Category Archives: travel

Utrecht: the Roman city of cyclists

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Anne Ku

In 2006, I moved to Utrecht, the fourth largest city in the Netherlands, eager to join the cyclists on the streets of cobblestones. For the previous two years I was commuting from Bussum, a village of 10,000, by train to … Continue reading →

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Dad’s favorite songs

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Anne Ku

The third Sunday in June is declared for Father’s Day, first celebrated in 1910 in the USA but not proclaimed as such until years later. Coincidentally, June 21st is also Summer Solstice, the longest day in the year, and thus a very important milestone for those who … Continue reading →

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A song for dad: diamonds and rust

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Anne Ku

My dad never hesitated to share titles of the songs he loved. In his last years, he took a liking to Youtube. One of his favorite singers was Joan Baez.

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Somewhere in time before iPhones

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Anne Ku

Before the iPhone, the video quality was not high definition. Before the iPhone, I wore a watch regularly. Sure, I always took it off whenever I practised the piano. Here is a video taken before I got my smartphone. It … Continue reading →

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Classical guitar: intimate, personal, and vulnerable

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Anne Ku

There is something intimate, personal, and vulnerable about sharing a space with a musician — unplugged. Such is the case of experiencing the classical guitar, which is a rare thing on Maui. Once a year Ben Verdery draws students and … Continue reading →

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Mandarin course on Maui 顧恩以教中文

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Anne Ku

I have been telling the same story for years. Chinese is much easier than English. Or rather, Chinese grammar is much easier than English. Or better, Chinese grammar is nearly non-existent.

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The two Cs

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Anne Ku

My dad warned me about the two Cs when I was leaving home for college. “Beware of chemistry,” he said.

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The making of a fan

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Anne Ku

As a musician, I was not aware of how to turn my audience into my fans until I became a fan myself. As a fan, I want to support the musician or musicians I’m a fan of. I want to … Continue reading →

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Dad’s iPad

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Anne Ku

On my brother’s last visit, he bought a new iPad for my father.  It sat unused until I showed up six months later in Taichung. Some ten years earlier, I had done the opposite. I first diagnosed that my father … Continue reading →

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The day the earth stood still

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Anne Ku

There are moments in your life that you will never forget. Ask anyone what they were doing on September 11, 2001. Wherever they were, they remember. It is as if time froze the minute they learned about what has now … Continue reading →

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