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
Category: Diary
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
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
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
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
Cicada 2021
Image by USA-Reiseblogger from Pixabay I haven't heard any sound from cicada in Edison, but it is said in the Princeton township 30 miles to the west, cicada is taking over the neighborhood. They climb on every branch and sing all day long and shed their skins everywhere. There's a very interesting article about New … Continue reading Cicada 2021
The New Features
I have heard about the unbearable block editor of WordPress a lot from other people who had enjoyed the ease of use of the classic editor before, but I started WP last year on the block editor, and I don't have a better experience of the previous editor to compare it to. However I've experienced … Continue reading The New Features
New Word #35: True Or False
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash Related With Being True veridiction: A statement that is true according to the worldview of a particular subject, rather than objectively true. verisimilitude: the appearance of being true or real. verity: a true principle or belief, especially one of fundamental importance. veracity: conformity to facts; accuracy. verification: the process … Continue reading New Word #35: True Or False
All The Loving Fathers
Image by Antony Trivet from Pixabay This is a corresponding post for "All The Loving Mothers" written on Mother's day in May. Laid Back Fathers Laid back fathers are usually nice and fun loving, leaving most of the domestic decisions to their spouses. They will step up to take charge when their wife nag them … Continue reading All The Loving Fathers
Targeted
Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash Language Ever since I started to learn Thai for 15 minutes a day, I've seen advertisement about language learning programs one after another. I used to hear a lot about Rosetta Stone software years ago, but now it has disappeared--no advertisement from Rosetta Stone. However there are plenty of … Continue reading Targeted
Don’t See The Contradiction
After reading Herb's blog about Walmart protester who is eager to buy Walmart merchandise, I can think of people in my life who are unaware of the contradiction in their behavior. Even if one points it out to them, they still don't see it. The Crazy Lovers Or Haters This happened many years ago among … Continue reading Don’t See The Contradiction
Quote Of The Day #10
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Thoughtless Day
Recipe For Mishaps
I know M who is prone to traffic accidents. Not big ones, usually small incidents like scratching somebody's bumper or rear ending the car before him at a red light. Mostly his own fault. He takes it in a strange fatalistic way as if it is something that befalls on him, rather than something caused … Continue reading Recipe For Mishaps
Miscommunication
I can never read a doctor's handwriting. Any doctor. It's just not legible. It's a wonder how pharmacists can get the correct medicine for you based on those unstructured scrawls on a little piece of prescription paper. Is there a secret communication code wired in that illegible writing on the prescription? I don't know. It's … Continue reading Miscommunication
Give Friends Suggestions
We often give people suggestions, some giving more suggestions than others. Since I like to talk, when given a chance, and can't shut up--actually I am a typical introvert, not an extrovert at all, and I don't know how I've become a talkative introvert-- I'm often asked for suggestions. Now looking back, I think it … Continue reading Give Friends Suggestions
Optimist vs. Pessimist
If you ever go to a sales meeting, you will hear a lot of witticisms about optimist vs. pessimist. "An optimist see opportunities in every difficulty; a pessimist see difficulties in every opportunity." "A pessimist see a dark tunnel and an optimist see the light at the end of the tunnel." Or something similar. However … Continue reading Optimist vs. Pessimist
Quotes Of The Day #5
George Orwell's essays often point out our foibles and failings without pessimism or cynicism or anger. I love his optimism and his fighting spirit. Often I feel that each of his essays can be extended into a book, and a lot of nuances and details can be elaborated even further. I wish Audible can make … Continue reading Quotes Of The Day #5
April Fool Unfooled
Whether April Fool's day originated in England, France, or Netherlands, it is still in dispute, however in modern times, it has spread throughout the world. For many years, playing practical jokes on this particular day has become popular in Asian countries too, which is at least partially fueled by government officials who want to put … Continue reading April Fool Unfooled
“Being Yourself” vs. “Not Being Yourself”
My true self is very interested in useless activities, like endless chatting, binge watching, reading aimlessly online, and indulging in a fantasized nostalgia. If I practice being myself, I will never get anything done. My healthy existence is dependent on me staying away from my true self. If I were a bird, I would be … Continue reading “Being Yourself” vs. “Not Being Yourself”
