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It’s Been a Minute

So it's been more than five years since I've last written here. I debated even keeping this blog up every time I got a bill for web hosting or a received a renewal notice for the domain name. But I had written here since 2006 and there are 2,156 posts on this blog (2,157 now). I know I could've just archived it but I had put too much work into it. I have learned much, gotten many opportunities, and met many wonderful people through this blog. 😊 And when more than a few people recently suggested I start blogging again, I decided to dust off the cobwebs. So let's see. What's happened in the past five years? Well, in 2018, my family...

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Jenny the Cook

I used to love cooking. I was pretty damn good at it too. (If you haven't visited my profile yet, yes it's true that I make the best 갈비찜 — galbijiim, or Korean braised short ribs — in the world and anyone who's tasted it will attest to it. People have even suggested that I open a 갈비찜 restaurant!) Then came my kids. Their first years weren't too bad. Breastmilk/formula. Mushy foods such as 죽 (congee). Finger, bite-sized foods. Their toddler years were different. Toddlers tend to be picky about their food. They will ONLY want to eat one thing one day, and will want nothing to do with it the next. Even the tiniest thing can drive a piece of food into the "inedible" category: the...

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Ten Beauty Products I’ve Been Loving Lately

I'm happy to say that right now, at the age of 36, my skin is still clear of any lines or wrinkles. A friend paid me a great compliment the other day by exclaiming I had to have gotten Botox or fillers (I haven't).  :oops:  I know that I should credit some of this to genetics (thanks, mom!), but I also like to think that it also has to do with the diligent attention I've paid to skincare since I hit my thirties. My two keys to anti-aging: hydration and sun protection! It's been a while since I last wrote about my beauty routine, or skincare/makeup in general. I still have a love for K-beauty, but I've also incorporated French and American...

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A Bizarre Side Effect

Over the course of my history with mental illness, I've tried a myriad of drugs, and I've experienced a multitude of side effects. Dizziness. Tremors. Dry mouth. Insomnia. Sluggishness. Weight gain. Weight loss. One even gave me tics along the right side of my body! (I discontinued that one right away.) But none has produced a side effect as peculiar as this one — It makes carbonated beverages taste like fart. I'm not joking here. Some users say carbonated drinks now taste flat. Others say metallic. To me, and some others, carbonated drinks now taste like fart. At first, I didn't believe it. I even got a large Diet Coke from McDonald's (didn't you know their Coke tastes better?) to prove them wrong. Gag. It tasted horrible.  :cry:  I was devastated. I love Diet Coke....

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A Decade-Plus-Old Misdiagnosis

I was first diagnosed with major depression in college, at the age of 20. Since then, I have gotten better and I have gotten worse. I have been in and out of therapy. I have been on and off meds. But I have never been with the same therapist for more than a few months. Until now, that is. Currently, at the age of 36 — 16 years(!) after my first diagnosis — I have met someone with whom I truly click with, who actually gives me advice and not just the "So how does that make you feel?" spiel that so many other therapists fall back on, who isn't afraid to call me out on my B.S., gives me things to think...

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