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Wednesday, April 26, 2023

MAR: Cooking, Asheville Trip, Sick (Again), Babysitting, Parents Visit

March was a pretty chill month. The whole household mostly recovered from all of our illnesses from last month and were able to spend most of the month in good condition. Just not me lol. I’ll get into that later.

The first weekend of the month, I went over to Alec’s house so that he could service my car. Even before I had that car incident in Feb, he had already agreed to change my brake pads. However, when my car was being serviced, they checked the whole car over and came back with a lot of updates needed such as replacing the drive belt, brake flush, and cabin air filter. Alec said that he could do all of those things, so we ordered the parts, and he spent a whole Saturday servicing my car.

To thank him for all of his hard work, I made him a meal, since he mentioned that it would be nice if I cooked for him every once in a while. I made a whole meal of recipes I found on Instagram lol.

I made Korean marinated eggs, Korean braised potatoes, and Asian cucumber salad. I made a bunch of side dishes lol.

Everything was pretty tasty! The Korean braised potatoes were too salty because even though I used less regular soy sauce than recommended instead of light soy sauce, so Alec rinsed the potatoes and cooked them again with the rest of the seasoning. It turned out a lot less salty!


The next Friday, Alec and I headed out to Asheville for the weekend. You can read about our trip here

When we came back home, Shelle had just left for her work trip in New York earlier that morning. It was just Kyle and I holding down the fort (aka Luna lol) for a day, since Shelle was coming back the next night.

I also became sick… again. I don’t know if it was because of the constantly changing weather during our Asheville trip or if I caught something from Luna from daycare, but I ended up with an upper respiratory virus. I woke up that Friday morning with a fever and had to take Dayquil to feel even remotely human. I had to go to urgent care to get prescribed antibiotics after a few days because it wasn’t getting any better.

That Saturday, Shelle and Kyle went out to dinner with some friends, so I babysat the moon for a few hours. We had a grand ol’ time watching Kpop music videos while I was doped up on Nyquil lol.

Earlier in the day, we had a mini photoshoot with all of her squishmallows. Brian stopped by the other day and dropped off his giant Pikachu squishmallow for Luna to play with, so I felt that it was important to document just how tiny she is with all of her squishmallows lol.

The parents and Brian came over the next weekend to hangout. Mom and dad had been out touring with their friends in Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore the previous month and hadn’t seen the moon for almost two months. This was torture for them lol. Luckily, Luna had become more accustomed to seeing strangers now that she was in daycare, so she no longer cried when she saw dad lol.

March went by pretty fast considering how much went down lol.

Friday, April 21, 2023

New Anime and Movies This Spring That I'm Excited For!

There are so many anime and movies I'm excited about this spring! I have been interested in My Love Story with Yamada-kun since last month when I saw the trailer! And I was surprised to see that Raeliana was adapted into an anime. Looks like we're going to see more webtoon adaptations in the future. 

And of COURSE I'm super excited for the new Spider-Man movie to come out in June! The first movie was SO GOOD and had a great soundtrack. I have super high expectations for the Spider-Verse!

Anime: 

  • I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too
  • Hell's Paradise
  • MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES
  • My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
  • Oshi no Ko
  • Summoned to Another World for a Second Time
  • Skip and Loafer
  • Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion
  • To Me, The One Who Loved You


Movies: 

  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Apr 5)
  • Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (Apr 20)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5)
  • Fast X (May 19)
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Jun 2)
  • The Flash (Jun 16)
  • Elemental (Jun 16)

Monday, April 17, 2023

Mini Reviews: Otherworldly Lord, I Love Farming, Hatsukoi Maze vol. 1

Title: Otherworldly Lord
Author: 来自远方
Chapters: 161 chapters + 3 extras
Publication: 2012
Summary from Novel Updates:

Looking at Archbishop Guangming holding up the scepter and yelling at him: "I want to destroy you on behalf of the sun", Song Mo picked up the bazooka...

Phew-bang!

The world is quiet.

Song Mo firmly believes that "in front of the cannon, all evil forces are paper tigers!" 

The butler wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, and Lord, it seems that we are the evil forces recognized by the entire continent ... 

4.5 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

This was HILARIOUS. Song Mo's shamelessness and ability to fool people made each chapter funnier than the next, especially when all of his subjects started becoming influenced by his shamelessness as well. 

