The wake up call

The incident was a wake up call.

I never thought I could feel that much hurt after years of doing everything wholeheartedly. I cried from 2 p.m. until 4 a.m., until I could barely open my eyes.

I've never felt so humiliated. Being misunderstood and judged hurt more than words can describe.

Perhaps even if I had been given the chance, I would have remained silent. Some people have already decided what they want to believe, and not every misunderstanding needs an explanation.

But God knows the truth. He sees every intention, every silent sacrifice, and every tear. That is enough for me.

Somehow, that pain lit a fire within me. It reminded me that sometimes, when one door closes, another quietly opens. What once felt like the end became the beginning of something I had long set aside.

I have always believed in letting my actions speak louder than my words. I know my worth. I know the values I carry. And I believe the right people will see and appreciate them.

To the person who made that remark, thank you. It hurt more than you may ever know, but it also became the reason I found the strength to move forward.

Sometimes, the hardest moments become the turning points.

my idol ,Steven Gerrard

In my opinion, Steven Gerrard was one of the most complete all-round players football has ever seen. He could defend, create chances, score crucial goals, and inspire his teammates when it mattered most. He was the type of player who could change a game through his determination, leadership, and sheer quality. Growing up, he was always my idol because of his passion, loyalty, and never-give-up mentality. One of the greatest examples of his leadership was in the in Istanbul, when Liverpool came back from 3–0 down against . Gerrard scored the first goal of the comeback and helped ignite belief in the team, leading to one of the greatest comebacks in football history and a famous trophy win. Despite all his achievements, I still believe he is underrated compared to some of the other great midfielders in football history. He is also widely seen as a humble, down-to-earth, and professional leader who always put the team first and stayed true to his roots at . For me, Steven Gerrard is a true football legend, a world-class leader, and one of the greatest captains the game has ever produced. ⚽❤️

The "Middle Ground" of Table Etiquette

For me, it really depends on the venue:

• Convenience Stores & Malls: Just clean up your own mess.
• Fast Food Restaurants: Stack everything neatly on the tray once finished. This makes it much easier for the cleaner to collect. Many fast-food chains  have heavily transitioned to digital self-ordering kiosks and mobile apps. While this technology cuts down lines at the counter, a major side effect is that management often uses it as an excuse to cut down on floor staff. When fewer workers are hired, there is nobody left to handle the dining area, leading to uncleaned tables, overflowing bins, and dirty handwashing stations.

• Full-Service Restaurants: Leave the dishes on the table, but don't scatter bones or tissues everywhere. Instead, put them neatly onto the plate. Most of these places include a service charge anyway. Even if they don't, it is ultimately the restaurant's responsibility to clean up. We shouldn't be expected to clear, wash the plates, and wipe the tables ourselves 

Furthermore, if every customer cleans up completely, will restaurants even hire cleaners anymore? Won't these workers lose their jobs? Leaving the final cleanup to the staff keeps the economic demand alive for low-skilled cleaning jobs. 

Bad Upbringing: Throwing bones on the table, spilling drinks purposefully, and leaving a chaotic, disgusting mess for a low-wage worker to scrub.

Good Upbringing: Bundling your trash tightly, nesting cups, and stacking the tray neatly so the worker can clear it instantly with zero stress. You respect their humanity by making their task as easy as possible, while still letting them do the job they are paid to do.

P.S. Personally, I usually just order Taobao anyway.

tick born diseases

I'm choosing between Bravactor (3 months) and NexGard (1 month) for my 4 dogs.

Last year, one of my dogs was eating fine, then suddenly started vomiting nonstop at night. The next day, she couldn't walk and refused to eat. I was so scared and took her to the vet.

They did a blood test and found liver damage, suspected tick borne disease. I told the vet I didn't see any ticks or fleas, but they explained ticks can drop off and are very hard to spot, and fleas can jump off. Even if you remove a tick, the disease can already be transmitted.

Total treatment cost was around 500, plus follow up blood tests.

Before, I only gave prevention when I saw one or two ticks, but I learned my lesson the hard way. Prevention is much cheaper than treatment.

My vet said if I can't afford monthly prevention for all 4 dogs, I should give it at least once every two months.

Which one causes disease? Ticks, fleas, or both?

Both cause disease, but ticks are much more dangerous. Ticks can cause liver damage, kidney failure, paralysis, and death. That is what happened to my dog. Fleas can cause tapeworms, anemia (blood loss), and severe skin infections. They are less likely to cause sudden life threatening illness like ticks do. So both are bad, but ticks are the bigger killer. Prevention for both is still the best choice.