Serendipity's Profile - MyAnimeList.net

uni Jun 17, 2:02 AM

uni Aug 4, 2024 1:15 PM

Hello my husband from the airport

AmethystItalian Jul 28, 2024 10:59 PM

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!

Sorry I missed it!

uni Apr 20, 2024 2:32 PM

I couldn't resist using the above gif when you said your cousin's wife asked if you thought IU or Suzy is prettier, which was so funny and truly does feel like a question from another time (much like the gif itself) LOL.

I actually wrote the above sentence and already had the gif picked out last night before immediately proceeding to KO (which seems to be a recurring theme lately for me... and us!) and was kind of weaving in and out of being asleep and awake until I finally had to get up to help my dad with lunch haha. This will be a bit shorter in hopes that it reaches you before your flight (and if not, hopefully it can greet you not long after you land!).

Likewise, thank you for all that you've been sharing with me, both before and throughout your trip! I genuinely consider it to be the highest honor to be a part of your life in this way, and just know that I cherish each and every single message from you! I'm definitely the same way about not sending many updates to friends over text, and as you've mentioned before about how messaging versus talking in-person may have encouraged us to share more freely (coupled with us both being verbose!), I don't think I go into this much detail or depth even when I do see friends IRL haha. Even though I haven't been on a trip recently like you (on the contrary, as we both know, I've mostly just been experiencing the joys of napping as of late LOL), you're likely the friend that knows the most about me from so many different angles (and for better or for worse, this includes my passion for a certain rhythm game LOL). The past two weeks have been pretty quiet but also a bit of a whirlwind for me (I blame napping on this!!), so it always gave me something to look forward to, knowing I could unwind at the end of the day through one of your travel diaries. Despite our 15-hour time difference (again, your tip has been kind of revolutionary!), I could truly sense that you were living life to the fullest and that gave me the courage and motivation to do my best too! Even when you're back home and your travel diaries take a bit of a pause, there's so much more for us to cover and share with each other (and topics to revisit, which is mostly on me for lagging!!) so, if anything, I'm even more excited for what the future has in store for us both. :') From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Sara. ♥

Ahhh I actually noticed that we recently crossed three years of knowing each other too (also no worries about the birthday thing haha it's all good, really!!). When I told you that I thought you were super cool when we first met (I still stand by this and somehow you get even cooler with time! goals?!), this prompted me to go back to our earlier messages too and I got such a kick out of rereading them ahaha. Especially with those first couple of messages, I'm pretty sure I was telling myself something along the lines of "be cool, be cool" the whole time while writing them LOL. How things have changed because I now unleash my full inner dork around you with no reservations whatsoever ahaha. I also laughed at me apologizing over my message being soooo long when it didn't even hit 500 words, while I now lament over my messages being a mere 5k words!!! Me from three years ago had no idea what was to come and probably didn't even realize how often I would come to frequent hazukashii serifu jail, but I wouldn't have it any other way since I know you're by my side throughout it all! Thank you for taking that first step to reach out to me, because as they say, the rest is history and I was able to make a dear friend for life through our serendipitous (your MAL username fits you like a glove!) encounter. Love you lots!!! ♥

The fact that everyone was able to come together one last time for dinner was really touching and reminiscent of your magical OT10 Macau outing from earlier! As you said, it really speaks to the importance of family, but even away from that, I think it's truly a testament to how well loved and special you are that those around you happily put aside any differences they may have (whether they're personal or due to scheduling conflicts!) to make time for you. :') Like you, I also think I've become more comfortable expressing my true feelings and appreciation for others over time without second guessing myself (especially since I want to live a life with as minimal regrets as possible!), and I think that's one of the beauties of growing older, wiser (not just me, but definitely you too!), and more mature. I'll get to this more eventually (likely in a future Le Petit Prince!) but wanted to quickly mention that I really relate to what you've been sharing because I also always felt a bit of a language barrier growing up with my extended family on my dad's side (since none of my aunts and uncles can speak English), as my Korean used to be rather poor and probably akin to an elementary schooler's. I still have a ways to go, but ever since I started living with my aunt a couple months after my mom passed away, my Korean has improved tremendously haha. When we first started living together, I would mostly just sit in silence during dinner and smile politely (with my resting content face, which we are both familiar with!) because I didn't feel confident in my Korean speaking abilities. This made me really disappointed in myself, so at some point I decided I had enough and started slowly venturing outside my comfort zone by speaking more Korean to my aunt, even if I had a lot of incidents fumbles initially haha. It wasn't always easy (and still isn't because I find Korean to be a challenging yet fun language!), but I've come a long way because I'm super close to my aunt now and we talk a lot everyday. She even vents to me often about interpersonal conflicts in her hiking/camping group, and I feel honored that she's willing to share things like that with someone so much younger than her, as I feel like it would be easier to just dismiss my thoughts and opinions as someone much less experienced and worldly than her (my sister said something to that effect almost 15 years ago when I started college, that our age gap makes it hard for her to share her hardships more freely with me because she feels like I'm too young to relate or understand, and I think her words hurt me at the time, which is why I still remember them to this day haha). A couple months ago, my aunt told me I have a funny way of expressing myself, and I initially thought she was referring to my Korean being stunted, but she clarified that I have a unique way of viewing the world and the things around me and she hopes I write a book someday haha. I'm glad some of this comes through in my Korean, and although I'm still not at a level I would like to be while speaking it, it's exciting to think that the sky's the limit and we can only continue improving from here!

