During the Valentine’s Week, I completed 飛雪劍 Fei Xue Jian, the lover-partner sword for 殘劍 Can Jian. 殘劍飛雪 生死相守人不離人 劍不離劍 Like its male counterpart, 飛雪 Fei Xue is the name for both the sword and its owner. The 16-word poetic vow above is among the most memorable parts of the movie. It states that in
2023 Year In Review
Another year draws to a close. With memories of the the pandemic lock-down still vivid, we treasure the ability to do stuff with an extra dose of gratitude. Looking back at 2023, quite a bit happened. Here is a list of the most noteworthy events. Run This year I ran my very first race, a
Project Curved Saber – 驚寂 Jing Ji
In Chinese martial arts, the two most beloved types of weapons are the curved saber (刀 dao) and the straight sword (劍 jian). Pitching the two as complementary or in rivalry is a trope deeply ingrained in the fictions of our culture. From a little boy playing with plastic toys that my mom bought from
Golden Gate Half Marathon
When I reached the finish line at the Bay Bridge Half Marathon earlier this year, I was convinced that I was done. I partook in a race. It was of a brag-worthy distance and with an iconic back drop. I did better than I could have hoped for. What would be the point in ever
Ten Years of Cheshire Cat
Happy Halloween! I carved a pumpkin into a Cheshire Cat. The Cheshire Cat is one of my favorite cartoon characters. I love his crazy, random, confident, and fearless personality, and I love his absurdly colorful design. He’s my go-to when I need an avatar or art project idea. As I reflect back, I realized that
Halloween Horror 2023… 710,000 Citi ThankYou Points Stolen
Halloween is conventionally associated with all sorts of scary stuff – spiders, vampires, and horror movies. This year I was hit with something far worse… over $10k worth of financial theft via cyber crime. Warning #1 On Tuesday, October 24, I got a vague text informing me of suspicious activities on my Citi Prestige and
Project Hegemon’s Spear – 霸王槍 Ba Wang Qiang
My third crafty project of the year is Hegemon’s Spear (霸王槍 Ba Wang Qiang), from 馬榮成 Ma Wing-Shing’s manhua adaptation of 古龍 Gu Long’s Seven Weapons novel franchise. Although it’s a wuxia classic, the story is not my favorite. Most of its characters and weapons are just so-so, as well. However, this spear captivated me
Spicy Beef Tendon Challenge – A Food Tournament with Friends
Spicy beef tendon (麻辣牛筋) is a cold dish easily found in restaurants specializing in Sichuan and Sichuan-adjacent cuisines. Hong is obsessed with it, and the rest of us are not far behind. It’s such a crowd-pleaser that the kids would happily eat it despite the spicy seasoning. With such premise, it was a matter of
The Face Mosaic Project
The LEGO store in Sentosa had unique models and cool sculpture on display, not unlike their other flagship locations such as Rockefeller Center or Disneyland. Though it also had a product for sale that we had never seen anywhere else – a customized face mosaic. For $160 SGD it came with: To say that we
SEA 2023 (17/17) – Notable Eats in Singapore
Last post of this trip report! Wow! It had been a seriously fun vacation. Kaya Toast A popular breakfast item in Singapore was kaya toast, a sandwich with kaya (coconut jam) and butter between toasted bread, often served with runny eggs. It tasted sweet and rich. We made a point to sample a variety of