I came home from China 3 days ago, on Valentine’s day. People from both countries celebrate this holiday, yes China does as well. I’ve been inform by a friend living in China, apparently the price of a single rose rises from 10 RMB to 100 RMB on the day of Valentine. Unfortunately, the holiday itself is not the only trans-national part of this global expansion.
I am not a huge holiday person. Not because I’m not a romantic person, but because I don’t like doing things if I feel that I’m expected to do them. Anyhow, that’s another posting perhaps.. The point is though, if we must celebrate this day, then I rather think of it as Love Day! The day to celebrate not only couply love, but family love, friendship love, animal love, earthly love, big love, little love… If we must limit our recognition for love to one day a year, then let’s be generous with our love on that day!
Let’s go out and love someone, something, today and everyday!
The Question of Valentine’s Day February 17, 2009
Back to Jet Lag Book Posting February 17, 2009
Part of me feel guilty for posting my thoughts on books only during my jet lag sessions. Something I need to work on, clearly! But for now, here’s the latest lines that I found interesting from Pi,
“You may be astonished that in such a short period of time I could go from weeping over the muffled killing of a flying fish to gleefully bludgeoning to death a dorado. I could explain it by arguing that profiting from a pitiful flying fish’s navigational mistake made me shy and sorrowful, while the excitement of actively capturing a great dorado made me sanguinary and self-assured. But in point of fact the explanation lies else where. It is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even to killing.” (p.185)
What a scary statement?! It is scary, only because there is truth in it!
“Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love — but sometimes it was so hard to love.“(p.208 )
I don’t consider myself a religious person, but I could see how others might get quite attached to their relationship with God. I would even go further and say that I believe some people are probably better off with God in their lives. Learning to love, to truly love, and feeling loved, truly loved, by God or someone human, are all part of necessity that give us Life.
mine of wisdom December 18, 2008
I’m a late adventurer for reading, and also an extremely slow reader. I’m not sure which came first, I didn’t like reading when I was young because I was a slow reader, or I am a slow reader, because I didn’t read much when I was young? Nevertheless, I love reading now, even if I am still a very slow reader. Maybe this will change one day.
I say this with hesitation, but it usually takes me months to read a book. Aside from feeling slightly embarrassed from what others might think, I don’t really mind it too much myself. I guess, if I had a choice, I would wish to read slightly faster, so I can read through more books. But really, its not so bad. I am mostly just happy that I finally found my chemistry with books and now want to savor each word as we interact. I literally do read each word when I read. Yes, even the is, but, and ands... I don’t know how to skim and don’t understand how others can. This must be why I’m so slow. I feel like a teenager being in love for the first time, never want to miss any little glance, slight movement, blurred out words coming from the other person. I’m afraid I might miss something if I skipped a word.
Even with such diligence and carefulness, I still often come across passages that I don’t fully understand. Some of it may be because I’m still a learning reader, others, might be exactly the reason why reading is so addicting and satisfying. Bizarre, I know. How can something be satisfying when you cannot fully achieve the satisfaction of thoroughly understanding it? I don’t know, but I like it. It’s always challenging and never predictable. Its like there are bite sized wisdom scattered throughout books, some more than others, that I stumble upon. Even if I don’t fully grasp all its meaning, I can tell the flavor is there. I can keep chewing on it and more meaning will keep coming out. It’s mysterious. It’s satisfying. It’s profound.
Other times, I run into lines of words that just resonate, and I’m impressed that someone can put such intangible emotions or believes into such precise and effective words. That is also satisfying!
Since I started reading, I’ve been meaning to write this post. Partly, to have an ode to reading, but more practically, to have a place to remember these bite sized wisdom that I come across as I read. The older I get, the more I realize, sometimes, if something is worth remembering, we’ve got to write it down somewhere, otherwise, it may be lost forever. And that would be a sad thing.
So, here’s the first of many… The current book I’m reading, based on a friend’s recommendation, is Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. It took me a while, a pretty long while to finally get to the main meat of the story. I didn’t really mind the religious setups in the beginning. It was interesting as I have very little knowledge or experience on the topic. There were definitely worth remembering lines from that section that I want to write down here, but will have to go back and find later. Now, the voyage is about the start, I’m looking forward to it. But just before it,
“Things didn’t turn out the way they were suppose to, but what can you do? You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.” (91)
Sometimes, we need to be reminded of exactly this.
Even the Little Ones Love Him.. GObama!!! November 5, 2008
I’m subbing a 2nd grade class this whole week. And of course, today its a special day. It’s election day. All the kids know this. Although they are too young to vote for real, the concept of voting should still be taught early. And that is exactly what we did.
The entire school had our own voting process. Each classroom represented a state. Each student got their own ballot with the choice of McCain or Obama. The kids were super excited about this.
It just so happend that today’s math lesson involved learning about picture graphs. As the clever teacher that I am 
, the two concepts were quickly combined. The result? A very cute and complete landslide winning by Obama.
Another one of my callings… October 5, 2008
Adobe InDesign*, the perfect program to deposit my obsessive compulsive urges.