Phew, that ended up turning into an unexpectedly long ramble about myself, but I've meaning to share it for quite a while now! Anyways, the reason I went on this tangent in the first place was because I really understood a lot of the feelings you shared about your time with family, and it made me happy to hear that your Cantonese has been rapidly improving in just the short duration of your trip (thanks in part due to cute baby talk with Tze Huen!). I have no doubt that you (and we!) will continue growing in new and unprecedented ways as we become more comfortable expressing ourselves to others, as well as in our respective languages (I know firsthand how not-easy this can be, so all the more kudos to you!). This makes me incredibly excited for what's to come in the future. :') I know you know this, but I'm always cheering you on and wishing you and your cousins the best as your bonds only strengthen with age and time. It warmed my heart that you got to see your grandmother once more before departing, and I hope both our grandmothers stay in good health and celebrate many more birthdays to come. ♥

I'm getting dinner with my HS best friend tonight after learning a couple days ago that she would be in town this weekend, which I'm really looking forward to! I haven't seen her in what feels like ages because she mostly just stays in San Diego and hangs out with her and her husband's friend group based there. For this reason, she's also not really "a part of" the HS friend group (the one consisting of Teacher Friend, MBA Friend, and Lawyer Friend) I hang out with the most even though she used to be pretty close to a couple of them, so I'm the only one from HS she still keeps in touch with. She mentioned wanting to eat noodles tonight so we're most likely getting Korean food. It's funny because she mentioned noodles just as I was about to make ramyeon (not me getting exposed again for my ramyeon addiction LOL) so I decided to put a pin in that, but if we're opting for more general Korean food (update 1: nvm she just texted me and we're going to the Korean-owned Japanese place I've been to a couple times before), I will probably go back to my original ramyeon lunch plans LOL (update 2: also nvm because I just microwaved a slice of leftover pizza instead since I wasn't feeling too hungry haha). I actually wondered if she would be going to Coachella this weekend because pjsk guy, who is in her friend group, texted me about it on Tuesday. As you can probably see from the "today" at the top, I screenshotted it right away with the intention of showing it to you but it took me forever to actually get around to that haha (and as you can see... I'm an iPhone user, uh oh!). Like I told him, his main motivation for going to Coachella being friendship is so wholesome LOL. He texted me last night that he didn't end up going because ticket prices were too high and linked me to the livestream just as Miku was performing, so I got to catch a part of her performance, which was really nice! On that note, he's probably my only IRL friend who knows what a Miku is.

Anyways, I wish you a safe and smooth flight and fingers crossed there are just as few crying children (if not even fewer!) this time around. :) At least you have the music downloaded from a couple weeks ago (still can't believe it's already been that long!) to keep you company. Whether you read more webtoon, watch anime, or catch some z's throughout it, I hope the time passes by quickly and allows you the space to reflect on your trip as you move between continents and time zones. :') Speaking of anime, I'm still mildly relieved you didn't watch much of it during your flight to HK so I was able to send my dorky congratulatory message just in the nick of time (since deleted but subsequently immortalized through my screenshot LOL). Looking forward to welcoming you back to America with my figurative open arms once you do land! ♥

PS: It's funny because my phone has autocorrected Kanade to Canada a couple times this week, so even my phone seems to know what's up by jumping the gun in anticipation of your arrival back home LOL

Edit: Nvm HS Best Friend texted me again and we're getting tofu soup now so Korean it is LOL

uni Apr 19, 2024 1:51 AM

I feel a bit regretful that I have to leave a shorter reply for now, but I just wanted to thank you for everything you've shared with me! It did sound like you had a really nice outing with your brother's family (so sweet that he put his arm around his wife!) so it's a bummer that your mom didn't feel the same way or give you the space to share your thoughts on the matter. I'm glad you got your mom to finally listen to what you had to say (and I'm sure this felt cathartic! At least, it does for me whenever I have a disagreement with my dad and he finally hears me out. He can be a bit manipulative and eager to deflect blame, so even if he doesn't necessarily change his ways or apologize to me, I'm glad he's at least listening quietly and taking some of it in). I'm also glad your mom slowly backed down and you were able to hug and reassure her in the end! The fact that she's now gentler and more objective with her words seems to indicate that she really took your feedback into consideration, and I hope she can hold on to your words in the upcoming three months and extend the same grace you've shown her to others. :) Especially since she cares so deeply for you, I'm sure that's how much she values your opinions too, and your family is really fortunate to have you constantly looking out for them and being an ally! ♥

It made me happy to hear about your fulfilling night with your cousins, and it does sound like there's lots to look forward to in the future with possible trips in the works (including Emily!). This really warmed my heart, and it seemed like such a nice way to end the day! ♥

Also, for the record, I don't think your message felt dry or lifeless at all! I enjoyed reading it just as much as your previous travel diaries, so even if you weren't feeling your best, it definitely didn't come through in your writing and willingness to capture the sights and adventures of those two days! You mentioned wanting to be your best around me and others, but I think you're already bringing more than your best self (I know you've mentioned feeling a bit apologetic about how long your travel diaries have been, but I'm honestly really touched by the time and care you spend to put them together and share snapshots of your life with me!). And even when you can't be your best around me, that's totally fine too! I think friendship means being there for each other through our ups and downs, and I'm sure you know this, but I'm always here for you through thick and thin! I'm here to celebrate all your accomplishments, as well as be a shoulder for you to cry on if you ever need it. If anything, I feel incredibly grateful that you've let me into your life and just know that I'm here for the long haul (as long as you'll continue letting me be by your side throughout it all)! ♥

Anyways, I'm off to bed for real this time, but I'm glad you'll be able to take it easy for the rest of the night and I'm wishing you a peaceful and cozy evening ahead!! I hope your headache goes away soon if it hasn't already! Take good care and talk again soon! ♥

uni Apr 19, 2024 12:59 AM

Our timing again!!! You have me beat (for the nth time LOL), but I'm going to read your message and be back with a quick reply before I hop over to bed (well, metaphorically hopping because much like you a couple days ago, I'm also writing this from my bed!). :)

uni Apr 19, 2024 12:57 AM

Good afternoon Sara!! This is going to be another short one, but I know you're reaching the tail end of your trip, so I just wanted to wish you an amazing rest of it!! I hope yesterday ended up being nice and relaxing and you enjoyed drinks and clay pot rice with your cousins! ♥ The Bluemin' and Blooming sightings were too perfect and a nice reminder (coupled with the cells with the bunkbeds in Tai Kwun... as you and your niece would both say, uh oh!! This word always reminds me of you two now LOL. Also, Sara, you can't get caught too because no one else is willing to supply my bail carrots!) that I need to go back on the run after writing this as a quick respite! That reminds me, as you guessed, I definitely laughed at the AUAENA sighting from your travel diary a couple days prior ahaha.

