Santa Cruz

在巴西饭馆等开饭


这么一袋糖的热量有这么多啊


菠菜蛋饼。大量土豆和面包还有起司，妈妈最爱。


像小米一样的risotto，我只吃草莓。其他的让爸爸捏着鼻子吃了。

香蕉锅饼。妈妈说要减肥所以奶油坚决不加，枫糖浆多浇点没事。


我还是喝奶












在Boardwalk Arcade


蓝舌头--掉色严重的棒棒糖





模仿In-Touch外拍一张

书

假期马上就到了，希望能够看完这几本。

Let the great world spin by Colum McCann


The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Ms. Hempel chronicles by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum

好妈妈胜过好老师 : 一个教育专家16年的教子手记 / 尹建莉著

The Beijing of possibilities by Jonathan Tel

The cinema of Ang Lee by Whitney Crothers Dilley
How to leave Hialeah by Jennine Capó Crucet

The art student's war by Brad Leithauser

The best American short stories 2009
The Onion presents : our front pages, 21 years of greatness, virtue, and moral rectitude from America's finest news source

烦

同时看8本书，本本看一看就放下，脑子里刚有一些蛛丝马迹的想法，还没等写下来，就因为各种各样的事情不得不停下，赶去四处灭火。再看的时候得适应好长一段时间才能进入状况。这八本书要是是我买的，这辈子它们就没有可能被看完。特此记录。

1. 荒人手记 （终于出简体版了，能看简体不看繁体）


2. the lost symbol (又厚又重，拿着都犯困)


3. 认得几个字 （繁体的，好不容易接近尾声了，发现很多字都不认识，和出国没关系，从来就都不认识。雪上加霜的是本书采用台湾注音符号，觉得好像有双倍的字都不认识。）


4. The Language of Things Understanding the World of Desirable Objects
算是工作书吧，好多地方一深想就犯困


5. 采桑子


6. 草木春秋


7. Photoshop教科书一本

8. Body by Science (减肥的心理建设）

头号粉丝

看到那些很勤力的妈妈们给孩子图文并茂得写博，总是很羡慕。安最近变化很大，再不写两笔，以后回忆怕是一片空白。

安最近fall head over heels得迷上一个公园里认识的比她小三个月的小男孩。弟弟性格稳重，对花花世界五光十色的诱惑，常常不为所动。 安一进公园，首先到处找弟弟，目标锁定后就飞奔着冲过去，也不管弟弟当时在做什么，先来一个熊抱。找到偶像之后就有样学样，弟弟玩什么她也一定要玩一样的，自己寻到了什么好玩的东西，也要第一时间向弟弟献宝。爷爷有时侯训练弟弟走路，拿着一个小玩意招手示意叫弟弟过来，安会丢下手里的活，三步并作两步得冲到爷爷身边，一把将东西抓过来，掉头回到还在吭哧吭哧得蹒跚的弟弟身边，把东西塞在他的手里。安如此这般的鞍前马后都让姥爷颇感尴尬，可是如果要是拦住她，她就像受了天大的委屈般，眼泪说来就来，一边用小手抹泪，一边大喊, "弟弟! 弟弟!＂

这个飙泪的戏码每天在中午十二点都都会准时上演，因为这个时候姥爷就要带安回去吃饭。安哭得山崩地裂，双手紧紧攥着弟弟的衣服，嘴里大喊，"弟弟! 弟弟!" 姥爷一手把安抱住，一手把她的双手一个手指一个手指得松开。 爷爷赶紧把弟弟抱开，说＂我们也要回家吃饭了。＂ 弟弟身置忙乱之中却如入无人之境。

其实他们三个半小时之后就又可以见面了...

