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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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Why Asians Don’t Say “I Love You” To Their Parents
“I love you, mom, dad.” That’s something we hear children and adults alike say to their parents in movies and TV shows. And in everyday life, of course. But funnily enough, be it in reality or the fictional worlds, the phrase of affection “I love you” is rarely uttered by Asians to their parents, whether…
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Why Do We Go To The Beach When It’s Hot?
When the sun shines brightly on hot summer days in Melbourne, many of us make a beeline for the beach. A lot of us say we go to the beach to cool off on these days. This has always baffled me. Numerous times I’ve went down to St Kilda beach on 30-degree days decked out…
Mabel Kwong 