Life Is Full Of Clues

Image by Freepik The day before yesterday, Wordle's answer is a five-letter word "nanny". And I put in a very lucky first word "moany", for which "ny" are the right letters in the right place, and "a" is the right letter for the wrong place. After my lucky first-word break, I went on to guess … Continue reading Life Is Full Of Clues

Quote Of The Day: A Lighthouse

Image by callmetak on Freepik Quote Of The Day #79 I was trying to publish this post last night, but I realized that I didn't feel like doing it after all. If one has been reading for the night, one often feels disinclined towards writing, as if the two activities are mutually exclusive somehow. Anyway, … Continue reading Quote Of The Day: A Lighthouse

Poem Of The Day: May And June

Image by kjpargeter on Freepik Poem Of The Day #58 Why do I care that May is leaving, and June is looming with a summer grin? Why do I fret whether time is laughing at me-- "Tick tock, tick tock, where is the fierce scribble that you have always dreamed of? I've lived 4.5 billion … Continue reading Poem Of The Day: May And June

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

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

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

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

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

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

At The Restaurant

Image by LEEROY Agency from Pixabay I really don't know if I should say "different foods" or plain old "different food". I have a certain grasp of "sounding right", like a proficient non-native speaker, but my understanding has never reached the sphere of plurals. This means I'm forever plagued with questions like "should I add … Continue reading At The Restaurant

Good And Bad Decisions

Image by maryannandco photography from Pixabay I made a very bad decision tonight to add the leftover debris (from my soymilk making process) into the scrambled eggs. I just didn't want to waste the insoluble residues of soy beans. And guess what? The scrambled eggs tasted awful. This inflation is really getting on my nerves … Continue reading Good And Bad Decisions

Unsolicited Advice

Image by ShonEjai from Pixabay She really didn't want my advice, which was unsolicited in her unexpressed opinion towards me. However her mother insisted that I talk to her about how to improve her English and how to incorporate new methods of learning. So I was obliged to share with her methods like "comprehensive input", … Continue reading Unsolicited Advice

Poem Of The Day: My First Tanka

Image by Kanenori from Pixabay Poem Of The Day #56 April storm last night, fallen petals this morning. Pink flowers everywhere hide beaten pathways. Slip and fall-- hands slimy, pants wet. A beautiful annoyance. I used to write a poem or two once in a while, and then I stopped since my poems were so … Continue reading Poem Of The Day: My First Tanka

Quote Of The Day: The Double-Faced Reporter

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay Quote Of The Day #74 Every journalist...knows that what he does is morally indefensible. He is a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance, or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse. Like the credulous widow who wakes up one day to find … Continue reading Quote Of The Day: The Double-Faced Reporter

The Community Newspaper (Flash Fiction Continued)

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay Flash Fiction #165 The is the 2nd half of the story. The first half is here. "And look at another story of this 'Life & Culture' section." I continue, "It praises love as something wonderful and everlasting as if love is supernatural. It is total nonsense. And the ending--surprise, … Continue reading The Community Newspaper (Flash Fiction Continued)

How To Improve The Efficiency? (Flash Fiction)

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Flash Fiction #166 "Computer modeling can calculate the success rate of a pharmaceutical experiment before the lab work is done. My work has just improved the efficiency of identifying transporter protein by 10 fold." Arlong says to his friends. It is Arlong's 40th birthday and his wife Jasmine throws … Continue reading How To Improve The Efficiency? (Flash Fiction)

Nothing To Write About Monday

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay I have nothing to write about today. I've had another "same old same old" day with my mind often occupied by mundane concerns I had to deal with. Both the immediacy of the issues and the expediency of the solutions made me feel like a problem solving servant who … Continue reading Nothing To Write About Monday

The Community Newspaper (Flash Fiction)

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay Flash Fiction #165 I don't know how many different ethnic newspapers are there in New Jersey, but I've seen at least two Korean language newspapers, one Filipino newspaper, two Vietnamese papers, at least four Hindi papers, three Chinese papers in the area. They are usually free and stacked at … Continue reading The Community Newspaper (Flash Fiction)

The Cultural Differences Of Free Newspapers

Photo by Vlada Karpovich at Pexels.com I don't have anything to write. So I am going to talk about the free newspaper I picked up from the grocery stores today. Since I've been learning a bit of Spanish, I also picked up free Spanish newspapers like "El Especialito" and "Latinos Unidos", which are usually piled … Continue reading The Cultural Differences Of Free Newspapers

Easy Misconceptions

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay Strategies For Casinos It happened several times. I read a book on strategies for video poker and blackjack, but when the time came for me to face a machine or a table in a casino, I just couldn't summon up what I had learned. The noise, the atmosphere, the lack … Continue reading Easy Misconceptions