In an effort to create my marketing materials for Ren Duvet and further extend my skill sets, I started taking an Adobe InDesign class at Berkeley Adult School a month ago. Although not quite a master at graphic design yet, I am beginning to believe that I may have chosen the wrong major for myself during undergrad. Graphic design work is so much fun! I get to create beautiful things on blank screens without having to spend years learning to draw, although I always had the curiosity to paint one day. I get to obsess over the exact placement of every line I put down without feeling my own suspicion of being crazy. In print design, every detail counts, and I love to, and also can’t help to, drown my time in the details. This is the perfect software and excuse for someone who is destined to think small like me! Yet again, I’ve found another calling; another part time career potential…
Life is wonderful, isn’t it?
*Adobe InDesign, a publishing software commonly used by designers for print media.
Home, Sweet Home! September 14, 2008
Sunday Farmer's Market at DMV
After 2 months of traveling and drifting, and 1.5 months of not having access to wordpress, I am finally home!
Vietnam was incredible, much much more than I had ever imagined. The food was simple, dynamic, and extremely flavorful and refreshing! The people were timid, friendly and unbelievably forgiving! Because we took a bus from Saigon (pretty south of Vietnam) all the way to Hanoi (the very north of Vietnam) along the west coastline, we were able to see the changing landscape along the way. Vietnam is beautiful! The ocean is calm and perfect for a surf beginner like myself.
Visiting Beijing during the Olympics was a proud and humbing experience. I was proud, honored, and excited to be part of this historical moment with China, with my country men and women, and with the world. I was proud that China had pulled it off, produced a spectacular event and has safely carried it out from beginning to end, From my memory, Beijing has never been so organized, so green, so friendly and so helpful as it was during the Olympics… It was refreshing, surreal and jaw-dropping all at the same time. Watching the games live was without a doubt one of the most blood boiling activities in my life. I was addicted to the high you get from simply being a spectator. I cannot even begin to imagine how the athletes must feel living through their most crucial moments a second at a time. Their abilities were unfathomable. It made me feel completely unathletic and unworthy in terms of fitness. I am forever humbled and inspired from Beijing 2008.
You would think after all these exciting events coming home would be difficult. It wasn’t. Both Alex and I were eager to have a home-made breakfast in the morning, even if it only involves pouring hot water from our trusting electric kettle to instant oatmeal. That was how desperate we were to the idea of home. Truly, the old cliche of not appreciating things until you lose it, even if its temporarily, it’s so-I hate to say it-true.
Two months away from home was enough to make me miss all the simple pleasures that I had so easily neglected in the past. The comfort of our own bed, and I now realize, we really do have a very very comfortable bed, cannot be replaced by even a 5-star hotel experience, although that was far from the experience we had for our 2 months travel. The blue sky, the perfect California weather, the Berkeley hill directly across from our condo, my little bike, our pleasant walks to our neighborhood shops, cafes and restaurants, the never dull joy of going to Berkeley Bowl and the amusement of picking from the hundreds of fresh and organic produce they offer, the simple pleasure of having a crisp and fresh salad at home, the comfort of standing on my own deck and stretch in the sun, the quiet moments of reading in my usual chair, having reliable and constant internet, drinking out of our delicate and spotless bodum glasses, my never ending effort of chasing after MiaoMiao with a brush in hand, fresh air, TAC, cooking…
It’s good to be home!
Guilt May 28, 2008
Every time I go to the dentist for some major work, I feel this deep sense of guilt toward my teeth. Today, I just got my 3rd root canal-yes, 3rd, I have horrible teeth luck. It’s luck because it is not entirely my fault that my teeth are all jacked up- started by a new endodonist. As he was drilling through my #14, aside from my intense fear of pain and the sound of drilling, my head and heart were filled with guilt and apologies to my already half-dead tooth.
Like I said, I’m not completely at fault for the poor fate of most of my teeth, cuz since I realized they were in trouble 10 years ago, I’ve been taking great care of them, brushing, flossing, everything.. Unfortunately, their fate were pre-determined much earlier when one of my terrible TERRIBLE dentists filled my teeth without thoroughly removing all of the cavities. Shame!!!!
Anyhow, the moral of this post is, if you can help it, find a good dentist, take care of your teeth, otherwise, the guilt will always live inside you and your your teeth… 
Welcome home, my 1st shipment February 16, 2008
At last, my very 1st shipment of Ren Duvet has arrived home. It’s been over 3 months since I watched them getting made and checked their quality in China. It is only today that I finally got to pick them up at the warehouse in San Leandro. A long journey these 40 duvets have traveled. Now I’ve gotten them home, it’s officially taken up my entire spare bedroom. I have even more motivation to sell them now given the fact I already miss the space I had just cleaned out 2 days ago. Besides, Alex’ parents are suppose to come visit next weekend and stay with us.
The 40 duvets came in 8 big boxes. Each was much heavier than I imagined. I don’t think I can even pick one of these boxes up even if I wanted to. Thank goodness to the helpful boys at the warehouse and my Alex, I only had to drag them from our building entrance to the elevator, and then to our apartment. 2 .5 hours and two dirty hands later, I found myself with the real hard work. It took me over an hour and a half to just disassemble 2 of the 8 boxes and carefully fold 10 duvets into their individual packaging. I do this to, one, cross check my shipment, two, prepare each duvet ready for sales. Despite the very sore back I have now, its all very exciting. I have to say, however, I have a renewed respect for physical labor workers.
Anyhow, now that my 1st shipment has finally arrived, I have even more to do. But for now, I must go watch another chapter of the amazing Planet Earth on bluray.
