今天，我喝完了Grace送我的桃林绿茶，我能品到清涩绿茶带来的快意，所以我很喜欢喝这茶。我还记得Grace送茶时的话：“我这次回山东听到老家产茶就请表姐买了几包带回美国送人。”

我的茶多是别人送的，我还有一包Grace送的金骏眉。

Shirah，一个在日本长大的以色列女孩，很喜欢Grace的金骏眉。Grace和Shirah都是女儿在美东麻州的Brandeis大学的同学，她们相识在2018年。2020年到2022年三年疫情，宅家令、商店关门、国际留学生滞留校园让我们有机会成了好朋友，因为我们在Waltham常小聚。我们在Grace家小聚饭后品茶时，Shirah会要一杯金骏眉，可我喝不出它的好。我现在也不常喝金骏眉。

两周前，我约了Xfinity的技术员早上9点来安装Wi-Fi。那天来了两位，一位是安全监督员，负责观摩技术员操作是否安全合规，另一位是干活的技术员。技术员在屋里屋外看了一圈后告诉我：“我要从Xfinity高高的主轴线上拉一条分线出来，要在墙上安装一个盒子固定住分出来的线，要在墙角打洞把分线引进家里，要在家里安装调试转换器……”

因为订购和预约Wi-Fi服务都是在网上没见到活人，听着技术人员的解释，我突然觉得这人工上门服务难得又亲切。想到他们会在后园忙一上午，我去厨房泡了两杯金骏眉拿到后园放在双人椅子上，还放了一个装满开水的保温壶。我告诉技术员：“这是中国的高端红茶，我泡了两杯给你们尝，希望你们喜欢。”

Grace送我的的高端红茶招待了两位异族之后，我从营造的人间烟火味中感受到友情的醇香，唤起好多我和Grace及家人在美东麻州和美西加州相聚的甜蜜场景。我今年的除夕夜就是在Grace家和她的先生、公婆、以及好友一家一起度过的。

一周前，我决定染头发。我买的天然染发粉要茶水调制成泥。因为调制和染发的过程很漫长，染发粉用茶水调制后要静放四个小时，涂在头发上还保留两个小时，我翻出一筒朋友送的还没有开封的大师专供古树红茶来泡茶水调制染发泥。这高档茶水调制出来染发泥染发效果很好，女儿在视频上专门表扬了我的头发染得好。茶盲的我体会到红茶可饮可涂的功能就有小小的喜悦。

独自在家独白的机会很多，我在喝最后的桃林绿茶时的独白唤起好多养心的记忆，感恩友情！

故事小花絮

我在美东麻州Waltham结识的年轻人：
Grace的故事。
Lou的故事。
Shirah的故事。

2025年12月30日早上，我有机会和休假的儿子像老朋友一样闲聊玩游戏、《基督山伯爵》的结尾，岁月不饶人……很独立的话题，也很难忘很享受。

儿子问我：“你开车戴太阳镜了吧？”

起因是12月1日我出了车祸。那天我开车遇到太阳光直射双眼发黑，我把车停下后又缓慢移动，结果撞到前面一辆SUV的左后尾。SUV只被撞了一点，可我的车报废了。当儿子听到我出车祸的原因后很理解地说：“我也有过这个感觉，太阳光让双眼发黑，但是如果你戴上太阳镜也许能避免这个车祸。”

所以他现在问我开车戴墨镜没有。

车祸过去快一个月了，我想起来还是心有余悸，如果被撞伤了，不知要给有三个小宝宝的女儿添多少乱。我觉得应该随身带着墨镜就回答道：“今天没戴。我要记住把墨镜和钱包放一起出门总带上，需要时就能戴。”

我给儿子分析车祸的自身原因说：“我觉得是年纪大了脑袋不灵才有这个车祸。”

儿子说：“你多思考，脑袋也许就会灵光。”

想到他还不知道60岁的感觉，我就给他讲了一个60岁上班族的故事，2015年在Paypal：

“我在产品构建发布系统干活。在整个团队集中搬到二楼之前，老板Stan的小组零星地分散在一楼。我邻座有一位微胖高大看上去快六十的人总是独来独往。有一天，我和他在走廊上闲聊知道他是一位合同制的开发人员。此后，我们在走廊上遇到就会打个招呼聊几句。

”看到他总是慢悠悠的不忙，我问他：‘你在哪个轻松的部门做开发呀？’

“他说：‘负责诊断（triage）产品构建发布系统的故障，属于招之即来、来之就上的工作。如果没人报故障就不忙。’

“我从聊天中逐渐知道他干这份活其实很累，因为内部系统报故障多在下午，而他到下午就没精力了。

“50岁的我无法理解‘一到下午就没精力’的感觉，就问他：‘你下午喝咖啡能提神吗？’

