Okay, Beijing first - the city I used to live in for 8 years. 

& It still feels like home.

April, 2025

I am living in a Hutong apartment this time - the most Beijing experience! Old outside, mordern inside.

And this friend is also the owner of one of the landmark restaurant-bars in Beijing: uh-huh. The food, the wine, the vibe - Oh. My. Lord.




A shoes-off Hutong photo of me. Beijing has had strong winds recently—up to level 13—and they blew away my slippers!

(Jk jk)

Shanghai

March, 2025

@Dali Studio, an expat-y private dinning space, & where I stayed during my Shanghai days.

What I cooked every day in this space was just simple food, and the best food.

We also hosted a farm-to-table fine dining with a farm in Sichuan called QiTianRen. Hand-made menu, cooking from scratch, 9 dishes :) 

Downstairs is the famous Alimentary Cafe. Their food is legit, Westernized, and beautifully presented. (Unfortunately, I cannot have most of it —gluten and cheese.) 



Shanghai has so many coffee shops — seriously, SO many. My favorite is a tiny spot called The Oranges on Fumin Lu. I first walked in last September, and I’ve been going back every time I’m in the city. I love their deep-roasted, chocolatey black coffee. Plus, their mugs have these big comfy handles — such a nice touch.

Bangkok, a city I have visited over 11 times in the past ten years. I'd consider it as a third home.

Feb, 2025

@GalileOasis

A true hidden gem in downtown Bangkok — a stylish complex with a great hotel, an art gallery, small bites, and what I think is the best coffee in the city.




And some street groceries are near the Asok Station. I'd go early in the morning, 2-5 dollars, you would get A LOT for two people.

Something I still don’t fully understand — in Bangkok, you can spend just $10 and enjoy Michelin-rated food. And if you drive outside the city, you’ll find local spots that serve even better food, totally off the map — like this place:

@ Coffee Factory. Their coffee beans can clearly express even the subtle differences in acidity.

For a while, I’ve been craving the so-called life of “settling down.”

I wanted a studio, my own furniture, and to learn the rhythm of a neighborhood — where to get the best coffee, my best friend just living around the corner, and which street catches the softest morning light.

But every time I travel, something shifts. Even a short trip cracks me open in ways I didn’t expect. A stranger’s kindness, an old friend’s new life, a flavor I’ve never tasted, a street I once walked but forgot — they remind me how much of the world is still waiting to be rediscovered, even in the most mundane corners of everyday life.

Perhaps, even if we long to settle, travel expands our consciousness. It stretches the boundaries of what we think we know about the world — and ourselves.