Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash Father: Son, what are you doing? Are you writing poems again? You know I want you to get involved in some useful activities, like math camps, music, painting etc. Son: Dad, I don't like those things. Father: We are not talking about your preferences. We are talking about usefulness … Continue reading Summer Activities (Flash Fiction #25)
Author: haoyando
Quote Of The Day #10
The Vegan (Flash Fiction #24)
Photo by Sascha Bosshard on Unsplash When Tony Tung suddenly announces at the dinner table that he is going to be a vegan starting the following week, his parents are totally confused what he's talking about. They've never heard the word before and have to consult the online dictionary. "It means a person who does … Continue reading The Vegan (Flash Fiction #24)
Quote Of The Day #9
Love Animal Videos
I love to watch animal videos. I guess it's because I'm too lazy to have a pet. Or probably my Mongolian genes are working on my subconscious thoughts--we are supposed to be animal loving nomads. Videos about grateful wildlife. There are so many YouTube videos about grateful wildlife that I almost feel that the concept … Continue reading Love Animal Videos
New Word #20: “Itch” And “Inch”
I've always liked words which end in "itch" or "inch" even though sometimes I can confuse one with another due to spelling similarities. Each of these words comes with an attached sound. For example, the word "glitch"--one can almost hear the sound of a "click" when a malfunction happens. The word "twitch" too--one can almost … Continue reading New Word #20: “Itch” And “Inch”
The New Chef (Flash Fiction #23)
Photo by Alexey Savchenko on Unsplash Ada and her husband Taich are the managers of an Asian restaurant in northwestern part of New Jersey. They are new in the business. When they need a chef, one is recommended to them. It is said the chef has great skills and has worked in the most prestigious … Continue reading The New Chef (Flash Fiction #23)
The Premonition
Although I am about to finish this book, I don't feel that I like it as much as I like the author's other books like "Liar's Poker", "Boomerang", "The Undoing Project"--I only read fifty pages of "The Big Shot", and I like it very much. Somehow I feel that the author's usual style--a bit ironical … Continue reading The Premonition
Poem Of The Day #13
Photo by Landon Parenteau on Unsplash The end of May feels more like the peak of summer-- heat, humidity, haze, blinding light-- reminding me of that very hot day long long ago. In such a delirious temperature, even stones were hot, but you were so cold, as usual. A life of inescapable chores, an unhelpful … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #13
Quote Of The Day #8
New Word #19: “COV” Related
I hope words starting with "cov" are not unfairly vilified due to the pandemic. I won't include cover and coverage here since these two words are too commonly used. My favorite "cov" word is covet. For a long time, I didn't know the difference between desire and covet despite all the explanations I reviewed. Then … Continue reading New Word #19: “COV” Related
The Shocking Consequence (Flash Fiction #22)
This story is a sequel to "An Afternoon With Champ" and "The New Teacher". However there's no need to read the previous two stories. Here is a brief summary of the background. Jasmine met Champ at a mixed martial arts competition in Penang, Malaysia. Jasmine was a spectator while Champ was a contestant. The two … Continue reading The Shocking Consequence (Flash Fiction #22)
The New Teacher (Flash Fiction #21)
Tom Tsai, the owner of the Ivy Training Center, has just hired Cindy Wong, a high school senior, as a part time teacher for one of the weekend ESL classes in Edison, New Jersey. ESL stands for English As Second Language, and ESL students are children who can't catch up with the regular classes at … Continue reading The New Teacher (Flash Fiction #21)
The Anniversary
I really don't have an anniversary date for my blogs since I went on and off for many months before starting to post regularly in May 2020. So let's just arbitrarily take today as the anniversary date. This reminds me of my grandmother's birthday, which is actually an arbitrary date. In those eras--before WWII--I was … Continue reading The Anniversary
An Amazing Number
I finally did my registration for vaccine shots and here is the email I received: 240 different languages? That's a lot. I guess there are people speaking 240 different languages in New Jersey. I wonder if 240 languages cover most corners of the world. This is amazing. I know diversity is not everybody's cup of … Continue reading An Amazing Number