”他说：‘下午喝多了咖啡晚上睡不着。’

“我就好奇地问：‘你怎么办呀？’

”他举起手上拿着的易拉罐说：‘我每天下午都要喝几罐这种能量饮料。’

我一直以为运动员在强化锻炼时才喝能量饮料，没想到我身边60多岁的开发人员在下午要喝能量饮料才能干活，很是吃惊。”

儿子听完我的故事还是不太理解年龄带来的脑袋不灵和精力不足，看来“岁月不饶人”是一岁一岁地丰富起来的感觉，代沟真是年龄和经历之差的结果。我两年前开始体会到下午的精力不如上午好之后，才想起那位每天下午要喝能量饮料才能干活的60多岁的同事。

我又告诉儿子：“四、五年前在麻州Waltham，我可以一边开车一边玩Pokemon Go。”

儿子说：“那很危险！”

我说：“是的，不过我从来没出过事。我现在根本不敢开车玩Pokemon Go，因为我的脑袋、眼睛、手指没有从前那种敏捷协调了。”

可怜天下父母心，我忍不住对儿子说：“所以人要趁着年轻脑袋灵光的时候多学点。”

儿子听到后笑了。

母子聊妈妈的车祸的油管小视频。

关于车祸：

（车祸现场）

（报废了的开了十多年的敞篷车）

2025年12月30日，我和休假的儿子像老朋友一样闲聊玩游戏的故事和闲聊《基督山伯爵》结尾的故事。

一周前的今天，也是去年的最后一个周二，我和休假的儿子一起闲聊了几个小时，很难忘很享受。

不用再扮演唠叨说教的妈妈角色，我们像老朋友一样聊玩游戏、聊《基督山伯爵》，聊岁月不饶人……很独立的话题。我们聊玩游戏，没想到聊到学习，还发现一个有趣的现象。

我们现在都没有时间玩Pokemon Go了。想到儿子从前每周一次在网上和朋友玩游戏，我就问他：“你还上网玩游戏吗？”

他说：“当爸爸后就不上网玩游戏了，空闲时用CSharp开发自己喜欢玩的游戏。”

知道他原来用Python开发游戏，我问道：“为什么要从Python换到CSharp？”

他说：“因为CSharp开发的游戏跑得更快页面也更好看，还有Unity提供了IDE和游戏引擎的整体系统。”

他本科时学过R，一个专门为统计分析、数据可视化和科研计算而设计的编程语言。我还记得他演示他写的R程序时必须给我解释好多数学术语就问他：“还在用R吗？”

他说：“没有，我那时没有学懂R。如果现在再学R，我肯定能学懂。”

我好奇地问道：“为什么？”

当了几年中学数学老师的儿子很注意也很善于把他的意思表达清楚，他回答道：“我上研究生后才真正体会到学习的乐趣。你知道我从小成绩就很一般。”

我非常开心在美西加州San Jose儿子家里听到这一席话，因为几年前，我在美东麻州Waltham女儿的家里听女儿说过类似的话。

那次我们闲聊读书和工作以及学科专业和入职行业不对口，我有点担心地问女儿：“你花了六、七年的时间学古代语言，你觉得值得吗？”

她想了想很认真地说：“我上高中时学法语和哑语都很吃力。读研究生时学德语就不觉得吃力了，因为我更会学习了。”

她随即给我解释了外国人考德文的级别有A1：初始级，A2：初级，B1：中级，B2：中高级，C1：高级，C2:最高级，并告诉我她考过了C1。

想到这里，我告诉儿子：“几年前艾琳曾说过类似的话，而且我也有同感。很有趣的发现。”

我没有想出解释这现象的理由就问儿子：“为什么我们读研究生时才学会学习？”

儿子说：“我们的大脑发育成熟大概比较慢，因为大脑发育成熟了，学新东西自然就容易了。”

我很喜欢他地解释，连连点头认可。

从前，我陪女儿和儿子玩Pokemon Go的故事（2016年在旧金山）。然后我和他们一起玩Pokemon Go的故事（2021年在波士顿）。

我上班时，周五比平常更轻快，五天辛苦工作换来的两天休息就要兑现了，公司里就有“快乐周五（Happy Friday）”的文化。因为这种上班族文化，我留下了打工时的周五乐：去玩游戏（室外的和室内的）、去酒吧（下午的和晚上的）、去吃饭（中式的和美式的）……至今记忆犹新。

