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Jess's avatar

Your conclusion is correct. That is love. She has a challenging way of showing it sometimes, but it's love.

Also, if I live to 89, I'll be a really picky pain in the ass to whoever is around me. I think that's inevitable at that age!

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Ernie Hsiung's avatar

Ha, glad that resonated with you! It's funny how love can be so complicated, isn't it? And yes, I think earning the right to be particular about things might be one of the few benefits of aging.

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Eric's avatar

I am Lord God King of fancy-ass pour over coffee, but for days when I'm in a hurry, Trader Joe's sells boxes of tube-shaped instant coffee packets with sugar and "creamer". And they're imported from, you guessed it, Korea. Not sure if your mom goes for sugary coffee, but if she does, it might fit the bill. 🤞

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Ernie Hsiung's avatar

Thanks for the recommendation! I love that you're the self-proclaimed 'Lord God King of fancy-ass pour over' but still keep it real with instant coffee for busy days. I'll definitely check out those Korean packets at Trader Joe's - my mom actually does like her coffee on the sweeter side, so this could be perfect.

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Heidi's avatar

This is so great. It rings 100% true (even for someone who's aging mother is not Chinese) and somehow manages to be more kind and understanding and funny than I would be if I had to write about my recent week back home.

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TC's avatar

Gotta admit I'm kinda with your mom on the instant coffee packets. Some of them just...hit different. There's a Japanese brand I am fond of over all others, and I will go all over the city to find one of the few places that sell it, and buy a bunch in case they stop selling it.

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