May in Review
My first take on a monthly roundup.
Now that I’ve started this Substack, I feel so excited to collect my thoughts and write all morning and evening long. I came across a creator on IG named Evelina Dimova, and was inspired by one of her videos to make a personalized version of ‘a month in review’.
May in NYC finally brought us more consistent warm days, which meant more bike rides! My boyfriend has an electric bike with a back seat, so when the weather is nice, we like to take mini trips to hang out at different parks around the city, visit museums, and take photos.
I finished making my first clasp for the pearl and beaded gemstone collection I’ve been planning for a good portion of the year. It was a big undertaking, so it felt very satisfying when I made some tangible progress. I also found the most perfect ribbon color to add to my peridot bow pendant.
Now for a short list of my favorites from May:
- Film
- Anime show
- Restaurant
- Book
FAVORITE FILM: THE LOVE WITCH
I know I’m late to the game on this one, but I finally watched The Love Witch. It was incredibly refreshing, the set design and costuming were *chefs kiss*, and I would love to wear every single one of her outfits.
The plot follows the alluring and siren-like Elaine Parks (played by Samantha Robinson), a witch who creates love potions to give to the men she intends to seduce, with wild and deadly consequences. It’s a mix of ‘60s vibes with feminist themes that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It pokes fun at how ridiculous the dynamic can be between men and women. My boyfriend was the one who told me about this film and gave it high praise for how it directly calls out how men act on their sexual impulses without using their brains.
It’s campy through and through, and the acting is a bit silly, but that’s what gives it a witty charm, something that seems to be missing from many contemporary movies. It was such a joy to watch, and it has a cult classic feel. My final note about the film is that the director, Anna Biller, not only directed, but wrote, produced, did the costuming, AND set design, which explains the amazing, cohesive, and strong vision that shines through.
Oh wait! And the JEWELRY! I mean, I couldn’t not mention her jewelry! Let me just leave these screenshots below…
TOP ANIME: ATTACK ON TITAN
Again, I know I’m a little late to hop on the AOT train, but I binged the whole series with my boyfriend during the month of May. He had already seen it before, but for me, it was a WILD ride. Let me just say, this anime is not for beginners. While I feel the plot was a bit rushed in the last season, this is my only complaint.
Every season felt like a completely new story, yet kept building on top of itself in a way that I don’t think many have been able to accomplish. The plot twists leave you guessing and guessing some more, and then somehow still manage to pull out surprises you couldn’t have imagined in your wildest dreams. I don’t want to give anything away, so if you’re already interested in anime and haven’t seen this one yet, I highly recommend it (disclaimer: it can be difficult to watch at times).
If you’ve been curious to dip your toes into the anime world, I would highly recommend starting with The Apothecary Diaries, which is another favorite of mine, and is currently releasing new episodes.
Apothecary Diaries follows the life of a young woman named Maomao, who is kidnapped and sold to the imperial palace as a slave. She quickly climbs in rank because of her genius apothecary skills and helps solve the mysteries of a fictionalized Ming dynasty palace.
Finally, if you’ve never watched anime and don’t feel interested in watching, you’re truly missing out on a whole world of interesting and unique storylines. There’s a level of depth and originality that exists in anime that you rarely find in Western media. And now, with Netflix and Crunchyroll, you can watch most of the shows with dubs if reading subtitles is a hindrance for you.
RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH: SALA THAI
While Sala Thai is not a new restaurant to me, it’s one that I dine at at least once a month. Located on the Upper West Side, Sala is one of my absolute favorite spots. Their Thai tea is the best I’ve had, and it’s not as sweet as most places, which is a big plus.
I like to try at least one new dish each time, but there are a couple that I can’t stop ordering, like their deep-fried crispy banana blossom salad and duck tamarind with eggplant… makes me drool just thinking about it.
BOOK I’VE BEEN READING: ORLANDO FURIOSO
I’ve been slowly making my way through all 570 tiny font pages of Orlando Furioso, an epic poem written in the early 16th century by Ludovico Ariosto. The only problem is, it feels like there are a million different characters with storylines that weave in and out and jump around, so it can be very confusing to keep the plots and character relations straight.
Recently, I came across this YouTube video, where she discusses a concept called a digital garden. It’s a way to consume content & media that helps you become less passive and more connected to the things you’re reading and watching. I quite liked the idea, so I decided to test it on this book, and it made a huge difference.
I started taking notes while reading, and was finally able to solidify the connections between all the characters. The only downside to this type of note-taking is that it takes even longer to get through the pages, since I had to stop to type a summary every other paragraph. But in the end, it was completely worth it to slow down for a deeper understanding, and I was exponentially more engaged with the story.
Ariosto writes many strong female characters, touching on feminist themes, and even goes on little tangents about how women are overlooked and erased from history. These also happen to be the themes I’d like to explore in my next jewelry collection, which is another reason I’m reading this book. The translation style is easy to digest and feels quite contemporary for a book written over 500 years ago!
While I was doing some more research on the poem, I came across these gorgeous prints by Gustave Doré for an illustrated version of the epic released in 1888. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Let me know what some of your personal favorites were in May! I hope you enjoyed my roundup, and I’m sure it will continue to evolve until I find the perfect sweet spot.