Hi friends, happy Friday! Welcome to the Friday Five, your weekly dose of joy and relief from obscure corners of the internet and my brain.
Song: Like many starlets from the UK + Europe in the early aughts (shout out to Samantha Mumba, Girls Aloud, Blue, and B*Witched), Craig David didn’t get the career run he deserved stateside. He had infectiously catchy singles that are now relegated to playing in the aisles of Nordstrom Racks across America. We need Craig David in our bars, in our lounges, and back in the zeitgeist. Anyway, his hits are giving me lots of joy lately, with “Fill Me In” playing on repeat. Four minutes of pure pop perfection! PSA: All the songs shared in this newsletter can be found in this increasingly chaotic Spotify playlist.
Poem: Continuing Poetry Month with this Mikko Harvey poem from his brand new book, “Let the World Have You.” This poem is achingly beautiful and tender in thirty-five words. Powerful!!!
Long goodbyes are an essential part of Iranian culture, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, typically over hot tea and sweets. This tradition rubbed off on me when I was little, and I’d have my friends leave one of their toys, a sock, or anything really, at our house so they would have a reason to return (co-dependence or compassion? you tell me). Time with our loved ones is so precious, so savor every goodbye because who knows how many long goodbyes we really get.
Recipe: Add peanut butter to your ramen. Seriously, this easy recipe with soy sauce, sesame oil, limes, and peanuts is a treat when you’re feeling tired and want something that feels effortless and delicious. I think it’d be best with super natural peanut butter (I used Jif which is my favorite but too sweet + not nutty enough in this instance), and I’ll be trying this with tahini next.
Art: This thread of Islamic architecture is breathtaking. The intricacy of each of these mosques and the amount of precision and thought that went into them is beyond comprehension. Humbling and awe-inspiring, something that will make you feel tiny (in a good way!).
Joyful Internet Content:
…And on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday. See you in 7 days!
Roya