doingsomereading

As the Holidays be approaching us, shoppers be shopping everywhere.

I did some last minute shopping myself over the weekend and am pretty much done as far as gifts goes. We’re only gifting to the little kids this year, or as we say every year, but then find something great for one of the adults we can’t pass up. But really, this year it’s just for the kids. And as I’ve mentioned before, we’re all celebrating apart this year too.

But anyways, what made my day over the weekend was going to the book store and seeing these on the shelves – ahhh, table – on display~

I was definitely over the moon giddy and excited! Although I received my copies a day before through the mail and was just as excited to open and skim through the pages of translated text and drawings, it was Truly magical and magnificent to see these 3 novels, danmei, Chinese wuxia, be stocked at a US bookstore.

Having watched the donghua (Chinese anime) in original Chinese dub then Japanese dub (and now currently English dub), read the manhua (which are still on-going), listened to the audio drama CD in Chinese and Japanese, wtached live-action adaptation, and having read fan translations of the books some years ago. This is absolutely been a long time coming.

Definitely very happy that this author and her novels are being recognized with help from the huge fandom community that got this to get picked up. But hope to see more of other great authors from this genre be translated and published too.

It was definitely a great highlight of my weekend and a joyous day for the Holidays.

I just finished my first month end!! It wasn’t as hectic or crazy as I’ve been told every month end would be like but I’ve been warned that it’s like “the quiet before the storm.” So, now I have to prepare for the end of the year, which most likely will be crazy.

Anyways, I’m currently just sitting around waiting for something to come through to work on, therefore I’ve been folding stars to pass the time. And as you can see, I’ve been folding lots of them over the past few weeks since I’ve started.

But aside from folding the stars, since I don’t have enough jars to hold them anymore, I’ve been catching up on some reading. Currently been bring in 2 manga books per day to pass the time and they really do make the day go by faster. Of course, I have to keep them moderately safe and inexplicit less I get caught or it be seen over the shoulder whilst immersed in reading. I had a moment this week where I had to lower my manga under the table to my lap just so no other can see the love scene I’m reading and looking at. Hahaha I blushed so much, thank goodness no one came by to talk to me. And the blush wasn’t about the scene but about me getting caught.

But I will probably be bringing in reading books next once I’ve caught up on all the manga I’ve bought a couple weeks ago. Although, I have been reading on Mangadex too at work, so we’ll see what happens.

But on the other hand, look at how cute my corner shelf is!!! It’s so adorable!

It might be too early for me to be decorating my cubicle and dispersing my many stationary things but I couldn’t help it. My desk would look too plain and bland if it doesn’t have anything and that’s just not me. I don’t have much yet to store away on the shelf so currently there are just some snacks and papers, along with my Yeti mug with my hiring number. (Fun Fact: Although I’m the 136th employee to be hired, I’m currently working employee number 96 in the company, which is pretty cool.) As for now, I don’t know what else to decorate my cube with but I am thinking about hanging up some frames and shelves to hold some cute trinkets and stuff.

I did order some cute desk mats and a new mouse pad with a wrist rest so I’m excited for those to come in. I’m afraid it might make (my desk) stand out too much since no one else has a very decorated area but I just want my space to be cute. I’ll give y’all an update once it’s in and put up.

It’s been strange yet nostalgic thinking, creating, and writing up posts to the blog. Though it’s not about reading and books, it still feels really relaxing and at home.

As the Holidays are approaching my family have been getting together more recently. I think it’s because some of the family members aren’t currently near by or haven’t been seen for weeks. Two siblings are married – one in CA and the other nearby with small children who visits every 2 weekends or so. Another is living with their fiancée nearby but come back every coupe of weekends, another comes back every couple of days from their BF’s, and the other recently came back from OK with our father. So it’s just been me and my mother house sitting.

So it’s been great having everyone, aside from the sibling in CA, back at the house making plans and celebrating.

