Category: Uncategorized

The first thing I noticed as I reclined in the dental chair was the new artwork on the wall—red and black strokes depicting a rock band in performance. As I stared at it, a thought struck me: Dr. Bastani had been my dentist since my first job after college. The thought brought a slight sense…

As I get older, I’ve come to realize that it’s increasingly rare to reach a state where you worry about nothing. Work, family, other aspects of life… something is bound to be challenging. The list of concerns grow over time. There are things you can control, but there’s also only so much you can do.…

My dad dropped me off at an outdoor basketball court on a muggy, windless summer evening. It was unclear whether he would park his motorbike or turn around and head home. Part of me wanted him to stay and watch the game. I was thirteen then, and it was my debut in the summer league,…

While sorting through a pile of mail, I see a bill I should have paid online two weeks ago. Instinctively, I open the drawer and reach for my wallet. It isn’t there. I am not concerned. The wallet must be elsewhere in the house—probably in the jacket I wore to dinner the night before. I…

I was in Macau for a few days after India. This was my first visit home post-covid. Some readers seemed to have enjoyed ​last week’s letter​, so I thought I would write another travel post. After I landed in Hong Kong in the morning, I took a bus and crossed the new 55-km ​Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau…

I am on a work trip in Bangalore this week. This is my first time in India, so I thought I would share some photos! Overall, it’s been an eye-opening experience filled with sensory stimulation. People have been warm and hospitable. The first thing that surprises me is how visually stunning the airport is. The…

1. In 1930, economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that, within the next 100 years, technology would advance economic productivity so much that people would barely have to work anymore. Instead, they would face another problem: how to use their freedom to occupy their leisure. He suggested, “Three-hour shifts or a fifteen-hour week may put off…

1. This week, I had a hard time leaving bed in the morning. I’ve stayed up later than usual to watch TV. When the morning came around, it was challenging to resist staying wrapped by the thick, soft fleece blanket like a burrito. “Am I ready to touch the cold floor with my feet? Is…

“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is essentially your own,” the San Francisco-born, Cantonese-speaking martial art icon Bruce Lee once famously said. In many ways, “Little Dragon” Lee—his screen name more commonly known in the Chinese-speaking world—had defied expectations by following his advice. After discovering a love for martial arts at a…

Earlier this week, I chatted with a friend on the phone for an hour. We’ve known each other since fifth grade but didn’t become close until high school. Many of our formative, adolescent days were spent on light-hearted antics—playing video games under the desk in class, pulling pranks on the unsuspecting physics teacher, and shaking…

After dinner last week, a few friends and I walked around Lake Merritt in Oakland to find a place to hang out. Within a block was an unassuming establishment with no signs on the outside. We descended a few steps and realized it was a bar filled with books on floor-to-ceiling shelves. The chronologically arranged…

Inuksuk The Inuit people in the Arctic region of North America have a tradition of piling stones to form a landmark called an ​​Inuksuk​​. These markers indicate significant travel routes, fishing places, and camps. Today, the territory of Nunavut in northern Canada still uses an image of Inuksuk as the centerpiece of its ​​flag​​. In…

Last week, Y and I had planned on swimming, but she felt exhausted with a sore throat. The at-home COVID antigen test showed a pale line—so faint that I wondered if I had just imagined it. The repeat test was similar, so Y went to the clinic for a lab test. The result came back…

This week, I collaborated with two graphic designers on a presentation. The junior designer—let’s call her Kate—was my primary partner on the project. She was excellent at creating beautiful Google Slides to illustrate complex ideas in a simple way. Sometimes, Kate would ask the senior designer—let’s call her Olivia—for suggestions. One interaction between them struck…

Long before he became a storyteller and a novelist, Matthew Dicks worked in McDonald’s to make ends meet after he left home for college. ​​Seven McDonald’s over 13 years​​, to be precise. “The days felt endless,” Dicks said. “It was the same routine over and over again. Taking orders, flipping burgers, and handing out fries.…