Dining with Mindy

Jan 13, 2013 - Rover's
Amuse Bouche
Duck Confit, Preserved Apricot Puree
Braised Pork Belly, Parsnip, Apple Cider Demi
Escargot on puff pastry, Beet Puree
Mandarin Granite
Duck Breast, Lentils, Cranberry Bean, Thyme Sauce
Symphony of Desserts (apple spun sugar halo on citrus meringue, chocolate pot au creme)
Mignardises (Jam, shortbread with pecans)

Dec 9 - Quion (the bar at Revel)
Both: salty ramen, pancake with creme fresh and arugula, yummy cocktails. 
Server: nice cute waiter but not as good of service as Capitol Grille
Note: smelled fishy

Nov 18 - Tofu Korean House
Shared: pan tsan, tea
M: soon doo boo veggie
I: soon doo boo with everything
Server: unmemorable Korean man
Note: dined with Dan Tyler who picked up the whole tab

Oct 7 - Skillet Diner
M: grilled cheese with gorgonzola, peach bread pudding
I: red beans and rice (and a huge pork shank), hot fudge sundae
Server: sweet, understanding Raggedy-Ann

Sep 9 - Guanacos, U District
Shared: zucchini, beans and zucchini
Server: cute Salvadorian man who said the smoke was a sign they were closing
Note: dined with Luke, Laura, and Abner who told good stories

Aug 12 - Hing Loon
Shared: gai lan with snow peas and mushrooms, scallion pancake, ginger scallion lo mien
I: Congee chicken abalone
Server: efficient Chinese women
Note: loved the ambiance, felt like I could hang out forever

July 15 - Osteria la Spiga
M: rosary cocktail, primavera salad, tagletelle w truffle butter
I: rossini strawberry and prosecco, frisée salad, tagletelle w speck, sausage, tiramisu
Server: short bearded model man

May 13 - Terra Plata
M: bread and butter, grilled grapes, risotto
I: baked oysters (traded one for a blistered shishito pepper from neighbor), short rib
Server: nice freckled redhead 

Mar 18 - Revel
M: curry dumplings, spinach hearts of palm with miso dressing, coconut black rice pudding
I: pancake, crab noodle
Server: confidant brother with halitosis

Feb 11 - Sitka & Spruce
Shared: "guacamole", two orders of falafel
M: sunchoke soup, black rice ice cream
I: something w beans
Server: Ethiopian snob

Jan 22, 2012 - How to Cook a Wolf
M: bruschetta with chanterelle, squash soup
I: brussels sprouts with over easy egg, short rib, gelato
Server: handful of average young women

Five poems about Johnny

Crying about grandson Johnny's early death by the garage door closing

1.
Cactus orchid just in bloom, too hurried
Transcends this life, return to the universe
Thinking about you, in your whole life there was no sorrow
Go back to truth and simplicity, in the light of the moon

2.
Our most painful sorrow is when we part
Even sadder, is separating from your bone-flesh
When we relive our old dreams
Only then, dreaming, can I hold and caress my boy

3.
Upon hearing the terrible news, my heart broke
The whole night, hard to sleep, helpless inward wrenching
Baby calves should remain, white hairs should leave
Our family tree's next generation is missing a house

4.
You were given a good name, called Long Peace
Who knows: heaven's jealousy, lack of compassion 
A flower bud blossoming, blown off by the wind
With heavy regret, this good work's carving incomplete 

5. 
Today I hold a pen and mourn my recently departed
Remaining impressions of your voice and likeness, obscured
As time passes, fading gradually, like water flows
Someday, with enduring sorrow, re-write poem 

Notes:
- My cousin Johnny was five years old when he was crushed to death accidentally by the garage door. He was born the same year I was, and died the same year I went to Taiwan for the first time.
- The verb for carving (zuo2) is specific to jade
- My grandparents selected these characters: Cang Le Yong Kang Ning (Long Happiness Lasting Health Peace) for the names of their sons' sons. This cousin was the son of the fifth uncle, so they all have Ning in their name. Johnny was the firstborn so my uncle combined the character of the first uncle's sons, Cang with his sons' character, Ning. My other cousins of this uncle are Le Ning, and Yong Ning.
- The verb for rewrite (teng2) means specifically final copy, not a draft
- On my mom's side, the generational names go: ...Da Wen Zang Hua* Guo Ding...my great grandfather was Da Rong, my grandfather Wen Wei, my uncles were Zang Pei, Zang Jun, Zang Zen, my cousins are Hua En and Hua Ming, and my oldest sister is De Hua.

A pair of poems for a pair of shadows

Before Mrs. Fu left, she invited me to stay at her house for two days. I wrote two poems for her as a departing gift.

1.
The remaining light of the setting sun casts a pair of shadows.
Still water, quiet peaceful. The waves must be cold.
The green trees and red flowers compete for prettiest.
Geese flying in circles have not settled down.

