#battery was at 100% at 7am and now it’s 5% with me only using it to check the time real quick

[wastehound-voof]

So updating my iPhone fucked up the battery? Got it.

[guvato]

Tamalog Day 13

The day starts at 7AM as always and we needed to do some things right away today, first of all, Picochutchi was dirty and her house was dusty, so we needed to give her a bath and use the cleaning robot to make everything clean and pristine, but it didn't end there as Picochutchi was once again asking me to let her leave since she received an important message. Since i love her very much and we are going for a 100 Day run, i declined her request, and after she ALMOST left me, she decided to stay, which makes me happy. After all that, i called the Sitter for her, and went to check on our boy Kuchipatchi. I woke him up and he was also dirty and with dust all over his house, so we gave him a good ol' bath and cleaned the house up, only then i left him to house-sit. Mokokotchi was doing fine so i just called the sitter right away and went to sleep.

When the afternoon came, i woke up, got ready and went to work, i made sure to have then at their best, fed Picochutchi some Roast Beef, Kuchipatchi had his beloved burguers and Mokokotchi ate some ham sandwiches and drank soda. At work i explored with Mokokotchi for the first time and found none other than Himetchi herself, funny that Mokokotchi didn't even know he just met the one to bring me his egg. Did some pretty light Tama Searching, as the place where i was at didn't have many networks to search for Tamas, only two, and the one Tama we found was Kikitchi, which we already have 5 hearts with, but hey, at least Picochutchi was happy to see him, after some time with Picochutchi, the Uni's battery was calling for a recharge, so i didn't touch it until we got home. Kuchipatchi and i went to Tama Work since his fridge was empty and we needed money, he danced with so much grace and completely dominated the dance for, we got about 3000 Gotchi Points and bought a LOT of food, hope it lasts him more than 2 days.

Arriving home from work i put the Uni to charge and went to take a shower, when i came back i just needed to clean up some poop and give dinner to each of them. Mokokotchi had some cupcakes and Gratin, Picochutchi had Sushi and Kuchipatchi had burguers once again, i'm honestly impressed that snacks like cupcakes can count into the hunger bar, i thought it was just like the Uni, but hey, seems like i was wrong, now will be careful to not give em too many snacks. Played with Mokokotchi a bit in the arcade, we did some fruit collecting with Fruit Fall and cooked a delicious Black Burguer that he is yet to try.

Come 8PM, i was REALLY invested on playing Dark Souls, so i completely zoned out and didn't give em much attention, but at least Mokokotchi was already asleep by then, so i think it's all good, also if it isn't we can just take care of our boy when 7AM comes by, i'm not sleeping till then. Kuchipatchi had some more food, a delicious plate of Jambo Steak, and Picochutchi had some more Sushi and went to the TamaVerse to give out some hearts.

At 9PM, Kuchipatchi asked me for help to fall asleep, but i was too invested in Dark Souls, did i do it?? Of course i did, i would never let my boy hanging there alone, i gave him the best of pets and as he went asleep, i laid the Smart down so Kuchipatchi could get a good night's rest. With that i also gave Picochutchi a good last check before also leaving her to do whatever until she fell asleep.

And we 10PM came by, Picochutchi went to bed and fell asleep right away, ending yet another Tama Day. What i love about Tamagotchis is that it's the one thing through the day that can give me a mental check, like, usually it's really easy for me to lose myself while playing a game or sleep for too long, but then theres Tamagotchis, always snapping me back to reality to see if they need something. This Blog is similar in the way that i find strenght every day to make sure i write these Tamalogs even if i feel tired or my head THINKS that i don't want to write it, but when i start typing, i can't stop until the Tama Day ends. Anyway sorry for rambling, thanks for reading, see you tomorrow. <3

[luposlip]

Real world battery life: Samsung Galaxy S23

or: Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

NB: Due to popular demand, I'll update this daily for the first 2 weeks!

Wednesday the 1st of February Samsung presented their new lineup of Galaxy devices. The day after I bought the Samsung Galaxy S23.

The last year, I've had the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and before that the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

I've been really happy about the Ultras, because of:

their cameras, and

their battery life (especially the S21 Ultra!)

But I got tired of having such a huge phone. Would the battery life of the smallest phone in the lineup disappoint me?

Day 0: Thursday

I bought the phone Thursday afternoon, and spent the rest of the day transferring data to it from my previous phone. I have lots of data, so it took quite a while, even though the Samsung Smart Switch makes it very easy. But this day doesn't really count.

Day 1: Friday

My normal weekday comes with a few morning standup meetings using Teams, which is known to be really power hungry. During the day I've used my phone as internet connection, old school dialing, a fair share of messaging (primarily via Signal and old school SMS), reading news in the breaks and in the evening.

And my Fridays are even more power hungry than the rest of the weekdays, because I usually have around 1.5 hours of Teams meetings, the first part while commuting (thus using cell data).

The first full day with the new Galaxy S23 was a Friday, so I was really curious about the battery life (the S22 didn't really get great reviews on this account, but the S23 has slightly bigger battery pack, and according to specs a more power efficient processor).

By the way - I always turn on the battery saver function on my smartphones, to ensure the battery works for as many years as possible. This means the Galaxies only charge to 85%.

After the full workday - the S23 still had 40% left. And I spent more power than a normal Friday, because I had to post-install and setup 5-10 apps which I didn't auto-install via the Smart Switch app.

I got up at 7am, and before I went to bed at around 1am there were a little more than 20% left (I spent some time in the evening playing Chess.com).

My S22 Ultra usually had around 40-45% left in the evening - but perhaps 30% after heavy usage. For my usage, 20% vs. 30% after a day of heavy usage is fine - as long as it lasts a full day (and again - I don't charge to 100%).

Result Day 1

18 hours of above normal daily usage, 65% battery juice spent. This means I could use it for around 27 hours on a charge, if I charged it to 100%.

Day 2: Saturday

I've used my phone around what I normally do a weekend day, perhaps a tiny bit less.

I disconnected it from the charger 8 hours ago, and it still has 70% left. This means less than 2% battery usage per hour (15%/8h)!!

That's pretty awesome!

Turned off the phone at 1:30am with 47% left, that's 38% during more than 16 hours. I played a chess app for around 1 hour before going to sleep. Around 42 hours on a full charge.

Day 3: Sunday

Didn't use the phone much today, just some messaging, reading news, checking weather forecasts, a bit of googling, looking at old photos and playing a couple of games of chess.

Stopped using the S23 after 14 hours of no charging. Still 64% on the battery, which means 21% down, which again means 1.5% down per hour, and would mean that it could be turned on for more than 60 hours with this light usage, if charged to 100%.

Very acceptable!

Day 4: Monday

Off the charger at 7am. Checking a bit of news and messages.

Teams meetings using the phone from 8:45am until 10am around 30 minutes of these while commuting. At 10am the battery drained from 85% to 73%.

Leaving the phone in the charger until tomorrow, after around 16 1/4 hours, and battery is at 49%. Except from the above average Teams meetings in the morning, I've used it just like any other normal day.

36%/16h is approximately 2.25% per hour, giving around 44 hours on a full charge.

Until now I'm actually quite impressed!

Day 5: Tuesday

Started the day with 1h 15mins of Teams meetings, the first 35 minutes using cellular. 1h of the meetings was with video and/or screen sharing.

Then came a day of what is for me normal usage. Messaging, news, a short chess game.

During the day and afternoon I had some phone calls.

In the evening I had 57% left, before I attended a meetup via Zoom. The zoom meeting had video (mine was turned off most of the time though). The meeting was 1 hour, and half of that was over cellular.

After that I played a bit more chess and did a bit more messaging.

Now that I'll soon head to bed, the phone still has 41%, and has been on battery for 16.75 hours. That's 44%/16.75h = 2.63% per hour (38 hours on a full charge).

A good pattern is showing!

Day 6: Wednesday

Today was a day of a somewhat normal usage for me. Perhaps a tiny bit less than normal via Teams.

Had my daily standups, approximately 30 minutes in Teams via cellular. Then a couple of phone calls, Signal-calls, recorded some video, then another phone call on my way back home. Plus normal messaging use (remember that I'm not a teenager, so I don't snap 5 times every 5 minutes ;)).

I played a couple of chess games, and read a bit on the phone in the evening.

Now it's been on battery for almost 17 hours, and it still has 50% left, meaning 35% down, which is around 2.1% per hour. That totals around 47 hours on a full charge.

Sweetness.

Oh yeah - and today I picked up one of the original Samsung silicone cases. It's really nice and snug looking, super simple and clean. And now the phone doesn't rock at all when laying on a flat surface :)

Day 7: Thursday (again)

Today was super busy one, working, hosting a meetup and coming home late in the evening. So not much time to use the phone.

Not that I didn't use it - I used it for some meetings, phone calls, messaging, a bit of chess in the morning, emails during the day. A couple of photos and a video. But not much.

It's been detached from a charger for 17.5 hours, and has decharged merely 25% from 85% down to 60%. That's around 70 hours of light runtime on a 100% charge!

Day 8: Friday (again)

As usually I had lots of Teams meetings, first while communiting, then (still from the phone) from the office. Around 1.5 hours in total.

I had a meeting over Signal, heard some podcasts from Spotify and saw some tutorials from youtube.

Not a super busy phone-day, but just some heavy usage of screen and cellular/wireless.

