When Breath Becomes Air

 When Breath Becomes Air

by Paul Kalanithi (published 2016, posthumously)

Memorable quotes from the book

1. “You can never reach the promised land. You can only march toward it.”

2. “Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I’m still living.”

3. “Science may provide the most useful way to organize empirical, reproducible data, but its power to do so is predicated on its inability to grasp the most vital dimensions of human life.”

4. “Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.”

5. “The fact of death is unsettling. Yet there is no other way to live.”

📖 Story

Paul Kalanithi was a brilliant Stanford neurosurgeon‑in‑training. At 36 years old, just months before finishing his gruelling residency, he was diagnosed with stage‑four metastatic lung cancer.

Overnight, the man who spent years saving lives became a terminal patient.

The memoir traces his journey:

‑ as a young scholar, reading great literature, asking: What makes a human life worth living?

‑ as a surgeon, working on the human brain, where personality, memory and identity reside

‑ as a sick man, watching his career, his carefully‑planned future vanish

‑ his choice to have a baby daughter with his wife Lucy, and to write this book while fading in health

Paul died aged 37, before finishing the manuscript. His wife wrote the final epilogue.

✨ Core insights

1. Science cannot give meaning. Medicine can repair bodies, run scans and treat disease, but it has no tools to answer: Why go on living? Meaning is something each person chooses, not something you find in test results or success.

2. Your identity is fragile. A single diagnosis can shatter the life‑story you spent decades building. You may have to build a new self, with far fewer days left.

3. To live fully does not require a long future. When tomorrow is no longer guaranteed, value shifts away from career milestones to love, presence and small, real commitments.

 “Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I’m still living.”

4. Death is not life’s enemy. It is its frame. The knowledge that life ends is what makes our choices matter at all.

👍👎 Is it worth reading?

✅ Strengths:

‑ Calm, thoughtful, beautifully‑written prose; no cheap melodrama

‑ Rare double perspective: seeing illness from both doctor’s and patient’s eyes

‑ Short (around 200 pages), but leaves a lasting impression on how you think about time

‑ Honest: he writes of fear, anger and weariness, not only noble courage

⚠️ Weaknesses:

‑ The book is unfinished; some threads are left open

‑ It is quiet and introspective, not plot‑driven; if you want fast‑paced narrative, this may feel slow

Final thought: It is not really a cancer story. It is a book about how to live, with the constant, quiet fact that every life has an expiry date.

Bread alternatives (lower‑glycaemic, fewer additives)

 🥖 Bread alternatives (lower‑glycaemic, fewer additives)

‑ Steamed sweet potato, taro or Chinese yam: natural starch with fibre, no added sugar or oil

‑ Unsweetened whole‑grain crackers or rye crispbread (check labels; avoid high‑fructose syrup and large amounts of vegetable oil)

‑ Rolled or steel‑cut oats (avoid sweetened instant‑oat sachets)

‑ Quinoa, millet and brown rice: cooked as grains for main‑meal carbohydrates

‑ Plain sourdough bread (ingredients ideally only flour, water, salt and natural starter): a better choice if you still want bread

🥛 Milk alternatives (for calcium and protein)

‑ Unsweetened soya milk: good plant‑based protein; choose calcium‑fortified versions when possible

‑ Unsweetened almond, hazelnut or coconut drink (note: many commercial brands contain water and sugar; pick unsweetened)

‑ Greek‑style yoghurt; goat‑milk yoghurt is often easier for people to tolerate than cow’s‑milk products

‑ Other calcium‑rich foods: dried small fish, kale, Chinese broccoli, sesame seeds, set tofu (calcium‑set)

📋 Practical tips

1. There is no need to cut them out all at once. You could try a 30‑day break from bread and cow’s milk, then notice changes in energy, nasal congestion, bloating or skin condition. If you feel no difference, there is no medical reason to avoid them.

2. If you keep eating them, try to avoid very soft sweet breads, cream‑filled buns and packaged loaves with many preservatives, and do not drink large quantities of fresh cow’s milk every day.

⚠️ Disclaimer: this is dietary information for reference only, not medical advice. If you have osteoporosis or kidney‑related illness, consult a doctor or dietitian before making major changes to your eating plan.

Poemas

1. A Casa de Hóspedes – Rumi

Ser humano é ser uma casa de hóspedes.

Cada manhã chega uma nova visita.

Uma alegria, uma depressão, uma maldade,

alguma consciência momentânea,

chega como um visitante inesperado.

Recebe‑os e acolhe‑os a todos!

Mesmo que sejam uma multidão de sofrimentos

que varrem violentamente da casa todos os móveis,

trata cada hóspede com honra.