2. 
In a foreign country, happily met by evening light.
Blink once, and already singing departing songs.
Across the lake, gazing at the sun, a pair of shadows.
The passing geese resounding, circling a tree, not wanting to leave.

Long time no see (translation date 19 Nov 2012)

So long since we parted, beholding each other now is like a dream, a vision

Smiling with tears in my eyes, looking at my loved one

Lovely phrases inflecting each word like a strand of pearls

My unrefined thank you, without semblance of literature

Both in America, but difficult to see each other

Together now, already several autumns have passed

Men have lived, since ancient times, with sadness at leaving

Of most importance this day: seize the remaining sun 

I have two younger sisters. One named Chuen and one named Tong. Tong sent me a photo of Chuen. Tong was in San Diego at her daughter's house and she sent the photo from her daughter's. This past April, Chuen was in New Zealand and invited me to visit so us four sisters could get together. My sons couldn't agree for me to go so I didn't go. Tong and my other sister and their husbands went to New Zealand to visit Chuen and they stayed for a month. At the end of the month, while saying goodbye, they didn't want to part so they held each other and cried as if it was a death--perhaps this would be the last time they'd see each other. Tong and her husband went back to Hong Kong. After they went home, they came to United States to visit. They visited their daughter in San Diego. I went to San Diego to meet them. I celebrated my 70th birthday this year and Tong's husband wrote a poem. I wrote two poems in reply, to thank them for the poem and celebration. I'm looking at this photo of my sister. I have not seen her for 48 years. Since we parted, she has never sent me any picture of herself.

7th day of 7th month

Sky wide red and gun smoke fire full of dust of war

Silver river must be windy and thundering 

Bird bridge broken by the rough strong waves

Cow-girl, how can they cross to meet?

It is true: even a smart woman cannot feed without food
Several times, people's cooking steam is cut off
Meeting, they do not talk about how sorrowful their separation
First thing, she asks Cowboy for money to buy rice

Through history, a lot of people wrote poems about the Cowboy and Weaving-girl, but seldom about the hardships that real people suffer. Eisenhower had gone up to Normandy to fight the Germans that year. I wrote of few poems on this 7th day of 7th month. 

Notes:
- In Chinese folklore, the Milky Way is called Silver River, with Cowboy and Weaving-girl stars on each side. Every year on 7th day of the 7th month, they meet. Birds fly together to form a bridge so the girl and boy can cross the river.
- The most famous writer from my dad's region wrote a poem saying not to pity the cow-boy and loom-girl for only meeting once a year, for if you count from the beginning of time, they have met thousands of times already.
- chao fu nan wei wu mi zi suei = smart woman hard to without rice cook meal

High lights in dark days

To thank Mrs. Fu who wrote me a poem in Chicago where we met, and after knowing each other a short while, she had to leave. I appreciate her, treasure our friendship, and reverently wrote this poem as a remembrance.

Glad we met,
Sorry to leave.
Two white-haired friends, made in the dusk years of life.

Today we're together,
Tomorrow we'll depart.
On opposite ends of the earth, our friendship lasts long.


Mid-autumn festival
near the end of WWII

A horrible year, still here come the holidays
Time marches on just as nature orders
Most everything becomes broken into pieces
Sad and cold, only the moon is full and whole

My aunt returns to Taipei

Trans-Pacific flight with older brother,

cross Hebing street on foot with younger niece.

The house numbers skip from 21 to 25,

number 23 a phantom omission.

The only thing left of the old house is memories.

She looks in wonder,

she looks of mild regret.

Is this how 41 years feel:

a parking lot paved over a bygone back yard

hedged with still fragrant jasmine?

Drink afar, drink at hand

1977 December 8
My sister and her husband's 40th anniversary. I wrote two poems to celebrate. 

Holding a platter, respecting each other for forty autumns
Together you've tasted the sweet and bitter, shared joy and sorrow
Thankful that God in heaven watches over with favor
Your children's good names are a late golden harvest

Across the ocean I gladly hear of this ruby anniversary
From afar, congratulations to a pair of stars
I cannot toast you with this cup of champagne in person 
Waiting for the day when we'll open another bottle

- "Holding a tray of food at eyebrow height [and giving it to her husband]" is an expression meaning a husband and wife that treat each other like guests, i.e. respectfully, courteously. The story goes that a husband and wife were married and respected each other greatly. The husband's business failed and he lost all his status. But the wife still served her husband just as well as before. 

Went to a club to hear people sing. After listening, I wrote this.

Cross the river, plum trees and willows announce the coming spring
Holding a wine glass while poeting, what happiness, ha!
Must be singing of some grand ambition unfulfilled
Ask the flowers, "for whom do you bloom?"*

*lyrics of the song went "Why do the flowers bloom?"

