Growing up, I’ve always been inclined to the arts industry. The beauty of creation, colours, aesthetics and all things art easily attracted my attention, and sketching has been a hobby of mine since young. It has never been a consistent hobby, though. As much as I enjoyed spending time with my sketchpad and pencil, I was more drawn to the world of Netflix, video games and social media. I mean, they’re easily accessible for me to consume 24/7. But sketching? It’s something that requires patience, concentration and just “being in the moment”.

So this FMCO, when #TheScoopSquad decided to try out something consistently for a week, I turned to doodling as it’s been a while since I’ve picked up a pencil and drawn. I know I’m no Picasso, but for seven days, I challenged myself to take on this long-forgotten hobby and turn it into a daily task that I looked forward to doing every day – surprisingly. Behind each drawing holds a story, a memory and most importantly, gratitude.

DAY 1

Having to stay home 24/7 hasn’t been easy for me, TBH. I enjoy heading outdoors, meeting friends, exploring new places and sourcing for good food. But hey, I’m using this period to focus on what I have now and practice gratitude. To combat the lack of socialising and dining-in experience, I sketched this plate of pizza wrap that I made to remind myself of how grateful I am to be spending time with my sister in a comfortable living space and to have succeeded in making myself a wrap that tasted fairly close to a pizza – yums!

DAY 2

I love days when I have an excuse to step out of my apartment – even for just a moment. Whether it’s to collect a parcel, GrabFood or take out the trash, there were times when I could smell my neighbour’s char kuey teow or buttermilk chicken!

While I was heading out to collect my parcel earlier, one of my neighbours was taking his Shiba Inu puppy out for a walk. It’s my first time seeing the puppy and I squealed a little cos it was so adorable and looked like it was approaching me for a pat. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do so as the owner was very cautious and didn’t seem very keen when I was reaching out to his dog. (Uh, thanksCovid-19!) Either way, the puppy definitely brought some spark to my otherwise mundane day.

DAY 3

I’m pretty sure it’s not just me, but when I’m stuck at home, I tend to spend more time shopping online and end up purchasing items I don’t really need. As a skincare junkie, I‘ve been doing my research and asking around for skincare recommendations to add to my shopping list, and lately I’ve been relying on Cosrx’s Advanced Snail Mucin 96 Power Essence for daily use. I love that my skin didn’t break out and instead, looked plump and hydrated with regular use!

So I decided to look more into Cosrx and found its products work well on sensitive skin like mine. That’s when I stumbled upon the gel-like moisturiser that’s super lightweight and calms irritated skin. I truly love the texture! It glides on smoothly and cools down my skin instantly, especially when I fridge it before use. It’s definitely my holy grail skincare product and I look forward to using it every night especially after a long and hot day. I’m happy to have found this fragrance-free, non-irritating moisturiser so that’s one less thing on my mind!

DAY 4

One of the things that I’m very grateful for during this difficult time is having a job, especially with the implementation of the FMCO in Malaysia. I wasn’t sure if I was able to secure a full-time job in the first six months upon graduating, let alone a job I’d look forward to waking up to daily. Truth be told, this is one of the biggest blessings I’ve experienced during this pandemic as many people have either lost their jobs, continue to lose jobs or are still jobless even after searching for months on end.

I’m really grateful for this opportunity and extremely happy to be where I am today, working with a fun and friendly bunch. So I decided to express my thoughts and feelings through this symbolic sketch: the mask to represent the pandemic, and the logo is of course, Sense Scoop. In fact, the longer I look at it, the more it looks like a possible design for a Sense Scoop mask in the future. What do you think?

DAY 5

I had the intention of getting myself a helix piercing when I turn 23 this year. As expected, the pandemic hit us hardest this past month and a full lockdown in Malaysia couldn’t be avoided, which means that I couldn’t get the piercing in time for my birthday. I’m a little sad but it’s not something that I’ll lose sleep over as there’s always next time and something for me to look forward to come brighter days.

I sketched the hammered ear cuff I bought from MYJN as a gift to myself this birthday. It’s really made a difference to my otherwise bare ears and I couldn’t be happier to have made this purchase. It was also then that I found a scent I truly love! The scent lingered in the jewellery packaging when I opened it and I couldn’t stop myself from taking a whiff of it from time to time – which is something rare for me, by the way. I rarely find scents appealing but this one stole my heart and I’m looking forward to purchasing the fragrance soon!

Gratitude has really shaped my world view and this is one of it. Finally finding a scent I can call my favourite? Check! Making up for being unable to get a helix piercing? Check!

DAY 6

It’s the weekend (before FMCO) and my sis decided to celebrate my birthday earlier. So I requested to go to Gasket Alley to try out Jane Chuck’s Hejau cafe and grab some savoury grub from Coffeeboy Club for lunch. I went for Hejau’s Matcha Kelapa and it was refreshingly sweet and thirst-quenching. It’s pretty good although I would’ve preferred the matcha to be less diluted. But then again, it could also be due to the waiting time for my Fishy Tacos and the amount of time I spent trying to get the best shot of my drink for the gram!

 Would I go back again? Definitely! I missed the chance to try the Matcha Polo bun, which ranked pretty high as a dessert among Instagrammers. I was too focused on getting a nice shot of my Harley Davidson outfit with the big bikes parked outside the official store. It was a simple but unforgettable experience and I feel privileged to still be able to afford and indulge in expensive cafe food during this period.

DAY 7

As I’m turning 23 tomorrow, I look back and reflect on what a year it’s been! I spent my birthday in lockdown last year and I’m spending my birthday in MCO 3.0 this year. I haven’t celebrated my birthday with my mum since 2019 and I feel like my youth is wasting away just like that.

And so, at the very last day of this challenge, I dedicate this day to a savoury meal topped with candles that state my new age. It basically sums up my birthday; filled with good takeaway food from my loved ones via Grab delivery. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I keep reminding myself that even though my closest circle may not be physically here with me, they’re thinking of me and love me just as much!

Featured image: Gabrielle Henderson/Unsplash

Click here to read more of #TheScoopSquad’s FMCO 7-Day Challenge.

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