carina’s Reviews > Taipei Story > Status Update

i was expecting smth like the farewell but this is a totally different approach. still excellent in its own right fs. i can’t relate to the themes of emigration and cultural dissonance with older generations (i experienced it but not bc of westernization, it’s odd, it’s just filchis getting more sosyal) but the sheer mention of emigration cut deep because almost all of my relatives on my dad’s side moved to the us. well we can discuss this topic all day primarily because i read mostly western writers and that is always their experience but yeah always fun to read abt that perspective. even if i can’t relate fully. i’m more chinese than abcs but still a far cry from mainlanders and hk locals. been thinking a lot about how i may not be able to pursue my desired career in the philippines and i feel so constrained to pick the optimal choice because that’s the only way to thrive in a country with such low wages. but living abroad would offer a better life for the working class (ex. those who don’t own mega businesses). it’s a problem for another time..

it’s hard to think about your career like regular people do when you know your parents had it etched in their mind that you’ll take over the fam bis since before you were born. hard as well to explore different paths as well when you know your family believes in fam bis or nothing. typical filchi problems… i feel so dumb sometimes for researching abt careers knowing that it’s not smth my parents are in full support of

can def relate to not being close to your grandparent and then being wrecked when they pass even tho i think the protagonist had a very different relationship with her grandfather i rly went thru it earlier this year until now tbh i feel like my entire april and may was just crying everyday.. so hard to look back on..

um so can you tell i set screen time limits for instagram on my phone so i’m now chronically online on goodreads of all places