onamika

[onamika]

Hi, welcome to my blog!

I’m Namika Ōno—or Nami, if we’re close in real life. I was born on a leap year, leap day, leap everything—except for my boring routines, please. Having a leap day birthday is kind of a flex, honestly. I get to choose whether I want to celebrate on February 28 or March 1, which makes me sound way cooler than I actually am. But my family? Oh, they refuse to let me have just one celebration. Every year, they throw dinner parties on both nights.

Now, before you start thinking it’s because I’m the youngest child and the youngest grandchild (which is true, by the way), and they just love spoiling me—let me stop you right there. That’s definitely not the reason. Nope. My family just loves an excuse to gather, eat, and talk for hours. They’re all foodies (And nerds) so of course, any opportunity to throw a dinner party? They’ll take it.

But now that I’m living in South Korea for my study, our little tradition takes extra effort. Either I fly back to Japan, or they pack up and come here. And as much as I joke about it, I secretly love it. There’s something really nice about knowing that no matter where I am, my family will find a way to celebrate together.

Anyway, enough about my birthday. Here’s a little more about me: I’m a third-year physics student at Walker International Institute. I know, I know—physics sounds like the kind of major that requires too much brainpower and way too much math. And you’d be right. But for me, physics is fascinating. It’s like the universe is handing us a puzzle with missing pieces, daring us to figure it out. My absolute favorite part? Quantum physics.

Trying to understand quantum physics is like trying to explain dreams. You think you get it, but the moment you look at it too closely, it just slips through your fingers. It’s weird. It’s confusing. It makes no sense. And that’s exactly why I love it. The other day, I found an old quantum physics book in my grandpa’s study and got so absorbed that I completely lost track of time. Hours passed, and I somehow managed to skip both lunch and dinner—which is wild because I don’t skip meals. Ever. Hydration? Completely ignored. My stomach had to physically protest before I snapped out of it.

When I’m not drowning in equations, I’m working as a research intern. Is it fun? Yes. Does it make me question my sanity on a daily basis? Also yes. The work itself is interesting, but some days I feel like I’m in a never-ending loop of collecting data, running simulations, and writing reports. And just when I think I’ve figured something out—boom, a new problem appears. Love that for me.

On top of that, I also work as a tutor. Because, you know, capitalism. Gotta make that extra cash. Between research, tutoring, and classes, I’m basically running on coffee and sheer determination at this point. (Okay, and maybe a little bit of existential dread.) But tutoring is actually fun. There’s something satisfying about explaining a concept and seeing that click moment in someone’s eyes. It also keeps me sharp—I swear, sometimes I need to reteach myself the basics just to make sure I’m explaining it right.

And when I finally get a break from physics? I bake.

Baking is my therapy. There’s something so calming about measuring out ingredients, mixing everything together, and waiting for the magic to happen in the oven. It’s like a science experiment but with a guaranteed delicious result (…well, mostly guaranteed). My go-to? Cookies. They’re quick, they’re easy, and they never fail to make people happy. Plus, I love experimenting with flavors—matcha chocolate chip? Chef’s kiss. Earl Grey butter cookies? A dream. You want berries on top? I got it. Someday, I’d love to perfect the art of baking pastries, but for now, I’m just chillin' in my little kitchen.

If you ever want to bake together, let me know. I promise I’m decent enough not to burn the house down.

Wow, I really didn’t think I’d ramble this much, but here we are. If you made it this far, congratulations! You’ve officially survived my chaotic introduction. I have no idea where this blog is going, but if you’re into physics, baking, or just random life updates, stick around. It’ll be fun.

See you in the next post!