Reflection on Three Portkeys

Muse in the Mundane

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:54:58 -0700

Even Kung Fu Masters have to do Tax
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“Where is Sifu today?”

The Taekwondo black belt instructor asked Mason, our Taichi teacher. He was referring to Sifu Fong, the grand master who oversees both the Taichi and martial arts programs at UC Berkeley.

“He had to take care of taxes for the non-profit.” Mason replied. And then he looked at us with a smile. “Yep, even kung fu masters have to do tax.”

Sky, Plain, Dark Night

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This post is my entry for the BlogBlog 同樂會 March 2026 theme: 理想的日常 (Perfect days), hosted by Alex Hsu. If you have your own blog, come join us!

Two days ago was my birthday, which means I’ve already spent 40 years on planet Earth! Which also implies that I probably only have half the duration left to wander and live and experience on this pale blue dot.

How Many More Times Can I See Sunrise?

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What’s the last time you saw a sunrise?

Sunsets are relatively easy to catch even if most people don’t pay much attention to. But most people have way fewer encounters of sunrise. I can count four sunrise moments I remember and each memory is vivid with details and colors.

#1 Sunrise at Mount Hengshan (南岳衡山)
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When I was a kid, my mom took me to visit the famous mountain 南岳衡山. We stayed near Banshan Pavilion (the area halfway up the peak), and got up around 3am to hike to the top for sunrise. I don’t know if that’s my first sunrise experience, but it’s the earliest one I can remember. I remember we had to wear rented long winter jackets though it’s in summer time. We hiked in the half-dark and reached the top around 5am. I remember the Sun looked like an extremely red egg yolk, slowly poking above the mountains, and then suddenly jumped out from the horizon.