BLOG INTRODUCTION

Welcome to my blog!

This will probably be the page I update the most often, because I'm addicted to talking about stuff. This'll contain diary entries about my life and maybe some random musings! (There are only so many things I can do to make my life sound intriguing, after all...)

Just as a heads-up, I will probably discuss some things that are quite personal to me here, but I'll keep it positive. This is about memories I want to keep, not ones I want to forget.

Regardless, if I ever vent or seem somewhat down, don't worry about me! I have friends I can rely on as well as my therapist and my psychiatrist; I'm doing totally fine!

I discussed it in my "Goals" page, but I truly do want this to be a positive space. My blog on my old website, "Lunar World," was just me talking endlessly about things that were upsetting me at the time. I know that for some it's healthy, but for me it just isn't. It would just make me spiral back into despair whenever I'd go back and reread or edit it.

With that out of the way, I hope you find these slices of my life interesting!

17/09/2025: USA + England trip prep, single-use devices.

Listening to: Hakai - Kagrra,

My first blog entry! How exciting!

Let me tell you all what I've been up to! So! I've been planning to go on a trip to the USA this year so I can work at Pizza Hut with my dad for a couple weeks. I'll either be sleeping at the Pizza Hut overnight (my dad is homeless; it sounds a lot more dire than it is when I state it plainly, but that's just how things are right now) or at my stepsister's trailer, with her husband and my niece.

But before that, I need to take care of a couple of things!

1. Find out the dates for Argentina's Spanish exam.
   This is super important! Since I graduated high school over in the USA, I need to prove to the Argentinian government that I'm fluent in Spanish. It's kind of stupid, since Spanish is my first language and I've studied most of my life here, but I'll deal. If there are exam seasons in February and March, that's great, but it'd be even better if I could get the exam over with before traveling to the USA. I need a certificate proving that I passed so I can enroll in Argentina's CBC (Ciclo Básico Común, essentially an extra year of high school for those choosing to enroll in a public university), which I missed last year. I'm feeling the pressure because my mom wants me to work or study next year, which, fair, I'm twenty-three, but I really want to study instead of work.

2. Get my cosplay for MAGFest 2026 ready.
   I'm really excited about this! My friend C invited me to go to MAGFest 2026 with them, and they want to do a group cosplay of Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma with me and another friend (P). I would be cosplaying Diana; I'll add an image of her somewhere. This would be my second convention ever. I went to Anime Boston 2024, but horrible things happened after I returned. I'm hoping that this time I'll make memories I want to keep! Originally, I wanted to cosplay Maria Robotnik and Sage from Sonic the Hedgehog as well, but I'm running out of time (and money).
3. Gifts!
   I need to bring gifts with me to give everyone! I won't say what they are because that'd spoil the surprise, but I'm worried about any food items melting or getting squished on my flights... I'll have to package everything super carefully.

Next, I'll go into the detailed plans of my trip! I've divided it into three phases for convenience.

• PHASE 1: Working in the USA (4-6 weeks).
  Definitely the longest phase! Here I'll be working and saving up money so I can travel to England and then back so I can go to MAGFest. My dad is really eager to see me, and to be honest, I kind of am too. He did something horrible in the past due to his issues with alcohol, but he's been sober ever since, and it seems that he has really changed. I'm also eager to spend some time away from my mom, as living with her for so long has been kind of suffocating (we have a type of relationship where we both rely on each other too much).
  I'm going to take advantage of being able to use my American credit card again and buy myself some long overdue birthday presents (a DAP and a digital camera). I also want to buy stuff to burn CDs with. I need to remember to change my Steam Store location while I'm there, since it doesn't let me buy stuff with my American credit card while I'm in Argentina.
  I hate American food, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to indulging in some fast food chains we don't have in Argentina, such as Popeye's, Five Guys, and Dunkin' Donuts.
  My dad is pushing for me to stay on both Halloween and Thanksgiving, which I wouldn't mind doing, especially Halloween. I'd love to escort my niece (whom I'll refer to as "Navi") as she trick-or-treats! I only got to experience that once while growing up myself, so I'm going to try and vicariously experience it through her. Last time I saw Navi, she was practicing how to read a poem for school. I wonder how it went. I can't wait until Navi gets a phone of her own, as my step-sister is, like me, super skittish with social media, so we haven't been able to stay in touch like I would like.
  Other plans involve visiting and meeting my friend J for the first time. We went to the same cyber school in Pennsylvania together, and I met him through there. I couldn't believe how much younger than me he was. He kind of lives in the middle of nowhere, but I'm sure we'll find something to do.
  I also want to meet up with Seth (he doesn't get his name censored since he has a public NeoCities site; go visit him) again in New York. I met up with him once forever ago while I was in New York with my grandmother, but I wasn't in a good place then. I hope this upcoming visit is a lot better (and longer).
  Lastly, there's the possibility of me booking a flight to Washington State and meeting my friend L for the first time. Her family is strict, so we're looking to do a stealthy meetup. Pray for us...!


