-
Colours In Chinese Culture: What Do They Mean And Symbolise
Colours are here and there, everywhere. In Chinese culture, certain colours play a more prominent role than others, some colours more auspicious than others. Growing up, this sentiment was what my Chinese-Malaysian parents taught me – that some colours we should see more of as a Chinese person, and other colours we shouldn’t pay too…
-
Why Do Australians Call Each Other ‘Mate’?
If you live in Australia or have travelled around Australia, chances are you’ve heard the word ‘mate’ a lot here. For instance, you might’ve heard, ‘G’day, mate’ or ‘How ya doin’, mate?’ Living in Melbourne, I’ve friends from different backgrounds, different ethnicities and different age groups living different lifestyles. Western, Asian, Indian, hippies, hipsters, corporate…
-
How Do Some Asians Say ‘I Love You’ To Each Other?
‘I love you’. Just three words. But three words some typical Asians like those of Chinese heritage find hard to say out loud when it comes to dating and romantic relationships. There’s this common stereotype: Asians are reserved about expressing romantic sentiments towards each other. In a progressive world where traditional and modern perspectives collide,…
-
Why I Don’t Speak My Mother Tongue Fluently
Not all of us can speak our mother tongue. Just because we look a certain way doesn’t mean we speak or write a certain language. The dialect Cantonese runs in my Chinese-Malaysian family. My parents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts and extended family speak it fluently (and Mandarin too). While I have no trouble listening and understanding…
-
5 Challenges Of Being A Non-Fiction Writer, Blogger And Published Book Author
Writing non-fiction isn’t easy. Like any craft, it’s never short of challenges. But with non-fiction writing, there’s constantly the challenge to actually keep doing it and achieve something with it. Recently I published a chapter in a compilation self-help book (more on this at the end of the post). The timing of it comes on…
-
Why Many Chinese Like Eating Dumplings. And Why The World Does As Well
It’s a fact that many Chinese like to eat dumplings. Chinese people eat dumplings during the Lunar New Year. They eat dumplings for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And countless others around the world regardless of background like eating dumplings too. Growing up, when my Chinese-Malaysian family went to out to yum cha, that was when…
Mabel Kwong 