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Asian pride, or lack thereof

If I’m honest, I’m probably more proud of my parents’ law degrees than they are of mine. I’m…
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NYE lessons from Ecuador

Australian New Year’s Eve traditions mostly involve drinking hard, watching fireworks and calling it a party. This is…
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Australia: Not the place I thought you were

The other day after work, I was flowing with the peak hour crowd down Anzac Parade, when I witnessed something awful. An Aboriginal man was heckling and shoving an East Asian man. The Indigenous guy was yelling obscenities and things like "Go back to where you came from!" to the suited up Asian guy, who was trying, literally, to shake him off. That was Awkward thing Number 1. People just watched. And did nothing. That was Awkward thing Number 2. By people, I mean mainly Asian people. The University of New South Wales appears to be predominantly Asian, even the law faculty - a contrast with the College of Law at my own alma mater. That was Awkward thing Number 3. And I did nothing because, frankly, I'm both Asian and female. I actually thought I might get hit. That was Awkward thing Number 4. It made me think about how Australia is not the place I thought it was when I was little.
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Carnaval Act I: Oruro

4.30am. Get up after 5 hours of sleep. For some reason, it’s easier than dragging myself out of…
Black and white photo of a young Asian woman hugging her legs and looking at the camera.
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About my body

One of the differences I’ve noticed between Bolivia and Ecuador is that people don’t stare at me here.…

Two words for Washington

If I could choose two words to describe Washington, D.C., they would be EMPIRE and EXTRAVAGANCE. Perhaps they…

What’s in a name?

In certain cultures, names are pretty important. In ancient Hebrew culture, names carried a lot of weight –…
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Self-censored

I’ve always valued my education, and I know a significant part of my identity and beliefs are shaped…

boring Christian music

This afternoon, for the first time in a long time, I listened to Christian radio.  And tried to…
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Clash or conform?

Culture clash? Thankfully, I haven’t really experienced culture clash as such. I think having travelled before has helped…
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Yo soy mujer (I am woman*)

In preparation for this Saturday’s pijamada (slumber party), I’ve just started reading Mentiras que las jóvenes creen (Lies…