my commonplace blog

jane kim '04

[tenaciousdreamer]

hello! welcome to my commonplace blog!

about me

☆ name: jane | pronouns: she/her

☆ birth year: ‘04

☆ languages I speak: English, Filipino

☆ my hobbies are largely reflected by the types of posts i share/write

☆ my asks and dms are always open so if you wanna drop by and say hi, I appreciate it!

about the blog

☆ i entitled it ‘commonplace blog’ because there will be no common theme; i dump almost everything here

☆ though the prevailing topics/themes here are (in no particular order):

     ⋆ study | motivation | books | quotes | figure skating | anime | math | links i find interesting/helpful | friendly reminders

☆ i categorize posts into tags (linked above): masterposts

[tenaciousdreamer]

tuesdays with Morrie

i love this book

Quotes i love:

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

"the culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die. We're so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car, fixing the radiator when it breaks-we're involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don't get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing?"

[jadagul]

There is a semi-famous math algorithm developed by David A. Cox and Steven Zucker. It is known as the Cox-Zucker machine.

For a long time I'd been assuming that they knew what they were doing, but today, via Peter Woit, I got confirmation. Cox writes in a memorial for Zucker:

I met Steve in the fall of 1970 when we were entering graduate students at Princeton. We both studied algebraic geometry, though I was more algebraic (à la Grothendieck) while Steve was more transcendental (à la Griffiths). This made for some lively conversations. A few weeks after we met, we realized that we had to write a joint paper because the combination of our last names, in the usual alphabetical order, is remarkably obscene.

[dark-eyed-harmothoe]

“What’s that musical? The one where we see a teenager’s life go downhill after the death of a classmate?”

“No, I mean, uh— the one where technology basically fucks up with everyone”

“Actually, I mean the one in which a kid almost destroys the school”

“No wait, the kid let’s themselves be influenced by something that no one else can see”

[tenaciousdreamer]

100% accurate

[tenaciousdreamer]

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa review – profound allegory of loss

This Japanese fable about an island where disappearance is a way of life is a masterpiece, meditating on totalitarianism and resistance as well as the rhythms of life and death

[curiosamathematica]

“The main application of pure mathematics is to make you happy.”

— Hendrik Lenstra

[tenaciousdreamer]

We Were Liars

1/7/2021

Keywords: Family morals, Consequences of one’s mistakes, Self-acceptance, Romance

A seemingly perfect, rich, beautiful family hides a lie they can’t forget.

I almost DNFed the book for several reasons. Luckily, I (kinda) pushed through and I’m glad I did because OH MY GOSH THE PLOT TWIST WAS UNEXPECTED!

Reasons I had for almost DNF-ing the book (note: this were all written before the revelation):

The writing's simple, but (kinda) poetic. Well-written, though not as engaging (for me). To be fair, some chapters did catch my attention. The others just seemed dull and uninteresting.

There are lots of characters (and places) introduced, and as someone who has trouble remembering names, it took me a lot of time to go through some chapters. (The given map and family tree were still quite useful, though)

I'm not sure why, but the characters seem superficial. I dislike the romance between Gat and Cady. It feels somehow empty. I feel like it wasn't built up enough - it seems so sudden and out of the blue. Nevertheless, I grew to like it halfway through.

I do get the reasons others have for placing negative reviews on goodread, but I insist that if you look more closely into the details, you’ll get it. Definitely worth reading! I rate it 4/5 as the ending had made up for the reasons I had listed earlier.

Reasons why you should read the book:

gosh this is what you call ‘intriguing’

perfectly shows the bittersweet circumstances in life - if you would ignore the rich people problems part

unique story - it’s been a while since I had come across a story this confounding

aside from the main themes, it shows bigotry, greed, tension within a family, and so much more I couldn’t explain

so, for the ones who has just started on it, or will start, hang in there! pls dont get discouraged by the unique way of writing. the plot is really really good.

[thebookquotes]

Don't just learn, experience. Don't just read, absorb. Don't just change, transform. Don't just relate, advocate. Don't just promise, prove. Don't just criticize, encourage. Don't just think, ponder. Don't just take, give. Don't just see, feel. Don’t just dream, do. Don't just hear, listen. Don't just talk, act. Don't just tell, show. Don't just exist, live.

— Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[thespilledquotes]

“Self-improvement never ends. Once you fix one problem, you discover another area that requires an upgrade. This continues until the day you die.”

— Ed Latimore (via thoughtkick)

[tenaciousdreamer]

The Memory Book

Picture credits to Pexels (left)(right)

Keywords: Illness, Family, Friendship, Romance, Competitiveness

1/1/2021

Gosh, I am in awe with this book! Besides the debate thing and the NPC, I could totally relate to her! Her joining academic competitions, her competitiveness and love for winning (not to mention her massive crush on Stuart), her train of thoughts, her distaste for small talk, and even her way of writing to her future self (though for a diff reason in my case).

Also love how 'realistic' Sammie, as a character, is - she is neither the ultimate nerd who only knows books and has no time for boys nor the stereotypical 'cheerleader type' that only goes for jocks. Rather, she is this (i suspect) semi-introverted gal who strives for what (and who) she wants despite her debilitating illness.

Plus, she has awesome people around her! Understanding, amazing parents! Cool younger siblings! Adorable childhood friend! Crushable, smart crush! Cool best friend/debate partner!

There's also this bonus of referencing awesome books! The way Sammie 'writes' also seems natural - like how I write to my future self, only written better.

Stuff (possible spoilers ahead):

"Smart people are the best partiers" (I'm not completely sure with this but I have yet to test this out haha)

Approach your crush, no harm in there (bonus points for you if you drop a truth bomb saying you have a massive crush on him/her/them ! )

Good thing this girlie knows when to be a lover and a warrior!

I'm SO glad her parents listen to her and let her explain herself instead of the usual 'we're older and had more experience so your opinions and thoughts are to be invalidated because you still haven't gone through the things we had'

Making mistakes is fine, 'no one cares as much as we do'

"We have to get used to the idea that no one cares as much as us, because guess what, they don’t. Succeed, fail, whatever, no one is going to give you a pat on the back for spending all hours of the day studying, or researching, or giving up everything to write. So we’ve got to just do it for ourselves" -Stuart

"There is no secret language, ... , that you have to speak in order to talk to someone you like. You just talk to them." -Sammie

Her valedictory speech is just 🤩 (also love her lil blooper during her delivery)

Halfway through, when her NPC was acting up, my heart keeps skipping a beat - i keep checking how much pf the book remains

This also makes me wish I had an 'actual' childhood friend

I'm actually kinda disappointed how Sammie went for Cooper and not Stuart, I was rooting for the latter :<

The heartfelt messages from everyone to Sammie made me go 🥰 to 😭

Me at the end: I DID NOT EXPECT THAT, well maybe I DID but not THAT! I MEAN, why so soon?! Like, couldn't have NPC waited for a lil more more while 😭😭

This isn’t really a book review lol :/

[tenaciousdreamer]

50 Books in a Year: Challenge

I'm normally an avid reader. Mid-2020, I had finished 4 books in a week! Problem is, because of the quarantine, I've been spending less time on books and more on social media. I plan to resolve that this 2021!

Plus, I have a long list of want-to-read-but-too-lazy-to-do-so books

I challenge myself to complete at least 50 books this year! It could be fiction or nonfiction, as long as it is a book (anyone could also join me in this challenge!)

Non-fiction suggestions:

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

How to Learn Almost Anything in 48 Hours: The Skills You Need to Work Smarter, Study Faster, and Remember More! by Tansel Ali

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Sleep: Redefine Your Rest, for Success in Work, Sport and Life by Nick Littlehales

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo

The Achievement Habit: Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life by Bernard Roth

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Write Tight by William Brohaugh

Fiction suggestions:

A Court of Thorn and Roses (series) by Sarah Maas

Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegot

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

The Giver Quartet (series) by Lois Lowry

The Love Square by Laura Jane Williams

The Memory Book by Lara Avery

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The School for Good and Evil (series) by Soman Chainani

The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

They Both Die at The End by Adam Silvera

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Reminder: This challenge is only meant to "bring back" my love for books by reading regularly. However, it is important to note that nothing wrong with reading less, or more than 50 books. This number is not a measurement of whatsoever skill, attribute, etc. The ultimate goal of this challenge is only to consume as much books as you can, enjoy them to the fullest extent, and absorb information for a better you!

[thespilledquotes]

“The only way to change the future is to change what you do daily.”

