When someone leaves a workplace, people often say, “big shoes to fill…” Are we saying that the person who has left was a clown 🤡?! 😄 ...

We were late to the New Year’s Eve fireworks. After the show, Tom said, “It’s quite short isn’t it?” 😄 Our poor planning meant we missed a third of the display. This year we left late and parked further away, making the round trip a good 2k walk. At least we’ve got our daily steps in. The traffic after the fireworks was horrible. We took the back roads instead. I’ve heard people congratulating each other on completing another year. I hadn’t thought about it that way. Very nice! 2026 is g...

我对童年的记忆，很多时候， 像是我站在里面，看窗外面的人来来去去。 我记得一些很奇怪的事情。 一些心情，一些味道，一些片段。 小时候，我不太擅长表达。 我什么都看不清楚。 谁是真的高兴，谁只是笑了一下； 哪些话说出口会改变气氛， 哪些沉默，会更安全。 岁月如流水一般，懵懵懂懂。 很多年里，我一直保持着， 不抢着说话，不急着下结论。 在事情变得复杂之前， 先给自己留一点空间。 现在回头看， 童年并没有教会我太多具体的道理， 它只是悄悄告诉我： 世界很吵，但你不一定要跟着吵。 这也是我写下这些文字的原因。 不是为了总结人生， 只是想把一些走过的时刻， 放在这边， 慢慢回味。 — 清九 ...

The morning was wet and cold. The kind that makes staying in bed feel reasonable. I stayed there, reading, while the news played in the background. Reports of war. Numbers rising. One video appeared again and again. A father handed his young daughter to a stranger, asking him to take her across the border, to her mother. He was staying behind, joining the defense of the capital. He held her tightly. Didn’t hide the tears. Then he pushed her toward the car. The door closed. It felt like ...

那件事发生的时候， 我并没有意识到它的意义。 它没有引起争执， 也没有改变什么安排。 只是如常地结束了。 当时，我甚至没有回头看。 日子继续向前。 新的事情出现， 旧的事情被覆盖。 那一刻，被自然地放进了过去。 很长一段时间里， 我都没有再想起它。 直到某一天， 在一个并不相似的场景里， 我突然停住了。 不是因为发生了同样的事， 而是因为我看见了 同样的反应。 那一刻，我才意识到—— 原来我一直带着它， 只是没有把它叫出来。 现在再回头看， 那件事本身并不复杂。 复杂的是， 我当时还站在它里面。 到后来， 我才慢慢明白它的意义 和身处围城中的我。 — 清九 ...

清晨的光还很柔， 洒进窗台的缝隙里。 我蜷在床上， 手里握着一本书， 却不时抬头看窗外的雨。 街道上很静， 只有偶尔的汽车声 像被拉长的呼吸。 我不知道自己为什么停下。 也不想去想。 只是静静地， 看着雨点在玻璃上汇成细流。 窗外的世界似乎与我无关， 却又无比接近。 我能看到一片叶子颤动， 听到远处有人说话， 感受到自己的呼吸和心跳。 那个早晨， 我没有做任何决定。 没有计划。 只是停在窗边。 时间悄悄过去， 而我还在那里。 — 清九 ...

The first post on Listed! I've been using Standard Notes everyday for years, and somehow, I didn't know it comes with a free blogging platform called Listed! Normally, I don't read the developer change logs when I update the mobile app. Today, I did, and now I'm writing this post. I'm starting another blog! I can't help it. I love the idea of writing and sharing stories, but I often lack determination. I've been a WordPress user in the past and I also host a website. I hope that because I ope...

Welcome to Qing Jiu, a space where personal thoughts and reflections come to life. Qing Jiu is my personal haven for sharing reflections and thoughts that emerge from life’s daily intricacies. Through writing, I find a way to process and appreciate the experiences that shape my world. Join me as I embark on this journey of introspection. I invite you to engage, reflect, and share your own thoughts as we navigate this path together. Your presence here means the world. In this newsletter, you wi...