Happy New Year!

2012 is ending in 90 minutes.

Happy New Year!
Afrikaans - Gelukkige nuwe jaar
Arabic - Antum salimoun
Chinese - Xin Nian Kuai Le
Dutch - Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
French - Bonne Annee
German - Prost Neu Jahr
Greek - Kenourios Chronos  
Hebrew - L'Shannah Tovah
Indonesian - Selamat tahun baru
Iraqi - Sanah Jadidah
Italian - Buon Capodanno  
Melanesian Pidgin:  Hepi Niu Yia
Norwegian - Godt Nyttar
Polish - Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo
Russian - S Novim Godom
Spanish - Feliz Ano Nuevo
Swedish: Gott Nytt år
(Translations courtesy of J. McRee Elrod to AUTOCAT)

Determined to Have a Fabulous Christmas

We had a rough start this Christmas. Since midnight, Mom had been so uncooperative at her care facility, that my sister had to be called in early Christmas morning to talk her out. My sister-in-law had a severe car accident last night, probably due to her distraction over my brother's imminent appointment of VP at a giant PC company in PRC, starting January 2, 2013.

But the depressive atmosphere did not enclose us for too long. We were all determined to have a fabulous Christmas with our kids and Lew.  Our hot sweet potato soup, mashed potatoes, and Lew's deliciously glazed ham finally brought out our high spirits. With bubbling sparkling cider, we chatted late into the night, even though the rain prevented us from taking our Christmas walk. My sister's late call was icing on the cake: Mom had a great night out with her family after all!

SCPL 2012 Noteworthy Fiction and Non-Fiction

Santa Cruz Public Libraries just announced two online reading lists: Notable 2012 Fiction and Notable 2012 Non-fiction. Compiled by two Reference Team members, the lists also reflect the groundwork done by all the staff of Collection Management Services, from selections to acquisitions, from receiving to cataloging, and from processing to distributions to all users. It is gratifying to see what they do making a difference to their community. The following is a list of noteworthy fiction popular and about to be popular in Santa Cruz.

 

Bring Up the Bodies
by Mantel, Hilary

Canada
by Ford, Richard

Dear Life
by Munro, Alice

Flight Behavior
by Kingsolver, Barbara

This is How You Lose Her
by Diaz, Junot

The Invisible Ones
by Penney, Stef

NW
by Smith, Zadie

The Round House
by Erdrich, Louise

Some Kind of Fairy Tale
by Joyce, Graham

The Song of Achilles
by Miller, Madeline

Telegraph Avenue
by Chabon, Michael

The Yellow Birds
by Powers, Kevin

Most Distinguished Rodential Costume of 2012

PennyApple has won a new prize for Lee Anne and Bancroft Library: Most Distinguished Rodential Costume of 2012. The backstory about the book she is holding:  Bancroft has a book that's bound in human skin (its from the French Revolution era). 

 

For more details about 2012 Halloween Prizes for staff at Berkeley, please click here. 

What a day, 6 November 2012!

Nov. 6, 2012, an election day, is one of the longest, most meaningful and memorable days in my life.

Morning
Early in the morning, Paul and I drove to Croton-Harmon Station to be on board an express train to Grand Central to meet Yvonne and Willie at East Japanese Restaurant on 210 E 44th Street. Since we were early for our 12:15 appointment, we set out for 1st Avenue to see United Nations (UN) buildings. Paul took several pictures of me with UN as background, to help me to fulfill one of my youthful dreams, i.e., to be an simultaneous interpreter for UN.

Noon
I immediately recognized Yvonne in front of the restaurant, after our quick visit to UN. She is not changed at all, just like herself 34 years ago. In fact, she looked much younger. Soon after Yvonne found us a very exclusive table, Willie joined us. He has changed into a very distinguished registrar at the UN. We exchanged and caught up with our life changing events of 34 years, in a short span. Along with other 600 students (three grades), we spent three and a half years in Congming Island, study and farming. What was our life like? "Just like Navy Seals," Yvonne summed up most eloquently.

Afternoon
A little before 3:00 pm, we finally broke up after hearty laughter, sincere promises and group pictures. Willie showed us how to get to Rockefeller University on his way to his office. Bursting with pride, we saw our niece Wendy in action, performing experiments in her lab. As it was nearing dusk, we decided to return. Wendy is a true NYC resident, knowing all the back streets from 63rd to 42nd. She managed to find us a 4:30 p.m. express train leaving in 4 minutes, even after our pit-stop at a cafe.

