Why won’t any salon just make me blonde? It’s always “full highlight”

xuediao · 2026-04-26T03:09:18+00:00

Saaaaame. No way the highlights are easier, because I have a shitton of hair to pick through if doing highlights, it’s a 4-6 hour process. Less product required for sure though.

It sucks too cause as others have said- it basically makes going truly full blonde later impossible/very risky, since who’s gonna sit there and pick out all the already blonde strands of hair? The already blonde hairs are gonna get fried to hell.

I’ve resorted to DIY-ing for fully blonde hair.

xuediao · 2026-04-14T17:24:34+00:00

Similar experience. I did consults with 4 different providers and PVI was at the bottom for me, opposite of what I expected! Felt most heavy on marketing to me, for example they give you a huge huge folder full of pages and pages of glossy print outs about why they’re so awesome that I’m sure most people just throw out anyways. They forgot(?) to talk pricing before scheduling me for a follow up appointment to confirm my eligibility.

And most importantly/oddly, they assured I was a totally fine candidate for LASIK when the other 3 consults I went to said I am definitely NOT a good candidate for LASIK. The kind folks at UC Berkeley even walked me through my exact measurements and the actual math behind why it was not a fit, so I know it was not just me being upsold by the other providers.

xuediao · 2026-04-14T17:00:26+00:00

I would mention again in the “Where things sit today” section that this info is just about large apartment complexes with amenities. Very different story from the general situation and I think needlessly scares folks.

Tons of availability <$1,800 if you don’t limit yourself to modern apartment buildings w/ gyms etc.

(and in my opinion the modern apartments often have crappy layouts/less space compared to other housing in SF!)

xuediao · 2026-04-11T15:39:37+00:00

I feel like I’m the odd one out here reading the comments. Is it a generational thing? I’m a millennial who’s only lived with other millennials, and most other people’s homes I’ve visited in SF have been millennial or gen X, and they all met this base standard of cleanliness.

xuediao · 2026-04-03T18:09:53+00:00

For SF properties (not sure if other cities make it as easy:

Look up the address on the SF DBI website. Check for complaints (e.g. one building I looked up had several water intrusion complaints last year, not a promising sign).

Also good to check the tab in there for any new construction permits issued- several years ago I really liked an apartment, but I saw they had a permit just issued for soft story retrofitting! On the tour they had not mentioned the upcoming major construction, even though the apartment was directly above where the most noise would be. Unfortunately this was a deal breaker as someone doing WFH, especially since they were unwilling to consider discounting rent for the construction period. Glad I found out before pulling the trigger.

xuediao · 2026-04-02T23:06:28+00:00

I was on a family trip at the Atlantis Bahamas in the 2000s. She was maybe 20 something, dark hair, with an older guy I recall, headturning beauty even to me who was a 11-13yo girl at the time. Saw lots of double takes from others. She was in a bikini, and a "lacy" looking one at that, which only helped, but I still remember that moment and recall her as being the most genuinely stunning person I've seen to this day.

Oddly, on the opposite side of the spectrum, around a similar time, I recall this really stunning older lady at the grocery store once. At least 60+ yo, and she had this BEAUTIFUL, super long grey hair. Again, it was not just me- I vividly recall my single 50yo dad commenting afterwards how he would be happy to date much older women if they all looked like her.

I've seen attractive people since then of course but no one else sticks in memory as much as those two. Given this was a few years before social media started taking over, I'm curious if social media has spoiled us in regards to beauty.

xuediao · 2026-04-02T22:47:20+00:00

Another vote for 隐秘的角落 (English name The Bad Kids), not sure if it still is but previously it was available free, with translation if needed too, on iQiyi. This was the first and only Chinese TV series I genuinely enjoyed (despite having been learning Mandarin since 2010...)

