Time skip it's now 2023

Dear diary, 

It's been awhile hasn't it. Well, many things happed, experienced a lot since my last entry. I'm currently in my parent's home. I wanted to focus on graduating, that's why I stopped everything and went full throttle on finishing my thesis, including not writing any diary entries. Despite all that effort on my thesis, it didn't meet my expectations. 

I think these few years has forced me to experience all kinds of uncomfortable things, things I thought wouldn't happen to me, happened. My dad got sick, relationship of 6 years ended, taking 4 years (and still counting) for my masters (which should've taken only 2 years), watch people graduate and get stable jobs getting on with their lives while I'm stuck here... those kind of uncomfortable things. A lot of realities were broken. 

 At the same time, although my mindset for these past few years were to not focus on the other things and pinhole vision on my thesis since that's all it matters at that time, I've experienced way more good things that I've ever had. Things that I've been wanting to do but didn't get the chance, relationships that I wanted to have but wasn't able to have, a kind of family dynamic that I thought wouldn't be possible (far from perfect but still this is great progress) 

Travelled round a country with someone who cares for me and who I care for. 

Went to a theme park with a friend group that I'm proud being with. 

Formed a group of multinational friends. 

Met and formed relationships with a bunch of different types of people (and felt truly cared for) 

(This can be taken as good or bad) Ended a long term relationship that was not good for both of us on hindsight. 

Finally get to catch up with more recent trends and technologies. 

Last but not least, lived with 3 cats! (Always wanted to have a cat as a pet! oh the cuddles)

Here are some photos during the Taiwan trip with my then partner. 

Some art experiment in an art village where people lie down and we're suppose to have this immersive experience? All I got was slight nausea and confusion unfortunately

Here are some compulsory photogenic photos

Art museum architecture

This house was engulfed by a tree, Taiwanese do be converting anything to a tourist spot. Abandoned train tracks? Abandoned buildings? Town overridden with cats? Tourist spot!!!

This is very meaningful to me, my partner at the time took me to her hometown, and she took me here. She explained her childhood at this rather grim town where things are always gray and wet.  It was raining very heavily at the time and this was a tiny StreetSide stall at an unassuming intersection. Here is one of the best stinky tofu I've ever tasted. It was cold and we were both drenched, the stall is on a really cracked pavement and the table and chairs were all wonky. But the owner was friendly, the tofu was warm, and being with her, holding hands, eating stinky tofu while smelling the roadside car exhaust, was just an amazing experience.