Evening through Night
We arrived at our destination about 5:30 pm and visited Mom at her Manor. After putting her into bed, Paul and I spent our memorable night at Ying's, monitoring ever-changing election results, and eating our late dinner and snacks provided by Sue. We were all very philosophical towards the two candidates, therefore no heart-wrenching or hair-splitting political augments among us. After the final result was pretty much confirmed, we suddenly felt dog-tired and dispersed to our respective rooms. Our nephew and niece had been sound asleep, oblivious of what was going on that night.

Hurricanes in New York

Hurricane Sandy (2012)

Every fall I visit New York, I am always confronted with hurricanes. Fourteen months ago, I witnessed Hurriane Irene. Two days ago I was reminded by Hurricane Sandy. To average Californians, those hurricanes are like fires and earthquakes. But looking around, I have found the locals just minding their normal business. The only signs I can detect are: Paul bought the last five candles at a CVS on Maple Street, people were lined up in Sam's Club for bottled water and Hui's apartment has a little difficult time finding tenants as people are being distracted. Other than these signs, people are very calm. Ying even chuckled when we called him to postpone his invitation of tomorrow's dinner to next Sunday.

Hurricane Irene (2011)

Cat & Mouse

Cat Chippy likes to play with the mouse, but not the real one. As a cat, she likes to play with it. But as a domesticated being, she does not have a killer's instinct. That's why she is able to coexist with hamsters.

But do not get me wrong. Once our garage was invaded by a couple of mice, Chippy volunteered to stay there until the invaders were gone.

Our Paper in Polish

Thanks to Małgorzata Filipczak at Technical University of Lodz Library/ Biblioteka Politechniki Lodzkie of Poland, our 2007's Library Innovations in the 21st Century: An International Perspective has been translated into Polish for Polish librarians.  It is now called Innowacje w bibliotekach w XXI wieku: spojrzenie z perspektywy międzynarodowej

Monkey Orchid: Have You Seen It?

Since George Lee gave Paul and me his orchid bulbs from his own garden sixteen years ago, I have grown them in our yard, and become an orchid enthusiast. I am always interested in its wide variety.

Monkey Orchid is a new kind Paul has discovered via Flipboard (http://www.neatorama.com/2012/06/09/monkey-orchid/).

Even Though I Am Not a Dog Person

http://twitter.com/chiefbrody1984/status/202769547005149184/photo/1

Sunday at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

This morning, Crissie took Paul and me to her church on Hillcrest Road. Because of his new job and limited home time, Robb decided to stay, so did Bob, Max and Elle for other reasons.

It is not the first time we were at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, where we had attended the niece's wedding and visited several times in the past. However it is the first time we attended a Sunday service there. It is an entirely new experience from our Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church. 

First of all, it has a congregation of thousands, compared with Prophet Elias' dozens. There are nearly a dozen of priests and deacons milling around on the altar, compared with our lone Father Denis and Deacon Dr. Nick. Three priests conducted our communions for three long queues. But everyone was polite and orderly, almost the same as in our little church. Even babies and toddlers screamed just once in a while.

For some reason, I missed the intimacy so characteristic of Prophet Elias in the grand Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. But of course, it is a typical new comer's impression. I am sure that most of congregation still get their intimacy out of the anonymity after decades of Sunday church going. I am glad that we went and gained a new perspective toward grandiose and humble churches.

 

Happy Mother's Day!

In less than 5 minutes, it will be 2012's Mother's Day, a celebration of mothers, motherhood and mothers' contributions to society on the second Sunday of May in United States and elsewhere in March or April. Claimed as an American invention, Mother's Day might still have some roots to Cybele, originally Anatolian mother goddess.

Whether invention or not, I am glad that there is a day dedicated to mothers around the world. At least on this day we have time to refresh our close bonds to our mothers who have given life to us. Time flies and life is too short. If we do not catch the moment, we will live a life without reflection or gratitude.

Our mother gave birth to four of us, my elder sister who died at 3, myself, younger sister and youngest brother. We three surviving siblings are very close because of the equal love and equal education encouraged in our family. In the late 80s, three of us left Shanghai for the States to study at various prestigious universities. It is our parents, especially our mother, who managed to take care of her elderly father-in-law, husband and grandson for almost a decade without our help. After the emigration of grandson in 1997, and the passing of father-in-law and husband in 1999 and 2001, our mother was immigrated to join us in 2003.

Unfortunately our mother cannot always remember all these events, because of her Alzheimer's disease. But because of the effective medication, she has good and bad days, but well-taken care of by her nurses and doctors in her manor, and visited daily by my sister and brother after work. Sometimes, she thinks that she is still working, and not retired yet at age of 80. What a hardworking mother!

Happy Mother's Day!

Whimsical Joy of Reading

Paul sent me the site of whimsical reading photos by Joel Robinson. They are quite funny and nostalgic, as the golden age of book technology is disappearing. Books have increasingly become art objects and materials.