- ancient poem goes: with one hand drink and with the other write poems, because our life is short

Carefully Written

Based on feedback from my writers group (Rough Writers) I'm going to start putting my notes following the poem rather than before. This gives readers a chance to experience the poem without "spoilers" and first get an impression, then educate as needed. Additionally, they challenged me to break with the tight word-for-word translation structure and add in English words for readability. Let me know if you agree. 


Ye Jingcao & Wu Mingming's 10th wedding anniversary 
1977 late spring end of May

Ten years as a couple like resplendent (jing) embroidery
Your calm, peaceful approach to living is high and surpassing (cao)
An entire lifespan walking toward the bright (ming) way
Sun moon (ming) sky heart shines like translucent clouds

- When writing a poem for a couple, it's standard to use their names' characters
- sun moon are the same words Chinese use for day month and when combined into one character is the word for bright (ming). sun moon conveys the summation of time.
- sky heart conveys the whole aspect of being, entirety of a person
- Jing3 is also my dad's name
- This couple were family friends from Chicago


New Year's First Writing

Misting rain mixed with smoke quietly unfurls the paper
Below many high floors and balconies live 10,000 people
Peachy-luck sayings intent on canceling last season's taboos
Fire crackers' bursting sounds broadcast the old year's riddance 
Sons and daughters laugh and play: neglecting discipline and order
Relatives and friends come and go: using extra mindfulness and care*
My wife asks me to write some words of peace
Try the pen in freestyle font to say red luck

*Some of our friends and relatives were traitors or friends with the enemy. You had to be careful what you said to whom and who you fraternized with.

I don't know what year this was but I selected this poem out of my collection of new years writing.

- peach is a poetic word for the color red
- My mom's family had several New Year's Day rituals, one of which was writing on a strip of red paper, in order starting with my grandfather, then my grandmother, her older brother, herself, and her younger brother: the lunar year's ordinal number, the year's zodiac, first day trying pen, favor (da ji) and prosperity (da li). She thinks this ritual came from my grandmother's family because they were more into celebrating holidays. And they were educated, whereas my grandfather's parents were illiterate, so this practice definitely would not have come from my grandfather's family.
- My mom remembers the Japanese rationed electricity. They were always careful to use as little as possible, turning off lights, etc. But one ritual for New Year's Eve was to leave the lights on all night. Her younger brother loved so much because he was scared of the dark.
- She also told me about the special foods they ate that had good meaning: longan fruit, cake, green peas, dates, and lotus seeds; the table settings they only used this one time of year; their new clothes; and the kids paying honor to their grandfather, their parents, and then the whole family bowing to the four directions, chasing out the old year and welcoming the new year. 
- Jing1 is the word used instead of 'My', which is my grandfather's name, not to be confused with Jing3, my father's name, the number indicate the tone.

Double Double Ninths

- September 9th is a minor holiday about climbing high, also called Double Sun or Double Ninths

My grandmother found this poem when she was cleaning one day. She was 15 when she wrote this poem, and was just beginning to learn to write poems. She never imagined finding this poem after 50 years. The ninth day of ninth month is a special day when you're supposed to climb to a high place, it's not too hot and not too cold. Climb a mountain and drink. She remembered that year when she was 15 she was with her two older brothers, an old family friend named Liwu, and a couple other friends. They all went to a mountain in Guangzhou. There was a restaurant on the mountain, and they drank and ate crab. Among these people, Liwu had gone to the capital to take government job tests seven times. He never passed, even after trying seven times. They held national exams every three years. So he had been taking them over 20 years. He was full of bitterness and only did insignificant odd jobs like writing articles for pay in the newspaper. My grandmother thought this was a dreadful regrettable thing. He was always complaining and made a great impression on my grandmother. Even though this was a long time ago, and by now everyone had passed away, she still remembered it like it was yesterday. As if everything replayed in front of her eyes. The passing of time, you cannot call it back. "I didn't expect to live so long. At that time I was a little girl, and now I'm old grandma with white hair. When I think of that year, I feel sad. All these people were cultured, they knew how to write poems. I was just beginning to write poems. Whatever I wrote, I didn't know what I was talking about." 

There's a mountain village at Treasure Peak
Bamboo fence grass roof like home town
Double Sun special to climb high event
Together seek remote place to raise glass
Here away from city few menu options
Only a crab dish with local fragrance
Around table sophisticate literati all grown ups
Lucky along side listening learn more increase

- chrysanthemum flower, Chinese people like these, loyal, in tough times they still bloom and are green representing strength of character and integrity. 
- During WWII, Chinese philosophy: if you are a general during the war, and you win, good. If you lose, you do not surrender or become captured. Fight to death or kill yourself. Becoming a prisoner of war is a great shame.
- nighttime is metaphor for end of your life

Double Ninth Writing Sentiments
Written three or four years after I was released from jail. The last two lines of this poem talks about people, including quite a few of my acquaintances, who changed allegiances to Japan. I sigh for them and their hard circumstances in becoming what most people label traitors. 