小棉袄

妈妈坐在床上给安讲故事，讲完（ 无数遍）后就把书大力得一合, "讲完啦! 现在让妈妈休息一下吧. " 书一扔摊在床上装睡。 安马上爬到床上，拉妈妈的袖子, "起来!" "起来!" 妈妈一厢情愿得想象着安安是优胜美地的棕熊，认定对方没气儿了自然就会觉得无趣，改道去另外一个房间为非作歹. 可是棕熊小朋友怎么会是这么好糊弄的呢? 她想象着自己是一个手袋，努力得往妈妈的手臂下面钻，把妈妈挠得很想笑又不敢笑; 她想象着自己是一条围巾，紧紧压在妈妈的脖子上，差点把妈妈的眼镜永久性得嵌入眼眶里; 她想象着自己是一条皮带，从妈妈的脖子处滚到肚子上趴着，害妈妈的晚饭差点从嘴里喷出来。妈妈败下阵来，只得坐起来，心想，谁说女儿是小棉袄呀？就算是棉袄，也是酷暑中的棉袄。

一岁半体检归来

安安是个苗条的小姑娘--至少这是妈妈对一岁半身高体重头围数据的理解。妈妈从小就是个胖丫头，10岁的时候就知道胖姑娘穿裙子不好看，初中时候流行的健美踩脚裤也都是瘦子穿上才能体现出中缝的笔直和小腿的修长。

姥姥对医生的问题都很感兴趣。妈妈一边躲避医生尖锐的问题，一边见缝插针得给姥姥做同声翻译。姥姥笑眯眯，妈妈脸通红，这情形医生也是很纳闷的吧。 妈妈说安安每天要吃两次牙膏，牙膏管上标的是可吞食，吃两次会不会太多？ 妈妈还在滔滔不绝得解释早上挤在安的牙刷上是黄豆那么大，晚上是绿豆那么大，美女医生连忙抓住重点，为什么要刷两次？ 呃... 妈妈权衡了一下还是觉得不要说真相--因为只要甜牙膏才能让安稍微平静一点，让妈妈和姥姥吃两口安稳饭。心下一横，女儿妈妈对不起你， 弱弱得说，因为她非要... 美女医生盯了妈妈一眼，她这个年纪是不可能"非要”做什么的，你要及早告诉她事情的boundary在哪里，No means No. 这一段妈妈就不给姥姥翻译了，要不然她老人家肯定要跑过去和美女医生握手，您说她您说她。我说她惯孩子她根本不听！

姥姥除了爱说妈妈由着安安胡闹，另一个分歧就是认定安走路内八字是因为妈妈从小给她穿连袜的睡衣。 今天医生终于给妈妈平反了，解释说因为安还在妈妈肚子里的时候就是盘腿儿坐着躺着，所以初学走路的时候脚是朝里的，这种现象两三岁的时候就自己能纠正过来。 妈妈忙不迭得给姥姥加油添醋得翻译，您以为那睡衣是铁做的呀？那是棉的有弹性，不会把她的腿别着。

后来医生问起安安语言能力，能不能有意识得说出10个词，语言不限。姥姥说，别说10个，30个也能说。回来的路上非要和妈妈把安会说的词列出来。

字母： A B C B (暂时分不出B和D的区别), E, F, G, H J J J (I, J, K在小人耳朵里也一个音）
数数： 1--10 后面还要加个“喽”，姥姥给她推秋千的口令(一二三喽！)也给她学了去，一二仨抖！
人： 爸爸，妈妈，姥姥，爷爷，妹妹，姐姐， 安安，啥呀（Sarah)，小baby，
身体部位： 脚丫，脸，眼睛，鼻子，牙齿，嘴巴，耳朵
食物： 馍馍，面条，西瓜，黄瓜， 草莓，牛奶，吃饭，水
动物： 狗，猫，大象，小猪 （目前用来label爸爸的照片和Olivia the pig），鱼，毛毛陈（虫），熊，羊，马，兔，企鹅，小鸭子, 狮子，小西西 （小猩猩）
植物： 叶子，发发（花）
物品： 鞋子，裙子
颜色：绿的
礼貌用语： hi, hello, bye-bye，谢谢
还有： 不要（要配上激烈的摇头动作），走啦走啦， 没有哇， 没有回，没有回呀，这是什么，这个是什么，这个是什么呢--对，妈妈就要把这几句分开算。

