In seeking an ethnically Chinese family’s roots, Charles Chiu, a retired U.S. Air Force reservist found that he didn’t have to take an overseas flight to Asia. Instead, he and his wife and adult children took a road trip to …
What holidays bookend the Summer season?
If Memorial Day and Labor Day bookend Summer months on the American calendar, what holidays mark Summer for East Asian countries that follow the Chinese lunar calendar? Memorial Day weekend often signals the opening of public pools and summer camps …
A Season For Remembrance (Repost)
A cross cultural connection of altar tables…Remembering our loved ones is something we do in every human experience. How we do this may differ. At a Chicago Mexican restaurant with a dear friend of mine, I took the photo to …
A Chinese Cemetery in the Wild West
Qingming or Ching Ming Festival (清明節pronounced chīng míng jíe) is a holiday marking rebirth and wakening of the Spring season. Commonly known as the Chinese memorial day, Qingming is observed in several Chinese speaking countries including China, Taiwan, Macau, and …
How an Asian American Pot Crosses Cultures
Instant Pot has become a sensation in many households and is pretty quickly replacing the slow cooker. The first time I heard of this smart pressure cooker was from my Toastmaster friend Jim Bowen who gave a speech praising the …
Happy Thanksgiving 2022
Happy Thanksgiving 2022!This has been a year of making connections. I’ve reunited with many friends and met new friends in person and via virtual means, including the artist Osaka Nana who has given me permission to share her Sumi-e watercolor …
What a Thrill Introducing the Lunar New Year on WBBM!
This Lunar New Year I appeared on WBBM newsradio 780, on February 1, 2022. Nancy Landt interviewed me on Celebrating the Lunar New Year. As we come to the end of the Lunar New Year season on Lantern Festival February …
Celebrate Lunar New Year like an Expert (Part II)
How do avoid making a major faux pas during Lunar New Year? Take this lesson from The Guardian and BBC. Recently, both news sources posted Chinese food recipes along red envelopes, with a side of paper money used for remembering the dead. To read …
What are Lucky Foods?
A big part of celebrating Lunar New Year arriving on February 1st this year, involves eating. What foods must be eaten? Lucky foods, of course. In my recent Lunar New Year presentations, my audience are often at a loss …
Celebrate Lunar New Year like an Expert
Can even celebrity craft and culture experts, like Martha Stewart, make a colossal faux pas? Every year Lunar New Year’s Day changes according to a lunar calendar. For example, the Year of the Tiger arrives on February 1, 2022. On …