Hong Kong is a great vacation spot with kids that won’t break the bank. With convenient and historic public transportation and lots of free things to see, there's plenty to do, especially when fighting jet lag. Walking around the streets at night is safe and exciting. In Kowloon, … [Read more...]
Afternoons with Christina Matula
I first met Christina Matula four years ago in Hong Kong and bonded with her over books, publishing, and Hong Kong. Every year I return to Hong Kong, we meet up and it's always one of the highlights of my visits. Now Christina is on tour with her new picture book, The Shadow in … [Read more...]
Book of the week—White Chrysanthemum
Today I finished this difficult, yet critical novel set during WWII and recent times. White Chrysanthemum (Putnam, 2018) by Mary Lynn Bracht tells the story of Emi and Hana, two Korean sisters who grew up on Jeju Island, just south of Korea. Their mother and their mother's mother … [Read more...]
An evening with Spencer Wise
Months ago some friends in Hong Kong were tweeting with Spencer Wise about his forthcoming debut novel, The Emperor of Shoes (Hanover Square Press, 2018) and I not-so-graciously chimed in and tweeted that I needed to read his book, too. Set in the southern Chinese city of Foshan … [Read more...]
Second year of Chinese lessons, then and and now
My older son just finished his second year of college Chinese and was showing his young siblings his textbook because they, too, are learning Mandarin, but at a slower pace. The little ones could understand come characters here and there, which was rewarding after several years … [Read more...]