Usually during this time of the year we throw a New Year celebration in my culture by performing cleansing ritual and ancestral blessing to the home and family to ring in a new year for good health and wealth. So Thanksgiving is more of a time to gather, eat, and celebrate our ringing in a new year.

But November definitely flew by because it felt like it just started.

I’m usually in charge of decorating and putting up the Christmas tree but I haven’t had the urge to decorate this year. My siblings been asking but I just don’t know.

We used to have our annual family Christmas portraits taken at my parent’s house, therefore for the decorations, but it’s no longer being hosted there, although I still like to decorate to ring in the season. But my sibling with the kids have been hosting it for a couple of years now with me usually helping out with the decorations, but this year, I’m just not really in the mood to decorate at either houses. However, they did put everything up and decorated at their house already so that’s good. Maybe I’ll have the kids help decorate the grandparent’s house when they sleep over while their parents go out for Black Friday shopping. We’ll see.

But anyways, the date has been set for photos and Christmas is going to be celebrated separately from each other as members travel out, but it’ll be ok. Maybe that’s another reason to not decorate since no one will be around. We’ll see for that as well.

Happy Holidays!

As you may remember, I’ve been slacking on my reading for a couple of months to years now. I haven’t gotten any “real” reading, like real real reading – finishing a worded texted book – done in a really long time. And I haven’t been interested in anything I’ve been seeing either as of late.

If you look around on this blog and from past posts, reading romances, especially in the Historical and contemporary sub-genre had been a huge part of my life. Like 10 plus years of my life, from teenage to young adult, and now I feel like I’ve gotten bored of them. It’s not that I don’t like them anymore, I still roam through the aisles at the book store or read the synopsis on social media and keep track on the authors and fan groups, but I just don’t engage as I used to. Maybe I’ve grown out of this genre? Maybe the storyline has been too cliché or been done repeatedly too many times? I’m not sure but I just don’t feel like actually picking them up and reading them. I do enjoy looking at the covers but, maybe I just need a break?

I still purchase books to add to my TBR pile though, especially books part of a series that I’ve enjoyed but just haven’t put in the time to reading. Strangely these books aren’t necessarily a part of the “romance” genre but still have a good sizzling romance theme swirling within them. And if you’re wondering, I’m only currently collecting Historical Mysteries from 3 authors. Which is really good for me, because it usually takes a year or 2 for one of their books in the particular series I enjoy to be released so, I guess it’s a positive sign for my bank account and bookshelf.

However, the other books I’ve been collecting are Manga, also a huge part of my reading life and my first love. Although I don’t review them on this blog I do enjoy sharing them here from time to time, especially of what I’m currently adding to my shelf.

This past weekend I did a huge Manga haul at the bookstore. I wasn’t supposed to go to the bookstore, but it was next door to the store I was at and so I just had to visit. It’s been like almost a year and a half since I last stopped in to purchase any book so I went a little crazy.

Yeah it was awkward. At first I told myself only 3 books max and decided I didn’t need to grab a basket but I ended up hauling 6 books in hand to grab a basket just to return to the book aisles to browse for more.

I could tell by the way the sales lady verbally stated, “Wow, hope you found everything you were looking for?” when I went up to the checkout with an overfilled basket of books that I went a bit crazy. Of course I told her I haven’t been to the store for almost a year and a half and was just stocking up on my collection. And, of course I didn’t tell her I didn’t find everything I was looking for, because I ended up at another bookstore the next day, which gratefully had what I was looking for, kind of. So then I also did some ordering online too for the other missing volumes I needed.

Yes, it was not a good dent to my bank account but, I really needed it and now I won’t have to binge so big the next time, or for at least another half a year or so.

So now I might need another bookshelf, or just need to clear out some of the books I don’t really need anymore. But, anyways, I might, kind of, now be getting back into reading. Mainly Manga reading but it’s still considered reading right? I might even bring some to work just so that when I’m on down time, I have something to do. We’ll see what happens.

