Issues under Tissues

You know the feeling when you walk into a restaurant and you sense that you will come back again because it has an authentic, simple vibe produced by the place itself and the people in there? This is that sort of place, where I will return again to taste the high quality soba with a smile. I can feel the heart of the chef when I see the bowl of soba in front of me, with a delicate touch of a tiny piece of citrus skin placed on top of the dish, bringing out the calming aesthetics of this duck meat soba. The golden plate it uses to put fresh green onions draws my attention to not only gaze at it but feel the texture of it with my fingers. Who doesn’t love golden color on Monday blues?
I was eating my bowl of soba while listening to the “su-su-su” sound made by a Japanese family who sit on the next table. They are regulars for sure as they had a conversation with the chef, who told the old man he was not allowed to have tempura when they ordered (lol). The lady praised that the soba was cut nicely. And the chef responded with a joke, saying that “it’s tiring to cut them, you know” to show his humbleness and appreciation.
Gochiso-sama-desh*ta! Will be back for sure!

Graduation day at Sophia University today! A big CONGRATULATIONS for completing one of the most important things in life! 💙💚💜

For my English lit students: The world doesn't just need builders and coders but also interpreters. And that's what you really are! 🌈

I am excited to announce that my book will be introduced in the multi-species connections podcast organized by the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE) on March 13! Please join us if you have time! The podcast will also be available on YouTube afterwards! 💚

“What makes sensations so forceful is that they are lived experiences, not intellectual abstractions.” (7)

“Sensations reinforce each other, play off each other and, at times, contradict each other - as when something that looks heavy feels light or when something that smells delicious turns out to taste disgusting. They are part of an interactive web of experience, rather than each being slotted into a separate sensory box.” (5)

To be continued 📚💚

Reading David Howes’s Sensorium allows me to understand the crucial interrelation between the senses and the culture we are embedded within. I also find the comparisons on how senses are perceived and prioritized between the Western and non-Western societies (China, Japan, India, Mexico) super interesting! I am glad that the world is still full of diverse cultures and sensory experiences or else it will be a rather dull, un-sensual, limited dimensional world that lacks creativity and imagination. In short, to live is to feel-think, smell-see, taste-touch, and more 💚

Borrowed some books today from Sophia uni library! The scent of (old) books at the library archive is my favorite smell ever 🥰

Here are some excellent student works from 2025 fall semester! 💮 Available on my website (link in bio) > Teaching > Student Work

Happy reading!

My first publication with English Literature Department at Sophia University! 🌻💙💚💛
Full text will be available on my website soon 📚

Reading this collection of short stories now. Already got some good ones to use for my classes! 🔥

Took a set of photos at Sophia last month and I’m pleased with the result 💛😃

Just finish reading The Night Tiger 🐅 by , a Chinese Malaysian writer who is based in the States of America. Reading the book, I felt as though I was transported back to Malaya in the 1930s during the British colonization of Malaysia and Singapore. I also find those descriptions of local cuisine, gender differences, Malay superstition about finger and tiger, Chinese superstition about numbers, luck, and marriage so relevant and familiar that they truly speak for our Chinese Malaysian culture. Its multiple storylines also adds depth and richness to my enjoyment of the book. 💚
This book is a must-read if you’re into (Chinese) Malaysian literature!