2024 Week 41: Socialising (+ Things To Do in 2025)

I tried listing and categorising the meetups & other social events I've been to so far.

• Reading/writing: We Write Together, We Read Together, Online Book Club, Hungry Hundred Book Club
• Smartypants/"different": SG Philosophy Group, Anarchist Socialist Meetup, Workers Make Possible (event), Stranger Conversations, Post Growth SG
• Travel: Wander Women, Couchsurfing, Caravanserai
• LGBTQ: Angry Activist Happy Hour
• Film: Kino Red Dot (filmmaking), Artsy Fartsy Film Meetup (watching)
• Quizzing: Queer Trivia Night, Quiz Meetup
• Yoga: Your Mind & Your Body
• Animals: SPCA (conference)

Apart from those I also get social stimulation at yoga (at my studio), Non-Violent Communication practice sessions at Beyond, and of course hanging out with people I am already friends with.

Generally the discussion-type meetups don't really work for me. The worst meetups are the smartypants ones. Basically, listening to ~intellectuals~ regurgitate stuff they read on The Guardian or watched on YouTube is not my idea of a good time. If I'm gonna kill my brain cells then I'd rather read a book than listen to garbled second-hand information. 

  

Meetups that revolve around an activity - in particular reading, writing, yoga, quiz - work better for me. Possibly I'm a hard introvert. It takes me an hour or two of silent coexistence before I can accept any conversation. So far, I like the people at We Write/Read Together the most. I should probably go for more of those.

The travel ones are OK. There's a different crowd for each one. Wander Women is mostly boring corporate people talking about going to Japan again but it's nice to hear from interesting solo women travellers. I like Caravanserai; mostly regional travel focusing on culture rather than attractions. Couchsurfing seems like a sausagefest but surprisingly I could just talk shit with people there.

LGBTQ, animal and film ones were overall flops. Not really My People. 

Of course I think each meetup needs at least a couple of tries. I've only been once to most of these. I can only make judgments about event formats rather than the people at this point. That said, I can roughly gauge the group dynamic based on the host and the existing "inner circle". 

Why go to so many meetups? I ask myself that too. I guess it's 50% trying to meet people with similar lifestyles/interests and 50% seeking sexual excitement. Jon says there is a hookup app (Feeld) for people in open relationships so maybe no need to address the latter HAHA. But I really hate chatting with people on apps. It's nice to go to a meetup because you don't have to continue conversing with anyone after you go home. That's awesome.

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MON: Blogged about KL trip, received Hanna, ate wanton mee & had a nap. Woke up, went to yoga. Then Jon and I went to Molly Malone's to meet someone who was recruiting quiz teammates. Incredibly, WE WON!!!

TUE: Job interview (turned out to be financial planner, v MLM vibes) then pet grooming and cleanup. Had another nap and went for double yoga. Dinner at home: saba teriyaki, rice and veggies.

WED: Picked up Jill, had lunch at Din Tai Fung with parents. Did some book editing. Went to yoga. Hung out with (recently reconnected pri/sec school classmates) Bao and Miao until really late. My phone was in my bag and I didn't look at it till 1.30am; Jon called the police b/c he thought I got kidnapped. I'm sorry :(

What we were doing when Jon called da polis

THU: Chill morning at home, then job interview (part-time GP teacher, think I was being pumped for info, not that I had any to give). Sat on swings at Dhoby Ghaut Green for 2 hours listening to music and daydreaming. Watched The Substance (terrible) with Jon and his friend.

7-11 $2 deal and Bel-Ami

FRI: Posted KL blog post on Substack, lunch with Jon at Shi Li Fang, book editing, yoga, Slow Horses + Fatty Bom Bom grabfood dinner (wah! bougie life - now can order food instead of delivering)

Another WFHotpot day

SAT: Went to Molly Malone's again for philosophy meetup, got bored, sat at bar and read Bel-Ami while nursing a pint. It was great. Went to ECP for yoga by the beach meetup, enjoyed the session, accepted lift home from stranger haha. Not dead yet don't worry. Had wonderful ramen dinner at home and watched It Ends With Us. (terrible)

Extremely satisfying dinner of Kang Kang ramen & Ebara scallop soup stock

SUN: Sustenir salad for lunch & writing on blog.

I have been eating a lot of Sustenir bagged salad... and that bowl of orange crap is cinnamon apple compote made in the rice cooker

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Work: I could change things up to be more interesting, but I'm very reluctant to give up the petsitting lifestyle (1-2 hours a day, 7 days a week, $1+K or $2+K/month, plenty of time for yoga/fun/leisure). I applied for the GP teacher job because this year I met a few teachers - all socialists who travel frequently. I could see myself living that life. But I am not sure I have the results-oriented mindset for teaching.

I'm looking to wrap up the book editing in the next 2 weeks. I have been asked to join Gerard's co-op and  it (just nicely) kicks off around then. So the pipeline of Interesting But Probably Unpaid Things to Work On is filled for the time being.

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After my 2 wonderful Me Time sessions on Thursday (at the park) on Saturday (at the pub) I came up with a long list of extra curricular activities:

• karaoke & singing (singing lessons, karafun, try busking)
• acting (in one of the Kino Red Dot shorts)
• dance (barre, Just Dance, dance classes, clubbing)
• sports (rock climbing, long treks, don't know what else)
• competitive quizzing
• body mods (David Hume tat + lip piercing)
• stuff to try out and write about (migrant food in SG, homeless shelters/hostels, staying in JB and doing the daily commute, meeting poly/ENM people)
• going out to hang out (beach days, park days w/ boom box)
• self study (Great Economists syllabus from the back of The Worldly Philosophers)
• travel plans (Cambodia solo, check out new trains on Kunming-Singapore Railway, join a pilgrimage, Jakarta/Manila over CNY)

YES! I'm so pumped for 2025.