Say hello!

What this is about

I’ve always found it a bit challenging to write about myself, so I’ve put together a list of fun facts about me. I was raised as a third-culture kid in Myanmar and later completed my undergraduate studies in the United States. I moved back here in 2021. I am currently seeking opportunities to improve lives and drive meaningful change in a collaborative, growth-oriented environment where I can contribute to impactful projects. That’s a quick snapshot of my background.

Fun facts about me in no particular order

My favorite animals are cats, dogs, raccoons, and penguins.

Cats are adorable little hunters that live right alongside us. At Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, TX, you can see the Black-footed cat, one of the smallest, yet deadliest cats in the world. I was so excited to finally see one in person after watching a BBC episode about them years ago! The cat was sleeping, so I didn’t get to catch them in action.

A sleeping Black-footed cat at Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, TX.
The sleeping Black-footed cat at Cameron Park Zoo.

I absolutely adore dogs, though I haven’t had the chance to raise one myself. I love spending time walking dogs at the animal shelter and playing with my sisters’ dogs.

Raccoons are just irresistibly cute with their mischievous charm.

And I just love Little Penguins—they really are little! If you haven’t seen them yet, you can check them out at The Dallas World Aquarium. You can get a great view of them in gift shop!

In my spare time, I volunteer at animal shelters. I am committed to contributing in any way I can to improve the lives and well-being of animals. I also worked at Dallas Animal Services for a bit!

Check out my Spotify playlist, if you have the chance.

This year, I hiked the Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon with my sister—it was absolutely breathtaking. What I loved most wasn’t the waterfalls, but the lush greenery and gigantic trees all around. There were also plenty of clovers along the path, but I wasn’t able to find any of those lucky 4-leaf clovers.

One of my all-time favorite hikes is at the Grand Canyon. The view is just unforgettable! 

Around DFW, I really enjoy hiking and cycling on the trails at Rowlett Creek Preserve, Spring Creek Park Preserve, and North Shore.

I enjoy leisurely cycling and sightseeing. While I prefer trail riding over road cycling, taking part in Dallas Critical Mass and riding through downtown was a memorable experience. Parking in downtown is always a nightmare though.

I have an impressive record of deaths in Ori and the Blind Forest. I died 2745 times. The difficulty setting was on easy. It’s still one of my favorite games!

I learned how to drive after moving to Texas. I got my first driver’s license in Austin, TX. I wish there were better public transportation options available.

I was at a temple where monkeys roamed freely. Looking back, it was probably my fault for invading their space while trying to film them swimming. Four monkeys ended up jumping on me — one on each arm and leg! They tried to bite, but thankfully I was wearing long sleeves and jeans. My sister and her partner came to the rescue.

Afterward, I had to get rabies shots, which were pretty painful. I still have that video somewhere. It’s like a horror movie on VHS, where the screen goes dark and you can only hear the screaming.

Definitely a memorable experience!

I prefer to get around by train or tram.

The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller

Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens

The Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson

Notes from Underground – Fyodor Dostoevesky

Normal People – Sally Rooney

The Lonely City – Olivia Laing

  • Catan – where alliances are important.
  • Rummikub – I’ve not played with the timer.
  • Spyfall – I love the game except when I’m the spy.
  • Ticket to Ride 
  • The Resistance – teamwork makes the dream work!
  • Bananagrams – the first time I played, I could barely assemble four words. 

One day! Currently still struggling with Bulgarian Split Squats. :/

I have no food allergies and not particularly picky. Will eat anything, but I won’t try something that I feel comes from a cruel process.

These are some food spots I’ve enjoyed around Dallas:

Burgers: Rodeo Goat

Beef noodles: King’s Noodles

Chocolate cake and other desserts: Sara’s Market & Bakery

Whiskey cake: Whiskey Cake

Food court: this food court

Avocado boba smoothie: Boba Heaven and His Tea

The chocolate is delicious and comes in a variety of flavors, but the company also stands for fair trade and ethical sourcing.

Framed artwork made with Tony's Chocolonely chocolate wrappers.
Wall art I made with Tony Chocolonely's chocolate wrappers.

I watch all kinds of anime, but my favorite genre is shonen and mecha. Needless to say, I’m also a big Ghibli fan.

I recently watched The Legend of Hei and loved it! Part 2 is coming out in September.

Disney and Pixar films make me cry. One of my favorite Pixar shorts is Kitbull, shown below. It brings me to tears every time. I also enjoy watching Pixar’s SparkShorts.

I hiked Enchanted Rock, a Dark Sky place, twice. I went in the morning and again in the middle of the night to watch the annual Perseid meteor shower. It was a one-of-a-kind experience.

Unfortunately, I was not able to capture a photo or video of the meteor shower because the meteors appeared randomly. 

In addition to this, palm oil production is one of the key causes of deforestation, requiring the clearing of large forest areas for plantations. This in turn destroys the habitats of endangered species.

An example: I stopped watching Game of Thrones after season 2. I read the rest on Wikipedia.

If you can come up with a nickname for Elizabeth, there’s a good chance it’s already used for me. I prefer to go by my nickname, Lizzie.

I often end up in conversations about religion, such as its history, beliefs, and ethical questions.

I also enjoy learning new things.

My first professional role was as a frontend developer at a travel agency startup. I worked on the flight booking website’s frontend, as well as the internal dashboard the company used to track bookings. Later, I got the chance to lead the frontend development for the hotel booking section — my first taste of owning a project from start to finish.

I learned a ton from the senior developers there, not just about code but about teamwork and problem-solving. And along the way, I made some great friends.

From there, I moved to a global news outlet, joining the newly created Marketing Web Development team. My days were spent building landing pages and crafting subscription messaging for both the company’s website and mobile platforms. It was fast-paced, collaborative, and full of new challenges — and I loved working with so many different people from across the organization.

I also learned a great deal and enjoyed working with so many different people.

I collect all sorts of things — photos of interesting license plates, funny bumper stickers, and drivers doing outrageous things on the road, as well as maps and brochures from places I’ve visited.

I’m big on memorabilia — tickets, flyers, business cards, stickers, even the occasional napkin — anything that reminds me of a place or event I want to remember.

And yes, I also have a growing stash of cute cat stuff.

One of my favorite poets, Andrea Gibson, has sadly passed away. One of my favorite poems by them is Boomerang Valentine, which is shown below.

The end

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it!

In a classic cartoon scene, the Road Runner stands triumphantly on a hill as Wile E. Coyote plummets below, holding a "That's All Folks!" sign.