How to Lose at Status Games - by Valerie - Val's Pals

I meet her at a party during peak wildflower season, an unassuming older Asian woman against a backdrop of purple and pink flowers. I’m always drawn to the older Asian women I meet. Growing up, most of the older Asian women I knew waterboarded their kids into doing Kumon, and I’d light up inside whenever I met someone who didn’t fit that mold. Even now, I feel starved for Asian women who channel their ambition in other ways. I want to know Asian women who feel accomplished and alive. Maybe if I meet enough of them, I’ll feel hopeful for my future self. We’re at a ticketed event for famous creatives. I don’t know it yet, but she is here by invitation of the organizers. I am here not because of my own merit but because one of my friends, Tina, is rich, sophisticated, and open to bombastic people like me. When Tina and I first met a few years ago, I expressed so much enthusiasm about getting my fancy gala cherry popped one day, and that must have made an impression on her. I’m in awe of T

I meet her at a party during peak wildflower season, an unassuming older Asian woman against a backdrop of purple and pink flowers. I’m always drawn to the older Asian women I meet. Growing up, most of the older Asian women I knew waterboarded their kids into doing Kumon, and I’d light up inside whenever I met someone who didn’t fit that mold. Even now, I feel starved for Asian women who channel their ambition in other ways. I want to know Asian women who feel accomplished and alive. Maybe if I meet enough of them, I’ll feel hopeful for my future self. We’re at a ticketed event for famous crea