Last of the year

Yesterday the was the last time I had to physically go into campus for the rest of this crazy year. Now it’s just a few more days of working from home until we are off for Christmas Eve until New Years. One of the many perks of my public sector education job is that we get this small reprieve at the end of December, without needing to dig into our vacation hours. Campus is closed, and so are the workers.

In some ways, it’s amazing that we are nearing the end of 2020 already. The COVID circus that began back in March doesn’t seem like that long ago, until you start counting the months. It’s like we’ve been stuck in suspended animation for going on nine months. At least the thawing process have begun: the vaccines are here.

I am immensely grateful that my immediate circle of family and friends have weathered through this pandemic with our health and employment intact (so far). A great too many Americans do not have that privilege. It’s important to remind myself of this: yes, it sucks that I can’t travel back home to China as I typically do during this time of the year, but things could be much worse. Just got to hunker down for a bit longer; it’ll be over soon enough.

So instead of meeting up with family back in my hometown of Guangzhou, the plan during this break is to sit at home and read many books. The goal is to whittle down the list of unread that are currently sitting on the shelf. After which I will be free to buy even more from my Amazon shopping list! Who said reading books can’t be equivalent to mindless media consumption?

I am signing off from this blog until 2021. There’s still two more things to come on this website, though: my year-end long form on 2020, and the December update to the BMW M2.

Take care, everyone. I’ll see you soon.

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Woodsy.

One month moving update

Welcome to December, everyone! We made it to the final month of this absolutely crazy year. Pat yourself on the back if you and the people close to you are still healthy and employed through all of this. If that is indeed you, then consider giving a helping hand to those less fortunate.

The turn of the calendar also marks the occasion of me having moved out of my parent's’ place for one full month. I have to say it still sometimes feel strange to wake up at this new spot, thinking this isn’t where I belong. As if I am off somewhere on vacation instead, and soon I’ll have to go home to my own bed. In other ways, new routines have set in, and the studio unit I’m renting have morphed into something truly my own. One month’s worth of cooking and living smells have permeated through the place, and it’s recognizably home when I return from work and open the front door.

Speaking off work, the real magic of this new house is how close it is to my place of employment. A 10 minute leisurely stroll is all it takes for me to arrive on campus, ready to rock. Not having a slogging commute is the biggest improvement to well-being that moving to this place have created. Living this close to work is a game-changer: stress is lower, and I get more time back in the day. It was done on purpose, too: if I were to move out, it had to be somewhere nearer to campus.

The other huge benefit is the absolute quietness that my new neighborhood provides. The western side of San Francisco can largely be described as suburbia, and it’s such a contrast from the southwestern side’s bustle and noisiness. I can now read a book without being interrupted constantly by the blaring radio of a passing car (I live in practically a subdivision), and can go to sleep without needing earplugs because the neighbors aren’t playing loud music way into the night.

These two factors alone - proximity to work and the quiet environment - is well worth the monthly rent that I now have to pay. More often than not, I am very willing to trade money for less stress and peace of mind.

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All clouds but no rain.

December still matters!

We are barely four days into the month of December, and it seems like everyone has written the rest of the month off? I’m already seeing the usual year-end lists and reflection articles popping up online, even though as of this post there’s still 28(!) days left to this year. On twitter, people are already saying goodbye to 2019 and talking about plans and whatnot for 2020, wishing each other well in the new year. It’s madness: this is worst than moving out the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving (looking at you, America).

Question: why are you guys throwing away the month of December? Last I check, there are 12 months to a year. Hang on to your top 10 lists for just a moment! Things can yet change: what if there’s a movie that will blow your mind later this month? Or a brand new song release that entrances you? I think it’s entirely premature to be writing conclusions about 2019, and an affront to what is my favorite month of the year.

To be fair, not much does go on during December, other than the super slow burn towards Christmas vacation. The weather’s too cold, the skies' too dark, and people stay inside too often for excitement to occur. Besides, like everyone else I also have the urge to begin concluding down the year (I too have my own year-end reflection to write), because the allure of a “fresh start” to a new year is so strong that we want to turn the new leaf earlier and earlier. As always, it’s very misleading: there’s nothing you’re going to do in 2020 that you can’t do right now, or at least start. Why wait?