离开职场后，我一直在努力“把琐碎的日子过出新意”。我在周五会想到“快乐周五”文化，并为此多多努力，坚持快十年了。

常听一位出差多的专家说：“再疲劳泡泡澡就能焕然一新”，也听一位运动达人说泡Jacuzzi（水力按摩池）能放松肌肉缓解情绪。

我在实践中享受到泡澡的功效后就在十月份中旬宣布每周五要泡个澡放松的计划，女儿也常在周五提醒我泡个澡。

今天周五，我泡完澡后觉得饿就想弄一点简单暖和的东西吃。

想到冰箱里有准备炒回锅肉的五花熟肉、有准备凉拌的泡在汤里熟鸡肉、还有芥菜和白菜，我就决定用女儿刚买的龙须面做一个鸡汤面。

烧上水后，我把芥菜和白菜洗净切段，还切了三四片五花熟肉。我又去前院摘了几棵冬天长得慢也长得结实的小葱回家洗净。切小葱时闻到浓郁的葱香很愉悦，知道这快意是干活之人的福利，想起第一次意识到这种福利是在碾磨黑芝麻自制汤圆馅时。干活时唤醒充满嗅觉享受的记忆很滋润。

水烧开了，我先放芥菜和白菜煮开后，才放龙须面，按说明待水开后再煮八分钟。

此间我拿了两瓣紫皮大蒜剥皮切片。我对紫皮大蒜有独爱，因为叶姨说过：“紫皮大蒜的蒜味浓。”

我夹了几块鸡肉，舀了几勺鸡汤，还特地捞了鸡汤上面的油放进我喜欢的“家是心之所在（Home is Where the Heart is）”大瓷碗。接着捞起煮熟的面和菜放进大碗，加上五花肉片、葱花、蒜片。

想到我从CostCo买的准备出门当午餐的12个咸鸭蛋还没机会用，我把一个咸鸭蛋切成四份放进碗里。

想起在美东麻州的Waltham时听女儿的同学Shirah说过：“鸡肉里多加点盐就会好吃。”我往鸡汤面里多加了点盐，没放酱油，做了一份好看的清汤面。

清汤面配一杯清酒的晚餐准备好了。

30多分钟做出的美食好看也好吃，我忍不住得瑟一下：“若能随心、随意、随时做出一顿简易可口的自助餐，定能享受到创意实现、食欲满足的成就感。” 忘了提制作过程唤起的充满人间烟火的温馨回忆和漂浮的食材释放的嗅觉享受。

努力“把琐碎的日子过出新意”带来周五乐。

小花絮

“把琐碎的日子过出新意”计划开始的那一天（2016-06）。

八年前，会老朋友和招待小朋友的周五快乐故事（2017-06）。

有些食材带来的嗅觉享受，比如碾磨黑芝麻时散发的香味浓郁扑鼻，是干活人的福利，与吃客无缘的故事（2018-03）。

泡澡很舒服要学会定期享用的故事（2025-09）。

今天是重阳节，属于我的节日，但我没有活动。静下来重温两个难忘的重阳节：一个有家门前开了好久的牵牛花，唤起我是妈妈计划打掉的孩子的故事；另一个有美东绚丽的秋色，让我体会到自然风光的醉人是集景观、景声、景息和景情于一体的醉的故事。

这两天的一位新闻人物是60后，我知道他和他的新闻都来自家人，所以今年的重阳致敬他，郑智化。

我第一次知道郑智化是听《水手》和《星星点灯》，在2021年4月疫情期的波士顿，在未来的女婿Alex的车上。那天我们看完Alex在Charles河上玩帆船后坐他的车去餐馆的路上听到了那两首歌。第一次听到这么有节奏有力量的歌，我就好奇地问了几句。Alex说：“这是我是当学生时喜欢上的流行歌。” 他还说歌手本人有残疾所以歌词就更感人。

我第二次看到郑智化是这两天，在嫂子的朋友圈分享中。

因为嫂子的缘故，让不爱看闹剧的我认真地读了两篇文章，了解到他为残疾人发声而引火烧身的新闻。

以他三十多年前流行的《水手》《星星点灯》代表作为基准，我觉得郑智化为少数群体发声带来的起伏波折剧情有某种测试功能：测心底的慈悲、测思考的价值、测共情的普世、测随波的逐流、测社会的温度……

《星星点灯》的歌词：
想起小时候
心灵是那么的纯粹
没有悲伤
没有那所谓的压力和负担

总是觉得
自己像个英雄
可以拯救这个世界
也能拥有整个宇宙
……
星星点灯 照亮我的家门
让迷失的孩子找到来时的路
星星点灯 照亮我的前程
用一点光 温暖孩子的心

