Fender (挡泥板, フェンダー, 펜더)

 I've never thought about what a fender does on a car, and until today I could not distinguish it from the "bumper" of a car, despite the common term "fender bender" for a minor crash between two cars. I would have known its general function, though, if I had just typed it into Chinese translator- it means "board that blocks mud," which is exactly what it is called in "British English," a mudboard, because it forms the frame of a wheel well and keeps mud out of the other areas of the car. An important thing to note especially in the Washington, DC area recently, as carjackers are purposely causing fender benders so they can hop in the drivers' seat and take off with the car. Not a genius plan, but people are desperate I guess. 

A bumper, in contrast, is the part in the front and back of a car that soaks up the impact of a collision, which I guess is why I thought a bumper was the fender. The other car part that comes up all the time (other than horn, steering wheel, brakes, and other obvious parts of a car) are the catalytic converters, often made out of platinum, palladium, or rhodium. These are actually huge targets of car thieves because they go for a big price in the black market. Another reason to not park outside on the streets of urban areas at night, only in garage. (Suburbs are less of a target). Oh yea, and one other part to know: "Sunroof," now famous as the title of a hit song of 2021 by Nicky Youre and "Dazy." These musicians' names are getting harder and harder to remember nowadays. What happened to good ol' classic names like "Bob Dylan" and "Woody Guthrie?" Now it's people like Swae Lee, Deezy, Bad Bunny, and the best of them all.... Ty $DollaSign. 

Fender's also the name of a famous guitar brand, creator of the even more famous "Stratocaster" guitar. When I went to the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, more than the actual artists, it was the guitars that were on display and the stars of the show. I never got into rock and roll and the whole "coolness" of guitars, but I do understand their significance and how kids can get drawn into the genre by the feel of a guitar. When MJ and I visited Dublin, we were allowed to try on a guitar in the "U2 recording room" as a photo opportunity, and I kind of embarrassed myself by not knowing how to wear the guitar, probably the one thing all rockers know how to do: apparently you have to put the strap over your head so as to "wear" the guitar first, then fit your hands around it to get into the playing position. There is definitely something cool about strumming a guitar and turning it upwards to create the effect of rocking hard, something impossible to do with the nerdy-looking violin/viola/cello with the bow-pulling action. Guitars are in the same family of instruments (strings) but just a completely different vibe. 

The Other Wes Moore

 The state of Maryland has a new governor, and his name is Wes Moore: a promising political candidate for the Democratic candidate who grew up in Baltimore, attended Johns Hopkins University, enlisted in the Army and deployed in Afghanistan, basically hitting all the checkmarks of a great political profile. However, it's the book he wrote in 2009, "The Other Wes Moore," that garnered him the most attention and gives his story an authentic feel. It's about the story of 2 men both named Wes Moore, who were on similar paths in lives before their paths diverged, and the dichotomy of their stories is as rich as something from a Robert Frost poem, like "The Road Not Taken." Wes Moore the future governor was sent to Military Academy and developed the discipline needed to succeed in the next chapters for his life, while the other Wes Moore floundered in Baltimore's crime environment, leading to a life of drugs and absentee fatherhood and eventually a life sentence in prison. 

