There's an unintended advantage of wearing a face mask, which I didn't realize until today--no need to fix your hair or even wear makeup before you step out. Face masks can be liberating, time saving, anxiety reducing. I mean the anxiety of feeling yourself not looking as good as you should look. Now it is … Continue reading The Unintended Advantage
Month: April 2020
Sudden Popularity
Some stores have gained sudden popularity since the start of the lockdown. I am talking about the Asian grocery store right around the corner from where I live. By the way, when will everything go back to normal again? I yearn for the good old days when we complained about the boredom of living in … Continue reading Sudden Popularity
Phone Batteries
My friend has an iPhone and the battery needs constant charging. Whenever it is not charged, the battery bars go down from fully charged to zero in just one long phone call or one wechat conversation. "Replace the battery at once." I said, wondering if it sounds silly to be asked so obvious a question … Continue reading Phone Batteries
Wellness Anxiety
I reordered three bottles of "Wellness Formula", less for the real purpose of wellness improvement and more for alleviating my wellness anxiety. In the era of face masks and virus scare, anything that is remotely related with increased immunity is a comfort to possess. They came in much smaller bottles than I anticipated. I bought … Continue reading Wellness Anxiety
Because of the Title
I must have chosen this video because of its title, "From Paris With Love". My mind wiggles a little whenever it hears "Paris"; my mind wiggles a little bit more when the title reminisces one of the Jame Bond series; my friend's mind wiggles also when he saw John Travolta in the trailer--I didn't notice … Continue reading Because of the Title
Not Getting Younger
Another book on sale and another book one could regret one bought it. Even the picture on the cover, which looks just as sanguine as another nice outfit for a nice book, is deceptively depressing. So many candles crowd the cake that the oversized flaming top seems on the point of toppling over. However once … Continue reading Not Getting Younger
All About Food
I haven't read many books on food, except two or three books of Anthony Bourdain and one by Marcus Samuelsson and one by Jim Gaffigan. So "Food: A Cultural Culinary History" is rather interesting in its grand scope and its comprehensiveness. People, who are used to food books, may want more specific things and more … Continue reading All About Food
A Cloudy Day
My friend said New Jersey is getting more rainy each year and I totally agree with him. When the rain comes, it comes for two or three days at least, sometimes for a week; often a light rain is not actually falling but rather misting and saturating the air--even with an umbrella, your face and … Continue reading A Cloudy Day
A Day
I woke up at six o'clock in the morning, groggy and uncomfortable, wanting to sleep more but unable to, wanting to read something but impossible to focus. Half an hour later, not knowing how, I went back to a shallow dream, which I can't remember now what it was about, and woke up at nine … Continue reading A Day
One Tablespoon Too Much
One tablespoon too much and everything is ruined. Now I look at the oyster sauce, the innocent looking perpetrator, and imagine an ideal world where everything is reversible--including the cooking process--and nothing regrettable needs to be regretted. The problem is that in order to save time, I made a big batch of it. The shear … Continue reading One Tablespoon Too Much
Bad Memory
I can't believe I said this, but I did and it was recorded in the Goodread with me saying that "Man of Destiny" is the best play of Shaw in my opinion. I didn't even remember what this play is about when I read Mencken's book on Shaw. It's a very funny and subtle book, … Continue reading Bad Memory
Barbarian Or Not Barbarian
I think the word "barbarian" in "Barbarians of The Steppes" is used to entice the audience rather than to be derogatory. Actually people use it so randomly and so carelessly that rarely anybody has faith in it anymore. Whenever somebody is called a barbarian, one begins to think that this person may just be exotic … Continue reading Barbarian Or Not Barbarian
Another Day
The headache is gone; the chore is done. The sun is not shining; the wind is not whining; the rain is all but resigning. Face adorned with self made mask; go out for a shopping task. The air is misty; or is it crispy? Outside the store, the long line is winding; people standing there, … Continue reading Another Day
Headache
The headache came last night and wouldn't go away even now, 24 hours later. Since headache is one of the symptoms of the new virus, I naturally suspect that I might have got it. Actually, a random cough here and there, an occasional sneeze, or even the gurgling sound from the stomach can alert the … Continue reading Headache
Watching “Parasite”
Watching "Parasite" with a friend, I was a little astonished to find that he mostly sided with the rich family. I am rather ambiguous about the moral issues here and more sympathetic towards the poor family, who has to hustle in order to survive. I thought everybody thinks like me, but as often is the … Continue reading Watching “Parasite”
At Dawn
Getting up at six o'clock, one can enjoy the twilight for almost an hour, from the early darkness with a diffusion of light almost purple-ish to nearly seven o'clock when the morning light, obscured by thick clouds, arrives reluctantly. Turning on the light will spoil the natural grey mixture of light and shadow; not turning … Continue reading At Dawn
Reading “Greater Inclination”
Now that I know Wharton wrote many books of short stories, I'd want to read some of them. Just her way with language alone will draw me to her work. Long ago, I trudged through "Valley of Decisions" and could only manage less than half of it. So foreign to the life she described and … Continue reading Reading “Greater Inclination”
Reading “The Myth”
I only understand a small portion of it. "The Myth of Sisyphus" needs to be reread, but just from my partial understanding of it, Sisyphus is considered to be enjoying his futile effort and useless task. If I read this book through the lens of an immigrant, I wonder if Camus is giving a foreboding … Continue reading Reading “The Myth”
Empty
Route 27 is almost empty at 10AM. More than one of my friends detest this road, especially this section of the road in Edison--congestion at every crossroad, cars going in and out of the plazas and strip malls, double yellow line disregarded for good reasons. More than one suffered an accident or narrowly escaped one. … Continue reading Empty
A Spring Day
The street is empty, from one block to another, only a surly man walking his sad dog. Distancing is social or asocial? He keeps a good distance by walking almost half a circle, just to avoid me. The park is in accessible, all cordoned off, police car parking at the entrance. It looks empty and … Continue reading A Spring Day