在属于60后的重阳节，“用一点光 温暖孩子的心”很简单也很真挚，致敬60后郑智化！

小花絮

2020年10月，重阳节早上开的牵牛花，开了两天，到10月26日才凋谢。那花期异常长的牵牛仿佛缠绵地呼唤着我心中的妈妈，让我想我是妈妈计划打掉的故事。

2021年4月，去Charles河边看Alex玩帆船的故事。

2021年10月，重阳节在新罕布什尔州的水槽峡谷赏秋的故事。

在两个周日躺平泡澡体会到泡澡的舒适和爽悦后，我就把躺平泡澡的日程挪到周五了，因为不想占用上班族的休息日休息时间。

今天周五阳光灿烂，我原计划上午泡澡，结果想做的事太多到傍晚才泡上澡。

上午，我去附近的Cunningham Lake公园跑步观光感受十月的本地风光。我沿着湖边跑步，一路上行人很少。我看到一位走在我前面的可疑之人，他一只手戴着塑料手套，另一手拎着一个大大的棕色牛皮纸袋。我直觉他要干一件有预谋又不太光彩的事。路过他之后，我想到上世纪七十年代小学生的我很敬佩的小英雄刘文学和他14岁时跟踪阻止一个坏分子偷辣椒被杀的事迹；我觉得刘文学是一个缺乏生命力的榜样，耳顺的我不再认为他的事迹值得宣传学习。

湖边的树还是绿叶葱葱、湖面倒映着清晰的树木和亭子，水面从远处墨绿到近处黄绿变化着，我恍然看到九寨沟五彩湖了，觉得一个人享受大自然风光的天马行空很奇妙。我远远地听到一只“嘎嘎嘎”大声叫唤的鸭子，走过树木遮挡着的湖面来到宽阔的水面，水上和天上众多的鸟类和它们嘈杂的声音让这里充满了生机。我好奇地顺着声音寻找那一直在叫唤的鸭子，看到一只漂亮的白鸭独自在湖面上晃悠着。我停下来看着它，它朝着我的方向游来，我继续看着它游走，感受到一种逍遥。

不禁想起美东麻州Waltham附近的Charles河上的白天鹅和美东秋意浓的景色，带着见识过的足矣！

（美东水槽峡谷的秋色，新罕布什尔州，2021年）

出门观光，触景唤醒的应景应季的过往经历真的很滋养心灵！

下午，我挖坑上肥把红玫瑰从花盆挪到地里，希望明年后园的金银花更茂盛，玫瑰花更繁荣，重现我儿时家门前花园的模样：一蓬金银花，一棵红玫瑰。今年夏天从北京回来，我惊喜地看到扦插在花盆的一棵红玫瑰在一个很特别的日子花开了，花瓣重叠花香沁人。我觉得这红玫瑰花悦人有灵性，就计划把它和种下快一年的金银花搭配重现儿时的花园。

我在窗外选了一个阳光充裕邻近金银花的地方后上报女儿得到许可，我按建议等到十月，适合下栽的季节，把红玫瑰从盆里挪到地里。我也给桃树上肥加土了。挖土施肥实现了一个规划也累出了一身臭汗很有成就感，随后躺平泡澡也更享受。

小花絮

2025年，周日躺平的前因后果之一。

2025年，周日躺平的前因后果之二。

2024年，我家花园的桃树有故事。

2024年，我想重现儿时记忆中我家花园有红玫瑰有金银花的故事。

2021年10月，美东赏秋在新罕布什尔州的水槽峡谷。

2021年10月，美东赏秋在新罕布什尔州的白山。

今天周日，女儿早上看到我不舒服的样子就让我休息不用动手干活。我就决定泡个澡放松，因为昨晚刚听运动达人分享泡Jacuzzi（水力按摩池）能放松肌肉缓解情绪，还因为一位常年在外的专家曾分享出差再疲劳回家泡泡澡就能焕然一新的故事。

我泡完澡后身体暖和了，精神也有了，赶快吃了一粒Advil稳定强化舒适感。

身体的不适少了，闲情思绪就多了。我开始复盘身体不适的过程，觉得起因是周五晚上用冷水洗了一大篮子野果和一大篮子野菜后手受凉所至。因为我几年前也曾因双手长时间接触凉水而大病一场，在美东麻州Waltham的六月天。那天我包了两个多小时的粽子，双手一直在和凉水打交道：从凉水中拿起冰凉的粽叶裹成圆锥形，然后放入冰凉滴水的糯米，再放入腌好的冰凉的五花肉块，最后用线紧紧地把冰冷的粽子包起。包完粽子后我浑身就觉得很冷很冷，第二天就大病一场。我后知后觉三年疫情期的病毒都很凶猛，遇到后都很惨烈。

