October ‘24
at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Happy end of October! This month has felt extremely long, yet it also flew by so quickly.
In this October overview, I will discuss some of my wins, challenges, and things I’m very grateful for that happened this month. I’ll also share some exciting updates for November, so keep reading to find out more!
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the wins
This month, my biggest win was taking a workshop on how to manage my time better.
As a small business owner who constantly juggles multiple tasks, it can be pretty overwhelming to wear so many different hats at once.
I’ve struggled with time management and found myself too focused on one subject, which made it hard to narrow down what I truly needed to concentrate on. What may sound simple when written out can be difficult to visualize amid daily tasks.
That’s why it’s helpful to have everything laid out in front of you. Reviewing and adjusting plans, as well as cutting out unnecessary tasks, are vital skills I’ve learned over time and continue to develop.
I've started recording my time to identify activities that consume too much time and those that I should invest more energy in. At the end of each week, I review my hours to see what needs to change and work on improving.
Nothing is perfect, but it's all about finding your flow, you know?
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our adventures
A little highlight from our 3-year anniversary is that I decided to surprise Gabe with a map of our travels together!
While we don’t travel as frequently as some other couples, I truly appreciate the places we've visited together. Reflecting on how much we’ve explored over the years we’ve been together is sweet.
I thought this would be the perfect sentimental gift that we could look at together.
We can also use different pin colors to mark any bucket list destinations we want to visit in the future!
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donuts
Caroline’s Donuts
This month has been filled with donuts! During our visit to The Met Museum, we stopped by our favorite spot, Caroline’s Donuts, which was located in Bed-Stuy when we used to live there.
Unfortunately, we discovered that he had moved his shop to the Upper East Side! While we were sad, we were also moving away anyway.
Given that visiting The Met was quite a trek from our new home in Crown Heights (we're moving farther from the city each year, haha), we told the owner that we used to frequent his store back in Bed-Stuy. He was thrilled to hear that we made the long trip to visit him!
Kora
The second donut spot we tried isn’t even a storefront! It’s called Kora.
Gabe found this unique donut place in Queens that requires pre-orders because the donuts are made fresh. They only accept pre-orders on Saturdays, and you pick them up at a specific time and place since they don’t have their own shop yet.
We waited weeks to get on the list to buy the donuts. When we finally got them, we shared them with Brian and his girlfriend, and we all loved them!
They’re handmade Filipino-style donuts, and they taste amazing. I highly recommend trying them!
don’t they look so good?! 🤤
Fan Fan Donuts
The third donut shop is near our new place! We had previously ordered from Fan Fan Donuts while living in Bed-Stuy, but since we were finally going to visit Phil Cafe in person (instead of ordering from them for delivery), we decided to stop by Fan Fan Donuts, which is right next door.
After breakfast at Phil Cafe, we walked into Fan Fan Donuts, and the aroma was incredible. They had some fall and Halloween-themed donuts, so we ordered four since donuts are best enjoyed fresh.
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the challenges
struggling with heat & hugging Treasure
Recently, our apartment announced they were switching our wall AC unit to heat.
Although October can still be warm due to global warming, our southwest-facing apartment receives a lot of sunlight during the day, making it difficult to cope without AC— especially since I tend to heat up easily. 🥵
I’ve looked for solutions and found that there’s a potential bill in New York that might allow for later heating requirements rather than being set from October 1st to May 31st. This heating law was established when New York typically experienced extreme cold, but with climate change, October isn’t as chilly anymore, nor is May. So why do we still need the heater so quickly?
I'm frustrated because our apartment is new, and the law mandates that the heating system must be on.
However, during my 6+ years in New York, I never had to deal with this when I had my own wall AC or central air. It doesn’t make any sense!
I’ve read suggestions online, like using a bowl of water in front of a fan to create cold air, which I’m trying out now. We’ll see how that goes…
Maybe I’m just spoiled, but I believe we should be able to control our own AC and heating within our apartments. What do you think?
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gratitude
Each month, I write down what I’m grateful for. When I first started jotting down three things daily, I struggled to think of any! Now, I’m thankful for so many aspects of life. I appreciate having a strong and healthy body that allows me to enjoy life, the ability to breathe fresh air, and a roof over my head.
This month, I’m especially grateful for the cute weekend dates with my partner, Gabe. Each weekend, we make a point to do something special, like going on a double date with my brother and his girlfriend for delicious brunches or watching "Joker: Folie à Deux" — which caught me off guard!
We also visited the Met Museum, which I hadn’t been to since 2017.
I also had a great time catching up with my friend Justin after a while.
We tried a place called Nomad Tea Parlor in Manhattan, and it was fantastic! I enjoyed the yummiest lobster noodles (a blog post will be featured soon, I promise!).
Lastly, I’m incredibly grateful for the heartfelt moments I share with friends. Whether with old friends or new ones, deep conversations at the right moment are spectacular.
Being vulnerable and connecting with people on that level allows you to truly understand who they are and what their thoughts are.
It’s a wonderful experience, don’t you think?
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so, what’s up in November?
Alright! Here’s an exciting update for November: *drumroll, please!*
I'll be traveling to Taiwan and Vietnam next month!
This means I'll be posting at least once a week, as I'll be focused on discovering hidden gems in Taiwan for you all to explore on your next trip. If you're in Taiwan, even better, as it will be more convenient for you, haha. I also plan to write about Vietnam to introduce some cool spots there!
I want to focus on living in the moment and not get too anxious, which is something I tend to do often. It's important for me to enjoy everything happening in Taiwan and Vietnam!
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I can't wait to share my experiences with you next month.
Until next time! ʕ •ɷ•ʔฅ
What were your October highlights?
Share your experiences in the comments below.
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sneak peek into my life
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DISCOVER MORE
This retro Hong Kong-inspired spot serves up mouthwatering Cantonese classics like Lobster Yee Mein, alongside with unique cocktails like the Pineapple Cake!