Month: June 2021

The Russian Friend (Flash Fiction #39)

Photo by Cristofer Jeschke on Unsplash Lia is a new part time hire at Ivy Learning Center, which has many overqualified full time and part time teachers to tutor local kids--mainly from the surrounding middle schools and high schools. Summer is usually the busy time when anxious parents want to push their kids on SAT … Continue reading The Russian Friend (Flash Fiction #39) →

The Italian Name (Flash Fiction #38)

Image by Pexels from Pixabay "Can I also have a can of orange soda?" Armei says to the kid behind the counter, who looks like he's hardly out of high school. Armei can't even remember the days when she's out of high school. That's so long ago and she's growing old. "You mean the 'San … Continue reading The Italian Name (Flash Fiction #38) →

New Word #39: Eat And Drink

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash Most of these words for eating and drinking are often used. I've never seen "manducate" being used, but for the rest, they are all quite common. Sometimes I can encounter several just in one scene about a dinner or a party. There must be more words about eating and … Continue reading New Word #39: Eat And Drink →

Quote Of The Day #18

Image by Elena Tishkova from Pixabay "Orthodoxy" by G. K. Chesterton is on sale at Audible.com and you know me, who cannot resist a discount, which is the reason why my shelf is filled with books I don't feel like reading and my closet full of clothes I hardly ever wear. And Chesterton is rambling … Continue reading Quote Of The Day #18 →

New Word #38: Recently Learned

shiv: a knife or razor used as a weapon.kryptonite: an alien mineral that has the property of depriving Superman of his powers. (It's only used in fantasy novels or movies.)These are from Princess & Pages' posts here and here zany: amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic.harping: talk or write persistently and tediously on (a particular topic).quibble: a … Continue reading New Word #38: Recently Learned →

Pammy Wants Justice (Flash Fiction #37)

Image by Alexas from Pixabay This story is a sequel to the previous flash story "The Cynic", which talks about the lunch Pammy had with her husband Pan at a new Asian restaurant opened up in Edison, New Jersey. There they met Brother Tai, who came to their table to sit with them for a … Continue reading Pammy Wants Justice (Flash Fiction #37) →

New Word #36: Related With Senses

Photo by rikka ameboshi from Pexels tangible: perceptible by touch. intangible: unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence. palpable: (of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible. impalpable: unable to be felt by touch. perceptible: (especially of a slight movement or change of state) able to be seen … Continue reading New Word #36: Related With Senses →

Cicada 2021

Image by USA-Reiseblogger from Pixabay I haven't heard any sound from cicada in Edison, but it is said in the Princeton township 30 miles to the west, cicada is taking over the neighborhood. They climb on every branch and sing all day long and shed their skins everywhere. There's a very interesting article about New … Continue reading Cicada 2021 →

The Cynic (Flash Fiction #36)

Photo by Atul Vinayak on Unsplash A new Asian restaurant has opened up in Edison after New Jersey lifted most of the restrictions for dine-in places. However there's rumor that this is just an old restaurant, which shut down in the nearby township and moved to this new more popular location, to take advantage of … Continue reading The Cynic (Flash Fiction #36) →

The Great Escape

I should have read "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" long time ago, but I didn't. Mostly because I was afraid that the description is so bloody and horrid that I would be depressed after reading it, but I turn out to be stronger than I thought. There are only two … Continue reading The Great Escape →

New Word #35: True Or False

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash Related With Being True veridiction: A statement that is true according to the worldview of a particular subject, rather than objectively true. verisimilitude: the appearance of being true or real. verity: a true principle or belief, especially one of fundamental importance. veracity: conformity to facts; accuracy. verification: the process … Continue reading New Word #35: True Or False →

All The Loving Fathers

Image by Antony Trivet from Pixabay This is a corresponding post for "All The Loving Mothers" written on Mother's day in May. Laid Back Fathers Laid back fathers are usually nice and fun loving, leaving most of the domestic decisions to their spouses. They will step up to take charge when their wife nag them … Continue reading All The Loving Fathers →

Quote Of The Day #16

I just read the essay "It Is Obscene" from https://www.chimamanda.com/ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose book "Americanah" I bought but haven't read yet. And it is such a wonderful essay, in which the author describes a student of her workshop who criticized her unfairly or heartlessly. People who ask you to ‘educate’ yourself while not … Continue reading Quote Of The Day #16 →

