Lingo in Transit

Travel, Languages and Life

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  • Rejoining Society

    Rejoining Society

    Our lockdown was lifted about 2 weeks ago for the vaccinated. We can finally leave our local areas, visit other households and engage in more ‘normal’ activities like going to gyms or the movies. Kids are going back to school after a whole term being homeschooled.

    Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

    Emerging from hiberation, hairdressers are booked out and nail salons were the place to be on the first day out of lockdown.

    This change has been a great morale boost. Even if it’s just knowing that you can go wherever is reassuring and being able to make a greater wardrobe selection apart from loungewear is bringing some excitement. It’s just that I’ve forgotten how to socialise.

    It’s coming into the end of year summer holidays too and I’m sure everyone is already trying to figure out Christmas plans. For those with families interstate, their fingers and toes are crossed that internal borders will also open without lengthy quarantining. Yes, internal borders aren’t all open yet.

    Next month, international flights resume for Australians to travel out of Australia but I am wary that perhaps there might not be many flights back?

    I’m not sure if this has occurred elsewhere but I still feel a sense of hesitancy. Is it the masks? Is it the lack of smiles and ‘human-ness’?

    Am I just playing it safe?

    Did my brain just adapt to the lockdown life and now needs to adapt back to the normal world?

    Did I just become even more introverted in the past 3 months than I already am?

    As the city wakes up from its months of slumber, I await the return of exhibitions, concerts and cultural events.

  • 100 Days in lockdown

    100 Days in lockdown

    We have officially passed 100 days in lockdown. Yes, we are still in lockdown but the end of the tunnel seems close. We’re now waiting for our state to reach 70% of the adult population to be vaccinated before places start opening and mingling between households will be allowed. The expected date is 11 October.

    We had been limited to only travelling 5km from home. If you know Australia, distance makes the heart grow fonder so 5km in some places within Sydney doesn’t actually get you very far or even to your local supermarket. This was lifted a week or 2 ago and now you’re allowed to travel around your local Government area and only for essential things like food or outdoor picnicing which is now allowed if you’re lucky enough to be living in the same parts of Sydney as friends and family. Curfews in some parts of Sydney have been lifted and the 1 hour outdoor exercise per day rule has been lifted (which to me was absurd in the first place).

    I’m keen to push through this lockdown and to be able to see my nearest and dearest. There are more plans now to accomodate movement of citizens again. Conversations surrounding these whole lockdowns have been hard to navigate as people feel so strongly on both sides of the fence about everything and anything. I’ve been taken aback by this.

    I’m feeling much more hope and motivation to basically live again rather than just surviving the every day. I think this funk has really got to me and I’ve noticed that I’ve been making more and more little errors in my work which has started to fuel my self doubt. Time to take a break.

    In my inbox the other day, travel companies have started emailing again. I may have had a look at a few to see what is on offer and started dreaming again. 2022 is looking like a year of opportunity again (touch wood, let’s no jinx it).

  • Secretly Learning

    Secretly Learning

    I have a secret to share. I started learning another language. Just for fun.

    Photo by Phong Duong on Unsplash

    It wouldn’t be a lie to say that I am addicted to language learning. I don’t know what it is. Learning new combination of letters and sounds. Finding more beautiful ways to say a certain word. Maybe I like the struggle that comes with learning and the feeling of accomplishment when I can finally remember how to spell malheureusement. Maybe I think I’m just more cultured in my mind by being able to explore other cultures (ha!) and ways of expressing one’s self.

    Of course, this means that I am not particularly fluent in any one language. Sometimes I doubt if I even am in native English. I love living in this mess and I think my brain does too.

    Yet there just always seems to be a all or nothing attitude to learning a language. “Oh you’re learning so and so, how do you say this? Can you translate this random sentence?”.

    I started learning korean. The reasons include being in lockdown, for fun, out of curiosity, liking how it sounds and coming across songs I really like.

    The alphabet (Hangul) is intriguing and so visually pleasing. I am still trying to recognise and memorise. I found creating my own alphabet card the most useful to have it all in one place and that I can move around rather than having it written on a page in my notebook. I’ve utilised Duolingo and Memrise and have found Memrise to be more useful at the moment for reasons that I have previously explained about Duolingo here.

    Combination of these letters are written out in blocks of syllables which are read left to right/top to bottom. At the moment being able to read a syllable and word is quite an achievement but I still don’t know the meaning. Korean is said to be quite scientific in its language and I am interested in discovering this further.

