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 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 …
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 …
April is a Woman’s Name
In Western naming tradition, children could be named after an ancestor, a historical role model, an idol in popular culture, or even a month of the year. Chinese naming traditions follow many rules. One particular difference is that while children …