Books - Borders - Beatitude

Visited The Book Barracks today. What a beautiful place. You know how when you come into a space and just know that you belong? That is how I felt when I stepped into The Book Barracks. It is the little details. Signs handmade with love. Tibetan prayer flags. Namaste. I still have fond memories of my first time in Nepal. 

Just like the founder of Books Beyond Borders. I remember the children, gorgeous little beings with rosy cheeks and cheerful eyes. But unlike the founder, I did not go on to run a successful social enterprise. Amazing what passion and a heart to give can achieve. Truly inspiring, and very inspired. 

I generally prefer to borrow books from the library or source from Books Don't Throw if I have particular titles in mind. Very often I just read what is available if the title or cover piques my interest. But when I do wish to buy a book, I am so glad there is Books Beyond Borders that allows me to get a pre-loved one and do good at the same time! 

A special shoutout to Yu Xuan for her assistance in my quest for this Meditation book. When I first reached out, I was informed that they do not have it but I received another message the following day that they just got one! I will call that beatitude! 

Had actually walked out of the cozy shop after making my purchase but felt so compelled to put up this post, I returned and asked Yu Xuan for a photo! Thus here's rounding up my fastest blog post of books, borders and beatitude. 😉

More than raincoats..

Sometimes, I get really amazed how blind we can be to the things happening around us. To be perfectly honest (and guiltily so), the migrant workers in our country had been practically invisible to me for most of my life. I had been better at noticing the development in a construction site, the improvements to estate facilities, the beautification of a garden, the clearance of garbage and litter without once sparing a thought for the people who made those things happen. 

 

It takes a special person to notice that some in our society have become forgotten and in need of a voice and actually do something about it. Dipa Swaminathan is truly an inspiration and I have been following up on the blossoming of ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR). There is no denying the incredible work she and her team have been putting in to make a difference to the lives of our migrant brothers and sisters. So many times, reading the stories and viewing the photos of how lives have been positively impacted brought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat.

Thus, I literally jumped at the opportunity to contribute in a way I can when the MADWISH call for teachers came to my notice. Since the Circuit Breaker in April 2020, I have been teaching English to a migrant worker via Whatsapp. More than just imparting knowledge, our interaction has led to a friendship which I would never have had if not for this programme.

More recently, the brainchild of one IRR volunteer came to fruition and Singaporeans can now (till 8th March 2021) donate their SingapoReDiscovers vouchers and sponsor a migrant worker to similarly enjoy our beautiful country! Although guiding steps are provided, the process might still be overwhelming for some - if so, ask me! More than willing to help.. :)

Today being the final (fifteenth) day of CNY (元宵节快乐!), another simple way to show care for our migrant workers is to donate your unopened and unexpired goodies to them. As the Chinese would say, 吃在嘴裡甜在心裡. Let's bring a taste of sweetness (regardless the goodie you are donating) to the lives of our migrant friends!

There really is so much more that we can do. If you like to contribute in other ways, check here for all their current campaigns. These tiny actions may seem insignificant, but the message they send out to not just the migrant workers but all Singaporeans in general is that we can make a positive difference. An individual effort may be small but each of us is capable of showing compassion. When one person sows that seed of loving-kindness, amazing things happen. Look what this Kampong Kaki is doing!

All the crafty things I did in 2020

I hope the first thing you thought of was nothing deceitful; I am referring to decorative stuff that I DIY!

I do not consider myself to be a creative person. To me, a truly creative artist innovates and produces something out of nothing with pure inspiration. I am not at all that way. Sometimes I really envy the artists I come across and drool over their artwork which seemed to come alive so effortlessly. I am a huge fan of My Modern Met!

That said, I am relatively good at copying, adapting and following the creative works of others which sometimes also produces some aesthetically pleasing pieces. At least in my eyes. 😛 In any case, I do enjoy art and crafts very very much. 

As mentioned previously, I started a BuJo in 2020 and I certainly poured most of my "creative" juice into it throughout the year. Pinterest had been an enormously helpful resource for many pages. I practised both faux calligraphy and brush calligraphy and small little doodles in odd spaces left blank within the pages. However, for the monthly covers, I really tried to plan and "perfect" them. So here is a look at all of them at a go!

Other than using it for my BuJo, Pinterest is also where I found inspiration for the following design I pencilled into this little concrete corner of our newly renovated kitchen! Although it is quite a hidden corner that you don't really notice the white patch but it just feels like the perfect spot to make a home for my non-existent pet rat.

 

 

Another favourite platform of mine is Canva. It is so user-friendly and the best thing is that it has such a treasure trove of templates!! Best for someone like me who is better at modifying than creating. So for the whole year of 2020, my friends received Canva-designed birthday "cards" from me. Hahaha... Besides birthday cards, I often fall back on Canva to create non-copyright version of images I want to use on this blog. Real lifesaver. Here is a sample of other stuff I made, including a work proposal, my birthday invitation and some cheer-up notes for migrant workers.

When Circuit Breaker started, the thought of having to stay home for long hours compelled me to purchase these Diamond Art sets online. I am pretty certain that I had been scammed as they turned out to be much smaller (and therefore blur images) than expected but at least they arrived instead of getting mysteriously lost after payment. However, the environmentally friendly me does not approve of the amount of plastic involved in the production of these sets. More microplastic getting into the stomachs of our fishes. 🙁

      

 

 

 

Finally, just before the year was done, I got down to completing this DIY zero waste craft that I was inspired to do. Upcycled an old and overused but perfectly sized chopping board after scouring through numerous suggestions on Pinterest and deciding on my own preferred design. So spoilt doorbell is now successfully replaced and it will never spoil again.. 😏

So what do you say? Am I creative? Or crafty?