This reflects on the consumption, but still quite good for a small(ish) phone: 35% left on the battery after 18 hours, which is 50% down. Giving a total of 36 hours of on-battery usage on a full charge. Much better than last Friday, but it's difficult to make a 1:1 comparison, since last Friday was my first full day of usage.

Day 9: Saturday (again)

Sort of normal Saturday today, normal usage, no meetings, but some streaming (of podcast/radio/music and a bit on youtube).

56% left after 14 hours of usage, 29% down, which equals around 48 hours on a full charge. Better than last Saturday!

Day 10: Sunday (again)

Long story short, probably pretty standard for a Sunday. 31% down in 14.5 hours, meaning around 46 hours on a full charge. It was better last Sunday, but I was on cellular all day today, which is probably the cause for the higher battery usage.

Day 11: Monday (again)

I didn't charge it last night. And now it's 24.25 hours later than yesterday. Used it a bit less than normally for Teams, but S bit more fif photos.

38.75 hours, and it's on 15%. That's 70% down, giving 55 hours on a full charge. Not bad at all (actually ver impressive)!

Day 12: Tuesday (again)

Long story short - it's now on 57% after 17 hours. That's around 60 hours on a full charge.

Day 13: Wednesday (again)

Long story short - didn't charge overnight.

After around 39 hours there's still 29% left. Which means around 69 hours on a full charge.

Day 14: Thursday (again)

I haven't used my phone as much as I usually do for the last couple of days. But for 2 nights in a row, I haven't charged it at all. Now 63 hours after pulling the plug to the charger, there's still 7% left on the battery. And remember - it's down from 85%!

That adds up to around 80 hours on a full charge.

If my usage the last days had been normal, it would be a bit less, which also reflects on the battery status, as shown here:

My Fortnight Conclusion:

The Galaxy S23 has amazing battery life for it's size! I'm very pleased with the results :)

It can easily last for 2 days (which in reality is just around 16+24 hours) - very nice if you can't find a charger if you need to crash at a friends place, work late hours or similar.

Just remember - before you compare my numbers with your own - that I'm _not_ a teenager looking at my phone and sending snaps every now and then! ;)

I can use my Galaxy S23 at least as long as my previous Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Oh yeah, you may have noticed, that I have the Power Saving feature turned on, on the screenshot above. That was also turned on, on my Galaxy S22 Ultra. This makes the comparison more accurate.

This is the settings of my Power Saving features:

If you have any questions/comments, let me know via Twitter - @luposlip.

NB: Why did I write this?

I thought I'd write this up, because I'd have been really interested in this myself, if I didn't already buy the new phone.

I really liked the cameras from the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the new S23 Ultra is probably even better. But after many years being a user of "the biggest phone" from the Galaxy lineup, I really wanted something smaller, lighter, more discrete.

I chose the green S23 by the way - it looks awesome. And it's super nice to hold in the hand. I'm happy about the switch, and the smaller form factor is probably a perfect fit for me.

NB: I'm not in any way affiliated with Samsung, I just like their Galaxy phones (I've also had iPhones and Android phones from other vendors). I'd probably have considered an iPhone 14 Mini if it existed.. I really hope the smartphone manufacturers will stop making every generation bigger. The S23 has a perfect size IMO, and with good battery life and a nice camera lineup, there really is no need for bigger sizes. Don't make the next generation bigger!

[bts-love-sweat-tears]

Julie’s Love Yourself Concert Diary

Concert Date: September 29, 2018

Written: September 30, 2018

Warnings: I curse more than I should?

Words: 3,330ish-added a few  things at the last minute (phew!)

A/N:

[Update: Tumblr couldn’t upload all my photos that I spent awhile choosing and placing, so I’m going to have to pare it down. Sorry bbs! I opted to cut my personal & merch photos in favor of the boys]

So I have one thousand and one things I should be working on-for school, for work, for my eventual job hunt. But instead I am going to write about last night’s experience while it was still fresh in my mind. I was thinking of doing a song-by-song play-by-play, but you can look up the setlist on Wikipedia, so instead I am going to talk about the things that jumped out at me. WARNING: This is essentially one giant spoiler, so I will try to put a “Read More” cut, though it’s been being weird for me lately. So scroll carefully if you’re going to a later date and don’t want to know. All photos taken on my (now ancient) iPhone 6, so I tried to choose the best ones). Will edit as I see typos I made.

I’m a little nervous since I usually write fiction instead of sharing my personal experience. Anyway, full disclosure that this is just my perspective, and I’m (always) happy to discuss things (civilly) if you disagree with me.  <3  Photos and opinions are mine.- please don’t re-post anywhere else.

The Background/ Pulling a Namjoon and Leaving my Ticket at Home

Even though I was going to the Saturday show, I flew into LaGuardia using frequent flyer miles on Friday morning. I was staying with a friend in Queens, so I went straight to her apartment. I’m a grad student as most of you probably know at this point, so I spent most of Friday working on a paper that was due. I had two friends I met at last year’s concert going to the Friday concert, and they went for merch promptly at 9, but I had just arrived and had a deadline to meet for school.  Around 4:30PM, I decided that I was done for the day and opened Ticketmaster to print my ticket for the next day’s show. When I logged in, I saw the notice that the ticket had been mailed to me. I remembered having seen that when I bought the ticket in May, but in my defense I was jet-lagged and ill on that day. Furthermore, I moved to and from NYC in that time for a summer internship, and SO MUCH HAD HAPPENED. The tickets had been mailed while I was living here and I had never seen them, so somehow it slipped my mind. Obviously I lived too far away, but I didn’t know if I could express overnight them, but I think when I called Ticketmaster, the old ones were deactivated when the guy tried to send me the link.

Anyway, print at home was not an option, so I called Ticketmaster and in a panic explained my situation. They said it happened all the time and offered to send me a link. Luckily I kept the rep on the line, because it turned out that even they couldn’t email a link because of the anti-scalpers/fraud/whatever.

Then the rep said that I could show the credit card, but I had literally cut it up the week prior since the Vendor (e.g. the store that the card was through) had switched their card to a different bank (e.g. Visa to Mastercard), so I seemed shady af, even though I was telling the truth. He said as long as I had a login to a statement showing the transaction (I didn’t, since they had opted to close the account at an institutional level).  So I called my mom frantically, and luckily she is the hyper-organized type who keeps paper copies of everything and sent them to me. Seriously, Mom for the win!  I run to this print shop as it’s closing and print everything out.  I had the Ticketmaster receipt & order #, and two photo ID’s confirming my address. The guy said it should be fine, but I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. This was my one birthday gift and something I had been looking forward to for months. Anyway, my friend and I went out to a local bar near the Halsey (yes, the singer took her name from the station) stop on the L line, and I was super anti-social because I was so upset. I also burst a blood vessel in my eye  (it will heal, no worries) because of too much birthday partying the prior weekend, so I’m sure I was a (sour) sight to behold.

I slept poorly for obvious reasons, and left the apartment around 7AM, and arrived to Prudential center around 8:30ish. There were only a few people outside of will call, but the GA line was already wrapped around the building. I made small talk with people outside of the box office, and one woman told me she had gotten soundcheck both days. Seriously, what kind of karma do I need for that to happen to me? She and her friends had been camping out since Thursday, and they were SUPER organized: while she waited in line, one was at merch, and someone else was holding their GA site. I almost wondered if they were a fansite or something. ARMY are a truly organized bunch (except for me, clearly).

Anyway, after another half hour of pure anxiety, they opened up will call and I was panicking, but they were really helpful and gave me my ticket after I verified the order number, showed my id and confirmed some other personal data. I decided then and there that nothing else mattered and I was just happy to be there and be in.

Waiting in line/Logistics/Staff

I left the box office, and got into the GA line. It was probably around 9:15, and the line had already doubled-back on itself all the way around the building. The woman from earlier told me that her friend had got #1000 and was only 3 rows back, so I still had some hope. Basically, you line up to get your spot in line- though it’s kinda dumb that you have to line up twice, it makes security go faster and guarantees that there isn’t a huge surge/stronger people cutting  in line later.

I wore what I thought were my most comfortable shoes, but after standing on concrete for hours, I don’t think it makes a difference. People were so friendly though-  I never once felt awkward even though I was by myself. The same was true last year- the friends who had gone up for merch on Friday I met while in line at last years’ Wings concert. I chatted with people around me, drank the two bottles of water I had, and looked at my phone. Bring an umbrella for shade and sunscreen though-I didn’t and am rocking a nice farmers burn/tan today.  It wasn’t humid though, and it wasn’t raining, so it could have been so much worse.

Even though there were tons of people, everyone was well-behaved. I didn’t see any altercations, though as the day went on the staff seemed a bit overwhelmed with crowd control.  I didn’t see too many people selling unofficial merch like last year, though I did buy a few necklaces (Joon and Chim, ofc).

After 3.5 hours, I finally got my wristband. They told us to be back by 2pm to line up for real, as they were going to try to open the doors at 3 instead of 3:30 (didn’t end up happening).

Merch

I then ran to merch, but there wasn’t much left. The fans/pickets were selling out as I got in line, and people were basically yelling “NOOOOOOOO” everytime the staff put up a “SOLD OUT” sticker. I bought what I could that was left, including a bracelet, which I’m actually in love with, the eco-tote (super overpriced tbh, $50 for a canvas bag), but the shopper bags were gone and I needed something to carry the box and batteries V3 ARMY Bomb I bought. I had one from last year that I also forgot, but I think the new version was cool because they are synced up with the music so you can change colors and patterns along with everyone else. Overall, it’s EXPEN$$$$IVE, but if anyone’s worth it, it’s Bangtan.

