Which Way to Pick Figs and Grapes?


On my first Sunday in China, my aunt invited me to pick figs and black grapes on a farm about 30 minutes from the city. After spending the first few days in the city, I was all too happy to leave it even if it’s only for a few hours.  After living in the U.S. suburbs for more than half of my life, I am no longer used to the city even though when I left my hometown, it was technically still a suburb.

Anyway, I didn’t really have any desires to pick figs. I couldn’t even tell whether they were ripe. You can tell I’ve never seen or eaten freshly picked figs, right? The only figs I’ve eaten were dried ones. So while everyone else went searching for figs, I spent the time wandering among the aisles of figs and took pictures.

After a few moments, I heard my aunt ask, “Where is everyone?”

My other aunt replied, “They must had gone to pick grapes.”

Before I could take another picture, they went dashing toward the other direction. “Wait!” I shouted but they didn’t hear me. So holding my camera in my hand, I went running after them.

The area where the grapes are planted was slightly different than the place where the figs are planted. Instead of flat ground, there was a muddy trench in the middle and unless you wanted to get your shoes dirty, don’t step in the trench.

This trench is considered dry and thank goodness because by this point, my legs were exhausted from walking spread-eagled.

 As we exited the grape area, I gave the corridor one last look – left goes to the figs, right to the grapes – as my aunts went to pay for the figs and grapes they picked while my uncle and his dad found a table to sit down for a cup of fig tea. It was a good Sunday.

Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Weekend in China


Good Sunday morning or shall I say good Sunday night since by the time this post gets published, I will be sixteen hours ahead. Continue reading “#WeekendCoffeeShare: Weekend in China”

Thought of the Day!


Continue reading “Thought of the Day!”

Which Way to Canyon Hollow?


Last Sunday, I went hiking up the Canyon Hollow Trail. Continue reading “Which Way to Canyon Hollow?”

Share Your World – Week of January 15, 2018


Complete this sentence: I’m looking forward to…. Continue reading “Share Your World – Week of January 15, 2018”

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Taking Responsibilities


Good Saturday morning and thank you for joining me for this lovely chat. I’ll first apologize for making you get your own drink this morning as I’m a little bit under the weather. As for me, I’ll stick to my cup of tea.

It’s the worst time for me to get sick especially when I’m supposed to travel to China in a few days. It all started with a headache early this week. I took some Advil and the headache seemed to had gone away.

I was well on Wednesday but on Thursday, I woke up with an itchy throat but I didn’t think it meant anything, I thought it was probably the dryness and gloomy weather. Then on Friday, I woke up and it seemed my itchy throat only grew worse. I began coughing and after a few coughs, I said, “Oh my gosh!” out loud and that was definitely not my normal voice.

I began to panic. Am I coming down with something? Didn’t I heard somewhere that a flu begins with an itchy throat? I sure hope I’m not coming down with a cold or worse the flu. I haven’t been sick in over a decade. I can’t get sick. I can’t be sick. At least not right now. 

On Friday, I spent the morning drinking water, hoping it would soothe my throat but it didn’t work.

Meanwhile, I was as busy as heck. With only one day remaining, I’m not even sure if I can complete everything. I am starting to feel like my co-workers have been stalling me, making me check and re-check numbers from hundreds of invoices. They don’t seem to trust anyone’s numbers and the more they request the vendors to revise the invoice, the worse things get. The vendors seem more confused than I am now.

My mom and others keep telling me I’m being too responsible. “Why should you care?” They all would say. “You’re leaving anyway. Why should you care about whether the numbers are right or wrong?”

Because it’s my books and reputation on the line, that’s why. I have to take responsibility for the entries I recorded during the last year. Besides, doesn’t leaving a job require tying up loose-ends to avoid future problems?

Maybe I should stop thinking about such things and focus on something more positive like I only have one more work-day before I leave this mess behind and board a plane for China. Yeah, that’s something great to look forward to.

If we were having hot drinks, I would thank you for joining me this weekend. I must now go get a flu shot for precaution and hopefully, I can join in next weekend in China.

Thought of the Day!


Continue reading “Thought of the Day!”

Share Your World – Week of January 8, 2018


Do you prefer a bath or shower? Continue reading “Share Your World – Week of January 8, 2018”

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Last Full Week


Good Sunday morning and thank you for joining me for this lovely chat. Continue reading “#WeekendCoffeeShare: Last Full Week”

Share Your World – Week of January 1, 2018


What one word describes you best?  Continue reading “Share Your World – Week of January 1, 2018”

Thought of the Day!


Continue reading “Thought of the Day!”

2017 Reflection Part 2


For Part 1, click here!

One of the best and worst thing that happened in 2017 was when I got a job. The best parts were I got a job and I finally have a decent stable income. The worst part was the misery. I got minimal holidays and no vacation. Even when I had to take an hour from work to go to the doctor, I had to convince Miss HR to let me go like a child begging his/her parents for candy.

