7 Reasons To Not Celebrate Your Birthday

Posted on 26 April 2018 by Mabel Kwong

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Our birthday comes around once a year. Our birthday, that one day usually reminding us of another year gone by. Not all of us are keen on celebrating this so-called ‘special day‘.

I’m one of these people. Never have been keen on celebrating my birthday, which is coming up next week. Every year I try to keep this day as quiet as possible, going about the day as per normal and sort of forgetting that it’s my birthday.

Birthdays and cake. Time for reflection | Weekly Photo Challenge: Unlikely.

It’s not that I have anything against celebrating birthdays. Last year I wrote a post on 7 Unforgettable Ways To Celebrate Your Birthday. I’m all up for celebrating other’s birthdays. Just not mine.

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Oversharing: 8 Things I Will Never Post On Social Media As A Blogger

Posted on 5 April 2018 by Mabel Kwong

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Oversharing online is something some of us are guilty of.

It’s tempting to share a big part of our lives online these days without much thought. Social media is such an easy way to engage and keep in touch with each other. Think platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, blogs and more.

For those of us who are regular bloggers, at times we might wonder if what we publish – or are thinking of publishing – is ‘too much’ and relevant to our audiences.

To share or not to share ourselves with the rest of the world. Evanescence, Synthesis 2018 Tour | Weekly Photo Challenge: Lines

As a multicultural blogger, often I find myself being careful of what I say on this blog as the topics I write about are quite sensitive. In fact, I self-censor myself when I craft each post – some things I just will not publish online.

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7 Common Misconceptions About Chinese Food and Eating

Posted on 15 February 2018 by Mabel Kwong

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When it comes to eating Chinese food, there are quite a few stereotypical myths and perceptions surrounding this dining experience.

Living in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, I’ve had my fair share of Chinese cuisine. At least once a week I eat Chinese food, be it in a restaurant or having it as takeaway or cooking it at home. What I’ve noticed is that Chinese dishes aren’t the same everywhere.

Yang Chow fried rice. A popular dish all over the world | Weekly Photo Challenge: Sweet.

But this is no surprise. Food is tied to culture, and culture is different in every given space. Evidently how food is served around the world is different.

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Australian Greetings: ‘How’s It Going’ And More

Posted on 18 January 2018 by Mabel Kwong

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When it comes to saying hello, Australians have a few typical greeting phrases and choice slang words.

Usually greeting someone in Australia is a casual, informal affair regardless of whether or not we know that person, whether we are close to them or not.

There are so many ways to say hello | Weekly Photo Challenge: Variations on a Theme.

When I moved back to Australia about a decade ago, the typical Aussie ‘hellos’ confused me. When someone greeted me in Australian-speak, it always took a moment for me to realise that they were actually saying hi to me.

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What Does Home Mean And Feel Like For A Third Culture Kid?

Posted on 14 December 2017 by Mabel Kwong

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Home. It sounds like a simple word to define. But it’s a word that has layers and layers of meanings.

For many migrants, third culture kids, parachute families, expats, travellers, interracial couples, refugees, asylum seekers, Asian Australians, Asian Americans, African communities, Indian diaporas and really anyone who has moved around or hangs around different cultural groups, home can be hard to define. Home can be more than one place.

Home is a place and all that space around us.

There’s always a personal connection to home and each of us understands home differently. What is ‘home’ to someone may not be ‘home’ to someone else.

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Differences Between Work-Life Balance In Eastern And Western Cultures

Posted on 16 November 2017 by Mabel Kwong

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When it comes to work-life balance, Asian and Western cultures usually have different ways of discovering it.

For many years here in Australia, I’ve juggled working a day job, chasing a writing career and making time for things on the personal and home front. Sometimes it feels like I’ve got too many things work and play-wise to do.

Work to play or play to work. Or both | Weekly Photo Challenge: Experimental.

Finding a work-life balance is arguably about juggling needs and wants. According to Safework SA, work life balance is ‘the relationship between your work and the commitments in the rest of your life, and how they impact on one another’. Finding a work-life balance often means organising time for things you want to do, and have to do whether you like it or not because it may impact the former and vice-versa – and trying to discover that ever elusive feeling called satisfaction all round.

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