Susan Blumberg-Kason

A glimpse into Hong Kong fast food

April 10, 2011 By Susan Blumberg-Kason Leave a Comment

Not that anyone would ever label me a food snob, but my intense longing for Hong Kong fast food would instantly put that claim to rest.Like in the US, Hong Kong has a few major fast food chains. Think McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's--all serving more or less the same … [Read more...]

On the night flight to Almaty

April 6, 2011 By Susan Blumberg-Kason Leave a Comment

Some things never change. I've posted this photo a couple times of my mom in the early 60s, walking on New York's Upper West Side, presumably to catch a cab to the airport.And it seems a propos to post it again, as she departs tonight for the Stans with a couple of friends. … [Read more...]

Book of the week–The Snakehead

April 5, 2011 By Susan Blumberg-Kason 2 Comments

Imagine this journey: Fuzhou-Hong Kong-Bangkok-Moscow-Havana-Managua-Tuscon. Or this: Fuzhou-Hong Kong-Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore-Dubai-Frankfurt-Washingon.These aren't round-the-world leisure trips, but the dangerous routes orchestrated by snakeheads to bring illegal … [Read more...]

The curious cult of Chairman Mao

April 4, 2011 By Susan Blumberg-Kason 6 Comments

Can you imagine a souvenir industry centered around Hitler? Unfathomable. Or Stalin? No way. So how has Mao turned into such a cult, both in China and in the West? After all, his programs led to the deaths of 70 to 100 million of his own people (30 million alone during the Great … [Read more...]

Are luck and fortune the new tiger?

April 1, 2011 By Susan Blumberg-Kason Leave a Comment

Several weeks ago I blogged about tiger-titled books. Since many of these books relate to Chinese culture, that got me thinking. Are there other common China-themed titles?The concept of luck and fortune is very important to Chinese culture, and certainly hasn't been lost in … [Read more...]