Be forewarned, it's a heartbreaking book, but also a heartwarming book. I cried or was on the verge of crying several times in the book, not just because of the various setbacks that the other Wes Moore suffered through to fall on hard times, but also because the reader is able to feel those first successes that Governor Wes Moore felt, probably the most jubilant of times in our lives where we discover ourselves and experience the first successes of our lives and become more confident; for most of us I'd say it's a time we'd all love to relive or recreate somehow. Similarly, I think we all can imagine circumstances where if a few decisions for us or a few lucky breaks turned out to be unlucky breaks, we would be in the dire straits that the other Wes Moore found himself in, maybe not necessarily a life sentence in prison but maybe something equally hopeless, a dead-end job that one hates with no hope of advancement, or a hopeless addiction to alcohol or some other form of drugs/vice, a downward spiral of depression that one is stuck in and someone has thrown away the key. In many cases, those breaks start before birth, where or parents are selected for us randomly by luck of the draw; who's to say we wound up with the other Wes Moore's family situation where he never knew his father and his mother worked all the time and couldn't give him the attention he needed and had to move into the projects (called "Murphy homes" in Baltimore). Even the most self-aggrandizing people in the world have to acknowledge that they didn't choose their births, that many were just born privileged over others, including myself. It is really an unfair hand people like the other Wes Moore were dealt. Governor Wes Moore's situation was slightly better where his parents and grandparents had experienced economic movement upward and understood the valuation of education (and military education, which really seemed to scare him straight) and that enabled him to get just the bit of an edge he needed to make the right choices. It's really tough to say how much is within one's control versus just dictated by one's environment, as if written in the fabric of fate. Governor Moore does a tremendous job not to excuse any of the crimes and to hold people responsible for the crimes and choices they commit, but also to balance that with possibility that it's a perpetuating cycle of poverty and crime. 

In my own life, I'm worried about a larger than expected tax bill from my earnings in 2022, if and when MJ and I are going to start a family, and where we should go for summer vacation this year. And I just got done with a week meeting up with friends in LA discussing legal matters, career aspirations, college basketball, and what each other's kids are up to, all legitimate topics but all topics that we're privileged to be discussing instead of how many drugs I have to sell or how many months we have to spend in jail for the latest alleged crimes. I feel those are so trivial compared to some of the monumental decisions the Wes Moores of the world have to make all the time, that either make or break their entire lives, send them on the right path to success or tip the domino that leads to a chain reaction leading to their downfall. It was just the right time to read the story of The Other Wes Moore. 

Learning from previous cars (前车之鉴, 교훈, 学んだ教訓)

 The Chinese have a useful phrase that I like to quote often because it applies in all facets of life: "learn from the car in front flipping over." As in, learn from others' mistakes. I did that quite often today in frustrating fashion when cars in front of me stopped due to traffic and I had to dart often into another lane to swerve through traffic, but more appropriately it means any sort of lessons from others' failures. 

I often criticize social media and the overuse of the internet, and much of those criticisms are valid, but one way in which I have benefited directly from the internet: car repair advice. I know nothing about cars, so anytime anything goes wrong it's off to the internet for me, preferably reddit, a trusted source of real users, but often there's enough good content from other websites that I can piece together info. And because my standards of car repair are super low (as in, I know how to park and operate a car, but if ANYTHING goes wrong I am lost), anytime I do fix something it's a rush of adrenaline upon completion, even if it's something basic like replacing a headlight (you have to reach way down into the hood! It's not easy and you have to be willing to get your hand dirty!) or (gasp) checking tire pressure/ operating a air pump to fill up gas into a tire. (If there was an SAT, standard achievement test, for high school students/ adults on the subject of car repair, I would have never made it to college/ passed high school). So today, when my parents' Toyota Prius battery door got stuck (thanks to my doing) and was unable to open normally, it was up to me to get on the internet, and luckily a few responsible posters shared the necessary information that there was a emergency release latch for that battery door that you would open by opening up the trunk and opening up a small compartment where there were a variety of levers/ latches, and somewhere in the top right corner (very specific advice, I like it) was a latch I had to pull to open that door. And bang! It worked! I didn't give an audible gasp or do a victory dance or anything after it popped open, but there was definitely a rush of dopamine/ adrenaline/ relief at fixing the problem and knowing I didn't have to go to an auto mechanic or something and risk getting completely ripped off by a charlatan who would charge me $1000 or something to open the door, reported by one reddit user as almost having happened to his mother. (Another great use of the internet is to avoid scams) So yes, instead of back in the old days of China when people had to physically see a car flip over in front of them to get the point, nowadays all it takes is entering a few keywords on your smartphone and seeing other people's cars and how they fixed them. Long live the internet. 