Thank you for thinking of me and my mom with the African tulip tree. :') I had vaguely mulled over whether they were tulips when I first saw your picture but had never seen that variety before, so I'm really glad to know of them now! Truly beautiful. ♥

Also, you are such a trooper for making it through that packed day on just two hours of sleep omg. I could never (as we've established with my dire napping situation as of late LOL)! I've heard about how populated Hong Kong is, but it was fascinating to hear about your own firsthand experience with this, and I'm glad you got to step away from the hustle and bustle for a bit by visiting Lamma Island! I think that's another commonality Korean culture shares with HK, constantly being "on the run" (and not the hazukashii serifu jail variety we're both familiar with LOL) and characterized by a certain sense of urgency, quickly moving on to the next thing without stopping to be fully present (also referred to as 'bali bali' haha). And just like you, I definitely prefer to take things at a slower pace and take my time to stop and smell the roses! Twinning again! The pretty tree, cute flowering bushes, and lotus flowers at the village temple were so colorful and eye-catching too! The view when you were waiting for the sunset at Hong Kong Mountain's top honestly took my breath away and I loved the muted pastel colors! It honestly looked like a painting and I can see why you consider HK's cityscape to be the prettiest in the world!

The coffee shop saying was too true (and will describe me in < 6 hours when I take my first sip of coffee to get started for the day!) and as you expected, I most definitely appreciated the cat mural LOL.

It's so funny because when I first read your message, I had just eaten ramyeon for lunch earlier that day LOL guilty as charged!! Korean people love their ramyeon for sure and I'm glad to see that HK shares the same love for instant noodles. :')

By the way, I read the commentaries on Sayonara Watashi no Cramer you linked, and even with my lack of soccer knowledge, they were easy to follow along with (although I'm definitely missing some context without having watched the anime!), not to mention super educational and fascinating! But above all, it's just lots of fun to hear (read?) you talk/write about something you're passionate about. Your years of both playing and coaching soccer really shine through in the attention to detail and expertise of your writeups, which I feel like are a natural reflection of your love for the sport, so thank you for letting me learn a little more about something so dear to you. :) Homare Sawa's goal was incredible and I was astounded by how it seemed to happen in the blink of an eye! I also hope you got to sleep in after the quarter finals of the Champions League and writing your message to me!! ♥

And you know I'm always here for baby pictures!! Your little niece has one of the cutest smiles I've ever seen and I'm sure she has a way of immediately brightening up any space she finds herself in! Bundle of sunshine indeed. ;___; ♥

I didn't have a chance to mention this earlier, but I stan U is definitely one of my favorites off The Winning too, and I love that you put it on while playing with your niece and singing along with her! Her ID card was adorable LOL her facial expression made me laugh for some reason, what a cutie! Speaking of that album, I also have a soft spot for Love wins all. :') What are your thoughts/favorites on it?

I'm afraid to report that I took two naps again yesterday... and another two today LOL pls send help because this napping situation is spiraling past the point of no return!! My dad is not amused either so he actually wants us to go to Koreatown after I get off work tomorrow to pick up black goat extract because a lot of older Korean people swear by it for low stamina haha. I know herbal medicine can be divisive, but apparently black goat extract helped my grandmother recover after a long period of sickness/fatigue in her 40s/50s, and my dad bought me red ginseng a couple times in the past too to combat my tiredness. I actually think driving is tiring me out more than anything else though because it took me 1h 40m to drive home today! I was absolutely wiped out after that. I have an early start tomorrow at 6:30am for work and I have to draft a few emails before bed to schedule send for 8am, which is why this is a bit shorter (again!) until I have a chance to properly catch up on our messages (and sleep!) this weekend haha.

Speaking of grandmothers, mine is 97 just like yours in HK who dotes on you! My grandmother turns 98 next month, which is kind of amazing haha. Our grandmothers are incredibly strong women (much like you described yours, mine is also strong, independent, and stubborn!), and it warms my heart that you've been able to spend time with her on this trip. :') ♥

Infinite finger hearts to Sara and wishing you lasting memories with family and HK in the remaining two days of your trip!! Sending you all the love and more! ♥

uni Apr 17, 2024 12:34 AM

Hi Sara!! I finally finished grading (but have double the papers to grade tomorrow LOL orz that's a problem for tomorrow's me though!) so I'm back for your message! I loved your running commentary, which almost felt reminiscent of a museum guided tour. :') Again, fanart curator Sara needs to go on the resume (not sure how much public service values this skill but I sure do!). Also, I'm amazed by how strong your grasp is on so many of the characters and their dynamics despite not playing the game yourself LOL. I can definitely see how you being a quick learner and fast to pick things up comes into play here! Sasuga Ms. 2cool4school (you and your niece both!)! Anyways, I'm going to try and hit the hay soon because I'm determined to fix my sleep schedule and escape my perpetual chronic napper arc! I have to do a bit more lesson planning but I teach via Zoom in the morning and usually prefer prepping right before class anyways to wake me up haha. It seemed like things were supposed to slow down for you a little this week, but it also sounds like you've kind of been running on fumes, so I'm glad you've been catching up on sleep and finally have some time for yourself! You deserve it! Thank you for walking me through your morning (and fanart!), which was so thoughtfully written and the perfect way for me to unwind before bed. I'll be back soon enough but I hope you continue to have a relaxing rest of your day and enjoy dinner with your brother and his family later! ♥

PS: I definitely understand why the first picture you linked reminded you of me LOL and I'm dying at it. Timely since I'm still on the run and will most likely be in my dreams too! I've been racking my brain trying to figure out the second one and I'm not sure if it's because I'm a sleepyhead but I can't seem to pinpoint that one LOL. I'm very curious though and regardless it's a beautiful picture and view and I love the flowers! I feel serene just looking at it and am excited for your recap. ♥
PPS: Anyways, good night from me and good (late) afternoon to you Sara!! I guess I won't be like Kanade (not the wailing and whaling one, but as you said, she will very likely be associated with that for me in the near future anyways LOL once a whale, always a whale?!) sleeping at 5am in the fanart you shared LOL I felt called out by it but in the best way and laughed so hard at its accuracy.

uni Apr 16, 2024 8:33 PM

Quickly double commenting because I was rereading my message and realized my wording sounded weird!! When I said step away from my briefer mid-week messages, I meant like not be limited to that length and wishing I could write more freely to my heart's content haha. I blame my sleepyhead on this!! Anyways, sending you all the love for a wonderful Wednesday ahead! ♥

uni Apr 16, 2024 8:12 PM

Hi Sara,

I hope this email finds you well!

