The world continues to be a terrible place. And it is also a beautiful place. People continue to be awful. And they are also lovely. I am unlucky but also lucky. Listen, it’s a matter of perspective – at least for those of us privileged enough to have a safe home and enough food to eat. So on this new year’s eve, I wanted to make a list of some of the ways in which 2025 did not suck. For me. Personally.

Health
Okay, I still have Long Covid. That is not going away. But I listened to my body and managed my symptoms, for the most part. Nothing majorly disastrous happened. I went for a walk in the park nearly every day. Sometimes I even went for two walks. When I remember how I could barely walk at all back in 2021, that is an accomplishment!

Writing
I had three short story publications this year: Men with Tails, The Library of the Apocalypse, and The Teleporting Disaster Fairy. This may not seem like much, but it is way more than last year. I also finished writing two new novelettes and started work on a third. Hopefully they will find a loving home in the future. In other news, the Spanish translation of my book Night of the Raven Dawn of the Dove was released and it is gorgeous! Check it out:  Vínculo de traición. And oh – The Teleporting Disaster Fairy will be translated into Mandarin and appear in a future issue of China’s Science Fiction World. Translations make me very happy!

Friendship
Four dear friends whom I did not expect to meet visited Toronto this year: two from my post graduate institute in India, one from my Duke University days, and one from Japan. I feel immensely lucky that I got to spend time with them. I am unable to travel myself, so this really does feel like a gift. Thank you, friends.

Food
I ate nice food! Mostly food I cooked myself, but I also found a new-to-me Bimbimbap place and a resto in Chinatown with amazing rice noodles. Food has always been important to me, but I didn’t think too much about it before I developed Long Covid. However, loss of appetite was one of my symptoms, so I am more mindful now about what I eat, and how, and when.

Reading
I continue to be a slow and easily-distracted reader, sadly. I used to be able to guzzle multiple books a week in the not-too-distant past. However, I did read some excellent books, of which I will just mention An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong. It blew my mind, that book. Highly recommended.

Music
I listened to a lot of music and Chinese drama OSTs. I am not going to put my entire playlist here, but here are two of my favorite songs of 2025:
Mayfly Will sung by Shi Yan from the drama The Immortal Ascension. Beautiful, bittersweet lyrics that capture the transience of human life and relationships.
Return After A Long Dream sung by Li Yuchun from the drama Fangs of Fortune. Some of the loveliest music I have heard.

Last, and most important, family. Thank you, my beloved people, for the time you spend with me, and for forgiving my limitations. Please stay safe and healthy in 2026.