Old friend asked me celebrate Double Sun
Thin wine nevertheless need drink several rounds
Misting rain sheets sheets breezy ocean air
Golden wind puffs puffs sparkly autumn light
Withered waterlily teeters falls barely shows color
Wilted chrysanthemum dried sparse hardly smells fragrant
Blame not yellow flower failing nighttime faithfulness
Double Sun's wind rain too devastating ruinous

Sad and far

"bones flesh" = relatives
"wind dust" = a long time has passed
"hands feet" = siblings
"cicada call" = writing poems

One of my eldest nieces sent me a letter and included some poem written by my deceased older brother. After I read the two poems he wrote, I wrote these poems in response as an offering of remembrance. Also in 1935, my younger sister came to Guangzhou to meet with this older brother and his wife. They discussed our father's burial plans. After they said goodbye, that was the last time they saw each other. Afterwards, with wars and moving, now it's forty years later. It seems like a dream, we will not see each other again. As I think about this, I'm extremely sad. So I wrote two poems.

Old country sent letter thinking older brother
Very sad remembering back old time things
Far apart bones flesh wind dust eon
Separated worlds still reciting voice travels across

Trace back past feelings hands feet close
Remaining poems open read tears wet shirt
Cicada sings from tall tree for brother
This day's cicada song composes my poem

In case you don't recall, my grandfather was arrested by the Japanese during invasion on one return to Shanghai. He was in jail for several months.

"fry simmer" = torture, suffering
- There's a classic poem that said when the author saw such a pretty moon, he wanted to fly to the moon. The saying went that there were jade mansions on the surface of the moon. "But," he said, "at so high a place, I don't think I can take the cold."
- "harp dulcimer harmony" = expression for husband wife happy relationship 
Reference to old war time when soldiers were drafted to defend forts far away and heard foreign music played by enemy military and grew sad.


In jail, mid-autumn sending to wife
I wrote several poems in jail. But because there were not enough pens and paper, I lost them all. Only this poem, after I was released, I remembered while recalling. Usually when composing poems, you have a reference book of rhyming words. But in jail, I just had to use the ones I could remember.

Fry simmer* right until sun sets west
Fall festival empty talk, "How pretty moon."
Several times joyride wind to jade mansions
But regretfully no way row fairy boat
In bedroom night weeping grieving tuning dulcimer
Fort below autumn sound mourning playing (foreign) reed
Waiting for moon light cast pair shadows*
More fragrance carefully arrange silk screen flowers

*In jail, suffering drawn out more than torture
**I had heard a rumor that I would be bailed out of jail

Ten months, ten years

Reply to Di Zong's letters

Bored just thinking of doing something unconventional
Suddenly received stationery paper from old country
Old friend all's well still writing poems
Pleasant refrains tell me talk heart matter

Ten months didn't see your brush strokes
Often times afar thinking expecting good news
Today happens to be month's second day
In past for sure together one place 

Now I can only think back when
Those things happened will never repeat again
Today I respectfully respond with one poem
Tell how I've been doing these years


- About the house my mom was born in and lived in until she was ten: 49, Lane 197 at the end corner of Gubuo Gongyu. They lived in the French Concession of Shanghai. Each unit was three floors: my mom's family (oddly) occupied the first and third floors while a different family (a mom with two daughters and a son--last name Wang) lived on the second floor. The kitchen, living room and dining room was on the first floor and there was one bedroom on the third floor with two beds--one for my grandparents and one for the kids (my mom and her two brothers).
- Guba is a phonetic of a French General's name
- After they moved to Taiwan, my mom's aunts lived in the apartment.
- My mom remembers the big pretty oleander tree with red blossoms in the back yard.
- My mom told me a story about one time she and her little brother saved a sweet potato and an orange to eat in bed under their 'tunnel' as they slept feet-to-feet. They went to bed, pushed each other's feet and then went under the covers to meet in their tunnel. Unwrapping the paper they kept the eats in was so loud, my grandpa noticed and came over to discover the night snack. She was about seven at the time, so her little brother was four.

In Shanghai for more than ten years we rented an apartment on Guba Road. After I moved to Taiwan, we continued to pay rent there and had our relatives take care of it. If we can fight to return to mainland China, maybe we can go back to live there.

