Art by Christopher ChenAnyone with parents will realize that the meanings of words change. For instance, just the other day, my friend’s mother complained that “they came up with a new word: binge-drinking.” She hilariously ranted about it being unnecessary. “To us back then, it was just the weekend!” Since the meanings of words are not inherent in … [Read more...] about Emojis: Create Your Speech
English Divides, but Love Conquers
Art by Peau PorotesanoUpon finding out that I am a senior, many inconsiderate adults and students alike inquire about my plans post graduation. When I nervously explain that my plans are not entirely concrete, a few joke that “it’s OK” because “if things don’t work out,” I can always “go back to China to teach English.” Since when … [Read more...] about English Divides, but Love Conquers
Asian Food: Dishing out the Honesty
Art by Christine NelsonMy father devoted his entire working career to being a food engineer. He grew up in an impoverished village in Taiwan, splitting a salted egg with seven other family members over bowls of diluted rice. After he immigrated to Massachusetts and earned his PhD in food science, he devoted his time to intricacies from the granule size of sugar in Nabisco … [Read more...] about Asian Food: Dishing out the Honesty
Is Butter a Carb?
As an Asian girl, I receive scrutiny for a lot of my culinary choices. People ask me if I eat eyeballs or testicles. (The answer is no.) People come over for dinner and cry when they are exposed to spices. People ask me if I eat dog. (The answer is also no.) Today, I will return the favor and express an equally concerning statement. Why do Anglophone-speaking countries consider … [Read more...] about Is Butter a Carb?
Don’t Worry, I wasn’t Thrilled About NSO Either
Art by Peau PorotesanoThree years ago, overenthusiastic volunteers in neon orange screamed, “Welcome to Pepperdine!” as my polite father smiled awkwardly in the car rental that was 80 bucks cheaper but not nearly spacious enough for a family of five. The sea of orange is a shade so striking that lawmakers in the 1970s reserved it exclusively for prisoners. I … [Read more...] about Don’t Worry, I wasn’t Thrilled About NSO Either