Flash Fiction #180 I’ve always had this feeling that anything I write doesn’t come out as I would like it to come out. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I do. I can’t even articulate why this is the case. What is the problem? What is the gap between what’s in my … Continue reading My Self Sabotaging Mind (Flash Fiction)
The price of ginseng has stayed flat, not affected at all by the current inflation. How strange. Just when I think everything is up and up, ginseng comes out and displays its steady price exactly like before, as if to mock my misconception. The autumn and the coming winter are the appropriate time to take … Continue reading My Mother & Ginseng
I was very agitated, so much so that I couldn’t get my mind off it even if I knew I should be doing something else. I had no reason to be so agitated since it was not something that concerned me. Something happened to somebody else and I was just an outsider, being a friend … Continue reading My Trigger In Full Display
I was clicking on a random video in Spanish last night and found out that Biden had dropped out. This is the first time I received news in Spanish before receiving it in English. I couldn’t help feeling a sense of triumph. My Spanish has plateaued for months and had no sign of improving despite … Continue reading Our Twisted Mind
I just learned the word pyrrhic, an adjective, meaning "won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor". It is pronounced "pirik". People always tell me that I pronounce "i" as if it is "ee", a typical non-native speaker's mistake. I have always wanted to improve my pronunciation, but I've never … Continue reading Easy Or Pyrrhic?
Flash Fiction #174 I've been watching his lessons on social media for years. He is the best teacher--he speaks clearly, slowly, simply, with very few difficult words beyond the range of English cognates. I guess that his clear voice is partly due to his high quality microphone. Of course I am not suggesting that he … Continue reading The Language Lesson (Flash Fiction)
Canva Stock Image Two days ago I did something that was very satisfying. I think I was a little nerdy and insistent; I might have talked more than I should; I could have just given the hint and sent the video link. Basically in a very imperfect way, I expressed myself and caught other people's … Continue reading How To Convince People?
This is the 2nd half of the story. The 1st half is here. "What? What are you talking about? What got us together?" Jong asks. "It's an epiphany today. Thank you for enlightening me. I can't believe I didn't realize it before. It's hiding in plain sight but I just can't see it for what … Continue reading Love Makes Us Blind Or Perceptive? (Flash Fiction Continued)
Flash Fiction #169 "Love makes one blind or perceptive?" Shia says to her boyfriend Jong. "Probably blind." Jong answers absentmindedly. They are sitting in Bamboo Palace, finishing their dinner. Shia's animated expressions and eager communication are in direct contrast to Jong's nonchalant politeness. Their relationship has always been like this--Shia is anxious while Jong is … Continue reading Love Makes Us Blind Or Perceptive? (Flash Fiction)
When something happens to the project you are doing with several other people, you feel this urge to talk about it, discuss it, recall past conversations, elaborate on different ways of moving forward, and describe possible outcomes. It is impossible to be silent. Your mind is absorbed in it and you feel that you have … Continue reading Characters And Hiccups
Image by Almeida from Pixabay This is the second part of the post. The first part is here. Many normal people and parents like zoos too and like to bring their children to zoos, but narcissists like zoos for different reasons, most of which are not normal and most have a hidden sadistic twist. A … Continue reading Zoos And Animals (Continued)
This is the 5th part of the story. The previous parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4. One of the employees of the coffee shop comes to the table to ask Babutai and the three strangers standing behind me if they want to order something. Babutai becomes strategically silent and looks at his admires with … Continue reading The Dim Sum Drama (Flash Fiction Part 5)
Image by Almeida from Pixabay I can't say every narcissistic parent loves zoo, but I can certainly say that many do. Here I am going to share a childhood story of mine first and then I am going to discuss why narcissists love taking their children to zoos. As I am typing this, I can … Continue reading Zoos and Animals
This is a canva.com stock photo. I tried to add two words to it, but it doesn't look as I expected it to be. Sports It has been easy for me to recognize my parents' narcissism because they were extreme cases on the narcissism spectrum, to the point that they were normal but barely functional, … Continue reading Too Mild To Be Acknowledged
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
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
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
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
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
