Identity crisis: on being Chinese and Canadian
What does it mean to belong somewhere? Does citizenship and a passport help define who you are? Is your identity established by how others see you? Or do you decide that for yourself?
I began seeking the answers to my questions when I first moved to China in 2007.
Locusts
A full page ad was published in a Hong Kong newspaper today, depicting a giant locust perched on a mountain overlooking the Hong Kong skyline. The text asks: “Are you willing for Hong Kong to spend one million Hong Kong dollars every 18 minutes to raise the children born to mainland parents?” The locust is...
It’s a Hard Knock Life
12 hour days? 500 Euros a month? Life in Europe isn't easy for the average Chinese migrant worker.
When in Rome… eat Chinese?
I never thought I'd be that kind of tourist. But here I am in Italy, doing exactly what I think Chinese immigrants shouldn't do when they are in a foreign country: Speak only to other Chinese and eat only in Chinese restaurants.
Advice to Chinese bar owners in Italy: Turn on the lights!
Chinese immigrants are leaving behind the factory life and opening up bars across Spain and Italy. What do the Chinese know about running bars? Coffee and wine are a way of life here in Europe. Can an immigrant be a part of this scene here in Europe?
Italian town bans “ethnic” food
Some Italians are saying 'no' to kebabs, Chinese takeout and sushi as they "struggle to hold onto centuries-old culinary traditions in the face of globalisation and immigration."
My own modern day migration story
I'm back in Canada temporarily and I'm reminded, especially after nearly a year living in the Chinese countryside, how good we have it here, and how many migrants risk life and limb for a chance at what we sometimes take for granted.
On “Guanxi” 关系 in China
China is a country laden with rules and regulations. But many rules can be bent and broken, especially if you have the right guan xi. With that special relationship or connection, you can go surprisingly far. Without out, you get nowhere.
Pet or food?
Today, I cooked a duck recipe for the first time. It turned out great, but comes at an odd time for me, considering just 3 days ago I bought two little ducklings and are now raising them as pets. So here comes the dilemma. In about 2 months, they'll be fully grown. And then what?...
What’s the beef?
Two butchers grasped sharp knives, slicing open the skin above the hoof and working their way down the legs, to the body, severing the penis, opening up the insides, pulling out the guts, hacking off the legs, slicing in between the rib cage, and finally splitting open the animal.
Laptop Soup, The Phillipines, and a Revamp
My Macbook survives a noodle soup bath, I take a trip to the Phillipines and a new look to SuzanneMa.com coming soon.
What’s with all the fireworks?
The New York Times has an interesting piece today on fireworks during the Chinese New Year – about the many accidents across the country in which people are hurt and buildings are burned to the ground. In recent days errant fireworks have killed two people in Beijing, injured 388 others and started 194 blazes, about twice...
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