Newark

I was getting super tired after this, so I kinda passed on the photo studio table, big poster, and UNICEF stuff. I tried to go to Starbucks, but even though it was the middle of the day, I didn’t feel that safe, even though it was like 11:45 in the middle of the day. I’m a 27 year old who’s lived in Latin America (which is generally stereotyped for violence), solo traveled around the world, and I’m from the Rust Belt (aka home of true urban decay), but that part of Newark sketched me the heck out. Probably it would have been fine, but I opted for caution, and went to a Dunkin Donuts and empanada place right around the corner. The timing was actually good since we had to get back pretty quickly to line back up.

The second line was where the staff struggled, telling people to back up and get in order, but it seemed like staff were doing different things. Plus, if they wanted people to back up, they should have created room at the back first, before telling the front to basically “back that ass up” on the people behind them.

GA vs. Seated

I can say this- if you are short, you probably want a seat. Or if you have any kind of knee, back, or joint problems- I stood for approximately 14 straight hours on concrete yesterday. I am just under 5”5” but I was probably one of the taller people in the crowd, so I had a pretty good view. Even though they asked people to not take videos or record, you WILL be looking through a sea of cell phones. I could see pretty well, but sometimes when they were on the main stage I had a hard time seeing around other people’s arms.

Last time I had P2 seated, and the view was wonderful. I went to the bathroom, charged my phone, and ate nachos (lol), so it was generally a more chill experience. I was still super close but up a little higher and could see absolutely everything. But last night I was SO close I could see Joon’s dimples irl, and got splashed by both Jungkook and J-Hope when they threw the water bottles.  Probably 100 people think this, but I’m also pretty sure Yoongi  (and maybeeee Jimin) saw me jumping and singing along like crazy since I was one of the taller people. At the very least, Yoongi keep looking in the general direction I was in. Ofc I looked gross af with my messed up eye and crazy hair, but what I loved about the concert is that I was 100% able to forget all the insecurities I carry around with me on a day to day basis and have an AMAZING time.

Of course the whole place is crazy high energy, but I feel like last night was INSANELY high. I’m not sure if it was the overall vibe or if that was the GA influencing my opinion.  It just depends on what kind of experience you want to have. Also, if you are claustrophobic, you should probably pass on GA. The guards kept forcing people to back up, at one point even coming in with a flashlight, and people would surge forward whenever a member came close. But someone said the night before was chill, so maybe it’s just luck of the draw.

The Show

The show was absolutely amazing. They opened with IDOL, which got people hyped from the get-go. Their dancing was ON POINT as always. People were chanting during the intro videos and chatting as it filled in, so it was a great vibe once again- just super happy feeling. The audio visual part was AMAZING, though I’m no pro, and I loved all of the concert outfits, especially Jimin’s super sparkly sweater. Lots of jumping, and lots of screams. I didn’t have earplugs and was fine, but if you’re sensitive to loud sounds I definitely recommend them. ISTG I remembered hearing a mashup of FIRE, but maybe not? Wikipedia seems to think not. But they played a few older ones too, which made me so soft and nostalgic.

More on the members during the concert

Kim Namjoon

Ok, this is so so so biased, let me start with that. If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know how much I love this man. Seeing him smiling and happy was amazing. And they had a professional translator for this concert, so I felt like Joon was able to relax a little and enjoy himself instead of worrying about translating for everyone else.  He is just as tall and proportional as everyone says he is.  Everyone talks about how soft he is these days (and I love it), but he has undeniable charisma when he raps. Plus him in sunglasses, ddaeng. Seeing him so close was akin to something spiritual for me (I SAW THE DIMPLES WITH MY OWN EYES), as were people shouting along with him to “Love.” At the end, he commented how we were all sharing the same air, and hearing him think the way (I know at least some of ) us think was so heartwarming.  

Also during some of the videos, there were some NOT AT ALL subtle Minjoon moments.  

Kim Seokjin

The crowd last night ADORED Jin and gave him all the attention he deserves to have all the time. People were chanting his name SO LOUDLY during instrumental breaks in Epiphany. His voice was phenomenal, particularly the high notes. it’s clear how hard he’s worked to make it sound so effortless.  I noticed that people weren’t moving as much during some of his notes and I can only think it’s because we were literally transfixed. It’s well established, but I don’t think this man has any bad angles. Even in the still pictures I took while dancing, he DOESN’T look awkward in any of them. #impossible.

Min Yoongi

Suga was clearly happy about something last night- he was SO cute and happy. Other ARMY on the train back to the city agreed with me. His rapping was fire (duh), but he was really smiley and took out his earpiece a number of times to hear us screaming. “Seesaw” starts with him laying on a couch and I can think of no better way to capture his true soul (lol). He was extra attentive to fans, and  I feel like what Tae mentioned in Burn the Stage, he was trying to memorize ARMY’s faces and live in the moment. I felt bad because there were clearly parts where he wanted us to sing along, but we couldn’t necessarily keep up with his tongue technology :P  But people definitely tried their best.  

Jung Hoseok

Idk what I can say here that’s new. J-Hope is one of the most charismatic members on the stage. And there’s something in the American air that turns him into Jay Hope. Seriously, he’s hard to move your eyes away from. “Just Dance” was the first solo track if I remember correctly and he did not disappoint. His glasses at the end were adorable, and one of the other members called him a “happy grandfather” or something like that.  Seriously, if you’re still sleeping on Hobi, we can’t be friends.  

Park Jimin

Jimin was ethereal as always, and the choreography for Serendipity was…..salacious, to say the least. Like if you thought the “Take Me Down” cover from last year’s Festa was too much, then idk what to tell you. Bring holy water or something. Despite  the free water that fans were providing to others (ARMY are seriously the best) there was a different kind of thirst occurring, if you smell what I’m stepping in. Jimin is pure charisma, like J-Hope. Obviously their styles are totally different, but when they move, you stop whatever you’re doing and watch. Again, I didn’t even see many ARMY bombs moving during Serendipity- I think we were too entranced. I personally thought that he killed his vocals and did great, but he seemed a little tired or like he was working hard at it. Jimin was also the one (at least that I saw from my angle) that got the closest to the fans, crouching down and leaning over the teleprompters/fans/lights/ whatever the black boxes were at the edge of the stage.

Similar to Tae and Yoongi, I saw him looking at fans A LOT during the show. He was exactly how he seems in V Lives and cameras, and I’m fairly certain I would spontaneously combust if I ever ran into him irl (even if I didn’t know who he was)- he just radiates warmth and friendliness. Seriously, if I believed in magic, I feel like he would be able to influence people’s emotions.

Kim Taehyung

So many fic writers have this ultra primal (for lack of a better word?) for Tae, but all I see is a cute sweetheart. Obviously I’ve never seen someone create as much tension with their own arm as he does during Singularity, but when he’s not dancing, I just got a super innocent, cutesy vibe from him. His voice was so smooth last night. I mean, I knew, but now I KNOW.  He actually was shooting hearts at one fan (how lucky they are), and pretended to fall down when they shot him back! They were further back in P2 as well so he really does work hard at paying attention to everyone. He actually called over another member (maybe Yoongi or Jimin? I was too busy trying to remember how to breathe, to see whatever he was seeing).

At the end he whipped a heart out of his beanie (how I pray to god someone got that moment on camera) a la Jin. He just seemed really comfortable in his own skin last night, and I was so grateful for it.  

Jeon Jungkook

I had a hard time seeing most of his Euphoria performance as it was relatively early on and people were taking a shit ton of videos. He also stayed mostly on the main stage, rather than come out to the extension area near where I was. His abs are just as great in person, and the screams were (as is to be expected), absolutely deafening. They’ve talked about it in shows, but his voice is  SO stable. Obviously they stopped at times and don’t use too much backing vocals, but it sounded EXACTLY how it does on the album. He threw something into the crowd  (I think a banner) at the end, and it FLEW so far-back to P2 or further. They’re not kidding when they talk about how strong he is.  

Final thoughts

At first, I was a little exhausted after my emotional trauma of the prior day, and from standing for so long but the minute it started I forgot everything else. I was salty when I couldn’t see that much bc of people recording (esp when they asked us not to), but I understand the specialness of the moment and wanting to have some tangible evidence that you were there. By the time the concert was over, I realized how special GA was, even if it’s more difficult logistically (since I went solo and didn’t have parents or friends to stand in). I still don’t know if it’s hit me that I was like 10 feet away from them, max. It reaffirmed how important they are to me. I didn’t write this to brag, but to hopefully share my perspective and let others live vicariously through my experience. If you want clarification or anything else, write to me!  

[chiliwriting]

Comes and goes in waves

A line from one of my favorite songs says, “ it comes and goes in waves, it always does”. At this point I am talking about the summer season, the season will all love and anticipate throughout the whole year. Waking up at 12pm with no stress, spending the day at the beach, eating fruits and vegetables… and ice cream, meeting people, falling in love and of course, going out at midnight only to return early in the morning. For us students, that’s the summer we are waiting for. For others it’s work, work, work (not Rihanna’s song) until August when they get fourteen days off work to have fun. For others, it’s just a season only too hot from the rest. You might be waiting the summer for the whole year, you might just hate it it’s here, the thing is though that every summer just comes and goes in waves. Time flies you can barely realize what you’re doing over the summer. I hope you understood already that this post is about summer and vacations of course. As I am Greek, I’ll lay out the top destinations for three types of vacations in Greece just to give you an idea on how cool it is and why you should visit.