Reading “The Rebel”
I've been trying to read this book forever, but now with the intention of reading "The Plague"--so fitting during the current pandemic--I am forcing myself to understand the rebellious morality first before proceeding to the infected town and its philosophical consequence. The problem is that Camus' book has a lot of references on figures of … Continue reading Reading “The Rebel”
Last Chapter
Now I am at the last chapter of "In Defense of Women" and I just can't help laughing that Mencken is railing against women who are more interested in taking jobs, gaining financial independence, and having fun than jumping into marriage. Obviously he's not happy about this. In the previous chapters, he's railing against women … Continue reading Last Chapter
Where Is It
I thought about something-- an idiosyncrasy, a trait observed through a common behavior, something universal yet with an Asian twist. How wonderful. I was cooking and I didn't write it down, trusting my memory, disregarding my usual forgetfulness. Despite numerous evidence to the contrary, I still believe in my ability, especially in the realm of … Continue reading Where Is It
A Phone Call
A stranger on the other end of the radio waved cell phone signals, and she laughed at the things I said, I mean everything I said, all my failed attempts at being serious and funny. I was so flattered that I made more attempts. Isn't it strange that I can't entertain anybody I know, but … Continue reading A Phone Call
Finishing “My Life in Middlemarch”
I found this book much more interesting than "Middlemarch", George Eliot's life more exhilarating and gratifying than the characters she created, for example Dorothea, the description of the relationship between Eliot and George Henry Lewes more interesting than most of the relationships described in novels--I mean many novels including "Middlemarch". Although I read it long … Continue reading Finishing “My Life in Middlemarch”
Never Say Never
Whatever I tell, you will never hear. Whatever I think, you will never know. Every time I hear about Woodbridge and its virus cases, I worry about you. I wish you've already left there. No soccer tutoring for the school there; no reading to kids in a straw hat; no photo with the mayor. I … Continue reading Never Say Never
Finishing “In Defense of Women”
"In Defense of Men" should be the more apt title since throughout the book men are described as being defenseless in face of the scheming women in almost everything and especially in marriage. I don't believe a word of it and I can hardly believe that Mencken believed in what he was writing. The book … Continue reading Finishing “In Defense of Women”
Mob Mentality
I never know I have mob mentality. Probably due to my sloth personality and my dislike of physical activities, my mob mentality has never had a chance to manifest itself. Well, not until recently. Finally the pandemic has unleashed my inner mobster, if not in anything else, at least in buying things. I bought so … Continue reading Mob Mentality
Finishing “Choose Your Own Autobiography”
I should stop buying things just because they are on sale. I should, but I won't. This book appears in my audible library and at first I thought it's an easy read. However, I've never watched "How I met Your Mother" and have never watched anything that's mentioned in the book except "Titanic", in which … Continue reading Finishing “Choose Your Own Autobiography”
Dreams
A night of happy dreams-- no nightmare, no phantasmagoria, no mad rush to find a bathroom, not chased by beasts, not falling from stairs-- disrupted and couldn't go back to sleep. You appeared in my dream, a little haggard a little tired, but eyes burning in good spirit. Never any conversations in dreams, why? Probably … Continue reading Dreams
Reading “My Life in Middlemarch”
It's like a book review runs amok, extending from the convention of a mere essay of several pages to an entire book of 293 pages. I bought this book due to its title and the brief description in amazon website. I never really like "Middlemarch", and I am very interested to see how and why … Continue reading Reading “My Life in Middlemarch”
Face Mask
Suddenly people are all wearing masks in stores and even in parks--something that was not considered advisable for more than a month is becoming advisable now. I don't know what's the underlying reasoning for wearing mask now, for not wearing masks before, for the change of direction. The news have been continuously depressing. It's more … Continue reading Face Mask
Apparition
Longer lines outside of the stores; More masked face with wary looks; No more toilet papers, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizers; A friend talking over the phone-- but he's not interested in conversing. He's not into anybody or anything, not even himself. Enjoying sanctioned pleasures, he feels superior; not enjoying unsanctioned pleasures, he feels even more … Continue reading Apparition
Reading “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”
The title must mean something. Something biblical? I have no idea. I didn't know how it ends up in my audible library, when I bought it, why I bought it. I guess it was on sale during one of the previous holiday seasons and I bought several in one shot. The incomprehensible title, the discount, … Continue reading Reading “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”
Rambling
I've never admitted that I like to read rambling lines, but I think I do after finishing another round of "S & S". Austen rambled happily and one character can talk incessantly for half to one page at a time. I didn't notice this before, probably because I had often jumped forward in previous times. … Continue reading Rambling
Here and There
Wherever I go, I wonder about the likelihood of you being there. The chance is slim, but the dream continues. Not the same locations, not the same time. Like the possibility of seeing another planet full of life, theoretically yes, but practically no. Remember when we were young, we criticized the plot of a movie … Continue reading Here and There
Unfinished Love
Suddenly life seems so fragile, ephemeral. It can end prematurely, accidentally, unexpectedly by a smallest RNA with a protein coat gaudy with red dots sticking out. I've never thought about death before, something too far away to be of significance. Now I think about it, I feel fine. I can accept death better than declining … Continue reading Unfinished Love
“The Plague”
It is said more people are buying the book "The Plague" by Albert Camus due to the coronavirus. I've always thought I would read it, since my college days, but I've never done that. The problem is that I'm stuck with "The Rebel", the topic of which is relevant to my life and endearing to … Continue reading “The Plague”
Haoyan Do 