🎬 It's Giving Main Character Energy
Over the last month, 2 movies stood out to me. So here are the recommendations I have for you:
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
What started as a cutesy little date night watching a comedy-horror movie ended up in a short debate on morals. The movie made us see the price of power and question “what if that was me?”. It also created a series of inside jokes later on, but the main thing is, could you sell your soul to the devil? And are you willing to pay the price? What exactly is too far? Everything comes at a price. And it’s not always about money.
Nuremberg
Now this was A MOVIE. It’s linked with the trials of the Nazi regime after WW2 with the unique perspective of the psychiatrist who deals with the inmates, especially Hermann Göring. I don’t want to give much away from the movie, but I have to give a round of applause for how it was made because it makes you have empathy for the enemy. You end up, just like the doctor, befriending the nazi leader just for them to be faced with the real reality and the conflict of morals that it all is. It was a very powerful movie, and it is, for me, very interesting to be reminded that good people are capable of terrible things, and terrible people are still capable of kindness. That's exactly what makes morality so uncomfortable. Nothing is black and white.
Be aware that the movie is heavy; you may cry or even have nightmares. There are very graphic images of the concentration camps as well as descriptions of what happened. All is based on a true story, and that brings a heaviness to it. Especially with the current state of the world, it adds another layer of heaviness.
📚 On My Bedside Table
Let my first pick for you be the most on brand with my world: The Defining Decade. Our 20s will really dictate the rest of our lives, and there is comfort and fear in that. I have been learning a lot about how to proceed for the next 5 years as well as reflecting on the life choices I’ve made so far.
I have read many “self-help” and personal development books, but this one feels different and more grounded than the others. It truly gave me a perspective based on real-life experiences that the writer shares.
It inspired me so much that I am writing an article inspired by some of the learnings in this book. It’s been a very intense experience to write it, but I hope it’s helpful for more twenty-somethings out there.
🎧 Living Rent-Free
My headphones have become a pretty accurate representation of my life lately: half Germany, half Portugal.
Bárbara Tinoco has been on repeat, in preparation for the summer concert I will attend. I have also shown the artist to my boyfriend, who approved. One extra point for Portuguese pop girlies!
And on my German side, it’s been a lot of AnnenMayKantereit. It’s a classic, especially for the people of Köln, and I have been shown some of their older songs and covers. Always a pleasure to deep dive into cultures with music.
🧠 Downloaded into my brain
For this month, the piece of content I bring you goes a bit hand in hand with the book I recommended before. Unjaded Jade shared a 20-minute YouTube video on how to build an unfair advantage in your 20s, focusing on the 10 most useful skills to learn in the AI-driven world we live in.
You can clearly see the theme going on in my life at the moment: make sure I am building something significant for myself. Picking such an unconventional life path and making bold choices as I have lately sometimes makes me wonder if I am doing the right things to work towards the ultimate goals. I would say even if you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s, any age, these skills will always be helpful, and you can also just stop and think if during your life you have, in an unconscious way, developed these skills.
📍 Fake Local Approved
The map has been updated. I have found a new vintage shop of my dreams, tried on a new sports places and visited one of the most exciting places in my neighbourhood, Rosenhöfe. I hope you enjoy it.
If you've already saved the map, it's time to check it again. It’s always growing in recommendations.
🇩🇪 Deutsch, Bitte.
If you are German, just look away cause I am embarrassed…
So I learned that there is a difference between saying “Ich bin gut” (I am good - good person) and “Mir geht’s gut” (I am good - fine/good state). I would often reply “Ich bin gut” when I was asked “Wie geht’s?” (How are you?) and now I realised I was saying I am good, as in a good person, instead of saying I am good, as in okay. And, honestly, leave it to the Germans to complicate something that feels so simple. Only they would turn the most basic interaction into a grammar lesson.
In reality, and I am not saying this, it makes sense. The Germans have a fair point in differentiating the sentences. But it's a pain to be hyperaware and phrase it correctly.
✈️ Collecting stamps
Counting down the days to go to Portugal 'cause the true European summer is screaming my name. This time I am bringing my boyfriend with me, and that will likely give me a whole new perspective on what I am always used to.
I have been taking some day trips in Germany, but I will share more about that in the next horoscopes section. For now, it needs to be all about Portugal.
The plans include Sintra & Belem for sightseeing, Costa da Caparica for the beach, river, and pool adventures, lots of family time, and too much food. I am very excited to go to Feira de São Bartolomeu, the country's oldest fair (feira franca in Portuguese), to see some of my favourite Portuguese artists at night concerts. I will also be going to Viseu and stopping at Feira de São Mateus, another very famous fair/market.
Going to Portugal in August is synonymous with summer parties and family time, and I love that. It will be extra special to share that with my boyfriend; I am pretty sure the ordinary will gain a glimpse of the extraordinary this time.
💭 Highlighted in pink
“Pause. Breathe. Flow”
I saw this in a postcard in one of the sports studios I went to this past month. Now it resides in my work area as a reminder that rest is as important as work. Let it flow.
Your monthly assignment: bake or cook something new.
xoxo,
A