• 

Yes, I know my last post at the beginning of the year was about getting a new job and now this post is also about getting a new job but it’s different now.

It’s permanent!

My last job, though I enjoyed and loved doing what I was doing there, was a contract position so I knew I wasn’t going to be there forever. Lots of things happened of course, lots of stress, frustrations, and uncertainty but I think it was for the best that I start fresh somewhere else. Let’s just say, I love the people and the work I did but the structure of the company wasn’t….it just didn’t see how hard we were struggling to keep afloat? And definitely did not have enough capacity to do the tasks. Heck, by the time I was leaving, I was doing 2 person’s work load, but of course majority of my department/team were already taking on 2 person’s work load and even more!

Okay, here’s maybe a little rant I have.

There were basically no transparency between the superiors and us little people I’ll say. Sure I was only a contract worker but it would have been nice to know if my contract was going to be extended or not! Did I mention my contract was “supposed” to end at the beginning of October? So knowing that, I’ve been asking about contract extension at the end of August and into September with no update and no nothing. Therefore, I figured I should start sending out my resume to cover my a$$ once my contract ends.

And low and behold, I was recommended and recruited to join my now new job. Yay!! Definitely very grateful, because I was recruited by my now then, former team Leader at my contract job, who left their position and knew that my contract was coming to an end, and wanted to pull me to work with them at their new job. So, yes, I wasn’t going to let that opportunity slide. We’re not working together in the same department now but our cubicles are by eachother so, Grateful for career connections.

But anyways, I was hesitant and excited and sent my resume in a couple of days after and got my first interview scheduled in the middle of September. I didn’t tell anyone, not even my family, because I didn’t want to jinx it. Then, a week and half before my contract was to end, I have my second interview scheduled, which I knew then that I maybe getting a job offer. So now I knew I had to really tell someone I was getting a job, so I reached out to my contract recruiter whom I’ve been in contact with on a weekly basis leading up to this point. And who I’m very glad to have supported me and listened to my frustration and uncertainty throughout my whole contract journey.

They were not surprised that I was looking for a permanent job since the contract was “supposed” to be ending soon and they still haven’t heard anything about extending it, so they definitely supported me on my new job opportunity. But soon after, I found out that my contract was being extended till next June.

Let’s say I was shocked and dumbfounded, maybe even disappointed that I found out a week and a half before I was supposed to be let go. All this time I’ve been asking about my contract with no updates and now they decided to tell me, a week before it was to end! Like really? A week before? Like, you don’t think I would have already made plans to back myself up?

My contract recruiter very much understood my frustration with the news, but they supported my decision and I told them that if I got the job offer I was taking it. And so, when the date of my contract was “supposed” to have came to an end, I put my 2 weeks in. If I’ve known sooner maybe I would have stayed, but now if I’m thinking about it, like really thinking about it, I’m kind of glad I didn’t. I would have missed a great opportunity but on the other hand, it could have gone in a different direction too afterwards.

During my last week I felt bad leaving. Knowing there were some much to get done and that I just couldn’t get through them all. But what can I do, right? So, on my last day, I stayed until the very last minute when the building was being locked up for the weekend. The lights were literally turned off. I just had to clear all of my tasks for that day and leave notes on anything and everything of what I had left undone, things to be taken care of, explanations on tasks, leaving labels on cabinets, and sorting out other little things. It was bitter sweet and felt unfinished when I left but after a week away, I think I got over it a little.

So now I’m at my new job with 2 weeks in and I’m still showing up to work so that’s good. Definitely something new but with all my different work experience combined, it definitely is a good fit, so says my new supervisor and manager who hired me. So it’s still slow going with learning the processes and training but, hopefully I can get the pace going once I’m 2-3 months in.