Things Unexpected
I went to the store to pick up some emergency mouthwash and dental floss, and the store assistant told a lady in front of me to put on her mask. She must be vaccinated. I thought people who are vaccinated don't have to wear masks anymore. Gossip about an acquaintance who always manages to find … Continue reading Things Unexpected
New Word #18: The Wonderful “ZZ”
Whenever I see a word with "zz", I start to imagine the sizzling sound of barbecuing, the fizzing sound of a bubbling beer, and the buzzing sound of an insect. The word comes with its own sound effect, which makes it easy to remember and interesting to reflect upon, although I have to say I … Continue reading New Word #18: The Wonderful “ZZ”
The Coming Storm
"The coming storm" is a very short audible book I listened to from Michael Lewis. It is included in my audible plan and I just can't resist the freebie. It's a habit I have tried to get rid of for years, but... What I try to achieve have never be matched by what I actually … Continue reading The Coming Storm
Poem Of The Day #12
I see you looking at me in the dim light across the noisy space of the restaurant. Is that you? Or am I dreaming? Love from the distance past, still prickly. For a while, it seemed resigned to be forgotten, but then it reappears, with a new force and a new perspective. Your restrained self … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #12
New Word #17 : In A Group
Many years ago, when I first encountered different names for different groups in English, I was really shocked. I had never imagined a "group" of birds is any different from a "group" of wild dogs before, and it took me a while to adapt. Here I use quotes on "group" because they are not supposed … Continue reading New Word #17 : In A Group
New Word #16: Words Recently Learned
Poem Of The Day #11
The grandpa is the king of his modest castle, where the mother and the newborn come to live after the father dies. The grandpa is proud of the family longevity-- anybody who dies young is an abnormality and an affront to him. The mother--his daughter--is treated as an unpromising child. Her passivity is considered burdensome; … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #11
The Ex-Boyfriend (Flash Fiction #20)
"Sulun, I heard that you were promoted to a position in Washington DC. Are you going to come back from time to time?" Pammy says. Sulun was Pammy's college friend and he's a dinner guest at Pammy's place with Pammy and her husband Pan. "Promotion? It's more like a demotion in the disguise of a … Continue reading The Ex-Boyfriend (Flash Fiction #20)
New Word #15: Raconteur
Racounteur means a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way. It's said it has a French origin and it comes from the French word "raconter", which means 'relate, recount'. My question is if it comes from "raconter", who takes the trouble to change the tail to "teur"? I can just imagine this … Continue reading New Word #15: Raconteur
The Learning Environment (Flash Fiction #19)
"You have been watching soccer for two hours." Pammy says to her husband Pan, "and look even Armee is addicted to TV now." Armee is the couple's tabby cat, who's sitting on the sofa right next to Pan, assuming a similar posture as Pan, except that the little feline occasionally licks himself. "It's my favorite … Continue reading The Learning Environment (Flash Fiction #19)
Witchcraft And Cat Woman
Although I didn't grow up reading science fiction or fantasy books, I've always loved TV shows about witchcraft or cat woman. They are quirky, fun, frightening, charming and a lot more. That's until I read this book "Witch, A Tale Of Terror". Suddenly my happy witch meal becomes un-chewable and unappetizing when I know that … Continue reading Witchcraft And Cat Woman
Reflection Of The Day
I have a pessimist and an optimist in my mind--they fight often, speak loud, and rarely stop. If the pessimists talks about wrinkles, the optimist will dwell on experiences. If the pessimist talks about friends scattered far and wide, the optimist will point out the absence of peer pressure and endless comparison. If the pessimist … Continue reading Reflection Of The Day
Quote Of The Day #7
Really? Giving orders and being obedient are the same? I thought they are the opposite. Wait, let me think. They are the same only under the condition that the obedient party is willing to accept the order. And willingness can be hard to define and often the line between willingness and unwillingness is blurred and … Continue reading Quote Of The Day #7
New Word #14: Is There A Word For This?