Ele talvez esteja a limpar‑te

para uma nova alegria.

O pensamento sombrio, a vergonha, a malícia,

recebe‑os à porta a rir e convida‑os a entrar.

Sê grato por quem quer que venha,

pois cada um foi enviado

como um guia do além.

2. O Caminho Não Seguido – Robert Frost

Dois caminhos se separavam numa floresta amarela,

e, lamentando não poder seguir os dois,

sendo apenas um viajante, fiquei muito tempo ali,

olhando um deles o mais longe que conseguia,

até à curva onde se perdia no mato;

depois tomei o outro, igualmente belo,

e talvez com maior direito a ser escolhido,

porque estava coberto de erva e parecia menos pisado;

embora, se é verdade, quem por lá passara

os tivesse desgastado quase da mesma maneira,

e ambos, naquela manhã, estavam igualmente cobertos

por folhas que nenhum pé havia escurecido.

Oh, guardei o primeiro para outro dia!

Mas sabendo que um caminho leva a outro caminho,

duvidei que alguma vez voltasse.

Contarei isto, com um suspiro,

daqui a muitos e muitos anos:

dois caminhos se separavam numa floresta, e eu —

tomei o menos percorrido,

e isso fez toda a diferença.

3. Na Torre da Cegonha – Wang Zhihuan

O sol desce atrás das montanhas,

o Rio Amarelo corre para o mar.

Se quiseres ver mil léguas de paisagem,

sobe mais um andar.

4. Quando fores Velha – W. B. Yeats 

Quando fores velha, grisalha e cheia de sono,

e, cochilando junto à lareira, pegares neste livro,

e leres devagar, e sonhares com o olhar suave

que os teus olhos tiveram outrora, e com as suas sombras profundas;

quantos amaram os teus momentos de graça alegre,

e amaram a tua beleza, com amor falso ou verdadeiro,

mas um só homem amou a tua alma de peregrino,

e amou a tristeza do teu rosto que se transformava;

e, inclinada junto às barras incandescentes,

murmurares, um pouco triste, como o Amor fugiu,

e caminhou sobre as montanhas lá em cima,

e escondeu a face no meio de uma multidão de estrelas.

Beautiful poems

 1. The Guest House

Jalaluddin Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

2. The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost (1916)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

3. On the Stork Tower

Wang Zhihuan (Tang Dynasty)

Original Chinese:

白日依山盡，黃河入海流。

欲窮千里目，更上一層樓。

English (Xu Yuan‑chong’s version):

The sun beyond the mountain glows;

The Yellow River seawards flows.

You can enjoy a grander sight

By climbing to a greater height.

4. When You Are Olds

W. B. Yeats (1892)

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Short notes for each poem

1. The Guest House – Rumi

One of Rumi’s‑most‑quoted pieces. It does not ask you to chase happiness or fight sadness. Instead, it teaches radical acceptance: every feeling, pleasant or painful, is only a temporary visitor to your mind. Suffering loses much of its power once you stop treating it as an enemy. The poem’s quiet wisdom has made it a favourite in mindfulness and reflective writing around the world.

2. The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost

Often misread as praise for being unusual. Frost’s real point is more subtle. Life rarely offers clearly‑good or clearly‑bad choices. We pick one path, invent a story later to give our past decisions meaning, and wonder forever where the other road might have led. It captures the gentle regret and self‑myth‑making built into every human life.

3. On the Stork Tower – Wang Zhihuan

A masterpiece of Tang‑dynasty four‑line verse. The first two lines paint a vast, simple landscape: sun setting behind hills, river rushing to the sea. The last two shift from scenery to philosophy. Wider vision does not arrive by wishing — it needs effort, to climb one storey higher. Only twenty characters long, it balances natural beauty and universal truth.

4. When You Are Old – W. B. Yeats

Not a poem about youthful attraction. Yeats separates shallow admiration for looks from deeper love. Many can love your charm and beauty while they last. Very few will care for your inner self, your worn face, your grief, as age arrives. It is a meditation on time, fading‑beauty, and the rare quality of a love that outlasts appearances.

Sorekara (E Depois)

 Sorekara (E Depois)

de Natsume Sōseki

Resenha breve do livro

Publicado em 1909, E Depois é o segundo romance da famosa «trilogia do amor» de Sōseki. A história gira à volta de Daisuke Nagai, um homem de trinta e poucos anos, abastado e introspectivo, que vive à custa da fortuna da sua família.

