BLOGGING AGAIN DURING THE PANDEMIC FOR SANITY?

I see that the last time I blogged was about 2 years ago. I have decided to start blogging again to perhaps give myself some focus at this time of pandemic semi-lockdown. Everywhere in the world is slowly easing up but travel is not permitted as yet. I am currently stuck in a place I don't usual live in and I am feeling extremely stuck and agitated as the days pass.

Things are moving too slowly and I do not find the kind of freedom I would like to have. I guess this new normal has nothing normal about it. I am apprehensive to think what is to come everyday. I am feeling the pits and it is even difficult to relate this to friends as they are all facing their own worlds of extremities. Even my daily walks are beginning to make less sense, my creativity has come to a halt and my positivity is diminishing every so often.

I hope writing the blog again can help me to find myself again and I hope whoever out there can read my rants and give me their strengths. 

THE BEGINNING OF MY MINIMALISM JOURNEY

I got around to the charity office yesterday to donate 2 bags of things I no longer have use for. It wasn't an easy process because I did put back about 3 things in the morning before I left the house. Nonetheless, it was the first step. The first bags are always the easiest and then it gets harder.

I managed to find a charity office that is smack in the fringe of town, not so out of the way like most of them. SCWO, Singapore's Council of Women Organisations sound fitting for me and so I went. They have a thrift store which opens during the week. There is also a design school next to them which makes it fitting. Design students are always looking for bargains and they do not mind old clothes, this place also serves as a stop for them to look for cheap materials to recycle. I feel good donating to such a place knowing that they will not simply throw things out for no reasons.

I am going to try to make this a weekly event. I will try to get rid of things during the week. I have already set up a box in the corner of the room where I will dump the things I think I do not need and then pack them towards the end of the week for a trip to the charity office. I will then make use of that trip to reward myself with a delicious lunch in town. Sounds extravagant but rewards are always good, and no one said minimalism means cheap.

I haven't so much as to re-organise my storage space. As many people said, decluttering is not about organising. Hence, I am waiting for a good time to rearrange my space with only the things that are useful to me. At the moment, I am merely picking things from everywhere. I am not developing a system of decluttering just yet because I feel it is a bit extreme for the beginning. I am sure a method will be developed and surface in due time.

I am trying to make it point to be ruthless and to make the trip worthwhile. I will fill up at least 2 bags in the beginning, making them full, making them as much as I can carry on the bus to the charity office. I made a trip on Thursday and I will be near the charity office on Saturday, which makes it worth another donation. I am excited and scared at the same time. I keep asking myself what if I miss some things, what if I am getting rid of things that I will need. I don't have the answers for those questions just yet. I am simply ridding what seems obvious for now.

I hope this journey will continue and I will not face any inertia. Joining the FB group on Minimalism is one of the best motivations.

HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR WARDROBE AND DONATE IN SINGAPORE

I finally found a charity to donate my clothes to. It has been a difficult journey trying to declutter and reduce. I have a lot of hand-me-downs which to be honest, I have never found any occasions to wear. My perspective of the lifestyle I want to live has also changed, so a lot of things do not suit me anymore. I have tried selling some more expensive items online on Carousell and Ebay but to no avail for a long time. I posted some questions on a Frugal Minimalist group and received some good answers which I shall post here together with some methods I am adopting.

DECIDING WHICH TO DONATE

• You have not worn it for years.
  Unless they are expensive, special-occasions-type outfits. Of course you'd still need fancy stuff which you do not wear everyday to special functions. If you have not worn them for years and years, you have perhaps grown out of love with them. One thing to consider is if you would want to wear them tomorrow.
• They do not fit you.
  Get rid of them if the fit is just not right. If they are too small, they have to go. If they are too big, would you alter them then? I have some pieces which simply do not fit my body type well, they are going.
• They are not trendy anymore.
  It happens to all of us. We hoard. They are somehow those bellbottoms which you will probably not wear, even if they would come back in fashion 10 years later.
• Uncomfortable clothes and awkward clothes.
  'Nuff said.
• It was an impulse buy.
  You probably thought you would look like a supermodel on the runaway. Unfortunately you look like a sore thumb instead. We all have those weird clownish pieces.
• Too much of the same thing.
  You don't need that many really. Have more clear space to clear your mind.

