Preparing your kitchen - and your life - for the New Year One of the most popular gods in Chinese culture is Zao Jun, the Kitchen God. The story goes that Zao Jun was assigned by the emperor of heaven to watch over families and take...
There’s a tradition in China that involves the exchange of red envelopes when someone wants to express gratitude toward another person or wish them well. They would put money in the red envelope and give it to them. No one really knows how the red envelope...
Books tell their own story, and they contribute to yours. The books you have reveal a little about you, like your interests. I read an article about a woman who took that to heart and she bought books specifically to influence what people thought of...
The Forbidden City, today called the Palace Museum, is located in the northern city of Beijing (bei means north; jing means capitol). The capitol was moved there from Nanjing (nan= south) in 1403 to provide better protection against northern invaders. In 1421, the Forbidden City was completed. It...
I recently came across an article in one of my magazines that featured a house that had not one, not even two, but three front doors! And they were all painted the exact same way – red to stand out. The home owner’s quote was...
Chinese gardens were always arranged in accordance with a set of Feng Shui or geomantic principles. A geomancy master would be engaged to find a location and to determine directional placement of the garden or the buildings within the garden....
I was explaining to my eldest son recently how much televisions have changed since I was a child. He sat mystified that even I remember having to physically get up to change the channel....
As of February 4th we have moved into the Year of the Pig. Due to the make-up of Pig nature, we might be able to expect a year that is a bit more mellow, more laid back and relaxed....
There's no escaping the seemingly endless mountain of toys that builds (and builds) when you have children. Sometimes I feel like it multiplies when I'm not looking! I have my methods for trying to keep toys manageable....
While we are diligent about sending well-wishes on a friend’s birthday, the Chinese typically reserve birthday celebrations for children and the elderly. Although Western influence has changed some of that cultural perspective, Chinese birthday parties still have special traditions....
