We finally found our daughter! Anyone who knows us or follows this blog knows that our adoption journey has been a long and difficult one. But we are so happy to finally announce that we have found our daughter! Meet little Zofia! As a blogger and now a mommy blogger, I am still wrestling with Read More
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Two Americans in China in Vietnam
For Chinese New Year back in February, we went to Vietnam. I can’t believe how long it has taken me to post this (well, actually I can, it has been a crazy busy year!), but better late than never! We have been traveling around Southeast Asia quite a bit recently since we live so close Read More
Threads of Silk – Now Available for Pre-order!
I am so excited to announce that my first novel is now available for pre-order! I first started writing Threads of Silk back when we lived in Hunan, and a lot of it was inspired by the people and things I came across while living there, especially Hunan embroidery. The book will be published by Red Read More
How a Cosmetics Company is Subverting the Chinese State
An ad by cosmetics company SK-II recently went viral in China. The ad tackles the topic of “leftover women,” women in China who are not married by age 25. Watch the ad below. The ad has had millions of views and has sparked debate and discussion around the country. Some people believe the ad is Read More
Adoptive Families Need Parental Leave Too
The following was originally published in the Shenzhen Daily. One day, your parents are gone. Your home is gone. You don’t know where you are. You are in a new, strange place. There are other people around you who seem nice, but they are not your parents. There are other children in this place. You Read More
Chinese Company Now Owns Rights to Iconic Tiananmen Square Photos
When I read this, I thought it must have been an Onion article, but apparently not. Bill Gates recently sold the rights to countless images, including dozens of images from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre to a Chinese company, Visual China Group. “The transaction strengthens our dominant position in China’s image industry, enhances Read More
Sweet and Spicy Salmon Dumpling Recipe
Hi everyone! Today I want to share a really yummy dumpling recipe with you! I already shared this with my backers on Kickstarter, so if you want to get a hundred more dumpling recipes, be sure to check out the campaign! You can find the dumpling wrapper recipe here. This flavorful recipe is sweet with Read More
China's New Domestic Violence Law – The Good, The Bad, and the Vague
On Sunday, China passed its first law prohibiting domestic violence and offering protection for victims of domestic abuse. It might be hard to believe, but before Sunday, there was no law prohibiting domestic violence in China. As far as authorities were concerned, a husband beating his wife was not breaking the law. Women who did Read More
China Should Accept Syrian Refugees
In the 1930s and 40s, America turned its back on Jewish refugees. Otto Frank, the father of perhaps the most famous Jewish victim of the Holocaust Anne Frank, applied for American visas to get his family to safety, but the family, and thousands of others, were denied, left to be crushed under a wave of Read More
Book Review: Vermilion by Molly Tanzer
Vermilion by Molly Tanzer is an amazing book. It was the one I have spent years looking for. I read a crazy amount of mystery novels, but as I mentioned in my review of the Red Princess Mysteries by Lisa See, when it comes to historical mysteries, the protagonist is always the same – a white Read More