Another thing I'll learn from is how NOT to be a dad. My dad has a lot of strong points like dependability, being around for my mom all the time, quitting cigarettes and alcohol when I was born, being relatively handy around the house, and being a good cook (the last 2 I wish I had!) but the thing that has unfortunately stuck out about him to my sister and I is how easy he is to get frustrated about something and starting to yell/ blame others when anything goes wrong. It happened a lot when I was a kid, even on stuff that reflecting now on, really was something understandable that a kid would do. And yelling and assigning blame when something goes wrong really isn't the way to go and doesn't make the problem any easier to solve. So I take pride in learning from my dad's mistakes and going the extra effort NOT to get upset too easily and handle emergencies with aplomb and poise. I still, however, get angry quickly in certain situations, and there's definitely a little bit of his negative energy that rubbed off on me and formed part of my personality (of course there are also good points that rubbed off, like not drinking or smoking). So imagine the extra joy I felt when I stayed calm today fixing the Toyota Prius when my dad was already starting to get frustrated and having his usual tantrum, and I stayed relaxed, logged onto the internet, found the answer, and fixed the problem, like a "I'm all grown up now dad, no need to scold me anymore," all while not losing my cool (it was hard, and I almost did). When MJ and I do become parents, I hope to pass off some good traits, but I know I have some bad ones, and I'd hope that my child will have the good sense to learn from my past failures just like the ancient Chinese learned from previous cars flipping over (and modern Chinese learning from other internet users' Prius battery doors that got stuck). 

Brewery (酿酒厂, 醸造所, 양조장)

 Americans love breweries. There's a baseball team named after them (Milwaukee Brewers), every large distributor has its own brewery to give customers the origin story and to attract more customers. Every time I've been invited to a brewery, the host/ organizer of the trip was positively gushing over it, listing how many different beers are on tap, the ability to take a tour, and the pretzels! It's part of the cultural fabric, and there's something appealing about sitting at a brewery with the huge vats of beer surrounding the dining area, long benches, and the warehouse feeling of the brewery that makes the experience stand out from just a regular bar or other place of alcohol consumption. Some enthusiasts even do a "brewery-crawl," like a beer crawl except hopping from one brewery to the next, ready to consume the next batch of beer (seems like a lot of carbs). 

When MJ and I went to Dublin, we went to maybe the mecca of all breweries, the Guinness storehouse, which was created by Arthur Guinness in 1902 as a brewery and now has evolved into a tourist attraction, although they still brew beer there! I don't even like beer that much, but there we were on a Saturday morning with hundreds of other tourists walking through the various levels of the storehouse, taking in the history, the science of beermaking, and of course the smell of beer being made. The ultimate product was exquisite, really the best beer I've ever had, and I wonder if it was because we were in a foreign country, it was 11AM in the morning and I was on vacation, or the authenticity of the beer was enhanced by it just having been brewed right at the location I was drinking it, but the cream of that pint of Guinness seemed to permeate all the way through every sip of the beer, not just the top where most of the cream hung out in froth form. Maybe I was experiencing through novice taste buds as an almost complete teetotaler or at best an infrequent drinker (I do like 2-3 glasses of beer per YEAR, not per week or month). It's like coffee: I'm not into different brands of coffee and can't tell between a cappuccino and a macchiato, but if I get quality coffee or beer I have a pretty good sense. (I don't like watered down beer neither). The richness of the Guinness beer really lingered for MJ and I for the whole trip, and the creaminess still persists today. 

