Pause, and decelerate.
Taking a pause from multitasking digital life to enjoy the moment; Felix in teal hair; Han Jisung & Mamamoo; Great art and pauses.
I have a confession.
I do not know how to slow down. There is this looming sense of urgency in me, always.
Is it because of my profession as a journalist? The instant-gratification social media/smartphone world we live in? The FOMO I get from not knowing the latest updates in K-world (largely due to its fast-paced culture)?
Or is it because of the combination of these three? I very much think so.
Slowing down is simple, but is also a very hard thing to do.
Let’s retrace back to a few days ago..
I got my second vaccination dose. On the same day, prior to the vaccination, I went to change my card at the bank.
I was pretty upset because I had to wait for an hour at the bank. No, I was angry.
Because the bank has an app for a queue management system, which is supposedly “to make life a lot easier in appointment handling” in response to the social-distanced world that we live in now.
But the app wasn’t working! I couldn’t book appointments in advance. I still had to arrive at the bank, wait for 45 minutes outside, and only when I was allowed inside, I could use the app—talk about redundancy.
The app gave false promises
When in reality if the app worked well—to what it’s advertised as, maybe I’ll be there for just 15 minutes, more or less.
Trying not to ‘waste time’ waiting at the bank, I multitasked as a way to compensate. Wrote some quotes, and posted things up.
In total, the entire process took one hour.
Fast forward 3 hours post-bank appointment: jab time
Ironically, this time, my jab took quite longer than what it took for the first dose.
One hour. Same as the time spent at the bank.
And unlike my dreaded long wait at the bank, this time I gladly put my phone away.
Why?
Because last time, during my first jab, everything was happening too fast. In 30 minutes everything was done. I took so many photos/videos, made a friend, and kinda got lost in the heat of talking to that person that I couldn’t quite make up to “did I just got my much-awaited vaccine jab?”. And the videos? I didn’t even view it again!
Ever had those times in your life that everything was just passing by, happening so quickly, that you’re like stomped to “what in the world just happened?”
Sucks, no?
Especially if it is something you’ve been looking forward to.. for a realllllyyyyy long time. Experiencing a much-anticipated moment to pass by like lightning speed sucks.
I was lucky there was another chance! What if it was a single-dose jab?
So I took the time to really absorb this once-in-a-lifetime moment. I took only a few photos, and I didn’t overthink whether they were proportionate or not.
I wanted to take in everything, appreciate the important moment and paint the whole scenario in my head.
Not looking at my phone, and diverting my senses to scanning my surrounding, I got a sense of everything I missed in my first jab:
Volunteers (some had to scream) arranging the vaxxed-to-be folks in order, and their companions at the other side of the hall.
Soothing classical music echoing in the background.
The music reminded me of the ones aired in the airport’s terminal. It had this ‘waiting for the call’ vibe, and unlike waiting for ‘the call to board the plane’, this time, it was ‘waiting for the call to my second jab’. A fuzzy feeling, because the jab is the newest passport.
PSA videos of front liners on the verge of burnt out and projected post-jab instructions in Iban1 language
“Hmm.. the last time, the instructions weren’t in Iban” was my thought when I saw this, or was I just oblivious before.
The many characters in the hall.
80 percent of the people waiting for their jab turns had their eyes glued to their phones! I peeked through, some were scanning through e-commerce sites, some checking out the soccer scores, some scrolling on their Instagram. They were all lost in their own fast-paced worlds. How ironic is it that “here we are, all waiting for our turn to jab, and at the same real-time, multiple fast-paced worlds are happening, all at once.”
Is it really that hard to put our phones away and go slow?
Oh absolutely.
Perhaps if I waited for longer than an hour, I’d go back to scrolling my phone.
But I’m glad I put the distracting device away.
Because this is a story I want to remember, from the back of my mind. It will be the one I tell verbally for many many years ahead, to many important people in my life.
Ever came across those photos you took on vacation but realizing you can’t quite recall how was the experience on-site?
I have. Many times.
It’s nice to remember things from a photo. But to remember from your memory first, with supporting evidence of a photo/video, is much more fulfilling.
Seeing history in the making on my jab day, without the rush of doing various things on the phone every few seconds was a remedy—the slow, fulfilling kind. Experiencing that important moment felt healing, and soothing.
Do not let ‘deceleration’ be forced on you.
Moving through things and life too fast can be dizzying, anxiety-inducing, and make us oblivious to everyday moments. At worst, handling too much at a time can give us an unwanted burnout, eventually forcing us to slow down, and rest in the form of getting sick.
Once in a while,
Remember to pause and slow down. The fast-paced world can always wait. What’s also important is for you to enjoy the present.
Current obsessions
Felix in teal hair.
Han Jisung bobbing to Mamamoo. & now I’m obsessed with Hwa Sa’s line in HIP
~Something satisfying about seeing a person honestly appreciating good music, and having eyes and ears for real talent.
This song & the rainy weather. Try it.
Bang Chan’s recent LIVE.
He explained that Domino is inspired by his childhood memories of eating the pizza, a wordplay from SKZ ‘Domination’, and also he suggested a domino challenge. Man the whole track’s not event out and he’s already taking things to next level!
Serious things
In the midst of writing something else, I stumbled upon a “popular fact”. I included this "popular fact" inside my article. While writing that fact, the sentences were all jumbled up—nothing made sense. So I took a pause and left it for a day. When I came back, I researched more, only to find out, the popular fact is actually a myth!
Talk about how some pauses are absolutely necessary to save my byline—imagine the humiliation yikes —than the sense of urgency in finishing the article! & also a great reminder to triple-check if a popular fact is indeed a fact, or a baseless rumor.
Ryan Reynolds confirmed that Stray Kids ‘know how to have fun’, something I talked about before. Speaking of which, has gotten feedback recently, one I greatly appreciate.
P/s: You are always welcomed to raise a discussion or share your thoughts with me, through the comments, or by replying to the email sent to you.
Recently finished
You know the thing about something great.. is that it has the ability to move you, and make you take a pause. I know I stumble upon a great art when I had to pause reading it, listening to it, or watching it.
This moving piece about grieving and loss by Coleen Baik is one of them.
From Kitty City
Being a K-pop fan is just bizarre, and fun at times.
I got a free Changbin’s birthday poster, from a friend who got it from a cafe that was distributing it in Kuching. & then I gave the remaining posters to another friend, whose sister is a fan of Changbin. LOL
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One of the indigenous languages in Sarawak, Malaysia