The romance was also pretty funny because of their dynamics. I wasn't expecting to read any spicy scenes, but it turns out this was published over a decade ago, way before the great censorship lol.


Title: I Love Farming
Author: 拉棉花糖的兔子
Chapters: 109 chapters
Publication: 2018
Summary from Novel Updates:

When Cui Qichao’s ancient emperor blood awakened, he began to suppress the emperor’s instincts in various worlds…by crazily farming.

Yandi Shennong’s blood, quality farming guaranteed.

Cui Qichao: I love farming, farming makes me happy!

3 STARS - I LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

Going into this novel, I didn't know that it would be a slice of life genre, so it was a bit slow for me. However, Cui QiChao's interactions with his cat and his subjects kept me entertained enough to continue reading through the first arc. 

And I'm glad I did! There's humor, some action, and a really slow burn romance that really kept me interested, especially in the end! Not gonna lie, the ABO arc was my favorite because it was the funniest and best face slapping arc. Also, like most of QiChao's fans watching his livestream, I was always having the munchies reading this novel lol.


Title: Hatsukoi Maze vol. 1
Author: Yuzuki Komugi
Chapters: 8 chapters
Publication: 2020
Summary from Baka-Updates:

A stranger suddenly confesses to Kokoro in public, and having no experience in love, she ends up accepting. But who is this guy? Someone serious about sports couldn't be someone strange, right? A love at first sight relationship is about to begin!

3.5 STARS - I LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

They're so cute and fluffy that my gremlin heart can't handle it!

Friday, April 14, 2023

Weekly Haul 159

Went to two independent bookstores in Asheville and bought a couple of poetry books!

Call Me By My True Names by Thich Nhat Hanh

I Name Him Me by Ma Yan, translated by Stephen Nashef

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Asheville Trip

Friday, March 10:

  • Drove out that afternoon. It was around a four hour drive
  • Checked into hotel and walked around downtown to find a place for dinner
  • Went to a place that was okay. Can’t remember the name, but for some reason, they were super slow with serving our entries. Also, everything was super salty, even the beef tartare. Not the best place to start off the trip lol
  • Went to Asheville Chocolate Co. for dessert. Tried their hot chocolate and gelato
  • It was pretty cold and windy walking back to the hotel. We went through a wind tunnel at one point and almost got blown away!


Saturday, March 11:

  • Next morning, we got up a little late and went to the Asheville City Market, which was a block away from our hotel. It was a lot smaller than we expected with around 10-12 stalls open, but we got some great French pastries! I just remember the almond twists were DELICIOUS
  • Walked to a coffee shop nearby to get coffee and tea to wake us up, since we had a busy day planned ahead of us
  • Drove to the Biltmore Estate and explored Antler Hill Village & Winery
  • Ate lunch at one of the restaurants nearby. I got the chicken and waffles because it looked really good at the table next to us lol
  • After walking around a little more, we drove to the opposite side of the grounds to go to our 3 o’clock tour of the house
  • We had an hour before our tour, so we walked to the side to explore the Conservatory and the tulip gardens in front of it. Everything was so pretty and vibrant!
  • The house tour was a lot more crowded and intensive than I thought. It took longer than I was expecting, so we rested at the restaurants nearby before exploring all of the shops over in the area
  • Drove back to the hotel afterwards before resting a bit
  • Walked nearby to Strada Italiano that we passed by the night before and was interested in it because they had authentic Italian food. Even though it was packed, we were able to get a table for two without reservations!
  • We braved the cold to walk over to French Broad Chocolates to try their hot chocolate and compare it with Asheville Chocolate Co. we had the night before. For some reason, there was a really long line that extended outside the door! When we walked past the place the night before, there was no super long line! So we waited for a while for hot chocolate and some desserts. The panna cotta was delicious and refreshing after our heavy dinner lol.
  • Then we walked back to the hotel to recover from our food coma lol


