Choose Strong
For Tim.
博文
(2021-12-31 10:17:08)
Ifyoureallywanttoescapethethingsthatharassyou,whatyou’re
needingisnottobeinadifferentplacebuttobeadifferentperson.
--Seneca
Itisthattimeoftheyearwhenatwork,thepaceslowsdown,groupsgooutfor
socials,andpeoplestarttotakevacations.It'salsothetimetheengineers
getayear-endreview.
"Wegowayback,Bill,andIknowyouareaverygoodprogrammer.Istillrecall
yourmemoryallocat...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-30 12:28:50)
Ifinishedreadingthebookinaweekandpickedoutthefollowingfiveshort
storiestosummarizewiththeauthorandtranslatorlistedaftereachtitle.
1.TheStoryofOldXingandHisDog(ZhangXianliang,AliceChilds)
OldXing,awidowerandhard-workingpeasant,tookinawomanrunningfromthe
famineinnorthernShaanxiandlatermarriedher.Hetreatedherwellandshe
broughthimlife.Itturnedout,however,thatshecamefromarichpeas...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-29 14:55:32)
Outofthenightthatcoversme,
Blackasthepitfrompoletopole,
Ithankwhatevergodsmaybe
Formyunconquerablesoul.
Inthefellclutchofcircumstance
Ihavenotwincednorcriedaloud,
Underthebludgeoningsofchance
Myheadisbloody,butunbowed.
Beyondthisplaceofwrathandtears
LoomsbuttheHorroroftheshade,
Andyetthemenaceoftheyears
Finds,andshallfind,meunafraid.
Itmattersnothows...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-25 19:10:03)
AlthoughDecthroughFebtypicallysees90%oftherainfallintheSFBayArea,
Ididn'trememberawetChristmas.Outdoorsfeltmiserableinthebitinggusts
underanominoussky.Thefoliage,oncepromisingabundanceandjoyinOct,had
turnedrustyandbleaktowardthelastweekoftheyear.Amongthedeciduous,
theginkgotreeshadheldoutthebest,gracefulevenastheirbrightgolden
Chinese-fanleavesweresheddingandpilingup.Thiswasthew...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-22 22:06:29)
Sixmonthsin,theyarestilltellingmetorelax."Iamstrongbutyoudon't
havetooverpowerme!"The190lbswhite-hairedbluebeltremindedme.
Indeed,mostseniorwhitebeltsseemtohavechangedtheirstrategies.Theystill
trytoadvanceandsubmitbutarewillingtoletgowhentheyloseaposition.
Theyrarelyengageinatug-of-warstylefight,e.g.,foragriporachoke.
ThereisDanny,atallslimyoungbuck,whowasinjuredon...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-19 09:29:13)
[Imightusetheitinerarysomedayastheguy'sfamiliarwithManhattan,althoughnotallplacesstillstand.]
Hush,littlebaby,don'tsayaword.
Papa'sgonnatakeyoutoWest43rd,
ThestreetwhereBenchleyandHaroldRoss
AndDorothyParkerhitthesauce
Asthecopyeditorshitthecaffeine
AndputoutTheNewYorkermagazine.
Ifliteraryhistoryisnotaninspiration,
PapawilltakeyoutoGrandCentralStation
An...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-16 09:23:42)
"ThreewildAlaskalobsters,oneforeach."Amyannouncedthedinnerplan,
admiringthegiantrosycrustaceanssnuggedinplasticandfoamasshelaidthem
outonthecounter.
"Youcanhavemine."cameBill'sunderwhelminganswerfromtheotherendofthe
kitchenisland.Hewaslunchingonsomesteamedpurplesweetpotatoes.
Ithasbeenatypicalexchangebetweenthemandifonereplaces"Alaska
lobsters...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-12 10:33:55)
"Seeingthemonster'sheadloomingabovethedarkwaves,Andromedaquickly
whippedoutheriPhoneanddialedanumberandHermes'swingedsandalsflew
Perseusininnotime,"Theoldmanturnedandpointedtoaclusterofrocks
off-shore"andthatwaswherePerseusslayedthedragonandsavedtheprincess."
Thetourguide,alivelysquatgentlemaninhis60s,withawrinkledand
sun-tannedfaceunderaheadofsnowyha...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-09 10:09:39)
Sincediscoveringitintheearly2000s,Ihavealwayslovedthe1974movie,
Chinatown,andre-watchedeveryyear.Thestory,writtenbyRobertTowne,bears
thedistinctiveflavorofRaymondChandlerandtellsaboutahard-boiledprivate
detectivenavigatingthelabyrinthofahideouscrime.Afterwatchingitsomany
timesandthethrillsgone,however,whatstillpullmeinarethedialogues.
Thesedays,Ioftenfindmyselfrecitingsomeofthemwhil...[阅读全文]
(2021-12-04 22:50:56)
Couldthesufferingofalltheearlyyearsofrote-learningmorphinmiddleage intoahobbythatgavemeanotherreasontothanklife?Afterformalschooling, itstartedasanitchthathadtobescratchedregularly.Onceortwiceayear, Ihadtoreadsomevocabularybooks,notnecessarilynew,andoftentookthe examsofferedthere.Thiswentonforadozenorsoyears.Andthen,around2019 Thanksgiving,ItooktheleaptostartreadingtheAmericanHe...[阅读全文]
