Stuck Inside but Surprisingly Fine

I haven’t stepped out of the house in the past two days, and weirdly enough, it feels... kind of normal? Actually, I’m shockingly comfortable with it. Like, maybe I’ve reached that final form of introvert where pajamas and solitude are my natural habitat.

Today, I focused on IELTS writing. I went through two essay samples and took down a bunch of vocabulary words like a nerdy little squirrel hoarding acorns. Some of today’s trophies: detrimental, pivotal, predominantly, exacerbate, noteworthy, justifiable, and a few others I can’t spell without checking twice.

Funny thing is, I’ve seen some of these words floating around in books and online articles—just chillin’ there—but I never actually knew what they meant. I’d just pretend to understand, nod like “ah yes, exacerbate, classic,” and move on with my life. Now that they’re staring at me from my notebook, all stripped of context, I realize I have no clue what half of them mean. But hey, I’ve pasted them on the wall in front of me like motivational posters, so here’s hoping I’ll start using them like a vocab wizard in my essays.

Anyway, I’ve been seriously craving noodles since last night. Thanks, XHS, for showing me videos of spicy beef noodles, mala noodles, ramen, and of course our beloved Malaysian Maggi mee. I was this close to cooking a packet of Korean Shin ramen for lunch today. But then I remembered my dad’s wise words: “Don’t eat so much instant noodles.” So, like a responsible adult, I ignored my craving and... ordered fried chicken instead. Because clearly, deep-fried poultry is the path to health and wellness.

As usual, time flew faster than my motivation on a Monday. Tomorrow is Monday, in fact. Again. There are 15 days left until I hand in my resignation letter, and next week is going to feel like a 5-day endurance test. But as the Chinese saying goes, 关关难过关关过—every tough pass will eventually be passed. So yeah, no matter how difficult it feels right now, time keeps ticking. It’s not like life’s going to pause just because I’m having a moment.

So I’ll breathe, stay calm, and wait for that day to come... ideally with a plate of noodles in hand.

this is exactly what I am craving for...