周五晚上洗了野果野菜后我觉得体寒没在意。

周六早上，我和女儿按常规一起陪三个宝宝出去玩，这次是去城里的农贸市场和儿童乐园。虽然加州的秋天艳阳高照繁花似锦，但早晚温差大了。早上穿着不御寒的镂空亚麻长袖出门，我受了点凉；中午回家坐在被太阳下晒了几个小时的车上，我又被热到；这一凉一热，我午睡后起床就感到身体不适。

周六晚上，我们受邀去大厨家享受了一顿丰盛美食，酒足饭饱回家后，我开始畏寒疲乏，吃了Advil就躺下了。

周日早上，女儿让我躺平，我没有想到这是在挤掉上班族的休息时间，结果是上班族忙碌了一天。

我躺平复盘身体不适的总结：深刻认识到加州的秋天早晚温差大、要多穿点；牢牢记住在夜里，双手不要长时间接触凉水；切身体会到泡澡的治愈力，要学会定期享用。

有因有果的周日躺平，难得值得。

小花絮

上周的“周五乐”故事。

2022年6月，因为双手长时间接触凉水而大病一场的故事。

In late July, I went on a four-day Japanese tour. Our first trip was one-day in Tokyo, and the highlight of my day was eating crepes at our last stop, Takeshita in Tokyo, which came as a surprise to me.

Unexpected encounters on a trip could easily surprise me. And when the surprise is connected to one of my favorite foods that was first tasted at a faraway place, the encounter becomes a story that I will tell repeatedly later. Food preserves beautiful memories which are rich and vivid.

I like crepes because it contains the Sichuan flavor that I am familiar with. Enjoying crepes is always a warm and sweet experience for me, because crepes cross my European, American, and Asian memories.

Our tour group visited Takeshita Street, our last stop of our one-day Tokyo tour, for a free activity. I strolled along the over 300-meter-long short street and looked around randomly without purpose. The small shops along with the crowds on the street reminded me of Chunxi Road in Chengdu in China in the 1980s. While strolling on Chunxi Road in Chengdu, I was a poor college student with a strong desire to buy things. Now strolling on Takeshita in Tokyo, I am a contented 60-year-old without worldly desires. I said to myself: “Time flies quickly and time has refined me nicely!”

Strolling freely amidst the bustling crowd, a small crepes shop caught my eye, because crepes awaken the happy moments I shared with my daughter vividly. I had my first taste of crepes which was bought for me by my daughter, in Wuerzburg, Germany. In 2017, at the Country Inn Cafe in San Jose California, I ordered a fruit crepes, chatted with my daughter while eating, and made a deep connection for crepes. In 2021, at my daughter’s friend’s house in Waltham, Massachusetts, I enjoyed Rachel’s home-made crepes with a variety of savory and sweet fillings alongside my son. I suddenly remembered that when I was studying in Chengdu, I went to Chunxi Road to eat egg-baked cakes, which I defined as Sichuan style crepes.

With these memories in mind, I happily went to the Tokyo shop, stood in line, and bought a basic crepes. I held the crepes as a souvenir to take photos on Takeshita Street joyfully.

(Two entrances of the Takeshita Street, the crepes I enjoyed on Takeshita Street.)

My daughter is always in my memory of crepes. Eating Japanese style crepes on Takeshita Street in Tokyo Japan also has my daughter’s present, as she planned this Japanese trip for me.

There are many stories about our one-day in Tokyo, but enjoying crepes is my favorite story today, which shows I am a high-end foodie.

After enjoying the crepes, I felt that the taste of crepes all over the world are similar: juicy, delicate, and soft. Crepes can be folded, rolled, and paired with various fillings, to easily present the charm of delicious food.

（The set of fruit crepes I ordered in the Country Inn Cafe in San Jose California in 2017.）

（The set of fruit crepes I made for myself in Rachel’s house in Waltham Massachusetts in 2021.）

One day tour in Tokyo

Our Japanese tour group consists of 14 people who are originally from California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Washington, all states from the United States. Our tour guide is an Indian with a Japanese green card. He is short, wears earrings, has a shaved head and a goatee beard. Because he wears pants in the sagging style of high school boys in the United States, I had difficulty guessing his real age.

Our one-day tour in Tokyo started at 10am. Under the scorching sun, the tour guide took us for a quick visit of the Imperial Palace East Garden, where the large stone walls were eye-catching. While bypassing the large stone wall, I saw that there were gaps and cracks between the stones, and I felt that the masonry process was very rough and could not be compared to the seamless masonry process of the giant stones in the Inca era Sun Temple in Cusco, Peru. The experience of previous traveling has been awakened during a journey, this is a truly satisfying pleasure for a traveler. I think the ancient people liked to show their strength by playing with giant stones, such as Stonehenge in Britain, Machu Picchu in Peru, Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area in China, and the stone wall of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

（Our tour group approaching the big stone wall while visiting the Imperial Palace East Garden in Tokyo.）

（The stone chamber in the Inca era Sun Temple in Cusco, Peru, 11-2023.）

Afterwards, we went to Asakusa Temple/Nakami Sei for free activities and individual lunch.

