Image by Jess Bailey from Pixabay I talked with my friend L who told me that she and her colleagues went to an Asian restaurant last Friday. And they ordered two edamame and two miso soups as starters. She wanted to say they should not do that since one can boil edamame at home and … Continue reading Different Cultures Different Choices
Month: May 2023
The Friendship Puzzle
Image by Ingo Jakubke from Pixabay I've had various friendship mishaps over the years, mostly due to me being a "grey rock", who pretends to be sweet, docile, obliging, passive and pacifying. I have a hidden fear that if other people know my true self--a person being a little bitter, harboring misgivings, growing up among … Continue reading The Friendship Puzzle
Wednesday’s Wandering Thoughts
Image by Ptrixxi from Pixabay Wednesday is always a tricky day, a little annoying, a little stuck in the middle. The weather too is a little unsure of itself, with clouds darkening in the gathering dusk, and an occasional raindrop falling but not really rainy. I just feel a little moody and whiny today, for … Continue reading Wednesday’s Wandering Thoughts
The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 5)
Image by kiquebg from Pixaba This is the 5th part of the story. The previous 4 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4. Ayun arrives at the office early today. Upon arrival, she immediately goes to Fifi, unplugs her cord, and dislodges her battery. As she is pondering what more damage she could do, she … Continue reading The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 5)
Remember A Regrettable Event
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay I was talking with a person who asked me for advice on a tricky situation, in which she felt that it was necessary for her to switch teams. By doing so, she was afraid that she might offend certain people. "Explain and explain more." I said to her, "you'd … Continue reading Remember A Regrettable Event
My First Response-Poem
Image by Alberto Adán from Pixabay I read two poems which are very sad. I am thinking that I'll write several lines to dispel the gloom. The first sad poem is like this: Looking up at the stars, I know quite wellThat, for all they care, I can go to hell, but on earth indifference … Continue reading My First Response-Poem
A Rainy Saturday
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay I don't have anything to write about. It drizzles all day today--a misty, windless, grey world outside--but I don't feel the usual melancholy on a day like this. Instead the random raindrops on the window pane seem to form a mystical pattern, the temperature hovers around the pleasant 70F, … Continue reading A Rainy Saturday
The Dim Sum Drama (Flash Fiction)
Image by stokpic from Pixabay Flash Fiction #168 I didn't know how to name this story. So I thought of an episode of "Seinfeld" that's called "The Soup Nazi". I could have named this story, "The Dim Sum Nazi", but then I thought I was pushing emulation and imitation too far. As an immigrant, it … Continue reading The Dim Sum Drama (Flash Fiction)
Quote Of The Day: Experiment In Love
Image by Rolf Dobberstein from Pixabay Quote Of The Day #78 "She was quarrelsome, dogmatic, and shrewd. Her speech was alarmingly forthright, or else bewilderingly circumlocutory. Her eyes were large and alert, green like green glass, with no yellow or hazel in them, with none of the compromises people have when it comes to green … Continue reading Quote Of The Day: Experiment In Love
The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 4)
Image by kiquebg from Pixaba This is the 4th part of the story. The previous 3 parts are here: 1, 2, 3. If Tram doesn't want to help her, she will do it herself. She has always been a resourceful girl even though she has never had much resources in her command. She is an … Continue reading The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 4)
Real Life Interviews
Image by Erika Varga from Pixabay The other day, I watched an Asian TV program, in which a young reporter--a girl probably just graduated from college--went around to interview several centenarians in a mountainous subtropical region, which is well known for its clean air, pristine environment, and people who have longer life spans than those … Continue reading Real Life Interviews
Quote Of The Day: Questions and Curiosities
Image by lee seonghak from Pixabay Quote Of The Day #77 I don't really have a quote from the book "Burning Questions" for the simple reason that it's an audible book. I thought I bookmarked the quote I wanted to go back to later on, but when I eventually reviewed all the bookmarks, it was … Continue reading Quote Of The Day: Questions and Curiosities
The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 3)
Image by kiquebg from Pixaba This is the 3rd part of the story. The previous parts are here: 1, 2. "I am not going to help you sabotage the robot. I am an engineer." Tram says to Ayun at the dinner table. "I think an engineer is an expert in sabotaging a robot." Ayun says. … Continue reading The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 3)
The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 2)
Image by kiquebg from Pixaba This is the 2nd part of the story. The 1st part is here. How to get Fifi removed? Ayun asks herself. "Isn't Fifi a beauty? And a smart beauty too." Ku's tired voice suddenly emerges behind her. Ayun turns around and smiles at Ku, who's the lawyer and the owner … Continue reading The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 2)
The Weekend Binge
mage by Public Co from Pixabay Last weekend, I tried to binge read three books--actually I tried to listen since these are audible books--but only managing to finish two, with the third one about half way through. The three books are "Catch and Kill" by Ronan Farrow, "She Said" by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey, … Continue reading The Weekend Binge
Quote Of The Day: The Changing World
From My iPhone Quote Of The Day # 76 "Mia Farrow is a great actress and a wonderful mom, who sacrificed greatly for her kids. And yet so much of her talent and reputation was consumed by the men in her life." "Catch And Kill" by Ronan Farrow And this quote is soooooooo true. So … Continue reading Quote Of The Day: The Changing World
The Real Diversity
Image by xiSerge from Pixabay The concept of nuclear family is very much like the English language--they both came from one specific area and one specific group (or several specific groups) of people, and for the last two hundred years or so they have spread to every corner of the world and dominated our life … Continue reading The Real Diversity
A Note From An Acquaintance
Image by Deborah Hudson from Pixabay I got a thank-you note in my inbox from her, in her plain style, bespeaks her happiness of a little unexpected triumph. She never adorns, not in her clothes, not in her speech, not in her manner, not in her note either. She is good with math and works … Continue reading A Note From An Acquaintance
The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 1)
Image by kiquebg from Pixaba I've never been able to imagine a story before, and most of my stories, except a handle of them, have been real. I want to change that. So here I am imagining a robot translator, who is going to replace Ayun, a legal assistant in a law office. The robot … Continue reading The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction Part 1)
Haoyan Do 