To Autumn: the colors, the leaves and Seoraksan

There is something refreshing about the changing of seasons, and in particular, I love Autumn. This Jim Davis Garfield cartoon … More

Regrets of a Pet, I mean, PLANT Mom

Being a Pet Mom comes with a lot of responsibilities and a lot of feelings. Think about the time when … More

An afternoon in Dadaocheng: tea, traditional pastry, and a taste of Old Taipei

To travel, or not to travel, that is the question. In face of the pandemic, my answer to that question … More

4 Things You Didn’t Know About Cactus Care, Including Sunburnt Cacti

Over the past decade, succulents have captured the spotlight as the unlikely prima donna of modern gardening. Their various varieties … More

An ode to onion, or more precisely, professing my love for the flavorful, versatile, and no-fuss vegetable

I was cooking up a storm this weekend: vegetable stock, cream of mushroom soup, and Japanese Yakiniku-style ginger pork. Each … More

When it comes to fruit trees, it also takes two to tango

I grow things with the intention to eat them. While I mask this under the facade that I love gardening … More

The brain fills in the gaps—exquisite “The Artist” sound moments going from silent to talkie

When I was reading last week’s rebus post, I noticed something different about my reading experience. I found my brain … More

The occurrence of nonoccurrences, once upon “The Coast Starlight”

For me, summer has always been synonymous with vacation and travel. Not this year. As I remind myself to stick … More

A Contemplation on “Time” in these Unprecedented Times

“What is time? How do we use it, spend it?” Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei mused in The Atlantic on … More

What’s Really Scary—the Male-Narrated Epilogue of ‘The Testaments,’ a déjà vu moment of the original Handmaid

Reading Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments takes me back to my high school AP Literature days when I first encountered her 1985 novel The … More