Day 40–44 · Current Week Review

Day 40 · Champions Tonight could be the night. Game 5. New York leads the series three to one. None of us got a ticket. They were way too expensive. So we squeeze in front of one screen. For most of the game, New York is down. At one point, down by sixteen. It looks over. Then Brunson takes over! Thirteen points in a row! We can't believe it! We are all on the edge of our seats. The final minute. New York is ahead. Nobody says a word. The buzzer sounds! Ninety-four to ninety! The Knicks win! They did it! The Knicks are champions! Their first title in fifty-three years! We jump up and start yelling! The whole room goes crazy! Outside, car horns everywhere. People pour into the streets. And tonight, the whole city says it together. Congratulations. The Knicks! You are the champions! Brunson, MVP! The king of New York!

Day 41 · Tasting It Online My friends, I have a question for you. Is it crawfish season back in China right now? I've been in Austin, Texas lately. The most famous local supermarket here is H-E-B. There's one almost every two miles. And in summer, crawfish is their thing. They set up a little stall out front. Selling crawfish for a limited time. I parked my car, and the smell hit me right away. I really wanted some. But I wasn't sure how clean they were. So I made a deal with myself. If they're still here when I come out. I'll get some. I went in and grabbed milk, bread, steak, and some fruit. When I came out, they were already sold out. I felt disappointed and relieved at the same time. Back home, I scrolled through tons of crawfish videos. So many flavors, from Changsha to Suzhou. I told myself I'd pretty much tasted every flavor already. Then I saw someone drop instant noodles right into the crawfish sauce. So I dug into my own instant noodles. And honestly, it tasted pretty good too.

Day 42 · Don't Suffer Alone I got home around 6:30 today. And man, it was hot. The house hit 84 degrees Fahrenheit. So I turned on the AC right away. I grabbed a drink from the fridge and sank into my rocking chair. But five minutes later, I was still sweating. That's when it hit me. The AC wasn't cooling at all. Now I wasn't just hot. I was getting cranky. I walked to the leasing office. But they were already closed. I knew I could call maintenance. But it was getting late. And honestly, I hate being a bother. So I got stuck in my own head. So I tried asking the neighbor group. My AC doesn't seem to be cooling. Anyone have any advice? And boom. So many people jumped in. Mine too! Mine too! So one neighbor stepped up. He gathered everyone's unit numbers. Then he sent in one maintenance request for all of us. Half an hour later, someone showed up. Turns out the condensation had backed up. Fixed in a minute. And we made a deal in the group. Next time, we tell each other right away.

Day 43 · 618 Mid-Year Sale? Hey, do you guys know what day it is? Today's the last day of the 618 mid-year sale. I just paid the balance on my pre-order. And honestly, I was scared I'd messed up the math. These days, you just can't figure out the discount rules. I checked it three times. And I'm good with numbers, especially money. But I still feel like I didn't get every discount. Honestly, what was wrong with the old fifty percent off? You buy one thing, and they throw in a pile of free gifts. But here's the thing. I'm a minimalist. I really don't like hoarding stuff. And yet, I still want to save a little money. So here I am, staring at my cart, kind of stuck. Did I actually save anything? Honestly, I have no idea.