I encountered the word “Tsundoku” in heterodoxbuddhism’s post here. Tsundoku is a Japanese term that means one who buys books but don’t read them. And this inspires me to think of other words that should have existed but for one reason or another don’t exist in English. Conversationer. This is not a word, but I … Continue reading New Word #14: Is There A Word For This?
Love’s Manifestation (Flash Fiction #18)
Pammy and her husband Pan, the forever arguing and loving couple, come home from a dinner party at the house of Pan's office manager of the financial company Pan works for. "How nice Mrs. Marino is. She gives me her recipe for her risotto." Pammy says. "You praised that rice dish too eagerly, almost like … Continue reading Love’s Manifestation (Flash Fiction #18)
Notes Taken Of Mother’s Day Conversation
All The Loving Mothers
There are so many wonderful mothers that I don't know where to start. Here I am going to list them--it's an inexhaustible list and I can only list a few. Real life mothers and literary mothers are going to be mixed together because they coexist in my mind without much difference to each other. Mothers … Continue reading All The Loving Mothers
Language Chaos And Empress Ki
New York City, as an international metropolis, is saved from a chaotic language scene due to the fact that English is so universal now that most people learn some English in school. In many parts of the world, for example in a large part of Asia, this is not enough and extra training in language … Continue reading Language Chaos And Empress Ki
Poem Of The Day #10
It happened without a cause; it ended with little fuss. No tears, no sulk, no whine, but the heart ached quietly. Not realizing the severity until long afterwards, you try to mend, but it refuses to heal. Heart is a temperamental misfit, a wayward friend, a silent killer. Oh, the heartless heart, how can I … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #10
Advise Her, Please
Have you ever had a friend who always ask you for advice but never take any of your advice? I have such a friend. So why does she ask then? Sometimes I think she just wants to ask me to make it look like she has consulted others. Or she just wants to poke holes … Continue reading Advise Her, Please
At The Hair Salon (Flash Fiction #17)
Arlan, Maylin, Wani are doing their hair at the hair salon, although only Maylin has the money to do the flat ironing and highlighting. They always book the same time so that they can talk and catch up with each other. Sometimes if they don't think they have talked enough, they would go to the … Continue reading At The Hair Salon (Flash Fiction #17)
The Acupuncturist (Flash Fiction #16)
For some reason, New Jersey has a higher rate of spring allergy than other places, which is puzzling since there aren't more flowers or trees here than other states. People will tell you when you first come that you won't have allergy for several years, and then gradually you will develop itchy eyes and running … Continue reading The Acupuncturist (Flash Fiction #16)
New Word #13: Learned Amid Pandemic
oximeter: an instrument for measuring the proportion of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood. zoonotic: pertaining to a zoonosis, which means a disease that can be transmitted from animals to people or, more specifically, a disease that normally exists in animals but that can infect humans. endemic and epidemic and pandemic: Endemic means the baseline, or expected, … Continue reading New Word #13: Learned Amid Pandemic
A Mafia Romance (Flash Non-Fiction #15)
Photo by bantersnaps on Unsplash Ever since I watched the video "Bullets Over Broadway", I've been interested in stories of mafia romance--maybe it is already a literary genre. In this early Woody Allen production mixing anxious witty remarks with some gangster flair, a cash starved Broadway play desperately seeks financial backing, and one of the … Continue reading A Mafia Romance (Flash Non-Fiction #15)
Past, Present And Future
In the summer of 1830, Russia was experiencing one of its worst pandemics. Cholera spread far and wide. A sip of contaminated water or a little unwitting touch of sewage will make people sick--diarrhea, vomiting, shock and death quickly followed. The tsar imposed quarantines and travel restrictions and cordons guarded by the military on many … Continue reading Past, Present And Future
Merry Month Of May
