I read that some white dude felt Turning Red, Pixar's latest cuddly release, was limiting in scope, because it was centered around an Asian Canadian girl growing up in Toronto. Hate to break it to you, but dude, your racism is showing! Turning Red is the most relatable film if you've ever been through puberty, tried to figure out your own identity, and dealt with raging emotions. It's a classic coming-of-age story, and if that's unrelatable, then please take your male white privilege to Donald Trump's sauna party for fragile egos.
That's really all I have to say about that, other than...watch this movie now! It's so cute. And what I really love about this movie, what really stood out to me was the theme of dealing with, managing, and embracing all our emotions as part of us. That's something that even as an adult, I'm sure many of us can connect with...except for Sean O'Connell, CinemaBlend's managing director. P.S. I loved Phil Yu's (@angryasianman) response:
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Eating long life noodles on my birthday or for someone else’s birthday is probably one of my favorite Chinese traditions. No matter where I am or what I’m doing on my birthday, I have to have my long life noodles. It doesn’t matter if it’s Chinese noodles, Japanese, Thai, or Italian—I just have to have long noodles. Otherwise, I get superstitious about it and I feel like I’m going to have bad luck for the year. I also eat long life noodles on the birthdays of my loved ones, even if I’m not with them. It’s my way of celebrating them, and wishing them a long life and good health.
But my favorite noodles to have on my birthday, is zha jiang mian… My latest must-see TV series is not a new one, but boy oh boy has it stood the test of time. I don't know why I never got into "Lost" when it first aired, but omg am I happy I finally watched it. Better late than never, I guess. Even though more than a decade has passed since the finale of the 6 season series, and aside from the flip phones and ultra low-rise hip-hugging jeans, the series doesn't feel dated at all. The nonlinear storytelling is executed really well, and you're constantly kept on your toes. There are also so many outstanding performances of complex and dynamic characters. You know it's good when you can feel sympathy for even the vilest character, and not in the sexy antihero way like one might feel for Thomas Shelby or Don Draper.
So, if you're looking for your next series to binge, I highly recommend getting lost in "Lost." If you didn't already know, I'm a total romcom junkie and for the past 9 months I've been hooked on romantic Korean dramas. I've watched so many K-dramas since I first got sucked into them last May, that I thought I'd share with you a short list of all the ones I've enjoyed. Maybe you're wondering what to watch next or maybe you're wondering where to start, either way and in no particular order, here are some of my faves:
I waited four months for these hand-woven tatami chairs and poufs to arrive from China, and they were so worth the wait. I discovered this shop on Etsy and their story really spoke to me, so I wanted to share it here. It's a bit of history, cultural insights, and appreciation for artisan crafts. And above all else, it's the strength of women woven through centuries.
A few weeks ago, as I put away my Christmas lawn decorations, I wondered if there are any Lunar New Year lawn flags I could buy to put up next to my winter gnomes lawn flag. We have a flag for every season and "bigger" holiday, including Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. So why not a Lunar New Year one? But as I started searching the worldwide web for a cute Lunar New Year flag to put on my lawn, I suddenly stopped myself. An annoying and frustrating fear crept up, because I thought...if I put a Lunar New Year flag on our lawn, that is calling attention to the fact that we're an Asian household. Some people might not like that. And normally I'd say screw those people, but with persistent attacks against Asians continuing to happen on practically a daily basis, I cannot just ignore the haters. I cannot and will not knowingly risk my family's safety, especially with a child in our home.
And this is simply the state of being an Asian American today. As the Year of the Tiger begins, may we all be brave (and safe) in the face of adversity. I am wishing you and your family, blessings upon blessings this year 🧧 I read somewhere that the Year of the Ox (this last year) was all about recognizing our responsibilities and putting in the work, while the Year of the Tiger is about putting that work into drive and really making things happen. So let's find out who the Tiger is, the Tiger's lucky and unlucky signs, and what to expect in the Year of the Tiger. (Anyone else suddenly bust out singing "Eye of the Tiger" whenever they say "Year of the Tiger" 🐅?)
I knew I needed to be emotionally in the right place to watch The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley. Then an article in The Atlantic convinced me to just hit play. This film is a must watch because it calls truth to the side of motherhood that no one, especially no mother, wants to admit for fear of shame. Watch it.
I discovered Xi'An Famous Foods (XFF) through an Asian creatives Facebook group I'm in and was immediately excited, because most westerners fail to realize how diverse Chinese food is. In most westerners' eyes, Chinese food is orange chicken and fried rice. I think there's also the misconception that rice is a staple across all Chinese foods. But actually, in northern China, where wheat is the abundant crop, noodles and breads are the staple. What was more exciting is XFF's meal kits. Since XFF is based in New York, being able to order their famous Biang Biang Mien (ripped noodles) and rip the noodles myself for fresh biang biang mien seemed like the perfect Christmas gift for my parents...especially my dad. So, let me tell you about our spicy Christmas meal...
I recently watched a documentary on Netflix that I want to recommend to you. Found is about three adopted American teenager girls who discover they are cousins after taking a DNA test. They were each adopted from China, by different white American families, and getting to know each other inspires them to journey to China together to learn about their earliest days, meet the women who cared for them until they were adopted, and maybe even find their parents.
*SPOILER ALERT* |
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