautiful song--all aspects of it. It reminded me of how duets were common in earlier pop songs or ballads: Especially for You, Don't Cry Joni, Please be Careful with My Heart, Out of Goodbyes, Ebony and Ivory, etc. Great karaoke songs ☺.

Cheers to us and our respective soundtracks for the past year.

string telephone (updated)

I had an interesting, wholesome, and cute dream involving music. As I write this in the evening, I cannot recall the details of said dream, but remember a smirk. I just know that when I woke up this morning, I knew that I was going to be in a good mood the whole day. I was scrolling through social media and saw a music-related post that elated me. You know how certain things just coincide serendipitously and even though there’s a huge part of your brain that says that it’s likely random, there’s still a small part of you that believes in something cosmic. Like how a stringed instrument’s strings are physically oriented in parallel manner yet once played, the soundwaves facilitate some form of interconnectedness and interaction between the parallel-oriented strings. Amazing realization. Enjoyable epiphany.

Update: whoever was in charge of curating Spotify’s Fireside Christmas Jazz playlist just knows https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWZy48MuOV69W?si=i0qIQqtNT-Wo9YgE2JHgwQ

dear infj

 

Whirlwind and tidal wave of social interactions. Exhausting. My slow journey towards the acknowledgment of my introversion has been and continues to be liberating. It is now common knowledge that extroversion and introversion are tendencies across a temperamental spectrum. 

I borrowed and am still reading a book by the Danish psychotherapist Ilse Sand, entitled “On being an introvert or highly sensitive person: a guide to boundaries, joy, and meaning.” There is a lengthy questionnaire that allows a self-evaluation of one’s proclivity towards either introversion or extroversion. I realized that if only I had known about this earlier then I would have been more understanding of why I feel a certain way about specific situations. Or why I got sick so often to the point of being hospitalized. It meant that there was a dissonance between what I felt I needed to do based on societal norms or occupational culture and what my mind and temperament were inclined to do. I am now fully aware that when I am utterly overwhelmed, I tend to shut down. And this can be confusing for others. Armed with this knowledge, I should try my best to prevent that tendency to shut down. But, necessary silence should not be confused with shutting down. For me, I feel that it’s okay not to speak if it is not purposeful.

p.s. the title of this post is inspired by “The Introvert, Dear” podcast 

"Just one day out of life, it would be, it would be so nice" ~ Madonna

 

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It's November 1 and it's time to switch decorations! As I write this, I'm listening to an Instrumental Holiday Mix playlist and have beside me a large latte containing honey, pure vanilla extract, and cardamom from my neighbourhood coffee shop. 

I had a very busy morning and began to feel lightheaded and famished by noon. I thought to myself, you deserve a treat, and then proceeded to order online for immediate pick-up. It's below freezing outside and it wasn't one of those days when I could go for a stroll. Lots of layering involved--knitted hat, winter coat, thick socks...

I'm looking forward to the holidays on the opposite side of the globe where it's warm and sunny. We deserve a treat. You deserve a treat. A couple of weeks, a few days, or even a day. As Madonna once belted out: "Holiday, celebrate...just one day out of life, it would be, it would be so nice..."🌴🌞

Update: just in awe of the soon-to-be-released new and final song by The Beatles “Now and Then” 💕