Plans are made to be changed; reading lists are drawn to be unfinished. That's my motto for May. When I don't have to be ashamed of my own "grand" plan, I feel deliriously happy. As a slow reader, I need all the encouragement from an unhinged delusion of my reading capabilities. The fact is I … Continue reading Merry Month Of May
Conflict
In 1231 AD, the Mongolians--my ancestors--invaded Korea. The mighty Mongolian army, which at the time occupied a big region stretching from Middle East to East Asia, met with a resounding defeat by the little kingdom on the Korean Peninsular--the Mongolians were dumbfounded and couldn't believe what had happened. For the next 40 years, Mongolians invaded … Continue reading Conflict
New Word #12 Describe A Person
To describe people is one of the best ways to learn new words. This person can be somebody around you or a movie or TV character that you are familiar with. And you can do it with your friends together to pile some words on a person you all know. It will be a great … Continue reading New Word #12 Describe A Person
The Opportunist (Flash Fiction #14)
"Look, Yinla is declaring her intention to run for the board of county commissioners." Pammy says. "What is that? What does it do?" Pammy's perpetually gentle but disagreeing husband Pan says. "I don't know. A political position of certain kind. We should donate to her campaign, shouldn't we? We need to show our support." Pammy … Continue reading The Opportunist (Flash Fiction #14)
Poem Of The Day #9
You smile, head tilting a little, lips parting a little, showing your perfect teeth, wearing your favorite dark suit and and striped tie. The same wholesome smile, for the last ten years-- photo freezes time; webpage for eternity. You're ten years older now, a bigger waist, a rounder chin, deeper laugh lines. I imagine. You … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #9
A Trip Like No Other (Flash Fiction #13)
Although Pammy and her husband Pan live thirty miles away from Manhattan, they rarely go there during the weekend. Traveling through the Holland Tunnel and the forever congested lower Manhattan will dampen the most vivacious spirit and exhaust the energy of the best athlete. However their friend Fei and her husband Fang almost go there … Continue reading A Trip Like No Other (Flash Fiction #13)
New Word #11: My Methods
I've always tried to find painless learning methods, especially when vocabulary is concerned. Learning From Others Reading other people's posts is a good way to learn new words. Here are several new words I learned recently. xaern: (v) to enjoy something so much you begin to hate how much you enjoy it. I learned this … Continue reading New Word #11: My Methods
The Difficult Decision (Flash Fiction #12)
"You know Pammy. I think your Pan is such a good husband. He is straightforward. His likes and dislikes are clearly displayed. He won't pretend to agree with you on the surface and sulk silently afterwards. He is a little nerdy, interested in eating good food and watching soccer. He is happy when he's satisfied. … Continue reading The Difficult Decision (Flash Fiction #12)
The Manchu Prince (Flash Fiction #11)
Introduction: There's a little bit of history involved in this story. Currently there are about 10 million Manchu people and very rarely they speak the Manchurian language. Manchu are descendant of Jerchen people who in 1115 AD established Jin Dynasty, which was replaced over 100 years later by the Mongolians--my ancestors--who established Yuan Dynasty. Then … Continue reading The Manchu Prince (Flash Fiction #11)
The Gambler (Flash Fiction #10)
Arjian is a local hairdresser, but his true passion is poker. He's very skilled in women's hair and very good at following the latest trend of South Korean singers and actresses. Consequently he's always in high demand. There are women who would travel all the way from Eastern Pennsylvania to come to Edison, New Jersey--about … Continue reading The Gambler (Flash Fiction #10)
New Word #10 : Malaprop
malaprop: the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect, as in, for example, “dance a flamingo ” (instead of flamenco). homophone: two or more words that sound alike, but have different meanings or spellings. I encountered this word in Luisa's post here. I've made mistakes like … Continue reading New Word #10 : Malaprop
Poem Of The Day #8
In my dream, you take a thousand shapes and forms, but last night you are shapeless and formless, only a shadow, a whiff, a soft press, and a vague impression. But I saw the tattoos. What a surprise? All over your shoulders and arms and elsewhere-- figures of beauty and disrepute. You are my resident … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #8
