pipe dreams 2

continuing our close relationship with the plumber as different problems surface for re-plumbing. today we check out a new, less financially depleting one. 

he is promising and will henceforth go on the speed dial.

sploot

the long-suffering E who tolerates our hugs despite his clear distaste for overly chummy displays of affection.

the secret diary of hendrik groen (2014)

uproarious frank documentation of rib-jabbingly sharp observations of the elderly occupants of a dutch care home who are mostly semi-independent lower middle-class whites with rather breathtaking xenophobia and other prejudices that ring awfully true. also includes not-unexpected developments that nevertheless manage to blind-side you as you read. 

jolly good fun and poignant at the same time.

this book totally deserves to be read.

back to basics

back to E and regular stuff and tropical mugginess and my old breakfast.

coffee with milk - plain yogurt with almond flakes and choc chips - toast with butter and peanut butter

it doesn't get better. i've missed you!

design thinking

there is the good.

and cute.

and there is the impractical.

like trying too hard.

just try drinking hot coffee from this.

that's it!

end of our extended jaunt for now as we head home to real life. thermal shock E other familial commitments economic responsibility and a leaking sink await. i am grateful for this mid-year interlude. although as HOM says it's been quarter-year interludes to date this year.

room switch

we shiver in the stubbornly cold hotel room despite acrobatic adjustments to the a/c controls. the man comes and agrees with us that our condition is really quite arctic and kindly arranges a new room to which we bring lock and barrel.

the air is warmer here. also, the hot water works! much relief ensues.

in additional reporting i meet another guest in the elevator headed to the same floor as i. she is wearing a winter jacket.

yucksss

possibly the most undrinkable cup of hyper-burnt scalding joe one has had the misfortune to need to purchase at the airport whilst awaiting the hotel shuttle because the driver is on his mornin' break. and my standard is not high, mind you. my cuppa joy is the nespresso coffee, preferably the purple capsule, that's all.

of parks and gardens

queen elizabeth

capilano

stanley

tangled paths and flowery meadows

giant firs and soldierly cedars

luscious roses dainty stars and wild blooms

with the sunlight dappling thru the leaves

be good for the soul

vancouver interlude 2

i meet the whimsical and charming quasi-european version of the city. surprisingly the french accent abounds and we see nary a drug user today. if not for yesterday's sights i would say this is a well-preserved cosmopolitan lady approaching middle age with aplomb.

vancouver interlude

much anticipated visit but a little bit bemusing:

• the chinese food is great
• it's very asian / cosmopolitan
• hardly any cigarette smoke (that's a key city metric!)
• but they vape
• and do drugs in broad daylight 
• and drive fairly assertively for canadians
• on the right side of the road too!

den of thieves - james b. stewart (1992)

smashing good read about bad guys doing bad things and how they get caught, with just sufficient schadenfreude for a fist pump but not so much that it becomes unreal.

the premise is compelling (extreme greed and how it gets tripped up) and reading about it four decades later is still jolly rollicking fun and most enlightening about a time almost half a century ago.

the work done to pull all the multiple threads together is clearly gargantuan. and for an additional bonus, somehow it comes across as better written than many more recent books that trade on speed-to-publication. 

prayers

for J2 and Ji and A, i pray that you may be a team. may one be strong and one be gentle! may one provide and one also provide! may you build a home on the foundation of our most high Lord and may A grow up in love and in faith, in confidence and in health! may your home be a place of peace and welcome and joy and glad surprises! thank you for the past month; we are much privileged and blessed!

for J1 and Y, i pray you may continue more and more to build each other's strengths and cover each other's lack! my heart is gladdened by the core of steadiness that steadies me too. i am encouraged by your kindness consideration and your great generosity. may God grant you to establish a home in which gladness and love always dwell!

for little J, i pray your next endeavor be cheerful and rich indeed! may your next year be a time of discovery and fortification and good excitement and glad surprises! 

for Q and X, i thank God each time i think of you: for your friendship and fellowship and for your daughter who has become our daughter too! 

may God keep us until we meet again.

cruisin' alaska

coming to the end and here are random thoughts:

• spectacular views doesn't begin to describe them (neither do the photos capture them)
• den of thieves was a good read for this trip. that rascal michael milken!!
• the (preponderant) absence of cigarette smoke combined with fresh wind is a wonderful thing

• one could so easily get used to the room-food-gym triangle

• the ship crew are admirably trained; most impressed by their ability to cross-cover
• free-flow of food in a vast variety only goes so long before i hanker for nespresso and toast

• for the record, the uniqlo puffy coat with the marmot raincoat serve well in early May
• most grateful for the extended time with the families. and the weather. and the limited choppiness

communicating with A 2

A is happily in her mother's arms.