This is so embarrassing but in my sleep deprived state and since I've been typing emails all day and write to you in my email drafts sometimes, I was on autopilot and actually started my message to you like this before catching myself LOL. It's kind of funny though so I guess I'll just keep it like this ahahaha.

I hope you've been having a wonderful start to your Wednesday!! ♥ I really wish I could step away from my briefer mid-week messages (there's always so much I'm itching to tell you and reply back to! The only logical explanation is that I need to get good!), but I have a lot of grading to do tonight so I at least wanted to pop in to say hi and wish you a wonderful day ahead! I hope you had fun visiting the island (I'm glad you finally got to sleep in the day before that despite having another early start the following day!), babysitting your niece, and going out to eat some food! I also hope you have a blast at happy hour (the bibimbab-esque clay pot rice you've mentioned sounds delish!) with your cousin's wife later today or tomorrow. It's so kind of her (she truly lives up to "the kind aunt" title you've been calling her to your parents!) to look out for you like that, perhaps on account of her understanding how it feels to be alone and making sure you don't experience that. As always, I loved hearing about all the foods, sights, and conversations you had on the way to and during dim sum! I'll get to everything in due time (pinky promise!!), but the view along the paved path up Tai Mo Shan looked stunning with the greenery and wildflowers, as well as getting to see Hong Kong from afar. :')

I can only imagine your cousin's disappointment when he finds out Sara's friend with the stats programming certificate does not in fact know how to plug things in, push the on button when handling tech, or do basic arithmetic LOLOL. But c'est la vie, I guess!!

My napping situation is rapidly spiraling out of control because I took two naps today!! I definitely seem to be napping enough for both of us! I guess what I said earlier about being somewhat functional on ~4 hours of sleep was a lie haha. I had a bit of an early start today and had to get up at 6:30am for data collection, hence the drowsiness! I wanted to quickly share something with you though. I've been interviewing professors as part of my data collection and trying to keep the dialogue as organic as possible by sharing my own experiences whenever relevant so it feels more conversational and less like an interrogation. Once we wrapped up today, the professor I interviewed told me I'm very wise, which floored me yet again! I'm pretty sure you're the first person who's ever called me that, so it's kind of wild that it happened again so soon LOL. I'm now thoroughly convinced that Sara, Ms. Serendipity, Trendsetter Extraordinaire and CEO of Aria, has an uncanny way of manifesting things into the universe! Sara is too powerful! Ever since we established that a hazukashii serifu a day keeps the doctor away (and as you said, we all need a Miss Expert of Happiness in our lives!), there have been so many instances (I almost said incidents LOL oh no, not that!) that can truly only be chalked up to serendipity, and I couldn't help but muse over the positive influence you've already had on my life. :') my wanted poster for hazukashii serifu jail is hot off the press as we speak so back on the run I go!! As you predicted, I can't escape for long!

Anyways, since I've already gotten this far, I may as well commit to the bit until the very end with my closing salutation LOL. Wishing you the best for what today has in store and talk soon!! ♥

Much love,
Cat

PS: Cat Street 2040? Sara, are you sure we're still not being too optimis- LOL okay I'll stop now!!

PPS: I think your screenshot was a sign brb dropping out of school because a career as a full-time pjsk esports gamer awaits me!! #nocap

uni Apr 14, 2024 10:32 PM

... or I should say good afternoon because it took me so long to write this that it's a completely different time of day for you (and me!) now LOL.

I didn't get a chance to mention this earlier since I'm still catching up to our messages, but I hope you've been doing alright despite not going to Vietnam as originally planned!! I remember when you talked with Lifeguard Friend about his trip and it sounded like you were really looking forward to going too. I've mentioned this before, but it's truly commendable how flexible you've been throughout this trip, constantly keeping in mind everyone's best interests and being accommodating even if that means a change in your own plans. I hope you've been able to enjoy your trip to your heart's content as well (which it seems like you have based on your wonderful travel diaries!). ♥ I just wanted to make sure to check in on you because I feel like another area we're twinning in is our tendency to prioritize others' needs, sometimes/often before our own! That being said, it made me happy that you had another honest conversation with your parents about how you'll do your best at home while they do their best in Hong Kong. I know you and your family are entering some uncharted territory in the near future, but this also feels like an exciting time of new possibilities and growth together as a family. I wish you all the best as you navigate these changes at a pace that feels just right, and I'm sure your support will continue to give your family strength, whether you're physically by their side or not. :')

I can't believe we're already entering the final week of your trip!! Even though you've gotten to do, eat, and see so much, it also feels like the time just flew by (I love how I'm saying that again like I'm the one on the trip LOL but it kind of feels like I've been there in spirit starting from our uncanny timing when you landed to the Snow White, finger hearts, and Cat Street Gallery references you've come across)! Do you have any plans for this week, or will you mostly be playing it by ear and spending time with family? Either way, I hope you have a restorative and fulfilling time ahead of you! ♥

I'm glad the move went smoothly (especially since your brother and his wife hadn't finished packing!) and seeing your niece just chilling in the storage bin like that (she's so small that she fits snugly right in!) was too cute and made me smile a lot. Their new place does look very welcoming and spacious with an assortment of toys for her to choose from! It's also great to hear that your brother and his wife worked together all night, and I'm sure the familial support they received played a big role in this. The successful move seems to set the tone for what's to come in their home. :')

