I love old colonial hotels. While I've only stayed at two--the Eastern & Oriental (E&O) in Penang and the Peace Hotel in Shanghai--I've been fortunate to dine in several: the Raffles in Singapore, the Peninsula in Hong Kong, le Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Siem Reap, and the … [Read more...]
Postcard from Taiwan, 1965
Last year I came across this postcard from my grandparents to my great-grandma. They sent it from Taiwan in 1965. In the postcard, my grandma wrote to her mother-in-law:We are here at airport to leave free China. Just said goodbye to Judy [my mom]. She goes to Manila this … [Read more...]
Book of the week–Mr. Ding’s Chicken Feet by Gillian Kendall
Over the weekend I read Mr. Ding's Chicken Feet: On a slow boat from Shanghai to Texas (University of Wisconsin Press, 2006) by Gillian Kendall. It's a short read, about 240 quick pages and kept my attention from start to finish.Kendall wasn't the first 30 year old American … [Read more...]
First day of spring!
In Chicago we celebrated the last official day of winter with temperatures in the high 60s, plenty of sunshine, and tulip leaves sprouting through thawed soil. But alas, as most Chicago springs go, a wintry mix of snow and wind is in the weekend forecast.When I first heard … [Read more...]
Happy International Women’s Day
I didn't learn about International Women's Day until I moved to Hong Kong. While it wasn't a popular holiday there, my classmates from China always wished me a Happy International Women's Day on March 8th.Interestingly, according to danwei.org:March 8, or 'san ba' in … [Read more...]