These clothes are going to:

Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations

SCWO Centre

96 Waterloo Street

Singapore 187967

E-mail scwo@scwo.org.sg

Phone 6837 0611

DECIDING WHICH TO RECYCLE

• The fibers and shapes have gave way.
  The pieces that are over-washed, over-worn, out-of shape.
• Unrepairable.
  That broken zipper or tear that you do not see any reason to repair because you don't feel for the pieces or they are too old.

These clothes are going to:

H&M In-store Recycling Booths

OVERCOMING MY INERTIA TO FRUGALITY AND MINIMALISM IN BABY STEPS

I think it is absolutely brave for people to unplug from materials and live minimally. I yearn for that, I want that. But... I am not that courageous. I live in a first world country where people are rich and snobbish that even charities are choosey with what they receive as donations. I have things that I don't need. Presents that I don't use, impulse buys, hand-me-downs...etc. It would be such a waste to "donate" them to the charities when in actual fact they would bin them because they are not exactly 'new'. I am faced with these dilemmas everyday. Where and how do I find new homes for things?

I am not brave enough to bin everything, nor do I feel that it is a responsible thing to do. So amidst all the random thoughts, I would pen them down to hopefully make sense of them.

• REGIFTING.
  This is sometimes difficult because not everyone will find your 'junk' useful or charming. I am slowly ridding my stuff by regifting but I am very selective in who I gift. I do not wait for birthdays nor special occasions. It could be a small gift to say 'hi' or 'thank you'. I usually find a gift that relates to a conversation topic or cause which the recipient will find related to. Sadly, this is going to be a bit slow, but I know I will not be buying new gifts with my will to minimalism.
• A LUNCHBOX A DAY.
  I vow to bring a lunchbox a day to work as much as I can. There are many reasons for this. I like to cook. I like to do something organic after work, so I cook my dinners and I make my lunchboxes. It saves a lot of money. I work in the central business district and lunch prices are high here. Healthier options are usually pricier. I bring my lunchbox with food that I know I like and that are of a healthy, balanced diet for myself. It cost a fraction of what my colleagues are spending. Many of them head out to get takeaways which cost the environment of packaging wastes. I also come to work later in the morning, work through lunch and leave on the dot. Win-win.
• WINE AT HOME.
  This is my guilty pleasure. I drink. But drinking in a bar is expensive. I only do that on social events to meet friends. Otherwise, I have a wine card that gives me discount on the bottles I purchase. I am also not fussy. Table wine is ok for me.
• TRAVELING WITH CLOTHES TO DONATE.
  I am engaged with contract work now. But I am sorting out clothes that I don't want anymore into a backpack. I usually do short trips to neighbouring developing countries where I will leave these clothes at. They definitely do not turn their noses up to such donations. I also return with a lighter backpack which I usually use to stock food products.
• LEAVING OLD BOOKS AROUND.
  Libraries will not take old books. At least not in the yellowish conditions that I have. Secondhand bookstores will buy each book for 10 or 20 cents and then sell them with shit loads of profit. I don't support that. I usually write a post-it note saying 'Free book. Pass it on.' and leave them on buses when no one is looking. The other way is to leave my books at backpacker's hostels. The frugals will find free books charming no matter how old the books are.
• STOP HOARDING.
  I would like to say I don't hoard but I do have a lot of nonsense lying around. Things that I would perhaps one day find uses for. I am precious with things that are not broken and that I could one day use, so that I do not need to go out and buy a new one. It is always Murphy's Law that I would throw something out to then need them very soon. I also like to hoard on cheaper toiletries or cosmetics when I go traveling. I would then find I have more than I could ever finish using. I have to stop being cheap and only buy when I am low on supplies.
• MULTI-PURPOSE.
  I used to have loads of beauty products. Serums and oils for my hair, all kinds of lotions for my face and body. It wasn't until I started backpacking that I realised some products are multi-purpose and are actually good for my hair and skin. Natural oils. Yes, coconut oil, jojoba, argan...etc. I am still trying to finish some lotions and products. But I love the idea of making my fragranced oil with essential oils like lavender and lemongrass. There is nothing more satisfying to see a nightstand with just one bottle sitting there. Loads of breathing space, no clutter.
• MINIMALIST COOKING AND EATING.
  I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I would spend hours cooking and washing, and then get extremely exhausted I would laze for the rest of the day. That would be my typical weekend. That is no more. I am learning how to minimise my time in the kitchen, minimising the number of ingredients in each dish and the cost as well.
• CHANGING MY DIET.
  I am not strict nor do I adhere to any form of dieting. I eat whatever I want. But some things are expensive depending on where we are in the world. No doubt meats are expensive. I have reduce my intake of meat not only because it saves me money but it is also healthier being on a more plant-based diet. I will eat meats and I still have my cravings. Just some food for thought.