I hope you had a wonderful day exploring HK and eating Cantonese foods with your uncle! I remember you mentioning your changing Chinatown in your New York travel diaries, so I hope you were able to revisit some familiar cuisines while also trying new places on your bucket list. :') The HK and Seoul commonalities you've been bringing up are really fascinating, and I can definitely see them too from what you've shared so far! I also hope you were alright with your early start at 7 AM!! Thanks to your time zone tip (which continues to be a lifesaver!), I noticed there wasn't a whole lot of time between when you sent your message and when your uncle planned to pick you up! I know you've said you don't need a ton of sleep to function, so hopefully you had the energy to power through and make the most of your day. :)

On the topic of sleep, I took three naps last week, which is already one more than the previous week! I blame teaching for this, but I hope to get my napping under control once I settle into more of a routine haha. (Also, no need to feel bad about being less responsive because of your injury!! I think that also coincided with when I started teaching, so it seems like we both had a lot on our plates at the time and needed to get certain things in our lives in order first before we could reconnect, which also feels serendipitous in a way!) I can generally function on ~4 hours of sleep too, but also not really LOL. I feel like I'm perpetually tired, so maybe me entering my chronic napper arc isn't such a bad thing! Quick tangent but during the first year of my PhD program, one of my professors (he's actually the one I took stats programming with later and even offered to write me a letter LOL) taught an 8 AM class and our paths crossed one time in the campus cafe right before for our coffee fix. He told me I was so energetic for that early in the morning, which couldn't have been further from the truth since I'm a total night owl and not a morning person in the least, but it's kind of humorous that I had him fooled for some reason! It also made me smile when you talked about your cousin with a PhD (it warmed my heart that you were able to joke so freely with him and his wife!) and had a chance to mention me in that conversation LOL. I actually haven't opened any stats software in over a year (and I don't mind if it stays that way!) but don't tell your cousin I said that because the less people get exposed to the reality of my tech/math skills, the better ahahaha. I know you had trouble napping after your busy day with your niece earlier last week, but since we both talked about being KOed recently, hopefully you've been able to get some consistent shut eye since then and feel more well-rested! :)

I loved hearing about your night excursion to Temple Street! The pictures felt nostalgic because I don't think I've been to a night market in years (I was supposed to go to one with MBA Friend and a couple others around LNY but it sold out so our plans fell through!) and it's neat that it's so large it got split into two parts! Freshly squeezed guava and Asian pear juice would be amazing right about now omg. Admittedly, despite being a self-proclaimed carrot fanatic, I'm not sure I've had carrot juice before LOL but I'm down to try it and feel like I would enjoy it, or it would grow on me at the very least! As you said, the dai pai dong looked bustling and full of life. :') How fun to see people from all walks of life and parts of the world gathered together for it. It was fascinating to read about the variety of goods sold there, and the lineup of fortune tellers made me chuckle! Also, hopefully you can get some pungent stinky tofu when you have more room in your stomach for it! That was nice of you to get a jade necklace for Lifeguard Friend (great bargaining skills!!). The abundant Miku and Pompompurin (and Sanrio!) put a smile on my face and made me happy to know they reminded you of me. :') I most certainly remember the adorable fanart of Saki and Pompompurin you linked me!! While the fanart itself was too cute, I think a more important reason it brought me joy was because, as you said, it opened the door to us reconnecting and I will forever be grateful for that. :')

I loved hearing about how many of your experiences have overlapped with Vivi's. :') I can imagine how much of a blast it was to listen to her zatsu since so much of it hits close to home! The live commentary with your friend on Discord made me laugh and I think it's funny that we both pointed out a couple of the same things that really are a dead giveaway for our age LOL. The Haagen-Dazs mention was too real, especially Asian parents seeming to think it's the pinnacle of ice cream for some reason ahahaha. My aunt knows I have a sweet tooth and love ice cream so she frequently buys Haagen-Dasz for me because she doesn't believe ice cream can get much better than that, which I find to be a funny but also sweet gesture. :')

You would be an amazing vtuber and you know I would be right there in the figurative front row of each stream flaunting my paid membership! I would happily be there for all your Apex streams too even if I have no idea what's going on and would just be in awe of Sara's Gamer skills the whole time LOL.

I like dim sum for sure, but since I don't really know any better, I usually just defer to my friends when we go out and opt for siu mai, cha siu bao, and/or xiaolongbao haha. As I've mentioned before, I would love to expand my tastes, so if you have any recommendations or favorite types of dim sum, I'm all ears! :')

I definitely remember our early conversations about Ai Otsuka and BoA, as well as Japanese music in general! :') I love how I was mentioned in your conversation and the trajectory from boomed to straight up fossil was hilarious. I remember you mentioning that the only other person you've talked to before about these musicians was an older lady, which made me laugh pretty hard at the time LOL. I guess this isn't our first rodeo when it comes to being boomed!! Motto motto daisuki!! ♥

Actually, I'm glad you (and Vivi!) brought up the HK French Toast again because I had made a mental note to mention it when I got back to your message haha. My HS best friend always teases me because (especially on account of my sweet tooth!) I tend to be pretty basic and always order French Toast or pancakes (and occasionally waffles!) when we go out for brunch, which she considers a waste considering all the yummier food options out there haha. I would love to try HK French Toast someday, as well as tofu fa (and just visit HK in general, even more so now after all you've been sharing in your travel diaries!). :') Also, it's too funny that you were able to pin down Vivi's HK origins even before she mentioned her internship there! Sara's discerning eye strikes again! The clip of her scuff and mic struggles before resorting to her Xbox Live mic was so cute LOL.

