(It was after I started writing this that I realised just how long this post was, so I decided to break it up into two parts. Yesterday’s post focused on women in the show Penny Dreadful; today’s post focuses on people of color, specifically Chinese characters, in the show.) People of Color To begin with, Read More
Category: blog post
Penny Dreadful is Pretty Dreadful – Part 1
(It was after I started writing this that I realised just how long this post was, so I decided to break it up into two parts. Today’s post focuses on women in the show Penny Dreadful; tomorrow’s post will focus on people of color, specifically Chinese characters, in the show.) I know a lot of Read More
Vegetarian Thai Peanut Stir Fry Dumplings
These were made for Kickstarter backer Jay Haney, who wanted something peanutty and vegetarian. My husband declared them “pretty good for vegetarian.” This recipe is really versatile. You can use whatever veggies you like; the ones listed here are just examples. You could even use frozen mixed vegetables and just mash them or chop them Read More
Book Review: Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang
Earlier this month, I was pretty harsh on Anchee Min’s The Last Empress. And rightly so. Her boring, flat characterization of one of China’s most controversial leaders was hugely disappointing. Jung Chang succeeds where Min failed. Even though Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China is a non-fiction account, the story of Cixi’s Read More
Cultural understanding, or — everything you ever knew is wrong!
Many years before I ever imagined I would be living in China, I remember having a conversation with a woman at church who owned rental properties. This woman is one of the most hateful people I have ever met in my life, so what she said probably shouldn’t have made an impression, but it was Read More
How to Steep the Perfect Cup of Tea
I have been experimenting a lot with tea lately. I found a great tea shop on our last trip to Changsha, so I forced myself to finally learn how to steep tea. I’m still not an expert, but I have been having a lot of fun learning about tea. I don’t think I’m the only Read More
Why China Needs Bloggers
The bad thing about working for a Chinese newspaper is having to sometimes proof articles that are are so blatantly propagandist or that so closely toe the party line, they make my eyes hurt. I love my job (a lot, seriously), but the amount of articles that I have to read regarding how much China Read More
Mothers and Daughters in Tan's "The Valley of Amazement"
EVER since “The Joy Luck Club” burst onto the literary scene in 1989, Amy Tan’s name has been synonymous with Asian literature. Even though many other authors such as Anchee Min and Lisa See have also found massive audiences, success in the Asian literature market wouldn’t have been possible without Tan. Tan is possibly the Read More
Book Review: The Last Empress by Anchee Min
I like Anchee Min; I’ve read and reviewed several of her books and I own most of them, which I will read in the future. However, The Last Empress is possibly her worst book and I would not recommend it. I’m not sure what happened here. I really enjoyed Empress Orchid, and The Last Empress is Read More
Cloning pets — love or lunacy?
MOST people love their pets. Indeed, many people consider their pets to be members of the family. The death of a beloved pet can be truly devastating. But how far would you go to keep your little Fido with you forever? My Friend Again, a company in South Korea, is pioneering pet cloning. For some Read More