Now that I’ve thought about it, I got bullied by pretty much everyone in that office. No one trusted me in anything. Everyone stood against me. I don’t know how I survived this long.

I was so glad when I told Miss HR I quit on Friday. I had a feeling she’d been waiting for those words for a long time because the word about my resignation spread quicker than wildfire and fifteen minutes, Mr. CEO was on phone commanding me not to quit.

Anyway, back to pictures.

Although my weekdays are stuck behind a cubicle, my weekends were wide open. For the first time without the need to do homework or study for exams, I was having the problem of coming up with something to do on weekends. The first few weekends in June, I went hiking with my aunt. I tried out different trails but would often come home super tired. So I quit hiking for 2017. Hopefully now I’ve lost a few pounds, I can hike again in 2018. Here are my favorite hiking photos.

After I quit hiking due to both exhaustion and hot weather, my mom decided that I needed to get out of the house. So together with my aunt, we went to the Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal, Utah and Golden Spike National Historic Site in Corrine, Utah. I didn’t take a lot of photos from those places since most of those trips involved driving rather than walking.

In August, after planning the trip for a week, I decided to take my aunt to Mirror Lake, a stunning site about a hundred miles from my home. I decided that I needed to take some time and soak in nature and stay cool.

The elevation of Mirror Lake is approximately 9000 feet above sea level which meant a significant temperature difference and it felt so nice to get away from the heat while getting wonderful exercises walking around the lake while photographing its stunning natural beauty.

I didn’t travel much after that.

In September, I attended an event at the Aerospace Museum to honor the anniversary of the air force. I’ve been to this museum many times but none of those visits had bands and cakes.

I want to thank my mom’s classmate for visiting us this year because otherwise, I would not have gotten to travel during Thanksgiving. Even though these are places I’ve been multiple times, there’s always new scenery to be photographed.

Last but not least, I call this my miscellaneous photo collection. These are my favorite photos taken from home.

Before I end this post, I want to say that I am looking forward to 2018 starting with a trip to China mid-January. I am looking forward to seeing my grandma in China.

In 2018, I am also looking forward to hunting for a new job – one without an egotistical COO and mean employees and one that speaks English. I am looking forward to hunting for a new job where I get benefits like medical insurance so I can quit paying over $100 each month for health insurance.

Lastly, in 2018, I am looking forward to toning my body now that I’m finally back to my normal weight range. I am looking forward to becoming lean and gaining muscles in my arms and legs while continuing to shed the pounds slowly.

Daily Post Photo Challenge

2017 Reflection Part 1


As I look back on the posts I’ve written in 2017, I realized I never made a New Year resolution for 2017 Continue reading “2017 Reflection Part 1”

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Stuck at Quitting


Good Saturday morning and thank you for joining me for this lovely chat. Continue reading “#WeekendCoffeeShare: Stuck at Quitting”

Colors Begin with S- Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge


I hope you enjoy my colors and my last Fun Foto Challenge of 2017. 😄 Continue reading “Colors Begin with S- Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge”

Share Your World – Week of December 25, 2017


What caring thing are you going to do for yourself today? Continue reading “Share Your World – Week of December 25, 2017”

#DSFWeeklyRewind: Christmas Eve


Good morning and thank you for joining me on this Christmas Eve. Continue reading “#DSFWeeklyRewind: Christmas Eve”

Sunday Gratitude


This week, I am grateful for compliments. Continue reading “Sunday Gratitude”

#WeekendCoffeeShare: A Wonderful Week Before Christmas


Good Saturday morning and thank you for joining me for this lovely chat. Continue reading “#WeekendCoffeeShare: A Wonderful Week Before Christmas”

Thought of the Day!


Continue reading “Thought of the Day!”

Share Your World – Week of December 18, 2017


If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work?

Someone to do my cleaning and yard work? That’d be great! Cooking? I don’t mind cooking and besides, I know what I want and don’t need anybody making high-calories meal for me.

If you were to move and your home came fully furnished with everything you ever wanted, list at least three things from your old house you wish to retain?

  • My pillow, blankets, and comforter – those are must-keep, otherwise, I cannot sleep
  • My electronics – laptops, stereo
  • Treadmill – unless the house comes with a personal gym
  • My personal hygiene items – expensive electric toothbrush and all my moisturizers

What calms you down?

I recently discovered walking while listening to music is the key to calming me down. No wonder I feel so energized and less anxious after my daily lunch walks.

What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week?  Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

This quote inspired me to keep exercising and dieting, to not give up just I gain a little weight. Other than that, nothing much inspired me. The bad air made me feel miserable and apparently the storm over the weekend didn’t clear it all the way. Hopefully today’s storm will.

 

 

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Share Your World Challenge

Image Source (except noted): Google

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Bad Weather Week


Good Sunday morning and thank you for joining me for this lovely chat. Continue reading “#WeekendCoffeeShare: Bad Weather Week”

Sunday Gratitude


This week, I am grateful for competition. Continue reading “Sunday Gratitude”