my wishlist :)

updated 10-25-2025

likes

  • what would be good gifts though: jewelry and clothing (i don’t typically get much of this for myself, so quality/intentional pieces i’ll treasure forever), home decor things (similar to previous, i love quality/intentional stuff that encapsulates a bit of the gifter’s artistic preference + gifting intention), handmade stuff… honestly i see a common trend already (intentional, tactile, and aesthetically grounded objects that carry meaning, not clutter)
  • tidbit on stationary: i have too, too, too much T.T
  • COOL TECH GADGETS THAT ARE GENUINELY USEFUL EVEN IF ITS NICHE-LY USEFUL AND NOT CHEAP LANDFILL STUFF (ik it’s kinda pricey for good, useful gadgets, which will probably populate my specific items list below, so it’s really not expected… genuinely this wishlist is not even being shared to people as i honestly don’t know who would get me thoughtful gifts, or gifts in general, outside like 2 people—for better or worse, probably the latter LOL, so anything would be such such a pleasant surprise!)
  • oooo books!!! the books i usually carry/like are sci-fi, cooking, and personal interests: interior design, architecture, tiny homes, japanese minimalism, etc. but im always open to more!
  • urban transit / planning stuff is always cool!!
  • your time + thoughtfulness is honestly the greatest gift. it’s not easy and convenient, and i genuinely understand, which is why i truly truly appreciate it <3

caution

  • cheap, low-effort gifts: i’ve received like really bad half-minded gifts that looked like they’re from knockoff amazon, and yes i get it. something is better than nothing, but honestly i would 100% appreciate thoughtful card or some of your time over coffee/tea over that although i know those options takes intentionality and effort still, which is what a cheap, low-effort gift is supposed to escape from. like i dont mean to be ungrateful, and i really appreciate the minute thought and act of getting a gift of course, but i just would really want to avoid contributing to global waste by having to toss junk out. like as much as i want to say i appreciate the sentiment, i just really unappreciate that kind of something over nothing!
  • no. more. plushies. i really cannot accommodate additional ones, so they will be donated to kiddos + anyone/anywhere else that would be a good home for them!

specific wishes: very non-encompassing

  • vinyls!!! (japanese city pop, soft alt rnb like joji/keshi, arctic monkeys, ATLA soundtracks, not sure what else rn)
  • meta ray-ban glasses gen 3 (~$300) it’s not out yet though, gen 1 and 2 are out, but 3 should come late 2025 or early 2026!! or some kind of smart glasses in general. i don’t fancy meta tbh, esp. in our generation of social media addiction + the ease and enablement of disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, and more by just throwing money around
  • contributions to my FIRE journey 🙏🙏🙏
  • quality power bank w/ built-in usb-c (10k+ mAh) for ex: this anker one :D (added 11/16/25)

thank you’s:

  • october 2025 (to gabi): for all the small gifties everywhere, like making lunch onigiris, paying for all sorts of random things here and there, helping us get rid of our excess “stuff”, the blue shirt and brown sweater from malaysia (very very appreciated c: i really like quality, well-fitting clothing as gifts), and anything else i missed
  • september 2025 (to myself): airpod pros 3, you were so needed, been waiting for you to come out ever since someone stole my 2’s and brought them to new york city
  • fall 2025 (to muslima): thank you for the photobook of our trip in japan. it was such a thoughtful gift, and i also really liked the cat stickers that were included as well :D
  • fall 2025 (to myself): thank you for the travel router, it’s such a cool gadget that i’ve debated getting at least 5x now, and honestly, it’s still borderline useful but very rewarding for my personal curiosity!
  • fall 2025 (to mom + myself): thank you for watchy :D
  • may 2025 (to myself + gabi): thank myself + seller for getting a great condition kindle scribe (was on wishlist) for $150! great deal and seller knew it too. thanks gabi for coming to pick it up with me hehe
  • may 2025 (to myself): thank you past self for getting me my long-awaited bleu de chauffe postman bag éclair + sewing on a super cute leather lycoris recoil patch
  • february 2025 (to gabi and myself): thank you past self for negotiating a $200 deal on a pair of super lightly-used sony xm5s, then having gabi steal the deal behind my back and give it to me?? LOL
  • august 2024 (to amy from UAX): thank you for the huge United plane model!! i honestly could not identify what plane it was, and now it’s my job to know all of them by heart??? it’s now a centerpiece at my work desk for however long i remain employed there haha
  • june 2024 (to myself): thank you for the updated timbuk2 authority laptop backpack deluxe! needed the upgrade + luggage passthrough for travels :)

