Things

For a good while now i’ve been using the Twos app to just write things down, from quick thoughts, ideas and birthday reminders to movies and just quick todos.

It’s felt really amazing to use it because from my usage of it, it falls right between a task app and a note taking app while not being fully either. What i love about Twos is that everything you write in there is by default, unless you customise it otherwise, a thing. And each thing can become a bullet point, a task or note, or even a sublist.

You don’t have to overthink it, just write it down, and you can figure it out later if it’s something else. For example, movies i add on there are just things that i eventually end up moving to my Movies To Watch list. When i’m ready to watch a movie or two, i change them to tasks and complete them when ready.

Previously they’d sit just as todos in my task management app which never felt quite right either, but Twos has changed my approach to this kind of thing.

It’s also perhaps no surprise then that it’s also the inspiration to the idea here for my Things feed.

As we enter the holiday period the inevitable discussions of holiday traditions and festivities start and i always find myself enjoying hearing about peoples traditions, whether it be with family, potluck with friends or even solitary celebrations which may or may not be holiday-related.

I find myself almost firmly in the latter group, where i don’t celebrate the holiday for any particular reason nor have any traditions at all. For me though, the holiday period is more a period of remembering previous good times and trying to make memories for the next ones to come.

This often takes the shape of eating and drinking good food and drinks. While it’s certainly not a tradition, from time to time i do so crave the taste of gingerbread, specially the traditional Swedish ones i had plenty of in my younger days. While glögg was certainly not a part of my younger days, it has certainly over the years become a cherished opportunity to imbibe some of that warm and spicy spirited drink.

I always try to explain to people that glögg is not mulled wine, or rather it’s fairly different than the typical one you’ll find in many places in Europe, particularly in the Spanish and Portuguese areas. Beyond the usual spirits we add along with the raisins and other spices, we also add a slice (or two) of orange which i always enjoy.

On the food front though i’m very much open and will pick anything available or that i can cook up in a reasonable time, but i must admit to a particular craving for mashed potatoes and meat balls with some lingonberry from time to time, if only to satisfy that urge for a taste of Sweden again. IKEA meatballs and dishes not welcome though.

So if there were ever to be any traditions around this time of the year for me, those would certainly be the closest thing to it and i find that it certainly would make for an excellent tradition.

Here is to the idea that this may come true one day.

I’ve been in Barcelona for a week now and i’ve yet to find a place anywhere near me (which, granted, is a limiting factor i am aware of) that has both banh mi and pho on the menu at the same time. It seems to be either or, and i can not for the life of me understand it.

Have they not discovered the sheer joy and mouthwatering ecstasy that is dunking your banh mi into the broth of a bowl of pho? These people must not be aware of just what an experience they are missing out.

For years i’ve tried to champion this great combination to my friends and any stranger i get to talk to for more than 5 minutes, but very few have taken me up on the offer. Those that have do confirm the life changing moment when they first try it.

So dear reader, if you haven’t experienced it for yourself at some point, please seek out the nearest Vietnamese place that serves both, and find a mouthwatering joy you never thought you’d experience.

Our authentic self-expression often comes through a unique style … Without this focus, it’s easy to fall into the trap of imitation.

This is something i’ve given a fair bit of thought to in recent times. That of trying too hard to imitate the things and works of others, and failing to focus instead on how i express myself.

While this is more of a design-focus, the ideas espoused here are still meaningful to consider for creativity and authenticity.