Already August? Jay's Updates

Remember when I squatted for a month back in December? Well, Squatter Jay is back. I am moving three times this month before settling into a more semi-permanent spot in September. I could’ve avoided this situation, but it was a deliberate choice. On the one hand, it’s given me an excuse to throw away a ton of stuff (60 pairs of old contact lenses?) On the other, I do feel a little unhoused.

My sense of time has also been erratic. Workdays fly by - twenty minutes feels like five. Weekends are long at least (but no less exhausting). Don’t even get me started on the seasons.

I notice time passing in three ways:

• Trees: I’ve seen central park lay both bare & green, and soon they’ll be orange. They seem to be making more progress in their planty life than I. The evergreens in Vancouver don’t change.

• Nails: As an ex-piano player (lifetimes ago), I’m always trimming my nails. Boom. Nails are long again. I’m caught off guard every single time.

• Every time I’m grabbing coffee with a friend:

I don’t like time passing so fast. I’m on a mission to slow it down.

Latest Happenings

• Straight Stupidity: I threw out my desk on the street, as one does in NYC when moving out. I cleaned everything out. Or so I thought. My poor work laptop was abandoned to the wasteland. A few hours later, the desk was ransacked. Whoever has my T14 Thinkpad - please enjoy.

• Food Experiments: Tried out Uyghur, Brazilian, and Greek food recently. I still prefer Chinese. There’s a fast casual restaurant called Xian Famous Foods that has the best lamb dumplings I have ever had. It has a better one-bite experience than a DTF soup dumpling. Speechless every time.

• Spas: Spas are very prevalent in NYC, and I've only recently started to appreciate them. The afterglow lasts for a day or two afterwards and its very time efficient - I’ve gone 10pm on a Wednesday and made it back for bedtime.

Content for Consumption

• Matthew Encina - Building a Brand: Quality film on how creatives work - educational and satisfying

• E.B. White - Here is New York (1949): Romanticized but incredibly moving essay that summarizes the essence of the city. It’s staggering how true his examples are even 70 years later

Hou’s Hacks

• inKind: For my Americans - there are some insane promos on inKind right now. I’ve probably gotten >$100 of quality food off this app. Start with this coupon for $25 off $25. If you want to use my referral for an extra $25, DM me.

Joint Ventures

1. Anyone else working on the weekends? Looking to book 1-2, 30 minute coworking sessions

2. Does anyone else feel a wave of tiredness halfway through work? My eyes start drooping. I’ve adjusted diet but there are days when it still hits. Send me tips!

3. Is anyone subletting their crib or travelling start of October-ish. Open to any city.

We’re all in this together 🙂