    I’ve yet to start learning any grammar and want to just keep learning the letters and basic basic vocabulary at the moment.

    Is there anyone else that has started secretly learning a langauge/another language? Anyone else learning korean?

  • Pictorial #4

    Pictorial #4

    Spring has sprung and during my almost daily walks- the season’s flowers have caught my attention. Here are my yellow captures.

  • 1 Month To Go

    1 Month To Go

    We are entering our 3rd month of lockdown this month. With any luck, lockdown will end at the end of this month but let’s not get our hopes up. Even if it does get extended, we are closer to the end of the tunnel.

    This lockdown has been long. Schools were closed this whole time so those with kids and were lucky enough to be able to work from home also had to contend with home schooling for these months. It’s been hard, businesses who were non essential have been closed this whole time and I have seen many stores closed locally (forever). Rules and regulations change weekly, it’s hard to keep up.

    Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

    I’ve stopped reading the news altogether the past few weeks and instead have focused on what I can control. My time, what I consume, exercise and eating and sleeping well.

    Conversations with friends and family have led me to know that this lockdown has been hard on everyone for one reason or another.

    I am looking forward to seeing family and friends again and giving them all hugs.

    I am looking forward to reading on the beach.

    I am looking forward to getting a haircut from someone other than myself.

    I am looking forward to going to an art gallery.

    I am looking forward to getting a matcha ice-cream from my favourite matcha cafe.

    I am looking forward to browsing a bookstore.

    I am looking forward to having a drink somewhere with a nice view of the world.

    I am looking forward to having a nice comforting bowl of pho at a restaurant.

    Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

    1 month to go.

  • 5 Lives Thought Experiment

    5 Lives Thought Experiment

    If you had the chance to live 5 other lives, what you you do in each of them?

    This was the question that I came across whilst reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

    Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

    Dream big and have fun with this thought experiment.

    If you’re like me, my other 5 lives are completely different from my current one. Here are my 5 other lives that that I would want to lead:

    1. Primary school teacher
    2. Fashion designer
    3. Ice skater
    4. A ballerina
    5. Museum curator

    Julia asks to look at your list and select one to do this week. Her example was if you put down country singer, can you pick up a guitar? If you dream of being a cowhand, what about some horseback riding?

    It gives me comfort to think that I can try and incorporate some of these other lives into my current.

    What would you do in your 5 other lives?

    This post contains affiliate links where I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links and will not cost you anything extra.

  • The Hardest Part of Minimalism

    The Hardest Part of Minimalism

    I’ve written a few posts on how minimalism has positively affected my life and the direction in life I want to head towards. I think embracing this lifestyle change has obviously been positive for me but I want to touch on the hard part of minimalism.

    If you’re new to minimalism, I wrote a post on the 5 things that I have learnt from minimalism which might give you a better idea of how I interpret minimalism.

    For me, I think the hardest part of the minimalism journey is “noise” and analysis paralysis.

    Photo by Ferdinand Stöhr on Unsplash

    Noise

    It seems over the past few years, avoiding advertising is becoming harder and harder.

    Whether it be through advertisements that come across your screen as you’re scrolling, on the car radio, ads before a youtube video or the side of the bus as it goes past. It feels like constant noise all the time. Even plain every day conversations between colleagues, friends or family can include discussions on the latest X or latest purchases that can easily derail your minimalism journey or thoughts.

    I say this is hard because changing your previous consumption patterns requires a lot of retraining of your thought patterns and habits. And boy are habits hard to change, especially ones that require you to actively pull yourself back or having to stop yourself to think.

    There are active ways now that allow you to avoid advertisements including changing browsers, paying for ad free services (our attention has become so prized!) and even unsubscribing from newsletters you no longer want to receive, especially clothing stores.

    Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

    Analysis Paralysis

    Analysis paralysis for me occurs when I want to buy something usually but can also occur when I want to get rid of something. I spend so much time now thinking about items that I want to buy that sometimes, I really do think I over think it!

    If I have an item that seems to be on its last legs, I still have a conversation to myself that I can still use it instead of replacing it when perhaps replacing it might be the better long term option. I’m not sure! Do I really need it? Or trying to figure out if there’s something that I already have that could substitute it. Decision fatigue is real.

    Thoroughly thinking through consumption patterns is a great way to figure out where you are and how you can improve but getting analysis paralysis is not so productive. It’s also not a very minimalist way to deal with a problem.

