I remember a very funny and joyous situation happen to me during my Senior year of high school. Continue reading “Mysterious Secret Admirer”
Tag: Creative Writing
The Car’s Simple Name
I don’t think a lot of people would go through the trouble of naming things that don’t move and don’t talk but here I am, six years later and still trying to name my elderly car. Continue reading “The Car’s Simple Name”
Books and Prizes
Today’s prompt talked about watching a TV show or movie or reading a book that left me cold despite of all the raving from friends, critics, etc.
I usually don’t watch any shows or movies until I read at least some of the comments from the internet. Oh, who am I kidding? Normally, I just go with my gut and read the facebook comments while watching the shows on hulu. Most of the time though, I would agree with the comments but on occasions, I would disagree. Sometimes, the show or movie with the most horrible comments turns out to my favorite.
Books are the same thing. I remember about a decade ago, my friend gave me a book for my birthday. I can’t remember the title except it had something to do with the moon. It’s even won a Pulitzer Prize of Literature. I can just remember that shiny gold thing on the cover. I have no idea why my friend recommended it. It’s not like she read much (seriously, I never seen her open a book).
Anyway, I have to tell you, that is the most boring book I have ever read. I tried year after year to finish the first chapter and I just couldn’t do it. I just stared at that first sentence over and over again.
I gave the book to my step-dad and had him have a crack at it since he loves reading and was willing to read anything. It took him two weeks. Two weeks! That is by far the longest it’s taken him to finish a book and the book was only 400-some pages!
His reaction was the same as mine though, BORING! Hmm, I wonder, if it’s so boring, how did it win the Pulitzer? But in my opinion, sometimes the boring-est books win the most prizes and the most exciting books will win nothing.
A Simple Choice
If a literary-minded witch gave me a choice that at a flick of her wand, I would either become an obscure novelist whose work will be admired and studied by a select few for decades, or a popular paperback author whose books give pleasure to millions. Continue reading “A Simple Choice”
The Shock in 10 Years
If I woke up one day and realized 10 years have flown by, I think my initial response would be dread and sad because well 10 years have gone by and I didn’t get to experience any of it. Continue reading “The Shock in 10 Years”
Second opinion always matters!
Second opinion always matters, no matter what situation we’re in. I just so happens to be very insecure when it comes to trusting my own gut. Continue reading “Second opinion always matters!”
Getting Lost
Would yelling and screaming consider an unorthodox way to solve tricky situations? Continue reading “Getting Lost”
Don’t or Didn’t? A Grammatical Argument
From my experience of learning English and Chinese, I have to admit that even though it has funny sounding words that means exactly like they sound like pompous and ridiculous long words that no one can say it in one breath like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, English is an easy language to master. Way easier than Chinese. Continue reading “Don’t or Didn’t? A Grammatical Argument”
False Accusations
Okay, so I don’t usually make accusations and assumptions unless there are evidence and fact pointing me to it but my mom, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She likes to make accusations and assumptions. It’s almost like that’s all she does. Worst of all, her accusations are based on evidence that is not there. Almost every one of her assumptions are flawed and I have complete evidence to back me up every time.
Ever since I graduated and began staying at home, she’s been assuming I wake up very late in the morning. There is no evidence proving that. In fact, this assumption is completely 100% false! I have been waking up at 7-something every morning because I cannot sleep due to the heat. Then during just about everyday in July, when she was going to school for some language training, she shook me awake before 7 every morning.
She claimed that I can fall asleep whenever I please including after she had left at 7:45. That is completely false, too. When she was gone, I have already changed my clothes and she knew how much I hate sleeping in anything but my pajamas. Also, she is basing the fact that I can fall asleep whenever I please from when I was a baby. Babies sleeps, a lot! Well, I’m not a baby anymore.
I tried to prove her wrong a couple times by waking up at 7-something on the weekend but she didn’t acknowledge and continued to accuse me of waking up late in the morning. Ugh, so frustrating. Sometimes I just want to shout, STOP MAKING WRONG ACCUSATIONS!!!
The Familiar Stranger
Have you ever look back at a photo and go, hmm, I know that person. But in fact, you don’t really know that person at all other than the person’s name. As I sit here at my desk, eating yogurt at 8 in the morning and browsing through my pictures, I came across this photo.
It was shot two years ago in Las Vegas, the last time I went on a road trip. You see the kid in the black and white jacket behind me? That’s my cousin, not the one that’s coming next month but the cousin I was living with before I immigrated to the U.S.
I call him Sam and he’s 18. That was the first time I saw him since my visit to China in 2005 and probably, it’ll be the last time for a while unless I decide to go back to get my teeth fixed. He will be starting college this year.
I don’t really know that much about him. His favorite food, color, etc. I never asked him about it when he was little. So other than his name, age, and that he’s my cousin and soccer and phone addict, he’s just another relative I have absolutely no knowledge. This practically makes him a stranger, acquaintance tops.
He came along with his parents to visit two summers ago. When he walked out of the airport, I didn’t recognize him at all and I didn’t until I looked closer at his facial feature that I saw the resemblance from the little boy I grew up with.
It was like looking at a complete stranger. I guess I was just hoping he was the same little boy that enjoyed playing chess and poking fun at his older cousin but I kept forgetting that not everyone is like me, forever the same. That’s the problem with living on two different continents, I missed so much of my family growing up.
