Monday Matter: A love song to Costco and mutton biryani
Your weekly Foreign Bodies roundup
Every Monday, I send subscribers and gift recipients of immigrant mental health and storytelling newsletter Foreign Bodies stories I recently inhaled and adored. This is also a chance to do some housekeeping and give shout-outs and all that jazz.
First things first
A little housekeeping
In the water again
A massive heat dome is engulfing much of the U.S. as we speak, with temps heading into the triple digits right here in Atlanta this week and y’all, we are so not used to scorchers so early on in the season. I’ve talked a lot about climate anxiety and how much it’s held my mind hostage in the past. I remember years ago, calling in sick to work because I was just so riddled with fear and anger and realizing I had little to no control over the matter made it physically impossible for me to get out of bed every morning. Adopting Lady over five years ago seemed to change so much for me when it came to confronting that climate anxiety. I was forced outdoors, got to witness her fall in love with season after season, watched her jump in the river and in the ocean. I don’t know how effective it is to fall deeply in love with the Earth as the human race destroys it, but I’d be lying if I said doing so didn’t save my life time and time again. If you need me, I’ll be floating on my back in the water, eyes up at the big, blue sky.
A musical start to your Mondays 🎧
One song to groove to, cry to, drive to and share
This week’s pick, recommended by Nusreen P., is award-winning Ethiopian singer and songwriter Bisrat Surafel. Here’s a fun, pop-py tune to get your week started.
Resource(s) of the week
Something helpful and interesting and cool (*storytelling opportunity)
How to talk about mental health in the Asian American community: A podcast episode from NPR’s Life Kit featuring producer Filipino American Andee Tagle in conversation with Dr. Jenny Wang, author of Permission to Come Home: Reclaiming Mental Health As Asian Americans
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