I should also mention that during my contract job, the company moved location, so it’s funny that I’m back at the building where I started and moved out from. Which leads to everyone I meet at my new job starting a conversation with, “So, you’re from the 7th floor with the cool vault.” And since multiple companies occupies a space in the same building, and because I worked up in the 7th floor of the building during my contract job, and am now on the 3rd floor, they like to bring that up. Supposedly, they’ve heard things about the 7th floor and my former department so, I’m not sure if it’s a positive or negative thing but they do agree that it does have a cool vault. Which I really missed when we moved out of the location. But now I’m back at the same building just on a different floor, which sometimes I have to remind myself to not press the 7th floor button on the elevator.

As for the view, I don’t have a nice window view of the landscape like I did from the 7th floor anymore. There are windows behind me, just not as nice of a view from the 3rd floor. However, I am excited to finally be able to decorate my work space since I didn’t really get to do that during my contract days. So it’s still a work in progress.

• 

Hello 2021!

It’s been a tough 2020 but hopefully it gets better. Of course the pandemic is still not over and life have changed to adapt and adjust to a new norm but it’s still… not cool?

I was so looking forward to 2020 especially when I finished my grad school at the end of 2019. With goals of new career opportunities and experiences. I had a plan set up, walk at graduation and make my parents proud as the first in the family to get a Master’s degree, find a job pertaining to my degree and do lots of volunteering in my program. All of these plans for when my contract with my then work place ended. But bold and behold, the world kind of stop. And for me it was somewhere between March 6th – 13th?

I started working remotely and it was good but sometimes, I missed seeing people and hearing the noises of my colleagues. As my contract came closer to its end date, all the opportunities and volunteer service I’ve been looking at pulled their listings and closed their doors. When my contract ended at the beginning of August, it was hard. It was hard on everyone around the world! I had no job and every opportunity I thought I had became tougher. Now I had to compete with a lot more people to find a job due to layoffs and what not.

As days, weeks, and months went by with nothing and money in my savings dwindling down to pay the bills. I can say I was panicking. Sure I enjoyed the time off and got to resume some of my hobbies I had to set aside to work but once that became a part of a daily routine, it became a reminder of how useless I was.

Then of course a health scare occurred in the family where surgery was needed towards the end of the year of 2020, and I became even more stressed. I can easily say I still live with my parents and have their help and support which I’m grateful for but it still was alot of pressure when I’m the one who translates and interpret health information and paperwork. And having this scare happen along side of the pandemic and being jobless and then thinking about the bills….. ~HEADACHE~

Seven months have now gone by since my contract ended and it’s March again. It’s weird to think that this was the same month a year ago when everything pretty much changed for everyone and it still hasn’t returned to how it used to be.

I can happily say that I am now employed under contracted with a company so it’s great going to work again! And for me to start the same week of when my last job sent us home to work remotely March 8th.

Of course, this time it’s not remote and I go into an Empty office but I love it! I get to put my degree to work and gain some skills and experience so I don’t care if I have to go in. I even prefer it. I get to see and talk to colleagues and learn from them so it’s all good. I’m just grateful to have been given this opportunity even if it’s contracted.

It’s only been a week but I’m loving the work and tasks I do. They can be kind if redundant but I enjoy them. And the quietness of the office isn’t so eerie.

Though we haven’t been able to reach each other these past months, it didn’t seem unusual when you didn’t give a response back to my messages. Since the last time we’ve talked, it was about you relocating and the relief you felt about it. I thought, “Okay, she’s busy preparing for the move and a new job. We’ll connect when you’re settled in.”

But now I just don’t know what to do. Before, we would talk about all sort of things and I would try to help the best I can because we live so far apart. I knew you were going through some frustrating and stressful times but I didn’t think something like this would happen to make it even more difficult.

