It seems that our blog needs more energy now. Is everybody hibernating?
As some of you know that I had an emergency appendicitis operation at the end of last year. I am recovering and regaining my health now. Thank God, no complication. It was operated before it was ruptured. The good news is I have lost around five pounds after the operation. I want to keep it this way. I don't need the winter fat. It feels good to be light. (Remember I used to a bamboo stick when I was young?)
The semester started last week. My three children are back to college now. My husband is back to teach again. I am busy with my three clubs, Spanish, literature, and bunko club, which keep me quite busy. I also keep myself busy reading and writng. Many people asked me if I suffer from ampty nest. No, not at all. I enjoy my freedom, without having to drive the kids around town. I have time for myself. This is the best thing about mid-life. No crisis at all!!
This is just some jolting down. Hope to share with you.
It is another sub-zero weather. The grass is covered with snow. A few minutes ago, a good friend came to see me with three star fruits, a papaya and two sea bass, that cheered and warmed my heart right away. I was going to make noodle soup for dinner, now I have two fresh fish, wow, what a treat! Suddenly, I remember the star fruits are excellent for cough and bronchitis. I will try them soon.
It seems that I am the only one who clings to this blog. It is a monologue.
I enjoy writing. So, please bear with me if I am writing some random thoughts.
As you remember, Padre acevedo was a motorcycle rider. I had many rides with him in Kaoshiung.
The first time I introduced him to SL as an Electrical Engineering student. He asked him right away as he had foung a savior: Could you fix my motorcyle? It's broken. SL did not know how to answer. After a few seconds of silence, he told him, Padre, I am an electrical engineer, I know how to fix light bulb, but not motorcycle. --tt
It is Saturday again and my favorite afternoon is spent at home listening to the Metropolitan opera on radio.
I love opera even I don't always understand what is going on in many of them. I just enjoy listening to the music, the sopranos, the tenors...etc. They have opera quiz too. It is real my opera class lesson. At this moment, I am listeing to Madame Butterfly, by Puccini. I have listened to this opera several times. I can recognize Puccini's style.
I remember last year, at a dinner table, I met an Italian professor and another American professor, who are big opera fans. I asked them which one is their favorite opera. The Italian said, Cosi Fan tutte(women are all like that). The American professor answered, Madame butterfly. For me, Don Giovanni, La Traviota, and The Magic Flute are three of my favorites.
If you live in the States, maybe your local radio station also broadcasts from Metropolitan. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. ---tt
Didn't know you have experienced an operation, and getting better already. You said, you have coughed for over 2 weeks, that worried me. Did you go to see a doctor? If the medecine over the counter won't work for over 2 weeks you should go to see a doctor. Take care. Lih-Jane
Finally, I am much better now. I have tried everything, such as pears, star fruits, mandarin peels, white Daikon, vaporrub, vaporizer...etc. I don't know which one cured my cough. I believe vaporizer helped a lot. The heater is on all the time, and the dry air made the cough worse. I used vaporizer for three days and nights and it did help stop the cough.
My wound is healing well too. I have been sleeping my entire month away.(exactly one month, I went to the emergency room on Dec. 28). I was told that appendicitis happened mostly to young high school kids. I wonder why I had it. Maybe during Christmas time, I had too many parties. Well, I am leaning to slow down.
This is the first time I checked this blog in 2007. Just to keep up with TT's writing, here is my 2007 update. Two weeks ago, we experienced the worst ice storm ever in our area. The area lost power, trees and other damages. It was chilling (no pun intended) to hear the cracking sound from the ice-filled tree branches at night, not knwoing when they will collapse and which direction they will fall. We lost the power for a week, without electricity or heat. The temperature went down to single digit and even my house plants began to wither. We carried our sleeping bags and a suitcase and began our nomadic journey, finding warm beds to sleep at night. Luckily, there were many offers from friends and neighbors. Though they also lost power, some did have traditional fire place or gas stove. We had communal meals everyday with friends and neighbors and the generosity and friendship made the black-out week a beautiful and memorable one. We were lucky to get our power back in a week! (some took two weeks). Now, I am developing a nasty cought. Is it possible from you, Lolita??
