When I was an exchange student in Hong Kong, a friend of my roommates had a teaching gig on Saturday mornings and was looking for a replacement. Dora had graduated and couldn't keep up this English tutor job. It sounded like a fun job. I would teach English to Mrs. Yoshizawa and … [Read more...]
Volunteering with refugees in Hong Kong
When I moved to Hong Kong in 1990, the territory was home to 55,000 Vietnamese refugees. The US and other western countries had stopped taking in the numbers of refugees they admitted in the last half of the 1970s and early 80s (even though the US caused the crisis in the first … [Read more...]
Year of the Rooster at the Peninsula Chicago
I always love going to the Pen over Lunar New Year and this year did not disappoint. My family and some friends met up for afternoon tea today.The Lobby Lounge was decorated with a few festive trees.We had a choice of the regular afternoon tea menu and a … [Read more...]
My only Chinese New Year in Hong Kong
I was thinking today of the years I spent in Hong Kong and realized I was only really there for Chinese New Year right before I left the Territory for good. It was 1998, I was pregnant, and unable to travel back to Hubei Province (doctor's orders!) to visit my in-laws. So I … [Read more...]
A funny thing happened on the way to Prague
The summer I took the long way home from Hong Kong--via Southeast Asia, China, the USSR, and Eastern Europe--I found myself in Budapest. But to me, it was only a stepping stone to the ultimate destination in 1991: Prague. If you don't believe me, there was an acclaimed novel … [Read more...]
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