This week’s written snapshots.
Eight years of not-believing in Santa was enough!
You adults have no imagination. Maybe he exists after all!
She threatened to write a letter to Santa.
It’s for his eyes only!
I couldn’t read it.
But then she’s eight.
Didn’t get around to it.
Or so I thought.
The morning after Christmas,
I found a folded piece of paper under computer,
She wrote it after all!
We guessed right.
She got everything but the candy canes.
Mama maybe forgot those on purpose.
䷎
mountains
underground
hidden potential
prevails
26 December 2022
27 May 2023
~
Hegel is boring.
I tried to explain the Hegelian Dialectic.
First we start with a Thesis
I held up my left hand.
Then comes an Antithesis
I held up my right hand.
I clapped!
It becomes a synthesis.
Then!
You know what happens?
I held up my left hand.
The Synthesis becomes a new Thesis!
After three cycles of gesticulating, she looked at me.
That’s boring!
Oh yeah. What was the question again?
䷎䷇
ocean sublimity
constantancy
steadfast
unity
20 December 2022
27 May 2023
~
One plus one plus one for a visage on a round glass canvas.
He held up a cashew
这个叫作什么?
(What do you call this?)
It’s called a cashew.
中文呢?
(In chinese?)
Mama thought for a moment.
这是所腰果
(This is called yāoguǒ)
妈妈我想要腰果!
(Mama, I want a cashew!)
She gave him one
He wanted another
He took the three cashews and placed them on his empty plate.
A little smile with squinty eyes.
䷆
subterranean springs
support multitudes
salutary or sinister?
18 December 2022
27 May 2023
~
Dragons dare not dawdle during devilish dances — drunken dervishes desire dramatic delicacies.
The kids caped up and whirled to programmed songs on the keyboard. After she was dragged off to study Chinese, he ran around the house as a ghost. The beanie-veil combo is a fresh innovation in our house.
27 May 2023
~
OPM.42 Fence Sitting
Make a decision!
The Owner needs to decide.
Already?
Right now?
Yesterday? (oops!)
But if decision isn’t ripe yet,
The OPM should live with the discomfort of uncertainty.
Straddle the fence.
There’s at least three parties on a project:
Users
Contractor
Architect.
Three of agendas to juggle.
Yeah we’re a big happy team.
But each of us are beholden to the demands of our organizations.
Who signs whose paychecks?
The OPM’s job is to sort through the conflicts and develop a synthesis.
Part of this game is to play the game.
To develop a good conclusion.
It might take a some fence sitting to sort it out.
Ponder each team’s agenda.
Understand why they conflict.
Inhabit their perspective.
Time’s up.
Then get off the fence.
Make a decision. Communicate clearly.
Delay further and it’s opportunity cost.
Time’s a wastin’.
~
Some Links
I’ve been following Jeffery Saddoris ever since coming across his long running podcast with Bill Wadman.
On Taking Pictures went on hiatus for a few years, but they recently returned to bless us on a sporadic basis, whenever the guys feel like turning on their microphones together.
In the meantime, Jeffery hosts several podcasts and writes an introspective newsletter. Iterations consistently make me ponder my own life, choices, and art.
~
~
Thanks for reading!
Justus Pang, RA
26 May 2023
~
He snickered as his sister berated him for ruining today’s game.
Arriving home, I was greeted by Wordle.
The kids snuck off with the iPad.
Giggling in the playroom,
They connected to the living room TV.
Stop playing with the iPad!
I have to take my shower first.
Coming out to play,
He already took four guesses.
AUDIO
AUDIO
AUDIO
AUDIO
□□□□□
□□□□□
䷚䷧
carry a burden
ride a carriage
invite mischief
25 May 2023
~
Royal Prep Academy (Sofia the First, 2013) and Dr. Seuss Thing Two and Thing One Whirly Fun (Dr. Seuss, 1016), Wonder Forge
Both of these games are stuck in the mediocre middle. They have decent components and a reasonable starting concepts, but they don’t create compelling experiences.
The kids enjoyed them for a moment, but they’re just OK. With tweaks, I suspect we could unearth a decent game within the pieces.
These perfectly middlin’ products make me ponder my own career. It feels unfair to demand excellence from my purchases but not from myself.
I’m good at what I do. I put in the best effort I got while I’m at the office, but I’m not willing to sacrifice the time to get to the “next level”.
Should I be chasing something beyond the horizon? Am I maximizing my potential? Am I making the most of this time?
Maybe, the questions shouldn’t be applied to work. I’m in a good spot at work, do I really have to press for more? If I was single and unattached, maybe the pursuit of career greatness would be warranted. It could be a great way to serve the world and enrich myself. Heck, it might be worth a big roll of the dice.
Is there an epic quest waiting for me?
Sounds enticing, but I’m not skipping out on my kids to find out.
24 May 2023
~
She insisted on showing us how she induced that green pillowcase to don a pair of dark grey socks with black stripes.
She sat on the kitchen tile,
pulled the pillowcase over her legs
put the socks on her feet,
slid out and hopped up,
proudly displaying
a topsy-turvy skirt wearing socks.
A few minutes later,
I wandered into the living room.
Two kids wriggling inside
the stretched out skirt.
she looked up, grinning,
“a chrysalis!”
I grabbed my phone,
but the older butterfly was
already chasing her brother.
Twirling a chrysalis
over her head,
a lasso.
䷤䷩
auspicious woman
children dally
great crossing
elephant laughter
23 May 2023
~
They embarked upon two suburban safaris to exotic places of prosaic commerce.
We left the world as it shut down.
Three years later, we decided to visit the library.
For a Japanese koto concert
(we lasted one song)
Shopped at the friend’s bookstore,
Browsed the stacks,
While we were out, we went shopping.
(our first time with the kids)
- Marshalls
- Ranch 99
- 168
- Sprouts
He rode the shopping cart seat,
She scrunched in the basket.
She got out and pushed him,
(he got out and tried to pushed her)
Bought my first new pair of shoes in five years.
Picked up staples, veggies and meat.
He called out the name of everything he saw.
(delighted by the mundane cornucopia of produce)
We saw live fish,
looking miserable.
And crab, clams, and lobsters,
(presumably miserable too)
Crackers,
Lots of crackers.
And aisles of snacks and candy.
(mama said no!)
I ran into an classmate from my old kung fu school.
He recognized me, even with a mask.
We hugged.
(school still going strong)
Left for home at 7 pm.
Mama made Mac & Cheese at 9 pm.
Kids fell asleep at 11 pm.
(made it to 12am to close year 43.)
(what will 44 bring?)
Woke up to wrap presents
Made pancakes with the kids
They unwrapped my gifts
We started a puzzle
I took a nap
Made birthday noodles
Cleaned the kitchen
We went to Ikea.
It’s been forty months,
Since I rushed through for
Utensils and Swedish meatballs.
(exiled from family before the world shut down)
The four of us
leisurely meandered
through both floors
(he loved the escalator)
They sat on every couch
Before we picked up the pace
To the toys.
(mama let us buy a small stuffie)
Downstairs
He rode a shopping cart,
Twice in two days!
(after so many years)
We picked through the goods,
Checked out,
Entered the dark.
(two hours after we arrived)
He exclaimed
Wow that was fast!
Yes it was.
(all of it)
䷎䷦
modest expedition
through neighbors
no disadvantage
22 May 2023
~
Thanks for reading!
Justus