An Out of Place September

It’s Friday, 8:11pm. I’m not where I usually am. My roommate is taping a sci-fi short-film in our living room. Luckily, there happens to be a few late night coffee shops in my neighborhood, so I’m taking advantage. Unfortunately (or fortunately), an event called “Hot People Read Poetry” is taking place behind me. Please ignore any typos as I am quite distracted, both visually and aurally.

I realized that I’ve been writing this F&F newsletter for over a year now! 12 issues, written mostly at home, some at parks, many in libraries. It’s been fun to update you all through a medium with no ads + no algorithm, and rewarding for myself to reflect on how the months are going. I hope it’s helped introduce you to an interesting article, or made you chuckle at something dumb I’ve done, or even helped put some extra cash in your pocket.

Latest Happenings

• Vancouver Vacation: Got a chance to work remotely in Vancouver during peak August summer. Watched sunsets into the Pacific. Stuffed myself with Chinese food. Honestly though, after not cooking for nine months it was so satisfying to enjoy my mom’s homecooked dumplings, stewed ribs, and millet congee.

• Tourist Pt 2: Cynthia flew in & visited me for the long weekend. We had a exhilarating time catching Broadway shows (The Great Gatsby), picnicking (Domino Park), and drinking matchas (Sorate).

• Bushwick Living: I’m living in probably the most “artsy” neighborhood in the entire North American continent. It’s hard to explain how out of place I am, but I am feeling very inspired to explore creative pursuits.

• Cocktail Bars: Maybe its my poor taste, but I’ve had some truly unpalatable cocktails so far in NYC. I picked up a blueberry / mushroom / gin combination recently that no man should ever voluntarily consume. However, Double Chicken Please was f**king incredible.

Content for Consumption

• Yale magazine essay from 10+ years ago. Won’t spoil the content but an excellent read

• I recently met an Asian guy who self-converted to Islam. His main advice for me: read Rumi’s poems

• Really enjoyed this guide on How to Make Close Friends by Neel Nanda. Close friends don’t just appear out of thin air, even if there is years of history

• For all you grinders, here’s the de facto ultimate guide on How to Negotiate Your Salary by Patrick McKenzie

• McKinsey: Last Week Tonight: This episode was hilarious. Very well researched

Hou’s Hacks

• Rakuten is offering a limited time, best-ever referral bonus. $50 for both you and your referrer. Couples can really take advantage of this system. Here’s my link if you need to get started. Sephora works 😉 

• Sublets > Airbnb > Hotels. In cities like SF / NYC, there are always folks subletting their furnished rooms. It’s an incredible hack to explore for cheap and you typically get a much more authentic experience

Joint Ventures

1. If there are any Flighty users - send me your Friend link! I’m putting everyone on this

2. Exploring. Any leads are super appreciated!

Loving the cooler weather 😎