I discovered my love for Popcorners in my last US trip in 2022. It was available in the office pantry and I had the Sweet and Salty flavour. Then I went back to the same pantry this year and I couldn’t find it anymore. I wasn’t able to find it in Sprouts too. I nearly forgot about it until I saw it in Google office pantry. Many thanks for my friend/ex-colleague Daniyal for inviting me for a lunch at his office. I had an office tour, tea and even snacks haul when I was visiting San Francisco as part of my personal vacation. 🙂 He told me I can get it from Costco but I don’t have Costco membership. He told me next time he will bring 3kg worth of Popcorners for me since I love it so much. Hahaha! Anyway, I managed to find it in Safeway in the end and I brought 4 big packs of Popcorners home. Feeling quite happy.

One of my favourite Korean YouTubers, Kieun Choi, also likes Popcorners too haha.

I have an interesting story in my hunt for Popcorners actually. After I went to visit Daniyal in the Spear Street office then I walked to Ferry Building to get my matcha latte from Blue Bottle Coffee. I don’t drink coffee but Blue Bottle Coffee is so ironic and I felt I should get something from there. I usually get hot chocolate but I wanted a change. In my effort for more changes, I opt for almond milk instead of normal whole milk. It’s not very nice so be warned – don’t pick almond milk when it comes to matcha latte. :/ Anyway, it is like 13 degrees Celsius and I somehow decided to drink iced matcha latte instead of hot. Then I took an Uber ride to Golden Gate Bridge and was quite pleased with myself for ordering the iced version. However, Golden Gate Bridge is quite cold. Folks who visit San Francisco before would know that the fog and temperature is usually the lowest in Golden Gate Bridge. Here I am – drinking iced matcha latte and walking on the bridge. Not exactly a wise choice but hey, it turned out to be a good choice because I was sweating on the bridge. Well, I was wearing my thin collar short sleeve shirt from Uniqlo (meant for Singapore weather), my baby blue cardigan from SPAO (my recent purchase from my Seoul business trip a few weeks back), my relatively new down jacket from The North Face and my new 100% cashmere scarf from Hermes. The cashmere scarf turns out to be too hot for the 11 to 13 degree Celsius weather on the bridge. I was basically sweating on my neck and arms. To be honest, I don’t think I will sweat without the Hermes scarf. Well, that proved to be very worthwhile purchase I guess. The iced matcha latte helped to keep me cool.

Then I stayed on to watch the sunset at the Golden Gate Bridge since I realised it is going to be sunset and it isn’t as crowded. Probably because it is much colder than usual or by SF standards and also a work day so less locals are there. The sunset in California is always very beautiful. The paddle pop sky is very pretty.

Then I decided to hunt for Popcorners since I have some time before going back to meet Gulabi for dinner. I originally wanted to take Uber to go there but I happened to see a bus at that time. So I decided to ask the driver if that’s the same bus that is going to the direction where Safeway is. Luckily I asked because it was the wrong direction. Lol. So I waited for the right bus and board it to go to Safeway. Unfortunately, I am supposed to alight before the bus goes into Golden Gate Park but I missed the stop so it went into the Golden Gate Park and exited it on the other end. I could have retrace back the route but it is quite dark and Golden Gate Park looks quite dark and scary. So I immediately went to find another Safeway that is slightly further but I can take another bus from the other side of the Golden Gate Park and avoid the dark and scary route of Golden Gate Park. When I reached the bus stop, I realised the bus I am taking is arriving much later. So I took the bus that came earlier and boarded it with everyone else in the same bus stop. The unfortunate part? I have to walk 6 streets/junctions before I can reach Safeway. Well, the roads are dark but since it is like the residential area, it doesn’t feel as scary. Furthermore, that area is relatively rich neighbourhood so it is unlikely to be dangerous. Scary – yes. Dangerous – no. Unfortunately it is a upslope route so that was a good workout since I haven’t been working out for some time. I’m still wearing the same Hermes scarf that is causing me to sweat earlier. However, the temperature has dropped and there is no sun to generate heat so it is actually quite cold. I’m thankful for the scarf at that time.