retired wishes:

  • supernote a5x2 + pen (~$600) + leather case for it (~$60) + (optional) booklight / reason: realized kindle scribe was more than enough and that i like it more as well as typing more
  • e-ink frontlight 300+ppi ereader like boox note air, kindle scribe, kobo :D / reason: got it may 2025

well... i just graduated

I feel like there’s a lot to unpack, yet I’m still in the same constantly-on mode as I was this whole semester. It’s hard for me to really think, like there’s some kind of invisible weight on the top of my head. I think I’ll wait until later this summer to slowly let out some thoughts.

Just wanted to at least put an update out, especially since I’m not doing really anything at this particular minute.

This past week, though, has been hectic. Had to:

  • Take over repairs and maintenance for the condo I grew up in as parents have long been pretty mid + unbothered landlords and neglecting some much needed work: talked quotes, soothed frustrated residents, negotiated w/ contractors, coordinated HOA for water shut-offs, trying to figure out whether I’m getting a fair price or not, ensuring contract was somewhat bullet-resistant, taking initiative w/ gestures of goodwill, and just constant CALLS, CALLS, CALLS. However, the work should finish up tomorrow or the day after, which will hopefully offer some much-needed reprieve. Not sure if I’ll write up something about this, but tl;dr is old type-m cheap copper pipes, pinhole leaks -> water damage, doing full repipe w/ PEX-A + adaptors, issues w/ sharing lines, + drywall restoration.
  • Help w/ my mom’s car repairs. Was making a pretty bad noise + driving poorly. I advised her to go to a trusted local/independent mechanic rather than a dealership, and I even sent a few over to her that I vetted. She ended up at the dealership, but luckily, it was a pretty reasonably-priced inspection, and I was able to convince her to take the repairs at a trusted mechanic, which saved over $1000 overall. There could’ve been a few upsells like air filters, but honestly well-priced ones, so why not. They might’ve genuinely needed a change + it’s not like my parents would change those themselves. Win-win in my books. They get a bit more business + we get good prices on the larger repairs like changing the brake rotors and pads that she wore down.
  • Follow up on my two student’s college things, which I need to do later today as well, as they’re not staying on top of registration and other tasks despite promises to do so. I love working with them, but goodness it’s frustrating because I can’t be there for them all the time.
  • Catching up with United work: set up laptop for better access to Foundry + heads down/deep work. Lots and lots to do and figure out, sighs.
  • Parents came over for general commencement + broke the PS5 and showerhead within the 20 hours they stayed at the house, so had to get those repaired. Shopped around for PS5 hdmi repair quotes (ranged from $150-180) and found this goated shop that gave me a student discount to total $88 after taxes. Shoutout Quickfix Wireless on Telegraph. Evan (LL and roommate) handled the showerhead, ty.
  • Packing + moving + parents + graduation + social + dinners/chats w/ ppl’s parents + all of that. Not really stressful like the rest, but rather the fun and freeing side of the week.
  • IPIRA + RDI, need to get a move on those.
  • Final grades are rolling out. One professor mixed me up with another “Chen” and gave me a B instead of an A-. Actually had me so pmo for the last 24 hours, but he resolved it, thank goodness. Thought I needed to file a grade appeal or something for the first time in my college career because that was the most unwarranted B I ever gotten. In comparison, I’m happy to settle with an A-. After all, this professor is notorious with random grading that favors student athletes, finance bros/gals, and his inner circle of students. I, for one, am not part of that, but I did my fair share of the participation and work, so an A- is honestly quite reasonable. As for CS61C, I think I ended with a B+, which was better than my original hope for a B-, yet falls just short of an A-. Given I learned almost 75% of the course content in the two weeks leading up to the final. It’s a fair B+. Had I put in some effort into the class besides the bare minimum throughout the semester, I think I would have gotten an A-, although one could argue I wouldn’t have studied as hard as I did had I not been and justifiably felt so unprepared for the final. Seeing if I can clutch up an A-, but I think I’m, again, just short of the cut-off. Can’t have it all haha. Should be happy with what I have and how I did on the exam tbh. Went from -0.55 z-score to a positive one, which then clobbered the bad midterm performance.
  • Still tutoring, too :P