How to write a simple English essay
When I taught English-as-a-second-language (ESL) at the private school, usually, the first thing I asked my students was what aspect of the English language they needed most help on and all of them said Continue reading “How to write a simple English essay”
Thick and Thin Plates
A few years ago, when we moved out of our apartment into our current home, our neighbor downstairs gave us her set of bowls and plates. Continue reading “Thick and Thin Plates”
The Rhythm of Life
Once in a while, everyone needs a breather whether it’s from work, school, or just from the exhaustion of everyday chores. It is an important way for us to restore our energy and then get back out there and do it all over again. For me, it’s singing along to my stereo. However, sometimes I can’t do that despite how much I want to. Continue reading “The Rhythm of Life”
Best Friends For-Never
I had a best friend once. In fact, I had more than one. Continue reading “Best Friends For-Never”
Summer Music
Daily Prompt: We all have songs that remind us of specific periods and events in our lives. Twenty years from now, which song will remind you of the summer of 2014? Continue reading “Summer Music”
Hiding behind the curtain
My aunt and uncle were TV maniacs. I remembered Continue reading “Hiding behind the curtain”
Throwback Thursday: First Comes Joy, Then Comes Pain
I am writing all my posts on my tablet today since my room is unbearably hot and I don’t want to lug my computer back and forth. So I’ve moved myself downstairs to the kitchen. Anyway, today’s story is about getting braces. Be warn that after hearing this story, there’s a chance you may NEVER EVER want to get braces or go near an orthodontist ever again. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday: First Comes Joy, Then Comes Pain”
The Beach
There are no words to describe what I’m feeling right now. I lean my head sideways to get a look at the dashboard to check the time for what feels like the millionth time on this trip. I wish my mom would just park the car already. Even though it’s been the most exciting day I’ve had in a while but it’s also been longest day I’ve had in a while. Right now, I have just got to get out of this hot and stuffy car.
“Why can’t they make bigger spaces?” Mom mutters frustratingly at the wheel as she passes yet another spot.
It isn’t that the spaces are too small for her 1984 Toyota Cressida, it’s because she doesn’t know how to back-in parallel park. Apparently, her friend, Simon, up in the front doesn’t want to help either. He just keeps giving her suggestions and want to take no action to help.
My mom turns on her blinker, another round, here we come, I let out a quiet moan and rest my head on the headrest. Hot flash anger ascends on the inside as I drum my fingers impatiently on the door handle. My left arm remain sweaty and pin down by the arm of the giant baby snoring soundly in the middle.
“Maybe you should just try parking in the parking lot.” Simon suggests.
Uh oh, he is one suggestion too far. All day long, he’s been making suggestions to my mom. Don’t leave the AC on in the car, it will ruin the engine. Keep the speed at 65, it’ll save some gas. I can feel my mom has just about had enough. Her grip of the wheel tightens and her eyes stare straight ahead, maybe too straight.
She is like a volcano about to blow, a grenade with the cord pulled. Don’t blow, mom. Don’t blow. I try to send the thought to her as our eyes meet in the rear view mirror. It doesn’t work.
“If there are no parking out here, there definitely not going to have any parking in the parking lot.” She snaps.
The car suddenly becomes ghostly silent. I can hear the engine humming tiredly as my mom directs the car to the end of the block again. This time, instead of turning on the right blinker, she turns on the left and swerves into the left lane. She stops at the light with her blinker still blinking.
I didn’t dare ask any questions since she is so close to losing it. I concentrate on the tic tac tic tac of the blinker and stare out the window. It’s then I suddenly realize, there isn’t anything to turn left to.
We are under a sky-walk and to the left was lined with sidewalk. Where is she going to turn left to? Has she gone crazy with anger?
The light turns green and she slams her foot on the gas pedal. The car lurches forward. She lightly taps on the brakes at the approach of the next light. The left blinker remains blinking and no one in the car dares to ask her why.
When the light turns green again, she releases the brake and lets the car slide forward. About three feet later, she stops again. What now? I wonder and lean against the window to stare at the green light.
Soon, the light turns yellow and the incoming traffic slows. Then she does something I never imagine she would do on such a narrow road. She turns the wheel several rounds and steps on the gas. In a matter of seconds, we are on the other side of the road.
My heart pounds with fear and adrenaline while she executed the turn. It is by far the most thrilling thing I have experienced on this trip and it takes my mind off that we’ve been circling the block for 45 minutes looking for a parking space.
After the turn, she resumes her position in the right lane and lightly dips on the gas to cruise the car smoothly on the road. That smooth driving was soon interrupted when she suddenly slams her foot on the brakes propelling me forward. Thank god I wore my seat belt.
This time I know exactly what’s happening, she has found a large enough parking space. She switches on the right blinker to signal the cars behind her as she slowly steered the car head-on into the space. I sigh with relief as I press the release button on my seat belt with my free hand.
I open the door and step out, sliding my left arm from under the snoring kid in the middle. It is unbelievable that what happened just now didn’t wake him. He let out a sound that resembled a pig as I slide my left arm from under his arm.
I roll my eyes and step onto the sidewalk. My sleeping legs wobble beneath me while my arms numb and sweaty swing freely beside me like noodles. A short time later, I lift my arms and stretch to the sky, shaking off the numbness from sitting in a car for the last two hours.
“This is Huntington Beach. Everybody, please follow me.” My mom calls after everyone are out of the car.
I walk behind everyone and glad to see my mom’s mood lightened. After we cross the street, She was once again chatting with her friends. By the time we hit the sand, excitement course through me again as I immediately take off running toward the water. I’ve been waiting for this moment all day, ever since mom said we were going to beach this afternoon.
When I finally reach the water, I let the cool breeze come over me as I marvel the beauty and endlessness of the ocean. I finally made it. I stretched my arms into the sky and whispered, I am here.
