Happy New Year 2026

Finally last day of 2025.... To be honest, this year really flew. A blink and we're already at the end of it. 

It was an uneventful year for me. I'd wish for it to be more excited and fun like last year, but uneventful year means nothing really bad happened. A boring year means all was good and manageable. And for that I'm grateful.

Work was busy but not overly busy. I actually felt this year was the best balanced year I've had in years. Work was busy, but not crazy. Home was stressful at times especially at the beginning of the year, but somehow i detached better later this year i think, so i could still keep my cool and not stressed out. I slept better too. And made peace with my diet progress, at least I'm not overly chubby, but I'm still watching what i eat, exercise and try not to stress. 

I became lazier though. So many diy projects i started but didn't finish. I only just finished the Sakura train yesterday coz my friend gave me that for bday and i felt obligated to finish it. It was easy too. 3 days done. 

I kept on learning Japanese with Duolingo. Currently on 384 days streak. I'm sure i still can't converse with Japanese, but at least I'm learning more vocabs and hopefully can catch up bits n pieces when i go there again. 

I watched lots of series, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and anime. The only hobby i keep on doing coz I'm too lazy to do anything else lol. 

In terms of friendships, there was an old colleague who reached out to me again after years. We met few times, but then her life got busy and i was tired to chase again and again. I'll let her decide what to do with it. But at this stage of my life, i really can't be bothered to put effort on relationships, coz it usually ends up to be a waste of time. 

When my boss told me i could bring a plus one to Xmas party, doesn't have to be husband or boyfriend, can also be sister or friends, I had The Business Proposal moment "I HAVE NO CHINGGUUUU" moment lol but it wasn't in the pity party mode, it was more like romantic comedy moment. So i guess I'm really okay with my situation now. I really don't understand why people like to post "I'm going to restaurant alone for dinner. That's okay right? ", man of course it's ok, why do you even need to ask? 

Threads was probably the number 1 app i used this year. I've always been annoyed with reels and shorts where i have to watch the whole thing slowly to get what it is all about. I really prefer to just skim the caption and see if it's relevant to me, but most reels don't have that. So threads is perfect for me. Lots of stories and i can skim to see if it's relevant to me before concentrating on it. 

I went to Indonesia again, with 1 of my sis. Jakarta and Bali. It was fun, tho Bali one was a bit disrupted due to my bestfriend's hubby sudden gallbladder. But it ended alright and well i got to stay in quite a few of different hotels in Bali. I pretty much booked hotel every other day back then due to the uncertainty lol but lots of interesting memories this time. 

We also went on a cruise to Moreton Island with our whole family and cousin's family. It was awful. I hated every minute of it and don't wanna get on it again. Prob until I'm damn old and just want to relax. But even then I'm not sure, sounds like going to Japan and just stay in hotel and go out to konbini appeals to me more than cruise. It was so boring. I didn't get the internet plan, expensive and i thought there's plenty to do, but no, there wasn't. Food was just pub quality and not that great. True i didn't pay extra. But i mean it was so underwhelming for me to the point i didn't wanna spend another cent coz i didn't believe it was gonna change it. 

Dad had small surgery. It was 1 night stay only, thank god it was only 1 day. It was already stressing me out. I couldn't fall asleep that night coz i worried of getting a phone call from hospital in the middle of the night like 3 years ago. Hope there's nothing like that ever again. 

I took a week off from work a month after cruise. It was supposed to be the original cruise date, but my cousin forgot she was going back to work that week. I didn't cancel the leave but instead went all over Sydney eating meals i usually can't go coz of work, and trying cakes at cafes. I thought it was gonna be boring, but actually it was fun. A week went by so quickly and i actually didn't get to eat all from my list. 

On my birthday i took a day off. I planned to go to the zoo ($2 bday ticket) but the weather was awful so i didn't end up going. My sis and I went to a cafe I've tried during my leave and i ordered the cakes i wanted to eat. Then went window shopping, used my bday vouchers and had Japanese BBQ lunch and shokupan Japanese/Thai desserts. Oh my IT colleagues actually called me on my mobile and sang me happy birthday. It was really sweet of them 😊

Lots of not so good things happened to people around me, be it money loss, or relationships issue or just too hectic of life. So I'm grateful for my non eventful year. 

Hopefully next year I'll be braver to face all challenges in life, more diligent. And hopefully life will be easy, peaceful but fun and enjoyable in 2026.

Happy New Year 2026.