Ethiopian dinner was really yummy! However, my two Yelp elite friends said they would rate it a 3 and a 4 respectively haha. I think this was mostly due to the service than anything else, as it took us almost two full hours to get all our food (in their defense, we were a party of 9 and they seemed pretty understaffed!) and when we asked about tofu tibs, the server said they would take a while, so we asked how long and she said she would check for us. However, I think she misunderstood and thought we were actually ordering it instead, so she came back with a full plate half an hour later haha. This seemed like more of a language barrier issue though, which is definitely understandable! I can't remember what we ordered when we went there about a year ago, but I remember liking it even if I wasn't particularly blown away by it. However, it really seemed to hit the spot for me last night because I found it delicious! We got chechebsa with butter and shared a couple meat-and-veggie platters family style. Sadly, even though I was pretty hungry, I couldn't eat as much as I wanted to because the injera was super filling!

I carpooled again with Lawyer Friend for dinner, and she asked me to drive this time because she had spent the day moving furniture to her new house and was exhausted. I was happy to do so (and pretty accustomed to it at this point!) but also a bit worried because there was rain in the forecast and parking near the restaurant can be difficult. When we left, it was only lightly sprinkling, but as soon as we merged on to the freeway, it started pouring so much that my visibility was limited and there were puddles everywhere. Since I couldn't see the lanes or car in front of me super clearly, I made sure to slow down and be cautious, but that doesn't stop aggressive LA drivers from speeding and tailgating! Thankfully, our drive went smoothly and we miraculously found street parking right away across the street. By the time we left, the rain had stopped completely, and Lawyer Friend and I kept commenting that we couldn't believe how peaceful the drive back was compared to the drive there haha. We also listened to IU on the way home, which reminded me of you! Lawyer Friend is fond of her (and eight is her favorite IU song) but only knows a handful of her songs, so she kept asking me to pick the next one. She would have been down to go to IU's concert with me (I'm still holding off on purchasing tickets for now!) but is actually going to be at the Paris Olympics then with her cousin haha. She really travels a lot! I made sure we included Through the Night (your favorite!), Lilac, Blueming, and Coin (little does she know about the gacha backstory behind this choice LOL) in our playlist, among many others. We dropped by a cookie shop on our way home to share a mini pizookie together for dessert and started planning a trip for after I finish my dissertation, which will most likely end up being somewhere in the US. When I dropped her off, she told me "have fun playing your game tonight" (I think we both know which one that is... since there can only be one option after all LOL) in a tone that reminded me of your parents' cute note about not really knowing what an anime or an Aria is ahahaha. Supportive and aware of our interests yet not entirely sure what they are and why they have us so captivated. All in all, it was a nice night. :') As you may remember, I spent most of last weekend at home (where I was supposed to work on my Excel sheet, which definitely did not happen LOL) and sometimes I become too comfortable being alone and get lost in my thoughts. It was a real treat being able to catch up with some friends yesterday and you today! ♥

Also, since I'm still playing catch up to our older messages, what you mentioned about Old Housemate and your first impression of her really reminded me of my first encounter with Teacher Friend haha. I definitely would've felt a bit flustered if I had gotten that kind of response from someone I met for the first time, but it's certainly amusing in hindsight considering how close you two are now and since she also likes Only My Railgun and anime haha. I met Teacher Friend in middle school geometry class (I went to a different middle school from everyone in that friend group but our HS was connected by a track so we took classes there, which is how I met her!) and I could tell she didn't like me at the time LOL (she also confirmed this about a year later when we had already become really good friends in HS!). I'm still not entirely sure why, but she's the one who told me I have a resting content face, so I wonder if that bothered her before she got a chance to know me better haha. She's one of my best friends now, and we even went on a mini road trip to Sedona at the start of the pandemic, but she can be a little snappy at times (especially when tired and/or hungry) so I try to be mindful of her moods! That reminds me, the day before we left on our road trip, I went grocery shopping and asked if she had any snack requests. She wanted some popcorn, and I was happy to oblige. However, we didn't have any time to eat it during our trip, so it sat unopened at the bottom of our ice chest. When we were almost to her home (I dropped her off first since we took my car), I asked if I could quickly open our popcorn box in the ice chest when we got there and grab a couple packs to bring home to my dad. She shot me an annoyed look and said she was tired and not in the mood to sit around and wait for me to take out the popcorn packs since it was almost 1 AM at the time. I was a little taken aback by her bluntness but said no worries and wished her a good night before quickly hopping back into my car and taking off after helping her unload her stuff and watching her go inside. It was a rather unfortunate note to end what was otherwise a really fun and relaxing trip on, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit hurt! However, about half an hour later, she sent me a long text apologizing for her curt behavior earlier and said she had a great time and appreciates me and would drop off the popcorn next time (I said no problem and she's more than welcome to keep it!). Kind of like what happened with Lawyer Friend a couple weeks ago before sushi (yes, this is another one of my "incidents" LOL), I think being able to admit a mistake and apologize for it is a trait worthy of praise, so definitely no hard feelings after that. :) Teacher Friend has been going pretty steady with her boyfriend (he's actually a college friend of MBA Friend and our other HS friend and her husband) and they seem very happy together, which makes me very happy to see! She dated a boy she met while studying abroad during college and they had a picturesque romance that is kind of reminiscent of you and your ex! After they broke up, she wasn't able to find someone else who could make her feel the same way, but it seems like that has finally changed now. :)

Anyways, I'm glad we both resting content face and were able to grow closer to Old Housemate/Teacher Friend over time despite less-than-stellar first impressions. :)

LOL I'm relieved you don't think of me as a picky eater either! I do in fact eat other foods besides carrots, but since you've been forced roped into becoming my accomplice in bail carrots, I will happily accept them as my primary source of nutrition for the foreseeable future. :')

Thank you so much for the kind words!! I'm honestly floored! I've always found my mom to be very wise (my sister concurs!) and this was a trait of hers I've highly admired and wanted to cultivate in myself, so as usual, you said something that means a lot to me without even realizing it. :') (Side note but I like owls a lot because of their association with wisdom and the night haha) Like you've said before, I never want to make it sound like I'm fishing for compliments or anything like that, but you always seem to know exactly the right words I've been wanting to hear and that makes me really happy! I love how we're constantly on the same wavelength and understand each other very well. I want to echo everything you've said because, if anything, I try mirroring/matching other people's energies, so if you find me wise, intelligent, and well-spoken, that's most likely a reflection of what you bring to our conversations. I'm incredibly grateful for how we've co-created this cozy space where we're able to bring out the best in each other! ♥