• PHASE 2: Visiting England (3-4 weeks).
  The whole purpose of this voyage! My friend Y recently moved into an apartment with one of his friends, so I'm finally going to be able to visit and meet him for the first time! I've known Y for almost nine years, so this has been a long time coming.
  I have no idea what we're going to be doing, but I know that we'll have tons of fun. I should probably start planning stuff with him (hi if you're reading this). He wants me to try tons of snacks available in England, like Peperami, and also a sort of concentrated juice that you add to water, which I forget the name of. I'm worried I'll gain excessive weight because of all the yummy food I'll be eating. My friend may be British, but I assure you he can cook. I do plan on going to the gym as much as I can before I go to England, so hopefully I'll be okay.
  My dream is to go to Wigan and get a proper Wigan kebab, but that's too far away from where I'll be staying...
  What do they say? "Scran?" I want to have proper minging scran.
  I'll probably pitch an arcade visit, escape room, and karaoke if I can. I don't know what I'd sing at karaoke since I only know songs from Sonic the Hedgehog, but I'll figure something out.


• PHASE 3: Holidays and MAGFest (1-2 weeks).
  The final phase! I would be traveling back to the USA right before Christmas so I can spend it with my dad, my sister, her husband, and Navi. I've never spent the holidays with them, so I'm pretty excited about that. I wonder if I'll get to see snow?
  MAGFest is right after the holidays, where I'll meet my friend C for the first time and reunite with P, whom I briefly met at Anime Boston 2024. I didn't get to spend much time with P last time, which makes me sad, but hopefully we'll be able to do stupid shit together this time.
  I'd go back home to Buenos Aires after MAGFest.

I'll be bringing my laptop with me on my trips, so I'll keep this blog updated! Now, for a change in topic.

Single-use devices, music piracy, and Google alternatives.

Last night, I decided to make the jump to single-use devices. I'm tired of my phone, I'm tired of Spotify, I'm tired of music streaming, I'm tired of it all! Initially I was going to switch from Spotify to Tidal, but I'm just so sick and tired of paying for stuff I will not own. As I previously mentioned, I'm going to buy a DAP (digital audio player) for myself alongside a cheap digital camera, replacing aspects of my phone.
The DAPs I'm currently eyeing are the FIIO Echo Mini and the TemptoTec V1. What matters the most to me is durability and battery life. I use Bluetooth Soundcore Space A40s, so audio quality differences that only affect quality wired headphones don't matter to me. Currently, I'm leaning towards the FIIO Echo Mini because it's cheaper (and cuter), but I might change my tune depending on what info Y's friend gives me.

I got a Canon digital camera from my grandmother recently since she no longer uses it, but it isn't turning on, so I think the battery is dead. I did manage to salvage a picture from my fifteenth birthday, though! I saw a cute one online for twenty dollars that I might get if this one can't be fixed.
I was going to buy myself a Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 instead of upgrading my phone, but WhatsApp is super vital in Argentina, so I can't make the full jump to just single-use devices. I'm also not sure if the Folder 2 works with Argentinian SIM cards. I looked on r/dumbphones, and the only ones that are assured to work in LATAM are around 300 dollars, and at that point I'm better off just upgrading my phone. They also aren't as cute as the Folder 2.
I've also been looking at those cute charms you can insert into your headphone jacks, and I might buy myself a few! There are some that are plain, so I was thinking of making a few with Navi. I'm also looking to buy myself equipment to burn CDs with. I've been wanting to do that for a long time, plus I also need a disc reader anyway.

Today I joined a certain peer-to-peer music sharing network, which I will not name because loose lips sink pirate ships. The etiquette and culture surrounding it was kind of intimidating to me, but as soon as I realized that it's super similar to torrenting etiquette, I relaxed. I'm already sharing some files back so I won't get in trouble for being a "leech." So far I've downloaded the Ridge Racer 4 OST as a trial run, but once I have my DAP, I'm going to be downloading like crazy.
As a temporary measure, I've also downloaded a certain open-source music streaming platform. It's kind of slow and janky, but it's free and not Spotify.