Love Stories
A girl falls in love with a guy, but the guy doesn't reciprocate. The girl goes to the King, who forces the guy to marry her. The guy does what he's forced to do, but leaves her right after the wedding to the frontier to fight the invaders. While he's fighting the enemy, the girl … Continue reading Love Stories
Looking For New Ideas
I've decided that when I have no new ideas, I would stop staring into the air to wish that something would happen. Something would not happen just because I wish it to happen; ideas don't show up just because I'm desperate. Instead I would do something new. Buy a new pink colored mouse and mouse … Continue reading Looking For New Ideas
Work With Time vs. Race Against Time
I heard the phrase very often that one has to treat time as a cooperator rather than an enemy. I really don't know what that means. Whether a cooperator or an enemy, time sneaks away and disappears fast. If it is a cooperator, it's an irresponsible and fickle one. As to whether it is an … Continue reading Work With Time vs. Race Against Time
Lovers Are Crazy
Lovers are crazy, but they will never admit to it. If they are sane enough to admit to it, they probably will not be so crazy. Here is a lover I knew. Whether she's a little crazy or not, you be the judge. Her boyfriend had to travel to France for a physics project that … Continue reading Lovers Are Crazy
The Evolution Of Beauty
Stage 1 -- Pure Fantasy This is when you were seven years old and first discovered that rhyming language is fun. You wanted to be her (click here for her story) who lived 900 years ago and who wrote beautiful lines. The sadder she was, the more beautiful she wrote. Then you started to enjoy … Continue reading The Evolution Of Beauty
Anniversary
I don't know if this should be called anniversary. I've always had the impression, probably a wrong one, that the word is used to commemorate something wonderful rather than something sickly and virus related. Still, by definition, it is an anniversary. It has been one year already since New Jersey started its first lockdown in … Continue reading Anniversary
You Never Listen
My Friend: Do you think I should get a gun? Me: No, you shouldn't. You are too emotional to own a gun. I don't want to see you shoot somebody and become a part of Central Jersey news. "Tragedy in Asian community." I can almost see the headline. My Friend: There are a lot of … Continue reading You Never Listen
Bee Positive, Bee Yourself
Every year, Edison Township has contestants for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and their cute pictures would be published in the local newspaper. Last year, even if it was cancelled due to the pandemic, an online substitute contest was won by an eighth grader from Edison, Navneeth Murali, who spelled the word “Karoshthi” correctly. I … Continue reading Bee Positive, Bee Yourself
March Madness–Everybody Is A Little Mad
I know M whose exercise routine is too intense for her body type, to the point that it's almost self damaging. Needless to say, after years of "abuse", her body caves in. Now she has damaged her knees, which require physical therapy. I warned her many times in the past ten years, but she wouldn't … Continue reading March Madness–Everybody Is A Little Mad
Cultural Difference On TV
I didn't have time to watch the Oprah interview of Meghan & Harry, but I caught something last night from a channel in Southeast Asia. The cultural differences demonstrated in the comments from the program hosts are so blatant that I just couldn't help laughing. I won't say which channel it is since I don't … Continue reading Cultural Difference On TV
Love As A Way To Live Our Lives
I have this long running unofficial "feud" with two assistants in the local Barnes & Noble. Once they even sent a temp they hired--a college student of Asian descent--to ask me "can I help you", the polite greeting with the purpose of driving me away from a display table of newest paperbacks. I guess I … Continue reading Love As A Way To Live Our Lives
Saturday Morning Idiot
That's me, trying to get to the store to buy the carrot cake dessert hummus--the best healthy food invention in my opinion-- but made a wrong turn. And you know if you make a wrong turn in a town like Edison, it will take you twenty minutes to correct it. That's just the nature of … Continue reading Saturday Morning Idiot
Tea For Positivi-Tea
"What are you doing? Drinking tea from a bowl? That's ... unbelievable." "What are you doing? You eat your ice cream with hot tea?" This was many years ago when I was a graduate student. I had two roommates. Since I can't give away too many details, let's just say one is from South Asia … Continue reading Tea For Positivi-Tea
Social Media Family
M gets most of the information about his family member from the social media. M's son and his girlfriend work in a city several hundred miles away from here. For some reasons, M and his wife had some unpleasant verbal exchange with their son a while ago. The next thing they knew, the relationship descended … Continue reading Social Media Family