Actually, when we were both writing to each other and then paused to watch Vivi's stream (like you, I love how we tuned into it at the same time!), I had started writing about my data collection and teaching but then became too distracted by and immersed in the zatsu LOL. I think I've mentioned this before, but when I write to you, I sometimes leave sentences midway and jump all over the place as each shiny new idea pops into my head (my dissertation writing is equally chaotic because I started in the middle of chapter 2 first and then moved on to chapter 3, flip flopping between the two before getting to chapter 1 at the very end haha), so I'll get back to that soon!! This message seems to be shaping up to be a pretty decent length on its own though (still waiting for Le Petit Prince (Cat's Version) to eventually hit the shelves!). :')

I did want to quickly share one small but cute thing that happened last week! My boss brought her dog to work last Thursday, so I was able to meet her for the first time! She's 13 years old and super adorable and gentle. I went to the kitchen to microwave my lunch and my boss was kneeling on the ground trying to nudge her dog into eating food mixed with medicine since she recently had cataract surgery. As soon as I entered the kitchen, her dog left the food and walked over to me and leaned her head on my ankle! My heart melted right away. My boss was surprised and said she doesn't do that to everyone. Apparently her dog is not very fond of men and my boss' wife is Asian, so since her dog can only see through one eye, she wondered if her dog confused me for her wife or found our likeness familiar haha. I started feeling sniffly soon after so I made sure to wash my hands in case my allergies crept up on me, but this instance of pet therapy helped me recharge before my second class later that day!!

uni Apr 13, 2024 1:39 AM

Good (late) afternoon Sara, I hope you've been enjoying your weekend and your brother's move has been going smoothly so far!! ♥

I was writing to you when you messaged me (again, our timing!) but sleep has had me in its clutches all week (maybe I'm entering my chronic napper arc LOL) so if I disappear for a bit, that probably means I succumbed to my drowsiness and will be back with my message on your Sunday haha.

Actually, on second thought, I'm going to leave my reply to a couple things quickly here so at least I have something because I can feel my eyelids getting heavier by the minute haha.

Thank you for sharing Vivi's stream!! I'm listening to it now and love how relaxing it is, as well as how interactive she is with her chat! She's talking about corn now, specifically blue corn and baby corn (she believes the latter is a lie LOL), and I feel like I'm learning a lot haha (she's moved on to discussing soy sauce and tofu and their soybean origins!). So informative! I laughed at the "I can only read in English..." in the title. I learned some Chinese characters in the form of Hanja growing up in Korean school, which was already difficult enough for me despite being super basic and I've forgotten most of it anyways! And awww, I'm glad the lady at the restaurant helped you figure out the bottles of sauce!! I can only imagine what a beast traditional Chinese is compared to simplified. Vivi may have mentioned this earlier (prompting your original comment!), but she's said twice that she likes tofu fa. :') It looks and sounds really yummy! She just shared that she doesn't like durian, which I know you like (me too!!) and your durian ice cream looked delicious (your cousin's wife's comment about needing to stay a safe distance away after you ate it cracked me up and I'm glad you got to wash it down with some fruity gelato afterwards)! Vivi got asked again if she's a boomer LOL okay at this point I'm live commenting as I go along and can probably continue for ages so I'll stop here! Omg wait one last thing, she got asked about the Taiwanese drama adaptation of Hana Yori Dango and said that when she thinks of the franchise, the first thing that comes to mind is Ai Otsuka and Planetarium haha. Last thing, for real! She said she likes carrot soup! Of course I had to include the carrot mention LOL. Her zatsu just ended omg it was so much fun that I ended up listening to it from the time you messaged me until the very end!

This actually reminds me that whenever I listen to the AnHane x Miku/Meiko cover of Pheles now, I always think of hololive vtuber Kanade and how she kept cutely yet confusedly singing along to the "rumor go" line while she FC'd it LOL. Weeks later and that short clip you sent me is still stuck in my head! She's too cute and real with the whaling and wailing! You mentioned keeping your niece away from me, which is honestly super valid and I wholeheartedly concur because we don't want her catching my recently infected whalism LOL. At least not until my laptop stops autocorrecting "while" to "whale"!! Not me getting exposed by autocorrect like this!

All the food you've been sharing has been making my mouth water, and I love the attention to detail and historical/sociocultural context you've been providing, which is fascinating! It also reminds me that food is a universal language while being indicative of a very specific time and place at the same time. :') I'll get to this more in a later message, but it warmed my heart that OT10 was able to reunite for your very special and magical Macau outing! ♥

Since I'm not very well-traveled (to the extent that my non-Korean friends could probably show me around Korea better than I could haha), I've been learning so much through you! You asked what kinds of food I like, and I think my relationship to food is akin to that of traveling, where I love trying new things but rarely make an active effort to do so unless I have a reason, like being dragged out by a friend! I'm also a bit of a cheap date kind of person myself because I always fall back on cheap fast eats as my go-to haha. I'm usually down to try most things though and don't consider myself to be a picky eater! Actually, my aunt always calls me Dae Jang Geum (she was a court lady of the royal kitchen, you may have heard of the famous kdrama based on her life!) because she's apparently amazed by how well I can detect even the smallest ingredient in a meal, but I honestly think she's exaggerating! On the contrary, I see myself as having a pretty basic food palate but I'm sure that will expand as I become more worldly and visit new places. :)

On the topic of food, it was Teacher Friend's birthday yesterday, so we're celebrating tomorrow night at an Ethiopian restaurant! I went there with her and our other HS friend moving to Illinois about a year ago and am excited to go back. :)