I also wanted to congratulate myself for staying on my "no Google" mindset for so long! I didn't think it possible, but I haven't been using Google services in a long time! Here are all the alternatives I've been using.

• Gmail → Proton Mail
• Google Drive → Dropbox
• Google → Startpage
• Google Chrome → Firefox

My favorite of all these switches has definitely been Proton Mail! It just makes sense. I love how fast and easy it is to unsubscribe from spammy newsletters. I'm actually checking my e-mail frequently now; isn't that amazing? I'm definitely sticking to these changes that I've made.
I'm also considering switching to Linux but haven't yet because of compatibility concerns. I hate Apple and I hate Microsoft, so I might make the jump eventually. I just don't know where I'd start.
Also considering switching from Firefox to something else, but I swear everything is Chromium-based.

20/09/2025: Divination and self-improvement.

Listening to: Marry of the Blood ~bloody minded mix~ - D'espairsRay

Wow, I didn't expect to be writing so soon! I want to go with a quality over quantity approach when it comes to this blog, but it turns out that I have a lot to say.

Anyway, today I wanted to talk about one of my weirder hobbies that I've always wanted to get into further, that being divination! It's particularly weird in my case since I, paradoxically, consider myself to be a skeptic. Though I guess you can still find it fun while being a skeptic. To me, it's a way to bring out thoughts you already have to the forefront of your mind. Maybe you've had something on your mind for a while, but you haven't been able to figure out what it exactly is; divination can help with that! It's a way to make your thoughts go in different directions; it makes you consider things you haven't considered before.

I've always thought these kinds of traditions make life more fun. Astrology, as much of a pain in the ass as it can be to me at times, has always fascinated me. I never believed in it, but it astounded me how much meaning people could derive from a star sign alone. Divination kind of gives you more to chew on. Growing up, my mom would read me my Tarot cards, but I find it to be a little bit invasive. Which is why my divination method of choice is Yijing (易經)!

Yijing, sometimes referred to as I Ching, is an ancient Chinese divination text from around 850 BC. I prefer it over Tarot since it's something that you can do on your own, and it's quite simple!

You create a hexagram by writing six lines from bottom to top; a line can be broken (yīn) or solid (yáng). They can also be old or young; this depends on the number got via your method of choice (I'll get to that in a bit). You can also create a second hexagram by switching old yīn lines into young yáng lines and old yáng lines into young yīn lines!

There are various methods to get the six numbers you need to create your hexagram (such as the yarrow stalk method), but the simplest and easiest is the three-coin method, which I use myself. You shake and toss the three coins onto a flat surface and assign "points" to the coins. Tails have a value of two, while heads have a value of three; these are the four results you can get:

• Six: Old yīn.
• Seven: Young yáng.
• Eight: Young yīn.
• Nine: Old yáng.

Each line of the hexagram has its own meaning, and they play out kind of like a short story. Because it is an ancient text, there are several translations to choose from. I own the Wilhelm translation, but I always check the other translations just in case, as they offer up their own interpretations. I like how much space the Yijing gives you for your own interpretations.

Today I tossed my Yijing, and I got Gnawing Bite (噬嗑), but I forgot to note down whether my lines were old or young, so I only read half of my fortune...! I asked myself about how my upcoming trip is going to go, so I've interpreted my results with that context in mind.

Overall: The main thing that stood out to me in this hexagram is the prevalence of "justice" and "speaking up." I really have trouble with the latter, so I guess this is yet another sign that I have to work on that. Something I noticed in the Book of Changes version specifically is also the theme of "union." I mean, I'm going to be meeting lots of people for the first time, so maybe it has something to do with that...? Clear communication is also key, which ties back into "union."
It's a mostly favorable hexagram, with some things to look out for. The favorable results, like everything else, must be worked hard on to be achieved! It has a clear message of self-growth. I interpreted it as "not being afraid to be a better, stronger person, no matter how difficult it gets or what others think of you."

Line 1: "His feet are fastened in the stocks so that his toes disappear. No blame."
This one was hard to interpret for me; luckily there is further commentary in the Book of Changes. This one speaks about stopping when you notice that you yourself or someone else is going down a dark path. There is no need for firm punishment, just a calm correction. A reminder to stay on a path that's right by you, echoing the themes of self-improvement.