The Incomparable Comparison (Flash Fiction)

Image by Pexels from Pixabay Flash Fiction #164 "Can you believe this? A woman just dumped her boyfriend because he refused to pay $3 for cheese on his hamburger. " Pan says to his wife Pammy. "I mean I wouldn't pay three extra dollars for cheese either." Pammy comes over to watch the video with … Continue reading The Incomparable Comparison (Flash Fiction)

Kitchen’s Cultural Difference

Image by Denise Husted from Pixabay Long time ago, I worked in an Asian restaurant for two months during the summer. The place offered a wide range of Asian dishes from Vietnamese Pho, Pad Thai, Cantonese Dim Sum, to Japanese Sushi. I didn't understand why the owner didn't specialize on one regional food, but I … Continue reading Kitchen’s Cultural Difference

The Impossible City

Image by Hans Toom from Pixabay I was reading an article about New York City, in which it said, "New York is now the business center of American culture, the excitement center, perhaps even the anxiety center. But it has no independent and original intellectual life." "New York is the principal producer and distributor of … Continue reading The Impossible City

Haunted By An Internet Ghost

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay I really think last week I was haunted by an internet ghost--for an entire week. I am not kidding. There was no other explanation for the mysterious things that happened. Lost The Scrolling Bar Although WP has format glitches from time to time, it never happened so frequently like … Continue reading Haunted By An Internet Ghost

Cultural Differences In Language Videos

Image by ha11ok from Pixabay I've been watching this immersive Thai channel 15 minutes a day for a while. Of course I would like to spend a little more time on it, but I couldn't do it. Not that I don't have another 10 minutes to spare each day, but rather a 15-minute duration is … Continue reading Cultural Differences In Language Videos

Finally I Find Something It Can Do

Image by Free Photos from Pixabay I am still waiting for the AI that can make videos for you on command. It is said you can just give commands, like make a spring themed video with birds, trees, and flowers, upon which there will be soothing music and this 10-line practice poem I wrote to … Continue reading Finally I Find Something It Can Do

When We Talked, An Idea Just Came

Image by Couleur from Pixabay Yesterday, I went to my favorite Walmart on Route 1 in North Brunswick township and bought my favorite veggie griller, lettuce, cucumber, tofu, juices etc. At the checkout, I waited in line for more than half an hour, which is normal for this particular store. About six months ago, the … Continue reading When We Talked, An Idea Just Came

Know My Triggers

Image by Gosia K. from Pixabay Recently I have become more aware of my own triggers. Sometimes I am just triggered by certain things and become uncharacteristically excited or agitated. For example, I remember people pointed out to me I pronounced a person's name wrong, or I misspelled something, or I mistook one person for … Continue reading Know My Triggers

I Made A Good Comparison

Image by JAGADEESH S from Pixabay I've never come up with one good metaphor ever. I always want to but I have never achieved that. However, I made a beautiful comparison today and inspired somebody unexpectedly. I felt very good about myself. I wish I can do this every day. What happened was that I … Continue reading I Made A Good Comparison

Nothing To Write For Sunday

Image by Nicky from Pixabay I have nothing to write for today. I thought I would come up with something during the course of the day, but nothing comes up. Now it is almost midnight and I think I should still write something even if I have nothing to write. I went to two Asian … Continue reading Nothing To Write For Sunday

New Word: Beauty

Image by David Mark from Pixabay New Word # 132 Whenever I hear a story of somebody doing a blepharoplasty (a procedure to double the eyelids), or microdermabrasion, botox, laser resurfacing (all wrinkle reducing treatments), I don't know what to say and how to feel. On the one hand, we all want to be beautiful. … Continue reading New Word: Beauty

Pets And Cultural Differences

Image by huoadg5888 from Pixabay We have all witnessed this on videos or in real life that Americans talk with their pets. I mean they really treat their pets as chatty friends. They would stare into their eyes, touch their pet "shoulders" (sometimes even asking for permission first as if their pets would file harassment … Continue reading Pets And Cultural Differences

The Meaning Of Life

Image by Deborah Hudson from Pixabay I don't have anything to write today since during the day, I wrote thousands of words of correspondence to give opinions about a resume, a powerpoint, a self portrayal, a portfolio, a letter, together with a list of my suggestions. All the time, I was afraid that I was … Continue reading The Meaning Of Life

I Just Can’t Stop It

Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay Have you ever had such an experience that a temporary decision (or a small project or an insignificant passing comment) ends up becoming something more permanent? You don't know how it has become this way and you feel like you've never wanted it to be this way, but it … Continue reading I Just Can’t Stop It

My Breakthrough Vegan Dish

Image by Chris Hilbert from Pixabay Last week I found one great vegan item from the grocery store called Aldi, which is said to be the fastest growing discount store here. I bought the "Meatless Breakfast Patties" and it is delicious, even better than its counterpart from Trader Joe's. Most of the vegan items are … Continue reading My Breakthrough Vegan Dish