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 22th part. The previous 21 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. I don't have an ending for this story because all the narcissists in my family, except … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (The End Part 2)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 21th part. The previous 20 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. I have been thinking of several endings for this story, but none is satisfactory. Although the story … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (The End Part 1)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 20th part. The previous 19 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Cousin Arjin, Right Now After Fanfan came back, we've had relative peace so far, but it is never … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 20)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 19th part. The previous 18 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Nalan, Right Now I am not surprised that Uncle Big is a popular guy in the Lakeview retirement community, … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 19)
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
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 18th part. The previous 17 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Cousin Arjin, Right Now After leaving Nalan's apartment, I immediately go to see my father, who's living in a retirement … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 18)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 17th part. The previous 16 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Nalan, Right Now "Just tell me what you know about my mother. I won't believe you, but I am curious." Arjin … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 17)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 16th part. The previous 15 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Cousin Arjin, Right Now "It was not a swimming accident." Nalan says. "Really? How did you know? That was 19 years ago." … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 16)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 15th part. The previous 14 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Nalan, Right Now Arjin says to me, "I don't believe a word you are saying. What I know is whenever I meet you, … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 15)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 14th part. The previous 13 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Cousin Arjin, Right Now Nalan says to me, "I don't know about you, but I am starving. My blood sugar is getting low since … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 14)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 13th part. The previous 12 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12. Cousin Arjin, Right Now After grandma's funeral, I had a business trip out of town for a few days. When I came back, my wife … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 13)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 12th part. The previous 11 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11. Nalan, Present Day After a socially appropriate period of mourning, my father married again. I was a little shocked to see how sad an appearance my … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 12)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 11th part. The previous 10 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10. Nalan, Present Day Well, that was 25 years ago. Time flies whether one has a good time or not. For this reason, one probably should enjoy as … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 11)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 10th part. The previous 9 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9. With rumors swirling around, my mother was in full damage control mode. Whenever my parents found their common enemy, they would work together against the external threat, real … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 10)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 9th part. The previous 8 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Nalan , Twenty Five Years Ago I was ten at the time, on the brink of becoming a troublesome teenager. My parents were scared that I would bring … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 9)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 8th part. The previous six parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Cousin Arjin, Twenty Five Years Ago A week later, Nalan came back, carrying a bag of deep fried crispy pretzels with her. She grew taller and had a smile … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 8)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 7th part. The previous six parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. The next day, I came back home. Nalan was still nowhere to be found. "Arjin, I hope you have told everything to the police. Don't you cover for somebody else. … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 7)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 6th part. The previous five parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Cousin Arjin, Twenty Five Years Ago Nalan didn't come home that night. When my aunt and uncle asked me, I just told them that I didn't know where she was. "Where … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 6)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 5th part. The previous four parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4. I didn't know what to do. So I asked my friend Big Head and Iron Ball, who sympathized with me. Big Head suggested that I talked with Altan, who sometimes played soccer … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 5)