Anyways, a little psychological analysis if you don’t mind. Apparently, I’m (as well as many others for sure) in this state of cognitive fatigue and decision overload, a state where my prefrontal cortex (responsible for planning, focusing, and regulating emotions) is worn down from a long period of sustained mental effort. Like muscle fatigue, but for executive function. So, brain is genuinely exhausted. Additionally, chronic stress hormones are still being produced as our bodies have been running on cortisol and adrenaline for months, so that fight or flight is still basically on. Makes it hard to feel peace, rest, or process emotions. There’s also this psychological transition lag that psychologists call “liminal space” (an in-between zone after one identity ends (student) and before the next fully forms (adult/corporate cog/etc?). And apparently the brain dislikes this uncertainty and loss of structure, so it creates a weird emotional “buzz” where things can feel frozen or numb. Last concept would be the rest paradox, where rest after being in the hustle mode long enough can feel quite uncomfortable and even stressful as my brain associates idleness with being “unproductive” so it keeps scanning for tasks, making it hard to decompress. However, it’s right though as I do have a lot of tasks still, even after graduating, which I find ridiculous T.T let me travel and relax already.

All of it should pass with time as the nervous system rebalances and I actually finish some of the tasks on my plate :)

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ― John Lubbock, The Use Of Life

playing LWG on mobile seems pretty awful 😭 but I won at least—could not move my camera off this section and no right-clicking available. the fact that I was still able to attack move to the other side after building up my army even with the overlap dialog box over the map was very much needed. what a run-on. had to pull workers 😆

me 🤝 american breakfast

https://www.littlewargame.com/play/ is a dope free html5 rts game

really scratches the SC2 itch in-between work/study sessions :D

just studying for cs61c, going to be a really tough final; perhaps the toughest in my undergrad career simply due to the lack of preparation, discipline, and prioritization

reaping what i sow… it’s genuinely such an interesting class, but just have a sizable amount on my plate the entire semester, sighs. however, now on lecture 38, guest speaker Dave Patterson from Google and UC Berkeley

lessons from the first 50 years of my career

People

  1. Family first! Don’t sacrifice your family’s happiness on the altar of success.
  2. Choose happiness.
  3. It’s the people, not the projects, that you value in the long run.
  4. The cost of praise is small. The value to others is inestimable.
  5. Seek out honest feedback; it might be right.
  6. “For better or for worse, benchmarks shape a field.”
  7. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”
  8. Beware of those who believe that they are the smartest person in the room.