The Art Of Getting It All Wrong

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay I am very happy today since when I went to the market this morning, I saw a drop on the price of turnip, eggplant, and watercress. Almost every veggie is getting half way back to its price a year ago. Finally, I am seeing the light at the end of … Continue reading The Art Of Getting It All Wrong

Cultural Differences In News (Continued)

Image by Leonhard Niederwimmer from Pixabay This is the 2nd half of the post. The 1st half is here. Myth and History American news is never reported in a way that mixes myths and news. Even if when it is a piece of news about a myth, for example, "Groundhog Day", which fell on Feb … Continue reading Cultural Differences In News (Continued)

Cultural Differences In News

Image by Leonhard Niederwimmer from Pixabay Since I watch both American news and Asian news, I have to say not noticing the cultural differences is impossible. However most of the differences are quite mundane. And I don't have enough skills to describe them in an interesting way. That has been one of the biggest problems … Continue reading Cultural Differences In News

I Wish I Didn’t Say That (Continued)

Image by Andreas Hoja from Pixabay This is the 2nd half of the story. The 1st half is here. Basically in the 1st half, I talked about my conversation with my friend L, in which I said something negative about C's son, who couldn't even get into Rutgers University. Then I realized, after our conversation, … Continue reading I Wish I Didn’t Say That (Continued)

The Love Stories Around Me

Image by Couleur from Pixabay Valentine's Day is already gone as I am writing this. Timing has never been my strength; delaying is often the consequence. Last year, I talked about Valentine's vocabulary, and the year prior, I talked about Valentine's day traditions in different countries, especially in Japan where women would usually give chocolate … Continue reading The Love Stories Around Me

The Flexibility Of Gender

Image by Capucine from Pixabay "I pulled a seat for her. She thanked me, but she used 'krap' instead of 'ka' to end her sentence. I was shocked since I thought only men use 'krap'. Women are supposed to use 'ka'." That's a message online from a young man who traveled to Thailand for holidays. … Continue reading The Flexibility Of Gender

They Can Fix Anything Except A Broken Heart (Flash Fiction Continued)

This is the 2nd half of the story. The first half is here. When Patel first took over from Mahaul, it was quite a difficult situation. Mahaul is a wonderful engineer and I can't help admiring his unbelievable skills. Not only that, he likes to teach people about cars and he's a great teacher. However, … Continue reading They Can Fix Anything Except A Broken Heart (Flash Fiction Continued)

The Talented Rabbit

Image by Silvo Bilinski from Pixabay One of my friends just told me that this year is not only a year of rabbit, but also a year of black rabbit, which symbolizes creativity, talent and authenticity. I really didn't know about it--it is said that every sixty years, the black rabbit will descend on earth … Continue reading The Talented Rabbit

Shall We Dance?

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay Whether you believe it or not, dancing is quite popular in Asian communities here, as popular as playing mahjong or watching K drama, especially among the middle aged and older individuals. I've been observing this for quite a while and it is quite surprising, considering the fact that dancing is … Continue reading Shall We Dance?

Psychic And Digital Psychic

Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay I don't believe in psychics because my narcissistic family on my mother's side believes in psychic power very much. They often speak of their belief in certain psychic readings, or this or that child being predestined for greatness or villainy, or certain inexplicable sign bearing omens for future events. … Continue reading Psychic And Digital Psychic

The New Year Resolution

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay I'm not going to have any new year resolutions, knowing that I am not resolute enough to carry out any of them, such as regular exercise, positive mentality, time management etc. However I am going to propose some new year directions, towards which I can try to make an … Continue reading The New Year Resolution

I Just Microwave It

Image by Chris Hilbert from Pixabay It's only Wednesday but the grocery stores are filled with busy shoppers. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow would be rainy and then freezing, which makes today the best day for weekend shopping. Usually in HMart, we only see Asians. I rarely see non-Asians there. Wait, I can't say … Continue reading I Just Microwave It

An Interesting Stretch Of Reality

Image by Capucine from Pixabay I read Pooja's review of "The Housemaid" by Freida Mcfadden and bought the book to read for myself. It's an easy and fun read, which is about a maid Millie who is hired by the Winchester family as a nanny. Soon, Millie finds that things are weird in this Long … Continue reading An Interesting Stretch Of Reality

Be Thankful 2022

Image by S. Hermann / F. Richter from Pixabay Pick Up Signals I feel that I have been much better at picking up signals now. Probably because I'm getting older and wiser--I wish. I know that I tend to self congratulate on some partial understanding and superficial knowledge. Knowing that I have such a tendency, … Continue reading Be Thankful 2022

Why Don’t You?