Losing Neighbors in April

We have been hit left and right with the pestering economic downturn in our quiet neighborhood: losing two neighbors at the beginning of April. On the left, Todd lost his beautiful house and tropical gardens after nearly 15 years' investment as a result of bad partnership; and on the right Peanut and his family were looking Midwestward for their possible offer on a house. He could not sustain anymore his increasing health insurance with decreasing paycheck, his wife' job loss and high house rent.

When Gary down the road had his million-dollar house foreclosured, we were deeply disturbed. But this time, we are distraught and saddened to have lost two great neighbors. Life will go on, but will not be the same. We will miss their neighborly generosity and gossip, fun parties and friendship.

Following Maggie

Since Downton Abbey 2, Paul and I have been watching a series of films by Maggie Smith, especially her Tea with Mussolini (1999) and My House in Umbria (2003). Both set in Italy, the two movies have different settings, one is in the city scene of Florence in WWII through the eyes of a boy called Luca and the other, set in the villa of Mrs. Delahunty, a writer of romance novels, through an orphan girl Aimee's experience after a terrorists' attack on a Milan train.

However there is something always unchanged such as friendship, the closeness between the old and young, between man and woman. There are also pairs of beautiful contrasts, such as beauty and destruction, love and betrayal, humor and boredom.

We cannot wait to continue our exploration with Keeping Mum (2005), Ladies in Lavender (2004), the Last September (1999), etc.

Why the Academy Was So Fatuated with the Artist?

Paul sent me a link to Economist's commentary on the Artist, and I agreed with the viewpoint of the writer.

As "Why The Artist" shouldn't Win points out, "'The Artist' has its charms. Its pastiche is skilful, assured and sometimes witty. And few can deny the rapturous reactions of audiences and critics—though this blogger found the film irritating and tedious in equal measure. But to garland this slight and contrived feature as the best of the year is to say something sad about the state of cinema."

It seems that using the scene of Paris is not enough as in the case of Hugo and Midnight in Paris, the film has to be set in America with any foreign language expunged, preferably French. It also flatters its current audience by inviting them to revisit audiences' past, with "this charming man’s charming French accent.” Another pleasing factor lies in the fact that it is a film about a shaggy-dog story, an eternal triumphant theme to the people sitting on the Academy Board of Directors, especially when the dog is a wishbone.

Happy Valentines Day

Really glad to see our Tucker working hard and then enjoying piles of Valentine candies. Photo courtesy of Lee Anne, as usual.

The Onion on Downton Abbey

I almost thought it was true: Report: Watching Episode of 'Downton Abbey' Counts As Reading Book

Where Is the Fascination with Downton Abbey?

In The US Cult of Downton Abbey, Brian Wheeler, a BBC News reporter in Washington, tries to find the fascination of the series on American audience, especially among the young ones. He suggests several possibilities, such as Maggie Smith's killer one-liners, yearning for a simpler time, fascination with the class system, political incorrectness about genders, slicker drama on a free-to-air KQED.

I started to stream the first series on Netflix, after seriously challenged by Eric S. and Gary G. every time we met. To be honest, I was a little burned out by big manor houses or castles full of downstairs servants, footmen and butlers to serve their upstairs masters. To the same degree, I was wary of period costumes after consuming too many historic drams. After viewing the first episode, both Paul and I decided that we were going to like it. The reason is simple: superior acting especially by the 77-year-old Maggie Smith, who plays the imperious Countess of Grantham, and the integrity of Robert Crawley who can be influenced by his surroundings but does not hesitate to change his mind.

Needless to say, there has been an American fascination with the British, since the beginning of time, particularly her culture, legal system and class divisions. There has also been a fascination with an American abroad since Henry James. I suspect certain voyeurism is evolved in watching Robert's American wife Cora Crawley who might have money, but lacks class and history, a humiliating situation not unlike when people were fascinated with the ridiculed dropouts in Simon Cowell's American Idol.

Happy Year of Dragon!

Tomorrow (January 23, 2012) will be the Chinese New Year. The fifth in a 12-year cycle, Dragon Year follows that of Rabbit. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend, and a symbol of good fortune. In Eastern philosophy, the Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune and a master of authority. Therefore, it is a popular year for babies to be born. Who does not want to be honored and respected, as in the Dragon Year prophesies?

My two Shanghai cousins sent me two beautiful e-Cards to share.

First Friday Santa Cruz at SCPL Downtown Branch

Paul's personal photographs from around the world will be displayed at Santa Cruz Public Libraries Downtown Branch, 224 Church Street, as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Titangos Photography Studio. The two month long exhibit continues with a First Friday reception from 4 to 8 pm, on January 6, and continues through the end of January. Come and join us, or visit the First Friday site for further details.