Image by Brigitte from Pixabay "No matter how hard I try, I just can't unload this house. I am sure it is not haunted, but nobody believes me." Soo says. "It's next to a graveyard. That's a dead give away. You know we are superstitious. I think we Asians are the most superstitious of all … Continue reading The Haunted House (Flash Fiction #81)
Month: October 2021
The Holiday Binge
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay I am wondering what I am going to binge watch this holiday season. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. I love a show with a good script and I don't mind how the actors and actresses look. I mean even if each is 200 years old, … Continue reading The Holiday Binge
New Word #77: Halloween
Image by Robert Davis from Pixabay Halloween is an occasion to learn scary words, watch scary movies, light pumpkin lamps. Here I only list a few scary words that I am quite familiar with. There are many more. Please leave me a comment and add words to this scary list. Scary Words uncanny: strange or … Continue reading New Word #77: Halloween
The Price Of Beauty (Flash Fiction #80)
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay This is a true story and it is a sequel to the previous true story "The Interview" here, but you don't need to read the previous story in order to follow this one. Jennifer Chung is an Asian immigrant who grew up in his parents' takeout restaurant. She got … Continue reading The Price Of Beauty (Flash Fiction #80)
Quote Of The Day #30
Image by Yuri_B from Pixabay More Mencken. I don't have much time to read every day and now I feel that I am stuck with this Mencken book forever. He is very pessimistic about almost everything, himself included. I think probably his only pleasure in life is to voice his pessimistic views. Still, whatever he … Continue reading Quote Of The Day #30
New Word #76: Common Gestures
With Hands hand in hand: (of two people) with hands joined, especially as a mark of affection. wring one's hands: clasp and twist one's hands together as a gesture of great distress, especially when one is powerless to change the situation. "she was wringing her hands in agitation" tightfisted: not willing to spend or give … Continue reading New Word #76: Common Gestures
Ivy And Tom (Flash Fiction #79)
Image by Kiều Trường from Pixabay "You know Tom just repeats himself so often. I really want to ask him to stop, but I just can't do it." Ivy says. She's talking about her husband Tom Tsai. They've been married for twenty years now and have a good manageable relationship. Ivy's idea of a good … Continue reading Ivy And Tom (Flash Fiction #79)
The Loan Words
Photo by Alina Vilchenko from Pexels It is said that recently the Oxford English Dictionary has included 26 new loan words from South Korea. Some of these are quite interesting. kimchi: a Korean dish of spicy pickled cabbage. It is said this word is recorded in this dictionary in 1976. I am really astonished since … Continue reading The Loan Words
Learn Something New Every Day
The Mystery Of Talking With Others Years ago in a university in Pennsylvania, I suddenly discovered the delight of group projects, for which people bounce ideas around and try to get things done with joint efforts. Why hadn't it happened to me before that point? I don't know. Since then, I've often experienced of learning … Continue reading Learn Something New Every Day
Quote Of The Day #29
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels I've been reading "Chrestomathy" for a month, but still I haven't finished it. It is so interesting that I really don't want to skip. However I also don't have much time for reading recently, being caught in the year end rush to get things done. The result is I … Continue reading Quote Of The Day #29
New Word #75: Facial Expressions
Image by Digital Photo and Design DigiPD.com from Pixabay Expressions grin: smile broadly, especially in an unrestrained manner and with the mouth open. grimace: an ugly, twisted expression on a person's face, typically expressing disgust, pain, or wry amusement. frown: form an expression of disapproval, displeasure, or concentration, typically by turning down the corners of … Continue reading New Word #75: Facial Expressions
I Want To Be Liked (Flash Fiction #78)
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay Kung is about to attend a conference on mathematics in Boston, where he's going to give a presentation. It's not just a simple talk to present one's research data, but rather it's like an unofficial interview. People who appreciate what he says will likely to hire him and offer him … Continue reading I Want To Be Liked (Flash Fiction #78)
Quote Of The Day #28
Image by Gerhard G. from Pixabay He is chronically and unescapably deceived, not only by the other animals and by the delusive face of nature herself, but also and more particularly by himself—by his incomparable talent for searching out and embracing what is false, and for overlooking and denying what is true. The capacity for … Continue reading Quote Of The Day #28
New Word #74: Recently Learned
Image by freestocks-photos from Pixabay loll: sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way."the two girls lolled in their chairs"lollygag: spend time aimlessly; idle. "he sends her to Arizona every January to lollygag in the sun"Loll is easily confused with lull, which means "calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements."From … Continue reading New Word #74: Recently Learned
The End Of The Affair (Flash Fiction #77)