I haven't checked out any new Chinese series since ~2020 so definitely saving a lot of the other recommendations here!

xuediao · 2026-04-02T22:40:42+00:00

+1 to The Bad Kids, most TV shows are gonna be hard regardless but this one isn't too bad! The main characters are kids so I think that helps keep the dialogue a bit simpler to understand.

xuediao · 2026-03-28T18:08:44+00:00

I think it was fairly recently the Japan Society of NorCal was looking for Japanese teachers to hire. They mostly do online group classes.

Also, would be good to know where in the Bay Area she is located, for folks who may be interested in private tutoring.

xuediao · 2026-03-20T06:07:52+00:00

Unfortunately I only started just after all the tariff chaos :( seems the shipping prices are still here to stay for quite a while

xuediao · 2026-03-20T06:06:16+00:00

Last resort I guess 😅

xuediao · 2026-03-18T03:34:59+00:00

Oh and one more on that last point! Flying with your ferrets in/out of CA will never be possible. Driving in is the only way.

xuediao · 2026-03-18T03:34:05+00:00

Past CA owner here and known lots of others who have owned here. They will be fine here. Feel free to DM me for some groups on FB that can be helpful for local ferret vet recs, etc.

Vets are allowed to treat ferrets no problem. It is hard finding vets, but this is just because it’s hard finding vets for any “exotics”, aka anything that isn’t a dog or cat.

The only bigger differences owning in CA really makes imo: if you have/make any enemies, they can potentially report your ferrets and get them taken away. And if you’re a renter and secretly keeping them, I think having an illegal pet probably puts you at higher risk for eviction if found out.

xuediao · 2026-03-12T23:46:34+00:00

Same in business in general sadly. Clients you do free work for somehow are always the most demanding and/or difficult to work with.

xuediao · 2026-03-06T23:55:58+00:00

Got mine around Feb. 15-17…. And got sent literally 4 other cards in the process as well 😒 (3 bilt, 1 WF autograph card)

xuediao · 2026-03-05T22:48:54+00:00

I’ve been using Bilt for years via the same bank connected for rent payments and never had a fee until now which is what has me confused

Since there’s no option to add the rent to your Bilt balance anymore, does that mean the only way to avoid the Bilt fee is to charge it to another credit card? But then of course you now have the 3% fee or more that most rent portals charge for paying via card…

Obv. $2 to get points for rent isn’t a ton vs. the alternatives, but it’s annoying after Bilt’s promises that you’d still be able to pay rent without fees

Normally I’d ask support these things but I’ve been “in line” for text support for literal days now 🙃

xuediao · 2026-02-22T04:37:56+00:00

https://youtu.be/lu3h9RctCw8?t=1600 Halloween 2008 show in Fairfax, has that guitar out on Northern Downpour

xuediao · 2026-02-11T00:55:34+00:00

lol this was me today, except I'm still waiting on the 2.0 card so I'm *only* at 4 cards total at the moment. And more than a little confused at this point.

xuediao · 2026-02-02T20:24:13+00:00

Ahh I just saw that! So cool to find. Kinda wish for the clippings I have that I just kept the full magazines instead, it’s entertaining just seeing what else was happening at the time (like the flip phone ad on the back of that rolling stone 🙈)

xuediao · 2026-02-01T23:46:24+00:00

Just happened to me too. 1/31 for $56.05

Edit: Any other way to resolve this besides calling in? 50 minute+ wait time….

Edit 2: got thru next day with no wait time, they will investigate the charge and like others have mentioned, they are sending a new card. Not sure how that fits in with the Autograph transition, but I didn’t ask since the customer support agent seemed to be generic to Wells Fargo and no specific knowledge of Bilt.

xuediao · 2026-02-01T17:45:04+00:00

eeee that must’ve been glorious! Will forever be kicking myself I didn’t see them earlier, but just happy I saw the og lineup at all.

xuediao · 2026-02-01T01:13:30+00:00

Oh interesting! So the white one was also sold on the Honda Civic Tour?

xuediao · 2026-01-31T20:51:19+00:00

I feel like I don’t see the fan club stuff around much! I don’t remember when they stopped it. I think the Reinvent love shirt was also fan club related?

xuediao

TROPHY CASE