A spies the french fries on HOM's plate. 

A reaches out to HOM, like so, \o/

much flattered, HOM takes her over.

A points at the french fries and launches herself at them.

there is clear evidence of logical problem solving here, if you ask me.

cruisin' alaska

spectacular and gorgeous and all manner of superlatives, is wot i say. very glad to be on board just wondering about the day's weather and my next meal.

goodbye, things - fumio sasaki (2015)

materially esthetically and spiritually ascetic if a little verbose towards the end. he is mostly quirky laconic sharp and just a little bit acerbic.

most enjoyable but admittedly an ironic experience to read it in the heart of american suburbia. 

i am much inspired to declutter aggressively.

communicating with A

aaah, aaah means she is hungry. painstakingly learnt after multiple aaahs on repeat.

doh (with a knowing fully expectant look) means i want. 

unh (with an imperious wave of her hand) means i want <what she is waving at> specifically.

noh! appears to mean "no".

\o/ is the universal request to be carried of course.

a tuneless wail means she is unhappy or engrossed or about to put herself to sleep. check context.

uh-oh, as observed, is an expression of glee. the little minx.

as you see, no mama or papa or anything pedestrian like that.

butterfish poke

this gets most beloved f&b outlet award for this trip. kelp noodles salmon avocado sprouts and wakame with spicy mayo topped with crunchy garlic. cover and give a good shake to mix. enjoy!

random thoughts about the US of A

more specifically perhaps, about the west coast.

their houses are enormous and the space is full of stuff. perhaps over time one tends to a more minimalist wabi-sabi esthetic and finds the easy abundance a little overwhelming. 

the vehicles are huge and high although to be fair J2 drives an (extremely dirty) antique compact stick-shift that is just my size.

costco portions are gargantuan the options are delightful the samples are exciting and i love our grocery runs. not to mention the chocolate almonds at trader joe's.

f&b options of the convenient accessible affordable variety are non-existent once you factor in taxes and tips. except for in-n-out burger which is one's absolute favorite burger joint in california. yes, sirree. gimme a double-double protein style!

public transport of the convenient accessible affordable variety is non-existent. 

all transactions take longer because they like to talk here.

sudden light

here two weeks now and it is quite clear that A's first recognizable word, at 13 months, is uh-oh.

uttered when she accidentally drops stuff when we accidentally drop stuff and also when she intentionally flings stuff just before she breaks out into that impish grin.

excursion

we bring A for a grocery run. it is an endurance sport. we need quick reflexes strong core muscles competent upper limbs and resourceful lower limbs.

i finally know the meaning of as happy as a kid in a candy store, HOM murmurs.

le mug

J2 and i go pottery painting and ta-dah! 

you have a nice watercolor effect on your mug! J2 says. that would be because i didn't wait for the coat to dry to apply the second and third coats, but hey if it looks like watercolor who am i to complain?

my facebook feed is now full of pottery decoration videos, wouldn't you know.

in other news, i am zoster-pain-free. even if i am nursing a sore throat and a chest cough.

palaver

possibly emblematic of much that is not right.

glib garish consumerism dressed up in redundancy ostentation and plastic.

yeonnam-dong's smiley laundromat - kim jiyun (2024)

cheery heart-warming and inspiring series of interconnected stories in the tradition of modern jap / korean literature tied together by a jolly mystery successfully solved. very pleasant reading that lingers on after you finish.

the convenience store by the sea - sonoko machida (2024)

continuing the tradition of the gentle undemanding but nevertheless emotionally captivating genre of modern east asian literature for e.g. morisaki and kamigawa and also the korean hyunam-dong books.

in addition to cozy encounters this book has the additional magic of making me want to go buy snacks from the konbini. 

the only drawback is mr. shiba, who i cannot quite get my head around so he remains not-quite-real to me.

the lost and found bookshop - susan wiggs (2020)

much anticipated because the cover announces that it is a new york times bestseller.

the plot is interesting but a bit convoluted the diversity and inclusivity factor is high the writing is pedestrian and at least a couple characters make me wonder why they exist (dorothy and trevor).

much disappointed. although the epilogue is nice.

shingles 4

the zoster pain is now a dull background ache that is just a tad above absent. i almost forget about it sometimes.

to my great relief thankfulness and with much hope-filled anticipation of a pain-free eventuality. 

start of an era

we babysit A for an evening, HOM and i. 

our first time.

thank God it ends with her falling asleep.

'nuff said.