meal prepping for the second week of full-time work!! gotta make some veggies but it’s midnight already so it’s time to zzz
just learned about the spotted lanternfly!! squash on sight!!! 😡 have not encountered them just yet, but now they’re my ops 👹 where’s my bug-a-salt??
just parted ways with mimi, and it honestly feels quite devastating
a few happy points:
- I sold it to danh, a berkeley student that I met and chatted with before who was in the same club as gabi
- he’s an avid miata fan, and he drove mimi without hesitation and with a lot of enjoyment, consideration, and appreciation
- he’s converting her into a manual with a mechanic friend, which honestly is a good thing; miatas are meant to be driven manual (I’ve never driven manuals, so I can’t FULLY back that up haha), and it means a lot of genuine time, effort, and care for mimi
- he drove it down to los angeles (where his mechanic friend is) midnight the same day I handed the keys off to him + took mimi to the clouds to see the world a bit more and said that mimi was simply amazing
i honestly feel like I shouldn’t be sad. i was able to give mimi a new partner who seems to appreciate her already as much as i do. but it’s an end of an era. she was a key cornerstone to my college life and my experience in Berkeley. i drove her to visit friends, to go on dates, to see the bay from the hills, to go escape the college town and visit new spots in norcal, to play music, to talk about life, to relax, to grab groceries… to just make college life just click into place. as much as i’m sentimental, i really thought i was more prepared for this.
at first, everyone told me that it wasn’t a smart choice to get her. she had high mileage; she was older than me even; she was a small, low car, easily overlooked and hidden in blind spots; and she wasn’t practical. of course, i listened to all their inputs with consideration, but at the end, i make my own decisions, and i thought she was the one. my parents was insisting that i get the newest model if anything; i said it’s honestly her or nothing. i really didn’t care to have the means to drive. after all, i had an electric bike, electric longboard, access to a daily, free ebike-sharing program (Veo), good and discounted public transit, and two healthy legs—all in a relatively small and accessible town. my mom at the end gave in and gave me her green light. did i really need it? no, but there’s some things that as a child, you should respect. one of which is your parents' somewhat reasonable concerns about your safety. not long after Mimi became under my care, everyone started appreciating and loving her. i mean, honestly, i didn’t know what the fuss was all about in the first place. just look at her!
she showed me the joy of driving—not as a means to other enjoyment, but rather the enjoyment itself. she taught me preparedness, keeping me stocked with a portable jumper and tire inflator haha. she helped me enjoy the outdoors more, taking me to hills afar, hikes over yonder, and the stars above. she also mentored gabi how to drive, was there for her to help her pass her DMV licensure, enabled her to have a hot girl summer (whatever that means), and was always in gabi’s corner without hesitation through the ups and downs.
i’m thankful, so thankful, that i was fiscally able to take care of mimi as well. maintenance is important, yet a pretty penny at times. i do wish i learned how to take care of it all myself, but i fear i lacked the time, tools, and mental headspace during school. however, i fortunately did not lack the understanding that if i did not have the time and ability, i needed to find someone who did and compensate them for mimi’s health. i didn’t need to junk her. i didn’t need to resort to some random, potentially careless, person to take care of her next. i didn’t let her become someone’s track car throwaway.
instead, i hope, and i believe, that she will be well taken care of. she was, and still is, truly loved, and she will, to the best of my ability and hopes, continue to be loved and appreciated.
thank you mimi. for every moment. i hope you get to continue seeing the world and travel freely and fully. i shall miss you dearly, and i hope to see you again soon. i’ll learn to drive stick just for you :D
as a bit of context for the texts below, danh says Mimi, gabi and i say mimi
crazy how the real world post-education is seemingly built to overwhelm you with problems, burdens, and exhaustion that we can’t properly fight for the things we believe in and care about
i was reading Your Money or Your Life, and it mentioned about the ecological footprint. it’s been so many years since i’ve thought about it, and i did used to care and campaign for environmental change so so much more, whether it be lobbying with my fellow classmates, enacting green programs like composting on-campus, or just educating our peers what proper recycling and potential contamination was. anyways, a bit of a throwback, and i feel like it’s not an isolated problem.
i get that im more overwhelmed with worries about money and the lack of retirement options for my parents, but even my peers endowed with tens of millions or more in inheritance seem to pursue only materialism, whether it be more money, reputation, or accumulation in general. would i be no better in their shoes? is this the intended byproduct of the systems built “for” us? leaves a bad taste in my mouth
absolutely crazy! found a book-themed bar and inside was a drink called KALADIN STORMBLESSED!!!!!! literally just finished Book Five of the Stormlight Archive series (Wind and Truth)!! ngl not a bad drink, vibes are good here, would recommend! music is very solid
Novela 662 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105
first FIRE update
16.99% to FIRE
tbf my FIRE amount will constantly change, likely to be a further and further goalpost, especially as inflation hits harder and harder, lifestyle creep & expectations, unknowns, likely economic recession/underperformance, tax consideration, etc.
but hey, 17%!
end-of-the-year clean-up for future reference (always iterating)
phone
- export imessage convos somewhere
- clean up, organize, and export photos/videos
- maybe create year-in-review/favorites folder
- delete unused apps n stuff
laptop
- clean up & organize desktop/downloads/files/folders
- archive things if needed
cloud & emails
- clean up google drive and other cloud stuff
- kinda wanna set up a cloud server, so if so, then clean that up
- archive or delete old files
- clean up emails/inbox zero/unsubscribe run
finances
- download & store eoy bank/cc statements?