Asakusa Temple is small and crowded with people; Nakamise street is short with small shops along both sides. We went to the temple to pay money to shake bamboo tubes to seek fortune, and went to small shops filled with eye-catching goods for purchase on Nakamise street. The atmosphere here was very harmonious because visitors could easily obtain spiritual and material satisfaction in close proximity to one another.

I went to a small restaurant on the street near Asakusa Temple and asked for Wagyu beef, the waitress recommended the Black Haired Wagyu set meal, which cost over 5000 yen. She brought to me a serving tray with many dishes and bowls, and the Black Haired Beef was even placed with a piece of paper indicating “黑毛和牛” on the top. Each dining table is equipped with an open flame stone pan. The waitress lit up the pan on my table and told me, “If you’re not used to half cooked beef, please use the pan to fully cook it.” She also explained various beef dipping methods to me. At the table next to me sat an elegantly dressed elderly lady, and we studied each other silently using eye contact. I guessed she is a local.

After lunch, our tour group gathered at the Asakusa Temple, then took the subway to Shibuya to experience the Shibuya “Scramble Crossing”, when light is green, people flood the intersection from all directions. I felt this sightseeing is a bit boring, as I was grew up in crowded crowds in China and I don’t understand how a flood with people place became a tourist attraction. While crossing the road in a dense crowd, I saw a pretty lady asking four friends to take photos of her posture in the crowd from different directions. Imagining her “high” appearance from different angles in the photo, I smiled.

Then, we took the subway from Shibuya to Harajuku Takeshita for free activities, which brought me memories of and new stories of crepes, so I was overjoyed.

(Photo collections: Today’s weather in Tokyo, taking the subway, I’m at Asakusa Temple, my black haired Wagyu lunch, strolling around Nakami District, crossing Shibuya Cross Road, and at the entrance of Takeshita Road.)

Our Tour Guide

He has never been to the United States and speaks fluent American English because he attended a bilingual school in English and Japanese since childhood. After graduating from high school, he went to Canada to attend university for a year and missed home. He returned to Japan to attend Tmple University, where students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in four years, but he said it took him six years to graduate. After getting his bachelor degree, he became a tour guide, then the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. He had to switch to a job doing bilingual telephone services. Now, being a tour guide is his side job, and he is 31 years old single without a girlfriend. He has a younger sister who was studying remotely from home during the pandemic when she was in college. She is very good at studying and graduated in four years. She immediately started working in the government and recently switched jobs to a large energy company in Japan because corporate pays higher than the government does. They live with their father, who is an engineer, and their father cooks at home because their mother has passed away. His father has a car. he and his sister use public transportation as they don’t have cars.

今年七月下旬，我去日本跟团游。第一天是东京一日游，没想到亮点是在最后一个景点，故事是吃薄煎饼。

旅途中的意外容易给我带来惊喜，若惊喜与我心念念的美食相连就是一个我喜欢反复讲的故事，因为美食留住美的回忆很丰满生动。

我喜欢吃薄煎饼，吃我熟悉的川味，吃出暖流涓涓、清欢淡淡、记忆流淌的效果。

今天傍晚，东京游的最后一个站在原宿竹下区，是自由活动。我在300多米长的竹下通随意漫步东看西看。不大的店铺和拥挤的人流让我想起上世纪80年代的成都春熙路。我逛春熙路时是一个购物欲强的清贫大学生，我逛竹下通已经是一个清心寡欲的耳顺人，暗叹岁月对我提炼有方！

没有目的地漫步在熙熙攘攘的人流中，一家Crepes（薄煎饼）小店让我眼睛一亮，因为薄煎饼总能清晰地唤起记忆深处我和女儿在一起的快乐时光。首吃薄煎饼是在德国维尔兹堡，女儿给我买的；2017年在美西加州俺们屯的美式餐厅（Country Inn Cafe），我点了一个水果薄煎饼，与女儿边吃边聊，聊出我对薄煎饼的感情；2021年在东部麻州Waltham女儿的朋友家，儿子也在，我们吃Rachel的私家薄煎饼，馅有荤有素随意自选。我突然想起在成都念书时是去春熙路吃蛋烘糕，我的川味薄煎饼。我应时就地随兴开心地去排队买了一个薄煎饼当纪念品拍照留念。

