Blood Blossoms
The poppies were there first.
Fragments of Family
I “flew away from the nest” of family without really figuring out what my nest even was.
Nainai
My presence that summer must have been a shock to Nainai, but oddly enough she never questioned why a tall, thin, white, American guy was living in her home.
Living in China Is Like…
…using an old atlas to navigate new roads.
What Not to Wear
But where do our clothes actually come from? Before they get to the mall or the boutique or the bargain bin, before we buy them for their comfort, style, or perceived necessity in our wardrobe. Sure, the tag lists a country, but what does that really mean? Who are the people who make them? What are their working conditions like? Are they paid a living wage?
Why Mandarin Chinese?
I graduated. I could stumble along in Chinese much better than the average Caucasian American. And I still had no plan for what job I was suited for.
Feral Histories and Open Gates
Grandpa’s tapestry of a Daoist exorcist is misunderstood. That July, I knew just enough to recognize Zhong-Kui was special and nothing more.