Which is why it was so disappointing to come back to the U.S., visit the U.S. Guinness brewery, and have it NOT be the same at all! Not creamy all the way through, didn't have the same great taste, and felt just a tad watered down! The Dublin brewery was all about the beer, from expert coopers barreling the beer in the best wood, to putting the hops and barley in ovens at exactly 132 degrees Celsius, to using the water that trickled down from the nearby Wicklow Mountains; they had it down to a science. The U.S. brewery was all about....pomp and circumstance, getting exhibits ready for St. Patrick's Day weekend coming up, long benches and tables, food items like pretzels and chicken wings that came with the beer (chicken was taste bud-numbingly salty, btw) and a trivia night....I didn't mind the trivia night happening as I learned that the only country in the world whose top 3 most populated cities all start with the letter H is......Vietnam, but it gave further evidence that their emphasis was not on the beer itself, but just the overall experience, hiding the sad truth that the core product was inferior. I believe I learned from undergrad business classes that that's called "brand dilution." Happens to all corporations and chain restaurants (except Costco, Costcos are all the same and I know exactly what I'm getting every time I go and how much the $1.50 hot dogs are going to be), so I get it, but the Guinness people at HQ should know their harp logo is losing a little luster every time someone drinks a beer from the U.S. brewery. 

Dublin (都柏林, 더블린, ダブリン)

 The area I live in has quite a large population of blind or nearly blind people, who are easily identified by their walking sticks that they tap in front of them while walking, which I learned today are called "white canes," because they have to be white with a red stripe to be seen by drivers, as opposed to black which blends into the road. So far I haven't been able to assuage my guilt of seeing blind people crossing the crosswalk by helping them cross the street (not sure about the etiquette about that and if I'm engaging in "ableism," which is prejudice against those with disabilities and perceiving myself to be better than them, but I have been able to help a couple of lost-looking people with white canes on the street to tell them which street they were on. To me, blindness deserves more attention in the public conscience, more than other disabilities (not to rank disabilities, but sense of sight seems just a tad more important in our society and our lives than sense of taste, for example, or losing an arm). Obviously no disability is wanted, and I should probably just listen as someone without disabilities, but not being able to drive or get around is a serious disadvantage for the blind, as well as witnessing some of the greatest sights of the world...like traveling. These are the real victims of our society, not the attention-seeking people who dominate social media complaining about their often self-imposed or self-aggrandizing problems (I'm looking at you, Colin Kaepernick, or you, "Spare" Prince Harry). 

My biggest observation when visiting Dublin, Ireland this weekend was how few Asian tourists there were: not too many Chinese, Japanese, or Korean people I know would have "Dublin" on the top of their lists, especially with so many other European cities available, and so many further south in warmer temperatures. The bigger observation I should have made was the more general observation that I never see blind people on vacation, because well, the value of visiting a new place wouldn't be as high. Really one of the great joys of life, traveling and experiencing a new environment and adjusting one's surroundings, but Dublin, I feel, might just be one of those cities even the blind can enjoy. Dublin doesn't have a ton of scenic locations or must-see buildings/ architectural marvels that you have to see to believe, but it does have a rich history, welcoming people, and what I found to be a great sense of humor. Maybe because this was one of the few cities MJ and I got multiple tour guides (and we could actually both understand the tour guides because they spoke in English), but Irish people seemed witty, eager to talk and engage in conversation, happy to tell us about their country. The musician at the Irish Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame just could not stop bragging about Irish musical groups, giving brief mentions of the obvious and world-renowned groups like U2 and the Cranberries but diving deep into Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher, Dublin's finest but less-heralded world wide. "What's the difference between God and Bono? God doesn't think he's Bono." These were the types of jokes we heard in our short trip in the city, and humor goes a long way toward leaving a lasting impression. 

