15 items and their story

Here are 15 items found around my home, each having a story behind them.

1. This past year, I haven’t really been using my film camera as much. I would usually use it during the summer or outdoors when the lighting is good. I haven’t been going out as much — plus it’s also winter — so I don’t carry it out with me when I do go out.

2. Like many of us, I started to cook more often so I got a new air fryer which has made cooking a lot more convenient. I usually make chicken, steak and vegetables in my air fryer. I find it very similar to an oven, but sometimes it tends to dry up the food a bit so I keep that in mind when preparing dishes.

3. I got this toy for my dog recently and now she loves sleeping with it. Now that we stay home more often though, she is very active during the day so we enjoy taking her out on walks outdoors. Otherwise, she will be napping with this toy on her bed.

4. It is incredible how sanitizing spray and hand sanitizer have become essentials for every person to carry. This bottle of spray was given to me by the quarantine officials — along with other quarantine items — when I flew into South Korea from LA back in Oct. 2020. I had to quarantine at home for a total of 14 days.

5. My family is Mexican so I love cooking and eating the food she would make for me back home. I have learned many of her recipes this past year, including her home made salsa. Salsa tastes the best when made authentically in a Molcajete so I ordered this one online — it is a game-changer.

6. During the quarantine, I started my own YouTube cooking channel, along with my husband, where we cook many delicious Mexican and Korean dishes. This is our camera and light equipment we use when we film in our kitchen. We really love cooking and filming together.

7. I think that masks have come to represent many things during this pandemic. Many oppose wearing them, without thinking of the collective benefits that masks offer by protecting everyone when worn. It also raises new concerns with many of these masks being disposable and creating a lot of new waste.

8. This is my yoga mat. I started doing yoga last year, and it helped me learn so many new things about my body. By practicing breathing techniques, meditation and mindfulness, I’ve been able to control my anxiety. Yoga is something that can be done anywhere — both indoors and outdoors.

9. We bought our dog Bongo, lots of cute outfits to use while we film. She also is part of our YouTube channel, so we want to make sure she always looks her best with stylish outfits. We got her a black turtle neck which makes her look like Steve Jobs. She also enjoys getting dressed up.

10. I really like this lamp in my bedroom because it gives off a yellow, soft light. At night, I like to unwind in my bedroom with this lamp on, before I turn off all the lights. It really makes me feel warm inside and helps me relax.

11. I recently bought my iPhone 12 that I also use to film our YouTube cooking videos. The camera quality is great and it is easy to use and handle when filming. I also use this phone to keep in touch with people back home and my newspaper people, since I have iMessage on it (I don’t receive regular texts in Korea).

12. Since I live in Korea, it is very difficult to eat Mexican food, or food that reminds me of home, all the time. When I lived in LA, we always had Tapatio hot sauce at home so I ate it with almost everything. I used to travel back home more often, so I would bring some with me. Now with COVID, I have to order it online.

13. This sticker shows how we all felt last year and how I still feel to this day. Although last year was very negative, some of the positives I took away from it, was how to value the truly important things in life like health and relationships.

14. This is my favorite brand of oatmeal, so I recently stocked up on it. I’ve learned how to make it all kinds of ways, including in pancakes, porridge, and desserts. I will probably make a cooking video featuring my oatmeal recipes soon.

15. With gyms being closed indefinitely last year, I invested in a few dumbbells and work-out bands so that I can continue to stay active at home. I made a lot of progress with home work-out routines, and now looking forward to progress at the gym, since they have reopened where I live.