The Second Job (Flash Fiction #9)
"The reason our team's sales volume is low is because many people use our flexible hour to take care of their family or even take a second job. This is unacceptable. If you are not concentrating on your sale, how can you produce?" Hana can still remember her sales manager's words as she is changing … Continue reading The Second Job (Flash Fiction #9)
He Speaks, Finally (Flash Fiction #8)
Finally Yuet's little boy starts to speak. Yuet and her husband are so happy that they phone everyone. If you don't pick up their phone call, they will text you with their happy news and wait anxiously for your reply of congratulations. If you don't reply within a short span of time, Yuet will text … Continue reading He Speaks, Finally (Flash Fiction #8)
New Word #9: Word Replacement
As a non-native speaker, I've always felt uncertain and insecure of my language. Just listening to my accent and looking at my Asian face, people may dismiss me or disqualify me right away, without giving me a chance to prove myself. I think a lot of people are like me, considering the number of non-native … Continue reading New Word #9: Word Replacement
In Shock
This story is about Wai and I talked about him in a previous post. He has two little stores and works seven days a week and more than ten hours every day. However right now the business is down due to pandemic and he went to Texas to help his cousin to repair his house, … Continue reading In Shock
Quote And Review
She was one of those people who enjoy poor health and she was always threatening to die, though in fact she lived onto her nineties. With time on her hand, she could nurse her neurosis, build resentments of slights and imagined slights, brood on our growing estrangement, and make it worse with arbitrary assertions of … Continue reading Quote And Review
The Feisty Centenarian
Shitsui Hakoishi is a 104-year-old woman who carried the Olympic torch on March 28 for 200 meters in Japan, in the pouring rain. Her son and nephew, a septuagenarian and an octogenarian, accompanied her. And her nephew caught a chill in the rain and died soon afterwards. There were rumors that she died too due … Continue reading The Feisty Centenarian
New Word #8: To Praise Formally
There are many words for praise, but here I am talking about formal praises, often for ceremonial purposes, some in song and poem forms, and some concerning religious services or funeral arrangements. prothalamion: I learned this word from Pooja's post here. The word means "a song or poem celebrating an upcoming wedding."paean: a song of … Continue reading New Word #8: To Praise Formally
New Word #7: Can’t Describe It
Many of us grew up with simple native languages with about 3000 basic words --the rest is just a mixture and extension of these basic building blocks. We are in for a big shock when we realize that English has so many words. One concept can be described by ten to twenty different words, each … Continue reading New Word #7: Can’t Describe It
Thoughtless Day
The Crazy Argument
"I can't go to a friend and say to him, 'your wife is crazy', can I?" Pan, the husband, says. "You need to point out to him to get his wife some psychiatric help. At first I thought she's just peculiar and now she is getting worse. Last week, out of blue she invited me … Continue reading The Crazy Argument
Quote Of the Day #6
Poem Of The Day #7
Love is often unequal; affection always differs. The loving complains of the unloving; the heartfelt bemoans the heartless. Feelings have no reason; life has no cure. Do I believe in happy ending even if I know what the ending is like? It sounds naive if I say I do; it sounds cynical if I say … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #7
The Mother-in-law (Flash Fiction #7)
Pammy says, "Your mom is taking little Sam to the park around the corner. I finally can say this to you." "What? What are you trying to say?" Pammy's husband Pan asks. "She talks about my friend Jia in a very belittled way. So Jia went to South Korea to get her lips and her … Continue reading The Mother-in-law (Flash Fiction #7)
New Word #6: The Double “F” Words
