Nainai's poetry, part 1

I was telling my new friend Jen that my mom and I have begun translating a book of poetry my Dad's mom wrote, my grandmother, my sisters and I called her Nainai--as in "til morning is nigh". She said I should blog about it. And so here we go. A fourth repurposing for this blog. To sum up the time since my last post, I spent the rest of the summer in NYC at Deutsch, the beach, and at church. At the end of August I moved to Seattle and found a place in the neighborhood Rainier Beach that I've been in since October 1. Working from home has been nice. Visitors have been fun. Church hunting has been encouraging. And friend-making very pleasant. Best of all has been more regular time with my family.

So, to the point. Chinese poetry has strict forms and also free form.

This is a non-standard couplet Nainai wrote about visiting her first son, an adoptee, after thirty years of separation. The backstory I'll have to tell you in person. His name was Ceng and the description she wrote says: Ceng’s whole family and three of her nieces bidding farewell at the train station.

1. [3 lines of 4 words, 2 lines of 5 words, 1 line of 8 words]
We parted as children
White-haired, we meet
The years in between
 
Full of ups and downs.
Together now, we must rejoice 
 
Don’t let go of the good old days.
 
2. [10 lines of 5 words]
Mother and child meet again
Enjoy fleeting happiness of family
Our lives like morning dew
Together less, mostly far apart
Happy, sing a high song
Leaving, sing a farewell song
Now I ask one departing,
“When are you coming back?”
“I cannot give an answer,
Who knows what will be?"

Let's go crazy!

Washington State is so fun for me now. I mean, it always was, but more in that 'home' sort of way rather than the vacation I now see it as. Started off my July visit with a triathlon!
"Don't worry, everyone looks like a sausage." (encouraging words from) Tina Chan

   

Then there was Sarah and Joe's wedding out on the farm...

...and Seattle to see my family...

 

 

...including walking around Mt. Rainier National Park with my mom...

 

 

...and I still have another weekend in Richlandia coming up! :)

The balance of my NYC summer is ripe with visitors: Shannon from VA, Drew and Jasmine from Boston, and Amber and Kristie from Richlandia. AND I'm going to see the revival of RENT on Broadway! :) Very excited.

And because even my family is confirming with me, yes, I'm returning to WA at the end of August. No one, and I mean no one, believes me...

Recalling spring

Eats first! Particularly vibrant snack plate that highlights my resurgence in grocery shopping and dining at home.

I've been thinking a lot about wealth and consumption lately, having re-read The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn and finished Revolution in World Missions by K. P. Yohannan. Both excellent. What am I supposed to do with my money? Is it really so I can buy more stuff and eat at fancier places? I realize I'm more like the rich, young ruler and my call is more like his than I'd like to think.

Back in April, the tree across the street burst with publicly beheld beauty despite all the signage and fence.

My second (mini) dinner party: Chicken Marsala tacos with Tiffany and Juanita. We watched Planet Earth. I made the guacamole and gave them my secret on easy authentic-looking salsa: put some Tostitos chunky medium in the blender. :) That's nappa cabbage next to the chicken.

So I came to NYC to cover my friend's maternity leave. I'd been back in 2009 as some of you may remember for her first maternity leave. I finally got to meet her new baby last week and here's her big firstborn son!

After I met the boys, we went to Queens for Thai by way of Williamsburg where we saw another colleagues lovely new apartment and Greenpoint where we got some pre-lunch Polish pastries.

After lunch, Tiffany and I went to MoMA and got hot cocoa with marshmellows (see the link to Terrace 5, it's in the slideshow) in tradition and this blueberry tart. There is a blueberry theme to my blog, I think.

View from the Terrace 5. The rain poured down and we enjoyed watching it fall. 

The summer is nice. I'm playing softball with my company team, training for a sprint triathlon in Richlandia in July, watching lots of TV  (SYTYCD, The Voice), and seeing old friends. Hopefully making a few new ones too. We'll see...