Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay My memory is so bad that I start to lose self confidence. In order to boost my spirit, I decide to learn a new language, but this time I want to do it differently from what I did with English (as a non-native speaker). My English learning process has … Continue reading A New Approach To Language
Category: memoir
Ida And Superstition (Flash Fiction #65)
Yip and Yik are two brothers who used to run a restaurant together on Old Post Road in Edison Township, New Jersey. However after their father died, the two brothers split. Their wives didn't get along for years and everybody said it was inevitable that the two owners would go their separate ways. Yip is … Continue reading Ida And Superstition (Flash Fiction #65)
Man And Woman (Flash Fiction #61)
This story is a sequel to "Cheetah vs Ostrich" of three days ago. "Can you believe that he laughs when the two cheetahs devours the female ostrich?" Pammy says to her friends Armei and Lulu. This is at a weekend picnic Pammy has organized for the three families. Their husbands and children are also present. … Continue reading Man And Woman (Flash Fiction #61)
The Unexpected Party (Flash Fiction #58)
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay It's during the late afternoon hours when the door bell sounded and the guests arrived. However the hosts Pammy and her husband Pan had no idea what's going on. They had not invited anybody for dinner, not that they knew of. The guests included Armei and her husband Arhu, Lulu … Continue reading The Unexpected Party (Flash Fiction #58)
It’s Friday
Image by KERBSTONE from Pixabay From Wikipedia, it is said that the fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia--Frigga being the name of the Norse goddess for whom “Friday” is named and triskaidekaphobia meaning fear of the number thirteen. What is a Norse goddess? I don't know. I am curious but not curious enough … Continue reading It’s Friday
Father And Son (Flash Fiction #54)
Image by Pexels from Pixabay "Can you talk with your son Jack? He's really not study very hard at all. His grades are falling and he's more interested in playing video games than anything else." Armei says to her husband Arhu one day. Whenever Armei says "your son", Arhu knows that Jack has been doing … Continue reading Father And Son (Flash Fiction #54)
Mellow Fruitfulness
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
Girl Fight (Flash Non-Fiction #48)
"To fight, you have to get yourself dirty." George Orwell says that, but who wants to be dirty? We all want to be as clean, tidy, and pretty as we can, and often we worry that we are not clean, tidy and pretty enough. There are certain movies which can combine prettiness with a fighting … Continue reading Girl Fight (Flash Non-Fiction #48)
Sports, Grammar, And Love (Flash Non-Fiction #47)
Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay Every four years when Olympic ads hit the TV screen, I would think of him. Not that he's an Olympic athlete or anything. He's not, but he's the only one among the people I'm familiar with who loves sports and is pretty good at it. It was 8th grade … Continue reading Sports, Grammar, And Love (Flash Non-Fiction #47)
Language And Custom (Flash Non-Fiction #46)
Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash This morning, as I spent ten minutes to review some Thai phrases from a website, I suddenly remember several strange incidents happened in school when I was learning English as a second language. I can't remember exactly when this happened, but it could be when I was a forth … Continue reading Language And Custom (Flash Non-Fiction #46)
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
The Presentation (Flash Fiction #44)
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash Pam is going to give a presentation in a conference and she comes to Ivy Training Center to seek help. Since everybody is occupied, Ivy ends up assisting Pam. The Ivy Training Center almost went out of business several months ago--business was slow to a crawl due to pandemic … Continue reading The Presentation (Flash Fiction #44)
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
The Italian Name (Flash Fiction #38)
Image by Pexels from Pixabay "Can I also have a can of orange soda?" Armei says to the kid behind the counter, who looks like he's hardly out of high school. Armei can't even remember the days when she's out of high school. That's so long ago and she's growing old. "You mean the 'San … Continue reading The Italian Name (Flash Fiction #38)
Pammy Wants Justice (Flash Fiction #37)
Image by Alexas from Pixabay This story is a sequel to the previous flash story "The Cynic", which talks about the lunch Pammy had with her husband Pan at a new Asian restaurant opened up in Edison, New Jersey. There they met Brother Tai, who came to their table to sit with them for a … Continue reading Pammy Wants Justice (Flash Fiction #37)
The Cynic (Flash Fiction #36)
Photo by Atul Vinayak on Unsplash A new Asian restaurant has opened up in Edison after New Jersey lifted most of the restrictions for dine-in places. However there's rumor that this is just an old restaurant, which shut down in the nearby township and moved to this new more popular location, to take advantage of … Continue reading The Cynic (Flash Fiction #36)
The Great Escape
I should have read "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" long time ago, but I didn't. Mostly because I was afraid that the description is so bloody and horrid that I would be depressed after reading it, but I turn out to be stronger than I thought. There are only two … Continue reading The Great Escape
Quote Of The Day #17
Please also visit me on Instagram and Twitter. https://twitter.com/Haoyandohttps://www.instagram.com/haoyando/
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
Words And Childhood
There are so many quotes from this book that I don't know where to start. It's Sartre's autobiography--the first 10 years of his life--when he and his widowed mother lived with his grandparents. It's a happy childhood, and Sartre repaid the love he received with penetrating comments. He couldn't have been so sharp as a … Continue reading Words And Childhood
Summer Activities (Flash Fiction #25)
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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
The Battle Of Expectation
I've been reading "Let Love Have The Last Word" this month and here is a paragraph about expectation: "I think, throughout my life, I've had pockets where I've wanted the other person to elevate me, or felt as though they were going to provide a kind of boost for me to approach my higher self. … Continue reading The Battle Of Expectation
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
Lunar New Year
https://twitter.com/Haoyando/status/1360348311052550151 First day of the ox year, or bull if you prefer to call it. I was hoping to add several photos of festivity to my upcoming "About" page, but alas, all the stores here are out of spirit, with absolutely no holiday decorations anywhere. Blame the pandemic, I guess. For the past ten years … Continue reading Lunar New Year
Creating An “About” Page
I am trying to create an "about" page and here is the thing I want to say about myself. I am an Asian, living in Edison, New Jersey. The reason I spell out where I live is because Edison township is as famous as New York City-- I mean among Asians. Many Asians who have … Continue reading Creating An “About” Page
My Mischievous Great Aunt
My great aunt Zu, my grandfather's eldest sister, had long been dead before I was born, even my father had never met her. All stories about her was hearsay. Still my father repeated her story several times. Somehow I suspected that he did this for my benefit--the moral of his story is that aunt Zu's … Continue reading My Mischievous Great Aunt
Kids Protecting Parents
This is a story about me and my friend Ying when we were teenagers. It's when I realized how protective some kids are towards their parents, whether the parents deserve it or not. Ying's father and my mother both worked for a university as English teachers, and both our families lived in the university living … Continue reading Kids Protecting Parents
Mini Story: An Awkward Picture
This awkward picture is an oil painting of me when I was about 11 years old. Every painting has a story behind it, and here it is. I remember this today only because that's the first time I felt a strong sympathy towards a man--the artist painting this--who totally despised me and detested his job … Continue reading Mini Story: An Awkward Picture
Haoyan Do 