MJ and I also didn't need our eyes to enjoy the Guinness Storehouse, a step-by-step exhibit of how Guinness Beer is made (all beer needs ingredients of water, barley, hops, and yeast) but also more importantly, a freshly-brewed on-the-spot glass of Guinness beer- honestly one of the creamiest and tastiest beers I've ever tasted, which made both MJ and I look forward to comparing it to one made on tap in U.S., and how much taste it loses crossing the Atlantic (in my experience, Guinness hadn't ever tasted so good). The Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced "jail") is just that, a jail, but the tour around the jail was more of a history tour describing some of the most famous events in Irish history, from people purposely getting put into jail during the Great Potato Famine because at least in jail they could get 3 meals a day and get medical attention, to the youngest inmate in the jail (3 years old!) to the most famous participants of the 1916 Easter Rising like Patrick Pearse, Robert Emmett (famous for his dying speech), and a later president, Eamon De Valera. Definitely as interesting as the tour of Alcatraz I did (and easier to escape the jail for inmates, as it wasn't surrounded by water) and cool to experience the stories. Turns out, it is sometimes good to sign up for tours, especially when you understand the native language: the stories behind the sites and attractions become more enriching. 

It's really amazing the difference actually experiencing something can be: I had this vague image of Ireland before visiting of a cold island, lots of drinking (beers, whiskey) and fighting (exemplified by the exploits of Conor McGregor) that had a long and bitter history of England (who hasn't?), but actually putting foot on ground in the city can reveal that it's the European home base for many international tech companies, it's got tons of great bridges crossing the River Liffey that rivals the scenes in most European countries, like the Seine for Paris, and MJ and I didn't find the food lacking at all, especially for vegans; vegan donuts abounded and even I had lattes. Conversely, Ireland is a little expensive (more than I thought, as I had this idea it was an austere, modest place) but the dollar's still pretty strong against the Euro and most other world currencies right now, so it didn't bankrupt us to stay at a higher class hotel with a sauna. Avoided any fights and avoided getting drunk!

Greatness (伟大, 위대, 偉大

 For someone who's craved attention and recognition my entire life, it's tough to admit: I don't think there's anything in this world that I am the best at, or as the new generation calls it, the G.O.A.T. at (greatest of all time at). Of course there are cliches and encouragement from others saying you can only do the best to your ability, but I just wish when the question of "name something interesting about yourself" in icebreaker events and questionnaires, I could just list "I am the best (insert here cool activity) in the world" and be able to claim that as part of my identity, make a name for myself. Best juggler in the world. Best hot dog eater in the world (heard competitive eating is actually pretty hard). Best at translating Chinese and Japanese into English in the world. Best in the world at finding directions on a map, a lost skill. Best Midwest U.S. Geography expert in the world (at least that could be marketable on a trivia team). Even best random customer who strikes up conversation at a barber shop in the world. (I did that today at my local barbershop by talking up the whole room of barbers and customers, making the whole room laugh. I felt like the comedian, another job I wish I was the best at). Just any skill that someone who knew me could refer anyone to me if in need of that particular skill. (Oh, you need to know that obscure Missouri city with all the attraction parks? - Branson, MO!) Even something like Nancy Reagan being known posthumously as "#Throatgoat" wouldn't be the worst. Especially in today's society where people only care about the best. or else it doesn't really matter, the G.O.A.T.'s get exponentially more attention than the runners-up. 

I often wonder what it's like to be the greatest at something, to know that there's no one else that's better at you than that one thing. It must be a refreshing feeling, sitting down at a chess table not knowing who your opponent is but being absolutely certain that you're better than that person. Or you walk into a pickup basketball game and knowing you can dunk over everyone. Or you go into a trivia contest knowing you know more than anybody else there. That's greatness, and having everyone else also know that you're the best is just the icing on top. But then I thought: wouldn't I get bored at being the best? If there are no more challengers, wouldn't I just get complacent and feel unchallenged? I would have no more Mount Everests to climb, no higher goal to attain. (This is pretty much the plot of the Japanese anime One Punch Man, Saito just punches everyone with one punch and desperately seeks someone who is his equal). Especially for someone like me, who gets bored with things very quickly, it's very likely I lose interest in that activity or discipline and just move on to the next thing. In fact, I already do that now, leaving Japanese to study Korean without fully getting to the end, or jumping back into chess when I haven't gotten good enough at trivia or languages yet. So maybe it's a good thing that I have more targets to achieve, another hill to climb. 