What are some of your tips and tricks to easing into frugality and minimalism?

WHAT I LEARNT DURING MY YEAR OF BACKPACKING

I started this year going back to the grind little by little. My backpacking days are rather distant with the freelance jobs coming in. I quit my job without plans and found myself facing a weak market with little opportunities. There was no better time to travel and so I packed my bag and went on a somewhat frugal journey around Southeast Asia. I haven't really sat down to ponder what I learnt through that one over years of backpacking, until someone asked me last night. I thought it will help me to consolidate my thought by writing them down.

• LEARNING TO BE FRUGAL.
  With the uncertainty of when the next pay check was coming in, I had to learn to be frugal. I had to downgrade a lot of the ways I was doing things. I slept in dorms as cheap options of accommodations. I was surprised to learn that there are many dorm beds with curtains so you really do get your privacy. Ok, somewhat. But you really only need a bed to rest when you are out and about discovering the places. This is also the best way to meet people. I use my savings to have a nice meal every now and then.
• DISCOVERING A PLETHORA OF FOOD AND CULTURES.
  I revisited morning markets, street vendors, alleys, everything. The cheap eats are wonderful though not always balanced. They are beautiful and gives you a way into the local daily grind.
• LEARNING HUMILITY.
  I have learnt to be more grateful with what I have. People in developing countries do not have much but they are much happier than us in first worlds. Materials are nothing. It is true that we are born into this world with nothing and we are leaving with nothing. Learn empathy and humility and you will be more in touch with everything around you.
• GOING BACK TO MY SENSES.
  It is important to do things with your hands. And I do not mean things on the computer. I mean making things, cooking, writing on paper...etc. I had been so ingrained in the digital footprint that going back to the basics and doing things that are organic makes me feel wholesome. I am not clicking on the button to get food delivery. I am understand the texture and tastes as it changes from prep to the different stages of cooking. I get better in doing organic things and I am less dependent on people and services. I am my own woman.
• MINIMALISM IS FREEDOM.
  Traveling with a backpack, soaps and not gels, sachets of shampoo and not bottles, a minimal wardrobe that you wash every few days. Being light is being free and mobile. Souvenirs mean nothing, experiences mean everything. 
• I DON'T NEED A LOT TO BE HAPPY.
  I still love to eat out sometimes but I am happy cooking and discovering new combinations and techniques. I used to need a lot. Things. Parties. Events. Extravagance. But now, give me some raw ingredients and a kitchen and I am in wonderland. As long as no one takes away my right to discover, to be curious, to imagine and to create, I am as happy as a clam.

If anything, I learnt how to be a better person and a happier person through my backpacking experiences. Living in basic accommodations, with little belonging, just new environments and cultures, foreign languages, body languages, nothing but smiles. I am bringing my new found practices back to my daily grind and I feel I am becoming more fulfilled with every lunchbox I bring to work, with every thing I give away or recycle that I don't need.

How has your life changed in the last few years?

You might also like 40 TIPS TO A MORE FRUGAL LIFE.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR 2018

I just realised I didn't write resolutions for 2017. And that is fair enough because one does not need to write resolutions only for the turn of the year. I have plans for the new year and I thought I should pen my thoughts down to be clearer for my new goals, to visualise them and to crystalise them.

I also managed to find old resolutions posted on Fidgety Fingers Project. It would be interesting to refer to them and see how I can compare them to the new ones.

I found this earlier:

