STEEPED BY SAMIA #21 | 05.31.23
A life catch-up: May, movement, and musings.
This is probably the first month, since starting Steeped, that I’ve waited till the last 3 days of the month to write and post something. Sure, it’d be fine if I skipped a month, but it would be kind of disappointing to not honor my intentions with Steeped. So, I decided to write a random life catch-up and see where it goes!
I’m writing this in my uncle’s apartment AKA my Writing Studio currently. He asked me to water his plants and check his mail while he’s away on a grand Europe trip (hii, Babu-mama!). The windows in his living room let in the most wonderful sunlight. Nearby, I hear the sounds of neighborhood kids playing and a radio tuned into the news.
It’s that time of year;
I. School is out, and it’s graduation & summer vacay season. The weather in the South Bay makes me nostalgic for this time of year. Gloomy, overcast mornings give way to warmth and sun in the afternoon. Images of elementary & middle school flash in my mind: Running through the park sprinklers, Field Day with colorful parachutes, Disney movies in class all day, yearbook signing with Sharpies (I hope kids these days still write H.A.G.S. but in a “retro” way, aha ha).
JUNE GLOOM /’jün ‘glüm/ : A California term for a weather pattern that results in cloudy, overcast skies with cool temperatures during the late spring & early summer.
II. The star jasmine is in bloom. There’s a bush across from our kitchen window, and a long hedge in my neighborhood. The star jasmine’s fragrance announces its presence before you see it. Heady, regal, yet playful — like tea parties in the summertime.
This time last year, I was on my tippy-toes cutting off the star jasmine vines that were climbing onto our roof’s overhang, with a pair of kitchen scissors. The vines secrete a sticky, milky substance that got on my shoes and jacket. It was so hard to get out, and stayed on my shoes for months! So yeah, PSA, lol.
May had some good movement —
I. Going on a powerful South Asian Radical History Walking Tour in the Mission District of SF with Renuka & Melany, followed by a moving performance, Ghadar Geet: Blood & Ink, by Duniya Dance & Drum Co.
II. Taking the bus to SJ Made Fest with Sufyan and browsing stalls with adorable art prints and anime merch. I’ve also been watching Sufyan play the new Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game! It’s beautiful, and the puzzles go over my head, lol.
III. Learning the ropes of a new customer ops & community engagement role I’ve tacked onto my ongoing copywriting work with Kola Goodies. I love being part of / watching small businesses grow, create structure, and tell their stories!
IV. Catching up with friends, new and old, and appreciating where we are in life, as we are. That moment when you’re catching up with a friend after a long time, and the slight awkwardness dispels into warmth and laughter.
V. Wandering in nature — Coyote Hills Regional Park, Calero County Park, Byxbee Park & more in the South Bay. Endlessly in awe of Spring this season!
What does it mean to ‘be’?
I. This past Sunday, Sufyan and I were sitting in slouching lawn chairs, tucked away somewhere on Stanford’s campus. He was reading and I was attempting to write.
Sinking into the lawn chair, I looked up. The tree branches swayed gently against the overcast blue sky and obscured the sun. Multi-colored speckles of light glinted. The Japanese word ‘komorebi’ popped up in my head. My friend Brandon taught me this word in high school, which loosely translates to: “sunlight filtering through the trees.”
II. Lisa Olivera’s recent Substack beautifully captured what it means to ‘be’:
“What happens when we stop assuming the point of being alive is to do anything other than be alive; what happens when we stop thinking we’re supposed to get somewhere else; what happens when we stop feeling the pressure to keep growing, keep going, keep moving, keep doing more.”
What I’m sitting with in Human Stuff from Lisa Olivera on Substack
This really spoke to me. The act of ‘being’ is something I’m focusing on, and I can see how it’s calming my anxiety & existential dread.
Lisa also mentions the pitfalls of optimization and self-help culture. Being in your 20’s, especially as a woman, it feels like you’re told to not lean into your own perspective and modes of being; and instead, to adopt something more aspirational, neurotypical, and efficient. F*ck that, tbh.
To be ‘in bloom’ is to trust the process; like the star jasmine taking its time; coming and going every year, just existing. —S.A.
🔗 Steep On This:
- A book: Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress
- A K-drama: Would You Like a Cup of Coffee? (2021)
- An anime: Sakurada Reset (2017)
- A podcast: Normal Gossip hosted by Kelsey McKinney
- A newsletter: Culture Study by Anne Helen Petersen
- A tea: Vahdam Earl Grey Chai (thank you, Ren!!)
💫 Catch Up:
04.17.23 | Letters to my future self
STEEPED BY SAMIA #20: On 25, heartfelt letters, & a constellation-studded sky.
💌 About This Blog:
Steeped by Samia is a space where I can simmer on thoughts & curiosities about life, liminal spaces, digital culture, & more. Far too often, my writing ideas fizzle out in energy; I never get to see them to their full potential. While building my rhythm with writing, I want to share these stories with you.
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Steeped by Samia 
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