（2025年，我在日本东京原宿竹下通买的薄煎饼。）

我的薄煎饼记忆里总有女儿。在东京原宿竹下通吃日式薄煎饼也有女儿的身影，因为这是她为我计划的旅程。

东京一日游的故事不少，但吃薄煎饼是我最喜欢的故事，一瞥吃商高人的高吃商。

今天吃完薄煎饼后，我觉得全世界的薄煎饼味道都差不多，饼本身湿润细腻柔软，可叠、可卷、可配搭各种各样的馅、可轻松吃出美食的风采。

（2017年，我在美西加州俺们屯的美式早餐店点的薄煎饼。）

（2021年，我在Rachel家自己配搭的一个薄煎饼。）

东京一日游

日本跟团游，我们是一个来自美国加州、佛洲、俄州、密州、华洲的14人小团。我们的导游是一位有日本绿卡的印度籍小伙子，小个子、带着耳环、剃个光头、留着胡子，他把长裤穿成美国高中男生的垮裆式，就让我猜不出他的实际年龄。

东京一日游是上午十点开启，导游带着我们在烈日下蜻蜓点水皇居东御苑，大石墙很醒目。路过大石墙时，我看到大石之间的缝隙很大还有裂处，觉得垒砌工艺很粗糙无法与秘鲁库斯科的印加时代太阳神庙里的巨石无缝垒砌工艺相比。旅游的曾经见识，在旅途中被唤醒，这是很实在欣慰的享受。我觉得古人喜欢通过玩弄巨石来显示实力，英国的巨石阵、秘鲁的马丘比丘、中国的乐山大佛、东京皇居东御苑的石墙都是实例。

（我们团员参观皇居东御苑时一起走向大石墙。）

（2023年11月，秘鲁库斯科的印加时代太阳神庙里的石室。）

(2014年6月25日，英国巨石阵。）

随后，我们到浅草寺/仲见世自由活动吃午餐。

浅草寺很小，人山人海；仲见世很短，店小拥挤。去寺里掏钱摇竹筒求大富大贵的吉签，去玲琅满目的小店买买买，这个消费快人气足的地方气氛很融洽，因为游人很容易得到精神和物质上的满足。

我去浅草寺附近一家路边小店点和牛肉，店员推荐黑毛和牛套餐，5000多日元，端来碟碟碗盘好多，黑毛牛肉还特意放上一张纸表明“黑毛和牛”。每张餐桌都配一个明火石头煎盘，店员把我桌上的煎盘点上火后告诉我：“如果不习惯半生和牛肉，请用石盘煎熟。” 她还讲解了和牛肉的各种蘸法。我邻桌是一位素装优雅的高龄女士，我们彼此用眼神无言地观察了对方，我估计她是本地人。

我们集合后一起坐地铁去涩谷“全向十字路口”看有人气的世界奇观，我觉得有点无聊。也许是从小在拥挤的人群中长大，我不理解人山人海能成为旅游景点。我随着密集的人流横穿马路时，见一位美女让四位同伴从不同角度拍下她在人流中的姿态，想象着她在照片上来自不同角度“嗨”的模样，我乐了。随后我们从涩谷坐地铁到原宿竹下区自由活动，带来了薄煎饼的记忆和新故事，很开心。

（天气、坐地铁、我在浅草寺、吃黑毛和牛午餐、逛仲见世、过涩谷十字路、在竹下通路口景集。）

导游的故事

他从未到过美国，说一口流利的美式英语，因为他从小上英文日文的双语学校。他高中毕业去加拿大念了一年大学，因为不适应，回日本上日本天普大学。一般人四年本科毕业，他说他花了六年毕业。毕业后刚当导游就遇到疫情爆发，只好改行做电话双语服务，现在做导游是他的副业，今年31岁单身没有女朋友。他有一个妹妹，上大学时正赶上疫情，在家远程上学，很会读书，四年毕业，马上在政府入职，最近刚跳槽去一个日本的大能源公司，因为收入比在政府高多了。他们兄妹俩和当工程师的父亲住一起，家里是爸爸做饭，因为妈妈已经过世。他爸爸开车上下班，他和妹妹都没车，公交通行。

薄煎饼花絮

2017年，在美西加州俺们屯的美式餐厅（Country Inn Cafe），女儿和我共进早餐聊薄煎饼的故事。

2021年，在美东麻州Waltham，女儿、儿子和我在Rachel家吃她的薄煎饼的故事。

When my parents came to visit us in the United States during April 1997, we were living in an apartment near 19th Avenue in Daly City, close to Golden Gate Park. The Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park was free to enter at the time and my mother, who loves flowers, especially liked the flowers and plants in the park. Unfortunately, since I was busy working as a newly hired software engineer in a small startup company and had a long commute from Daly City to Novato City in Marin County, we couldn’t visit Golden Gate Park very often.