Image by Sammy-Williams from Pixabay Pammy and her husband Tan are attending a backyard harvest party at Ivy's house in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Pammy didn't plan to come, but Tan's cousin Maylan is here for the weekend. She's attending graduate school in Philadelphia and is writing a term paper on urban organic farming and … Continue reading The End Of The Affair (Flash Fiction #77)
New Word #73: Partying
Image by ktphotography from Pixabay Parties My Friends Enjoy There's no such phrase like "harvest party" or "fruit party". I invented them just to describe the activities my friends enjoy. Since almost everybody is burdened by mortgages (house, car etc.) and his or her kid's education costs, people want inexpensive parties. harvest party: Backyard harvest … Continue reading New Word #73: Partying
The Interview (Flash Fiction #76)
Jennifer Chung doesn't think she stands a chance, but she knows she has to go to this interview. It's a well known company and a good position, which is something Jennifer has always dreamed of but known that she won't be able to reach. She is just too nice, too introverted, too plain an Asian … Continue reading The Interview (Flash Fiction #76)
New Word #72: I Love Cats
Image by Bessi from Pixabay Lion I had thought lions only exist in Africa until I watched a video showing that lions also exist around Gir Forest National Park in India. This is life. Whenever we think something is set in stone, an exception comes in to surprise us. Tiger I heard of Siberian tiger, … Continue reading New Word #72: I Love Cats
Wishful Thinking
I wish that one day when we wake up, the morning news can tell us that Mondays have disappeared, forever from our life, together with other annoying things. Every Monday, I would inevitably think of existential thoughts, like "the meaning of life", "the futility of struggle", "the delusional dreams", "the useless suffering" etc. And needless … Continue reading Wishful Thinking
The Old Fox (Flash Fiction #75)
Ming is a poor artist who does online videos, creates cartoons and posters. He wants to marry Lily for years, but Lily's father Dun won't allow it. Dun looks down upon artists and poor artists especially annoy him. Ming and Lily could get married without Dun's blessing, but they are looking forward to some financial … Continue reading The Old Fox (Flash Fiction #75)
Quote Of The Day #27
Image by Laci Döme from Pixabay I dislike Nietzsche very strongly when he talks about women or marriage--he is quite mad and biased and unfair. However when he talks about education, I do feel that there's some truth in it. "Whether his work be done in a primary school, a secondary school or in the … Continue reading Quote Of The Day #27
Change Causes Anxiety
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay One day many years ago, I was reading a romantic story about two lovers--one saves the other from an impending danger and a certain death. I thought to myself what my parents would do in such a situation. My conclusion was that they would certainly save each other, only … Continue reading Change Causes Anxiety
New Word #71: Between Two Things
Image by hudsoncrafted from Pixabay The Differences There are many words to describe the differences between two things, each being a little different from others, each being used in certain circumstances. dichotomy: A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different. "a rigid dichotomy between science … Continue reading New Word #71: Between Two Things
An Unexpected Competition (Flash Fiction #74)
Image by Manuel Alejandro Leon from Pixabay Jintu is the chef of "The Royal Garden" in New Jersey. If you talk about any other dish or any other chef in his presence, you are going to run into a big argument with him. He considers himself the king of food and cooking, and he is … Continue reading An Unexpected Competition (Flash Fiction #74)
New Word #70: C And P
Image by cocoparisienne from Pixabay Commonly Used scrap: a small piece or amount of something, especially one that is left over after the greater part has been used. It's often used in "a scrap of paper", "scrap metal", "wood scraps". scrappy: 1. consisting of disorganized, untidy, or incomplete parts. 2. (informal•North American) determined, argumentative, or … Continue reading New Word #70: C And P
Thinking Ahead
Photo by rikka ameboshi from Pexels I've never written serialized posts before. I've always wanted to try, but not knowing how to proceed. My stories are usually scattered, as disorganized as my wandering brain. Serialization requires some discipline, some control, some pre-determined plan etc, all of which I am not good at. The only thing … Continue reading Thinking Ahead
Life And Love
Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay This is based on a true story. Let's just say her name was Arong. She worked as a team manager for a big energy company that provides electricity to a big Asian city about four decades ago. As in many developing countries, the energy company is … Continue reading Life And Love
New Word #69: Recently Learned
piranhas: A deep-bodied South American freshwater fish that typically lives in schools and has very sharp teeth that are used to tear flesh from prey. It has a reputation as a fearsome predator.From Boblorentson's blog here. sashay: Walk in an ostentatious yet casual manner, typically with exaggerated movements of the hips and shoulders.biscotti: Small, crisp … Continue reading New Word #69: Recently Learned
I Can’t Believe It’s Him (Flash Fiction #73)
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay This is a sequel to the previous story "Who's More Suitable" here. However there's no need to go to the link if you review the following background. It is based on a true story. Every fall, Ivy and her husband Tom Tsai, the owners of Ivy Training Center in … Continue reading I Can’t Believe It’s Him (Flash Fiction #73)
Haoyan Do 