A note of remembrance: the last section of the memoir ends with me sitting in the boarding area eerily by myself. I have never returned to Kennewick, Washington after we buried my Aunt. I believe it's because the memories there are meant to be encapsulated within that time, and visiting would create a disruption. … Continue reading In the end.. (excerpt from “A Reason For Being”)
Ask every immigrant what ‘port of entry’ meant and they will have a story to tell. These stories could be an anthology of the adventures that happened when they left their home country for their new one in America. A feeling of leaving everything behind and coming face to face with being reborn. The chance to create a new life.
Fe I was once told of a story about my grandmother, Fe. She was spending the night at their field house. The field house was where her husband had the grove workers (all men) sleep overnight to keep an eye out for any intruders that may step into their land. Her husband Kiko fired the … Continue reading Fe (excerpt from A Reason For Being)
A note: I will be defending my thesis for my MFA this week. The thesis is a memoir titled "A Reason For Being" and it is about the four days that I spent in Kennewick, Washington to attend the funeral of one of my aunts who passed away from cancer. I was tasked to give … Continue reading Vicky (an excerpt from “A Reason For Being”)
This past Monday, after I struggled and cursed in my mind for torturing myself at the gym, I walked out to the beautiful skies. I took a moment for stillness. When I took out my phone to capture this fleeting beauty in the skies, behind me I heard, "whaaatt, look at this!" I turned … Continue reading The Awakening
On a weekend getaway to Anchorage, I came across this beauty after breakfast. I asked myself "how come I have never seen anything like this before?" and "Why don't we have many more of these at street corners?" You know when you are stunned by such brilliance that you start to make up all these … Continue reading To Be Inspired…
He drove to the hotel garage, and avoided parking on the street. The San Francisco streets are often difficult to trust when it came to parking. For the most part, a driver will realize soon after he returns to his parked car that a biker or another car nicked some part of his vehicle. … Continue reading Encounter
Let me frame this situation and story for you.. Last fall semester, I was asked if I can teach an English 111x course. This course is designed for first year college students, and/or those students who decided to put off the English course requirement for their degree until they could no longer do so. The … Continue reading A Situation and A Story…
As I prepare for my MFA thesis defense next month, I realize that I am exhausted from all the edits. I wrote a "Reason For Being" as an homage to the experience of loss, but also the experience of an awakening. The loss of a loved one or loved ones, the loss of cultural identity, the loss of autonomy.
Let me tell you the story behind this beautiful and serene shot. It was taken after a snow storm on December 31, 2016. My eldest son was home for the holidays for the first time since 2010. He had not been able to get home for the holidays because of his days in college, and … Continue reading Snow storm and The Golden Hour
The Echo Muse 