Low-Impact Living in Times of Crisis

As you know, if you've been here a while, I've been advocating for zero-waste or low-impact lifestyle for a few years now. From the start, I know it wouldn't be easy. Often I stumble and find myself creating waste time and time again, but I persevere and am determined to do better next time. For the most part, I would say I'm doing rather well to keep with my determination—I choose reusable more, I sort my waste accordingly and I cut down on my plastic usage as much as I can. Not going to lie, it can sometimes feel like hard work, which is probably why most people are hesitant to try it. However, for me, it all pays off when I realise just how much waste I help reduce in the world.

Of course, here's what I never realised—and I think this is a pretty common mindset among people in general: this is all pretty fine and dandy when I'm healthy and safe. But what happens when crisis hits?

HAUL: First Loots from 2021

 

When 2021 started, I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't buy another book until I finish all the books waiting for me at home. Of course—as all book lovers could probably guess—that promise was broken almost straight away. Already in January I bought 4 books, followed by 1 book in February and 3 books in March. Go figure! I'm happy to announce, though, that out of those newly-purchased books, a total of 3 books have been read, finished and reviewed—check it out on my Goodreads, if it tickles your fancy! So, at least, that means I bought books I knew I would read and—possibly even—enjoy. That being said, the number of TBRs on my table is still piling on. These are the titles I've never shown or mentioned before, as well as those I've only recently purchased. I'm super happy that most of these were bought secondhand, which means less waste in the world. Without further ado, here are the books I've acquired recently.

POPCORN: A Brighter Summer Day (1991)

Here is a film that I watched literally only yesterday. I've been intrigued by it for a while thanks to Letterboxd, as many people seem to recommend it on that website. What I didn't expect was to get dragged down a long rabbit hole and come out the other side a changed human being. Needless to say, this film made it to the top of my list straight away and, by far, has become the best film I've ever watched. Not only that, this film is based on true story and set in 1960 in Taiwan. Directed by Edward Yang, this film features over 100 characters—all with speaking roles!—and gives the story a whole lot more depth than most films are prepared to do. A word of warning, though: this film is 4 hours long! You will be sitting down for what feels like forever, but without a dull moment in it, the film will hook you right in. Here is A Brighter Summer Day (1991).