说起走啦走啦倒是很逗，每次出门换好鞋后，妈妈总要折回厨房看煤气关了没--多年的强迫症，安就急得不行，扶着门框哇哇大叫，妈妈只能一边朝厨房跑一边喊，走啦走啦走啦走啦，两遍说下来煤气也检查了，人也回到门口了。一天邻居的福建奶奶来访，临走时打开大门，正在穿鞋，安安激动得满屋子边跑边吆喝，“走啦走啦！” 妈妈和姥姥互看一眼，暗自庆幸奶奶耳朵有点背。

The Vagrants

There was quite some buzz when I first heard of the book. A popular opinion of some Chinese overseas is that, simply put, the author was a sellout. Serving up a skewed history with flavors tailored to the western palate, the author tried to depict China in an unforgivably dark era with unimaginable atrocities committed for the most insignificant purposes. Now that I’ve finished reading the novel, I believe such accusation was completely unfounded.

Even though the author did not grow up in the years when China was paralyzed by the Cultural Revolution--the opening scene of a denunciation ceremony of a female counter-revolutionary took place at the end of the Cultural Revolution, in 1979, I believe she has captured perfectly the social atmosphere of that period. People were made to develop a sixth-sense for detecting minute changes in the political atmosphere and were expected at all times to follow the supreme decrees of the central government. The terrifying events and unflinching details, as well as the motive behind certain atrocities were very credible. An overall sense of despair and withdrawal from actively participating in anything meaningful permeates every facets of human existence; fear became the most efficient and effective moral police with its invisible iron grip tightening around the necks of those who dared to look beyond the boundaries, never hesitating to drain the life and blood out of those who have... Yet traces of humanity, courage, tenderness managed to peek from the most unexpected places.

The author weaved seamlessly an intricate web of events surrounding the central characters. The story climaxed on Ching-Ming, a Chinese festivity for paying respect to one’s ancestor, hereby holding symbolic significance. It's a relief to see little trace of stereotypes of characters for such a volatile and disruptive time. The author carefully cultivated nuanced depth in each character. Gu Shan, whose criticism of Mao would find many supporters in the later years, was in essence, a victim of the environment, a tool used and abused. Teacher Gu, who thought he saw through everyone in this political farce committed suicide at the end. Bashi, a deeply troubled young man who fell through the social cracks, all at once pitiful, cold-hearted yet vulnerable, would face long prison sentence for something he had not taken part in, but there was hope for Nini’s return one day. While reading, I often held my breath because of the despicable things I thought he might do to Nini if and when he got the chance. And he surprised me again and again.

The style of writing is detached, scrutinizing and sharp in a way cold metal surgery instruments lacerate through the flesh, not missing a single detail. Seasonal changes, school aged children playing in the school yards, the townsfolk huddling together and exchanging gossip, scenes big or small, still or dynamic, all came alive as the pages turned. Li writes in fluent English, yet I could almost hear the buzzing animated chatter of middle-aged women in my native tongue.

I was brought to tears within minutes of reading the first chapter, an almost minute-by-minute account of what went on in the psyches of Mrs. and Mr. Gu, whose daughter, Shan was to be executed that day. The couple tried to maintain some sense of continuity with life that they had become accustomed to. Everywhere they looked and avoided looking at, fragments of memory of their little girl's childhood collided with the reality of aging parents having to see their child go out of the world in the most humiliating way possible. When Kai thought of never seeing her son again, she noticed a small toy stuck inside one of her shoes, a prank pulled by Ming-ming, who learned to do this with consistency and persistence of an already strong-willed toddler. She thought to herself, soon he will be pulling this prank on someone else, possibly a grandparent. Measured and controlled, Li's verses skip the melodrama yet making the stark truth more obvious in the bleakest reality.