Resilient But Divided

When I was young, there's an old guy in our neighborhood who was rumored to have a colorful life--a farmer turned bandit, a bandit turned soldier turned small business owner. He's been to Russia and several other countries for business and had some beautiful souvenirs on display, which were covered under a piece of embroidered … Continue reading Resilient But Divided →

New Word #34: Recently Learned

Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay rambler: A person who walks for pleasure, especially in the countryside. I wonder if it may also means a person who talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.This is from colinmcqueen here. squish: make a soft squelching sound when walked on or in. This is … Continue reading New Word #34: Recently Learned →

Targeted

Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash Language Ever since I started to learn Thai for 15 minutes a day, I've seen advertisement about language learning programs one after another. I used to hear a lot about Rosetta Stone software years ago, but now it has disappeared--no advertisement from Rosetta Stone. However there are plenty of … Continue reading Targeted →

New Word #33: Different Kinds Of Villains

Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels desperado: a desperate or reckless person, especially a criminal. degenerate: an immoral or corrupt person. rogue: a dishonest or unprincipled man. scoundrel: a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue. fugitive: a person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding, especially to avoid arrest or persecution. Actually … Continue reading New Word #33: Different Kinds Of Villains →

The Taste Of Chocolate (Flash Fiction #35)

Photo by Serghei Savchiuc on Unsplash When Apei was a little girl, her mother--for the sake of the family economy--would never buy chocolate for her. Thirty years ago in Penang--a tropical island off the coast of Malaysia-- chocolate was very expensive. Other candies made of coconut and durian are readily available. Apei had plenty of … Continue reading The Taste Of Chocolate (Flash Fiction #35) →

New Word #32: Humor

I've been complained about the sheer number of English words for a long time, especially when a lot of words can be used to describe one thing, each representing a slightly different shade of it, the subtlety of which can be easily detectable by native speakers but often escape notice from everybody else. However when … Continue reading New Word #32: Humor →

Local Politics (Flash Fiction #34)

"Oh, you are so naive. You have no idea of the numerous little things. New Jersey has a unique party line politics." Dodo says. "What is party line?" Pammy asks. "It's too complicated to explain to you. If you participate in our meetings, gradually you will know. You've never come to a political meeting before? … Continue reading Local Politics (Flash Fiction #34) →

New Word #31: Different Collections

Image by FelixMittermeier from Pixabay A List Or A Collection anthology: a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing. repertoire: a stock of plays, dances, or pieces that a company or a performer knows or is prepared to perform. portfolio: a collection of financial investments; a collection of drawings or maps. programme: booklet … Continue reading New Word #31: Different Collections →

Life And Existence

I've never known the difference between the word freedom and the word liberty--I think the two are interchangeable but most likely they are not. However I am too lazy to look it up. It's like watching all the seasons of "Frasier", but never really figuring out the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. Still … Continue reading Life And Existence →

A Happy Accident (Flash Fiction #33)

Arjian is a local hairdresser and a regular gambler at Atlantic City--a casino town at the southern end of New Jersey. There's a previous story about him here. On Saturday morning, when Arjian's wife Mei goes to the drive-by ATM machine, she finds that the balance is increased by about $10,000. She doesn't know where … Continue reading A Happy Accident (Flash Fiction #33) →

New Word #30: Varying Degrees Of Disagreement

Image by My Luu from Pixabay Have some doubts misgiving: a feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something. qualm: an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one's own conduct; a misgiving. Disagree silently acquiesce: accept something reluctantly but without protest. Disagree mildly demur: raise doubts or objections … Continue reading New Word #30: Varying Degrees Of Disagreement →

The Controversy (Flash Fiction #32)

Photo by Providence Doucet on Unsplash "There's an ancient fable about a vendor selling spears and shields by the road. A bunch of spears are displayed tidily on his left with a sign that says,'the world's best spears that can puncture any shield.' On his right, there is a pile of shield on which there … Continue reading The Controversy (Flash Fiction #32) →

How To Talk (Flash Fiction #31)