Our storm experience, however, was so dimunitive and temporal comparing with other people who suffer more tragic disasters -- people in Iraq, Sudan, Lebanon, and even Louisiana and Misissippi during Katrina. We spent our first week of January in New Orleans, gutting houses, helping the locals to reclaim their properties. The damages were still obviously visible even after 16 months of the flood! Our one-week storm ordeal had become very petty.
I am constantlly grateful and mindful of my fortune. After turning 52 yesterday, I have to say I feel like 38; or 36 depending on the day. (I walk to work every day and yes, Lolita, I do not mind the cold weather. It's snowing outside and I can't wait to go out and walk in it.)
Salute to you all my friends-- to good health, friendship and relatively clear and contemplative mind.
Hue-ping's account of the ice storm reminded me of the ice storm we had in Champaign 18 years ago. We did not lose power but many friends did. We hosted a family for a few days. Even the ice storm was terrible, the scenary was just so beautiful. All the trees and bushes became ice sculptures. Our neighbor came to take a picture of our white birch tree that was bent to the ground. We thought we were losing the birch tree, but miraculously it came back to life.
Be careful with the nasty cough, which can be dangerous. My younger son has suffered two branchitis since December. Remember to bundle up around the neck and chest when you walk on the snow in the chilly wheather. It is no fun to cough all the time. I wish I had the energy to walk in this bone-chilled day. It is around 20F, (Below zero -C).
Thanks for keeping us updates about Katrina. We have to count our blessings.
Calatina, thanks for your get-well wish. I am 80% recovered now. The pictures are nice.
It's again Saturday afternoon, time to listen to opera from New York Metropolitan Opera House. Today's opera is Puccini's Le Boheme. Many people said this is the most beautiful opera of Puccini. Some people said, this is the most popular opera in the world. It has been performed at the Metropolitan Opera House many times, over and over again. Each time is full house. I wish I could be there.
If you have never listened to opera, please give it a try. You will fall in love with it, sooner or later. I have learned some Italian after so many years.
Well, listening from the radio at home isn't that bad, especially the temperature is around -20c. It is impossible to stay outdoor for more than a few minutes. Well, if you just look at the sunny sky, you would not know it is that cold until you go out. Last year, I walked with my friend in this kind of weather for an hour or so, by the time, we reached our friends house, our face was all frozen. Gradually, I could fell my face was like a piece of frozen meat that started to thaw. It became all wrinkled after a while. Have you seen the movie, The Lost Horizon. It was like that. Ah, now, I dare not to take my morning walk if it is freezing outside.
It's Friday night. The night that I usually listen to Jazz on national public radio. Besides of opera and classic music, I love jazz. The first time I heard the word "Jazz" was in my fourth year at Wen Tzao. In the summer I was one of the interpreters for the Kaoshiung city goverment. We had to tour around Taiwan with the mayor of Barranquilla and other high officials from Colombia. We were in Sun-Moon lake hotel and one evening after dinner, we were chatting and suddenly this representive for Olimpic went to piano and started playing piano. Someone said, that was Jazz. Then, I realized it was jazz that I was listening. I did not listen too much when I was in college, but after coming to US. I have more chance to expost to Latin music and jazz. Do you like Latin music and jazz, my dear friends?
I am glad that you are finally feeling better. Coughing is such a nagging problem. It's tough to fight.
As for Bunko, if you cannot find it in the dictionary, just google the word "Bunko", you will find the explanation, the rules, how to play..etc. Our Bunko club is funded by the wife of our departemtn head, who started it as a social club. Most of the time, we have eight women and we play the game for one hour and we have lunch at the host house. Each of us takes turn to host the party. Usually it starts at llam and most of time we stay until two or three, talking about all sorts of things. I only joined the club two years ago, and it has been my window to the American family life. We sort of talking about anything, kind of supporting group. We have members whose granddaughter died of brain cancer; member's daughter working in Iraq for NBC, we showed our concerns...etc. For me the most fun is the jokes. Our group members have sense of humor.I heard so many wonderful stories. We met only once a month. As my Spanish club, we meet twice a month. And my English literature club, once a week. The rest of time, I read and tranlate poetry. Recently I try to translate a poem a day. Sometimes from Spanish into Chinese; other times, from English into Chinese.
