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I maintain that "good morning" was appropriate in my previous message, as it arrived before noon! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and that this gives you a bit of energy if the black goat extract doesn't help!

PS: My internet seems cooperative tonight, thank goodness LOL
PPS: Haruka is really cute today (or maybe she's just cute everyday!)

Our timing is always so funny! You don't have to reply now (you can always message whenever!), as it sounds like you have a busy day ahead of you! 6:30 is too early for me and driving (a modest 60 minutes compared to your 1h40m) is what really killed me when I used to work on the other side of Ottawa and wasn't working remote, so I totally empathize with you, and honestly it was 90% of the reason I gave up caffeine. It didn't make me unable to sleep, but coupled with my sleep pattern, it'd make me feel like my face and eyes were twitching even if they weren't visually. Something had to give (and I wasn't going to stop sleeping late or playing games at that hour), so I kicked drinking coffee! It sounds hypocritical of me to ask someone to get some more sleep, but I really hope you do!

Sending you lots of love and I hope you get a good night of rest in! ♥

Hope you had a lovely Thursday, Cat, and have an even better start to your weekend! Thank you for looking out for me ♥

Good afternoon Catherine,

I hope this message finds you well. I appreciate you reaching out to me, despite the challenges of your busy schedule, and sharing how your day went. It is very kind of you to provide such a detailed account and, as always, I am grateful for your willingness to open up and share!

Your explanation of how your interviews went yesterday provided me with insight into your activities, but more importantly also demonstrated your commitment to both your data collection and the people you are working with! Your consideration shown to the interviewees is commendable and I would agree with the professor you met with: you are very wise! Your messages are always articulate and thoughtful; I have no doubt that your communication skills and ability to empathize are invaluable to your research.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to share your day with me. I truly appreciate your update, in spite of your hectic scheduling and constant sleep deprivation! If there is anything I can do to support you or if you would like to share more about your experiences, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Warm regards,
Sara

This will probably be a long scroll! I hope you have a great rest of your evening, rest well, and have an even better Wednesday! ♥

I just noticed the little change in your profile with Kanade and it's cute! I feel like I should post the fanart I had of her specifically, especially since the first one seemed relevant right now. Also Minori birthday art and a Haruka-specific artist I came by! :)

Good morning I have a feeling this will be opened in the evening so Good evening, Cat! It is now midnight and I've finally gotten back into my apartment! Long day, even though it had a late ish start in the afternoon, for me but it was a good day because my brother's move went smoothly! I'll share a bit about that later, but I want to start with Vivi because your message made me laugh a lot!

I'm glad you enjoyed her stream! Honestly, I didn't expect you to watch to enjoy it that much (don't think most people really like this kind of content), let alone watch to the end, so that made me smile alone! It was also a bit of an oddly personal watch, since that stream was super relatable and second generation (and boomer) for me, so you may have unknowingly heard a lot about me LOL.

