Today marks the anniversary of the death of former Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang in 1989, the first in a chain of events (death, mourning, protest, crackdown) that would culminate in the violent crackdown in Tiananmen Square on June 4. Today’s anniversary, while obviously not commemorated in China, is an important reminder of the […]
Easter Trinkets
With Easter just around the corner, stores and shops are filling up with Easter trinkets — bunnies, baskets, and all manner of spring-themed items. And of course, they mostly come from China; in fact, the mostly come from one city in China — the city of Yiwu. Last month the Los Angeles Times did a story […]
A Minneapolis Smile
This is a great story from the BBC about a kid from Minneapolis who has become an internet sensation in China — primarily because of his cute smile. On a recent visit to the country he was treated like a rock star! Image credit: MPR
Happy Chinese New Year
Today is Chu Yi (初一), the first day of the lunar new year on the Chinese calendar. For those of you keeping track, it marks the beginning of the Year of the Pig. It’s “my” year, which means I’m either 12, 24, 48, 60, 72, or 84. I’ll let you guess which it is! All […]
A Tribute to My Father, 2019
Eighteen years ago, I was at a small beachside resort in southern Thailand when I got word that my father had died. Within 24 hours I was on a plane bound for Minnesota. Below are the words that I spoke in farewell and tribute to my dad at his memorial service on January 25, 2001 […]
Happy New Year
Is it 2019 already? Where did 2018 go? For that matter, where did 2000 go? And 1975? You get the picture…. Looks like Hong Kong was the place to be when the clock struck midnight. The amazing fireworks display gets going at the 1:48 mark. (Email readers, please click here to watch the video.) May you […]