Nowadays, many of us are talking about mid-life. As I said before, I enjoy the time for myself. Three weeks ago, we had a major snowstorm, a blizzar. In the past,when the kids were home, whenever there was a snowstorm, I would rush to the grocery store to get a week supply of food. This time, I rushed to two libraries and bookstores, to get all kinds of books, just in case I got snowbound, I would have all the books handy.
You see this is how our state of mind changes. Our need is different when we get to certain stage of life.
Best wishes, Lolita
PS: By the way, sometimes, I write in such a hurry that I missspell words and my gramatica is not always right. Please bear with me.
17 Comments:
My dear classmates:
It seems that our blog needs more energy now. Is everybody hibernating?
As some of you know that I had an emergency appendicitis operation at the end of last year. I am recovering and regaining my health now. Thank God, no complication. It was operated before it was ruptured. The good news is I have lost around five pounds after the operation. I want to keep it this way. I don't need the winter fat. It feels good to be light. (Remember I used to a bamboo stick when I was young?)
The semester started last week. My three children are back to college now. My husband is back to teach again.
I am busy with my three clubs, Spanish, literature, and bunko club, which keep me quite busy. I also keep myself busy reading and writng. Many people asked me if I suffer from ampty nest. No, not at all. I enjoy my freedom, without having to drive the kids around town. I have time for myself. This is the best thing about mid-life. No crisis at all!!
This is just some jolting down. Hope to share with you.
Lolita, l/20/2007
5:11 PM
My dear folks:
Anybody has the good folk remedy for cough besides of pears with rock sugar?
I have been coughing for over two weeks and it bothers me a lot.
I took some over-the-counter medicine and it did not work too well.
--lolita
1:16 PM
It is another sub-zero weather. The grass is covered with snow. A few minutes ago, a good friend came to see me with three star fruits, a papaya and two sea bass, that cheered and warmed my heart right away. I was going to make noodle soup for dinner, now I have two fresh fish, wow, what a treat! Suddenly, I remember the star fruits are excellent for cough and bronchitis. I will try them soon.
It seems that I am the only one who clings to this blog. It is a monologue.
I enjoy writing. So, please bear with me if I am writing some random thoughts.
--tt
4:25 PM
Something about Padre Acevedo:
As you remember, Padre acevedo was a motorcycle rider. I had many rides with him in Kaoshiung.
The first time I introduced him to SL as an Electrical Engineering student. He asked him right away as he had foung a savior: Could you fix my motorcyle? It's broken. SL did not know how to answer. After a few seconds of silence, he told him, Padre, I am an electrical engineer, I know how to fix light bulb, but not motorcycle. --tt
7:25 AM
It is Saturday again and my favorite afternoon is spent at home listening to the Metropolitan opera on radio.
I love opera even I don't always understand what is going on in many of them. I just enjoy listening to the music, the sopranos, the tenors...etc. They have opera quiz too. It is real my opera class lesson.
At this moment, I am listeing to Madame Butterfly, by Puccini. I have listened to this opera several times. I can recognize Puccini's style.
I remember last year, at a dinner table, I met an Italian professor and another American professor, who are big opera fans. I asked them which one is their favorite opera. The Italian said, Cosi Fan tutte(women are all like that). The American professor answered, Madame butterfly. For me, Don Giovanni, La Traviota, and The Magic Flute are three of my favorites.
If you live in the States, maybe your local radio station also broadcasts from Metropolitan. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
---tt
12:15 PM
Lolita,
Didn't know you have experienced an operation, and getting better already. You said, you have coughed for over 2 weeks, that worried me. Did you go to see a doctor? If the medecine over the counter won't work for over 2 weeks you should go to see a doctor.
Take care.
Lih-Jane
6:15 PM
Dear Lih-jane:
Thanks for your concern.