From The Humble Worms
Every time I go to Menlo Park Mall, I would visit my favorite item, to see, to touch, to feel its perfection. It's hanging proudly in Nordstrom, an expensive store. A silk long sleeved pajamas with matching silk pants, which I can't afford. It's been there for quite a while, but last weekend, it's gone. … Continue reading From The Humble Worms
Stories Of Rice
When the lockdown first started in March, last year, there's a big rush to buy rice. I thought it's a little ridiculous, but I still went out and came back with more supply of rice that could be consumed in one year--I didn't want to see myself left out from the madness. And the Asian … Continue reading Stories Of Rice
A Procrastinator
Remember Hurricane Sandy eight and half years ago? It happened at the end of October. As a typical procrastinator, I'm usually very busy in the last several days of the month. A lot of things were due and I was in half panic mode. Guess what, Sandy hit us hard and our electricity was knocked … Continue reading A Procrastinator
Over-Preparation
H went for an interview to get a contractor job and came back a little distraught. It's a disaster, according to him. I helped him prepare--revising his resume and brushing up his English etc. Well, English is not his first language and the interview is rather important to him. He needed all the help he … Continue reading Over-Preparation
She Will Survive
My friend M called last night from the West Coast that she was being contact traced and had to go for a virus test. It's all because one business meeting she had, during which they didn't wear mask and their talk was very long. M has been very careful indeed, but still things happen. Now … Continue reading She Will Survive
Politics In Small Town
When Jun Choi was running his mayoral campaign for Edison, New Jersey in 2005, many Asians I knew didn't vote for him, not because they had anything against his candidacy, but rather due to the fact that they were content with the way things were and saw no need to replace the incumbent. That's exactly … Continue reading Politics In Small Town
My Unbelievable Friend
Let's just call him Wai, which is not his real name, and I've changed several details so that nobody can recognize him even if they read this blog. However the story is true. I've always felt that at least half of my friends are mad, and I think my friends are probably thinking everybody else … Continue reading My Unbelievable Friend
The God Of Gamblers
of Taiwan died last week and I just want to tell his story since he is a quirky character. However I have to start with Arjin and her husband, who run a small cell phone store and travel agency in one of the strip malls in Edison. I don't know why Arjin and her husband … Continue reading The God Of Gamblers
Love Is A Mess
She was very young, in her twenties, walking right in front of me, pushing a shopping cart full of daily essentials. Suddenly she turned around, looking past me, and said, "Where are you?" I looked around likewise and saw her husband, loitering in a little distance, with two kids in tow of about four years … Continue reading Love Is A Mess
Weird Winter
These are some of the weird things I witness during the winter. People wear sandals barefooted. I know it is indoors, but still it is winter. Now it almost becomes a trend to be barefooted. Too bad my feet are not pretty and I tend to hide them in socks and shoes. People eat ice … Continue reading Weird Winter
The Owner Of “Maahi Repair”
Maahi is not his real name. Since I am not sure whether he desires this kind of publicity, I have to change his name to tell his story. He's a graduate of Indian Institute Of Technology, and he loves cars. He came to America twenty-five years ago, attending graduate school in New Jersey and intending … Continue reading The Owner Of “Maahi Repair”
Frozen
I've seen this neighbor's dog in the neighborhood for quite a while, but I can never tell if his barking is a gesture of friendship or aggression. Thus I don't know if I should stop to pet him or to flee. His language, let's call it Doglish, is frozen at the point of not conveying … Continue reading Frozen
A Romantic Comedy Or Not
Me: "We need to cook some jollof rice today since we promised that we would do that this weekend and share the result with others." My Mind: "I feel like sitting on the couch all day today. I have to say no. I have also sent messages to the body to stay on the couch." … Continue reading A Romantic Comedy Or Not
Alternative Valentine’s Day Tradition
Women give men chocolate as gift on Valentine's day in Japan. It's a tradition since the end of the WWII, when a chocolate company tried to market chocolate to Japanese people. In those days both chocolate and Valentine's Day were something new in Japan--rarely anybody ate chocolate or observed Valentine's day. The chocolate shops were … Continue reading Alternative Valentine’s Day Tradition
Snowy Sunday With No Appetite
https://twitter.com/Haoyando/status/1358464097520660482 No appetite;no wish to cook,but it's time to eat.What a chore.How about a hotpot?Food cooked without me cooking;one dish with a little bit of everything.
