Image by gene1970 from Pixabay "I am going to kill him. This is too much. I've spent all my life trying to please him, coddle him, and chase after him, only to be rewarded with his evasiveness and his pathological lies. Now this plane ticket is the last straw. Where is he going? Who is … Continue reading The Battle Of Love (Flash Fiction #51)
Month: July 2021
New Word #46: That Doesn’t Sound Like English
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay Someone sent me a message with "raison d'être" in it. Show off. I actually wondered how he finds "ê" on the keyboard. This is life, isn't it? Once one can handle English, one realizes that the goal post is moving to a French location. I used to be annoyed by … Continue reading New Word #46: That Doesn’t Sound Like English
A Trip To New York City (Flash Fiction #50)
Image by Frank Winkler from Pixabay "Why is New York City called Big Apple?" Hitan asks "I don't know." Ivy replies. "As a tour guide, you really don't know your stuff." Hitan jokes good-naturedly. "I'm not a tour guide. I'm the owner of the Ivy Tutoring Center. Since most of the bilingual tour guide companies … Continue reading A Trip To New York City (Flash Fiction #50)
The Backyard Party (Flash Fiction #49)
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay They grill hamburgers, onions, fish cakes, pineapple slices in the backyard and the food is so good. Mrs. Yee surely knows how to prepare all the ingredients. At first everybody is very interested in what Mr. Yee has to say. He tells one anecdote after another, to his own amusement … Continue reading The Backyard Party (Flash Fiction #49)
New Word #45: The Olympic Games
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay Watching the ongoing Olympic games is great for learning some new words. And suddenly I realize that there are so many sports related words--actually every sports have its own pile of terms that people not interested in it would not understand. Since I am really bad with sports, I can … Continue reading New Word #45: The Olympic Games
Mellow Fruitfulness
Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay When I was young, living in the staff quarter of a rural college south of Mongolian steppe, I often heard fruit stories from my mother's friends who had migrated from the south. My favorite bits were oranges knocking on your shoulder, waking up with olives about to jump into … Continue reading Mellow Fruitfulness
Poem Of The Day #17
I am not sure how the story goes, what he or she does, how he poses or how she clothes. Only a vague idea grows and grows. Things good or bad or hectic, with an unexpected Asian twist. Relationships possible, and even electric, but something is lacking--what is it? Imaginations so aimless, considerations endless, plot … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #17
Poem Of The Day #16
Image by Gabriele M. Reinhardt from Pixabay It's hard to miss you, it's impossible not to miss you, it's delusional to try to get you back, it's a quiet desperation to live and breathe as if everything is normal. Love has no exit. I will watch a sad movie, binge a show, devour a bag … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #16
New Word #44 : Rice Dishes
Image by Andrey Muzychuk from Pixaba This is only a list of rice dishes I've encountered in New Jersey so far. I feel rather embarrassed when I can't pronounce a dish's name when ordering it. Living in a multicultural environment but not being able to at least learn an entree's name that I want to … Continue reading New Word #44 : Rice Dishes
New Word #43: Cooking Methods
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay grill vs barbecue I never know what's the difference between grill and barbecue. Some people told me barbecue is the sauce while grill is the method; some say grilled meat has less fat than barbecued meat. Still I don't know the difference. Or probably they are the same. grill: cook … Continue reading New Word #43: Cooking Methods
Girl Fight (Flash Non-Fiction #48)
"To fight, you have to get yourself dirty." George Orwell says that, but who wants to be dirty? We all want to be as clean, tidy, and pretty as we can, and often we worry that we are not clean, tidy and pretty enough. There are certain movies which can combine prettiness with a fighting … Continue reading Girl Fight (Flash Non-Fiction #48)
Sports, Grammar, And Love (Flash Non-Fiction #47)
Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay Every four years when Olympic ads hit the TV screen, I would think of him. Not that he's an Olympic athlete or anything. He's not, but he's the only one among the people I'm familiar with who loves sports and is pretty good at it. It was 8th grade … Continue reading Sports, Grammar, And Love (Flash Non-Fiction #47)
Language And Custom (Flash Non-Fiction #46)
Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash This morning, as I spent ten minutes to review some Thai phrases from a website, I suddenly remember several strange incidents happened in school when I was learning English as a second language. I can't remember exactly when this happened, but it could be when I was a forth … Continue reading Language And Custom (Flash Non-Fiction #46)
Quote Of The Day #22
Sunday’s Story
Image by justraveling from Pixabay I went to the grocery store this morning. As I was pulling in the parking lot, I saw a woman sitting in the car next to me--she is crying while talking on the phone. I felt the urge to go comfort her, but I knew this couldn't be done since … Continue reading Sunday’s Story
A Relationship Speculator (Flash Fiction #45)
Image by Jamie Nakamura from Pixabay Pammy: "I've never seen Armei and Arhu quarreling this much before. Almost everything Arhu said, his wife Armei objected. I wonder what has happened to the two. I observed them at the party. Glad the party is over and we are home now." Pammy's husband Pan: "Really? I hardly … Continue reading A Relationship Speculator (Flash Fiction #45)
New Word #46: Recently Learned
