The Saint Bernard Syndicate depicts all too common Western business venture mistakes in China. The tagline for their Saint Bernard dog breeding business is “Big, Royal, Cute”. The “big” part of Rasmus and Frederick’s business plan is the big trip …
Sweet Memories as Sweet Tomatoes Closed
A friend sent me Elegy for the All-American, Asian-American Buffet, an article on the closure of an intergenerational crowd pleaser. Most states have instructed businesses to “discontinue self-serve food areas even after stay-at-home orders loosen”. This is the death knell …
What is the Asian American Response to Minneapolis?
In A Letter from a Yale student to the Chinese American Community, Ms. Huang’s call to action for the Asian American communities is to “donate to Black-led organizations and Black Lives Matter activists in MN, to protest (either in person or on …
A Recent Visit to Japan…
Morrie Goldman’s A personal perspective on COVID-19 in Japan and the US, brought out a significant negativity bias that the American media has. In Japan, Morrie saw prevalent mask wearing in urban areas, and the island Kyushu had no reported …
Do you know another symbol of resilience in the Chinese Garden? Part 3 of 3
The willow in the Confucian garden represents a soft form of strength. While its branches are flowy and its leaves sway in the wind like long locks of hair, it is a symbol of resilience and bending flexibility. Just as …
Do you know another symbol of resilience in the Chinese garden? Part 2 of 3
Pines are very meaningful in Japanese and Chinese gardens, or the Confucian garden. (Check last blog for the definition of the Confucian garden.) Commonly interpreted as a sign of longevity, the Asian pine represents not only a triumphant energy over …
Do you know the symbols of resilience in the Chinese Garden? Part I of 3
The Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden can sometimes be grouped together as the Confucian garden. There are precise elements of beauty defined by Confucian philosophy that are striking and simple to observe. For example, it must show the balance …
Does Confucius Institute teach Confucius philosophy?
Confucius philosophy has been used rather effectively by several dynasties for the benefit of many Chinese governments that have come and went in Chinese history. It is not a new idea. Similarly, Confucius teachings have been massaged to represent selective …
See you on Zoom…
Zoom was founded by Chinese-born engineer Eric S. Yuan in 2011. Zoom has proven to be incredibly robust as we transitioned quickly to communicate on this platform. According to The New Yorker article, Naomi Fry’s “Almost There: Embracing the chaotic …
When this is all over, I will….
In the US, we have already spent many church services without the exchange of peace, an Easter without a huggable Easter Bunny, and Passover without touching. What will social interactions look like when this is all over? In a low …