A party place

We ALL have that one friend who just goes crazy over the summer and the only word they think about is party. Drinks, parties, beach bars and clubs, amazing views and many shots. Not going to lie, this is not always my cup of tea but I’ve been through that phase too. Greek people are really communicative and open to heart. This means it is really easy to get drunk and meet people especially when they know you ‘re Greek as well. It’s like we are all one family. Anyway, top party destinations over the summer include the islands of Mykonos (always popular for its partying situations and the free shots you get in bars), Ios, Spetses, Paros and Ikaria. For me, it all comes down to these places if all you’re looking for is a huge party. These five islands are different to each other in many many ways, however all of them serve you the same plate in a way. Plenty of choices offered during day and night. Mykonos and Ios are the places in which you get to ask yourself in the end of the day, “how much drinking can I handle from 11am to 7am the next morning eventually?” Beautiful beaches to visit, great sunset views and many places to party. Not going to lie again… Mykonos is more expensive than Ios in accommodation; food and sunbeds are charged in the beach. However, I recommend it for the experience, it’s always worth cause even if you don’t want to party all the time and you are looking for a combination, they do offer you this opportunity to chill as well.

Speaking of a combination of chilling and partying on a lower budget, I strongly suggest Spetses and Paros. They are both islands you can visit in which you do have the opportunity to spend the whole day at the beach without necessarily paying for sunbeds and shade and still choose between a variety of night- clubs and bars to party at night. From experience, I take full responsibility for saying that you’ll spend less than in Mykonos on food and accommodation and you will still have a great time, if you have the right group of friends who are on the same page as you on how they wish to spend their summer. For those visiting Paros if you are looking for a place to party over the day and listen to mainstream music, check out Pounta Beach, they often have special guest events worth going to! Finally, if you are looking for a more traditional place where camping, chilling and Greek parties happen, then Ikaria is your place to go. You’ll get to see another side of partying in a traditional Greek way, with Greek music and dances as well as taste traditional Greek food and wine in tavernas. Two disadvantages: everything goes super slow at the pace people on the island wish it to happen and you need a car. Other than that, you will have a great time and enjoy the Greek beauty at its maximum.

A romance place

You met the love of your life? Are you looking for 5 days of relaxation and romance? Are you looking for the best sunset view in the place you visit? Are you looking for a private catamaran sail tour around a variety of beaches? Although there are plenty of island to go with your “other half”, there is only one place to visit for all these stuff and what would that be, but Santorini. For me, it is THE Island to visit when you are in a relationship or looking for one. People say that you will either love this place or hate it, only because of its energy coming from the volcano and the fact there is no green on that island. I tend to call it an island of rocks. If you book your tickets and accommodations relatively early, it will not cost you as much if you search well. Food tends to be expensive sometimes so pay attention on the menus before entering a restaurant. Top bars to go include: KOO club, Enigma club and of course Two brothers bar, the oldest and most famous bar on the island. As far as beaches are concerned Kamari, Perivolos, Katharos, Eros and the Red beach are the must places to go to. Moreover, I would urge you to visit the volcano and go on a sailing tour although expensive, the money is worth being given. However, after a long day under the sun what would be better than a walk on the caldera from Fira towards Imerovigli for the best view of the sunset from different angles. Oh! Oh! I almost forgot to say that, top place for the most picturesque sunset view and walk around is Oia, do not miss it because those pictures will look amazing. To conclude, just to give you alternatives it is worth looking up for the islands of Andros, Milos and Amorgos if romance is choice for this summer!

A family place

Reaching the final vacation type, if you have a family with children, the abovementioned places would not be included on the top of your list necessarily. Personally, I used to travel with my family as a kid in islands a lot, hence I have three of them to recommend to families. Naxos is one of them. There is a quaint view from the op places of the island that allows you to appreciate the blue of the sea and the rest of the island. It is the ideal place for parents to take some time off from work and spend time with their kids at the beach. Agia Anna is the most common place that people book accommodations and go for a swim. It will sound funny 100% but try those fried potatoes in the restaurant you’ll choose to have lunch or dinner and do not forget to ask for their traditional cheese. You will absolutely love it.

Secondly, I would advise you to take your family to Lefkas or else Lefkada as we Greeks call it. There are now words to describe the beauty and hues of the blue waters that exist on that island. It is ideal for children because it is not expensive, you can access it by car only a couple of hours away from Athens and it offers places safe for families. For instance, restaurants with a small playground where you can enjoy your food but also keep an eye on the children playing next to you. Secondly, the beach bars do not charge you more for sunbeds and since you are a family, you will spend less there too. The time has come now for the third place, which to my opinion is Crete. It is a huge island, full of welcoming people who never stop offering food and drinks to try and there is a variety of choices on where to go and what to see. Each place in Crete is different and has a story to communicate to the tourists visiting. As it is far, it is worth flying there and renting a car on the island. Rethymno and Chania are of utmost importance places to visit when in Crete but if you are a family that can afford it, why not plan a holiday trip on three or four places to make the most out of this experience?

Places full of memories. Places to have fun. Places to relax. No matter where you are, if you are spending time with your favorite people, you will have a nice time. I chose to lay the destinations in that order because this is how summers work most of the times. You go somewhere, meet someone, spend time with them and out of the blue end up being with him or her. Call it a friend who became family, call it a guy/girl you fell in love with and is your summer crush, or just find which of the three applies more to the style of vacations you’re looking for. Nevertheless, please; please; please; do NOT forget to visit museums when travelling on an island. The knowledge you and possibly your kids will receive is really special and cannot be found anywhere else. This is mainly because you will get people from the island sharing their knowledge and stories with you and not random people who just read about it on a book! Again it is a matter of choice, it always is. What you choose to do defines the outcome of your actions up to a certain extent. Every summer has its own story… happy or sad it may be but it will always stay in your heart. Summer 2018 has just started and there are three months ahead to choose what you’ll do over the summer and the memories you want to create this year. Read more, travel more, laugh more and go on the loose. Eat less… you need that summer body for the beach dear, spend less (if you can), work less (if you can) but most of all think less and fill your batteries in for next year. Choose wisely where to go and have a great time! Enjoy the summer!

Talk to you later, xx!

-Aggelina Tsilimpari-

[chaseagainstonision]

