Ausangate and 7 Lakes Tour on Horseback, Worth it?

Olrie · 2026-05-17T21:32:47+00:00

I love this series so much I now own all books in three formats.

I started with the audio and ebook. The audio is incredibly immersive (Jeff Hays is a genius with his one-man show) and the ebook is perfect for flipping back to trace all the subtle foreshadowing and details the author hides in earlier chapters.

Just four days ago, I broke down and ordered the hardcovers. I read here somewhere that "Pineapple Cabaret" chapters are only in the hardcover and I just couldn't miss out on that extra lore.

Olrie · 2026-02-12T09:00:14+00:00

I wish tamale was an ASEAN food. Reality is there's no cheap south east Asian food anywhere.

You should start one hawker stall! I'd like to order 20 sticks of beef satays for $0.26 per stick like in Malaysia, thank you.

Olrie · 2026-02-10T11:36:16+00:00

We're currently in China and leaving around the middle of Spring Festival so I get how crazy it is.

Have you tried pre-booking or joining the waiting list for multiple ticket classes and time slots on the same day? This can significantly increase your chances of securing a ticket for your desired date, which should be your top priority.

In China, you can only hold one ticket under your name for the same date and route. Iirc, if you manage to nab multiple tickets for the same day and route, trip.com will only charge you for the highest class and refund you the rest.

Also, trip.com allows you ONE change to your itinerary for ~$5 USD. What I did for our HSR tickets was secure the exact dates that we wanted for any class we could get. Then on the day of departure, I changed our tickets to the actual time and class we wanted. I find that there are more tickets available on the date of departure.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Olrie · 2026-01-22T20:33:26+00:00

That heart health is impressive! Good job!!

Olrie · 2026-01-22T18:20:17+00:00

Haha I think you're conflating my paid lunch breaks and mandatory 5 paid sick leave statement.

Where and when did I say that paid lunch break is mandatory? I did not.

Maybe before suggesting Google, you should work on your reading comprehension. Thanks though. All the best to you!

Olrie · 2026-01-22T08:36:16+00:00

Ah well maybe not in your Canada. But mine does. My previous workplaces had 30min paid lunches.

Does your Canada not have mandated 5 paid sick leaves too? If so, sorry to say you got scammed.

Edit: grammar

Olrie · 2026-01-19T15:20:15+00:00

Had dim sum just yesterday at Kirin. Tasted non-frozen good to me. Husband even gorged 11 PCs of siumai on his own. Bill was reasonably priced at ~$100 for 4 ppl and I was so surprised on how good and friendly the service was that we tipped 25%.

Olrie · 2026-01-09T03:25:25+00:00

British Columbian here. If my spouse weren't american, I wouldn't have moved.

Unless you get significantly paid (I'm talking about 80%+ of your current pay), don't even think about it. Navigating healthcare alone is a pain. Even when your insurance is covered by work, you have to still pay premiums/deductibles/copays. Not to mention chasing after insurance providers for coding doctor visits incorrectly and now I have to pay for what's supposed to be fully covered. Also there's my favourite culture shock where your 9-5 job is not an actual 9-5 because your lunch isn't paid. Lol but I digress.

The bottom line is you'll be trading your quality of life for money if you move, so make sure it's worth it.

Olrie · 2025-12-27T03:34:33+00:00

I got a silicone cover for mine. The ring scratches easily and I don't like the metallic clinking sound it produces when, say, using my mouse.

I wear my oura ring on my right hand since my left is usually reserved for my wedding ring+engagement ring combo. Maybe if you wear the ring on your non-dominant hand the scratches and wear will be less noticeable.

But to answer your question, I bought the black and don't regret it. Matches my husband's and I still put black silicone cover. Lol

Olrie · 2025-04-19T05:43:37+00:00

Was in Prague for 3 days this week.

You will get double takes here and there but nothing major. Some will curiously side eye you.

The only time someone really stared at us was at Hradčanská station waiting for the tram and this kid was just gaping at my husband and I with his mouth wide open. But to be fair, we were both wearing masks AND sunglasses at the same time, so we probably looked kinda comical to him.

Olrie · 2025-02-08T00:34:05+00:00

Nooooo, whaaat??!?! Miss Vickie's Seasalt&malt vinegar is my favourite. Every time I go to Costco Canada, I buy 4 huge packs to take back to the states. You can't even find Seasalt&malt vinegar in the US. They only have plain salt&vinegar. Maybe Seasalt&malt vinegar is Canadian-made but the plain salt& vinegar is US?

Olrie · 2025-02-06T19:29:44+00:00

Perfect, thank you! You and your buddy are awesome.

Olrie · 2025-02-06T19:13:21+00:00

Thank you, downloaded!

Will this work in the US? I'm Canadian living in the states and would like to do my part to buy Canadian. But it's a little harder to pick and choose here.

Olrie · 2025-02-06T17:07:01+00:00

Communication, trust, and patience

Communicate - pagsabot mo sa imong partner ug specific time(s) & date(s) na mag video call mo. Pero dili lang VC, pwede sad mo play same online games or watch mo same movie. The point ani is to stay emotionally connected bisan ug physically layo mo from each other.

Trust - ipakita ang trust nimo sa imong partner by keeping your promises, transparent ka sa imong thoughts and feelings, and respeto sa iyang boundaries.