My humble house

Simple ordinary life more than ten years
Inexpensive rent paid to keep humble house

Oleander tree wearing red shades windows doors
Short shrubs growing green covers back steps

Sparse parlor chairs warmth often staying guests
Small room lamp lit nighttime reading books

Lake sea travel around finally have rest
Though much wind rain still peaceful living

Simple poems, simple pleasures

- Fuzhou is Fujian province's capital city

Arriving in Fuzhou the first time seeing a Lychee tree

Every time eat lychee exclaim delicious taste
Lychee tree color never chanced to meet
Today finally can tour city's southern garden
Wide leaves tall branches green drops falling

Chapter 4: Huangpu (the name of the river that flows through and ends in Shanghai)

Graduated from Japan school, returning to Shanghai, I got my first job in an accounting office. Then went to Central Bank. Then the war started, I went inland to work. My wife and children stayed in Shanghai in the Old Cypress compound. [The name of the place where my mom was born and lived until she was ten.] Before the war ended, I was sent by the company back to Shanghai and was captured by the Chinese intelligence agents working for the Japanese who thought I was a spy. Mr Pan and Mr Zu tried to get me out but I will still imprisoned. For more than ten years, I worked in Shanghai.

- 'lun li' Chinese people like to talk about the order of human relationships: mother-daughter, generations, etc.
- The first chapter of the earliest ancient poetry was about husband and wife--'guan ju': 'guan guan' is the sound of the male and female bird responding to each other; 'juzhou' is the name of a water bird. It's like saying love song, and it has come to mean husband and wife.
- Shuching, also known as Shuji, was a fabled person from a poor family. He was very capable and became wealthy and influential. When he was poor, he had thin clothing. When my grandpa and grandma were first married, they were poor and similarly didn't have good clothes.
- Monguang, another historical figure, and his wife were a famous loving couple. He wrote a poem about how they always wrote letters to each other, and an intimate account of her putting on makeup. "Write letters, painting makeup" became a phrase to mean loving couples.
- vegetable root fragrance is a phrase meaning simple pleasures in life
* rhymes in Chinese

Tin Wedding Anniversary Remembrance
Diqing and I were married ten years. Westerners call the 10th anniversary the Tin Anniversary. I didn't have anything else to give her so I wrote her this poem.

Human relationships begin with heavily valuing wife*
Holy teaching song bird the first chapter*
Knows some weave silk fabric beside loom
Also can from kitchen cook soup broth*
My threadbare coat as bad as Shuji's
Your writing letters as loving as Monguang*
Care for little study accompany nightly reading
Poetry literature taste lasting vegetable root fragrance*

Plum flower

chang2 jiao2 shu4 zi mei2
ling2 han2 du2 zi4 kai
yao2 zi bu2 shi4 xue3
wei4 yo3 an4 xiang lai2

wall corner many branches plum
freezing cold still continue bloom
from-far-away know it's not snow
because there's subtle fragrance coming

Call and response

Liang Di Zong (the fifth brother of a close family--my uncle married one of the daughters of this family) sent my grandma two poems for her to appreciate. The usual practice when people send you poems is to send poems back in reply. So for tonight, we are translating his poems (in Times) and then my grandma's (in Georgia). Next week, we'll do two of my grandpa's.

- I put the shared words in blue
- the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme but you'll have to imagine that it most cases
- temples white means their hair is silvering, getting old
- bland soft means casual, passive

No sorrow to alleviate always big smile
Laugh facing caltrop flowers both temples snowflake
Many sets ocean fields cycle dream trance
One time huge wave is amazing break

World view bland soft forget about self
Life status peaceful ease quiet like mountain
Let star moon continually chase each other
Only love smokey clouds come go leisurely

Letter received fleet arrival very big smile
Friendship been deep far until our hair white
Two sets ocean fields mutually suffered pain
Own heart no way stop tidal wave

Low profile hermit bears regrets westward go
Care free cloud dreams across many mountains
Our life events all like a bubble
Getting old life years most love leisure

Classic poem on peaceful golden time without war

Ri4 chu er2 zuo4
Ri4 ru4 er2 xi2
Zuo4 jing3 er4 yin3
Gen tian2 er2 shi3
Di4 li4 yu2 wo3 he2 yo3 zai

Sun up go work
Sun down go rest
Dig well to drink
Till field to eat
Imperial power has no effect on me

Updated on July 29, 2018 to note that this is titled Shoe Toss Song that goes along with a game that sounds sort of like horse shoes. It is anonymous, not credited to anyone.

Loners

• la4 = last month of the year = December
• drums = festivals and bustle of all the events of the end of the year
• this form sets up the first three lines as description/hypothesis with a conclusion in the final line of three words
• duckweed is a plant that has no root means without place, wandering: unaccustomed meeting
• guest is a description for not belonging, visiting, ill-at-ease
• from ocean and fields = breadth of human experience

Sentiments watching the sunset

1.
Remaining light sunset high contrast evening clouds
Sparse trees darkgreen lightgreen cawing nestward crows
December drums steadily beat push year end
To welcome spring
Hidden side passing days more white hair
Whole life floating boat dispatched to horizon
Experienced all manifold changes accustomed to duckweed 
Make home anywhere

2.
Against window alone watching sun set west
Evening scene bare trees pains guest heart
Law season go around cycle end begin
Ocean field past events find in dreams


Confederate rose
Near Yongan, the wartime capitol of Fujian. Japanese bombed almost every day. That morning at 9 o'clock the siren signaled coming planes. So my colleagues and I fled to the country side--guerrilla warfare style--because the Japanese bombed cities. We heard the sound of toppling and wreckage. When the sirens sounded long and slow, we knew the planes were gone. We returned to find our offices and buildings obliterated into piles of rubble. There remained one lone hibiscus standing in the yard, miraculously not destroyed.

