Michelle Robin La

A girl from the Midwest married a boy from the Mekong Delta. I write tales of my husband growing up in Việt Nam of yesteryear and our culturally-blended life.

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Butterfly at the garden store.

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When my husband was in middle school, he tried to get the neighborhood boys to help him catch toads to make toad soup. The other kids were scared to touch toads because they thought they would get warts. I heard that myth growing up, too. But in Vietnamese the word for warts even has toad in it . . . . Read “Toad Bumps”

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When I asked my kids about the scariest place they know, they said it was in the middle of the street in Saigon. And watching them cross the street at night in downtown Saigon was one of the most surreal experiences in my life. Read about our adventure “Crossing the Street in Saigon” in The Rush Magazine.

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Red sun from the fire this morning. (at Santa Barbara, California)

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Succulents are full of surprises.This quiet little hen and chicks suddenly shot up a stalk of flowers.

#succulents #plantart

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California poppies at Goleta Beach.

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Succulents in bloom.

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Olive tree flowers falling on a jade plant.

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Water Pouring On Taro Leaves and Other Vietnamese Sayings - Michelle Robin La

Here are some Vietnamese sayings and colloquialisms I've picked up through the years from my husband and his family. Like water pouring on taro leaves ...

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Thanks to my son's comment one day, I have this #cnftweet published in Issue 61 of Creative Nonfiction: Learning from Nature.

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Running Tables - Michelle Robin La

While waiting to get into a popular phở restaurant in San Jose, my daughter tried to read the sign taped to the window. “Dad, what does that say?” she asked. “It’s a help wanted sign,” he said. My daughter studied the sign to see if she recognized any words. “What does cần mean?” “Need. It says they need a…

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Instant Weasel Coffee - Michelle Robin La

Instant Weasel Coffee seems like an oxymoron since weasel coffee (or civet coffee) is made from coffee beans that have gone through the digestive track of a small cat-like animal called the civet.

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Cha is a Hong Kong-based online literary quarterly journal dedicated to publishing quality poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, drama, and reviews written in English, as well as photography and art. It has a strong focus on Asian-themed creative work or work done by Asian writers and artists. It also publishes established and emerging writers/artists from around the world.

My poem "Smoking a Pot of Gold" was a finalist in Asian Cha's Addiction Poetry Contest. You can read it here.

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“Addiction” — Michelle Robin La

We are happy to announce that six poets have been shortlisted for Cha’s “Addiction” Poetry Contest. The results will be announced in Issue 33 of the journal, due out in late Septe…

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Looking through the flower kaleidoscope.

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Flower kaleidoscope at the Minnesota State Fair.

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Down the music box stairs.