- review copilot or whatever budgeting/tracking app
personal
- eoy reflection / journal entry
- major accomplishments/lessons learned
- goals/intentions for next year
a whole china trip has passed and i haven’t written anything up :sad emoji: but what apparently was more important for me to note was watches?? anyways, here’s some watches i liked :D all grand seikos, mostly spring drives
in light of all the recent events unfolding in America, i once again deplore the current state of American policing. public safety + service is vital for society, but we really need to find a better way. fuck all the shitty cops out there. fuck all the cops who just watch and do nothing. fuck all the cops out there who are scared of public questioning, public recording, and true public service. fuck the cops who flocked away from Koreatown and other minority-heavy areas during the 1930s LA riots. fuck the cops who are repeatedly brutally treating protestors in America. no, kneeling on a woman’s neck for protesting is not appropriate. no, trying to get you and your buddies’ horses to “accidentally” trample protestors is not appropriate. fuck you all who have made this profession in America one of the most hated and vile. fuck the systems that encourage the corruption & discrimination of this public institution. not that my words or frustration affect much. actions speak louder than words, and somehow, i need to find where i can best leverage myself to be the change i want to see. i hope the good in this system and other systems influencing it can also continue to make positive, effective change from within to the best of their abilities. but until then, to those who deserve it, go fuck yourselves
% arabica @ k11 musea tsim sha tsui, hong kong
i like lines and defined edges. want to preface im not like well-read in the architectural space but im learning as i go. it looks like modern brutalism, well not really. brutalist is more about raw/unfinished concrete; weighty form; while yes big & blocky. this is more refined/sleek -> minimalism meets contemporary where we have stripped-down forms. contemporary is such a catch-all category, but here perhaps more unconventional colors & materials + modern geometricness + single cutout window that play with transparency & openness?
i do quite like it overall—can’t quite place why exactly. i like simple, small spaces for one, i like blocky, geometric designs for two, and i like vibrant & cool colors like the burnt orange/light orange interior and the ever-changing exterior for three.
what do u think random reader?
background: built in 2019 by OMA (intl arch firm founded in 1975) & led by Koolhaas and Gianotten. meant to invite shoppers (has accompanying seating) to take a break, enjoy the surroundings, and be fully present to experience the city. changes and radiates colors under different types of light; offers “visitors unique scenes at dawn and dusk, day and night”
Blank Paper (2009) porcelain M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation
Liu Jianhua born 1962 Jiangxi works Shanghai
June 10, 2025 / M+ / West Kowloon, Hong Kong
中銀膠囊大樓 Nakagin Capsule Tower
1970-1972 日本, 東京 Tokyo, Japan
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Kurokawa Kisho’s Nakagin Capsule Tower housed 140 self-contained units. The small apartments were designed for short-term stays by people who worked in the urban centre while living in the suburbs, reflecting new trends in how people moved throughout the city. The capsules were marketed as additional office space, secondary residences, or simple sites to recharge near the workplace. The tower was one of the few buildings realised as part of the 1960s Japanese architectural movement known as Metabolism. The name of the movement was a biological metaphor for how architecture could be designed with the ability to evolve, accommodating growth and changing societal needs. Attached to a concrete core service tower, the Nakagin capsules could, in theory, be replaced, which would extend the overall lifespan of the building. However, the building fell into disrepair in the early 2000s.
Despite numerous attempts to save it, it was demolished in 2022. Some capsules were carefully restored and collected by museums around the world, such as Unit A806 at M+.
June 10th, 2025 / M+ / West Kowloon, Hong Kong
Region No. 43701-No. 43900 (1998) LED mounted on aluminium, circuitry
Miyajima Tatsuo born 1957, Japan works Ibaraki
Two hundred LED counters flash numbers between 1 and 99 in red and green in endless loops. After reaching 99, the counter returns to 1. Numbers with the digit 0, a symbol of finality and emptiness for the artist, are omitted. The work may evoke affectless computer code but was in fact inspired by Miyajima’s experiences in the hospitals he frequented as a chronically ill child. The continual flashing and counting of numbers illustrate the Buddhist concept of samsara, the ceaseless cycle of reincarnation.
June 10, 2025 / M+ / West Kowloon, Hong Kong
1234 (2008) single-channel digital video (colour, sound) 3 min. 33 sec. M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation
Zhou Tao born 1976, Hunan works Guangzhou
This work comprises photographs of morning staff assemblies at over forty shops in Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Shenzhen. During the assemblies, staff stand in military-like formation and recite chants. Zhou Tao edits and arranges the images according to the rhythm of the chants, showing how the collectivity of a socialist past has acquired a new function in the market economy as a highly effective governing tactic for modern corporations.
June 10, 2025 / M+ / West Kowloon, Hong Kong
found these AI photo booths—the Ghibli AI filters + Suno artificial music physically made me gag 🤮 just so devoid of character imo
saw this super cool recycling spot in Hong Kong!!!! wonder if this is a non-profit or govt-subsidized, cannot see the incentive or profitability of running this besides just doing good in the world :)
GREEN@HAPPY VALLEY G/F, Shop 3, Green Valley Mansion, 51 Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
morning donation run to Nights on the Street - Catholic Worker! seems to be a really good org in Berkeley-they’re out (usually just JC or JC and someone) on Kittredge and Shattuck in their champagne toyota (sienna?) every M-Sa from 6:30am-9am, handing out sleeping bags and other supplies, helping w/ mail service, and just being there for the unhoused. i had 3 sleeping bags, a twin-sized thicker mattress topper, and some pillows (all clean ofc) that i’m now able to know it’ll be put into good use, rather than end up at a landfill or otherwise be unaccessible by those who need it most.
