Being a curious person, I like to try many new hobbies. Here are some interests and skills I have picked up along the way.
Triathlons
Triathlons
I have completed seven Olympic Distance triathlons in Japan, with a personal best of 2:51:11. I hope to keep improving and maybe even challenge longer races.
Language Learning
I love learning new languages. Most recently I've been learning Russian and Korean. I use Anki for keeping my vocabulary fresh and currently have a streak of over 5 years!
Volleyball
My favorite team sport. I played almost every week from 2009 until the pandemic hit in 2020. I am still always up for a game!
Drawing
As a kid, I used to love drawing. My next goal is to learn to make digital illustrations. I still occasionally post drawings on Instagram.
Music
I love music. My specialty (although still very amateur) is the drums. I can also play some guitar and saxophone. I also love to sing Karaoke!
Go (Weiqi, Baduk)
I am a level 3k Go player (intermediate level). I love playing and teaching this ancient strategy game. Levels start at 30k and go up to 1k, then go from 1d to 9d.
Flying
I started taking private pilot lessons while living in Minnesota. These were put on pause while I lived abroad, but I hope to continue in the future.
Baking
I love bread so much I decided to learn how to make it from scratch, especially sweet, soft breads. I also make a mean coconut custard mochi.
Puzzles
I love engaging my mind in all sorts of puzzles. Anything from jigsaw puzzles to logic puzzles such as Sudoku and Kakuro.
Other interests
Other interests
In addition to my main hobbies, I also enjoy playing Fantasy Football, playing board games and video games (Mario Kart, strategy, and RPGs in particular), Japanese animation (some favorites include Steinsgate, Uchuu Kyoudai, and Haikyuu), and reading sci-fi and fantasy (e.g. The Martian, Project Hail Mary, and Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere-related books).