Welcome to the Ultimate Coffee Date! Come catch up on life/hang out with me virtually!
If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d…tell you that at the start of the pandemic/shelter-in-place last year (March), I was struck by a streak of mass-productivity wherein I wrote and scheduled weekly blog posts from previous travels through the end of May 2021. Most of it was from my road trip from back in 2019, so after May, you’ll finally be hearing about late-2019 and 2020-2021 hikes!
As a result, even though it looks like I’ve been writing weekly, the only in-semi-real-time posts I’ve been writing are actually our monthly coffee date posts. Now that we’ve actually made it into April, it’s time to kick my butt into gear again. (…There’s a lot to write so I’m pretty apprehensive about this. I have a billion pins to redo too…)
I have a lot of hikes from last/this year that will be posted later on this year!
If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d…tell you although I’ve been super busy/feeling vaguely run-down lately, some patient interactions have been really uplifting. One of my previous patients from NJ relayed a message to me via my boyfriend (Marcia, remember your comment from 3 years ago?) to tell me hello, that she missed me, and that she cried when she found out I was leaving. :[
I’m also continually amazed at how much of a difference I can make from being able to speak another language. I’ve been acquiring a lot of Cantonese-speaking patients not just in this general vicinity, but from all over the bay area! (This is generally because after one visit, they typically decide to have their whole family follow up with me! Reasons why I love family medicine. <3!)
If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d…tell you that the recent (and not-so-recent) violence directed against Asians/Asian-Americans has been extremely upsetting. I’m worried about my parents whenever they go out for their walks or to pick up groceries, and my friend recently gave me a taser to carry with me just in case.
The previous administration did nothing to help and made it worse in fanning the flames with all the perpetual racism and hatred. If people who are continually not held accountable for their actions (aka the perpetrators) as well as their inaction (e.g. elected officials), nothing will ever change. There really needs to be massive reform. I’d really like to believe that we as a country can be better than this, but we have a long, long way to go.
One of the work stations I was at was labeled this. ._.
See past ultimate coffee dates here!
(Link-up with Coco @ Running with Perseverance & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner!)
End-of-Week-ish Recap!
- Check out the Grant Tree + General Sherman Trails in Sequoia + Kings Canyon National Park!
- What’s on your to-do list?
- Has there been anything you’ve been putting off lately?
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I go through periods of massive productivity, but I never have that many blog post pre-written! Well done.
I am so sorry that you fear for your parents, but sadly it’s a very legitimate fear. :( All the mass shootings lately — the Pandemic has just made people feel so disconnected, driving those teetering on the edge over. It’s so sad. May your parents continue to be safe, healthy, and happy.
I’m good with languages, but I’ve never really had to use the ones I learned (Hebrew & Spanish) regularly so they just got forgotten. I bet your patients love that you can easily communicate with them!
I gotta replenish it now and the task seems so daunting, haha. I’m up to the end of June so far–we’ll see how long this productivity streak lasts! :P
Thank you! <3 There's been so much violence lately targeting Asians/Asian-Americans so they've been super worried about going out for anything.
That's awesome! I'd love to learn Spanish at some point but don't know how feasible it'd be (would be cool to try though!). I think they really appreciate it too — it helps to convey information way better! :]
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: April 2021
I go through periods of being super productive with my blog and it feels good to have things completed and ready to go. It’s great that you feel you are able to reach more patients. Speaking another language is always helpful. sometimes I regret that I took French and not spanish
Agreed! I’m chasing that feeling as my motivation right now, haha. I took Mandarin in high school/college but Spanish would’ve been really helpful too!
I am also fluent in Spanish and that comes in handy!! I am here shaking my head because of everything that’s been happening against Asians/Asian-Americans. It seems like every day there is something going on. I am sorry to hear about your parents and their fear. I get it but it is heartbreaking that they are in fear.
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Oo, that’s awesome! I’ve always wanted to learn, but still only know a few words.
Agreed — it’s a combination of disheartening and infuriating. I signed up recently to help volunteer to patrol the streets, talk to businesses, and chaperone the elderly so hopefully I can at least help out a little bit.
I love learning languages and regret that I’ve let my Spanish and Japanese slide. It’s wonderful that knowing Cantonese is making a difference with your patients.
I’m so sorry for the fear you feel for your parents. The uptick in violence towards the AAPI community is both heartbreaking and scary.
It’s so hard to maintain without regular practice! :[
Agreed. :[ I really hope things get better soon.
I was really productive with my blog a few weeks ago and planned out my posts for a month. I knew I wouldn’t have much time so I got them done early. But now I’m nearing the end of that and need to start getting some posts prepped again!
Im so sorry that you need to worry about your parents like that. Everything that is going on is just horrible.
Yay! That’s what I do too! It’s always so satisfying when I have a bunch scheduled into the future! :P
Agreed. I really wish there was more I could do to help prevent this somehow.
