Happy Anniversary to Tiancakes 2.0
Thanks, Squarespace renewal emails for the reminder of this sad but momentous milestone.
When I started the blog one year ago, no one knew what was going to happen, how long this was going to last. My mind of course jumped to the worst of the worst case scenarios constantly. But day by day, we trudged on. And now here we are.
For a lot of people, it seemed like they could just pretend it wasn’t a thing anymore when they became tired of it. And that just left the rest of us feeling more and more isolated as the world seems to move on without us.
I went back and made minor improvements over the blog this week to congratulate myself for hitting this mark. Hopefully this improves the browsing experience on mobile. (I’m very glad people have been finding some of my recipes useful from all over the world. Thanks for visiting!) But in going back, I noticed a sharp decline in life updates in the recent months.
But I guess there hasn’t been much to update. Life has been the same old. No new exciting developments to share, no new sentiments or feelings to let out. It just has been hard. Harder everyday, seeing people let their lives go back to normal. I want my life to go back to normal too.
I miss the kitchen more than I thought I would, but I can’t say I miss constant shoulder injuries, back aches, and sore feet from 60+ hours of intense physical labor. Working remotely comes with its own set of challenges, but I’m thankful to be home, for the most part. I certainly don’t mind curling up at home over a freezing cold commute before the sun rises. It always felt like a waste of precious sleep to get up extra early and drive somewhere before work.
Some days life felt more meaningless than usual. Most days zipped by in a blur. Usually, my memories are anchored to certain contextual moments, but this year I have none. It’s all a bunch of nothing. Many days, I wonder why I should bother to keep going when there is no end. But I just operate on autopilot and ride that wave until it passes.
I’m thankful that past me decided to start this blog. It gave me a small way to document the year. Otherwise, the only thing to look back on would have been… a few kpop comebacks? I did do a lot of cooking I wouldn’t have done had I still worked in a kitchen. And I finished translating Huan Zhu Ge Ge II! Definitely my proudest achievement of the decade, hah.
Can’t even think about the future. No expectations means no room for disappointment. Just one day at a time until another blurry year passes, I guess. Here’s to hoping for continued motivation to blog.
Since this post was a little depressing, to say the least, I have peppered in some (never before seen!!) food and Rosie photos to lighten the pessimism. Good food always makes me feel better, at least!