By the time I reached Safeway, it’s like close to 7pm. I managed to find my Popcorners at the store and it makes all these adventures pretty worth it haha.

It’s interesting how some stuff seems to be messed up at the start – like my “bad” decisions on the iced matcha latte or the missed bus stop for my bus ride to Safeway turned out to be a good decision in the end. Life is interesting, isn’t it?

Moving on to the next flight across the Pacific Ocean, I did manage to sleep a bit – maybe less than 2 hrs? I’m glad that I brought my CISSP practice test papers digitally too. It’s kind of a better use of time to study instead of watching shows, I guess? Well, I failed my previous CISSP exam and have to retake it. I really should study harder and spend much more time for it in my second attempt. Each exam attempt is not cheap… Well, things I have to do to stay employable lololol.

There were more turbulence in my second flight and it is making my stomach feeling a bit weird. Argh, it is still quite a long way to go.

I started watching Divorce Lawyer Shin on Netflix as well.

It’s a long, long journey to US from Singapore. I’m still on my first out of the 3 flights that I have to take. Well, I don’t like the long flight journey but I am ok to be in US. Well, I always go US for work so it’s kind of a “no choice but to fly there” kind of thing. It is also a privilege since most people don’t fly for work or even go to US for work. In my last 10 years of work, I have gone to US 4 times, China 1 time and South Korea 1 time. It’s definitely a privilege and blessing that I am happy to have no matter how much I may have complained about the flights.

I started watching 20 Century Girl korean movie on Netflix.

I’m quite bored on plane and I hope I can sleep more for my next flight across the Pacific Ocean…

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Well, for me, when life gives you lemon, I make lemon juice. At least it has vitamin C to combat illness and keep you healthy right?

Well, the next few weeks or maybe even months will be tough. Praying for good news and smooth recovery ahead.

I am glad that I have support from my friends and it is in times like this, I value the close friendships I have. I’m just trying to be as optimistic as I can now.

Anyway, I have to fly to US next week for work and also extending 1 week for personal vacation time in US. The positive side is that I won’t be alone most of the time so if anything happens to me, I will be taken care of. 🙂

I’m also pushing myself to the limits and entering the uncomfortable zone at work. I was chatting with one of my work mentors and he felt that I am going in the right direction. He told me to make sure that the conversation keeps flowing when you are talking to senior leadership. Prepare some stuff to present or talk about just to keep the conversation going. Do some research on the person you are going to talk to helps too. I’m going to try all these methods when I am in US next week. Hoping to push my career to the next level while balancing all other aspects of my life.

Sometimes I am quite amazed by my resilience. I wonder when I will meet someone who truly appreciate who I am and all the awesome aspects of myself haha. As well as not take me for granted after some time.

“Sometimes u jus hav to trust the planning u already did and jus go along.”

Something that one of my close friends told me yesterday after knowing all the shot I am going through right now. Yes, it’s shitty. I just have to remind myself to have more faith in myself.

I feel like I am currently having a stopover in my own country. I can’t really unpack all my luggage stuff and I still have to continue to pack my stuff for my US trip.

I’m glad that I didn’t buy too much stuff in my Seoul trip and the stuff I brought to Seoul can mostly be used in US. Well, except that I need to load up on richer moisturiser and stuff. I also need to change a bit of my clothing and bring more clothes for a longer trip. I probably will change the scarves I brought for my Seoul trip and opt for layering of clothes too. More basics for the more inner clothes which means brighter looking scarves. I’m going to apply what I learned from my Personal Colour test which I did back in Seoul. 😀

I also went to check on my eyesight and got a new pair of spectacles, on top of my new Gentle Monster spectacles which I am converting to sunglasses. I’m glowing up! Wheeeeee. All these along with my brand new hairstyle – okay, it is actually similar to my usual hairstyle.

Geck Keat is as saying that I looked slimmer now but I actually gained weight in Seoul. The weighing scale does not lie and my new formal pants got a bit tight now. Lol.

I better start exercising again. Lol.