Notes on Things
Books, games, films, tools, or any ideas that don’t fit anywhere else but are worth writing down. The miscellaneous notes of an examined life.
Why Retro Games Are Still Worth Playing
Gaming is fun. But as a young adult who is finishing his undergrad thesis, I don’t get much time to play. A year ago I found the wonderful online community of retro gaming, and I was hooked to the point that I bought this retro handheld a few months ago. It is called the Miyoo…
Finding Focus: The Power of Digital Minimalism
A few months back, I tried this whole pseudo-dumbphone EDC thing to fight my doomscrolling addiction. You can read about it in my previous post here: The concept was really charming: carry a handheld gaming console, an ebook reader, basically anything to keep me off my phone and stop the mindless scrolling. Spoiler alert: it…
Overcoming Math Anxiety with A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley
Numbers are scary. That’s the notion we all developed when we went through math in school. Unless you’re a big nerd. Duh. Jokes aside, the ability to do math and science is critical for unlocking valuable opportunities and skills. By not trying to sharpen your math, I definitely think you’re wasting your maximum brain potential.…
My Anti-Distraction EDC: A Toolkit for Reclaiming Focus
I’d noticed a growing unrest and anxiety bothering me, a direct result of my doomscrolling and Instagram Reels habit spiraling out of control. I decided it was time for a change. I remembered a time before I had a smartphone, when I could finish tasks with genuine focus. It struck me that attention is the…
Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon: My Reading Notes
As an introvert, I’ve hidden my serious work for most of my life, always appearing as the class clown. Thus, when people get the chance to talk with me one-on-one, they’re often surprised at how serious I am. I hated self-promotion; I saw it as expressing arrogance. However, I’ve since realized that I did not…
Embrace Creativity No Matter What: Lessons from Franz Schubert
The creative projects you put off could be a novel on your hard drive, the guitar in the corner of the room, an empty sketchbook, an unfinished poem, or anything you can think of. Why is it so damn hard to find time? The circumstances are not always ideal. You got bills to pay, school,…
Study Effectively: What MOST People Misunderstand about The Feynman Technique
If you just type in Google “How to learn/study efficiently?”. You would probably find a bunch of content explaining the Feynman Technique. For those who don’t know, the Feynman Technique is a learning technique named after Richard Feynman that amplifies comprehension. It usually consists of 4 steps: It seems extraordinarily straightforward and linear. You rapidly learn…
Yes, your little smiles matter.
Growing up in Indonesia as an East Asian with slit-shaped eyes, people like to point out how my eyes seemed to be totally closed every time I smile or laugh. I never take that as an offense at all because subconsciously I was aware that it amuses people around me, even though, I must admit…