Finally, I am much better now. I have tried everything, such as pears, star fruits, mandarin peels, white Daikon, vaporrub, vaporizer...etc. I don't know which one cured my cough. I believe vaporizer helped a lot. The heater is on all the time, and the dry air made the cough worse. I used vaporizer for three days and nights and it did help stop the cough.
My wound is healing well too. I have been sleeping my entire month away.(exactly one month, I went to the emergency room on Dec. 28). I was told that appendicitis happened mostly to young high school kids. I wonder why I had it. Maybe during Christmas time, I had too many parties. Well, I am leaning to slow down.
Wish you have a great Chinese Year.
Lolita
8:37 PM
This is the first time I checked this blog in 2007. Just to keep up with TT's writing, here is my 2007 update.
Two weeks ago, we experienced the worst ice storm ever in our area. The area lost power, trees and other damages. It was chilling (no pun intended) to hear the cracking sound from the ice-filled tree branches at night, not knwoing when they will collapse and which direction they will fall. We lost the power for a week, without electricity or heat. The temperature went down to single digit and even my house plants began to wither. We carried our sleeping bags and a suitcase and began our nomadic journey, finding warm beds to sleep at night. Luckily, there were many offers from friends and neighbors. Though they also lost power, some did have traditional fire place or gas stove. We had communal meals everyday with friends and neighbors and the generosity and friendship made the black-out week a beautiful and memorable one.
We were lucky to get our power back in a week! (some took two weeks).
Now, I am developing a nasty cought. Is it possible from you, Lolita??
Our storm experience, however, was so dimunitive and temporal comparing with other people who suffer more tragic disasters -- people in Iraq, Sudan, Lebanon, and even Louisiana and Misissippi during Katrina. We spent our first week of January in New Orleans, gutting houses, helping the locals to reclaim their properties. The damages were still obviously visible even after 16 months of the flood! Our one-week storm ordeal had become very petty.
I am constantlly grateful and mindful of my fortune. After turning 52 yesterday, I have to say I feel like 38; or 36 depending on the day.
(I walk to work every day and yes, Lolita, I do not mind the cold weather. It's snowing outside and I can't wait to go out and walk in it.)
Salute to you all my friends-- to good health, friendship and relatively clear and contemplative mind.
Have a wonderful recovery!
Hue-ping
3:32 PM
看了以上文章覺得直發冷
趕快把最近旗山一日遊照片貼上
希望南台灣冬天的陽光能帶給妳們一點溫暖
Lolita: 祝身體早日康復!
Hue-ping:
妳鐡打的身體在寒冬中更顯現出耐力
有夠利害哦!
佩玲
7:34 PM
Hue-ping's account of the ice storm reminded me of the ice storm we had in Champaign 18 years ago. We did not lose power but many friends did. We hosted a family for a few days. Even the ice storm was terrible, the scenary was just so beautiful. All the trees and bushes became ice sculptures. Our neighbor came to take a picture of our white birch tree that was bent to the ground. We thought we were losing the birch tree, but miraculously it came back to life.
Be careful with the nasty cough, which can be dangerous. My younger son has suffered two branchitis since December. Remember to bundle up around the neck and chest when you walk on the snow in the chilly wheather. It is no fun to cough all the time. I wish I had the energy to walk in this bone-chilled day. It is around 20F, (Below zero -C).
Thanks for keeping us updates about Katrina. We have to count our blessings.
Calatina, thanks for your get-well wish. I am 80% recovered now.
The pictures are nice.
--lolita
9:37 AM
It's again Saturday afternoon, time to listen to opera from New York Metropolitan Opera House. Today's opera is Puccini's Le Boheme. Many people said this is the most beautiful opera of Puccini. Some people said, this is the most popular opera in the world. It has been performed at the Metropolitan Opera House many times, over and over again. Each time is full house. I wish I could be there.
If you have never listened to opera, please give it a try. You will fall in love with it, sooner or later.
I have learned some Italian after so many years.
