The last thing I searched for online was “transportation from Kobe Sannomiya to Kansai Airport.”

Since it was the day before heading back to Taiwan, I wanted to figure out whether the bus or the train would be easier.

I even found out that my credit card offered a discount—a pleasant surprise.

Thinking about transportation reminded me of the little mishap on my first day in Kobe.

I was heading from Sannomiya Station to Hotel Monterey. According to Google Maps, it should’ve been just a 7-minute walk.

But once I stepped into the station, it turned into a labyrinth—stairs up and down, endless corridors, and no sense of direction.

That “7-minute walk” turned into nearly an hour… 😅

Luckily, after a few days I became familiar with the area, and such adventures only happened that first day.

Traveling is often like that—awkward at first, then gradually smoother.

When I was a kid, my favorite was Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh.

The moment the robots combined was always so thrilling.

There was also Genki Bakuhatsu Ganbaruger from the same series.

What stuck in my mind the most was the episode where the two even crossed paths.

Back then, I didn’t know anything about “collaborations.”

I just thought—wow, the heroes are really on screen together!

I even bought the model kits to build by myself,

because the ready-made figures were too expensive.

(They’re even pricier now, but that time of passion has already passed.☺️)

What remains is just a vivid memory of childhood excitement.

What’s your favorite time of day?

My favorite time of day always shifts.

Sometimes it’s the fresh air of the morning, sometimes the quiet of blogging.

Sometimes it’s enjoying a good meal, sometimes the freedom of travel,

and sometimes it’s simply resting before sleep.

But one answer never changes—

it’s being with my partner.

When we talk, time flows gently, becoming the best moment of all.

What’s your favorite recipe?

When I was a kid, fried food was rare at home. The sizzling oil and smoky kitchen were things I mostly saw on TV.

Now, with an air fryer, fries, chicken wings, or fish cakes can be ready in just a few minutes.

Costco sells all kinds of ready-to-cook food, which makes it even easier. Somewhere between ready-made and homemade, just a little touch turns it into a meal.

A sprinkle of pepper, a handful of scallions, or simply waiting a few extra minutes for a crispier skin—it often feels more satisfying than a restaurant.

So, my favorite “recipe”?

Honestly, it’s simple: an air fryer, some Costco food, and a tiny bit of creativity.

No complicated steps, no secret ingredients—just the taste I enjoy the most.

And the most important part… well, aside from the air fryer, everything else is still in the “work-in-progress” stage. 😅😆

Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.

The last thing that got me really excited was traveling abroad again.

Kobe.

No matter how many times I travel,

the moment I step onto the airplane always feels the same—

pure excitement, like my heartbeat rushing ahead of me.

The city waiting on the other side,

the food, the streets, the unexpected moments—

but most important of all,

going there together with the one I love. 🥰

How would you design the city of the future?

When I was a kid playing SimCity 3000,

I loved turning resources to unlimited.

No fear of bankruptcy, no complaints from citizens—

just building a city, piece by piece, the way I liked.

The one thing I remember most

wasn’t the skyscrapers or the parks,

but the waste-to-energy plant.

Expensive, highly polluting,

yet it handled garbage and produced power at the same time.

I always built it at the city’s edge,

letting the pollution drift outward,

selling the extra capacity to neighboring towns.

Back then, it felt perfect.

Now I see—it was just exploitation.

The city of the future can’t work that way.

Trash isn’t something to “get rid of.”

It should return to the cycle, become a resource again.

Energy shouldn’t come from burning and consuming,

but from flowing and sharing,

like sunlight and wind—

no one has to be sacrificed, and everyone is lit.

In my future city,

it’s not the buildings or the roads that matter most,

but people willing to share,

willing to live together.

Where did your name come from?

My name is Yichun Kao.

When I was a kid, I once went to the “Xuehai Academy” to look up our family genealogy. I can’t really remember the details anymore, but at least there was some sort of lineage, a thread that connects me to the past.

As for the meaning behind my given name? Honestly, I have no idea.

But my nickname, that’s another story.

For the longest time, I thought it was my grandfather who gave me the name Xiao Pi. Recently, while chatting with my sister, I found out it was actually her idea. She borrowed it from a character in some old cartoon.

Back then, most of the cartoons we watched were imported. Their names often got “localized,” shaped by the habits and imagination of the translators. Especially the nicknames—they were loose, playful, sometimes even random.

So maybe Xiao Pi was originally just some dubbing actor’s buddy’s nickname. And somehow, it stuck with me. 😆

What motivates you?

The reason I keep going?

Of course, it’s my loved one.

Whether it’s a simple message on my phone,

or memories of our journeys together,

just thinking of her

is more than enough.

Because love gives life its direction,

and makes tomorrow worth waiting for.