I've mentioned before but I don't tend to watch that many streams, especially during the day since it's usually a "bored and watch until I sleep" thing. Doubly so since I tend to gravitate to JP streamers rather than EN because I prefer their delivery, humour, and topics (or maybe this is just me being a weeb, but let's not pin it on that). But anyways I caught her at the start of her zatsu and, like you, I ended up doing live commentary on it (I'll screenshot some of it, as you might find it amusing given what you heard from Vivi), after I heard her speaking Cantonese (I remember seeing this in her debut information stream but it's the first time I've heard her actually use it) and really going through second generation Asian vibes LOL. I ended up pinging my Discord friend in a vtubers channel (the one that our favourite Leo/need is boomercore) because he's also second generation (only he's Mandarin speaking) and would relate immensely. I joked that this would be my zatsu if I was a vtuber (realizing my tofu fa story is here too, you should try some I'm sure you'd love it!), which is a running joke the channel chat has since I'm a good storyteller and check all the boxes for vtuber interests (weeb hobbies, Apex, etc). I kind of ended up derailing the chat (I'm not much of a regular chatter, but when I appear, unsurprisingly, I am chatty and definitely verbose!) until she went from carrot soup (yes, I heard that and thought about mentioning it to you LOL) to Haagen-Dazs, at which point I had to leave to go help with the move. There were a lot of things that were relatable, but something that I found hilarious was how fast and deliberately she could explain her inability to read compared to her slower, gentler tone for all other topics LOL. You could tell she must've rehearsed and said this a million times in her life, which I felt immensely. Also, even though I knew she spoke Cantonese, there were a bunch of things that specifically indicated to me that she's of a HK background (and sure enough, she mentioned she had an internship in HK and enjoys HK French Toast which I sent a picture of to you the other day), which I called out after she said she likes bolo yau, which is like a warmed pineapple bun with a literal stick of butter in the middle of it (my TL of the name, guessing Vivi's background + accidentally getting caught over a rare food I don't like, mooncake and salted/cooked egg yolks). On the topic of food, Vivi mentioned she doesn't really like harkow which is the most common "favourite" dimsum order (actually, have you had dim sum and do you have a favourite order?), which is also my pet peeve so it makes us a bit of a rare pair. Also, I kind of knew she was around my age because of her preferences (also this incident during her second stream where she had to use a Xbox Live microphone which dates her LOL), but there was one thing that confirmed that she's a boomer. And you know it since you pointed it out too: the Hana Yori Dango jdrama and Ai Otsuka LMAO. See, my pjsk playing friend wasn't wrong. I'm sorry for mentioning you, Cat, but we're both boomed and we instantly latched onto the Hana Yori Dango mention LOL. Look at how old the first MV hit is on Youtube and that's not even right, the song (and jdrama) is from like 2005 LOL. He even called us fossils!! But yeah, I don't know if you remember but talking about jpop and Japanese music was one of our first conversations and I distinctly remember us saying we both like Ai Otsuka. I think you brought her up first, saying you grew up listening to her (Chime and Furuba were airing around that time in 2021) for Japanese and BoA for Korean (since a friend introduced you to her). Actually, remembering this made me laugh because those conversations feel so close yet far away and we've learned so much about each other since then. Thank you for being such a great friend to me! Lots of love, truly daisuki!

Vivi definitely is my favourite English vtuber because, well, so much of it is relatable and I appreciate her thoughtful delivery and boomer humour. Like you said, I enjoy her interactions with chat too, they're very wholesome. :)

Anyways, that was a bit long, but I just wanted to say that I found your message funny because I didn't expect you to listen to the end of it along with me (I appreciate you find things I share fun like this and my other hobbies like video games and Kanade whaling and wailing!) and also to twin with the running commentary LOL. Most of all, I'm glad you mentioned Ai Otsuka and Hana Yori Dango to confirm we're both boomers together! Coincidence maybe, but I feel like we're really on the same wavelength! ♥

Talking about food earlier is also a good transition for me to say "wait you like durian, what's wrong with you?" and to also say that while helping my brother move today, one of the uncles (who went to Macau with us and slowly realized he can get thoughtful answers out of me if he patiently wades through my multilingual answers) asked me what I want to see in my remaining week here. To which I answered that I don't really have much that I want to see or do because I knew this was a trip about family and, while I have a list of Michelin Guide restaurants I'm curious about, I just want to go eat simple cooking (like ngau chaap noodles or claypot rice, which is kind of similar to bibimbap since I mentioned commonalities between Hong Kong and Seoul before). He probably was a bit surprised that my answer was so homely, given my lack of communication often, and asked me why those foods and I told him that I no longer have access to those everyday meals because my Chinatown is no longer as it was and all the stores and people no longer speak Cantonese but speak Mandarin (and the cuisine has naturally changed as a result). There was a long pause nad he was like okay I'll take you tomomrrow, so there's that LOL. But I don't think he expected such a sentimental response from me and it probably also shed a bit of light for him on how second generation things can be (just like Vivi's zatsu comments).

