Reading in the summer of storms
Published in Pioneer Local on July 22, 2010
“Last month, during the week or so of nightly thunderstorms, our cable went out. And with the cable went our Internet and phone. I was thankful we didn’t lose power like thousands in the area. As it turned out, a weekend disconnected from the world wasn’t such a big deal.” (Read more)
Bullying in school: The saga continues
Published in Pioneer Local on May 20, 2010
“Since I wrote my last column on bullying, quite a bit has happened in the news. And it’s not good. When Phoebe Prince of South Hadley, Mass., committed suicide, the nation read in horror about how the school administration ignored months of complaints of bullying.” (Read more)
Dragon boats & bubble tea
Published in the Chicago Parent Going Places Magazine on May 14, 2010
“The Dragon Boat Festival in Chinatown is one of the city’s best-kept secrets. It is also one of the most family-friendly neighborhood festivals enjoyed by kids – and adults – of all ages. The vibrant colors of the dragon boats and the fast-paced races can easily provide a day’s worth of entertainment, not to mention the food stalls, artists, acrobats and musical acts. And if you need a break from the festivities, Ping Tom Memorial Park’s fenced-in playground is a stone’s throw from the dragon boat races.” (Read more)
Eating Kosher Dog Meat – Jewish in Guiyang
Published in the Spring 2010 issue of Asian Jewish Life
“In 2005, American Mike Levy touched down in Chengdu, China as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Posted to Guizhou University for two years, he kept a blog to process his new experiences in China. At the end of this year, these experiences will be published in a book titled Kosher Dog Meat (Henry Holt). Asian Jewish Life sat down with Levy to discuss what it meant to be a Jew in the interior of China, far from the expat comforts in the coastal cities.” (Read more)
Blissful Beshert: Jews and Chinese food
Published in the Spring 2010 issue of Asian Jewish Life
“Jews and Chinese food go back a long way, but it’s more than just a matter of good taste. In The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food (Twelve, 2008), Jennifer 8. Lee investigates the cult of Americanized Chinese food. She dedicates a chapter to Jews and Chinese food, titled “Why Chow Mein is the Chosen Food of the Chosen People”, but also writes about this relationship in other chapters.” (Read more)
Dim sum and then some; an ode to Mandarin
Published in Pioneer Local on March 18, 2010
“When my friend Jacquie asked me to help her daughter with an assignment for her Asian studies class at Hinsdale Central, I happily obliged. I can barely help my son Jake with algebra, but this was a subject I knew. I spoke with Jacquie’s friend for 20 minutes, discussing dim sum restaurants and Chinese film and literature.” (Read more)
Remembering Dr. King one word at a time
Published in Pioneer Local on January 14, 2010
“When I was 12, my school in Evanston piled the entire seventh grade into buses one blustery January day to drive us to the Old Orchard Theater several miles away. ‘Gandhi’ was showing, and the school thought it worthwhile for us to see the movie.” (Read more)
A Tiger’s Heart: The Story of a Modern Chinese Woman
Published in the Winter 2009 issue of Chicago Life Magazine
“If your parents physically and emotionally tormented you when they weren’t plain ignoring you, how far would you go to escape and live on your own terms? The author’s honest and eye opening memoir takes the reader on a highly emotional journey starting from when she’s born to a poor peasant family in rural China.” (Read more)
Nice Jewish Girls and China: A Recipe for Adventure
Published in the Winter 2009-2010 issue of Asian Jewish Life
“It is 1986, China has just opened to independent travelers, and Susan Jane Gilman and her college acquaintance, Claire, decide to travel around China on their own after a late-night conversation at a pancake house. Until they touch down in Hong Kong in a standard dare devil landing, Gilman had never left the United States.” (Read more)
Bullying in schools: A silent epidemic
Published in Pioneer Local on November 12, 2009
“I attended an evening program with my sixth-grader at his middle school a couple of weeks ago. Rachel’s Challenge is named after Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim in the Columbine shootings 10 years ago. Six weeks before she was killed, Rachel Scott had written a paper on ethics. She challenged her readers to approach life without pre-judging, to do small acts of kindness and to choose positive influences in their lives.” (Read more)
Tea time: 5 places for an afternoon break
Published in the Chicago Parent Going Places Magazine on November 9, 2009
“This holiday season, what better way to beat cabin fever and keep warm than by enjoying afternoon tea with your family? A relaxing break from the chaos of the holidays, afternoon tea is quickly becoming an annual tradition for many families in the Chicago area.” (Read more)