Blogging is such a tricky dragon to slay LOL Sometimes, I get a bunch of ideas drafted (and some actually make it to an actual published post), other times they get forgotten. I try to blog three times each week, but I’ve been scaling back a bit. If I have nothing “important” to say, I skip a link-up. I don’t want to waste my time blogging just to be blogging…readers can probably tell which posts are meaningful and which aren’t anyways. It’s great that your multilingual…that’s a huge advantage to you and your patients <3
haha, I’m with you there! I have a billion post drafts scheduled but I think some of those will never actually make it out of the “drafts” section. I used to blog so much more but lately, it’s just been once a week (twice if we’re lucky, haha). Agreed about not wanting to waste time blogging just for the sake of blogging–at that point, we all have better things to do, haha.
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: April 2021
Wow! Look at you, getting posts scheduled 2 months out! Way to go, Farrah!!! I am lucky to get my next post written before my last one was published! :)
I think we can be better than this as far as racism directed toward Asian-Americans too. The violence and hate I have seen and read about on the news is just disgusting! Let’s keep speaking up against racism of all kinds.
hehehe, thank you! I’m hoping to get em’ scheduled out through the whole year again, but we’ll see how that goes. :P
Agreed! I really hope things get better soon. I’d like to believe that as a country, we’re better than this.
That’s awesome that you had so much productivity with blogging! Blogging takes up SO much time and I often wonder if anyone is still interested….lol. As you can tell we’ve definitely cut back with our blog posts but we so still enjoy it so try to get in one blog per week!
Totally understandable! It definitely takes a ton of time — I’ve kept journals for most of my life so I still regard my blog as an extension of that now that I no longer keep paper journals, so that’s one of the reasons why I still really enjoy it! :] I’ve definitely scaled back in frequency though–too much life stuff getting in the way! :P
I’ve been so bad about keeping up with blogging. My goal this year is to me more on top of it, not as good as you but better. Hehehe.
I’m sorry that you have to worry about yourself and your parents. I’ll never understand how people can be so ignorant and hateful. I wish all of you well.
Ahh, don’t worry! I was super not on top of it in 2019 so I made up for it (kinda) last year and kinda liking this 1-2x/week schedule so I’m probably gonna stick with it!
Thank you! <3 Hopefully things will get better soon.
I’m so sorry about the anti-Asian vitriol…I personally don’t get it! Hoping that kindness prevails. Keep being you.
I speak Spanish (sort of) and it’s amazing what a bridge that has been for me. My Spanish speaking patients are always shocked to hear their language coming out of my mouth, lol. it’s not great but oh my goodness…
Same. I think people are looking for someone to blame and we’re often viewed as easy targets. :| Hopefully things will improve soon though.
haha, way better than mine! I only know a couple words but would love to learn that too. It would be so useful to know!
Oh did someone meet the male version of herself?? Crazy!! Haha!
I’m just sickened and saddened by the hate being spewed toward the Asian community. It makes no sense to me. Horrible. I hope you , your parents and your friends stay safe.
That’s awesome you’ve been so productive during the pandemic. I find it difficult to write too far ahead. I did start my YouTube channel I guess so there’s that.
haha, I did and we started going out last year! :P (Although now that I’ve gotten to know him way better, I think it’s less that he’s the male version of me vs just very compatible, hehehe.)
Thank you! <3 I hope things get better soon!
Starting a YouTube channel takes so much time/effort!! Major props to you!
I’m sure the difference it makes to speak the same language as your health care provider can’t be underestimated. Your patients are lucky to find you. The racially-motivated attacks are mind-boggling. I’m so sorry you don’t feel that you and your family are safe.
I’m so glad I’m able to help them! :]
Thank you! I really hope things change for the better soon.
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: April 2021
I think it’s really great that more patients can come to you because of your ability to speak their language! but I am really really sorry that you have to worry about your parents and that there is still so much hatred in the world. Racism just sucks.
I’m really glad about that too! :]
Thank you! Definitely agreed — I’d really like to believe that this country (and honestly, just the world in general) can be better than this.
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: April 2021
I have been very hit or miss with my blogging. I’m a regular with the Weekly RunDown and Ultimate Coffee Date, but don’t get as many posts of my own written that aren’t tied to linkups. I need to get better at it… I do love reading your travel recaps. Keep them coming!
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Totally understandable! If I hadn’t had that bout of productivity, I would probably bareeeely be posting. The only linkup I’m consistent about is the monthly coffee date — otherwise, it’s just been my self-made travel recap series to motivate me to write (semi-)regularly! :P I’m so glad you like them! :]
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: April 2021
I admire that productivity streak – I have so many things that I’d like to blog about but it always ends up getting put off! I always enjoy catching up with you over virtual coffee!
Hoping you and your loved ones stay safe. It’s sad that you have to carry protection with you. :(
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date – April 2021
I have a billion drafts pending! :P Love catching up with you as well — it’s nice to be able to connect virtually. :]
Thank you! I really hope things get better soon.
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