Also, your niece's little photoshoot was too cute for words and I love how she was rocking her Minnie pants earlier this week and now her Mickey shoes! Her pose in that picture is so chic too! Queen of facial expressions AND photogenic to boot. :') Her learning "uh oh" from you and making the connection that red food -> DANGER -> uh oh made me smile! I'm assuming it's the same there, but tteokbokki here can get really spicy! Your last picture of her toothy smile peeking out from under her arm like that... I can't! My heart. ;___; You're an amazing photographer and excel at capturing her most candid moments while still accentuating her cuteness! ♥

Hopefully your niece is feeling better now and her fever broke and you don't get sick either! That was kind of you and your mom to take care of her throughout the day, and I'm glad your mom was such a good sport about it too! Since your parents arrived two weeks earlier, I wonder if your mom may have been feeling fatigued by that. Hopefully she can spread out her energy a bit more in the coming three months while your brother steps things up so she feels less weary! It's great you were able to have an honest talk with your mom about this and look out for your dad at the same time so as not to add to his stress. I love how close you and your mom are! ♥ It seems like one of the reasons she may complain to and confide in you as frequently as she does is because that's how well she feels like you understand her. You've mentioned before that your parents are your best friends, and I feel like that really shines through in everything you've shared about them. :')

I was going to comment on your splendid Cat Street Galleries (among many other things!!) but Vivi's stream just ended and my bed is beckoning me (it's been doing that a lot lately LOL), so I'll be back for that next time but just know that it's a feast for my eyes as always and I appreciate it a lot (I'm so sorry about your mobile data running out though LOL). ♥

Anyways, IU and I are cheering you on and wishing you the best with your brother's move!! That's so kind of you to help with it! Hopefully it goes smoothly so you all aren't too tired afterwards and can enjoy the rest of your weekend! ♥

PS: CCS cemented in my brain from a young age that there's no such as mere coincidence, so I'm thoroughly convinced all these connections are instances of serendipity and I love that. :')

PPS: Oops maybe I should've wrapped this in spoilers too LOL. I always think I'm not going to need them at first and then my message ends up being longer than expected, a tale as old as time!

PPPS: Considering how attached she already is to maomao and how much sentimental value she must have placed on it (since it was gifted by her beloved auntie, after all! ♥), I have a feeling it may end up like this someday, truly feeling the love over time. :')

PPPS: You know it's rare when even Miku Friend and Cosplay Friend, certified Disney enjoyers, were taken aback by the Snow White sighting LOL. You're foiling my master plan to indoctrinate the masses to the hazukashii serifu life one person (and store!) at a time! Since we're accomplices in hazukashii serifu jail and exchanging bail carrots, I trust you to keep this secret! I also find it very funny and cute that your parents and I seem to have overlapping taste when it comes to Disney LOL

PPPPS: Wait I actually feel way less sleepy now than I did when I started writing this LOL sasuga Sara message espresso shot!! I'll try to get some shut-eye regardless! Talk soon and I hope you have a lovely rest of your day! ♥

uni Apr 11, 2024 8:11 AM

Hi Sara!!! As always, I just wanted to thank you for your thoughtful messages! Getting to read your back-to-back travel diaries was the perfect way to start my morning and exactly the Sara message espresso shot I needed before embarking on my 1+ hour drive to school. :') I'll be back with a longer reply when I'm less KO'd, but I hope you're able to take it easy for the rest of the night and have a lovely Friday ahead of you!! ♥

PS: Cat Street Gallery, as well as Snow White and Alice in Wonderland sneaking their way into the display case, cracked me up so much LOL it really does feel like I've been there with you in spirit throughout your trip! :)

uni Apr 10, 2024 1:06 AM

uni Apr 9, 2024 12:00 AM

Hi Sara!!! Thank you so much for your messages! I feel honored to have this entry of Sara's travel blog hand delivered to my porch with such care and consideration. :') I still stand by what I said about subscribing to your travel blog in a heartbeat if you started one, as your self-proclaimed number one fan! I would say I'm already off to a pretty strong start as an avid reader of your works, including most notably/recently Le Petit Prince (Sara's Version, still not over how it exceeded size limit LOL).

Seeing your niece joined to the hip with her beloved maomao gives me life!! Your last few days summed up in Discord thumbnails made me laugh LOL. She is such a mood! And honestly same because I'll probably be KO'd momentarily myself haha. My sleep schedule has been kind of out of whack the past two days for some reason, so even though it's Sara reply hours, my bed is rapidly beckoning me and I'm not sure I can resist! I've conked out the past two nights on our couch for 30 minutes to an hour (which is pretty uncharacteristic of me given my napping skill issue!) and my aunt has kindly covered me with a blanket both times haha. Hopefully I can get my sleep schedule back on track tonight and start the day tomorrow feeling refreshed! I hope you were able to get a good night's rest too after your fun and eventful day! ♥

I actually just wrapped up teaching prep a bit ago and somehow my Excel sheet has remained untouched since Saturday LOL why am I so bad at this!! Especially ironic since I teach my students about time management next week (maybe they should be the ones teaching me instead since a third of them already submitted their first assignment days early!). I plan to be back with a proper reply to your travel blog tomorrow (my Tuesday!), as well as your weekend plans before you left (I'm soooo late orz!!) and an update about how my past week has been going. :) I loved hearing about the food you ate, the sights you saw, and the various people you interacted with throughout the day (I'm glad physio went well and you got to bond with your sister in law at her hair salon! Ending the day with your cute little niece felt just right too). Thank you for giving me this sneak peek into your life and day to day, which almost made me feel like I was by your side throughout it all. :') (loved the Blueming mention too!) Much love!! ♥

PS: I nearly posted this to my profile just now LOL why are we two peas in a pod ahahaha

PPS: I know you've been saying you're not a foodie, but you're still one in my eyes!! And not in an elitist way or anything, but because you approach food with such thoughtfulness, an open mind, and genuine enjoyment! MBA Friend and my other HS friend moving to Illinois this summer are both Yelp elites, constantly checking out new places and events and leaving reviews, and I honestly think you could give them a run for their money. :')

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