Also, wanted to post this since I just came across it on The Forums. I know it's long, but I feel that it's prob'ly important to read it and not put it under a read more: ------------------- On gerggles IRS audit, I took an uber pool yesterday and guess who was sharing/carpooling with me from the airport? AN IRS AUDITOR AGENT. I showed him the relevant info from the last thread, the house tour video, the items he was claiming for "business" on his taxes, and how much gerg made. The IRS agent laughed and said "he is so screwed". He said: -to claim something/a room for business (like a home office) to fully claim it as a business expense it can only and solely be used for business, if your child may use the home office let's say to do homework (personal use), it can only partially be claimed (50%, 60%, etc) and you would have to document and show how much of a percentage it was used for business compared to personal use -the only thing he could fully file as a business expense are the items necessary to film his YouTube videos (& related, merch,etc) so his cameras, mics, green screen, lights, editing software, etc. & computer (as long as said comp isn't used for any personal use & just for vids) -if his filming equipment is used for any personal (non YT business) related filming then it's only partially covered -the vast majority of the items gerg has filed as "business expenses" are not allowed and are not considered deductible (shit in the background of 1 or 2 vids, bathrooms, children's beds/rooms/playroom, roof, shed, lawnmower, staircase, hallways, couches, bed, etc.) -filing these items are common knowledge not business expenses and if onion intentionally did this to save money and avoid taxes he is commiting a crime -bc onion & his family live in the main house (where about 50% of items are claimed for business) it is not considered a home office and absolutely cannot be 50% claimed for business, at the maximum maybe 20% but it would still be a red flag -his personal wardrobe (regular clothes he wears for personal life that he sometimes wears in speaks) are not "business expenses", his teslas (both of them) are 100% not covered as a business expense (even if he uses it to drive collaborators, it could only be for the exact amount of hours he used it to drive them), the back up battery and solar panels are never & will never be covered & are considered luxury & not necessity -can only file a portion of the beds the collaborators sleep in for the exact amount of hours/days they sleep in them, must be documented, plus acknowledgment from collaborators w/ signature -the IRS will 100% do a house visit & he will be forced to comply (and no, a video tour means nothing to them & will likely be used as evidence against him) you have to have an IRL house tour (anything over 20% of a house claimed is immediate cause for house visit) -as they audit him, it will be concerning the past 3 years of his expenses/taxes, if they see red flags and a pattern of fraudulently filing personal items as business, which they will, they will go back even further to the past 5-10 years, basically anal raping him -if he has not carefully and meticulously been documenting each items use (hours/days used for business) AS IT WAS HAPPENING (or in the time period) with evidence, logs, 3rd party statements then he is fucked, they're not covered, and he has to pay up those back taxes -he cannot rush right now to create or get the documentation/evidence of business use at the last 2nd after he was informed of his audit -if they IRS concludes he knowingly/intentionally filed items that were not used SOLELY for business as a full business expense on his taxes (agent said ignorance doesn't count) then he will be SEVERELY fined, forced to pay every/all back taxes from the items he fraudulently filed as "business expenses", have his YT wages garnished (take $ out from his paycheck), and almost most likely if not surely will be charged criminally for tax fraud, tax evasion, etc. and depending on how many years he's done this for will affect the amount of criminal charges (which will result in jail time or probation & hefty fines) -even worse shit if he knowingly did this to be in a lower tax bracket (rich gets taxed more, poor gets taxed less) to pay less taxes -he is an independent contractor not a business owner -the IRS will factor in his 2nd house which is supposed to be for work/office/editing/filming and rip him to shreds over why then his family home is 50% "business expenses" -5 editing stations? They may (but most likely, since he's a solo channel, not buy that excuse) let him slide on that, but only partially on the comps bc they're used for personal too -IG selfies are not business related for gerg -shit gerg filed as "business expenses" for lainybots channel will not be covered (he will have to pay back taxes on all items he claimed for business for Lainey's channel, i.e. Her equipment, her comp, the fireplace?!) bc Lainy would have had to been documenting that for years herself and file it under her name as a "business expense" (not gerg) & prove her "business" is regular & turning regular income/profit & not just a hobby for a stay at home mom -this will all result in the IRS audit ripping his asshole so deep that he has a serious chance of receiving jail time or porbation (criminal charges), backtaxes for everything he fraudulently filed as "business expenses", massive fines for false filings, plus interest on all of it (which can add up based on how many years he's been doing this), and if he can't pay up (in the time or plan he has) they will start garnishing his YT paychecks, seizing his assets (such as his cars, expensive equipment, electronics, even his 2nd house, or any other properties in his name i.e. His mothers house/his old house-they go for the most expensive first) could all be FORCEFULLY seized to pay off his debt to the IRS, these seized assets will most likely occur since there's no way on earth onion has enough money to pay off the massive debt he will soon owe -he is without a doubt 100% "literally" committing a crime. being his 2nd audit regarding improper filings for "business expenses" (divorce from skye was 1st audit) they will show no mercy & not believe he was ignorant of the law, therefore showing intent to defraud, which is a crime of tax evasion, tax fraud which they will fully go after him for $$$ wise, possible court too since it's not his first time & intention to commit fraud to benefit financially >Tl;dr Best case- they fuck him hard but don't prosecute him for criminal charges but will still owe a massive amount of backtax, fines, interest, but give him a generous payment plan that he spends many years paying off, wages garnished, has to sell tons of shit, downsizing a lot Worst case- goes to jail for a few months, probation, assets seized, broke, files for bankruptcy, has to move to a studio apt, is toast & spergs like we've never seen Plus IRS agent said that any anons can go on the IRS website and speak to an agent on anon & ask them hypotheticals/questions Saged for long ass post (rry sorry just tried to distinguish solid faxxx from an IRS agent from our educated guesses) EDIT: for additional information -Sarah is not considered an employee, not bc she's underage, but bc of her age requiring paperwork, in accordance with their state law, she would require a form to be signed by her parents & school, the employer (grease) would require special permits, special insurance, as well as records proving age and documentations of work (along with not "working" between 7pm-7am) -Sarah's travel expenses, her "paycheck", and bed, shower, & food, etc can not be considered business expenses (or included in partial business expense for an item i.e. "race car bed collaborators slept in!!1" -Billie is not considered an employee, even though an adult can be in a romantic relationship with their employer(s) and still be legal employed, she & onion never filed any W2 forms & have no proper documentation of her hours/work/use of items being covered as business expenses -Billie cannot have travel expenses covered bc the beginning travel and all the rest of the flights were due to personal reasons, she didn't fly to them to be their employee -Billies "paycheck" isn't covered bc no proper documentation of hours/work/etc, no receipts, no contract (sex slave contract doesn't count), no taxes taken out of her pay (under the table payment, these would be filed be filed under billies name), no statement by Billie stating it was in exchange for labor (w/ hours, job description) -Billie can be considered an independent contractor to onision (an independent contractor himself), but without documentation of what exact hours she worked, etc then there's no way to prove when, what, & if she worked for gerg, therefore not covered, leading to all her expenses and use of items filed as "business expenses" to not eligible to be covered as business as well. -Since no documentation for Billies "work", it could be seen as a luxury personal expense (such as sugar babies being paid by their sugar daddies) -cannot have any collaborators (other big YTers) travel expenses covered unless he kept all the plane ticket receipts w/ proof that they were flown out for reasons directly related to his YT "business" -a video of him and the collaborator(s) is not legitamite evidence enough, bc it does not prove they were not there (or flown out) as friends for personal reasons, such as a friend in vlogs (& YTers don't deduct their expenses from their taxes) or hobby (such as Lainy is not paid a prectage of every vid of gregs shes in) -could say maybe they're (unpaid?) actors (depending on state, some sign up w/ actors guild is required, some not) but would still have to show evidence of receipts, documented AT THE TIME PERIOD (not years later) of exact days/hours worked (also with time items they used i.e. beds, 2nd house) but that's really a big maybe -this nigga can't file shit for any of his fake employees (jailbait) & YT ex-friends as business expenses on his taxes bc he has no documentation & are illegitimate

[the-coconut-asado]

‘FRISCO FOOD DECODED

There are times – desperate, self-loathing times - when Starbucks can be your best friend. San Francisco at 5.30am is one of those times.

When you sleep the sleep of the terminally insane after an eleven-hour flight, and the only thing that will stop the spiteful, insistent pumping in your head is a flat white and a toasted bagel, the Green Machine on Grant Street delivers when all around it are resolutely shut until way after sunrise.

Are you going to San Francisco? If so, you will need to plan your food because ‘Friscans breakfast late and dine early. Like, 5PM early. The rest of the time, many a working San Franciscan can be seen gliding purposefully, some on rollerblades, most in smart-casual, clutching their macrobiotic lunch boxes on their way to their fintech start-up/angel investor / power spin at Soul Cycle. All pencil slender, glowingly healthy slaves to the algorithm.  

After 9PM, when most of Europe and all of South America is just getting started, no one seems interested in rustling you up something tasty. Some restaurants start managing you out of the door after 8 in the evening. Room service grinds to a similar halt and good luck trying a delivery app if you don’t have a US phone. One evening recently, rabid with hunger after a full day at work and a lengthy late workout, the lady in my hotel reception took pity on me and surreptitiously shunted me a note with the name of a local pizza takeaway, which delivered until 2AM. The pizza was delicious – mushroom and feta on a crisp, sourdough crust – but I am sure I detected a hint of New York, not SF, sass when I made the phone order.

However, when you do succeed in squeezing your food into a 9-5 window, it’s worth the time management. I have my personal favourites, and there isn’t a spoonful of spirulina among them. Here are my top five:

Mr Holmes Bakehouse

If you spot badgers as a pastime, then you have the skills to catch Mr Holmes in the few hours they are open. To be fair, this Mr Holmes is an outpost of the Los Angeles original and their tiny premises serve up unctuous, matcha-iced croissants, doughnuts filled with chilli-lime crème pat and more, between 7AM and 2PM. Maybe go a little later if you are on your own: it’s more lower Nob Hill than Tenderloin  - the epicentre of the City’s crack problem -  but it still doesn’t feel like the safest district to walk around before daybreak.

Chinatown – Old and New

Aside from Sydney, no one does Chinatown like San Francisco. My first experience of it was eating Dim Sum at the City View Restaurant (which, by the way, has no view, of the City or otherwise). We went in intending to order sensibly. Half an hour later we’d gone rogue, stuffing succulent Duck Gyoza into our mouths like Animal the muppet. Newer to the area, China Live on Broadway is a multi-layered emporium of bistro, fine dining and shop. It’s also opposite that 50’s style homage to Psycho, the Royal Pacific Motel, which I intend to stay in someday just for the Instagram creds.

 Not something I normally say about a Chinese restaurant, China Live serves a number of delicious vegetarian dishes.  These include red dumplings stuffed with scallops and peas, together with some imaginative fish and seafood, heroing the Dungeness Crab (seems to be a thing in this City). 

The shop also sold a work of art masquerading as a frying pan which I have been tearing my hair out trying to track down online ever since.

The Food Trucks near Battery Street

If you like Viet, Thai, Indonesian or Malaysian food, then google map these trucks on a Wednesday. The tastiest of them all is The Chairman, serving baked or steamed Bao. Too cool to make an obvious pun of their name and speciality, they let you do the math. 

Their crispy pork belly baked Bao is like a luxe burger and the bao chips with seaweed salt (basically deep-fried wonton wrappers) are the fries you never knew you needed.

Boudin’s Sourdough Factory

Yes, it’s by Fisherman’s Wharf, yes, it’s a tourist trap, but damn it! I love their chewy sourdough. Hollowed out and filled with New England Clam Chowder and a basil and cucumber cocktail on the side, thank you please. I used to be able to buy a loaf at the airport in departures, and it was still tasty when toasted a week later in London.

Contigo

In need of some sophistication? Poor you! Well, rich you if you fancy heading to this delicious riff on a Spanish Tapas kitchen in the Castro District. Some lovely vegetarian options, but my hands down favourite dish was their beef cheeks. Not on the menu now as we head into summer, but their current menu is sporting some pretty compelling mechouli lamb.

Wherever you choose to leave your heart, honeymoon or get drunk in San Fran (all genuine songs about the City), try out any or all of these three nods to its cuisine. And eat them at whatever time of day you like.

