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His Dream Was a Dynasty. Mine Was a Tiny House

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Today I had lunch with my high school friend—the only person from high school whom I have stayed in touch with all these years. Our lives could not be more different. Back in high school, he already had a driver and a car. I rode a bicycle that belonged to my brother and sister. His path seemed arranged from the very beginning: study hard, go abroad, obtain another nationality, marry someone from a similar wealthy family, and eventually start a business. My path was completely different. I had to work hard, study hard, and fight for every opportunity. After high school, I did not simply get to leave the country. I had to earn my way out. I worked for scholarships and eventually won one to pursue my master’s degree at HKU. Today, he told me that he wants to build a legacy—to create generations of wealth for his family. I listened to him and thought about my own dream. Mine is much smaller. I dream of having a tiny house, with a few dogs and cats, a peaceful life, and enou...
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New Year Resolution 2026

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As I step into 2026, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve saved enough to pay off my mortgage, which means I now have the freedom to walk away from corporate life—even if it means starting with empty hands. I’ve also managed to rent out both of my properties. It’s not much, but it’s a foundation. My next goal is to study in Europe. If I’m lucky enough to receive a scholarship, I’ll go. If not, I may remain in my small town longer than I hoped—but not without trying. I’m also aiming to obtain an additional bar license, either in Europe or New York. This is another reset, another final attempt before I choose a simpler farming life. Whatever happens, I’m choosing courage over comfort—again.
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Crush

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 Crush → Crushed, like a loser. I have shut down my heart and thrown the key into the ocean for at least the past ten years. However, after watching countless dramas and movies, I’ve been convinced that human beings need love to stay alive—or at least to feel alive. So I decided to give it a try, even though I don’t have much faith in men or in human beings in general. I think I’ve collected more trauma than memories. Many people said, “Your time will come,” and I kept wondering—when? how? who? All these years, it has just been me, myself, and I. I guess I have to do it all again: do it alone, do it sad, do it happy, do it tired, do it exhausted—because this is the life I chose from the start.
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P E A C E

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 I have to protect my peace at all cost! Sometime I do want to fall in love again but it will take me another life time to recover from another heartbroken.  But, Keanu Reeves once said, "If you're a lover, you gotta be a fighter, because if you don't fight for your love, what kind of love do you have?" But my peace is very my everything for the last 10 years - maybe, just maybe I will try not go give my all in.
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When Life Throws Spanners: A Mid-Career Reckoning

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 Today was one of  those  days. You know the kind – the ones that make you want to throw your hands up and scream into a pillow. I found myself in a heated argument, and if you recall my previous mentions of "Mr. A," well, let's just say it was with his better half. My love life, it seems, continues its streak of spectacular timing and complicated entanglements. It’s almost comical, if I weren’t the one living it. But that wasn’t the only storm cloud today. Our new boss, who is Indian, and I haven't exactly seen eye-to-eye since his first day. It feels like I’ve been here a thousand times before, navigating another toxic environment, dealing with the same old professional frustrations. For a while, I was genuinely upset, the kind of upset that sits heavy in your chest. Then, a moment of clarity. A quiet, albeit firm, internal voice reminded me of a crucial privilege: I can quit this job in six months. This realization didn't make the immediate situation pleasant, ...
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L I F E

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When I was young, around 7 to 10 years old, I always wondered why my sisters and other adults were always stressed, even though they had freedom and some money to do whatever they wanted. Once, my sister told me that when I got older, I would understand. I guess I took her words lightly. Now that I’m well into adulthood, I constantly feel stressed - whether it's from my demanding job, societal pressure, peer pressure, or family expectations. Most of the time, I feel like I can’t breathe. They say happiness is in your hands, you just have to choose it. I want to believe that, but it’s easier said than done. I try to fall in love with my life, but things keep dragging me down again and again. As human beings, how do we strengthen ourselves to fight all these external pressures? "If you’re not happy where you are now, you won’t be happy anywhere else." I take this to heart. I’ve started to enjoy my life a bit more—baby steps. I’ve begun to observe life around me: myself, ...
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April 06 205

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I’ve avoided talking about my baby dog, Aldo, crossing the rainbow bridge for the longest time, maybe because I haven’t healed, and maybe I never truly will. The hardest part of losing a pet is trying to explain the grief to people who don’t understand that pets are part of the family too. Some of my friends will never get it and some even laughed about it. That’s the sad reality of the world I live in. It breaks my heart that Aldo left me at a time when many of my friends are having their first, second, or even third babies. I’m not jealous, but I am very sad, and I cry often. I know putting him down was in his best interest. He was in so much pain—whining all night and day, pacing in cycles—clear signs that his time was near. He was 12 years old, a beautiful husky. I knew the end was close, so I took him to another vet, Happy Japan Clinic. They were very kind and told me he could live a bit longer if he continued taking painkillers for his weak hips. They also said his heart was stil...
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