Catastrophe over yard garden everywhere dusty mess
Broken branches fallen leaves all over ground
Confederate rose remains one sign of spring
Flowering branches weak flimsy tilt and droop
Tender blossoms delicate buds comprehend soft hearts
Pale pink subtle smiles usher in dusk

Out of town

- A classic poem says, when you have a bosom friend across the sea, even if you're in the far corner of the earth, you still feel like your friend is close. My grandmother changed one word of this poem from "have" to "meet/encounter" for the first two lines of this poem.
- 'song buo' (pine cypress) as discussed in an earlier post indicates old, steadfast, faithful
- Another classic saying is that when the weather is cold, then you see pine trees are the last to drop their needles. This refers to knowing someones character only after a time of testing or trial. The annual cold's heart phrase, like the yearly winter cold, means that my grandmother felt this friend could related to her trials.
- "clothing bosom" is an expression for open- or narrow-mindedness which Chinese people associate with heart rather than mind. Another expression is 'qi liang' which is literally "air volume". If it's 'da' or "big", it means someone has great capacity, e.g. 1 Corinthians 13:7 in describing love which "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
- "sun moon" means big, high, bright: all positive traits
- ya ying = rhyme

To my little hometown friend
Ocean far meet known self
Sky wide like nextdoor neighbor
Table side talk departed things
All words old hometown lore
Wishing you pine cypress proliferation
Can understand annual cold's heart
Clothing bosom like sun moon
Wisdom a golden proverb impart

- cen actually wall but is commonly known as city. boundary.

Lian City Hot Water Fish
I heard about the countryside outside Lian City there was a hot spring. The hot spring flowed into a small stream. Many people like to go see it. In the stream were fish. Very strange because the water was hot and there were fish. People would go to the stream and count fish. So I went to visit and wrote this poem.

Hot spring located at isolated deserted place
Hundred degree water shockingly has fish
Of ten-thousand things only adaptive ones survive
Don't mind hot heat still peacefully exist

Even flow

- Yubing is my aunt, the wife of my dad's younger brother. She comes from a family of artists, her father and uncle--twins--were both famous painters. I have one of the uncle's coffee table books.

Titling painting
Yubing's request

Leisurely enjoying reading books quietness play piano
Relaxation time to sing songs poems solo
Lady's heart mails sorrow but no destination
On tatami pondering longing for responding memo


- From the third section of Gonggong's volume named Yenxi (swallow bird) after a little stream that flowed through the village in Fujian province where he lived with his bank colleagues for a while. The landfill that accumulated at the mouth of this river would flood occasionally. The bank built many levees to prevent the water from backflowing.
- Ox Head Mountain is on the border between Jiangxi (Gan) and Fujian (Ming) provinces.
- During Japanese invasion, they often used mountain roads because they were difficult to travel, narrow and steep.
- Mountain water is used as a compound word to mean topography or terrain
- Sheep intestine is often used to describe a narrow curving road
- Sudao is a road to Sichuan famous for its difficult passage

Ox Head Mountain Peak

Ming Gan mountain water too crooked zigzag
Ox Head ranging peaks layers of summits
Fast flowing valley bottom streams sound deafening
Dark shaded rock side trees look cold
Narrow turns dangerous slopes three hundred degrees
Sheep intestine path curves one thousand times
Setting sun lowers west autumn wind gusts
Even more difficult and treacherous than Sudao

Feast or famine

Notes on grandma's poem:
- 'Holding wine talk heart' represents sitting with friends having a heart to heart talk
- Another Village is probably the name of a restaurant (personal note is I recently ate lunch at a great little restaurant called Green Village)

Poem on Another Village

Fancy abundant table fit for emperial royalty
Carefully meticulously prepared every lovely plated dish
Stay foreign place often as restaurant guest
Holding wine talk hearts content another village

Notes on grandpa's poem:
- On my grandma's poem about Xihu (West Lake) I had the same note: there is a Chinese saying: "Upwards has heaven, downwards has Su Hang" referring to Suzhou and Hangzhou which are two places famous for scenery and natural beauty.
- The word used for medicine can also mean copy book papers for learning to write
- Dragon Well tea is famous for its taste
- a note on wind imagery: Chinese often use wind description to connote attitudes like bravado and tranquility. Every ordinal has a feel: eastern is happy, northern is cold and cruel, southern is warm and kind. Chinese people say they 'drink northwesterly wind' when they've lost their jobs and can't provide for their families, or do work with little reward. There is an expression about spring wind that means everything is going your way. and you are pleased with yourself.
- Similar to western thought, sunset represents sadness, closure, ending; and sunrise as hopeful and glorious beginning.