Anos antes, ele recuara e deixara que o seu amigo Hiraoka se casasse com Michiyo, a mulher que amava em segredo, em nome da honra. Quando se voltam a encontrar mais tarde na vida, Daisuke compreende pouco a pouco que o seu auto‑sacrifício não foi uma virtude, mas sim uma cobardia. Preso entre a inacção confortável e o apelo dos seus verdadeiros sentimentos, acaba por escolher seguir o seu coração. Aceita que esta decisão lhe custará a fortuna, a posição social e a vida fácil que levava.

Sōseki não escreve um romance dramático de amor. Traça um retrato nítido e sereno do dilema do intelectual: saber o que é correcto, mas ter dificuldade em abandonar os hábitos antigos e seguros. É uma narrativa reflectiva sobre deixar para trás a moralidade falsa e assumir a responsabilidade pelo próprio destino.

O ritmo é calmo, com ricos monólogos interiores em vez de acção rápida, e continua a tocar o leitor mais de um século depois da sua publicação.

Sorekara (And Then)

 《其後》（それから）

Sorekara (And Then)

by Natsume Sōseki

Brief Book Review

Published in 1909, And Then is the second novel in Sōseki’s well‑known “love trilogy”. The story centres on Daisuke Nagai, a well‑off, introspective man in his thirties who lives on his family’s wealth.

Years earlier, he stepped back and let his friend Hiraoka marry Michiyo, the woman he secretly loved, in the name of honour. When they meet again later in life, Daisuke slowly realises his self‑sacrifice was not virtue, but cowardice. Trapped between comfortable inaction and the call of his true feelings, he finally chooses to follow his heart. He accepts that this decision will cost him his fortune, his social standing and his easy life.

Sōseki does not write a dramatic romance. He paints a sharp, quiet portrait of the intellectual’s dilemma: knowing what is right, yet finding it hard to leave old, safe habits behind. It is a thoughtful story about casting away fake morality and taking responsibility for one’s own fate.

The pace is gentle, with rich inner monologue rather than fast‑moving plots, and it still resonates more than a century after it was written.

夏目漱石 · 1909

（《三四郎》、《其後》、《門》合稱「愛情三部曲」）

📖故事大要

主角長井代助，三十歲，出身富裕，唔使做嘢，每日讀書、思想、漫遊，係個清醒卻無行動力嘅知識分子。

多年前，佢同好友平岡同時愛上女子三千代。出於「朋友義氣」，代助刻意退讓，促成三千代嫁給平岡。

幾年過去，世事變遷：平岡踏入社會，被俗世磨得世俗、急躁、重金錢，夫妻生活不快，家道亦漸陷困頓。

代助再次遇見三千代。當初以「道義」壓抑嘅真感情，重新翻湧。佢終於明白：當年嘅所謂犧牲，唔係高尚，只係逃避、虛偽嘅禮教束縛。

代助不再自欺。明知這段情會被社會唾棄、斷絕家族資助、失去安適生活，仍然決心面對真心。小說結尾，佢選擇承認愛三千代，準備走入未知、艱苦嘅現實，要搵工謀生。

沒有浪漫大團圓：只係一個人由思想邁向負責任嘅行動嘅開始。

✨好看之處

1. 對「假道義」嘅解剖

好多人做善事、讓愛情，唔係真偉大，只係害怕選擇、害怕承擔後果，用道德做藉口。代助嘅成長，就係看穿自己嘅偽善。

2. 寫知識分子嘅困境

頭腦明白社會種種不合理，習慣冷眼批評，但身體習慣舒適，無勇氣實踐信念。想同做之間嘅巨大鴻溝，寫得非常真實，今日睇仍然有共鳴。

3. 愛情唔只係戀愛，係自我確認

愛三千代，對代助嚟講，更大意義係：唔再活在別人、家族、世俗眼光入面，敢跟從自己內心，願意為選擇付代價。

4. 文字克制，情緒深沉

漱石唔寫轟轟烈烈嘅戲，多係人物獨白、散步、閒談入面慢慢滲出掙扎。安靜，但張力好大。

⚠️小缺點：節奏偏慢，大量心理描寫，習慣快節奏情節小說嘅人可能覺得沉。

簡短十六字總結：

虛禮束心，多年自欺；一朝醒覺，寧赴艱夷。

Line dance - APT

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0HYpf-TbcUE&pp=iggCQAE%3D

Line dance - Foolish Feelings

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EX52gdiWEU0&pp=iggCQAE%3D 

Line dance - Stomp 2,3,4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ilZylHFXiZw&pp=iggCQAE%3D 

Line dance - Dublin lights

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z05AqnZSs_I&pp=iggCQAE%3D