Well, listening from the radio at home isn't that bad, especially the temperature is around -20c. It is impossible to stay outdoor for more than a few minutes. Well, if you just look at the sunny sky, you would not know it is that cold until you go out. Last year, I walked with my friend in this kind of weather for an hour or so, by the time, we reached our friends house, our face was all frozen. Gradually, I could fell my face was like a piece of frozen meat that started to thaw. It became all wrinkled after a while. Have you seen the movie, The Lost Horizon. It was like that. Ah, now, I dare not to take my morning walk if it is freezing outside.
--tt
10:56 AM
It's Friday night. The night that I usually listen to Jazz on national public radio. Besides of opera and classic music, I love jazz. The first time I heard the word "Jazz" was in my fourth year at Wen Tzao. In the summer I was one of the interpreters for the Kaoshiung city goverment. We had to tour around Taiwan with the mayor of Barranquilla and other high officials from Colombia. We were in Sun-Moon lake hotel and one evening after dinner, we were chatting and suddenly this representive for Olimpic went to piano and started playing piano. Someone said, that was Jazz. Then, I realized it was jazz that I was listening. I did not listen too much when I was in college, but after coming to US. I have more chance to expost to Latin music and jazz. Do you like Latin music and jazz, my dear friends?
Well, got to go now. Dinner time.--tt
5:56 PM
Hi, guys, I'm back.
各位請小心,這次的流行感冒似乎都攻到呼吸道,我也感冒了快一個月了,在過年前聲帶腫大沒有聲音,晚上睡覺喉嚨像火燒,最後是咳嗽,我試過了白蘿葡蓋麥牙糖也沒用,最後給中醫看,已快好了.我們公司的診療所有很多同樣症狀的,另有一學妹是病毒直攻聲帶,結果一邊的聲帶受損,聲音一直沙啞,還得看聲帶美容科,請各位多保重.請在美國的同學多寫英文,給我們在台的保持在英文環境中,所以阿杜你的文章我看不厭,謝謝了.
滿惠3/5, 2007
9:11 PM
Lolita:
Could you explain the meaning of bunko club? I try to find the meaning in the dictionary, but I couldn't find it. Thanks.
Mahnhuey 3/5, 2007
9:58 PM
Dear Rita:
I am glad that you are finally feeling better. Coughing is such a nagging problem. It's tough to fight.
As for Bunko, if you cannot find it in the dictionary, just google the word "Bunko", you will find the explanation, the rules, how to play..etc. Our Bunko club is funded by the wife of our departemtn head, who started it as a social club. Most of the time, we have eight women and we play the game for one hour and we have lunch at the host house. Each of us takes turn to host the party. Usually it starts at llam and most of time we stay until two or three, talking about all sorts of things. I only joined the club two years ago, and it has been my window to the American family life. We sort of talking about anything, kind of supporting group. We have members whose granddaughter died of brain cancer; member's daughter working in Iraq for NBC, we showed our concerns...etc.
For me the most fun is the jokes. Our group members have sense of humor.I heard so many wonderful stories. We met only once a month. As my Spanish club, we meet twice a month. And my English literature club, once a week. The rest of time, I read and tranlate poetry. Recently I try to translate a poem a day. Sometimes from Spanish into Chinese; other times, from English into Chinese.
Nowadays, many of us are talking about mid-life. As I said before, I enjoy the time for myself. Three weeks ago, we had a major snowstorm, a blizzar. In the past,when the kids were home, whenever there was a snowstorm, I would rush to the grocery store to get a week supply of food. This time, I rushed to two libraries and bookstores, to get all kinds of books, just in case I got snowbound, I would have all the books handy.
You see this is how our state of mind changes. Our need is different when we get to certain stage of life.
Best wishes,
Lolita
PS: By the way, sometimes, I write in such a hurry that I missspell words and my gramatica is not always right. Please bear with me.
8:56 AM
Lolita, thank you for your explanation and happy women's day to all of you.
Mahnhuey 3/8, 2007
5:17 PM
Ha, Ha,
It's already San Pa Fu Ni Jie in Taiwan!!
I guess it's no longer a holiday. Am I right?
Lolita
6:20 PM
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