OF COURSE WE DO NOT NEED TO WAIT TILL THIS TIME OF THE YEAR TO WRITE OUR RESOLUTION BUT THIS IS TO REMIND OURSELVES WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING ALREADY AND TO CONTINUE DOING IT STRONG. 1. TO DOWNGRADE AND DOWNSIZE. WE HAVE WAY TOO MANY THINGS, WAY TOO MANY NONSENSE. WE HAVE TO DOWNGRADE MORE AND REMEMBER THAT WE ARE INSPIRED BY THE TINY HOUSE MOVEMENT. 2. TO CONTINUE COOKING AND LEARN NEW WAYS TO MAKE DELICIOUS AND QUICK MEALS. TO CONTINUE TO BRING OUR LUNCHES. 3. TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORTHWHILE. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE EFFICIENT. WE ONLY LIVE ONCE, WHY WASTE TIME ON THINGS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WORTH IT. 4. TO BLOG AGAIN, AND MORE. WE HAVE NEGLECTED THIS PART OF OUR LIVES. 5. TO EXPAND OUR SOCIAL CIRCLE IN THE WAY THAT IT DOES NOT COMPROMISE NO.3. NOT EVERYONE DESERVE OUR TIME AND EFFORT. 6. TO NOT BUY THINGS THAT WE DO NOT NEED. THINGS ARE MATERIAL AND WE CANNOT BRING IT WITH US ANYWHERE. ALWAYS FOCUS ON BUYING EXPERIENCE. 7. EAT AND DRINK HEALTHIER. WE ARE ALREADY DOING WELL, WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT MORE. 8. TO UNPLUG OURSELVES FROM 'WORK', AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS LIFE BEYOND THAT AND THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. 9. LIVE LIFE AND DO WHAT WE DEEM FIT. PEOPLE MIGHT TALK NOW, BUT THEY ONLY CARE BECAUSE OF POLITICS. A FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, WHO CARES. 10. NEVER GIVE UP ON OURSELVES, BECAUSE, NO ONE ELSE WILL CARE MORE THAN WE DO.

#2016RESOLUTION

I don't think there is anything I would change. Everything is still work-in-progress. I guess the day I find myself writing them off my list would be the day I die. These are ways of life. My decluttering is working, although I had hoarded a bit of toiletries, perfumes, clothes and food ingredients from my travels. I need to finish them. Otherwise, my expenditure seems to have decreased and choices more focused. My investments have been more sound. My decision to quit my job to go on a hiatus has also made my lifestyle more streamline to my resolutions, there is a balance.

Anyway, here goes...

• To live more sustainably. I continue to refuse plastic bags when I can. I have stopped buying beauty products and I make my own. Not only I know what go into the concoctions, they are also environmentally friendly. 
• To cook sustainably. I cook most meals and bring lunchboxes to work, when I work. They save time and money and I know what goes into my consumption. However, cooking for oneself is troublesome somehow. I eat the same thing for days in a week. It is more often very boring. I have to learn to step back from the cooking ingredients too. Not like I am using 10 ingredients recipes, I improvise when I cook. However, there is still a way to incorporate sustainability and minimalism in this aspect.
• To understand minimalism. Ever since I started backpacking, I started to realise that I don't even use everything in my backpack. This is a good example of what my living space means. What do I really use? Of course I do not need to use some things everyday, but still it encourages some thought into what is taking space in my space. Oxygen is free, but I would rather more oxygen in my space than things.
• To consolidate. Time has never been more important to me than now. I am very conscious not to waste my time to the working machine. Bringing lunchboxes works. Focus works. Preparation in my mind during commute works. Organising errands and appointments back o back help to save time and money on commute. 
• To write more. I have neglected this blog and I need to start to write again. But I have realised that my interests have also changed and I need to focus and figure out what works for me now.
• To invest towards my retirement. No, I am not retired yet. This is a hiatus. It is time for me to breathe, to rejuvenate, to regain my fight, to focus on what is important. My expenditure has decreased due to my sustainable lifestyle. But I need to learn how to maximise my savings and the money I will be earning.
• To be more healthy and active. I don't like exercises, but I like to be active. I can walk for kilometres on end. So it is to find a balance in my daily activities that eliminates the exercise aspect. People go to gyms and they are inactive outside of it and would not even bother to walk a few blocks. I have my balance and I don't mind if people judge.

#2018RESOLUTIONS

7 WAYS TO PLAN FOR YOUR EARLY RETIREMENT

It is true that nothing lasts forever. Not food, not our lives, sometimes as much as we wish relationships do, they don't. So in reality, the most trustworthy person you have in your life is yourself. You married yourself the moment you were born and you will always be that one person who will never let yourself down. So, you should be the best investment you ever take up. And it should always be that way. No other person should come between you and yourself, even the closest person to you should be second. Someone could leave you, your company could sack you.

And I have been thinking about retirement. No, I am not really that age to be actually thinking about it yet. But there is no harm preparing early. I work in a sunset industry. And with more and more technology advancement, clients lose focus and believe less and less in the essence of things. I see senior colleagues losing their stand and having less foothold in everything they do. So how can I not plan for early retirement? Planning for passive income is more important now than ever.