Maybe on a related note, I love stories about journeys. Whether it's Bill Bryson's story about hiking the Appalachian Trail or Martin Sheen's movie "The Way" or the most recent book by Sean Dietrich (Sean of the South) about biking the B&O Canal Bikepath, I apparently love stories about journeys. Makes sense; I've always been someone who liked going to new places and long distances; to this day I still want to do long car trips all across the country, but it has to be cars because I can't handle being outside in the woods with mosquitos, snakes, bears, and anything outdoors at night. Maybe that's psychologically related to my yearning for greatness, that drive for completion to finish the path that I've started and finally round the last bend in the road and see my destination, making the whole journey worth it. That's the same motivation driving me to try to be great, even though I know I won't be the best in the world at something, I'll know at least I finished the journey and saw the the destination city, the Brandenburg Gate, the statute marking the end, the mountaintop, whatever it is. Maybe if I can't be the Greatest myself, at least be able to see some semblance of what the Greatest see when they reach the top. 

Little Black Shirt (小黑衬衫, 작은 검은 셔츠, リトルブラックシャツ)

Like Coco Chanel in the 1920's, I've created a new fashion look that all men should wear: the little black shirt! Coco Chanel created the iconic look that has been adopted by Betty Boop (comic strip character), Holly Golightly (movie character played by Audrey Hepburn) and Princess Diana on the night Prince Charles (now King Charles III) admitted to having an affair with Camilla Bowles. It was simple but elegant: just one color, and made a powerful and lasting statement. I believe my little black shirt will as well. 

 I have likely the least style out of anyone I know, so I keep it simple around the house (where I'm safely away from the general public, so MJ isn't embarrassed to be seen with me) when it comes to clothing: shirt and shorts, even in the dead of winter because MJ keeps the house at a whopping 76-77 degrees Fahrenheit (according to her, 77 is a little too warm, but 76 is a little too chilly, so it's somewhere between there). Out of all the shirts I wear, my little black shirt is my favorite- and that's why I have 3 of them, all the same size and brand, even the same age as all 3 came packaged snugly together in a mass-produced pack at Costco for $10.99. The shirt feels fresh when I wear it, doesn't wear out easily, can be put through the wash (as opposed to some sweaters I owe that shrink immediately upon washing) and don't leave odors if I sweat into them (unlike some of the cotton shirts that let the sweat seep into the fabric and never leave). 

I'm joking that my choice of little black shirt could be considered a "fashion," but I do think there's something to be said for black: black tends to be viewed as the most "formal" color, at weddings the groom is usually dressed in a black tuxedo, or "black-tie" events requiring everyone to be in black. Black goes well with everything: I can wear whatever shorts I want with the little black shirt, doesn't ruin the outfit. There's also a it of the psychological factor of wearing black: I feel like it usually sends the right message of "darkness," "brooding," "evil," or any other foreboding thing that comes with black that might throw an opponent off, like in chess. I realize now after so many years that I psyched myself out too much playing chess back in high school, as I would get intimidated by the smallest things about the other player, like if they carried a notation book instead of just a piece of paper, if they moved their pieces a certain way, if they had a certain demeanor of calmness or confidence that just made it look like they would win. Come to find out, none of that matters. Anybody can be good at chess, it's all in the brain, and chess of all games/ sports is one you can't tell from the outside whether someone's a good player or not (as opposed to dodgeball or physical sorts, you can tell how tall someone is, how fast they're running, or how hard they throw a ball). But yes, at some small psychological level I want black to strike fear into my opponents, much more than like a pink shirt with flowery patterns or a T-shirt that says "Anti-social social club" or something corny. Feel like the intimidation factor goes down quickly from there and the "this guy is a clown" vibe goes up.