I've always felt that "f" is unfairly vilified. It takes on the thankless task of starting words like "fail", "frail", "flail", "fray", "fake", "fall". Even the seemingly harmless word like "frame" is burdened with additional meaning of "producing false evidence against". Hasn't "f" suffered enough? It is a hardworking alphabet and please give him a … Continue reading New Word #6: The Double “F” Words
The Dilemma (Flash Fiction #6)
They've been engaged for a year and the wedding has been planned for a lucky day this summer--lucky in its number in both the regular calendar and the lunar calendar. However she has a little something, probably a little blue bird, in her heart that she can't hush up. She's tried to silence it, but … Continue reading The Dilemma (Flash Fiction #6)
New Word #5: Timeline Of A Day
Diurnal: of or during the day. Nocturnal: done, occurring, or active at night. Matutinal: of or occurring in the morning. Vespertine: relating to, occurring, or active in the evening. Crepuscular: of, resembling, or relating to twilight. Out of the five words, I've only regularly seen nocturnal being used. However once I read crepuscular somewhere and … Continue reading New Word #5: Timeline Of A Day
A Beloved Rebel
He was born in either Suyab of present-day Kyrgyzstan or around Lake Baikal in Russia. Some even say he's born in Ghazni of Afghanistan. The exact location is still in dispute. His personality and life choices are a lot like Lord Byron, the 19th century romantic era poet, even though he lived in an era … Continue reading A Beloved Rebel
The Rice Spaghetti (Flash Fiction #5)
"Look, rice spaghetti. I wonder if it tastes like rice noodle. Let's try it." Pammy says to her husband Pan at the ShopRite grocery store. "Well, do we have to have food experiment? I mean can't we stick with the food we are familiar with?" Pan grumbles. "We need to diversify our dinner menu. Learn … Continue reading The Rice Spaghetti (Flash Fiction #5)
Mount Everest (Flash Fiction #4)
Lil, a retiree and a widow, is talking with her daughter Dana. Lil: "I am going to Nepal with my friend Su next week." Dana:"Why, Mom? You are wasting your retirement savings. Why Nepal? You are not thinking of climbing Mount Everest, are you?" Lil: "Oh, Dana, just a tourist. It's said Nepal has the … Continue reading Mount Everest (Flash Fiction #4)
New Word #4: The Three Vales
These three vales are: Valediction: the action of saying farewell.Valetudinarian: a person who is unduly anxious about their health.Valedictorian: a student, typically having the highest academic achievements of the class, who delivers the valedictory at a graduation ceremony. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between these three words, which look too much alike. Also one … Continue reading New Word #4: The Three Vales
He Is Home (Flash Fiction #3)
I just know it. He said he's going to come back by this hour, but look, where is he? It's because of his friendship with Doo, who's a liar through and through, and who's going to influence my little honest gullible Dragon. What a nice little nickname--Dragon--I got for him? I love dragons. Men learn … Continue reading He Is Home (Flash Fiction #3)
New Word #3: Many Shades of Brown
It is said the Eskimos have fifty words for snow and certain people living in rain forests have fifty words for different shades of green. I had not noticed the big number of words for the brown color until I read "Heartburn", in which the main character's friend Arthur complains about colors--he doesn't know about … Continue reading New Word #3: Many Shades of Brown
Poem Of The Day #6
Dreary day, endless rain, everywhere dark and wet. At intervals, the sky brightens up, but a mist lingers, a haze hovers in the cool sauna of the saturated air. I should have prepared for the rainy day, but I didn't. Now I went to the store grudgingly, made a wrong turn, almost lost my way. … Continue reading Poem Of The Day #6
Two Brothers (Flash Non-Fiction #2)
They are two brothers. Forty-three years ago, when they were five and six-years-old, their family became refugees after the Vietnam war, floating on a boat in Southeast Asia, not knowing where they would land and where their next meal was. They were lucky to land in the refugee camp in Hong Kong. Five years later … Continue reading Two Brothers (Flash Non-Fiction #2)
New Word #2: Spiel
Spiel means "a long or fast speech or story, typically one intended as a means of persuasion or as an excuse but regarded with skepticism or contempt by those who hear it." It can also be used as a verb. I wonder if some of the lectures I attended during my school days can be … Continue reading New Word #2: Spiel
Haoyan Do 