Tag: Asian

  • Celebrating Birthdays

    Celebrating Birthdays

    I’ve never been one for celebrating my birthday. The last time I blew out candles on a cake and had Happy Birthday sung to me was in high school. It has been a few years. When my birthday rolls around each year, I insist on having an ordinary day and my friends baulk at this.…

  • The Race: Asian Australian, Part 10

    Normally I don’t do reblogs, but today I want to share A Holistic’s Journey’s ‘RACE Around The World’. Check out all the submissions about race and identity, worth reading! A Holistic Journey 1) How do you define yourself racially or ethnically and why is it important to you? Please tell us about the racial makeup…

  • Why We Get Names Wrong

    Why We Get Names Wrong

    When I was born, my Malaysian parents named me Mabel (may-berl). They also gave me a Chinese name, Li Teng (lee ting, 丽 婷), which is my middle name on my Australian passport. I’ve always went by my English name. Growing up, my parents called me Mabel at home. I introduced myself as Mabel when…

  • When Is Street Food Safe To Eat?

    When Is Street Food Safe To Eat?

    I love eating street food. Satay. Corn on the cob. Hot dogs. Takoyaki. Ramli burger. You name it. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does. There are always endless queues for street food at food festivals that pop up every now and then around Melbourne. Though we can find street food in restaurants,…

  • What Do We Think Of When We Meet People?

    What Do We Think Of When We Meet People?

    It’s always interesting meeting strangers on the street. It can be exciting. Awkward. Maybe a little scary. The other afternoon I was taking photos of Federation Square in the city, minding my own business. “Excuse me? Can you take a photo of me?” I turned around. The summer-in-autumn sun shone right into my face. Eyes…

  • When Is It Okay To Wear Cultural Costumes?

    When Is It Okay To Wear Cultural Costumes?

    A few months ago, I was wandering through Bourke Street Mall on a summer’s Saturday afternoon and spied some buskers wearing traditional cultural attire (photo). I wondered if anyone saw this scene as racist. I stopped to watch. It stuck me as odd that they were wearing sunglasses with their outfits. There are two scenarios…