Hospital Playlist

 Hospital Playlist is really good in warming our hearts, isn't it? 

 There's this scene when Chuchu fainted because of stomach cramp, then her professor that she's been crushing on for ages come running to visit her. She thought she was delirious and seeing things and broke down happy crying when she realised he really came. How nice it is to see someone you love coming to see you when you're sick. It reminds me when my bff was sick, her then bf came and dropped a bag of bread in front of her door. He just left them there and didn't come in. He didn't buy her the bread she liked, he didn't know her preferences back then, but it was still so sweet.

Then, the scene when Chae Song Hwa was down for all day after hearing her mum had Parkinsons. Just laid there all day and didn't want to do anything. Ikjun blocked her door and turned everyone who came to ask for her help away. Making sure she had all the time she need to be alone. Then when night came, only then he knocked on her door, bringing her food her intern gave and he also bought her the BBQ grill she wanted to get. She cheered up instantly. He knew her so well. I think...i know quite a lot of people so well, yet I don't think people know me well. Probably my fault, I let people know some pieces of me I want them to know, but not everything. What's the purpose anyway? At the end of the day, we're alone. When I have problem, the most they can do is respond to my text. If there's a time that they need to choose between me and someone else, they won't choose me.

Then there's this scene when Jaehak saw Junwan coming in. Jaehak was SO happy to see him, and his colleague noticed it too. He said, he's always happy to see Junwan. I thought, hmmmm must be nice to have someone who's always happy when they see me. But then I thought.... that stalker..... ew... ok no, nevermind. I'm good not having one LOL

1 thing I really wish I could have is the relationship between Rosa and Jong Su. Purely decades of friendships, they take care of each other and have fun together, teasing and scolding each other. I wished I have friendships like that when I'm old. Must be so nice.

I also envy the 5 of them doing band practice regularly. It's really fun to play music in a group. I only did ensemble during high school, but even that was fun!!

If I was asked to choose out of the guys in Hospital Playlist, I think I'd choose Jeong Won. He's the most attentive and perceptive. He also communicates well, he's not afraid to tell her girlfriend what he feels and willing to discuss about it. He gives space, but he also shows that he cares about her and acts on it. I woudn't need to do guessing game with him. Ikjun is fun, my days would definitely not boring with him. He's also perceptive. But I don't know, Ahn Jeong Won seems more assuring. Seokhyeong is calm, but too calm that he's a clam. Will definitely have lots of misunderstanding with him. And so far, he can't stand up to his mum. So Jeongwon it is.

 

My Life is Damn Boring, But At Least I Love Eating

I was thinking just now, what should I have for lunch tomorrow. Then I realised, my life is boring, but at least I look forward to my lunches. At least I love eating good food. It would be so sad if I had nothing to look forward too.

There was one time I had bad food poisoning. I was pooping out every thing I ate for 2 weeks. I had to eat plain congee, couldn't have anything else for 2 weeks. If I ate something heavier than those, ie a piece of biscuit, rice, a glass of soymilk, I would be running for toilet within 30 minutes.

 That was damnnnnnn sad... My life felt so plain. I thought, what if I have to eat like this for the rest of my life? I won't be happy for the rest of my life.

 Few weeks ago I had a week off. I spent that week trying out restaurants and cafes I never tried before. And also revisiting a food court I used to frequent back in uni. I had no other plans that week. My colleagues gave me confused looks when I told them my plan, but that plan was enough to keep me entertained and relaxed. That week went by soooo quickly, and I actually thought it wasn't enough.

 Human is weird isn't it? Or is it just me? 

My Ideal House

If I could choose, I'd want my house to be:

• Facing north.
• 2 stories.
• A stand alone house. If can't, then totally totally clearly separated duplex with fence separating us. 
• Have a bit of land I can grow maple tree and cherry/plum blossoms tree and crabapple tree.
• 4-5 bedrooms. 4 is ok, but extra 1 study would be nice.
• 1 bedroom with ensuite bathroom on the ground floor.
• 1 bedroom with ensuite on the 2nd floor for my sis.
• Decent size bedroom at the back of the 2nd floor for me.
• Plenty of storage.
• Decent size pool just for daily exercise. Not plunge pool but also not a big pool. Just enough.
• Shared bathroom with a bathtub, the rest just shower. All bathrooms compact size. I really can't get why people have huge bathrooms, such a waste of space. I prefer Japanese compact size bathrooms.
• Island in the kitchen.