Career

  1. “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”
  2. “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”
  3. “There are no losers on a winning team, and no winners on a losing team.”
  4. Lead by example.
  5. “Audentes Fortuna iuvat.” (Fortune favors the bold).
  6. Culture matters.
  7. It’s not how many projects you start; it’s how many you finish.
  8. Look for the positive opportunities.

here’s the presentation url saved in my drive. it’s really nothing more than what’s written above, but it’s a nice ppt format: [drive.google.com/file/d/1g…

Still struggling w/ passing California smog with my Miata. The P0012 code is quite sticky, and I’ve spent over $300 to date trying to resolve it. I just applied for the BAR CAP (Consumer Assistance Program) to get some money towards further repairs like looking at the timing belt + gears. Hopefully, they’ll get back to me with an approval within 2 weeks. Overall, though, really exhausted + disappointed I wasn’t able to find a way to pass smog today. Even drove highways to try to set all the monitors, but ended up just setting the CEL before the monitors were ready.

On the bright side, got Boichik bagels, fruits, and veggies today!

started playing Starcraft II again, fun fun fun

Saw this random tweet on Instagram, who knows if it’s true and it doesn’t really matter to me either. Basically, the question was: can somebody explain the logic of waiting until you have the red to cross the street?

A person said: When my mother first moved to Japan, she tried to jaywalk while pushing a stroller on an empty residential street. She was immediately stopped by an old, well-dressed Japanese man who solemnly told her in perfect English “the downfall of society begins with the individual”

There’s a lot of truth to that statement, yet I find some of the pushback quite relatable, like the frustration of a world increasingly dominated by cars. Collectivism and individualism is also a key conflict. As much as I like individualism to whatever extent my understanding is, it saddens me to see the lack of unity and collectivism in my country. But, back to the topic at hand, jaywalking is fine in many instances. There’s a lot of empty streets in Japan that locals still wait for the green light for. There’s also a lot of empty streets in which they don’t wait for the light. I think there’s a few factors that come into play with that decision for locals. As for me, I just follow what the locals do tbh. If they wait, I’ll wait. If they don’t I don’t. However, I agree that streets should be for the people. The way we move around the city should center around pedestrians first.

There’s a lot more depth to this issue that I’m not covering, of course. Why do lights exist? Why is jaywalking considered bad? etc. This isn’t a fully flushed-out thought, just a random one. (rediscovered for myself a really iconic illustration below)

sorry to myself that I have been blogging much/tweeting much. super hectic end of sem. have so much to get done; slogging away it seems. took grad pics today! got mimi to mechanic to get her checked out for her check engine light. fingers crossed that works out. but rn, quite quite sick. head is awful. body is warm. throat feeling scratchy? just overall fatigued and unmotivated. terrible timing. had a volleyball skill assessment today to as like a PE class final, and after coming back home, I was basically out of commission for five hours. ggs. here’s a sneak pic of grad photos!

12% to FIRE @ 40 🔥

I miss #yolo. I feel a bit cynical. The world seems to be falling apart bits by bits. We are so consumed by distractions. Online shopping. Influencers. Doom-scrolling. Grind and hustle culture. I think it’s just my mental tbh. Just working day in and day out. I just want to truly relax, but this semester ain’t it. It be like that though. I enrolled myself into responsibilities that are responsible for my workload. I just wish the rewards justified the sacrifice.

Okay, I’m just ranting because I’m a bit annoyed at something/someone. But, I’ll still rant. Like… no. We don’t need to work 80 hours a week to be happy. But, at the same time, why do I have to worry about finances? Why do I have to worry that I can’t afford a house? Why is it that we put others down in this world? Why is it that we refuse to grant adequate amounts of housing and construction? Why is it that we’d rather fund bombs than fund space programs? Why is it that our lives are so strongly influenced and controlled by the whims of the few? Why is it that your life is so strongly dependent on luck? Of course, you can make your own future. You can make your own fate. But, we didn’t choose to be born. We didn’t choose to toil the soil beneath our feet for the benefit of the mighty few. We didn’t choose to lose the few hours our lives offer to reap a scarce fraction of our blood, sweat, and tears. Sighs. End rant.