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay "I love this house when it's in my dream and it's being built. Once I live here, it’s a very different story." Armei says at the dinner table. Armei and Pammy and Lulu are good friends and also their husbands get along with each other. For this Saturday, the … Continue reading How To Talk (Flash Fiction #31) →

Poem Of The Day #15

Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay Love is a blind leap from the quietness of our frozen presumption. Suddenly the hushed order we proudly immure ourselves becomes laughable and absurd-- from a lover's eye. All the mistakes we made-- casually construed, clumsily carried out. Then it abruptly ended when you stormed off. You had a … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #15 →

New Word #29: Recently Learned

Image by Comfreak from Pixabay chortle: laugh in a breathy, gleeful way; chuckle.The word is from Clayjonz's post here. gyration: a rapid movement in a circle or spiral; a whirling motion.skanky: dirty and unpleasant.This is from Bonnywood's post here. bumptious: self-assertive or proud to an irritating degree.This is from Pooja's post here. typology: a classification … Continue reading New Word #29: Recently Learned →

The Neighbors (Flash Fiction #30)

KPhoto by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash Kyi-sook has this continuous feud with her neighbor Joe. Kyi-sook's husband Kai is a very laid-back guy and doesn't want to make a fuss at all. After prodding her husband numerous times without seeing any results, Kyi-sook realizes that she is the one who has to go out there … Continue reading The Neighbors (Flash Fiction #30) →

Quote And Review–“An Introduction To Existentialism”

This book is so easy to read and so good that I can't tell you how much I love it. It's almost beyond my power of praise, just like "Notes From Underground" by Dostoevsky and "Words" by Sartre, which I love to read and hopefully to reread sometime. You don't need any philosophical background to … Continue reading Quote And Review–“An Introduction To Existentialism” →

New Word #28: More Confusing Pairs

There are countless confusing pairs in English that it is very easy to mistake one for the other. Here I list a few that I encountered recently. wreck and wrack wreck: a vehicle or ship that has been destroyed or badly damaged wrack: 1 : ruin, destruction. 2 : a remnant of something destroyed. These … Continue reading New Word #28: More Confusing Pairs →

A Book Of Ancient Tales (Flash Fiction #29)

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash "You know Armei tells me that her daughter Lily says she wants to be a YouTube star. Armei is furious. All those tuition fees Armei has to pay, only to see her wasting her time..." Pammy says as the whole family sits down to dinner. Armei's husband Pan just … Continue reading A Book Of Ancient Tales (Flash Fiction #29) →

New Word #27 Recently Learned

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay angst: a feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general.from Bonnywood's post here rogue: This word is most often used in "to be a rogue" or "to go rogue", which means to be a mischievous … Continue reading New Word #27 Recently Learned →

Energy (Flash Fiction #28)

Photo by Susanna Marsiglia on Unsplash "I am so bored." I hear myself saying. Nalan and I have evolved from talking on phone to talking on Zoom. "I am more bored than you are." Nalan says. That's just typical of Nalan. Whenever I say something, she will say she is more than me. If I … Continue reading Energy (Flash Fiction #28) →

New Word #26: Singular Or Plural

Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash I have never been very comfortable with this issue since there are so many exceptions to the rule that I often wonder if I would be making a mistake if I follow the rule--as a non-native speaker, this is nothing new to me. At first I was quite frustrated … Continue reading New Word #26: Singular Or Plural →

Don’t See The Contradiction

After reading Herb's blog about Walmart protester who is eager to buy Walmart merchandise, I can think of people in my life who are unaware of the contradiction in their behavior. Even if one points it out to them, they still don't see it. The Crazy Lovers Or Haters This happened many years ago among … Continue reading Don’t See The Contradiction →

New Word #25: Used And Confused

Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels The following are two groups of words that are not infrequently used, one starting with t and the other starting with f or fl. I constantly get confused between tout and taunt, flaunt and flout, flounder and founder and flounce. The most surprising of all is founder which is … Continue reading New Word #25: Used And Confused →

New Word #24: The Three Letter F Words

Photo by Julien Riedel on Unsplash Fig, fun, fog are commonly known, but there are many interesting three letter words that are not often used, like fib, fob, fub, fab, fad, fop, fab: fabulous; wonderful. fad: an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something fid: a square wooden or iron bar fib: a lie, typically … Continue reading New Word #24: The Three Letter F Words →