to the lows and every high

november 2025

I feel like November has started to fly by ever since I started working, though I do think this might be because of the nature of HR work (November is one of the busiest months thanks to year-ender planning). I remember resharing on FB a post with similar sentiments 3 years ago, which I think is still very much applicable.

listening 🎵

* **body by Dayoung:** It’s been a while since I’ve loved a kpop release as much as this. The song is so upbeat and catchy (I think it’s such a summer song tbh) and the choreography is even better. I wish I’d gotten into the song upon its release so I could’ve joined dance classes teaching the choreography to this hahahuhu.

reading 📚

Back in September/October, I decided to do a reread of the Harry Potter series, and November involved bringing a close to that rereading. I read **Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince** and **Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows** (both of which I actually read for the first time, since I stopped at the 5th book back then), and it was bittersweet finally getting to finish the books. The past few weeks of my life have been such a happy time because I was so excited to go home and immerse myself once more in the world of Harry Potter. It felt like I was going back to my teenage years, especially since I made it a point to read physical copies of the books.

Speaking of going back to my teenage years, I read Rick Riordan’s The Chalice of the Gods, a recent addition to the Percy Jackson series. It was a quick and light read (finished it in a day or two), and I enjoyed several things about the book: its overall message on growing old, the pockets of normalcy in Percy’s new life, and the intensified sarcasm that made this such a fun read.

I finally got around to reading Etaf Rum’s A Woman Is No Man, which I bought in Fully Booked earlier this year for its cover (it had a lovely texture). I breezed through this book as well: it filled me with rage and sadness for how the women in the book were treated, and there was a good mix of suspense throughout the book which kept me turning the pages. I also particularly liked how much food/the kitchen featured in the story, which made sense actually given the story’s setting. I loved also that it touches briefly on the Palestinian genocide, not shying away from the vileness of Israel, and showing how genocide shapes people even after they’ve escaped.

I also started and finished William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, which was quite a disturbing read. I wish it had been assigned reading in high school since it would’ve been interesting to see how my views/feelings on the book would have changed depending on when I read the book, but it was also a privilege being able to fully savor my first time reading the book, especially since people online have mentioned that they wish to read the book for the first time again. I loved that my copy of the book had forewords by Lois Lowry and Stephen King, which helped prepare me for the book a bit better.

creating 🎨

I finally got to rework and finish the Charli XCX Brat sticker sheet I started and put on hold last June/July 2024, and I made a quick cake sketch for Bunny’s birthday hehe.

I also got to bake cookies after so long! I followed Preppy Kitchen’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and I subbed the semisweet chocolate chips with a mixture of semisweet, milk, and dark chocolate. They were so soft and chewy, and they got raving reviews when I brought some to work. It’s been a while since I baked something successfully so I was ecstatic about this. Look how gooey the cookie center is!!

I also hand-lettered my Christmas gifts for the condo staff. Hand lettering is one of the skills I’ve learned that has the biggest ROI haha. I also quickly sketched the invite for my birthday breakfast hangout, and was so happy with how it turned out despite the very glaring error of not including the date LOL.

eating 🍴

Some of the notable meals I’ve had in November include:

other november happenings