Image by John Hain from Pixabay Quote Of The Day #68 “Narcissistic and toxic relationships tend to hijack our brains, leaving our bodies to do the heavy lifting. Over the years, I have had myriad clients who spent decades contriving complex rationalizations and excuses and downright amnesia for a narcissistic or toxic person’s behavior. And … Continue reading Quote Of The Day: Knowing Yourself
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 4th part of the story. The three previous parts are here: part 1, part 2, part 3. Nalan, Twenty Five Years Ago When September came, Arjin was getting upset that he couldn't go home. He had to stay here with us, at least for … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 4)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 3rd part of the story. The 1st part is here and the 2nd part is here. Now reflecting on it, I wonder why my parents even bothered to pretend they had a great marriage since my father would find every chance to go on … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 3)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 This is the 2nd part of the story. The 1st part is here. I didn't want to go, but my father insisted and my mother agreed with him. My mother always agreed with my father. They told me that Aunt Hoi and Uncle Dao were knowledgeable people--Hoi … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 2)
Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay Flash Fiction #163 Nalan and Arjin are cousins, and they described, each from a different perspective, a tragic incident happened 25 years ago that tore the family apart, after which the story proceeds to right now when the mystery is analyzed, and the cause and effect are revealed. This is … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 1)
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
Image by Ingo Jakubke from Pixabay Flash Fiction #161 "Can you fix it? Are you sure? Just tell me honestly. Well, if you can't fix it, I can always go to Mario's or The German Car Shop not far from here." The customer says to Patel, the new owner of Mahaul Auto, which has changed … Continue reading They Can Fix Anything Except A Broken Heart (Flash Fiction)
Image by Jess Foami from Pixabay Flash Fiction #160 This is the 4th and last part of the story. The first three parts of the story is here: #1, #2, #3. From then on, Cia had always been trying to work Arji into any conversation we had in the dorm. When we were having a … Continue reading The Love Stories Of Two Sisters (Flash Fiction Part 4)
Image by Jess Foami from Pixabay Flash Fiction #160 This is the 3rd part of the story. The 1st part is here and the 2nd part is here. Shermei went out with Thon, her college classmate, who is a loving and a capable guy. However Thon was not good enough for his narcissistic future mother-in-law. … Continue reading The Love Stories Of Two Sisters (Flash Fiction Part 3)
Image by Jess Foami from Pixabay Flash Fiction #160 This is the 2nd part of the story. The 1st part is here. From the first day we met, Cia was always the one who wanted us to be more intimate. In a girl's dorm, such friendly girl "couples" are everywhere. However I balked at the … Continue reading The Love Stories Of Two Sisters (Flash Fiction Part 2)
Image by Jess Foami from Pixabay Flash Fiction #160 Cia and I were college roommates, and I can still remember looking into her eyes when I was chewing instant noodles as my midnight snack. She looks so young, fresh faced. Now looking back, I realize that she was perpetually searching for love and acceptance in … Continue reading The Love Stories Of Two Sisters (Flash Fiction Part 1)
Image by Gosia K. from Pixabay (This is the second half of the story. The first half can be found here.) I have been reflecting on Uncle D's life for the purpose of explaining what have been puzzled me for so many years. Why is fate so unkind to Uncle D? Why do people always … Continue reading An Old Story Retold (Flash Fiction Continued)
Image by Gosia K. from Pixabay Flash Fiction #157 He is handsome, competent, diligent, polite, and educated. He has a good life, working for a big corporation for a decade. Then his boss leaves the company and finds greener pasture elsewhere. He thinks he should be promoted to the position that is vacated by his … Continue reading An Old Story Retold (Flash Fiction)
Image by Pexels from Pixabay Flash Fiction #155 I wonder if you have experienced this, but I certainly have. There's this acquaintance, with whom you haven't had much interaction. She (or he) showed up in a party or a meeting you both attended. Then you met in grocery stores, hair salons etc. After a while, … Continue reading The Reciprocation Confusion (Flash Fiction)
Image by Samuel F. Johanns from Pixabay Flash Fiction #153 (This is the 2nd half of the story. The first half is here.) The conversation happened two years ago. And Lulan hasn't thought about it until now. Just several days ago, Ajun came back from a trip to Southeast Asia. He should have taken a … Continue reading Shoot The Messenger (Flash Fiction Continued)
Image by Samuel F. Johanns from Pixabay Flash Fiction #153 "This is really... a case of... a case of ... shooting the messenger." Lulan manages to say, almost out of breath. But what can she do but to accept the reality? She has been regarded with disfavor by somebody whom everyone admires. She admires him … Continue reading Shoot The Messenger (Flash Fiction)
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay Flash Fiction #152 Lea and I have been acquaintances for years, and then about two years ago, I started to talk with her about narcissism. At first she laughed and brushed my idea aside, but then she started to tell me about her mother-in-law Sandi who's a super sized narcissist … Continue reading The Sacred Myth (Flash Fiction)