Clam Sourdough Crostini

It’s the texture of Sourdough that I think is so wonderful – and the way it sponges up the juices of whatever you are cooking. This little number, inspired by a recipe from Harts in Brooklyn, could be served equally well without the clam shells, but the end result wouldn’t look as pretty and scooping out the clam meat at the table at the table is part of the fun. Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. Olive oil

50g diced pancetta or lardons

4 garlic cloves, 2 sliced 2 left whole

2 banana shallots, finely chopped

½ a fennel bulb, chopped

2 strips lemon zest

1 bay leaf

½ tsp. ground fennel (or smash fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar)

1 glass dry white wine

500g clams

1 tsp chilli flakes

Small bunch parsley, torn

Drizzle of single cream (optional)

2-3 thick slices ideally San Francsico sourdough

How to Make

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan.  Add pancetta or lardons and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp (around 3-4 mins). Add sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden.  

Reduce heat and add the shopped shallots and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and onion is translucent. Add lemon zest, bay leaf, ground fennel, ½ cup wine and a pinch of salt. Increase heat, stirring occasionally, until wine is mostly reduced but mixture is still reasonably fluid (this should take about 2-3 minutes). Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; discard lemon zest and bay leaf.

Wipe out the frying pan and pop back on the heat. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil until sizzling. Add sourdough slices and griddle golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen towels, then cut 1 garlic clove in half and rub one side of each toast with cut side of garlic.

Back to the frying pan for one last time and heat 1 tbsp. oil.   Crush the remaining garlic clove and add to the oil, stirring, until it begins to turn golden. Add clams, the pancetta/ garlic mix and remaining ½ cup wine. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half and clams are open (discard any that do not open), which should take 5–7 minutes. Add a drizzle of cream if desired, together with the chilli flakes and parsley and cook 1 minute longer. Taste and season with kosher salt and more chilli flakes.

Place fried bread on plates and spoon clam mixture and cooking broth over. Drizzle with oil and serve.

Pork Belly Bao

Like I said, food orgasm meets coma once you have eaten a Mr Chairman Bao. Here is my version, using a marinade mix for the pork from China Doll in Sydney.

Makes 10 bao.

Ingredients:

For the Bao dough:

250g plain flour

2 tsp dry active yeast

1 tbsp. Caster sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

100ml tepid water

50ml milk

1 tbsp. sunflower oil

Chopped spring onions and coriander to serve.

For the char siu pork

2 tbsp. sunflower oil

1kilo pork belly, no rind and cut into thick slices

2 tbsp each   dark muscovado and 2 tbsp. light brown sugar

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Small piece of ginger, sliced

2 star anise

80 ml hoi sin sauce

100 ml Shaoxing wine

2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

100 ml water

¼ tsp five spice powder

Kosher salt and black pepper.

How to make

First, prepare the pork (you can do this ahead and re-heat).

Heat the oven to 160C, or Gas 3.

Season the pork belly generously, heat the oil and brown the pork in a large pot, in batches. Drain and put to one side.

Mix the hoi sin, Shaoxing wine and dark soy sauce in a jug. Drain the saucepan of oil, then put back on the heat, add the sugar and a little water, and watch closely until it starts to turn to caramel. Working quickly, add the chopped garlic, ginger and star anise, stir then add the soy, Shaoxing and hoi sin mix. Add the pork back to the pan, stir to coat, then add the water and the five-spice powder. Cover and pop into the oven for about 1.5 hours.

Take the pot out of the oven and remove the lid (take care to use oven gloves - don’t forget the lid is hot too). Put it on a hob ring and turn the heat up medium/ high, then stir the pork belly while the sauce bubbles down to a sticky mess. Cover and leave to one side.

If you want everything to be ready at the same time, start making the buns while the pork is in the oven. Tip the flour and sugar into a large mixing bowl, preferably in a free-standing mixer with a dough hook. Add the yeast to one side of the flour and the salt to the other (mixing the salt and yeast too soon prevents the yeast from activating). Then add the water, milk and oil and mix with a dough hook for about 10 minutes, until the mix is smooth and elastic.

Pop the ball of dough into a greased bowl, cover and leave for an hour in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

After an hour, tip the dough onto a floured board, and roll it into a sausage, then cut it into 10 equal portions. Have some squares of baking parchment cut and ready on a lightly oiled baking tray or two. Roll each portion of dough into an oval, lightly oil the flat surface, then lay a greased chopstick across it. 

Flip one side of the dough over the chopstick so you end up with a half-moon shape, then slide the chopstick out and lay the bun on a square of baking parchment. Repeat with the other 9 portions.

Leave the buns, lightly covered, to rise for another hour.

Heat the water in your steamer, and when coming to a rolling boil, add the buns (as many as will fit at a time) cover and steam for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

If you cooked the pork much earlier, reheat by adding a cup of water to loosen up the sticky caramel mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate or board and slice up or shred. Chop the spring onions (green stalks included) and roughly chop the coriander.

Spit each bun, fill with sliced/ shredded pork, add some spring onions and coriander and serve.

Turmeric Cake

I have never eaten this in ‘Frisco, but I feel that I should have. It’s almost vegan (properly vegan if you swap the milk for almond milk), has the anti-inflammatory rhizome-du- jour, turmeric, as it’s hero ingredient, and has the taste and texture of a light fudge. This is originally a Syrian delicacy and you can find a version in the Almond Bar cookbook. They also sell a delicious version at Café Pera in Twickenham, which uses coconut oil as its fat. It is a combination of the two on which my recipe is based. Serves 10-12.

Ingredients:

440g fine semolina

100g chickpea flour

60g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated

250g coconut oil, melted then cooled.

385g unrefined caster sugar

375 milk or almond milk

2 tbsp. tahini

1 tsp vanilla essence

Whole blanched almonds, toasted.

How to make

Preheat the oven to 190C/ Gas mark 6.

Rub tahini over the base and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin and put to one side.

Combine the flour, chickpea flour, semolina and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, milk, grated turmeric and 60ml water and whisk together. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth and golden yellow.

Pour the cake mix into the prepared tin and top with the lightly toasted whole almonds. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake turns a golden brown, then remove from the oven and leave in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to a serving plate.

This tin will keep in a tin or wrapped in clingfilm for a week.

[andsotheadventurebeginsblog]

Slaying Demons on the Autumn 100.

I sit here 5 days after completing the biggest physical challenge of my life to date with sore shins, suspected stress fractures, and a totally renewed sense of calm. I did it. I ran 100 miles in under 24 hours.

The night before the race I meet up with Dave, who is glorious, and we go and get some dinner and drink way more wine than any real athlete would even consider healthy. I feel calm. Nervous but calm. Tomorrow I do the thing I love doing the best. After fractured sleep we get up, eat and get to the village hall where the race goes out from. There are a LOT of men here. A lot. There are many people I admire, there are women that have run literally hundreds of 100 mile races, there are men who have done it in under 14 hours there are ultra legends and there is me.

Me standing here in a semi trance, feeling sick and feeling excited and unable to worry about my broken mental state because I have to achieve this. I get my number from Lou - a friend of mine from the online running group I am a part of. She is wonderful and gives me a hug and tells me how excited she is for me. I tell her I’m scared. Because I am. Then at 10.10am on Saturday the 21st October I take the first steps on a 200,000 step journey to running 100 miles. I chat to people, I try and hold my nerve and keep it slow. The pack thins out and it’s very slippery underfoot. My legs feel heavy and I realise I am not enjoying this at all. It’s fairly lonely on these runs. You get people that want to chat and people that definitely don’t. At the first aid station I meet Dan Barrett - he’s so lovely and kind to me. I wonder why. We’ve only met a few times. After 12 miles I bump into someone I met running Bournemouth Marathon - he remembers me - we exchange pleasantries and on I go. I’m really not feeling this today. I am 13 miles in and bored and already tired. This doesn’t bode well.

I get to the 25 mile mark in 5 hours. All on time. All as planned. I didn’t like that leg. I get my drop bag and get changed into a new long sleeve top and have a couple of sandwiches. I feel tired and slightly out of it. I feel a bit hopeless and lost. I get confused as to what I need and what I don’t. I try and do the change over as fast as possible and get out for the second leg. I leave my mobile charger and battery pack in my drop bag. I am an idiot. I am not strategising. It seems like SUCH a long way. I have 75 miles to go and I feel rubbish.

I get my headphones out and put on a podcast. The second leg is better - more forest and the ridgeway is beautiful. Theres technical paths weaving through forests and Kites soar over the fields. These are the trails I love - I feel like I am finally starting to get into my stride, but Storm Brian is on his way and he brings rain and 50mph wind that squalls across the open fields and makes the trails into wet wind tunnels. I nearly get blown over a couple of times but I feel stronger. I have fuelled properly. I love sandwiches. At the 37 mile turnaround point are kids in halloween costumes helping with water. They remind me of my nieces and nephews and make me smile. For the first time I know I will finish this. I’m on the way back. The way back to Goring village hall, to my beloved sister who is pacing me for the next 25 miles. It’s getting dark, I get my head torch out but the route is fraught with obstacles in the shape or tree roots and holes and I fall over twice - once into a patch of stinging nettles - once in a puddle. Classy. My phone runs out of battery. No music. My watch is dying - no mileage or time. I manage to catch up with the guy in front about 3 miles from the halfway point and we chat - he’s lovely and time flies by.