The Scene at Suzhou Train Station

Suzhou city old post noisy crowded hubbub
Short houses desolated depressed four five homes
Thin bones struggle clothes hanging shoes ragged
Ambition and dreams disappear temple hair white
Blanket bit vendors sell Mount Han medicine
Broken stove crudely boils Dragon Well tea
Gusting cold harsh wind doors half closed
Shop doors dark shadowy sun sets west

My poem about meeting up with an old friend

Tonight, I showed up late and my mom is going to bed early because we're driving to Spokane tomorrow for Jan's funeral. And since I've been meaning to write a poem about an old friend, why not tonight?

It feels funny to work outside of a form. I'll give myself one.

The sixth love language is food
My best friend from college Joyce and I have spent the last 14 years living in separate cities. We have visited each other often. The longest span between times just ended with my recent trip to San Francisco, a few weeks before her son turns two. We have gobs of funny stories about eating and meals that only arise out of cohabitating during a singularly unique phase of life. This poem references merely four of them. The title alludes to a book called The 5 Love Languages.

She remembered I like cantaloupe
and bought me one
it was waiting on the shining kitchen counter
and she chopped it up the next day
juicy evenly-sized bites of nostalgia

I remembered she likes Turkish Delight
and got her a box
it joined the melon next to the stove
and sat there for three days
supple powdered squares of friendship

We both like red meat and schlag
and went to House of Prime Rib
it served one thing in four thicknesses
and we ordered the same cut medium well
rich buttery fullness of understanding

Sensation of taste

Nainai's 4 groups of 4 lines of 7 words
- Ma que is the common southern name for the game known as mahjong
- 'salty' here means tasty, flavorful

Old folks happy song
One day in June, a bunch of old folks gathered together and wrote poems about the gathering


Getting old one’s life dealings bland thin 
     Good we've salty poems sense of taste 
     Otherwise all day we'd pace back forth
     And feel bored lonely like wayside flower
Still beats following the crowd chaotic busyness
     In contrast we laugh to rid loneliness
     Four rounds of maque pass a day
     Drink wine happy chat in midst joy
Leisure time spend watching several tv shows
     Also helps us know what's going on
     So we can have something to say
     Unlike country hicks sitting in the corner
Events whether big small pay no heed
     To avoid being annoying to children grandchildren

     My song to advise old aged people
     Follow this to have peace and happiness

Gonggong's 8 lines of 7 words

- Jen cang is probably another name for the city

- Chinese folk songs often sing of longing for time of peace to have a chance to harvest

- Zen Gong (also called Zi Gu) is a Classical author who wrote a famous essay about certain cities

Nanfeng (name of a city)

Our bank moved here and several of us toured the streets. We saw destruction everywhere and the peasants around were very poor. Lets you imagine the scene after the war.

Jen cang one path grass all over

War aftermath surrounding area enough to show

Wilderness graves destruction still smoking feel terror

Plow fields light rain joy tilling land

Special fragrant sweetness of Nan feng oranges

Forceful sentences impressive articles Zi Gu's writing

Written words lack inspiration oranges not ripe

By mountain lie down little stream clouds

Strange fruit

Not an evident theme this week, so I just noted that both include strange fruit references.


Nainai's 4 lines of 7 words
- There is a Chinese saying: "Upwards has heaven, downwards has Su Hang" referring to Suzhou and Hangzhou which are two places famous for scenery and natural beauty. 
- Xihu "West Lake" in Hangzho, also known as Xijihu, related to Xishi who was one of the four great beauties who worked as a spy, is a classic muse for poets.
- 'ching-yo' is a word that means a friend that you're related to, so I translated it as 'family-friend' not to mean a friend of the family, but a friend that is family. As my mom and I joked, not all relatives are friends.
- My mom said slicing a lotus root is very interesting, there are long thin strands like threads that stretch and are sticky. There is a saying about these strands "root cut strands stay" that is used to describe situations like divorced people still entangled.
- Like me, you may wonder what a caltrop is, so I have included a photo for your benefit. Aren't they amazing? They are pods that grow underwater and have an edible inner white flesh similar to water chestnuts.

Sentiments on touring West Lake with my family-friend


Speaking of famous lake aboard small dingy
Still remember picking caltrops with you visiting
Red caltrops white roots munching treat happiness
Laughter dialect dance play both forget sadness





Gonggong's 4 lines of 7 words
- 'cuen' is homophone for spring and village
- old Chinese money were coins with holes so you could string them together and wear them. There is a saying: better to have 1 skill than to wear 10,000 coins around your waist

Apricot Peak Village
During Japanese occupation, at one point I had to leave the capitol Nancang where I was working and flee to a little city where I rented a large house with some tens of colleagues from two banks. This village was very poor and had old barren trees, none of which were apricot. I never knew why this village was named Apricot Peak, but I did learn that the house was owned by a man named Liu who had made a fortune in the salt business in Yanzhou. He rented out this newly built huge house in this poor village, while he himself lived in his old house.


