“Between the Black and the White” explores different moods and feelings in daily life. It is organized into different keys that set the tone for each specific piece. It tries to capture the microscopic stories of life and zoom in to examine every detail.

—The weather of late, how strangely it unfolds,

Sunny skies, yet rain, delicate and untold.

Whispers from above, showers soft and light,

A whimsical dance, nature’s own delight.

And every now and then, a hurricane’s might,

Tossing and turning, like a wooden coaster’s flight.

Nature’s wild embrace, a thrilling carousel,

A tempestuous journey, where wonders dwell—

Opening the shades from my room, I am delighted to find those tiny droplets of rain. I like the rainy days in California, partly because I come from a rainy city and partly because I believe in the magic of the rain.

The rhythm of the rain always vibrates each cell in every part of my body. The rain in California especially tickles me with its light and slender touches. Rain stores my most beautiful memories: of being trapped at a bus stop in middle school on my way back home; of running through the mountain in the sudden pouring rain that blurred my eyeglass and left me to deeply ponder the element of water; of cozily walking under my transparent umbrella on my way to the library; of sitting near the window in a cafe watching the brushing streams of rain.

To be honest, I don’t quite fancy California’s weather. The drifting rain feels like a lost soul. It lacks character and thought, the kind that you would find in my hometown. I have become too accustomed to that affirming, magnificent vitality of the rain, the kind that can sacrifice, burn and be reborn at any moment, an unsurprising miracle.

—California’s slender rain, forever tender and meek,

In its infancy, it whispers, so delicate and sleek.

A gentle drizzle, in the arms of the night,

Fragile and defenseless, in its ethereal flight.

Like a timid lover, it caresses the land,

With soft kisses, as if holding a fragile hand.

In its innocence, a romantic serenade,

Melting hearts with its touch, like a love parade.

Oh, California’s slender rain, a lover’s plea,

Wrapped in vulnerability, yet so beautifully free.

In its modesty, it paints a picture divine,

Igniting passions, in hearts that intertwine.

So let it fall, this rain so slim and slight,

For in its weakness, it unveils love’s might.

California’s slender rain, an enchanting embrace,

Romancing the world, with elegance and grace—

As I sit here looking out of the opened window, breathing the scent of the rain, I close my eyes and pray to the rain.