I quit my full time job slightly more than a year ago and have been without income, except for some small passive income from dividends from bonds. It is still not enough to have a comfortable lifestyle if I were to leave the industry completely. Nonetheless, there have been a few things I picked up in the last year of being in limbo that taught me valuable lessons to be more sustainable.

1. EVALUATE YOUR WAY OF REWARD
   I needed a lot of retail and culinary therapy. When work gets stressful, I buy junk. Not expensive stuff but cheap useless things. They pile up and collect dust, enough said. Culinary therapy was also something I indulged in. Fine dining, fine wines...etc. Not that these are completely unhealthy ways to deal with stress, but they are sometimes, if not many times unnecessary. I have learnt to curb my impulse to spend and buy stuff. The simplest way of understanding how retail therapy works is that owning something new makes you feel special and shiny all of a sudden. It is short lived nonetheless. If you can understand the fundamentals of your hormones and feelings, you can easily replace the process with something else. Putting on a facial mask or indulging in aromatherapy or lathering myself with prepared essentials oil are all very satisfying activities. By having this new habit of understanding, you can save loads and work towards a less stressed life ahead, sooner.
2. FURTHER EVALUATING YOUR LIFESTYLE
   If you often feel stress, then you would have to evaluate further. No matter where stress is coming from, you can always change something. For example: My work more often than not requires me to stay the extra hours or late night. Thus, I try to be as productive as I possible can at work. Nothing really happens until after 10am in the office. Everyone would be slowly getting to work and they would be checking their emails and taking their time to reply whilst sipping their overpriced coffee. So I go in at 10am and I bring my own lunchbox. I usually work through lunch hour thus clocking in an extra hour when everyone is out lunching. I leave at 6pm. And then I have my evening to myself unless activated. That extra hour adds a lot to what is an already condensed evening. Time is money. Money can buy convenience, but if you are trying to save, time starts to be a very important factor.
3. BE SYSTEMATIC IN YOUR THOUGHTS
   This needs training and I have realised a lot of people cannot do this. But this very important trait separates the movers and shakers. It is called multi-tasking. being able to see things that fit into the puzzle helps. Multi-tasking saves you time, and in time saves you money. It helps you to be more focus on what is important so you can get the little things done quickly and then full throttle towards your goals. Apart from the daily multi-tasking in the chores I have to do, I tend to have a list of to-do that I can easily achieve in front of the computer in short bursts of time. I could use that time at work to pay a bill online while waiting for a brief. I could research what to do with the bulk of potatoes at home...etc. If you can be systematic in your mind and work out a to-do list, you can easily find yourself free from a lot of piled up chores. This is good daily practice to be focus and efficient. Indulging in social media is pretty much what separates the movers and shakers.
4. DOWNSIZE AND SIMPLIFY
   Clothes and other junk. Whatever we have as clutter is true in that it is a reflection of what goes on in our minds. I have been trying to downsize but my progress is slower than expected. I will always find use for something else and in the end, it is still a big clutter. I have learnt that to simplify, one needs to be ruthless. If I have not worn something for 3 years, what are the odds of me wearing it ever? I live in a metropolis where people do not really go for secondhand clothes. They are even very choosy when it comes to vintage clothes. So instead of tossing the old clothes into the recycling bin, I usually travel with them and leave them in the less developed places. It saves me from the laundry, and I have a spacious bag to stock on food instead. I have also gotten into the habit of leaving the odd old book or old necklace on buses and trains for people to find second lives for them. Evaluating what you have to toss also helps you to have a good sense of the spendings in the past, and how much you can reuse or repurpose some things you already possess.
5. TALK TO FINANCIAL ADVISORS AND PROPERTY AGENTS
   These are the people who can advise what to do with your money to have good returns. You would be a fool to just leave your money sitting in the bank. Putting them in bonds to get dividends is a smart way to increase your assets and have a small passive income. Just evaluate your risk profile and understand the market enough to make a sensible move.
6. VISUALISE YOUR RETIREMENT
   No one really retires. Even if you were to retire, you would still need to work towards some form of passive income. So it is important to know what you want to do during your retirement. Visualising it helps to work towards it faster. If you are thinking of relocation in the future, it might be sensible to invest in property in that place.
7. SPEEDING IT UP OR DOING IT SLOWLY
   The world's economy is volatile and slow at the moment. It is a depressing time. But perhaps it is this time to start weighing options and seeing what might come up. Evaluate how much you are getting paid in the world's economy. Are you maximising your potential? Could you earn more if you were to move somewhere else to work? Are you paying too much tax in your home country? Are you investing in the right things? If moving somewhere else and earning more and paying less tax is an option for you, why not consider that and work towards an earlier retirement?

