• Celebrations

      Today I had the opportunity to have quick check-ins with teachers at one of the schools I work at. Each conversation started with celebrations or wins for the year. What a JOY it was to hear about kids’ growth in writing skills, as well as their confidence! It was so…

    • 4-4-4

      Thanks Elisabeth for the inspiration! The Hello Kitty paper coffee cup that sits atop my desk has two creases that irk me to no end. But when I’m extra annoyed I remind myself that this cup traveled all the way from Taipei–no easy feat for a piece of cardboard. Standing…

    • Did I say too much?

      Thank you to Tammy for leading me to this story, Tiny Oily Halos which inspired me to not skip writing today. I am an oversharer. Not the gruesome-details-of-a-medical-procedure type, more of a let-me-tell-you-my-life-story type. Actually, if you’ve read some of my previous blog posts, this might seem pretty obvious: my…

    • Erosion

      I took these photos on Carmel Beach a couple of weekends ago. What is amazing is that those little caves and crevices in the rock are usually hidden by sand. Storms erode the sand and eventually it will be brought back. I have been walking this beach with my husband…

    • Earthquake

      As a native Californian, earthquakes have always been a normal part of life–literally. Growing up, I was reminded many times by my mom, that the Sylmar earthquake, a big one, happened just a month after I was born. Have you ever seen the old movie L.A. Story? The scene below…

    • What my electric bill can teach us about school awards

      What my electric bill can teach us about school awards

      Every month the electric company sends me a home energy report along with my bill. This report gives a rating of how efficient your electricity usage was and how you’re doing compared to your neighbors. Every month I look at it with irritation, and wonder, “Who are these efficient neighbors…

    • (Not so helpful) help desk

      “Vivian, why are all my calls going straight to messages?” It was my father-in-law on the phone. He had missed his taxi ride because it came from an unknown number. And I knew it was my fault. I think most people have some version of a love/hate relationship with technology.…

    • My octopus teacher

      I’m not a very strong swimmer, so being out in the ocean is always a little scary for me. When we go snorkeling, I tend to stay pretty close to shore and my breathing isn’t as relaxed as it should be. But I brave it–partly because I’m usually with my…

    • Spam

      I was getting ready to write a post about SPAM, the canned meat, and I wanted to write a clever sentence bemoaning the fact that this delicious food has the same name as the hated junk email that clutters our inboxes when I learned this: Spam is literally named after…

    • Arenaphobia

      According to my husband, arenaphobia is the fear of sand. I’ve heard him use it many times over the years and never questioned it. Something in me decided to question it this week. He said it came from the Spanish word for sand, arena, plus phobia. I was dubious so…

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