The village hall comes into view - another 5 hour leg. Right on time. And I see my mum and her husband and my sister and three of my best friends who have come to surprise me from London. I double take. WTF. What the hell are they doing here?! I am overwhelmed with love and joy but I don't think it shows. I am in a trance like state. They have come all the way from London to see me for nothing more than a few minutes as I hastily try and get changed and get nutrition sorted. That’s amazing. I can’t tell them how much it means to me. It’s so above and beyond I can’t fathom it. My mum looks a bit worried - my sister is very excited. My friends are warm and cuddly and drunk and I love them. I get changed, I get a hot meal I say thank you and then me and my sister are out, back out into the night. It is 8.20pm. I have been running for 10 hours and I have run 50 miles.

I’m walking as fast as I can trying to guzzle down my dehydrated pasta meal, trying to ignore the tell tale warnings my legs are giving me that I’ve run a long way. I have done this part of the route before. But in the daytime. Night is a totally different game. The ridgeway is exposed and it’s so windy and pitch black. The light from my head torch confuses me.  We are running head on into the wind and it’s soul destroying. My sister is brilliant - she has fresh legs and bags of enthusiasm and I feel bad I can’t keep up with her. I am stuffing my face with as much food as I can but I’ve started to feel sick and tired. And then come the hallucinations. I can see people laying by the side of the road in the foetal position. My sister comments on the beautiful horizon. The beautiful horizon is actually a fence. I dodge things crossing the path in front of me - but there is nothing crossing the path in front of me. We get to an aid station at the top of a hill. It’s in a Luton Van because otherwise it would just blow away. I get coffee and snacks and a cuddle from Lou - plus the personal goodie bag she’s prepped for me that includes the all important mini bottle of jagermeister (I am a pro athlete). 4 Miles til turn around point so we press on - my sister is talking to me about everything and anything. We listen to music and start talking utter nonsense. Then we see the turnaround point adorned in lights but we can’t work out if we’re hallucinating or it’s real. Its 11pm. We are knackered.

A quick coffee then back down the ridgeway with the wind at our backs - it’s like a totally different night. The wind makes all the difference and now the stars are out and its very beautiful. We listen to Foo Fighters. We sing along. We’re trying to stay awake and running. We come across a huge puddle. This wasn’t here on the way out. Shit. We’ve gone the wrong way. It’s so dark and so hard to work out where we are. We retrace our steps and get back on track - we lose about 15 mins but I am determined to get back to the village hall. If I can get back there I can do the final leg. We come in at 2.45am. The last leg has taken 6 and a half hours. I have now run 75 miles.

I hug my sister and send her on her way back to my hotel to sleep. It’s now that I pick up my final pacer Lee. Lee’s pretty experienced when it comes to these huge distances and I trust him implicitly. He knows I am knackered. He knows I am confused and does his best to help as I grab my newly charged watch and some food and spare batteries and get changed for the 4th time. We set out along the Thames Path to Reading at an OK pace but now my legs have started to hurt. My shins are burning. I take some codeine and try and get through it. Lee is a dream and a nightmare. In doing his job as pacer, he becomes the single most important and annoying person in my life. He is making me eat. He is making me drink. I don't want to eat. I get pretty angry with him but he’s having none of it. I eat sandwiches, I drink water and coffee. We keep pushing forward. We’re breaking it up by running and walking but the walking breaks are getting longer and longer and I know I have to keep a 14 min mile pace to break 24 hours. We get to the aid station, quick turnaround and then back out into the dark only to find another aid station a mile down the course. Hang on. It’s the same aid station. We’ve come round in a fucking circle. How the fuck have we done that? Nevermind, on we go. Lee is so chirpy, shouting encouragement at the other runners who say nothing back or just grunt. I imagine they would punch him if they had the energy. It’s 4am and I am running through Reading. I am talking to the swans and ducks, I’m telling Lee his music choices are shit. And then we get to the turnaround point. It’s up some stairs. SOME STAIRS.

I grab a load of fruit and eat about 7 pieces of watermelon - the sugar and gels are making me feel terrible and I am just craving fruit. We head back out. We head back to the village hall for the last time. Its is not about 6am. Birds have started to sing and the end is in sight. Lee is doing a great job of working out times and how fast we need to go to make it sub 24. He keeps telling me I am 10th woman but I don’t care. I just want to finish. Then at about 7am it happens - the sky breaks and the sun begins to come up. It’s another day. I have to finish. I am in a lot of pain and Lee is still making me eat. We are walking and running and walking and running and I am using Lee’s poles because my legs hurt so much. We get the the aid station 4 miles from home. We zip in and out. I am on the way home.

The last 4 miles were such a mix of emotion. I knew I was going to do it,  and everything hurt. My skin hurt. My eyes hurt. My legs hurt. I was very quiet but inside my head was raging. I had a little cry. I walked on ahead of Lee and had a little cry, I think with tiredness more than anything else. Those miles dragged and dragged and everyone we met along the way - the early morning fishermen and the people walking their dogs had a different distance to tell us… “Just 3 miles left” “it’s only a mile!” ARGH!

The one thing I won’t ever forget though, is the feeling that I had beaten the Demon. The Demon that tells me I am not good enough and riots through my head an stomach. That fucking Demon was beaten. Of course there are others in there but the big one was gone and I know I can beat them. I realised the extent of what I had done 3 miles from the end. I am strong. I can keep going physically and mentally.

When I came into the hall and saw my mum, when my sister ran down the last part of the path to meet me, when I saw how proud they all were of me, the Demon was beaten. 100 miles. 23hours 35 minutes. The Demon was beaten.

I am so happy to finish. I am so happy. My adrenaline is high and I pose for the pictures and get undressed and everyone helps me and I am so glad, and I put on my one piece and I step outside. I am shaking and I have to sit down because I think I might be sick. My mum comes with my things and puts me in the car like a baby. She helps me upstairs at the hotel and I just get in bed and curl up, all grubby and sweaty. I find a note form my sister which tells me how proud she is. It makes me cry so much because I love her so much and I am so proud of her.

I just want to sign this off with a thank you to everyone that helped me on this particular journey - my Mum and her husband Jim for their unwavering support. My sister, Janey Wise for her support and pacing and being the best friend and biggest inspiration I could ever ask for. The wonderful David Harvey for his time and patience and training and being brilliant (#withyoueverystep). Lee Stuart-Evans for his advice and pacing and force feeding of an angry toad (me). Tom, Abi, Amy and Lauren for trekking out to see me for 2 mins on a cold October night - thank you, I love you. Lou and Dan from the BBR group - thanks for all your support and encouragement at the aid stations.

This story does not end here.

TBC

[liziworldthing-blog]

1/6/17

I arrived at Baiyun airport about 2am on Friday morning, it took me over 24 hours to get here due to me wanting cheap ticket and also flight getting cancelled due to lots of smog in Beijing. I also had to pick up my luggages from Beijing and re-check in. It was really difficult to get from Terminal to Terminal to catch my rescheduled flight with two luggages. A mid-age man took my luggage and started walking me to my terminal. I was touched and thought he worked at the airport. However, after I reached my terminal, he asked for 20 dollars, stupid me was taken by surprise and asked “dollars or RMB?”, I was soooo tired. Later I realized, no matter what his answer was, it should have been RMB. I would never forget this encounter because I realize even if I am not at my 100%, I need to remain alert and clear-headed to do well in China. Ms Lin who I know from childhood picked me up from the airport with her husband and my dad and drove home.

The next morning, me and dad came to a dimsum place across the street to make sure I turn in my sexual harassment certificate for work (it’s very noisy although free wifi), I also contacted Martina to schedule for weekly check-in. Hopefully it all turns out ok and I don’t have to explain that I am in China. Later, we went to get a sim card for me, in China, you need a resident card/or passport to open one. $50 for 2G which is not bad, there’s also what is called an “idle hour” where some company offer extra data for hours used after 11pm. Researching for the best deal is prominent in china, we spent over an hour trying to find the best deal between mobile shops that are only a block away from each other. Attitudes of the servers are really bad and they would not disclose all the information, so it is up to someone to be inquisitive. Later, I was walking and twisted my ankle and didn’t think much about it and went to curl my hair at a local salon (from referral of the glasses place). They spent 3 hours on my hair and I intent to return to dye my hair the next day.

Dad and I scheduled to have dinner with mom’s best friend and her family at a fancy Chinese place. Very good food and super clean. They shared their trip in U.S with me very excitedly, and then we got on the topic of “what can Chinese residents invest in?”. According to her, policy can change within a day so it’s important to be extremely flexible. Stock market in china is shit and real estate policy changing all the time is making it a very volatile market. There were policies in which control people from buying too much, for example, if your first house is not paid off, you need to put 70% as down payment for your second house. Later, the real estate sank so the government revised it to 30%. These policies are all implemented within couple years. Also retirement age has suddenly extended from age 55 to 65 with no incremental steps (this is how we lead to investment).  Later, they saw that I was crippled and went to the hospital with me. It’s a specialty hospital for bones, anything after closing time is considered Emergency. I pretended to be their daughter and used their healthcare. Employer healthcare works as a % of salary, so the daughter has about $300 every month to be reimbursed towards healthcare. Scan was about a couple hundred and exam was about $70. It’s open work space for the doctors, then they exam and write notes. However, everyone can access them, so sometimes people cut in line or put their medical papers on their desk so they would see them first. They sent me to get an X-ray, radiologist was rude and asked me to “put whatever hurts onto the table”. Devices were outdated and dirty. Afterwards, the doctor looks at the scan and prescribe. Sometimes, you can request them to prescribe you certain medicine. Interesting Chinese healthcare system experience.

