Where are you?

Isn't it strange that people come looking for you only when you're unavailable? And when you're free, nobody comes a-calling. Apparently when we went camping, people thought we'd fallen off the face of the earth since we were out of cell phone reception. That and the week before we were again phone-less at the staff retreat.

Here's a recap of our camping trip! Fun times with friends!

Chinese know nothing about

... fortune cookies.

Racism abroad?

I've read a few posts online about the Spain ad racism "incident." I posted a couple of comments on another's blog and thought I'd include them here.

Peggy E says:

Hmmm… it’s really interesting seeing this on a global level. It makes me ask the question if racism is culturally based. I definitely see how Chinese would not be offended, but Chinese Americans would. Chinese people rarely experience this kind of racism.

Kathy Khang says:

Can you expand on your comment about racism being culturally based? I’m curious as well, since only a few news reports have alluded to the Chinese (v. the Chinese or Asian Americans) being offended. It’s all very strange to watch - this country that has been so closed to the West desiring to put its best foot forward…if they actually saw the “news” reports shot at the food markets with non-Chinese gawking over fried scorpions would they understand that the attention isn’t meant as an affectionate or respectful gesture but really poking fun?

Peggy E says:

Most Chinese in China have never experienced racism since they are part of the majority culture. Their experience of race differs from Chinese Americans, where we have a history of being the minority. At some point we’ve seen the eye-pulling gestures, and we’ve been told to go back to where we came from. Those in China have never known this, so it’s not likely they would know this as racism.

Minorities in China however, experience plenty of racism. It’s been interesting talking to Chinese in China about this because they deny the existence of racism in similar ways to the majority culture in America. Befriend someone in a minority group, and you get a very different story.

I think in reading your post, I began considering racism on a global level since it seems to require a majority culture and a minority culture to experience such kinds of racism. When considering the world, who would be the majority, and who would be the minority?

PS: I’m not sure Chinese would interpret the scorpions as poking fun since many Chinese would not try scorpions either. I get the feeling that scorpions on a stick has been used to draw tourists to a food booth, and few really eat it. I’m seen seahorses on a stick alongside the scorpions and all of my Chinese friends have said they’d never eat it. You’d have to have them gawking at foods more representative of Chinese culture, something a large majority identifies with, to be offensive.

You need more therapy!

I often tell dating couples that I'm a big fan of pre-engagement counseling. I think trying to work out key issues during engagement can be difficult, and few would be willing to call off the wedding even if red flags came up during pre-marital counseling. Too many couples get engaged without figuring out really important things... and then it's too late, more or less.

We were hanging out with some newlywed friends recently and chatted about the informal pre-engagement counseling we did with them. As we talked, we wondered why pre-natal counseling didn't exist. Maybe it does, but I haven't heard of it.

I've heard from many that having a baby changes your life more than getting married does. Getting married means partnering with someone for life. That's some side-by-side action. Becoming a parent means your life is merged with somebody's for 18 or so years. Maybe more depending on how your empty nesting goes. That's intense! Heck, God even made a built-in 9 month engagement time before becoming a parent.

In a Research Methods class in grad school, we read an article about the relationship between becoming parents and marital and life satisfaction. The stats were rather grim.

I got to go do more research and develop my materials. Discuss topics such as financial readiness and emotional preparedness for the commitment of caring for someone's whole well-being.

I'm going to be rich and famous!

8.8.08 @ 8:08 PM!

The opening ceremonies have commenced in China already and I eagerly await the US viewing at 7:30PM on NBC. If you didn't know, the Chinese government has established an official Olympics cheer that we should all learn and perform enthusiastically regardless of who or what we are cheering for. The above video not only gives a demonstration, but teaches you some Chinese as well. Enjoy and know that somewhere out there, the pegpie is cheering. Jia you!

I heart China

...and if you didn't know that, then you really don't know me at all.

I was in China during the summer of 2001 when they first announced the win for the Olympic bid. I was astonished by the emotional reaction from our Chinese friends. They cheered, they shouted, they cried, they celebrated. I had never felt that way for an Olympics held in the US.

I get to have a Chinese American understanding of the Olympics, an understanding backed by compassion for China and its people along with some shame over our country's current reputation. Here are some articles others wrote that I really resonate with:

Forbidden Clichés: A guide for visiting journalists
A lot of injokes. Having gone to China multiple times, I commiserate with the author. Most of these things cause my eyes to roll too.

My Friends, What Do You Want From Us?
I think this aptly describes the sentiment of the Chinese on its relationship with the Western world. It references some history stuff, and it paints a bigger picture of the ongoing tensions over the last 200 years.

Where does China fit in the West's understanding of the world?
Somewhat heady but dialogue over this would be eye-opening.

I heart chicken

When I was a kid, I had a thing for chicken... eating chicken. I loved chicken so much that I thought all meat was called chicken. At meals, I would tell my mom, "I want that piece of chicken, and that piece of chicken," pointing to beef and pork dishes.

Yesterday I had my hair done at a Chinese salon in Milpitas. There are many things one would expect at a Chinese establishment in the bay area (or anywhere, for that matter)... a flat screen hanging on the wall would be one of them. And of course, it was playing music videos. It was going to be either that or Korean soaps.

I saw the video below. The words are in Mandarin.



It was one of the most cute and bizarre things I've ever seen. Some of the lyrics say things like:

I don't want to say I'm safe
I can't ignore the misunderstanding of people
Eat my meat, I don't mind
Take my eggs, I am willing
We've become the transmitters of the bird flu
You can't live in a world without chickens

Hm. I have a craving for some chicken now. Let's go see what's in the fridge.