I cannot stop thinking about John Muir's Chinese cook. "Everyone got rich during the Gold Rush, except for the Chinese."

A year ago, I visited John Muir’s house, now a museum, in Martinez, California. But instead of delving into Muir’s life, I found myself drawn to the incredible story of his Chinese cook. open.substack.com/pub/everytin...

#JohnMuir #ChineseAmericanHistory #CaliforniaHistory #GoldRush

Just like Ghislaine Howard’s self-portrait, pregnancy is a lot of sulking in your own shadow, dealing with the discomfort and fatigue, and taking it day by day. It’s also a lot of pondering, about what’s coming next, whether the baby will be healthy, and how exactly life is going to change.

There is, of course, the joy and excitement mixed in between. It’s everything, just not beautiful.

Pregnancy is not beautiful. Notes from the second trimester.

Not glowing. Not blissful. Just real. From morning sickness myths to swaying after dinner to help my food digest, this is what the second trimester has really been like—and the tiny bits of magic in between. #pregnancy

Pregnancy is not beautiful. I feel so bloated, huge, uncomfortable 😫

Thank you! It was too short, but a very lovely time!

Portland in spring: coffee shop hopping, cherry blossoms, and delicious eats. three days of remote work around Portland and a book review!

I spent three days last week in Portland, surprisingly greeted by cherry blossoms in full bloom and good weather. And not so surprisingly, good coffee. #pdx #Portland

I am never a dress person, and I used to wonder why all the pregnant women wear dresses. I was like I will be that “cool pregnant lady” who still wears pants and shirts when I am pregnant. But now that I am actually pregnan, I understood why. Dresses are just so much easier in every way possible!

Now that I'm into my second trimester, the indigestion and heartburn are real. My midwife said swinging left to right helps, so I do. It does help. An instant burp would come right away.

Same here! Nobody warned me about this before.

Thanks for the contexts. It's helpful! Yes, a long way to go, but I think at least businesses offering compostable options is a good start, at least?

Virtually every restaurant and coffee shop I visited in downtown Portland uses compostable cups/bowls/utensils, but none of the these places actually offer a compost bin. Eveything just goes to either trash or recycling. What's the point then?

Unsolicited writing advice, no: 291:
Read your work aloud. Not only does it help refine your dialogue, avoid difficult to pronounce words and eliminate repetitiveness, but it also means that your future audiobook readers will have an easier job making your work sound as good as it can possibly be...

Thank you!

Just started reading The Plot and wow I can't put it down! #theplot

I'm overwhelmed by the baby industry. What do I actually need?

Any new or soon-to-be parents also feeling overwhelmed by the baby product industry? #newparent

Every Tiny Thought | Yuezhong Zheng | Substack Stories of growing up in China, finding home in the U.S., and the tiny thoughts that connect us all. Joy, tears, and everything in between. Click to read Every Tiny Thought, by Yuezhong Zheng, a Subst...

First post here!

Who should I follow on writing, movies, books, and parenting?

I also write a weekly-ish newsletter on those topics, in addition to finding belonging in America, and the exciting (nerve-wracking) journey of becoming a first-time parent!
everytinythought.substack.com