“Civilization is a hopeless race to discover remedies for the evils it produces.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau

here’s two helpful resources if you ever want to get into credit cards + churning!

card recommendation flowchart, focused on churning I believe (included as photo in case link depreciates) m16p-churning.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/Card+Reco…

historical offers checker / offer optimization www.offeroptimist.com

ask me for referral links pls :D

im so cooked! so much stuff to do, so little time. time is of the essence. and also, going into a recession is crazy. trade war is disappointing. macro-scale, life seems meh. micro-scale, busy but doing ok. however, exam prep aint looking good. sajdsancoajs

back in sf, so hungry n tired, honestly probably the most turbulence as percentage of flight I’ve had; im actually starving 😭 so much work awaits poor me

edit: there was a super snorer during taxing, crazy guttural. got me grabbing my headphones out, but he stopped after takeoff 🛫

just wrapped up our short visit to Miami! overall thoughts of the city

  • very car-dominant
  • didn’t get a chance to use public transit as uber/lyft was quite affordable and transit was expensive and was a bit inconvenient and slow (a 15-min drive often was a 50 minute transit)
  • quite terrible drivers
  • surprisingly expensive for food and activities, didn’t know it would be comparable to the Bay Area (lowkey more expensive)
  • seems rent is expensive for the level of income in the area asw
  • so so many yachts!!! and mega yachts!!!
  • even with attractions, mid-ass city for the middle to low income 😭 ig anywhere is fun when you can afford a yacht
  • lots of nice cars, Porsches in particular
  • great Caribbean food fs

finished All Quiet on the Western Front today for my NLP class. honestly really appreciated the excuse to read. it was nice not having to worry about not advancing my academic backlog of work and be able to enjoy a nice book. I have wondered oftentimes whether reading a book is similar to watching a tv show, especially if both are fiction. but having not truly read in a while, I can see the benefits of being exposed to more varied, thoughtful, intentional, and creative writing. what a shame that we’re transitioning into a world that no longer substantially rewards those who practice and master the art of writing. in high school, I longed to write as eloquently as the authors I was subjected to read. now, despite my understanding that effort spent is not wasted, it still feels like a waste to devote oneself to a skill so easily mimicked mindlessly. of course, it’s not 100% the same, but even 80% is a skill level largely attainable traditionally through trying practice and time. I can’t even begin to sympathize for artists and designers out there. of course, there are many that can take advantage of newer technologies to grow and succeed. perhaps this is simply another blip in the march of technological growth and its impact. but one can’t seem to pause and consider what might be lost in the process for our generations today.

been in chicago the past few days, enjoying it a lot. had a day with amazing weather. met up with lucy and her friends to celebrate her “unemployment” day. they were fun to chat with throughout the night. wicker park was pretty dope, although I do see a lot of locals complaining about its gentrification and sterile-ness at times. thinking of where i should live in chicago… though, the city itself has taken me again. it’s cleaner & more affordable than NYC. it’s cleaner & more affordable & livelier than SF. those are just my two cents and my own lived experiences and opinions. biking by the lakefront, though, just up gold coast, was just wonderful.

completed my own tax returns via freetaxusa but sent the files to mom’s accountant to let him do his thing since my mom pays him a flat fee each year anyways (i wanted the practice of doing it myself, and now i can cross-check it). kinda annoying though since my income from illinois is flat-taxed, which disproportionately harms the lower-income (ahem, me)

postponing my jury duty service to post-graduation, but there are no dates to postpone to T.T hoping an agent picks up because I cannot go down to LA in two weeks just for this. edit: no one picked up but i was able to submit a transfer request to near Berkeley while on hold, so that should be fine for the time-being

continuing to sort out the Hertz insurance issue for my “aunt” this morning

now helping look into moving companies for evan & hashing out Divvy for Everyone for gabi

found a stray skinny kitty on Miami Beach 🥺 quickly biked to CVS to grab some kitty food for it, poor baby looked so hungry and stuck around us and our bikes the whole time. wishing it the best of luck! hopefully it makes it to a shelter where a loving family can adopt it 🙏🙏