— Unknown (via thoughtkick)

[selves-acceptance]

idk how to tell u that ur worth isn’t measured by what u produce!!! whether that’s ur work or ur grades, ur productivity is not a measure of how much u matter as a person! ur worth is *literally unchangeable* in the best way!!!

[theemotionmachine]

Do it for future you.

[orangesalamander-but-studying]

Tips on motivation

(from a mostly dysfunctional student with mental illness)

Disclaimer: This may not be applicable for everyone and the only qualification i have is “rando that miraculously did well at school” so here ya go:

(If you’re reading this on a bad day, and you feel like you don’t even want to get out of bed today, let alone study, scroll to the end)

Get a notebook. Write down every detail of the life you want to live- i mean everything. Look at this list as often as necessary. Adjust your life in order to get what you want. Let your dreams motivate you. (Admittedly, this doesn’t work very well for me for too long, but if it works for you that’s fantabulous!)

Romanticize the shit out of the idea of studying. Pretend you’re a scholar at a prestigious university, light candles, dress like an academic, get yourself some iced coffee and put on a dark academia playlist. Make studying poetic! (Personally, i make EVERYTHING poetic coz life can be dull and depressing enough as it is)

Get out of your sweats and into a killer outfit. I love to put on a pair of jeans or a cute dress with high heels and then walk around my room telling myself i’m an intelligent, powerful, badass bitch (or empress, depending on the mood) and that a couple of pages with words on them ain’t got nothing on me! Definitely puts my intrusive thoughts in their place because excuse me, i’m the one in a killer outfit and the voice is just a hater.

Make a game out of it. I use the app Forest to grow trees and its friggin great when you work to collect enough coins to unlock a new species- let the little things motivate you, don’t look at the big picture if it overwhelms you. My anxiety and depression sometimes make it difficult for me to take myself seriously so making it a game helps me forget the stakes and focus on getting through the hour. 

Choose a reward for the end of the week and hype it tf up, imagine the scrumptious feeling of delayed gratification that you’ll experience if you study now and watch that movie/ read that book/ eat that cake/ go on that friend date later, stress free coz you have your life together. I understand this may be difficult when you’re going through a depressive episode, but try to focus on the feel good feelings you’ll have later.

Start a studyblr and let the aesthetic motivate you. You don’t need fancy stationery or perfect handwriting or super neat notes- be imperfectly yourself and use the studyblr to motivate yourself and track your progress.

Sometimes i sit at my desk for hours and get nothing done. That’s okay! Activate caveman brain and take your studying to someplace else, even just to you bedroom floor. This helps my ADHD brain by keeping things exciting and different.

Start a bullet journal and plan everything- structure your life, break down huge intimidating tasks into ridiculously baby steps (eg. take out book, write date etc). Sometimes my anxiety refuses to let me study because it makes monsters out of tasks.

If the very thought of getting out of bed is draining that day, don’t think about studying, don’t let yourself make you feel bad. On the bad days, everything is an act of indescribable strength on your part. Acknowledge that. Acknowledge that its difficult, acknowledge your strength, And then think about the next minute- forget the rest of the day, the rest of the day does not exist. All you need to do today is get out of bed. And then all you have to do is brush your teeth. Then just drinking water is your goal for the day, then just doing something that makes you happy, then just eating something, and if you feel up to it, just do ten minutes of an assignment, then because you’re a warrior, do just another ten. And at the end of the day pat yourself on the back, be unashamedly proud of yourself for whatever task you were able to complete, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Then tell yourself that when you’ll do it again tomorrow, it will get easier. 

Mental illness is really, really hard. And it may not happen immediately, or even in a few weeks, or a few months, and you may not notice it happening but i promise you, one day you’ll smile and you’ll surprise yourself and you’ll realize you’re coping. You’ve made it this far and you’ll continue to do so.

I’m so proud of you all.

[mathblab]

[Mathematics is] a very powerful and effective language invented by humans to describe and discover patterns in nature. When we perceive beauty in the mathematics, I think what we’re really perceiving is an underlying beauty in nature itself.

— Jim Baggott, Quantum Space

[tenaciousdreamer]

7 Things Steve Jobs Said That You Should Say Every Single Day

What you do is based on what you think. So borrow a few thoughts from Steve.