1/9

I am on my way to Shanghai by taking the GaoTie (the fast train). Was told by He MingChong’s dad that he will be going to YiWu, which is a wholesaler paradise. However, he’s driving there which takes two days. He suggested that I take the train and spend time with Mabel in Shanghai and then meet up with him on the way back. Train takes only 8 hours.

Want to log some thoughts about yesterday’s meeting with Vidas CEO, he was explaining the idea he has for America. In china, most cabinet/kitchen models are showroom only with no storage in the back. In America, it’s the opposite. It’s like a cabinet supermarket. People go in to literally touch and feel the cabinets and then buy them to go. He explains that it Is backwards and can cause strains to cashflow due to storage fees and cabinets that aren’t sold for a long time. However, he cannot enter the SF market abruptly and ignoring the way of doing things right now. In America, most Chinese Americans rely on their ShiFu (the ones doing the manual work for the furnishing) and pick their furniture piece by piece – so he is looking for partners. His goal is to work with design consulting companies and have them work with Vidas designers. He wants to provide team services to high end customers who wants to customize their kitchen. I didn’t learn much about business, but I did learn some customs of talking business in China. You take them out for food, order expensive dishes, and then take them to your territory, and you “drink tea”. Drink tea is so prominent, even when I am at someone’s house, we are constantly being poured tea. Vidas CEO was very soft spoken and attentive, which is good to know that you don’t need to be aggressive to do business in China. However, when I asked about how he started, he was very hesitant. And just repeated the mission of Vidas. I guess giving very little information to others is a skill of its own- so is repetition to drive home the point when you have nothing else to talk about.

Wechat is a big thing in china. You use it to pay, use it to order tickets, and it’s linked to your bank account. So when I tried to buy tickets, I wasn’t able to do so, and had to ask someone. The train station itself is also very complicated, would need an hour of buffer time. There’s restaurants on the train and security check in for bags. It’s almost Chinese new year in china, which means lots of stealing because lots of non-mainlanders are trying to bring something back home. I was told not to sleep on the 8 hour train!

I went to visit He MingChong’s house. Real estate is another big thing in China. My dad told the story of how we were about to immigrate, so was gonna sell the house for 200k, however, now it’s worth over 2 million. The house He MingChong bought in 2005 was one million, now it’s 10 million. It’s a 3 story house in Pang Yu. Then we drove to ShunDe to eat fish. They catch the fish from the pond and slice them and hot pot it. We also went to a restaurant with Monogolian Bao, and bought some lamb skewers which were very good. You can see plenty of mountains running through China on the train, it’s quite untouched and pretty.

1/11/17

Bought my last minute ticket to Shanghai and took a 8 hour train ride and arrived at Shanghai. Mabel picked me up and we went for a dinner at a fusion Hongkongnese place in a fancy mall. I ordered an angel hair pasta and she ordered a duck risotto. Then we went to her place which is next to the Xing Hai Music school. Her neighbor is applying for the music school so you hear piano sometimes. Her place is small, but her room is quite tidy. We had good talks about life at night and about the despair we feel about the economy and guys in china. The next day, we had shanghai breakfast at a hole in the wall, and I sent her to her work at The Economist. I went to the famous temple and garden in Shanghai and took a walk next to the water and found a cute café to rest my feet. At night, we went into the wrong restaurant and had vegetarian food. We talked about her love life, and her fear of not liking it when she knows a guy likes her and that she can’t tell the difference between friendship and love.

I bid her goodbye at 7am this morning and took the train to Yi Wu, where I spent half the time resting my feet and half the other time browsing the wholesale goods. There are an incredible amount of merchandise from sporting goods (where I bought a pair of shoes) and accessories and toys, etc. There are 5 districts, I only had time for 2. Basic idea is you buy in bulk, sometimes small items wholesale at 1000 pc, and sometimes at a dozen. Drones can whole sale at 18 pcs, at 300rmb each. Later, I met up with He MingChong’s dad and his coworker, who has a stake in the company. He is running a second factory, where he shares his shares with his employees. We then went to visit the VP of a company who showed us the storage of bikes that he has in stock and went to eat dinner. Dinner conversations are good, and he is very knowledgable. Making “things” smart is a very common wish for the products, I guess tech is not caught up yet. Again, the reoccurring theme of service economy kept coming up. He was saying how with scooters, someone came to him and said he will change the batteries for the elderly using the disability mobiles. Also, it is confirmed that virtual business is no longer the hot market, and many are looking elsewhere. At night, I had talks with the dad and conversed about how everyone in Shanghai is a business man, but bc the environment in china doesn’t encourage it, everyone is trying to scam someone or escape tax.

1/14/17

First, I need to record about the last bits of the journey with He Ming Chong daddy’s journey. He was telling me about how from placing an order to getting a payment for an order usually takes up to 60 days. Between factories and factories, for example, if HeMingChong’s daddy gets an order from a client, they would start making the stuff without the client’s payment. However, in manufacturing, they would need to order from another manufacturer. Therefore, if the other manufacturer does not give them the stuff in time, they cannot turn over to the client. And even if they turn over the stuff to the client, the client would procrastinate in making the payment. (Bosses are happy when employees are able to drag it out in payment, perhaps due to cashflow?) Therefore, it’s extremely difficult for small manufacturers to function. Because they need to pay others to make stuff or spend money on making their own product, and then because the client doesn’t pay them yet, they might end up having to spend lots of time in the negatives. I asked what if the products malfunction, they say then the client will drag out the payment even longer. This is not a good practice, but it has been the standard of doing business in China.

The next day, I was able to get together ten-ish elementary school friends at Mann Café, a very cute, wooden furniture coffee place. The teacher also came. We had some conversations about what we are doing as a job. Some are doing design, some are doing 文工，some in marketing, some in event planning. There was this girl who wants to explore the world by going to Australia…however, I don’t think you can explore the world with a boyfriend. And also she did not plan on when yet, she just wants to “play”. I think that is a quite naïve and without purpose. At night, there was this other guy who joined us, he partnered with his ex-coworkers in opening a wig shop. Mostly retail model. A lot of the “bosses” in China have the same look. Slick black jacket, the habit of smoking, the low voice talking, the need to drink, the opening of the topics in a very casual way, the sit-back posture. Someone was telling me about how local Cantonese people are conservative compared to out of the province. The “foreigners” are more willing to take out a loan to start a business, whereas locals want to build a foundation and work a full time job to buy a house. However, once you buy a house, because the houses are so unaffordable, the chances of you doing other things are limited. Especially when the marriage age in china is so low. Your life is basically spent at one job, at one place, paying for one house, working for someone else’s dream at a very young age without having the options to explore. With millennials sharing the same type of “lifestyle” (eg. Only working at the same company for little more than a year), Chinese young working class have it very hard. I wonder where the young working classes look for inspirations? Foreign books? Foreign talk shows? What about their local resources. I went on a date with Wu Jiaoyang today at Grandma’s House at this shopping mall near my house, food was good and we chatted about her life at Chicago for two years, and how she wants to return. She studied Economy as a master student at Illinoise-Champagne. Same place that Jayson went for Psychology. She also informed me that personal statement business is popular, especially for students whose grades aren’t that good and family want to send them aboard to study, they won’t have the ability to write it themselves. If they contact some middle agency, it’s going to cost more. Later on, we went to a bookstore – I really enjoy the coffee shops here. Very nice.

1/24/17

I am at 海底捞 waiting for my number to be called, it’s been two hours. There are nails and snacks in front of the restaurant while you wait. I think it’s the service that people are buying in. I did something stupid earlier, when they led me in and gave me a table, it was a small table and I didn’t ask for a regular table for 6 people. I didn’t consider that there would be food and then there would be no space. I then later on asked for a bigger table, but they said there was none. Foreseeing consequences. I still need to work on it.

I went to Kayla’s wedding thing on 20th-23rd. It was quite a stressful time. Kerwin’s mom was the planner but was for some reason, very reluctant to share the logistics of the wedding – when asked, she would say just wait till rehearsal the next day. However, there was details that she was telling me that was unable to connect or don’t make sense. She was putting on a wedding that looks good on the surface but chaotic at the end. We didn’t have enough bridesmaid or groomsman until the very end. It was a very good looking wedding with traditional Chinese decorations and outfits. There were these VIP rooms that were filled with smokes and alcohol, guessing it was the government officials.

1/29/17

The next couple days when I come back, it was mostly seeing relatives. I also got to see my brother (elementary school friend) and his friends for the Escape Room and karaoke. It was lots of fun. The escape room wasn’t complicated or difficult, but it was just too many people and hard to get close to the clues. But it was huge and well decorated. My brother and his gf gave me a Pandora necklace, I was wayyy surprised. Even my blood related brother didn’t even care to do so. I went shopping with Auntie Jingjing the next day, and got a good idea of how much clothing costs here. I also went to play toy picking machine with another elementary school friend and got a lot of toys. I learned how to strategically pick toys. The business thoughts are less prominent now, I think I am a bit discouraged by the complication of doing business in China. I think I am also slowly discouraged by how troublesome Execly was, and limiting my imagination to very limited scope.

NOTES:

Shopping List for when I come back:

-couple bottles of wine and brand bag for Auntie Jing Jing and Bachong uncle

-running shoes for Brother and his gf

Ideas: dash cam, shoes, bras, university vlog