Image by alba1970 from Pixabay Today at the store, I suddenly remembered an old joke about a medical doctor freshly graduating from a medical school. He examines his first patient and doesn't know what exactly is wrong with this patient, whose illness doesn't conform to any of the case studies the doctor has learned in … Continue reading Why Don’t You?

2022 Surprises

Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay 2022 is almost gone and 2023 will be here soon. And I will be one year older, but not any wiser. And life is largely the same old same old forever. When I was young and impressionable, I often indulged myself in the thinking that some exciting surprises would … Continue reading 2022 Surprises

Of Mice And Men

Image by Prawny from Pixabay For two or three weeks, an ad and an accompanying article have appeared on the local Asian newspaper about a position called Director Of Rodent Mitigation in New York City. It is not just a regular pest control position that offers a low salary, which is insufficient to pay for … Continue reading Of Mice And Men

For The Right Or Wrong Reason

Image by Marjon Besteman from Pixabay The FIFA World Cup is coming to its most exciting final stretch, but not before Brazil was knocked off the quarterfinals. And people love the Brazil team and hate to see their unceremonious exit. So I heard. And even in America where soccer is not really popular, many of … Continue reading For The Right Or Wrong Reason

The History Of Narcissism (Continued)

Image by S. Hermann / F. Richter from Pixabay This is the second half of the story. The first half is here. My father grew up in a Mongolian family of a half Mongolian village not far away from the Steppe. They would have preferred Mongolian style ranching if they had choices, but as time … Continue reading The History Of Narcissism (Continued)

It Is Interesting (Flash Fiction)

Image by Alexa from Pixabay Flash Fiction #143 Two colleagues come into the little lunch room in their office at noon one day. Non-Native Speaker: "Look, I brought you one pound of sticky rice cake here." Native Speaker: "Oh, thanks, but why? What's the occasion?" Non-Native Speaker: "Last time when I showed you what I … Continue reading It Is Interesting (Flash Fiction)

Holiday Food Reinterpreted

Image by Joseph Levesque from Pixabay Many Asian immigrants interpret English words different, especially during holidays, when we have to pick and choose which mainstream customs we want to adopt, which customs we want to adopt but can't, which customs we want to admire from a distance, which customs we think we understand but we … Continue reading Holiday Food Reinterpreted

More Vegan Food For The Holiday

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I was thinking of getting more vegan food this year. I went to Trader Joe's today to see if they have their "Turkey-less Stuffed Roast" for sale. It's supposed to be delicious--so I heard. However just like last year, I couldn't find it. … Continue reading More Vegan Food For The Holiday

The One Thousandth

Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay This is my 1000th post and I thought I would do something more interesting than my other posts, only to realize that the pressure of producing something better is a little too much to bear. At first I prepared two stories, one is "My Crazy Son-In-Law" and the other … Continue reading The One Thousandth

The Gossiping Dream

Image by Gerhard from Pixabay I had a very strange dream this morning right before waking up and running to the bathroom. Actually it was so strange that one hour after that, I was still thinking of it while drinking soy milk for breakfast. I dreamed that I was with two friends and we were … Continue reading The Gossiping Dream

Cultural Differences In Cooking

Image by Monika from Pixabay I am not talking about the differences in ingredients, spices, flavors, textures of food from different cultures, but rather I am talking about a different kind of cultural differences--human behavior. Many Asians, especially Asian women, are shocked to discover that American women can choose between cooking or not cooking--some women … Continue reading Cultural Differences In Cooking

Stories I Want To Tell But…

Image by alba1970 from Pixabay I really want to write about my growing up stories at the southern border of Mongolian Steppe, and I have attempted several times, but only to "tear them up" afterwards. Of course I didn't really tear up anything since there was no paper involved. Rather I just tucked them away … Continue reading Stories I Want To Tell But…

My Beautiful Cousin (Flash Fiction)

Image by Alexa from Pixabay Flash Fiction #140 "Oh, my beautiful cousin Alia again. Every time my mother posts a family photo with Alia in it, she has to mention that Alia was in competition for Miss Malaysia in 2007. She just has to. And if I don't give a star or click 'like', she … Continue reading My Beautiful Cousin (Flash Fiction)

New Words: Main Characters

Image by lisa runnels from Pixabay New Word #123 protagonist vs. antagonist vs. deuteragonist protagonist: the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. antagonist: a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something. Often a protagonist in a movie or a book … Continue reading New Words: Main Characters

News Of A Runaway

Image by Anemone123 from Pixabay It is said every year, there are about 9% of teenagers running away, among whom 20% come back within 24 hours and 20% will disappear forever. And in the Asian immigrant community I'm living in, I've heard several incidents of it. People probably tend to think that boys are more … Continue reading News Of A Runaway