THE MAGIC OF MOTORCYCLING ON A DATE

Amidst the crowded forest, you saddle and mount onto your steed. You turn around and pull your lady up. You are both ready. An instant trust amounts. She puts her faith in you, and you take it like her valiant knight, her protector. And your iron steed blows fire to gallop away from the world of the mundanes. Amidst that of the rigmaroles of urbanites and their skyscrapers.

With your iron steed, you can turn the asphalt into a magic carpet that twists and winds. Travelling on the path that neither you nor your lady had ever laid eyes upon. The lake is now a mystical watering hole where your iron steed would stop, and you will deep your toes into. The horizon is nearer than before, and you speed towards it to hold the golden setting yolk in your hands.

The changing wind touches your lips and cheeks, and carries on to caress her hair. Her hair flowing in the changing colours, with the iron steed speeding through the light. She smells her valiant knight carried in the wind, as you feel her trust even not seeing her. A bond builds.

We often lose sight of the simplest joy. The feeling of being closer together. The feeling of trusting someone like riding on a motorcycle together. It is not just about trusting the rider. The rider needs to trust the pillion rider too. It takes synergy for two people to be on a motorcycle together. It is almost primal, being on a machine, as supposed to being in a machine like a car. You are almost 'naked', unprotected, and exposing yourselves to the elements. The beauty of the wind on your faces and your hair. The closeness of experiencing sights with your naked eyes, lights bouncing with the winds.

And with that touch of magic, you are free, free to explore. There are no paths less beaten, no alleys too small, no stops too abrupt. You just go with the flow, no plans, no maps. You stop at the edges to admire the horizon. You pull up at the side to pick the sweetest of berries. You turn in to discover an abandoned lighthouse, only to receive the most amazing view from above.

All these to experience with that someone who could be. And how about letting the imagination run wild with pure instinct, on a romantic motorcycle date?. The only thing that matters, is the person you are with on the trusty iron steed.

MINIMISING MY LIFE

I have been feeling bad. Bad in a sense my life seems to be stagnant. Bad in a sense that I am somehow made to chase something I do not want. I watched the documentary 'Minimalism'. The concept isn't new. It has been broadcast for years now and I first came across it when I was watching the tiny house movement. It is charming. It is freedom, it is a life without burden and baggages.

I wake up everyday in this room of mine from 2 decades ago. The family didn't fix the room, it is full of things I call junk. The mother is a hoarder and she has no concept of how things should be proper, that furnitures should be built-in and there should be book shelves and enough storage for everything. I don't have enough storage. I have boxes of nonsense. Nonsense because I am staying in the tropics and yet I have boxes of winter clothes. It doesn't make sense to get rid of them. They are expensive and I still go to climate countries every now and then.

So what now?

I look at the wardrobe and I feel sick. So many clothes from years ago. I still fit into them but maybe they are not my style anymore? Do I throw them away? Do I give them away? You kind of get into a fix because the stuff are still good and you think that there will still be use for them one day. But the days pass, and the months and then the years. And I find so many pieces that I have not worn for years. And they are accumulating.

I am getting so sick of the junk I see around and I think my unhappiness is largely because of this baggage. The little bit of things that I keep thinking will have use for one day. When is that one day coming? I don't know but I know I have to put my mind down to ridding stuff. And as hard as it may be, I need to have a new concept of sustainability and that is not hoarding.

IF YOU HAVE NOT WORN IT FOR 3 YEARS, IT NEEDS TO GO.
Ok, there are things I have not worn for years but I will still want to keep them because how often do you wear a formal dress? So formal clothes and winter jackets aside, tee shirts and stuff are coming out, going to the traveling pile.

THE TRAVELING PILE OF CLOTHES
I am putting a pile of clothes I will use for my next travel, that I will not launder and just leave behind in those developing countries so that someone else can launder it and find a second life for it. It might just relieve your bags of space and weight for more... clothes and souvenirs? Well, that is a very nice thought but no more nonsense. Food products I can allow, but no more clothes and accessories. I do not need more piling.