Sunday, March 12:
  • It was sprinkling in the morning, so we drove to Grove Arcade to explore the area. It looked a lot bigger online than in actuality, so we explored the inside of the building pretty quickly
  • Since it stopped raining for the rest of the day, we walked around downtown and explored more areas. Unfortunately, a lot of stores were closed on Sunday’s, so we couldn’t go to a couple places like the gardening place Alec was excited about
  • We went to a cidery/meadery since I was interested in trying mead. It wasn’t that great; I actually preferred the ciders. For some reason, I thought mead would be sweeter lol
  • We tried two flights and got full off of liquids before walking over to High Climate Tea Company to try their tea tasting and having dinner over there. Unfortunately, they ran out of food for the day, but the tea tasting was awesome! The guy was super knowledgeable and friendly and had us try five or six different types of teas
  • Since they ran out of food, and we were still in the mood for noodles, we went to a ramen spot nearby called Itto Ramen & Japanese Tapas. It had a lot of great reviews, which weren’t a lie. The ramen WAS really good!

  • Monday, March 13:
  • Even though we were planning on getting pizza the next day to celebrate Pii Day, I was still craving pizza, so we ordered a pizza from Manicomio Pizza. We got the smokey artichoke pizza, and it was SO GOOD. I finished my half so quick lol
  • After that, we walked to Dobra Tea for to relax and kill time before our spa appointment at 3. I really liked how Dobra had a whole giant menu to explain all of their tea offerings, and even the specialty teas like mine came in a big pot to enjoy. No wonder the place was packed!
  • Then, we drove to Shoji Spa & Lodge for our reservations. We booked the Gedoku (Detoxify) package and was a 3 hour detoxifying package that started with a 30 minute massage chair session. Then, we went to another area with their Far-Infrared Heated Tatami Mat, which was super warm and relaxing. After that, we went to the Treetop Triple Far-Infrared Private Sauna for 35 minutes and then showered and went for a hot tub soak for 45 minutes in our own private, open-air tub house with a tea service on the side.
  • There was a lot happening, but after we went through everything, I realized that my parents house could also be its own spa/sauna treatment center, since they also own a massage chair, a sauna, and a giant bathtub lol. Next time we go, Alec and I discussed maybe just getting a massage and the hot tubs lol
  • After that, we had a little time left before our reservations at Limones at eight, so we chilled in our hotel for a bit before heading out again. We actually sat next to a couple we ran into at our hotel elevator for dinner. Small world lol. But dinner was delicious!
  • To finish off the day, we braved the cold again to get dessert at Old Europe Pastries, which we kept on walking past over the weekend. It was worth the wait because their tea and desserts were delicious!


Tuesday, March 14:

  • Since we were planning on eating lunch a little early, we walked around and got tea at a coffee shop nearby and explore some more places near Dobra Tea
  • After checking out, and to celebrate Pii Day, we drove to Standard Pizza Co. for our last meal in Asheville. The slices were huge! I loved it lol. We tried three different slices, and they were all really good!
  • Then, we drove home in time to see Kyle’s car leaving the neighborhood to pick up Luna from daycare lol.


All-in-all, a nice trip!

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Webnovel Review: Online Dating Girlfriend Turn Into Brother! by 折杉

Title: Online Dating Girlfriend Turn Into Brother!
Author: 折杉
Chapters: 85 chapters + 2 extras
Publication: 2019
Summary from Novel Updates:

Online dating has risks, you need to be cautious when meeting!

Since receiving 99 roses, Lin Dongyang knew that this matter couldn’t be done well.

“Senior sister… I like you”

Lin Dongyang was so frightened that he was confessed affectionately by the junior brother who he had never met. The reason: He was also a man, but the other party didn’t know!

Since then, Lin Dongyang has brainwashed the junior brother every day, popularized ‘top ten dangers of online dating’, and instructed the junior brother to give priority to his studies and be the socialist successors! Don’t keep thinking about falling in love!

As a result, the other party not only sent 99 roses, but also sent a super expensive dress and a woman’s bag!!

You think it’s over? No! It’s just the beginning.

When the junior brother asked him to meet, Lin Dongyang’s palms were sweating and his blood pressure was soaring, so he almost fainted. As he was unable to hold up, he confessed: “Actually… I’m a man, I’m sorry…”

There was silence on the other side’s WeChat for five minutes. Five minutes later, there was a ‘ding-dong’, and the junior brother said: Come and meet ba, brother

Lin Dongyang, who was called brother, felt a burst of weakness. He secretly poked and thought: He won’t want to hammer me, right! Guilty conscience MAX.

