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Apart from just my age & my personal interests, I feel old fashioned in general. Yes, I love movies, music, automobiles, & fashion all from an era way before I was even born. Yes, I am older than nearly all of my friends & significant others (but, I’m not that old yet). And yes, I tend to get on well with the “Boomer” generation better than my own generation. So yes, I feel quite old fashioned compared to my generation of peers & anyone else considered as a “millennial”. However, in this blog post, I will be talking about my habits.
I guess to clarify, I am not referring to my everyday habits (like how I brush my teeth, or anything like that). I am referring to my habits as in etiquette & manners, you know, things like saying ‘excuse me’ when you walk to go around a person, or saying ‘hello’ when you pass by a person when you go for a walk. I do those such things. I politely acknowledge a person whenever I drive up or down past them on my residential street. I say ‘excuse/pardon me’ when I have to pass a person in a tight space or if I have to rush past them. I will also raise my hand &/or wave in acknowledgement when a driver stops to allow me to cross the street. I even verbally acknowledge the waitstaff at a food establishment, or even when someone holds a door open for me. In those cases, I try to annunciate my acknowledging thanks in a clear & semi-loud voice so that that particular person knows that I am addressing them directly.
Ok, yes. I understand that these are standard mannerisms & etiquette procedures, but I kind of, sort of, feel like these behaviors & habits aren’t being practiced or encouraged very much these days. When I practice one of these habits out of courtesy, I feel like I am doing something old fashioned, something that only my parents’ generation does. I see less & less of my generation practicing courteous etiquette & manners, & I rarely (if not, then never) see this etiquette in the next generation. All I see around me is this kind of “don’t bother me/don’t invade my personal bubble” attitude. Everyone’s got their earbuds/headphones glued to their ears as though they do not want to be bothered. (And then I realize that I’m wearing my wireless earbuds as I am typing this.)
I wish I didn’t feel this way so much. I also wish that I didn’t focus so much on noticing how others behave &/or don’t behave. It is not my place to police, judge, or critique other people’s manners. It’s just that a lot of the time, when I am trying to be polite & courteous, I am often ignored. I am not expecting every single person to acknowledge me every time I make a gesture, but once in a while it would be nice to be acknowledged in return. Good manners & common courtesy should always be both practiced & acknowledged. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Boomer, Gen-Xer, Gen-Yer, Millennial, or from another planet in another galaxy. I will always acknowledge a person who approaches me with manners & courtesy… Never avert my eyes or pretend that I didn’t see anything. Call me square. Call me old fashioned. But me an Old Fashioned at the bar. I will continue to spread good manners & common courtesy whether it is noticed or not. Until next time, cheers (if it so pleases you).
Today’s song of the day:
Illustration credit: Salgoolulu via Pinterest
I am just going to come right out & say it. Hi, my name is melsenpai, & I have a sticker addiction. It’s been three weeks since my last sticker purchase. Every time I see a cute sticker, I feel compelled to buy it, even if I have no use for it. I have a better grasp on the art of restraint these days, but there are some days when I feel an overwhelming urge to splurge on the very first love of my life…stickers.
I have been collecting stickers since I was around 5-years old or so, & it has been my passion-hobby ever since. Everyone in my immediate household knows of my addiction, which I sugar-coatingly refer to as my hobby collection, & they neither support it nor are against it. I, for one, am totally, unequivocally for it. Yes, I am here for it bee-yotch! So, that is why I recently went on a mini shopping spree for stickers.
There is one brand I have been following since way back in 2007, called B-Side Label, from Japan. I first saw their decals during one of my first trips to Tokyo with Jian, at my all-time favorite home goods shop Tokyu Hands. I didn’t pay much attention to the brand itself at that time. However, I remember choosing three designs: a llama, a chicken, & a blue fin tuna fish decal. I didn’t even have a clue as to what the Japanese phrases on the decals even meant. I just liked the designs, & wanted to stick them on my very first laptop that my parents got me for my birthday.