Line 2: "Bites through tender meat, so that his nose disappears. No blame."
Distinguishing injustice from justice is as easy as biting through tender meat. Though getting angry at shows of injustice may cloud your judgment. This one, like the one before it, can be interpreted as something from within or something that you can apply to the world around you. The theme of justice comes back here, a reminder to stand one's ground, be it against others or against your own mistakes.

Line 3: "Bites on old dried meat and strikes something poisonous. Slight humiliation. No blame."
A slight hiccup in the hexagram's narrative. Someone needs to step in and correct things before they get out of line, but nobody has the means to do so, so people keep committing the same mistakes. The old meat symbolizes that the issue is quite old. In deciding to step in yourself, you bring others' negative thoughts upon yourself, but you can be strong enough to get through it no problem. I found this one quite comforting; something about overcoming obstacles gets to me, okay?

Line 4: "Bites on dried gristly meat. Receives metal arrows. It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties and to be persevering. Good fortune."
After a great struggle comes a great reward! Enforcing justice on old adversaries is very tiring, but it can be achieved. You must be firm like the metal arrows to overcome your obstacles. You can do anything with enough perseverance. I really like this one! I've gone through many difficulties this year, so maybe the overseas trip is my reward, or maybe the hardest part is yet to come...? Regardless, I'm ready and prepared for it! Somewhat reminds me of what I read in The Book of Five Rings regarding self-discipline by Miyamoto Musashi.

Line 5: "Bites on dried lean meat. Receives yellow gold. Perseveringly aware of danger. No blame."
A reminder to be aware of the consequences that you've invoked because of the actions you've chosen to take. You must be impartial and loyal like the yellow gold. Difficult decisions await that will require one to have a positive outlook. The yellow gold reminds me of the theme of "union," as being an impartial and loyal friend is as valuable as gold itself. Despite being a positive line, it contains a cautionary reminder for what's to come.

Line 6: "His neck is fastened in the wooden cangue, so that his ears disappear. Misfortune."
Ah, the good times must come to an end, a hopefully avoidable fate. This is the result of not following the advice the first line gives you: what happens when you don't self-reflect or try to be a better person. By shutting the world out, the world shuts you out. While this line may be somewhat scary, I won't let fear rule me. I'll work hard to be as happy as I can be and spread that happiness to others. Maybe I won't strike gold, but bronze and silver are good, too!

I wish I could throw Yijing more often, but that kind of makes it feel mundane, doesn't it? I feel like I should save it for special occasions or once every six months.

Speaking of divination, I have my Sonic the Hedgehog Fortune Cards waiting for me at my sister's place in the USA. I'm so excited to have them, especially since they come without the baggage of Tarot. I'm going to carry them around and read my friends' fortunes!

Self-improvement: Miyamoto Musashi's Dokkōdō and The Book of Five Rings.

I mentioned it briefly in my interpretation of Line 4. My mom gifted it to me while I was at the psychiatric clinic early this year. I gave the book away to one of the other patients since I thought she needed it, so I thought my notes were lost to time. But! Today I decided to sit down and read through my clinic diary. It was a very difficult read; the despair was palpable through the pages. However, I did find some of my notes regarding the book all the way at the back of my diary!

This has helped me a ton when it comes to self-improvement, so I definitely recommend reading it. The version I read had the Dokkōdō (or spiritual principles) in it as well, which I will provide below:

1. Accept everything just the way it is.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things, have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body, but you must preserve your honor.
21. Never stray from the Way.

In The Book of Five Rings itself, Miyamoto Musashi provides nine other principles, which are more "earthly" principles. They are as follows:

1. Do not think dishonestly.
2. The Way is in training.
3. Become acquainted with every art.
4. Know the Ways of all professions.
5. Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.
6. Develop an intuitive judgment and understanding for everything.
7. Perceive those things which cannot be seen.
8. Pay attention even to trifles.
9. Do nothing which is of no use.

Of course, some of these are extremely old-fashioned and don't apply anymore (and, to be honest, I even disagree with some of them, like the first spiritual principle), but a good self-reflection exercise is asking yourself, "How does this apply to my life at this moment?" I've written these down myself in my clinic diary, but I think I should revisit them soon. Maybe it'll be a nice way to pass the time on my upcoming long airplane flights.

The rest of the book is very heavy on the martial arts, which is also a super interesting read, but I thought I would provide the principles that got me through my clinic stay. To be honest, I haven't been following them super strictly myself, but they've definitely gotten me out of that place of "comfort" I found in my own misery. I'm a lot more positive these days.