3.5 STARS - I LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

The beginning took a little bit to get into just because I wasn't used to the writing style and the roommates' way of interacting with each other. After I got used to it, I enjoyed the book enough to stay up until 3am one night lol. 

Lin Dongyang and Qiao Yichen's almost antagonistic behavior towards each other as they started getting along was pretty entertaining. The amount of dog food that they fed everyone after they got together was insanely sweet. Gotta love couples who COMMUNICATE! 

I guess that's why I was wondering when the other shoe would drop as the foreshadowing kept on growing with each chapter. Like, it was too sweet at times that I couldn't help doubting that everything was going to turn out okay. and when it finally did, everything happened so fast. 

My main complaint is that the ending was very rushed. The climax and resolution happened so quickly. You didn't feel bittersweet for too long, which was nice, because Lin Dongyang doesn't deserve it!

But I'm sad that there were no extras about the side characters! I want to know what happened to Lin Dongyang's roommates and Qiao Yichen's friend and sister!

Monday, April 3, 2023

Books I Want to Read This Month

Really haven't been doing well with reading physical books this year. Hopefully, I'll get to it sometime this month! 

  1. Wotakoi Love Is Hard for Otaku vol. 1 by Fujita
  2. Wotakoi Love Is Hard for Otaku vol. 2 by Fujita
  3. I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Se-hee
  4. All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
  5. Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol. 1 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
  6. Scum Villain's Self-Saving System vol. 2 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
  7. The Reaper and the Waiting by Jayessart
  8. Bailin and Li Yun by Jayessart
  9. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? vol. 15 by Fujino Omori
  10. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? vol. 16 by Fujino Omori
  11. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle Novel vol. 1 by Fujino Omori
  12. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle Novel vol. 2 by Fujino Omori 
  13. The Anatomy of Being by Shinji Moon
  14. Home Body by Rupi Kaur
  15. The Sun Will Rise & So Will We by Jennae Cecelia

Saturday, April 1, 2023

March in Retrospect

This month, I read a lot of manga and webtoons. I also spent like a whole weekend binging anime lol.

I read: 

  • The Devil Head Lay Flat After Rebirth by 孤独的兔子舞 
  • The First Love of the Protagonist of the Campus Novel by 林绵绵
  • Villainess in Love Season One by Haron Lee & R.su
  • Villainess in Love Season Two by Haron Lee & R.su
  • Villainess in Love Season Three by Haron Lee & R.su
  • The Tragedy of the Villainess by 꿀이흐르는
  • Dangerous Convenience Store Season One by 945
  • What to Do at Night by 백설홍
  • Things to Do During the Day by 백설홍
  • Dangerous Convenience Store Season Two by 945
  • Dangerous Convenience Store Season Three by 945
  • Love Meter 100% by Sagold
  • An Observation Record of my Fiancée - A Self-Proclaimed Villainess vol. 1 by Shiki & Natsume Hasumi
  • An Observation Record of my Fiancée - A Self-Proclaimed Villainess vol. 2 by Shiki & Natsume Hasumi
  • An Observation Record of my Fiancée - A Self-Proclaimed Villainess vol. 3 by Shiki & Natsume Hasumi
  • An Observation Record of my Fiancée - A Self-Proclaimed Villainess vol. 4 by Shiki & Natsume Hasumi
  • An Observation Record of my Fiancée - A Self-Proclaimed Villainess vol. 5 by Shiki & Natsume Hasumi
  • An Observation Record of my Fiancée - A Self-Proclaimed Villainess vol. 6 by Shiki & Natsume Hasumi
  • I'm an Opportunistic Princess In-Charge of Solving Things vol. 1 by Mamechoro & Yoneda Kazusa
  • I'm an Opportunistic Princess In-Charge of Solving Things vol. 2 by Mamechoro & Yoneda Kazusa
  • I'm an Opportunistic Princess In-Charge of Solving Things vol. 3 by Mamechoro & Yoneda Kazusa
  • I'm Not the Heroine by 林绵绵


I watched: 

  • Tower of God (2020)
  • Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (2023)
  • Chillin' in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King's Army (2023)
  • Handyman Saitou in Another World (2023)
  • The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (2023)
  • Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill (2023)
  • Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire (2023)
  • Tomo-chan Is a Girl! (2023)