Saturday’s Little Woes
https://twitter.com/Haoyando/status/1358166073791705088 Suddenly everyone is double masked.Me too.Dragon Fruit is $6.88 a piece.Robbery.Bought a book from Betterworldbooks.com with the library label still attached.LOL.Why are these people at the car wash?Don't they know another snow storm is coming tomorrow?Why is this white haired eighty-year-old out and driving today?The road is jammed; half the right lane is ice;the … Continue reading Saturday’s Little Woes
Wednesday, Not Tuesday
https://twitter.com/Haoyando/status/1357101310852612097 I even forgot today is Wednesday. Am I losing my mind? The book is falling apart with pages breaking away one by one. A little touch of my finger, a page is off from the binding edge. Also my failed sweet rice chicken dish is waiting for me (in its most unappetizing way) from … Continue reading Wednesday, Not Tuesday
I Can’t Believe This
Shoveling snow is a depressing job. And it might cause some unexpected effects, like weird thoughts rushing into one's mind. I really thought about this when shoveling snow: In heaven, when people first meet, the question they ask each other will not be "what's your job" or "where are you from", but rather "how did … Continue reading I Can’t Believe This
Digging Out
Spend the whole morning digging out. Just ten miles south of Edison, there's no snow, only rain. How unfair. However New York City is getting more than 2 feet of snow, I heard. So can't complain. https://twitter.com/Haoyando/status/1356677015286464513
The Chef And The Snow Storm
It's rumored that Shanzu was a little orphaned girl, living among the urban poor in the capital city of Chang'an during Tang Dynasty, which was about 1400 years ago. It seemed that fate had doomed her in the beginning of her life's journey. What prospect could she have other than being an illiterate servant girl, … Continue reading The Chef And The Snow Storm
The Salt Truck, The Overflowing Cart, And 35,000 Choices
Does each person really make about 35,000 choices every day? I heard it several times, but it is a little hard to believe. This morning, the temperature was in teens--this is in Fahrenheit, not in Celsius, which usually takes quite a while for an immigrant to get used to. Even the facial wipes in my … Continue reading The Salt Truck, The Overflowing Cart, And 35,000 Choices
Organize Vs. Disorganize
I know several people who are so organized that they know exactly what they did ten years ago today and they know exactly what they are going to do ten years later today. I am not exaggerating. If you ask L what she did ten years ago today, she would pull out one little booklet … Continue reading Organize Vs. Disorganize
Clueless
There should be a complete idiot's guide to commonly used terms and slang. The book "Black Rednecks and White Liberals" by Thomas Sowell really makes this guide more necessary than ever, for me at least. What is a redneck, a liberal, a conservative, a Quaker, a Methodist, an abolitionist, a New Englander etc.? I vaguely … Continue reading Clueless
Super Bowl And Lunar New Year
The Super Bowl and Lunar New Year usually happen within ten days of each other, but they never fall on the same day. One is decided by somebody in NFL, and the other is decided by the moon or some other celestial powers. The two don't communicate with each other when the dates are determined, … Continue reading Super Bowl And Lunar New Year
Lost In Paradise
What will happen when negotiations fail? I mean in our life, in politics, in a relationship. The consequence of failed negotiations has been played out live from Fiji, an archipelago in South Pacific with less than one million residents. Whether the events in Fuji has implications for other countries or regions, I don't really know. … Continue reading Lost In Paradise
A Message From LinkedIn
I can't believe I am still following him. LinkedIn sent me a message last night telling me that he posts one new year message and he hasn't been posting any message for a while. He is not into social media; he doesn't post messages or write blogs. Actually we have no contact in the last … Continue reading A Message From LinkedIn
The Difference
A while ago, K told me that she had to move because her neighbor was too loud. Now she lives somewhere at a top floor apartment, in a manicured little gated community, in a township for which she's one of few Asians. Of course it must be close to a major transportation hub--either NJ transit … Continue reading The Difference
A Woman And Her Store
Let's just say her name is Vi and she is selling her little store, which she has been the owner for the last fifteen years or so. Let's just say the buyer's name is Tai, for whom I've done translation off and on for many years. The store is in the Princeton area and the … Continue reading A Woman And Her Store
Differences Big And Small
Writing is much more preferable to speaking, especially when English is concerned. Let's just take vowels for example. I can't distinguish between "pet","port", "pot", "pat", "part". They all sound the same to me. This means whether you are telling me you own a cat, a harbor, a cooking utensil, or a role in a TV … Continue reading Differences Big And Small
18% Oxygen
https://twitter.com/Haoyando/status/1351596520274075649 How can one know if a room has less than 18% oxygen? LOL. I try to recall the high school chemistry classes, which happened such a long time ago. Is there an easy way to know the percentage of the oxygen in the air? I mean is there something called oxygen-meter that can check … Continue reading 18% Oxygen
The Favorite Of 2020
I dislike competitions and strive to avoid them as best as I can, because competitions always make me feel dreadful. If I lose, I feel bad; If I win, I feel bad for people who haven't won, and simultaneously I also can't help wondering if the sense of triumph is shallow, short-lived, giving me the … Continue reading The Favorite Of 2020
Thoughts New And Old
Growing up, I've never heard any of my neighbors having any trouble with the police. Of course that's very much a half rural, almost un-industrialized environment where almost everybody knows everybody else. Even if you don't know that particular person, you know somebody who knows him. The unemployment rate is very high among young people … Continue reading Thoughts New And Old