That takes me to my brother's move and that went... unexpectedly smoothly. Multiple family members came to help out (even the baby herself!) and we finished by 11 PM. It took a long time because my brother and his wife didn't finish packing (due to previously mentioned life decisions), but they were cooperative and actually managed to unpack a lot of their stuff in the new apartment quickly, leading to a pretty welcoming space and lots of room for the baby! Nobody also got hung up on their lack of preparation, which I appreciated a lot. Since I last messaged you about looking out for my parents, I told them that while they're doing their best here in Hong Kong, I'll also be trying to do my best at home (in all aspects but also since I told them I was lonely one weekend), given I won't have them around for three months. And that by doing their best, that also means working cooperatively together (not stressing each other out) and also cooperatively with my brother, who might makes mistakes still but it's important to see the positive changes even if small steps! For today, we can say that there was a lot of familial support that was honestly unexpected, moreover my brother and his wife actually worked together all night to make the new apartment work. My parents were worried a bit that they might fight tonight and also that my brother is "alone" for the first time, since he's spent 41 years living with my grandmother, but lots of positives to me (and like you said, I hope he will continue to step things up), so I'm really happy and hopeful for the future! Thanks for listening about my family, as always. :)

Also, sleep is good! It sounds like you had a long and busy week (and I hope your Excel sheet and data collection is going well LOL), so I'd rather you get some rest than write a Le Petit Prince (Cat's Version)! Actually, it's super cute that we were both listening to Vivi's zatsu stream. I'm happy whenever I hear that you're having a good time (that's the most important news to me, that you're doing well!), but the timing of it was kind of like we were both having fun together. I thought that was kind of cute and serendipitous timing haha.

Back on the topic of food, actually, I took my parents to an Ethiopian restaurant last summer and my mom really struggled with eating with her hands and eating with injera (the fermented flatbread thing), so you're definitely confirmed to be a flexible and not picky eater. I mean, I always assumed that you weren't picky to be honest because anyone that says carrots is their favourite food sounds a bit like a teacher's pet (unsurprisingly your teachers like you and I do too!) LOL. Still not over the carrots! Somehow I have become your accomplice in bail carrots, so I've accepted this and will make sure you have your share!

Also, cheap fast eats is totally valid and I mean, I kind of default to those too since I just like everyday food most of the time (Asian food definitely is cheap fast eats, well maybe apart from Japanese which is an entirely different thing). I found it funny that you used the word worldly since, although I know the word usually means experienced in culture, I kind of associate the word more personally with wisdom and being generally knowledgeable and I feel like you are very much that! When you share your perspective and experiences, it often opens new ideas to me and you're great at explaining things (even if a bit verbose like me!), so idk I always have felt like you're very wise, intelligent, and well spoken. With the open mind you have, I'm sure you'll have lots of insightful and valuable thoughts to share when you get to visit new places. I think travel is lots of fun, but I'm not super keen on sightseeing or really touristy stuff. I just see it as an opportunity to learn more about how other people live and I feel like a lot of our lives are shared over a meal with someone else, so food is a huge part of our story and connections as people. When you do get to have Cat's adventure, I look forward to that day and I'm sure the content that comes of it will rival Le Petit Prince (Cat's Version). :)

Also, I'm not sure if you have a basic palate if you survived Ethiopian food! You definitely have so many people beat that I know LMAO. That's really not that easy to eat, I think. You can't fool me, your favourite food is carrots!