THE BOOKS THAT ARE SITTING THERE
I am not an avid reader. I have old books sitting around which I thought I might just read one day but it has been years. I am so selective in what I read that really if I want to read something, I would finish it in no time. So, I am making it a point to bring a book or two with me every time I travel. There is no point selling it to bookstores because even they do not want the old books. And be it purposely leaving the books at the airport or the hostels or hotels, someone else will find good use for them.

FOOD PRODUCTS
I am crazy about cooking and exotic food products. I also like to buy food products when I go traveling. So you can imagine I became a bit of a hoarder with that. In these days of my sabbatical, I am using as much of those stock as possible so that I save money on food. Of course, my diet still needs to be balanced and fresh ingredients still needs to be bought.

As much as there needs to be more done, these new rules will help to get me started.

WHY I QUIT FACEBOOK

I wasn't on Facebook from the beginning. It just wasn't my style to jump onto the bandwagon with the rest. As time passed, it seemed I really had to be on Facebook because all if not most of the apps are using Facebook to log in. I also wanted to get on it to understand how the platform works as part of work evolves around it. So a few years ago my Facebook adventure started.

I wasn't posting a lot, I wasn't most active on it. But as the number of friends increased and their activities increased with tagging me, my involvement seemed apt. It was fun to see the degree of separation and activities. What I enjoyed most were the articles from the liked pages. The content is good and I treated it as my daily dose of news and entertainment.

What really ruined that enjoyment was the bombardment of annoying posts from 'friends'. Sometimes one just cannot tell nor differentiate friends and acquaintances. Sure I know it. But what would you consider someone whom you have known for more than a decade or two? A friend? An acquaintance? How do you categorise them?

The annoying selfies that caption 'I look bad today', or 'I wish my hair looks this good everyday'...etc. All with filters from apps and retouching. But why do I need to look at unreal selfies and their narcissistic captions? And when you comment on those posts with something with black humour, they can actually delete those comments. So, how real is Facebook's portrayal of their lives? Anyone's life?

We keep seeing what people have ate for the day, beautiful flowers and things, outfit of the day, selfies, laughters with friends...etc. Some of them are interesting, many are what I call verbal or visual diarrhea. What is the significance of all of these? If there is any at all? We are all being portrayed by fake lives, the snippets of interesting facades, all filtered through photography apps and retouched to perfection. When will anything real come through Facebook? The real faces, the real stories, the real lives.

Hence, it is goodbye Facebook, at least for now before I have to get in touch with a long lost friend. Because, isn't that what it is supposed to be about? Not being a platform to portray unreal lives and ideals, and promote an unhealthy comparison between people.

CHOOSE YOURSELF BY JAMES ALTUCHER

MICHAEL JACKSON'S ANTI-GRAVITY SECRET

You would still need to be very fit to do this.

I WOULD BE STARVING IF I WERE TO FOLLOW THIS HAND GUIDE TO PORTION CONTROL

I am tall and lanky. Which probably means that my hand is too small to measure portions for me. Also, doctors have told me my feet are too small for my proportion that is why I have weak ankles. So, what is this portion control about? If I were to follow this control, I would be banned on the catwalk in 2016. Aren't they banning over skinny people now?

Surely this is for a meal. But isn't that way too little?

OUR FRIEND SAID SHE THOUGHT OF US WHEN SHE WATCHED THIS

What memories are made of.

I'll just go on
Thinking and forgetting
Turning and reaching
Loving and lying

OLDEST U.S. MALL BLENDS WITH 225 SQ FT MICRO LOFTS

Ever since I stumbled upon Tiny Houses Movement, I have been watching a lot of these documentaries online about people living in tiny spaces. I think all of us have very important lessons to learn here. What do we really need and how efficient we can actually make our lives to be. It makes me think what a hoarder I am and I feel like I am bound by material and I do not have freedom.

TINY HOUSES' POLYMATH : THINKER, LYRIST, CARPENTER, CARTOONIST

TINY TEXAS HOUSES' "WILLY WONKA" ON MAKING MAGIC REUSING WOOD

Gosh! This guy is all muscle! Matthew McConaughey could play him.

WE THE TINY HOUSE PEOPLE

TALL LAW STUDENT, TINY HOUSE

This is an inspiration.

PEOPLE TRY LIVING IN A SUPER TINY HOUSE