Best of 2020

This year, perhaps like many of you, I found myself somewhere between binging Netflix snuggled up in bed and waking up at 6am to do Chloe Ting ab workouts. This year has been markedly “unique” and I just want to acknowledge that we all struggled, are still struggling, and will continue to struggle beyond 2020 BUT there will be better days ahead. Let us all keep on keepin’ on, because what else can we do?

Now, without further ado, I present my list of best-ofs, because even if this year was the worst, we can still pick out the best.. of things… right?

Best of TV: Love and Redemption (琉璃)

Admittedly, I don’t really binge much Netflix. I binge Asian TV, previously mostly Korean dramas but these days more of Chinese ones. Of the dozen+ series I watched, Love and Redemption gets my pick for being the best. In short, it’s a love story spanning many lifetimes. It challenges the notions of good and evil, justice, and hierarchy, and I’d recommend this to anyone looking for something new and different to watch. A fan-subbed version can be found here.

~Honorable mention: Queen’s Gambit

The hype was real with this one; it definitely exceeded my expectations. If you haven’t already watched it, do yourself a favor and binge it. I loved the way it was shot, and the costume design was just outstanding. My only critique is that the portrayal of some of Beth’s relationships were confusing.

Best of music: SALTNPAPER

This year I listened to a lot of Jazz and lo-fi beats while working on my projects. But also, as my Spotify 2020 Wrapped tells me, my most listened-to artist was SALTNPAPER, a Korean-American singer-songwriter who makes music in both English and Korean. There’s a poetic nature to his lyrics, which really speaks to me. My most-listened to song was “Bye, Autumn.”

~Honorable mentions: Whitney, 李荣浩 (Li Ronghao)

Best of books: …

I read a number of books this year, and unfortunately I can’t decide on one because I wasn’t crazy about any of them. While I enjoyed Normal People by Sally Rooney, Becoming by Michelle Obama, Educated by Tara Westover (currently reading), and a few others, I just can’t say that one of those would make my “best of” list. Why even include this category then? Because I love books, and the ones I read still deserve a shout-out! Maybe I’ll fall head over heels for a book next year.

Best of skincare: Illiyoon Probiotics Skin Barrier Essence Drop

If you know me, you know I am serious about my skincare routine. I had very acne-prone skin in my teens and early-twenties, and with due diligence, I now have pretty manageable skin. I love trying different products, usually low to mid-budget products because my motto is: why spend more when you can spend less? Of course, I do pay a bit of attention to the ingredients and ethics of the companies so not anything will do. I tend to prefer Korean skincare and beauty products as I find that they have the best value: affordable and work well for my skin. This one was highly recommended on an online forum, so I purchased it and it turned out to be my best skincare buy of the year. It has a milky consistency, and I use as a part of my double-toning process for that extra hydration.

Best of dessert recipes: Italian Almond Tart

This was reallllly difficult to choose just one. I, like many others, baked more than I can count during this quarantine. I didn’t bake sourdough or mochi cookies, or make regular-sized desserts into cereal. However, I did make this beautiful Italian almond tart, twice, and a third time will probably occur before year-end. This recipe takes a bit of effort, a few fancy ingredients like almond paste and a tart pan, so maybe not suitable for the average brownie or chocolate chip cookie baker, but I highly recommend it to any almond lover, because the buttery almond-y taste is just out of this world. I dare you to eat just one piece if you end up making it. Btw, the photos above were taken at a friend’s when we had a baking hangout, as I usually don’t put too much effort in staging what I cook or bake unless it’s with friends.

Best of snacks: Yes Chips and Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels

As a true lover of snacks, I had to dedicate a category to these delicious packages of calories that prevent me from successfully dieting. My snacks of the year are tied between these spicy Korean corn snacks and pretzels in a classic combo of flavors: PB and chocolate. Take my word for it, don’t let yourself get these from the shelves if you’re looking to lose weight for your new year’s resolution.

Best of small businesses: Brown Parcel Press

I don’t remember exactly how I discovered this letterpress/stationery shop but I’ve been getting beautiful prints and cards from them for years. I know how important it is to support other artists and designers and will usually shell out a bit of money towards stationery, because I am a stationery fiend, and I love to grow my collection. And also, we need to keep the tradition of letterpress printing alive!

Best of Youtube: 담지의기록 Damji

I was between either one of the fitness Youtube channels I follow or this one, but ultimately decided on the vlogging channel of a Korean girl who’s on a weight loss journey. I’ve only been following her for a few months, but I look forward to each of her vlog uploads. Like her, I’m also trying and struggling very much to lose weight by dieting and exercising. This girl, who goes by “Damji,” records her daily efforts of weight loss, including the times when she is unmotivated or gives in to her cravings for fast food. It’s real, it’s raw, it’s not flashy like a lot of content from lifestyle vlogger Youtubers and I appreciate it. It feels like I’m along for the journey, and it’s quite motivational to see someone’s process to accomplish one of the most challenging things in life: major weight loss.

Best of personal accomplishments: I graduated from Grad School with “Distinction” (aka honors) during a pandemic!

Too many things happened this year (mostly bad, very bad) but at least I did a thing. I can now proudly say that I have a Master’s degree, so here’s to higher education and all the Oolong tea that helped me get through deadlines!

Well folks, that’s a wrap. Deuces, 2020… may 2021 be brighter and better!