At the end of 1997, after my family moved from Daly City to East San Jose, I changed jobs to work at Lattice Semiconductor, a programmable chip hardware company. Since I was working in a hardware company as a software developer, my workload was much lighter now as the delivery cycle of software products was driven by the hardware chip delivery cycle which is usually slow. My father liked outdoor activities and my mother and I liked flowers, so I started to drive my parents and my daughter to the nearby parks to walk around and to see flowers almost every weekend. I still remember when my mother first walked in Overfelt Garden Park, she immediately pointed to the evergreen trees on our left side and said: “These are osmanthus trees. We can come here to smell the fragrance of osmanthus in the autumn.” It was my first time seeing osmanthus trees in the United States and I thought they were short, less than two meters high, unlike the tall osmanthus trees I saw in China before.

During the next autumn, in 1998, we went to Overfelt Park just to smell the fragrance of osmanthus. Although the silver osmanthus flowers were sparse and could not fill the air with fragrance, my mother stood among the osmanthus trees, putting her nose close to the silver flowers and said with a smile, “It smells very good!” This scene is engraved in my memory with the joy of my first autumn with the fragrance of osmanthus in the United States.

In November 1998, after my son was born, my mother went back to China alone due to illness and my father stayed with us to help me take care of my newborn son and kindergarten daughter. I often drove my father and two children to Overfelt Garden Park, as it was very close to our home. I remember the purple morning glories blooming at the entrance of the park in summer and the aggressive geese by the lakeside in spring.

In the summer of 2000, before my daughter entered third grade, my family moved to South San Jose for a better school district. After moving, I stopped visiting Overfelt Garden Park and the name of Overfelt Garden faded from my memory.

In the summer of 2018, I moved from San Jose, California to Waltham, Massachusetts to accompany my daughter’s Ph.D. study in Brandeis University. While talking with my son who lived in San Jose, California over the phone, I suddenly heard of Overfelt Garden Park again, because my son liked to play Pokemon Go and there were many Pokemon in Overfelt Garden Park. I remembered the sweet-scented osmanthus in Overfelt Garden and started to look for the sweet-scented osmanthus while enjoying the gorgeous autumn colors in the East Coast. Unfortunately, I never saw nor smelt the sweet-scented osmanthus.

In September 2022, after returning to Silicon Valley in California from Massachusetts with my daughter’s family, we lived in an apartment for a few months. I happened to see several huge trees with silver osmanthus blossoms across the street from our apartment. The trees were taller than a one-floor house. I frequently walked there to smell the sweet-scented osmanthus which reminded me of the osmanthus trees in Overfelt Garden Park again.

In early 2023, my daughter’s family moved from the apartment to a house in East San Jose. In September 2023, I visited Overfelt Garden Park again for the first time in more than twenty years to try to see and smell the sweet-scented osmanthus. Unfortunately, seeing that the sweet-scented osmanthus trees were gone made me sad, as the trees were an object far away from my hometown which reminded me of my late mother’s love for flowers.

I suddenly wanted to see the forest of osmanthus and smell the fragrance of osmanthus which filled the air, such a scene can only be found in Xindu Guihu, Sichuan in my memory.

My longing for the massive osmanthus scene was finally fulfilled in October 2024.

Seeing the flowers suddenly made me remember the time my Mom and Dad visited Overfelt Garden in the United States and made me smile. Seeing the flowers again brought me the same happiness I felt back then.

Postscript:

Before returning to China at the end of September 2024, through an alumni from Sichuan Normal University, I invited Sichuan’s gold medal tour guide Jiang Yu to plan a few days of travel for my aunts and uncles from my mother’s side in Zigong. I thought of Xindu Guihu, so I put this place on the itinerary. Unfortunately, my aunts and uncles did not want to stay overnight outside, so this plan fell through. Finally, I accompanied them on a one-day tour, chartered a six-seater business car for 1,000 yuan, and went to Lizhuang, Shunan Bamboo Sea, and Yibin.

The autumn colors in 2021

The White Mountains in New Hampshire:

The Flume Gorge in New Hampshire:

The North Bridge Conccord in Massachusetts:

The Gibbet Hill in Massachusetts:

In 2022, I encountered the silver osmanthus huge trees.

After my parents came to the United States, we moved from Daly City to East San Jose. All the memories and thoughts were written here after I read my late mother’s limerick (1998).

I have a long and interesting history of playing Pokemon Go with my children in San Francisco and in Boston here

In 2016, I had not thought of enjoying osmanthus in the golden autumn, but I enjoyed the of tasting golden osmanthus flowers in the golden autumn, as I had dried osmanthus at home. This is the story