Oh that reminds me, before I wrap this message up, after my brother's move I actually went to visit Temple Street with my cousin and his parents and wanted to share that. I've been here many times before, but I guess never really this late at night since I was younger. It's a huge nightmarket that's split into two parts (by an intersection), one for food stalls and one for material things. I didn't really plan on really eating much, but I was pretty thirsty after all the moving stuff, even after dinner, so I got some freshly squeezed guava and Asian pear juice. And yes, they offered carrot juice so I took a second picture to make sure a certain someone knew this, but alas I cannot offer her freshly squeezed fruits and carrot juice (unsure if you'd like this either but I kind of like carrots in smoothies)! The part I wanted to capture but it was kind of hard to get was just how alive it was at midnight and the variety of people you could see there, like at the main outdoor stall, I could barely get half the stall in my photo. Also if you're curious, these stalls are called dai pai dong here and have a whole culture and story behind them (as here). When you mentioned cheap fast (and tasty) eats before, that's essentially what Hong Kong cuisine is and I'm not sure anything captures that like these stalls (one of the remaining ones is actually at the bottom of my grandmother's apartment complex, so I grew up visiting them often). Tangent over! But yeah, it was really funny walking around and getting yelled at "leng lui" (literally, pretty girl just like Vivi mentioned in her zatsu about how HK sales people call out to you) with the smell of pungent stinky tofu (the fermented kind that Vivi mentioned) filling the air (actually kind of want to eat some as part of my food bucket list, but was too full to here). You can find all kinds of things on Temple Street from stylish tourists on a night out to locals just looking for a quick in and out. From street food hawkers to fortune tellers (seriously there's a whole street of them and I don't know how they managed to get a lineup here LOL) to prostitutes on every corner and in every alley (my uncle joked that the girls are much better looking these days compared to his time and my aunt shot him a look). In the open air market, you can find anime-related goods to adult goods (seriously, would anyone actually trust the hygiene of a sex toy sold in an open air market LOL I assume yes or they wouldn't be sold here??). It's truly a bizarre space, but a fun place to explore for sure, if you're not intimidated by the hustle and bustle and characters found there. I ended the outing by getting a jade necklace for Lifeguard Friend since he wears jewelry, bargaining it down from 160 HKD to 120 HKD (40 HKD = 6.50 CAD = 5 USD HUGE SAVINGS, hilariously started to walk away from the stall and as always they were like COME BACK). Alas, I don't have any CCS or Snow White's to show for it this time, but the abundant Miku and Pompompurin (and Sanrio in general) reminded me of you and that one Saki fanart of her and Pompompurin that's still too cute for me (and surely you too)! I feel like that me linking that fanart in response to you noticing Haru wo Matsu in my profile really snowballed our conversation, which I appreciate so much after I stopped replying to people online following my injury!

I have a pretty early start tomorrow as the uncle to whom I mentioned wanting to eat mundane (but lost to where I live!) Cantonese foods is apparently picking us up at 7 AM to go explore HK (and presumably find me foods on my bucket list). After that, in the evening, my family also has to move out of this apartment since we only booked it for a week thinking we'd be going to Vietnam. So busy day that starts early!

Sending lots of love and always cheering you on in everything you do! ♥

PS: I hadn't heard of Dae Jang Geum actually, but with a Google search I recognize the drama. Actually, I think my aunt (the mother of the cousin I dote on) mentioned watching it that time we went out for kbbq around Easter LOL

PPS: I probably should have wrapped this in spoilers too LOL, this kind of expanded and I blame Vivi for that sort of (you can too for your message)!

PPPS: I can't tell if it's a good thing that writing to me wakes you up, given your body has been asking you to sleep more recently, in your chronic napping arc. Maybe the espresso shot has to go in the morning LOL

PPPPS: My niece can officially call me auntie properly and it makes me happy to hear it!

Sneaking this in here before I go help with the move. I came across this artist (I think it's fanart?) and was like Cat would love these cute family vibes. :)

Good morning Cat! I think the only thing that's KOed is me because apparently right after I sent that message I fell asleep with the lights on LOL, so it's definitely time for me to hit the hay! Drive safe and I hope you have a lovely day at school! ♥

PS: The display case is definitely one of the funniest coincidences and I've sent that picture to Miku Friend and Cosplay Friend (both Disney enjoyers) to ask them if they've ever seen Alice in Wonderland and Snow White front and center as the main focus anywhere ever. We all agreed that okay like Alice in Wonderland is one thing and there's maaaaaybe a chance that's legitimate, but Snow White and in the year 2024??? What are the odds for both of them too!? LOL I feel like you actually own that store and rigged this one ahahaha.
PPS: No rush to reply, as usual! I think today (Friday) is a quiet day where me and my mom aren't involved in any planned activities, though I've said this before so I'm prepared to eat my words on this one LOL. Saturday should be a bigger day, as I'll be helping my brother move.
PPPS: You messaged at my laptop's 11:11, Cat, so I'm sure we'll have a good day. :)