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- B-Side Label
It wasn’t until much later, when I became more heavily involved in social media was when I rediscovered this brand once again. I found their Instagram page, & I’ve been “window shopping” ever since. Once B-Side Label announced that they would start shipping internationally to select countries, I immediately went on the hunt for my first purchase. (Finally I won’t have to trek all the way across the Pacific Ocean to get my hands on these sweet little decals.) For my first purchase I got three small stickers to decorate my tablet, but my recent purchase was my biggest decal haul to date.
Here’s the unveiling of my haul. It took me a couple of days, yes d-a-y-s, to carefully select which ones I was ultimately going to get. There were so many designs I loved, but I forced myself to only choose the ones that would fit me best.
I won’t go into all the blah-blah-blah boring details as to why I chose each & every one of these designs. Instead, I’d like to explain why I got these decals. One thing that really stands out in my mind about this brand is their attention to detail & quality. B -Side Label stands behind their products, & I can personally attest that these decals are extremely durable.
The main things I love the absolute most about these decals are that they are both waterproof & UV resistant, which means they won’t fade due to prolonged exposure to the sun AND they won’t peel or warp if they get wet. So, you can slap these bad boys on your bicycle, you car window, your laptop, or whatever you want, & the color will still look vibrant & they’ll still stay put. For an example, let me introduce you to my best friend, Richard, also known as my tablet.
I have had this tablet, Richard, for a little over 5+ years or so, & it’s still chugging along. My tablet has been littered with so many stickers & decals over its lifetime, & so far none of the stickers/decals look used or abused. I’ve even slapped on a couple of the B-Side Label decals on him, & was able to peel off & re-apply them a few times while trying to figure out the best fitting places for each one. That’s another great thing about my B-Side Label decals, you know, the fact that you can peel them off & re-apply them & they still retain their stickiness & still look like new.
So there you have it. This was my latest haul post. It was kind of lame for me to make one whole topic about basic stickers, but I’d say that there’s nothing really basic about the ones I bought. I have no doubt that whatever I slap these babies on to, they’re going to last for a very, very long time. Until my next post, 君に乾杯!
Today’s song of the day:
This year’s summer season has really been giving me positive vibes & putting me in such a happy mood. I am sooo glad that I don’t live in Southern California (ahem, like the rest of my relatives…) where it’s a minimum of 80℉/26℃ every day in the summertime. I love living in Northern California (practically next door to San Francisco), where the weather could be sweltering hot one day, then cool & cloudy the next day, which is pretty much what the weather has been like these past few weeks in the city where I live. I love it.
My town has experienced a couple of major heat wave days since this summer season has begun, but we’ve also experienced quite a bit of cooler days as well, & I am totally here for it, ma’maw! (Sorry for the weird pop-culture slang. I’ve been hanging around Drag Queens this past weekend, & their crazy slang terms have been sneaking their way into my everyday vocabulary.) For example, yesterday it was so hot I had to run the air conditioning at full blast in my car, but today it was super cloudy, & it actually rained a little in the morning…well, it was barely a sprinkle, but enough to wet my driveway.
That’s one reason why I love living in my current city. I love the balance of hot days, warm days, & chilly days. Sometimes it can be annoying when it’s hot in the daytime but cold at night. That’s the typical summer weather in my town. It’ll be hot enough during the day that you’ll want to put on a pair of shorts & a cute airy top, but then the temperature suddenly drops & you’ll have to switch to jeans & a warm sweater. Though, I don’t mind that at all.
Today’s sudden wet-ish weather was a pleasant surprise. I was happy that the temperature was high yesterday, which allowed me to air dry my freshly washed laundry without having to use the dryer machine (& save energy!). However, I was just as happy when I saw from my bedroom window the clouds rolling in. I really enjoyed the change of pace & being able to throw on my favorite sweater & a pair of comfy jeans. It’s these little moments in life that truly bring me joy. I want to be able to appreciate & soak up all of these little things in life & live my life peacefully.
Whether it’s hot or cold, I will enjoy every day to the fullest. Until the next time, cheers!
Today’s song of the day:
