My article was No.1 on Hacker News
To say that I didn't expect this to happen is an understatement. But hey, achievement unlocked!
Elizabeth Tai
Essayist, sci-fi writer and digital gardener.
Latest posts
How to Build Your Own AI Writing Pipeline (No Paid Tools)
Reblogging this because it s fascinating to see how this can be done. I probably personally won t use it for my own personal workflows, as I prefer to be present during the formation of the draft, but I m thinking of creating a system where, once I complete the draft it gets automatically proofread and parked in [ ]
Being a minority on social media sucks sometimes
It can be a very lonely thing navigating US-centric social media platforms as a Malaysian. Due to the dominance of American narratives and my differing perspectives on topics like AI and geopolitics, I feel an immense pressure to self-censor. I long for more lasting and understanding connections but I know that I'm just one cultural clash away from my connections cancelling me because I have a…
Pangram in Substack? I’m so excited for the AI witch hunts
Substack's new feature for detecting AI-generated content has sparked support and frustration among its users. Critics argue that detection tools are unreliable, unfairly singling out neurodivergent and ESL writers. My biggest concern is that it will spark an AI witch hunt, and significantly worsen the uptick in bullying and harassment since Substack's introduction of social media dynamics through…
On the matter of Greek erasure in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
Nolan's Odyssey isn't just a movie—it's the latest act in a 200-year-old tradition of appropriating Greek culture while denying that Greeks should have control of their own heritage.
July 2026: Lestat, OpenCode and the art of resting
Reflecting on my medical leave and how I'm catching up on dramas, learning how to use OpenCode, and catching up with personal writing projects despite my body's demands that I do nothing.
The Last Generation of ‘Bananas’? How Malaysian Chinese Identity Is Transforming
More Malaysian Chinese are leaning towards their Chinese roots, and that includes having an education in Chinese.
The key to my successful weekly planning system: Time blocking with Google Calendar and Google Tasks
My weekly productivity routine is anchored by Google Tasks, Calendar, and Google Workspace tools.
Substack writers, you need a website!
Substack is convenient, but treat it as a distribution tool for your content. Your content should live on an independently owned website, which has a domain name you control and own. This way, you can secure long-term visibility and control over your digital presence on the Internet.
Linkblog: Dwelling on the Internet
My compendium of links to stuff that I found interesting on the web. This week the focus is about "Being on the Internet".
Why the global south is grateful for Deepseek
Deepseek is pretty amazing. I made 22 API calls yesterday and I have spent .$0.005. Granted my use case is extremely simple, just some simple data work, extracting and shuffling data from a csv file to create a directory page on a website. But what would ve taken me 2x longer copy and pasting, with lots of [ ]
Of abandoning mother tongues and shame
A reaction to a fascinating essay on Substack about the cultural pressure of "leaving the mother tongue" and adopting other languages for class mobility. I reflect on the dynamics of language use among Malaysian Chinese, where the shame is about not mastering more languages or being slow at learning languages.
Writing with AI isn’t always generating entire novels with a prompt
I'm often frustrated by the writing community's misconceptions about AI in writing. I wish more writers were more open to AI's potential in writing and stop crucifying those who dare to say they use AI.
Why I use Mistral as my personal paid AI service
Claude is the "cool kid" of the retail AI services world. However, thanks to its snobbish attitude to some geographical locations, token limitations, and corporate ethos I ended up in the arms of Mistral. Why I use Mistral and why it honestly doesn't matter how great the model is as long as it serves your needs.
Reading Pu Songling’s “The Haunted House”
Pu Songling’s "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" are more than just ghost stories. They also serve as critiques of Qing Dynasty bureaucracy. With the help of an LLM "literature professor", I explore the deeper insights of "The Haunted House", one of the stories in the 300-year-old collection.