A letter from May 6th, 2020

Happy - Taeyeon Happy birthday to you! I just turned 20 and decided it’s time to write another letter. Things have drastically changed in the last month. Currently, I am staying with Miguel’s family during this quarantine. I’m praying and hoping there is no issue with me staying longer since the semester is nearing its end. Well I’ll be glad to be here during a time I can actually be at ease rather than overworked or overwhelmed. I’m almost there! I honestly had lost faith in humanity due to the awful stress the roommate had caused. Seriously, I came back from such a sad experience and she made my situation worse. But I’m glad I’m done with her. I am so glad I had the chance be in a better place with a nicer, welcoming environment. It’s people like Miguel’s mom, Chanel, and Miguel himself who have shown support and compassion. It’s just as Chanel said, people really need support and kindness during this difficult time. It’s also more scary that Asians are even more of a target of harassment since some people still continue to generalize Asians as Chinese. The corona virus cases may have started in China but it doesn’t mean the entire population of Asia is at fault or even infected. I really hope the harassment stops and people will be safe. There is so much to already be worried about yet people want to add fire to the problems we already have. Let’s hope this all settles down sooner rather than later.. This year, I have had one of the better birthdays though. I ended up getting my birthday wish of being in SA but even though it was for a different reason, I’m so glad to be here. Not in Victoria, not at home. It was quite nice. I didn’t expect any sort of celebration but I received a small cake, yummy rice crispy treats, chinese food, & a cute pikachu mug. It was a small thing that meant a lot though. Even thinking back on it, I want to cry. I spent most of my birthday sleeping, 7AM to 7PM & then 11AM to 2AM. Me and miguel both felt like we slept forever. But it was so nice to sleep and take time to rest. It was like another world. 5 years ago, I would’ve been hating my bday and my existence.. I would’ve never thought I would get to actually show myself self-care by sleeping and enjoying it snuggling someone. What will your plans be this year?