What a year it’s been.
A reflection on the goals I set for myself:
- Read 40 books.
- Only managed to get to 31.
- Start learning French.
- Nope, I still wanna get to it in 2022 though.
- Olympic weightlifting.
- Nope, but maybe my fitness goals have changed.
- Spend less money on hobbies and non-essential stuff.
- Categorically yes, especially compared to 2020.
On the other hand, I:
- Travelled a fair bit with friends and my fiancée
- Ate quite a lot of good food
- Started on an exciting journey with some people (which I’ll share more about in the coming days)
- Gained some exposure into the world of crypto
- Drastically reduced my caffeine intake
- Finished reading my first full-length Japanese novel (Norwegian Wood by Murakami)
- Shifted my exercise goals to focus more on cardio
A list of things I bought that I really enjoy using:
- Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100, with Ultra Soft Sensitive Brush Heads
- I’ve also started the habit of not rinsing my mouth with water after brushing. It apparently gives the fluoride more time to do whatever it needs to do to in the mouth.
- Dental fluorosis is a possible issue.
- Oral-B Glide Advanced Dental Floss
- I started flossing for the first time in my adult life.
- Macbook Pro (16 inch, M1 Pro, 32GB ram)
- Truly phenomenal machine. The first machine I’ve used that comes close to “It Just Works”.
- Tempurpedic Sleep Mask
- I’ve tried six different sleeping masks, and only two provides true total blackout (the other one being the Manta Sleep Mask).
- It doesn’t use elastic material for the headband, which is great for durability since they tend to wear out quickly.
- Airpods Pro
- Not having to max out the volume to listen to music while out is a big, easy win for hearing protection.
My favourite foods in 2021:
- Arsicault Bakery (San Francisco)
- Best croissants I’ve had.
- Ba Bar (Seattle)
- Solid Vietnamnese food in South Lake Union.
- Brenda’s French Soul Food (San Francisco)
- Butcher’s Wife (Singapore)
- Carson’s Kitchen (Las Vegas)
- Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup (San Francisco)
- Be lucky they opened in SF, not LA.
- Del Popolo (San Francisco)
- Petition them to put the quattro formaggi back on the menu!
- Delauder’s BBQ (Gatlinburg)
- Dim Sum Haus (Singapore)
- El Mono (El Cerrito)
- Solid Peruvian food. Get the Cevichito (ceviche) and the Maracuya Sour (creamy passionfruit-based cocktail).
- Farmhouse Kitchen Thai (San Francisco, Oakland)
- Fonda Don Chon (Covina)
- Gao Viet (San Mateo)
- According to a Vietnamese friend, this place is even better than what you can find back in Vietnam, because the chefs are as good and the produce is better.
- Golden Gate Bakery (San Francisco)
- For the mooncakes.
- Happy Lamb Hot Pot (San Francisco)
- Hinata (San Francisco)
- Horn BBQ (Oakland)
- I’d get just the brisket, and go all in on the sides.
- La Taqueria (San Francisco)
- Langer’s (Los Angeles)
- Beats Katz’s, hands down.
- Monteverde (Chicago)
- Sanpoutei Ramen (Singapore)
- Still my favourite ramen of all time.
- Skalka (Seattle)
- Spruce (San Francisco)
- Stay Gold Deli (Oakland)
- Don’t sleep on this one. Better ribs than Horn.
- Tango Sur (Chicago)
- Phenomenal Argentinian steakhouse.
Goals for 2022:
- Revising my book target to 24
- I think I stretched myself a bit too thin in 2021.
- French is still on the menu
- Continue caffeine abstinence
- This one is going to be tough enough that I need to call it out here as an explicit goal.
- Keep my biomarkers the same as they were at the start of 2021
Mostly, 2021 was about reconfiguring my foundations, and 2022 is going to be about sustaining them. And some more stuff that I’m not quite ready to share publically yet. Here’s to 2022 being another blast!