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay firenado: a rapidly rotating column of flames above an intense fire, caused when air, dust, etc. is drawn into the fire from the surroundings and rises, creating a vortex. This word is obviously obtained from the word "tornado", which is referring to air vortex rather than fire vortex. I … Continue reading New Word #46: Recently Learned
The Presentation (Flash Fiction #44)
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash Pam is going to give a presentation in a conference and she comes to Ivy Training Center to seek help. Since everybody is occupied, Ivy ends up assisting Pam. The Ivy Training Center almost went out of business several months ago--business was slow to a crawl due to pandemic … Continue reading The Presentation (Flash Fiction #44)
New Word #45: The Fascinating “K” And “KY”
I've always been fascinated with words ending with "k" and "ky". There are a lot of them and each is sonorous, spontaneous, slang like, and vivid in the description of what it is supposed to describe. And it is no surprise that I can remember each one of them after just one encounter and never … Continue reading New Word #45: The Fascinating “K” And “KY”
The Superstition (Flash Fiction #43)
Photo by Jari Hytönen on Unsplash Pammy finally gets her real estate license after taking the real estate test several times. And she helps Mr. Goh Yee and his wife to purchase their house in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey. Goh is a businessman from Malaysia and the only reason he wants to buy a house … Continue reading The Superstition (Flash Fiction #43)
New Word #44: Recently Learned
Image by Kristine Lejniece from Pixabay bubba: used as an affectionate form of address to a brother. (North America)From annzimmerman's post here.This is the first time I encounter this word--it is so endearing. cassowary: a very large flightless bird related to the emuFrom Iseult Murphy's post here. Love large flightless bird. They look so eccentric … Continue reading New Word #44: Recently Learned
Instant Response Too
Image by Michael Treu from Pixabay This is a follow up to the "Instant Response" I posted before, which unexpectedly has gained more comments than my other posts. Let's walk through the incident again. Last Thursday ago, I went to Walmart to get my second Moderna vaccine shot. The pharmacist, also an immigrant who's of … Continue reading Instant Response Too
New Word #43: Peripatetic
Image by Chingiz Khalafov from Pixabay A Temporary Stay I learned the word peripatetic from mjcd2017 here. peripatetic: traveling from place to place, in particular working or based in various places for relatively short periods. This word has a temporary feel to it. sojourn: a temporary stay. tarry: to remain or stay, as in a … Continue reading New Word #43: Peripatetic
In Six Languages (Flash Fiction #42)
The Yang family has been running a takeout restaurant in this northeastern New Jersey town for 17 years. They have a daughter Lisa who's a 15-year-old and a son who's 10. When Lisa was born, the Yang family couldn't afford a babysitter. Lisa spent all day in the kitchen of the little takeout restaurant with … Continue reading In Six Languages (Flash Fiction #42)
Quote Of The Day #21
The Herbal Medicine (Flash Fiction #41)
Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay "I'm afraid I need to return this." Penni stands at counter of the vacant little grocery store. "My store has a no return policy for any package that's opened." Leong, the store owner says sternly. "It's opened, but I couldn't use it. I got cold feet and dropped the … Continue reading The Herbal Medicine (Flash Fiction #41)
The July 4th Long Weekend
Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay There are a lot of fireworks, big or small, in Edison Township over the weekend and one very exuberant one just blasted off outside of my window by a neighbor I guess. This year's celebration is obviously more intense than last year, or any previous year. … Continue reading The July 4th Long Weekend
New Word #42: The Revolutionary War
Image by John Hain from Pixabay I learned many new words through the American Revolutionary War. One of the most interesting words is "dragoons"--they dismount their horses first before fighting on foot, unlike the cavalry who will fight while mounted. I just wonder where they would keep their horses while fighting? I mean on a … Continue reading New Word #42: The Revolutionary War
Quote Of The Day #20
New Word #41: Recently Learned
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay cabaret: entertainment held in a nightclub or restaurant while the audience eats or drinks at tables.From mjcd2017 here about the happy moments of life. ruddy: (of a person's face) having a healthy red color.From Shammi here with a story of a sage. ableist: discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.From … Continue reading New Word #41: Recently Learned
Instant Response
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay Yesterday, I went to get my second shot of Moderna vaccine at the local Walmart. The pharmacist is very young, probably just out of the pharmacy school. He is very cute and also an immigrant, probably from Middle East somewhere. He explained to me that after getting the shot … Continue reading Instant Response
New Word #40: Bluster, Blaster, Or Blister
There are a score of words that start with "b" and end in "st" or "ster", which are very confusing. I hope listing them out here will reduce the confusion, but I know I am probably hoping too much. Still we try, despite knowing the futility of it. Image by Momentmal from Pixabay blust: This … Continue reading New Word #40: Bluster, Blaster, Or Blister
Romance And Pandemic (Flash Fiction #40)
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash Here is another story of the family of Nita, her husband Lian, and her son Kevin. There's a previous story about the family here on the topic of superfluity--the two stories are not related and there's no need to read the previous story to understand the current story. Nita's … Continue reading Romance And Pandemic (Flash Fiction #40)
Haoyan Do 