Diari Nona is a 6-part series by Whimsigirl to inspire and enable all to seek new ways of living and to never stop exploring. Two cameras (digital & film) were passed around between six girls to share a glimpse into their lives during this quarantine period at home.
Hey Alyssa, please introduce yourself.
My name is Alyssa, I am 22 years old. Born and raised in the tropical city of Kuala Lumpur. I am currently doing my masters in Strategic Marketing at Imperial Business School! If I’m not being a business student, I love to take photos, create content, cook healthy and hearty food and discover new places and things to do.
What does your stay-at-home life look like?
I try to keep a routine on a normal basis like I am going out to keep me going throughout my days! Get up, get dressed, cook wholesome food, do my work, read and do a bit of yoga here and there.
How are you finding inspiration while stuck at home?
I try to find inspiration from everywhere I can - my surroundings, the books I read, listening to podcasts, browsing through Pinterest & Instagram and also just looking back at old photos and memories.
How have you been connecting with your friends these last few weeks? What have you found to be helpful?
FaceTime/Google Hangouts & Zoom has been a lifesaver! I’m always calling up a friend before I go to bed and we’d spend a few hours talking about life and everything in between, play a cute online game or even watch a movie together through Netflix Party or Zoom!
What do you find best about your current RMO situation?
Thankful to be in the comfort of my own home, with my family, good shelter and always grateful for the food we have.
What do you do when you need a mood boost? Will you tell us about it?
Recently, I found that journaling helps me to boost up my mood. Whenever I’m feeling down or confused about things, I just take out a little notebook and just write down all of my thoughts. Somehow that makes me feel a whole lot better. Listening to some good Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and ABBA songs also helps after too hehe
What are you listening and watching to at the moment?
Currently obsessed with a song called “A God Like You by Kirk Franklin” which I got to know from Michelle Obama’s documentary “Becoming”, which was also so good to watch. It was emotional and inspiring at the same time.
Podcasts: I’m always listening to a different one each day! I try to make this a point because it is also a time where I learn something new about what’s happening. I listen to The Daily quite a lot on current news and affairs and BOF to also learn about what’s happening in the fashion industry. Both are so informative and it always leaves me with a trail of thoughts after.
Shows: I started a couple of new shows during this time too! Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu and Hollywood on Netflix being my two favourites so far. Both had such a good takeaway message we could learn from. Other than that I’m either rewatching Gilmore Girls or an old chick flick movie.
Tell us 3 of your favourite IG accounts that brighten your day?
@oliviavlopez - love her content and the way she has “zen” to everything she does from cooking, styling or just showing us the beauty of her city.
@jordanrisa - not only am I a huge fan of her content but I also love her honest thoughts and opinion about important social and political issues that she often shares.
@alyssainthecity - love how artistic she is with everything that she does and I’m always inspired to be more creative after browsing through her feed.
What’s one nice thing someone has done for you recently?
Thankful to all my friends for being so sweet during this time. My friend and I have been delivering some of our favourite comfort food to each other or the ones that we would normally have together when we are out. From banana bread to some sourdough and cupcakes! And we always make it a point to write a cute note or letter that goes with it to say how much we miss each other.
What did you look for in the pieces you bought this EID?
Comfort, simple but still very chic and of course versatile to where over and over again in a different style!
How has your clothing style changed over the years?
It definitely has changed quite a lot over the years along with my shopping habits too. I’ve grown to learn that it’s all about quality rather than quantity and to buy pieces that are reasonable but still made with good materials and are timeless. I would say I’m also more minimalistic in terms of my accessorizing. I wear the same staple accessories everyday because it goes well with most of my outfits. I wear a lot of white and muted tones because I now buy more pieces that I’ll be able to wear again and again differently but still make a whole new look and statement.
How are you adapting to a different version of Raya this year?
I started to think quite a lot about this recently and thankfully there’s nothing too different for my Raya except that there won’t be any house visits or people coming over. I think about the people who will have to celebrate it significantly different - without being able to go back to their hometowns or they may either be stuck overseas, I pray that they are all okay too and will still make the most out of this Raya. What I realised out of all of this is that, Raya can still be the Raya we love as long as you are with your loved ones - eating, laughing and dressing up together.
Do you have any family rituals you enjoy all together?
Every year, my dad will not only take a whole lot of family photos but will also direct a little video of us on the first day of Raya, either dancing and singing to Raya songs or just each giving a small speech about Raya. He recently discovered one of the popular dances from Tik Tok.. so I guess we’ll be doing more dancing for his videos this year hahaha. It's all fun though and always nice to look back on this memorable occasion.
3 comfort food that everyone should try this raya!
Too many! Some of my favs -
@allabout.chew for the chewiest cookies
@cookingwithmars for the yummiest banana pudding
@mymamamiha for the best carrot cupcakes and roti naik.
Leave a comment