    What are some of your annoying thought habits when you want to buy something?

  • 5 Things I No Longer Buy- Minimalism Journey

    5 Things I No Longer Buy- Minimalism Journey

    On my journey through minimalism and having enough, I’ve examined what items bring me the best value for money and what adds to my life. This process has been changed and refined over time and is deeply personal to each and every one of us.

    I’ve recently been thinking about how my purchases have changed and so, here are 5 things that I no longer buy.

    1. Fresh flowers

    I love flowers and I did use to “treat myself” to fresh flowers when I started working full time. They were lovely and gave my room a little something something but fresh flowers can be expensive. These days, I’m looking after my indoor plants and sprouted avocado seeds.

    Photo by Nicole Herrero on Unsplash

    2. Back up items

    I use to buy 2 or 3 back up items of skin care products, make up or socks. Skin care products I would end up using but for make up, I just had too many that I wouldn’t get around to using for a long time. By the time I got around to using it, there were more advanced products available on the market or I decided that I wanted to keep using the product that I was initially using and not wanting to try something new. Back in the day when I first started my corporate job, I bought a stash of stockings as they always seem to get holes in them quickly. Since then, I had also changed my style so I didn’t need stockings anymore. But here I am with 3 pairs as back up.
    Now, I will only buy 1 back up item and will only get it if my current one is about to run out.

    3. Magazines

    These were such a treat and I use to look through them multiple times to ensure I read up every single letter on those pages. Nowadays, many of the articles can be found online as well as email newsletters and style guides. I now only have 1 magazine that I like (shoutout to Monocole Magazine) which I might get from time to time but not regularly. The magazine is quite large so it keeps me occupied for a very long time.

    Photo by Charisse Kenion on Unsplash

    4. Books

    I use to dream of having a massive library in my future unaffordable house. One with multiple shelves, comfortable chairs and ladders. But considering how many books I read more than once, I’ve come to realise that this Beauty and the Beast dream was just a fairytale for me. Books can be expensive and for a buy and read once, I’ve come to realise that the actual library is a better resource. I still do buy the occasional book if it’s something that I really really want to read and cannot get it at the local library or 2nd hand but it has been such a big mind shift change for me.

    5. Nail Polish

    I use to love the look of nail polish in muted pinks or dark reds but as I am lazy fussed when it starts chipping, I’ve found keeping up my nail polish too bothersome. The nail polish would chip off a day after application and I didn’t want to spend more time redo-ing them, looking for nail polish colours or products so I have stopped all together.

    Photo by Dan-Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash

    What are some of the things in life that you have stopped purchasing?

  • Friendly Friday Challenge: Purple

    Friendly Friday Challenge: Purple

    In the latest Friendly Friday Challenge from Sandy, purple is the subject to be thinking about.

    To be completely honest, of all the colours, purple is not a colour I think much about. I had always thought of purple as an “artificial” colour which also seldom occurs in nature (not true, there are many purple flowers). The purple colour is associated with royalty and I was fascinated to learn why. That the colour came from sea snails that you needed to have alot of (and kill) as well as time in order to obtain the purple.

    Nowdays, purple can be artificially made of course.

    I began searching through my phone for purple pictures and have found a few from my trip in Mexico. Purple and shades of it appeared again and again in different towns.

  • Home Again Extended

    Home Again Extended

    We’ve been in lockdown for about 1 month now and this week, it was extended again for another month.

    I’m finding it hard to keep inspired and motivated and just feel like I’m on an endless loop of working, sleeping and cooking. Luckily, the weather has been outstanding this past week and even warm which has got me thinking about spring cleaning.

    The past month has been as fruitful as I had expected. Some of my highlights include:

    • Having a Harry Potter movie marathon
    • Going to the post office
    • Getting excited about the Olympics for 24 hours
    • Losing my Duolingo streak at Day 121 after forgetting to practise (I needed 125 days for my next medal!)
    • Completed 32/624 sudoku puzzles from the puzzle book
    • Tried an awesome butter chicken receipe that tasted delicious
    • Becoming a fan of the kpop group BTS

    I think perhaps these feelings might be felt across the world at the present time. Especially for those countries going through another wave. But it is now where I turn to the arts world more than ever. Maybe because it’s another form of expression that just knows how to connect with us in dark times, more than words.

    I think this is where I will find peace and solace for the time being. And dream alittle again.

    This has got to be one of the best pieces of music I have heard in a while. So sharing it here.