There are no words to describe how I’m feeling right now. Both of us share many of the same interests that brought us to be friends. It’s almost a decade now since we’ve become friends through Goodreads with our love of manga and then to Facebook. Us both becoming fellow Avon Addict sisters with our love of reading romances, being bloggers and reviewers of romance reads, our love of travel and England, and of course our love of anime and anything manga/manwha/manhua.

For this horrible crime to happen to you, a hard working person who had to work your way at a young age to care for yourself, it’s just wrong. Knowing how you struggled for a long time, restricted and shackled by your beliefs and other’s actions towards you, the disrespect and control they push on you. I just…I know about it all too well, yet not at the same time. We share an understanding of sorts because of our culture, race, and beliefs, but we are unfortunately from opposite ends of a parallel world.

It must have been a heavy burden on you not to reach out for help, even to just talk and rant like we occasionally do. But it’s okay, I don’t blame you. It must have been hard and it’s understandable not wanting to feel weakened and pitied. It does ache me though that I wasn’t able to be there for you.

Did you have someone who you were able to talk to during those times? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you alright? How are you?

I know that this is some uncertain times but I just wanted to send you lots of love and support, and to let you know that I’ll always be here for you. To hear you rant, to help give you advice, to lend you a shoulder, to share our dreams, to talk about our travel destinations, to share new book finds and reads, and to talk about manwhas and isekai’ed fantasies. But most of all, to be here as a friend. ❤

And hopefully, one day, we will finally get to visit and see each other and get to planning that abroad trip we’ve been waiting for. XOXO

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Being a night owl is not a bad thing but when I have things to do in the morning is what makes it horrible.

To make things even harder is when you have characters talking to you at night and you have to take notes of them every couple of minutes before you forget.

It’s 4:20 am as I’m writing this post.

Yes, they are talking to me again. Not the same “they” from back then but a different set of characters. Two sets of them! Ugh~ My sleep….

But their stories are so good! I love it so much. I can see it playing like a movie in my head, how it starts, how it’ll end, and some stuff in between.

Yeah, I just got done jotting down both summaries. However, I feel like the story will be better depicted as a manga but, I don’t think my skills are good enough to create one.

I’ve been thinking about getting back into writing so this looks like a good way to get back into it.

Hopefully I get more sleep soon enough.

Hi friends!

I’m just checking in. Sorry I haven’t been doing much around here. (It’s so sad looking!) But I haven’t been doing much online either, so… Anyway, I’m alive, just not active. I do hope to start posting again though it’ll be slowly and sparsely. I do plan to change the look of this place but we’ll see what happens the next time you hear from me.

As of right now, I’m doing good, how about you?

There isn’t really much going on in my life besides trying not to fail my Intro to Data Science class for this term. I don’t understand it at all! Thought I’ll do something different and learn something new but it’s not working. Math and codes are just not my strengths.

Sadly I’m still on a reading slump, though there are some books I have on my list to checkout when they become available (even if my TBR shelf us overflowed and doesn’t need anymore additions).

Currently my mind is telling me to travel again, which I really want but sadly can not at the moment. I want to see the mountains (I miss Scotland).

Characters are talking to me again. It’s not in so many details but they are there sparingly. Unfortunately, they are not going to be put onto paper but it’s good to have some company.

Aside from those, I’ve just been watching lots of anime and reading manga like usual and trying not to worry about stuff.

So yeah, I guess that’s all for now.

Thanks.

This is one book I want to get my hands on! Who doesn’t want another adaptation of the wonderful Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. And to have the fabulous Sonali Dev sprinkle her magic with some Bollywood style to it is even better! (although they do already have a Bollywood movie adaptation of it called Bride and Prejudice, which I thought was pretty good, this will be just as exciting to read)

Pride, Prejudice, and other Flavors: a novel by Sonali Dev

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Synopsis:

A Paperback Original

Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco—a compelling, heartwarming romance between two strangers from completely different worlds, and a poignant exploration of cultural assimilation, identity, and the meaning of the word home.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

· Never trust an outsider

· Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations

· And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with…

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two.