What’s your relationship with social media and your phone?

I was late to social media. An old high school friend convinced me to get on Facebook because “everyone was doing it”. She excitedly talked about how she reconnected with so many friends from school. Funnily, while I enjoyed high school because I was part of the theatre program, I wasn’t popular, didn’t consider myself amazing in any way, and the people that I had kept in touch with were the ones that counted as far as I was concerned.

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10 things I love about myself

I wish I could say that this list came easy for me, but alas it did not. I love this idea though! I got it from Gallantly Gal. You must do it, too. Then post it for the world to see! And no, you may not “balance” it out with a follow up post called “10 things I hate about myself”!

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Breaking bad Asian stereotypes

Battambang Bike tour, 2015
Sticky rice in bamboo, anyone? [Battambang, Cambodia, 2015]
First of all, as an Asian American living in Asia, this is an interesting (and dare I say, amusing) topic to investigate. I’ve been trying to understand why this is entertaining for me though. I guess because I have what I consider a more balanced view of stereotypes.

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Learning to be vulnerable in writing and life

“Do you ever have dark thoughts?”

My best friend from high school looked at me, paused, and then said, “Yes.”

I nodded. That’s all I needed to know.

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mae gnat house boat chiang mai

Reflecting on the windows I’ve known and loved

“Desirable views have a hint of mystery. We like to understand and enjoy what is happening around us, and to imagine that if we traveled from where we are into the unknown we would meet with pleasant surprises…” – Psychology Today

When we first arrived back to Thailand, the skies were muddy and grey. They didn’t possess white bright clouds that you wished you were rolling around in. This was late January.

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Can you cook Thai food?

Upon learning that I am half-Thai, folks want to know, “Can you cook Thai food?” When I was younger, the answer was no. As in why on God’s green and blue earth would I want to? My mom can cook wonderfully though, thank you.

As I got older, I became annoyed by my mom’s badgering.

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There’s nothing wrong with asking for help (and why concepts like greng jai need to die)

There’s a Thai word “greng jai” that has always annoyed me. It’s basically used to describe a person who doesn’t want to be an inconvenience to anyone. They don’t want to be a bother, and it’s supposed to be a positive trait. We have this same idea, too, in American culture, but I feel it does more harm than good.

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