Lots can still happen in the next 28 days - if we allow it, so let’s not treat 2019 as if it’s over already. Don’t wait for the 2020 if there’s something you want to start or do: get after it now.

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A deserted Market Street on Thanksgiving day.

December to remember

Hello everyone, welcome back to this side of December, my favorite month of the year. The days are shorter, and nights are dark and cozy; it’s utterly fantastic. December is a contracted month, too, with the Christmas break shortening the work month to only three weeks (lucky for me), which after coming off of the Thanksgiving holiday is quite something to look forward to. It’ll be a quick sprint towards the end, that’s for sure.

The weather finally made a turn towards the seasonal cold and rain during the Thanksgiving break, making the festivities that bit more atmospheric, being locked in our homes with the heat blasting, while outside the wind howls and the rain chills and sleets fiercely. It was wonderful: the traditional Thanksgiving meal just wouldn’t feel right if it were 70 degrees and sunny outside. As always, it’s special and rewarding to catch up with family and friends during this time of the year.

The four-day holiday allowed to time to complete some personal work, too, though at a far more leisurely pace. You can read about what the 10th month of ownership is like for my Porsche 911 GT3, in which I write about how the car has depreciated $20,000 in value since I bought it back in January (no need to cry for me, Argentina).

Another thing I finished is the photo calendars I make every year to give out to my friends during Christmas. It’s difficult to pick the best 13 pictures (12 months plus cover page) I took this year to include into the calendar, as the candidates were many (somewhat humble brag). After selecting the photos, I then reedit them to my current tastes, which has slightly evolved throughout the year. Finally, I then agonize over which picture belongs to which month, keeping in mind the seasons and mood associated with a particular month.

What I am saying is: it’s way more labor intensive than the final product looks.

In December there’s two big projects to do before I sign off for the rest of 2019 (I get on a plane to China on the night of the 27th): the December ownership update for the GT3, and the year-end reflection long-form; both combined is easily over 5,000 words. The aim is to have them finished before we break for Christmas; with the weather staying cold and rainy for the month, that shouldn’t be much of a problem to achieve.

Let’s finish strong, friends.

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A clean, bone-stock classic BMW E30 coupe parked on the street. What a lovely thing.

Best two months

The final two months of the year is my absolute favorite, mainly because as the weather turns colder (or stays cold, as is normal for San Francisco) and the sky turns dark earlier in the day, people tend to spend more time indoors. That means they aren’t outside in the neighborhood making a ruckus, which means I get to enjoy more peace and quiet time, which is just lovely. Indeed, I am that old man yelling at the clouds when the kids are playing out in the streets during the Summer months. Shut up!

You might notice the irony of someone living in a dense, urban city complaining about noise, and believe me, I am looking to change my living situation some time in the near future. What I really want is some place small out in the woods, where the only noise I can possibly hear is the wondrous sounds of nature. Whether that is ultimately doable or not vis a vis making a living wage remains to be seen, but it’s not like I can possibly afford to rent a place within the Bay Area anyways, much less talk of actually buying a house. It’s a very grim future when a six-figure salary is considered low-income in San Francisco.

But that’s a worry for another time.

Another reason why November and December are favored months has to do with my particular line of work. The standard schedule of a university calls for week-long holidays for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year, and as university staff I get them off as well. It would seem petty to be giddy about having fewer days of work, but even the most ardent of people who love their jobs - I would include myself in that pool - welcome extra days off to do other things, or simply relax. Thanksgiving break is when I collate the best photos I’ve taken during the year and put the top 12 into calendars of next year to give to my friends.

Christmas break, as usual, I am flying back home to China.

Finally, December is the best month because it’s the month of my birthday, though I don’t possess the vapid narcissism of some to celebrate the occasion of my birth for the entire month. I’ll be turning 32 soon, which isn’t quite as scary or stress-inducing of an age milestone as 30. I do wonder if there will be one like it before turning 40. Maybe 35? Obviously, I’m not yet ready to find out.

Let’s finish the year strong, friends.

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Remember the name.