Walking into a room full of people can be hard. A party isn’t just a party, especially if you're an introvert like me. They are work. But it’s summer in the city, and people want to barbecue. And I got invited to one in Brooklyn. Usually, I would have stayed safely at home, giving an … Continue reading Confessions of an introvert: unexpected events at a barbecue
Loneliness is an unseen wound many of us carry, buried in us, festering and hard to heal. Loneliness and I know each other well. I’ve had long seasons of life where it haunted me: my father dying when I was eight, growing up as a minority, being single until my thirties, and living in New … Continue reading Punching loneliness in the face
New York can be a hard place. People are rushing around you, treating you as if you weren't human, only something in their way. The bustle can be overwhelming. You can get lost in the shuffle and feel like a number. But living here with a family has been very different, especially with a newborn. … Continue reading How New Yorkers react to our five pound baby
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and we were in Washington Square Park, the iconic park in downtown Manhattan. The large marshmallow clouds marched in rows over the skyline; there was a slight breeze that brought comfort from the warmth of the sun shining down on the sea of humanity. The fountain was spraying water … Continue reading The Saturday afternoon we lost our son
The smells of New York City are usually the butt of a joke (which is often associated with the smell of a butt). But in the spring, there is something sweet in the air. It’s surprising. There are trees that are scattered all over downtown that have this refreshing scent that overtakes your senses, your … Continue reading In NYC, spring is in the air
On our way home from school, a stream of neighborhood children cross at an intersection where a woman with a rich Latin-American accent greets every child by name as she helps them across the street every day. Dulce’s our crosswalk lady. She makes our neighborhood feel like home. Dulce’s always wearing her uniform and a … Continue reading What the crosswalk lady said unsettled me
Pizza is life. I crave it, dream about it, long for it. NYC is one of the Meccas for the pie. And I don’t think it’s one of the reasons I moved my family to this city, but subconsciously, maybe it was. Eating a slice, as the grease seeps into the flimsy white paper plate, … Continue reading I ❤️ pizza
Most people think I’m white. But I don’t look white. If you don’t believe me, check out this video where the interviewer calls me white at 2:29 in the video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ63QoyQgmY I'm Chinese-American. However, growing up I never quite felt fully Chinese or American. I was something else—something other. It’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month, and … Continue reading Growing up Asian in a Non-Asian town
Going to the grocery store for organic cucumbers should be boring. But this time was different. After grabbing my perfectly grown, locally sourced, and humanely treated organic cucumbers, I walked up to the checkout line. I gently laid down my produce like newborn baby, and the cashier and I shared a sliver of small talk … Continue reading When shopping for cucumbers in NYC got strange
Failure can sneak up on us and crush us in an instant.
It happened to me. I was fired from the only job I’ve been qualified for. And, I spiraled into a dark time of depression.
Here’s a piece on my journey.