Image by Annie Le from Pixabay This is the 3rd and last part of the story. The 1st part is here, and the 2nd part is here. Daughter: OK, you can tell me. So you had an affair and I am not Dad's daughter then. That's OK. I can take that. I guess Dad doesn't … Continue reading A Love Story With A Twist (Flash Fiction Part 3)
Image by Reimund Bertrams from Pixabay Flash Fiction #150 Aila and Nali have been long time friends since their high school days. Nali and her family just come back from a trip to California where they visited places in LA, and drove along the coastal Highway 1 up north until they reached San Francisco. "Oh, … Continue reading The Beautiful Mountain (Flash Fiction)
Image by Annette Meyer from Pixabay This is the second half of the story. The first half is here. "Brother Kai and his wife Big Sister Kai are such nice people. I hope you are not picking on them. I mean they are so polite and they always dress so well. I look up to … Continue reading Who’s Coming To The Party? (Flash Fiction Continued)
Image by Annette Meyer from Pixabay Flash Fiction # 148 "Hi, Lulan, how many narcissists do you think I am going to meet this holiday season?" Mali says jokingly to Lulan. The four women are sitting in Pammy's living room to plan their year end party together. It's going to be held in Pammy's place … Continue reading Who’s Coming To The Party? (Flash Fiction)
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
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
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)
Image by S. Hermann / F. Richter from Pixabay I have done a lot of thinking and reflection on the history of narcissism in my family. Since I am too much a coward to broach this topic with my relatives, I can only rely on recollections, stories I heard, my own logical deduction, and certain … Continue reading The History Of Narcissism
Image by Phong from Pixabay Flash Fiction #142 Aunt Ayun is my mother's younger sister. She is my favorite aunt, not only because she is a great cook and very clever, but also because she is very good tempered (just like my maternal grandfather), and very good to children. And needless to say, in a … Continue reading My Aunt Ayun (Flash Fiction)
Image by yamabon from Pixabay Serial Fiction Part 3. The first part of this story is here and the second part of this story is here. I want to say something here before I proceed with the main story. I wrote about my grandpa Zili from my mother's side who blamed my father for my … Continue reading A Real Life Romance (Part 3)
Image by yamabon from Pixabay Serial Fiction Part 2. The first part of this story is here. While my father was engaging in a correspondence with his future second wife living in a faraway big city, he also attracted the attention of several single women who lived locally. After all, my father earned a good … Continue reading A Real Life Romance (Part 2)
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
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…
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)
Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay This is a story I heard when I was a student of a university not too far away from Philadelphia. I lived in an international house with a rule -- no more than two people from each country. And in this house, most students are doing humanity science, … Continue reading Different Opinions
Image by yamabon from Pixabay Serial Fiction Part 1 I want to talk about my step sister and her husband. Since her name means ocean, I will call her Oshina and her husband Oland for the sake of the story. I liked her and her husband a lot, and still like them, but due to … Continue reading A Real Life Romance (Part 1)
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
Image by Jörg Peter from Pixabay As a self proclaimed amateur sleuth specializing in narcissism, I have observed and secretly "diagnosed" many of my friends, acquaintances, and relatives. Today, as I was preparing to do the weekly laundry as a dutiful and custom-abiding person, I suddenly thought about those narcissism hidden in plain sight in … Continue reading Hidden In Plain Sight
Image by OyeHaHa from Pixabay Flash Fiction #138 "Jama's always like 'I can do it', 'I can do it' even if she really can't. Ivy, our boss, tends to talk about looking into the future, expanding our customer base, tap into new projects. That's just routine. She's the boss and she has to talk that … Continue reading Four Colleagues (Flash Fiction)
Image by Pexels from Pixabay It is said Chiapas, Mexico is the capital of Coca-Cola--not that they produce the fizzy beverage, but rather they drink it more than any other places in the world. In certain towns in this state, people drink on average 2 liters of it per day per person. That's more than … Continue reading I Used To Drink Like That
Image by Monika from Pixabay I said it; I agreed to it; I thought I could do it. However it turned out that I couldn't really do it due to the fact that one of the crucial person involved didn't agree to this change of plan and it ends up that I can't really do … Continue reading Show Off
Image by Couleur from Pixabay New Word #120 well-being: being healthy and happy indisposed: unwell in one's health. wholesome: conducive to or suggestive of good health and physical well-being. healthy vs. hearty vs. healthful: These three words all mean being healthy, but I particularly like the last word, for the simple reason that it sounds … Continue reading New Word: Health
Haoyan Do 