Thai people might not “blow this out of proportion,” but I will — I was scrolling through my Instagram feed when I came across a video from one of my Thai volleyball idols, Pleumjit Thinkaow, who posted a video forgiving a Serbian volleyball player for something she didn’t mean. Not having context, I continued scrolling, not thinking much of it. …

Being white is a privilege, not a qualification — I’ve heard so many stories of caucasian people going on a post-graduation backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, falling in love with the region, and then deciding to teach English so they can stay. Heck, 90% of the white people on Tinder in Thailand are all English teachers. And we make…

A rational approach to online dating — It was 2019 and I had just moved to a new city. You know what that means — time to explore! And dating just happened to be a way to simultaneously explore the city, and well, date — two birds with one stone. It was the first time I’d really…

5 ways you can be reading better — When people talk about their goals or resolutions, I always hear the mention of reading more. Although I read quite a fair bit already, I was no exception. Going into 2020, I set my reading goal at 40 books, and when the pandemic hit, I was able to dedicate even…

Realizing there is a whole world beyond the US — You’ve probably heard of the American Dream. It’s plastered everywhere, like the movies and the stories of those around us. This notion that in America, the land of the free, you can achieve and live the life you want. While this wasn’t the exact narrative fed to me growing up…

And no, it’s not meeting the parents or moving in together. — You know the excitement when you meet someone new and it’s going well. You’re getting to know each other, your relationship is becoming deeper, and you’re discovering all the things you have in common. You start hitting some of the notable milestones — becoming exclusive, meeting friends and family, and…

Hint: It’s not about them; it’s about you. — While the concept of “the one” is a bit cheesy and I’m not sure if I believe in the idea of there being just one person who’s your match, let’s just use “the one” to refer to the idea of finding someone who you think you could build a long-term…

And it’s a metaphor for what it’s like to be a woman in a man’s world — Netflix recently dropped a new South Korean show, Physical 100, and the Squid Game-esque show has been making the headlines. …

Here’s what I’m doing instead — Over the past few years, I’ve increasingly grown weary of the whole idea of new years resolutions and goals. The data shows that 23% quit in the first week, and only 36% make it past the first month. Why do something you’re likely not to succeed in? Additionally, I’ve found…