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STUDIED FOR MONEY
November 13th, 2008
Back in January, we had some money saved up from China but not enough to last through the impending school year. This turned out to be a big issue for Yan — huge. So, very soon upon arrival, I went about the business of trying to find work. Our combined student visas, however, very clearly limited the number of hours we could legal work while living in Australia, which naturally limited the kinds of jobs I could take.
Fortunately, the global University system is desperate for research ’subjects.’ This is the pre and post documentation of that experience; they wouldn’t let me film during the questionnaire.
HAPPINESS IS A PLATE OF DUMPLINGS
November 10th, 2008
On very rare occasions, Yan will get the bug to whip up a batch of dumplings for the house. I can do it myself, of course, having been trained by her father several years ago. But I tend to fumble with the skins, leaving a stack of misshapen lumps that could never be confused as legitimate Chinese ‘jiaozi.’ Yan’s little fingers and infinite patience, however, make her the perfect dumpling-maker, as it were.
Dumplings may be one of the world’s truly perfect snack foods. It’s certainly up there with the Mexican (American southwestern, anyway) burrito, the Indian samosa, the Italian calzone, the Australian ‘pastie’, and other such diminutive, enveloped delights. No need for utensils, just a fist, some teeth, and a (perhaps) unusual desire to tear things open.
TORCH RUN REDUX
September 8th, 2008
In honor of the recent Olympic happening in Beijing, I offer up this snippet from our not-too-distant past. It was a long morning in April — Yan and I sitting and watching on television the Canberra leg of the worldwide torch relay, gritting out teeth through some amazingly trivial commentary from the local news crew. Yan seemed caught up in it, simultaneously attracted to the whole spectacle and wary of the potential consequences.
There were buses leaving from Melbourne the day before. Some carried protesters, others packed to the roof with loyal Chinese expats, everybody with homemade signs. There was a chance for us to tag along, to join the ruckus. But instead we opted for a bedroom view and two cups of green tea.