Removing a habit from your life's equation
The ripple effects of breaking habits, Alextbh on loop, iKON’s Song Yunhyeong, the joy of mukbang shows, the different side of Japan, dining out is legal, & Perlis' superiority.
For the past 4 days, Friday-Monday, my stomach felt empty, hungry, and gassy.
As if I haven't eaten anything.
But I ate a lot of different things within the course of those days: Nasi Goreng, Mee Kolok, Bread, Rice, Fish, Local Malaysian Spinach, Curry Puffs, Carrot Cake, Bubble Tea, Biryani Rice, Nasi Lemak, and the occasional snacks like potato chips.
And of course, I drank enough water.
I thought hard and vetted through my daily meal.
What did I eat to make my stomach feel this way? Or in what order did I screw up my meal pattern?
Did I forget to eat rice?
But I ate rice all those days. Or else I'd feel dead alive.
My stomach continued feeling unsettled, and occasionally, an intense stabbing of pain appeared.
Is it because I ate flour-based noodles before consuming rice? Or the dairy from bubble tea? Or the starchy bread that I ate?
I can’t exactly deduce. But I knew these are inflammatory food candidates that should be held liable for the pain my sensitive stomach was in.
I did all I could to ease the pain. Gulped jugs of water to make myself full.
But still hangry1!
Until I ate….
A piece of mango.
Then I realized, it was a combination of many.
I was stuffing myself with all these inflammatory food, some of them (bread—made of yeast: my stomach’s no. 1 enemy) I haven’t eaten the past god knows how many months.
I had zero fruit intake.
One thing that was certain
Skipping my daily dose of vitamin-chocked fruits was a big, big mistake.
This got me thinking, going off the course of your routine can cause ripple effects: presenting negative consequences to your mind, environment, and what is set in stone for the rest of the day.
Just like how those committed to discipline themselves with exercise regime or writing a novel would keep whatever it takes to not fall out of routine.
We might not realize it, but one day of neglect can disrupt all that you’ve built.
Imagine if the tables were turned, and the fruit was a cigarette?
To the daily smoker, it can mean everything dwindling down to feeling irritable, moody, sad, and just restless—all the same symptoms I suffered throughout the duration of these past days.
Feeling cranky sucks.
Our routine can comprise of two things: a good habit, or a bad addiction.
And removing one variable from the usual equation, be it good or bad, will present side effects.
If you stop eating good stuff for your body, your nourishment declines. You'll become hangry (like yours truly), in a state of daze and loss on what to do next. Immediate results: productivity routine spiraling down! 👋🏼 Long-term effects will be even worse.
If you stop smoking, you will get withdrawal effects, which makes you operate a lot slower than what you could handle with a puff of the cigar. But the long-term effects will pay off the short-term misery.
The bottom line is...
There will be consequences to removing, or adding things to your routine. You have to figure out what's worth it, and what's not.
Now I would like to ask you, from the deepest pits of your heart,
What is that one aspect of your sacred daily routine that you'd want to protect, at all costs? Or perhaps omit from your life?
It might be a couple of things. I know I have one: mindless scrolling—guilty as charged 🤡.
Current obsession
Alextbh’s still mine and no space 🎵
According to my Spotify, these songs were added 28 days ago.
At that time I was psyched for these two songs after a one-time listen, but then I ditched it.
…for several days!
But now, they’re on a loop.
I think it goes back to the concept of ‘buffer time’. You can’t expect what you knew/learned today to be fully internalized tomorrow—life isn’t so linear like that.
Buh oh, also why this song is on a loop is perhaps the many things I'm reminded of when I listen to it.
One of them is the tunnel bordering Selangor & Pahang, just before Genting Sempah.
You know when vehicles dash fast under the dark, but dimly-lit tunnel, and you get some kind of comfort in that short, less than 2 minutes ride? Yah, that’s the power these two songs hold over me.
& did you know that Alextbh’s a Malaysian? WOOHOO! #sapotlokal 🇲🇾
Yuri-chef & Song-chef’s noona-dongsaeng2 chemistry (….or maybe Song🌝)
Ehem, when can I expect a drama starring these two, anyone???? 🤭
It all started from the catchy title of this video, and then I watched the first part of the video to understand better. And then I wanted more..
Now, this is what I mean by how dangerous the rabbit hole is once you’ve entered K-world.
So…. I’ve pretty much watched a couple of mukbangs3 on Songchellin Guide.
Dude cooking apam balik - checked ✅
Filmed a Nasi mukbang in Malaysia - checked ✅
Sushi mukbang in Japan - checked ✅
Who knew mukbang videos can be addicting?
Recently finished 🎥
Speaking of Japan, the country’s just awesome on a different level hand’s down.
But innovation and fancy, interesting pieces that any country produced is a result of the citizens’ extreme dedication—one that is deeply ingrained in their culture’s way of life; and comes at the cost of their youth, plus lives.
What shocked me in this documentary was what happens when your irresponsible colleague suddenly leaves the job and lets you man the 24-hour store on your own.
Watch to see what happens when a community is inclined to collectivism over the individual:
Also, Yumi Araki, I’m your biggest fan now!
📍Elsewhere
I’ve somehow forgotten about this, but hey it’s my second SEO-optimized article!
🐱 From Kitty City & MY 🇲🇾
Dining in & jogging, under certain circumstances, are finally legal in Kuching.
But I haven’t dined in, still skeptical.
However, it was nice to get a breather at the park.
..and take some photos.
Kuching’s version of Golden Gate bridge? 😍 Second Raya Haji at home (or rather… from the drive-thru)
This video’s thumbnail 😅
Perlis be like, it’s my time to shine so long fellas! 😎 KKM don’t be shy to give this thumbnail fella a raise 😜
P/s: Did anybody realize that today’s main theme is somehow connected to food?
Hangry: hungry + angry
Noona: older sister
Dongsaeng: younger sister/brother
Mukbang: Eating broadcast