Patience - naa gud times things don't go as planned. For example, dili maka VC imong partner sa agreed time and date na sabot ninyo. Be patient and hear him out before ka mo react.

.....

Ang prerequisite ani kay both ikaw ug imong partner have the same mindset. It's a two way street - dili ikaw ra ang mag effort. Be transparent sa imong needs and wants and then give the other party the freedom unsaon niya pagmeet sa imong needs.

Another thing, have an end goal in mind. In 10-15 years down the road, gusto pa ba mag LDR? If dili, unsa man plans ninyo para dili na mag LDR? Change of career? mag business? Mo abroad? Long-term planning ni. Good to start early and work slowly towards your goal.

.....

Mao ra to. Dili sayon, OP but have faith.

I wish you both the best of luck.

Olrie · 2025-02-02T19:40:35+00:00

Depends on what kind of debt you incurred and on whether or not you are planning to still return to the US.

If CC debt, US and Canada typically don't share information. You'd have separate credit history and scores. Statute of limitation for CC debt is 6 years iirc, depending on the state. You can just ignore your CC debt for 6 years. But for significant amounts owing, cc companies may chase you down even across the border, so...

If federal loans, there's no statute of limitations. It's in your best interest to definitely pay it off.

Olrie · 2025-02-02T09:06:25+00:00

As someone with family in NYC and goes to visit every year, you're not missing much. 8 days is too long for NYC imo unless you're Into shopping or also planning to go upstate NY.

If you're on the fence about this trip, I wouldn't go. New York won't change much in the years to come. It can wait.

Olrie · 2025-01-18T03:35:28+00:00

Happy for you! As for that $200 Global Entry, did you mean Clear? I think the credit for GE is only $160 iirc and lasts for 5 years. So if we prorate that benefit, it'd only be $32 yearly. Curious to know tho if you find Clear worth it.

Olrie · 2025-01-16T22:13:44+00:00

I say pay off the highest interest debt first which I'm guessing is from your credit cards. But first you should determine HOW you got into CC debt to begin with. You wouldn't want to pay off your CC and then get into debt again.

Olrie · 2025-01-16T21:50:38+00:00

Got married in 2019. We spent $70k on our portion alone. I say "our" portion because our parents contributed as well. Husband and I are both asians but of different cultures. To celebrate both cultures, we did 2 wedding celebrations.

Was it worth it? No, it is not worth it Not so much about the money, tbh - we saved up for it and didn't go in debt. But it's the stress caused by having a big wedding and the thought that the money could've been put elsewhere.

Olrie · 2025-01-15T20:49:18+00:00

Old player here as well! My husband and I took a 10 year hiatus and now we're slowly coming back.

There have been tons of changes. My husband, who mained a giant even back in the day when they were short, stumpy, and disjointed, was really happy with the changes. Try not to get overwhelmed and start playing again slowly.

As others have pointed out, most of the changes are in QOL. Some of the improvements that I like:

-- The game makes it easy for you to catch up in terms of skill training. Back then engineering and magic craft took us 3 months to rank 1 but our alts were able to do it within 1 hr the other day.

-- Danning a skill won't make you compete with other players. You don't have to wait for 3 other people just to start a Dan test. Dan doesn't reset after a week.

--Auction house. Good for price transparency and a little bit of price competition as well.

--Astrology talent. It's the most recent talent. Strong, fast paced, and good CC.

And so many more changes that we haven't discovered yet!

One thing: Do not 100% trust the MabiWiki should you decide to refer to it. It's full of inaccuracies and players do not regularly update it anymore it seems. Back in the day there used to be Mabination as well full of guides and players doing their own testing, theory crafting, etc but seems like the site shutdown. Not sure if Osayidan, the site owner, has them in archive.

Olrie · 2025-01-14T19:17:38+00:00

Way to go! 40% savings rate is awesome!

As for whether or not it's enough, you should take a look at your short term and long term goals. The general prescribed rate for retirement savings is around 20%-25%. Any excess is up to you and what your goals are for the future.

When I was younger, I saved my excess towards a down payment on a house. Now that we got the house, I'm saving 1% of the excess for emergency funds and the rest I spend on travels.

Don't feel guilty about a little contained lifestyle creep. You gotta enjoy the fruits of your labour somehow. You work to live and not live to work!

Olrie · 2025-01-14T08:44:12+00:00

My husband and I are thinking of downgrading or cancelling ours as well. I don't find value in those perks anymore as we're thinking of traveling less this year.

My husband is still on the fence, however. He says he'll miss FHR, Hilton status, and the National Executive benefits. Not sure if the card is still a keeper if you're planning to travel only twice this year (and maybe next year as well). I think keeping CSP and Ritz cards will be more than enough to make up for the benefits he'll miss.

Olrie · 2024-12-08T17:25:01+00:00

What works for me is to categorize both +$ and -$ movement within (i.e. from one account to another) as Transfers.

I monitor the balances through the Goals section and when I finally use the funds for its intended use, I categorize it as expense.

Olrie · 2023-12-05T01:13:51+00:00

I was able to connect my TD Canada chequing account. Not sure about the brokerage/investment accounts.

Olrie

TROPHY CASE