So until I finish my manuscripts and/or start taking paying gigs for extra income, let’s talk about the other things that take up my time: 

– Makeup. By now you may have wondered why my face has been all over my Instagram account after years of shying away from selfies. It’s because I’ve started picking up my brushes to do my face again. I don’t always do this whenever I go out–it’s easier for me to do this before our city trips because I usually have more time to do so–but it’s been fun trying out different things that have been knocking around in my makeup bag on my face. It’s also my way of taking out my frustrations over not pursuing a career in makeup artistry, which I’m not ruling out altogether. That said, my most common hashtag for this series of makeup posts is #kilayproblems, since most of these pictures document my struggle to come up with on-fleek eyebrows. 

– Korean dramas. Okay, this is a bit of a cheat because I’m only watching Goblin right now (with plans to jump into Descendants of The Sun and My Love from The Star once I’m finished), but I am obsessed, and not just because of the oppas and the eyebrow goals. The one thing that stands out to me about Goblin is the writing–there’s no scene that gets wasted, even when the dialogue gets repetitive. (Seriously, I’m on Ep 5 and I’m getting sick of Kim Shin pushing Eun Tak away in his thoughts.) There are no cheap laughs or irony-laden bathos to be had here; the storytelling is focused, the narrative moves at a steady pace, and even the cliffhangers induce more excitement than frustration. It’s no wonder now why most of my friends now prefer K-drama over Western shows.

– Crochet. Yeah, you heard me–after five years, I’ve started hooking again! (Hahaha, I said “hooking.”) Right now it’s mostly to keep my hands busy and my mind sharp, and unlike my last crochet spree I’m concentrating more on simple projects like coffee cozies. Judging from my handiwork so far I’m not going to make a side hustle out of this soon, but I might be able to put together some last-minute Christmas gifts.

– Exercise? I’ve been on a break from exercising because my acid reflux acted up during a strenuous yoga session. Usually, however, I do at least ten minutes a day twice a week, and I do it with the help of YouTube whenever the weather won’t make up its mind. Two of my favorite exercise sources on YouTube are Blogilates and Fitness Marshall.

– On the docket: Brushing up on my driving skills. Managing the spreadsheets for family finances. Working on some top-secret personal development projects (it’s a surprise!)