I don’t do well with optionality. When faced with choices, I often go into rabbit-holes researching the pros and cons of each, eventually reaching an indecision. The process can be agonizing, and sometimes result in missing crucial deadlines.

I don’t have a good framework for dealing with this quandary (suggestions welcome). For now, I just want to articulate the latest indecision on what to write about.

One is chronicling my experience with bureaucracy. I recently became unemployed, and had the faintest clue of what services are available to support me. Sure, I’ve heard about unemployment benefits, but the specifics remain opaque and daunting. It wasn’t until a friend encouraged me with some tips that I finally applied. Now that I’m on California’s unemployment and health insurance, I still have questions. Throughout the process, I quite wish there were some anecdotes to follow for guidance and commiserating. Maybe it will be me to write one.

Related to bureaucracy is documenting my journey becoming American. This includes questionnaires about my potential involvement with Nazi Germany and terrorist organizations (No to both), and the decade-long process from visa to residency (Green Card) to finally citizenship. This is still a work in progress, as I’m still under the mercy of USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). I figure it might be an interesting read, especially for those already blessed with American citizenship at birth.

Another is sharing cooking recipes I enjoy beyond just a list of steps and ingredients. In my limited culinary experience, there are many gotchas absent from recipes. Often times, those small details make or break a dish. For example, I did not know that corn starch don’t play well with high temperature, that you need to mix it with cold water first before adding to the dish. Knowing this would have saved a few dishes from forming mysterious chunks.

That’s it for now. It’s funny that by making this list, I wanted to write another post about the process of writing. I wonder what you the reader think about these meta-posts? Are they interesting for revealing thoughts behind the scenes? Or are they just content-fodders when inspirations dry out? I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Thank you for reading.