Ancient trees stubby walls all become neighbors
Mountain front no more apricot blossom spring
Old man Liu ten-thousand coin girded waist weight
Newly built high rise rent other people


Personal notes:
- I love that my grandma liked to snack and be on the water: two of my favorite activities. In fact, this past weekend I got to kayak and make drinks with the precious juice from dozens of tiny squeezed-by-hand key limes--I only squeezed some, my friends squeezed the rest.
- Though my grandfather's poem isn't very emotional or insightful, it is interesting that he had to live with his colleagues for a bit. Nothing like bonding in wartime with the cubicle-mates. Related anecdote for me is that while in line at the grocery store, wondering if one can self-checkout booze, the woman in front of me turned around and said, "Irene?" It was my new boss. I start in a few weeks at Copacino+Fujikado.

Fun with old friends

On Memorial Day weekend, I attended to (read: bridesmaid) my dear old friend Shannon for her wedding in Virginia. It was lovely and funny and not too unlike the sentiments these two poems express: fondness so abiding you can poke fun.

[Nainai's 4 lines of 7 words
- bamboo stem is homophone for celebrate
- after a standard form bamboo poem
- possibly associated with the previous poem about her nephew]

Regarding bamboo stems

Bamboo stem poem is well wishing bade
Thinking back that year we two played
Turn eyes same also changed white hair
Laughing talk nice things so perfectly met


[Gonggong's 4 lines of 7 words
- a face like a peach blossom is usually something said of a woman]

Teasing Gong Li Yi
My friend Gong who worked in Fuzhou, Fujian province, was very handsome and proud of his good looks. "My face is like a peach blossom," he would say. I wrote this poem because one day he had a bad sore on his cheek and he went to the doctor. The procedure done left a scar on his face. I wrote this poem to tease him. We were old friends from Nancang, along with two others, the four of us were very close. The other two were scattered and only Mr. Gong was near.

I might half hide good looking face
Broken cheek feels like a broken melon
Remains of wound scar one red mark
On profile always wear small peach blossom

This Cup

Nainai: 
4 lines of 7 words
- had an October birthday
- pouring wine indicates birthday-related feasting akin to our eating cake
- 'flowers atop mountain' symbolizes 'blessing upon blessing'

Celebrating each other's birthdays with my nephew
My nephew's wife has an October birthday.

Seventy years almost eighty from one family
Celebrate pour wine this time of year
Golden anniversary almost here children grandchildren sing
Tenth month another party flowers atop mountain

Gonggong: 
12 lines of 5 words, followed by 2 lines of 3 words, and finally 1 line of 9 words.
- from a new (for us) section in his volume Chapter 2: Southern Provinces about the time of Japanese invasion. He was sent to these Southern Provinces to work, his wife and children stayed in Shanghai. He traveled around these areas. Because of the war, life was difficult. Only when he had some leisure time, he wrote poems to pass the time and entertain himself. He collected fifty poems from this time. (Personal note is that my gonggong had mentioned this fact, that there are fifty poems in each section, in his earlier introduction. I find it funny that he states it again.) 
- "Dragon snake" my mom and I infer is Pros and Cons
- blue sea symbolizes all the changes of life

Pretty Water

The name of a place where I ran into my friend Huang Min, an old classmate from my studies in Tokyo. He similarly worked in finance. I wrote this poem for him and sent it to him. 

Longtime friend three years since
Not changed old appearance looks
Defending justice eyes almost burst
Order some cups of tea
Writing papers heart so suffering*
Detailed discussion how to prosper
Create develop Three Three System 
Profit giving small farm homes
People things written 10,000 thoughts**
Revisions below pen dragon snake
Editing poems to old maids***
Eradicating this not so extreme
Blue sea doings
Tell not fully
Made me feel so sad depressed stop travel car

*Huang Min wrote many books on finance about this area full of poor peasants.
**Many people wrote papers on this area before. Huang Min revised these documents. 
***These people were so poor, they had a custom of renting wives because they could not afford dowry. Indicating how pathetic and horrible their lives were. Huang Min wanted to eradicate this custom.

(Finally got my mom to give me a Basic Poetry Lesson as there are several kinds, even more than this list, which I wrote in pinyin to help me when having Chinespañol--half hour Mandarin, half hour Spanish--chats with my South Seattle friends:
Shi1 - form poem 4 lines or 8 lines, or more of 5 words or 7 words
Ci2 - structured poem, like having a song and replacing lyrics
Ge1 - song
Fu4 - song)