tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39577126002780123282012-01-28T08:17:58.764+08:00Life in Sun Lung Wai Village, Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong.Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.comBlogger2901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-9474001227609885362012-01-28T07:56:00.002+08:002012-01-28T08:17:11.663+08:00

My son aspires to be a fishmonger. He has told me so. Everytime we pass the wet market we have to stop. He likes to watch both fish and squid and any other live creature be whacked, gutted and sacked. I'm just glad that they don't have live chickens in there anymore. I feel it's important for him to make the connection between getting a piece of meat or seafood to eat and the process of killing

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-40975786537812791032012-01-09T19:22:00.003+08:002012-01-09T19:34:57.781+08:00

Yeah, and I'm not a pop or sports star. I'm also female, do not drive a sports car and am extremely near sighted with bifocals...guess I lucked out. This is Stephen in 1991 on Lamma Island. Back in the day, when he came to HK he did a bit of modeling. I think he looks beautiful here, so decided to post it. This was one of photos unearthed when we went back to the Aldeburgh, UK over the holiday

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-25287607586727442722011-12-10T23:57:00.000+08:002011-12-10T23:58:21.670+08:00

Out of the DepthsHere I learn to sing for love:St. James Church, Florence, Italy; 1982.Out of the depths. Aus der Tiefe.Bach knew that voices peel notes,scatter petals before God.In foreign lands the terrain is the body.Journeys: steps among walls from an autumnal kiln,red wine that stings,cobblestones that beat boot leather,the dust of clay and time.This is an old world of art and gods.Here, an

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-52231608637188304282011-11-30T20:40:00.006+08:002011-11-30T20:58:56.489+08:00

Feeling somewhat obliged to continue the on and off discussion we've been having since Keohi was about 18 months about gods and ghosts, I offered this up, given it is Christmas season:Steph: So, Christmas, some people think, is the birthday for a baby. Uhm...some people believe this is a birthday for a god. They think that this baby Jesus is a god. Other people believe in the gods like you see in

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-92083371564812464512011-11-26T06:34:00.004+08:002011-11-29T21:27:06.167+08:00

Genus Mui WoA kick and a glide. An ageless alien floats.Close eyes. Close eyes.No razor blade gills,only fins and bones, tentacles and tales.The flesh expands and collapses.A tiny black tuft clipped and shapedhides folds of pinkish beige,a purple opening: It begins here. To elude capture and conscriptionI hide when sharks circlesnap colors from honey to olive.I feign muteness,

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-12057655503784895352011-11-24T21:07:00.009+08:002011-11-25T07:55:49.957+08:00

Here's a picture I took today of Keohi with his pals biking in Tai Tei Tong square, as they often do, in the late afternoons during the week. They were having fun, racing bikes, pretending to be astronauts, yelling and shouting, swapping helmets and running, as the old grandmothers and grandfathers looked on, and their child minders (myself included) called out: "Do not crash into each other!"

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-23187058779901094862011-11-20T21:48:00.003+08:002011-11-20T22:01:02.541+08:00

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloudReally interesting and accessible book. Creative and thoughtful. I must recommend.The Chomsky-Foucault debate on Human NatureWould rather have read this with someone else. This belongs in the category of books you need to read with another person so that you can discuss the ideas. Reading this alone does not allow for the same kind of

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-59062817760884839122011-11-13T16:34:00.006+08:002011-11-13T20:30:05.927+08:00

Well, one of the reasons I like living in Mui Wo definitely happened today. I was so tired, but any attempted nap was thwarted by Keohi throwing pillows at my head, stacking blankets in a pile and jumping on them from the bed. So much for lazy Sunday afternoons. I have hazy soft focus memories of this Sunday indolence, but it's not happening with a 4 year old. So we decided to head up to the

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-20594911825617322952011-11-08T16:02:00.002+08:002011-11-08T16:04:50.958+08:00

This Mui Wo Hallowee video by Andrew and Ivy Wood is a nice depiction of the community.Stephen as Red Devil.Keohi as Spiderman #2.Steph, cameo appearance (flip flops and ankles)

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-71829429429687826812011-11-07T10:44:00.005+08:002011-11-07T11:59:07.962+08:00

Mom made one of her yearly whirlwind (this time) tours. Given mom's age, you'd think she would slow down, but I'm still trying to keep up with her. So I was the one who got sick, vomited from motion sickness, felt tired from the bus and the smog and the markets, and she was the one, still wanting to walk, shop and everything else.Things have improved much since her last visit (fall 2010) in our

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-64613343272942244892011-10-31T10:22:00.003+08:002011-11-03T17:02:49.196+08:00

March 12, 2011Only In Our SleepSwift steps in the night,a nylon bag slides across the floor.Inside: plush toys, plastic robots,stickers, twigs, a worn gray lamb,glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs.I reach—a quick scramble and you cocoon into my shoulder, a chrysalis son,curved toes take root against your father. All huddle under down and cotton.I hold this pliant flesh, soft hair,inhale the scent of

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-82260382330986263252011-10-17T00:08:00.000+08:002011-10-17T00:10:12.990+08:00

A Voice for All Lantau Vote for Dr. Rosa Ma for District CouncillorI believe I can provide a professional and effective voice to bring people together to meet the challenges of our growing and diverse community.I promise to:Promote our Community’s PotentialYES to EDUCATION Re-opening a quality multicultural English-medium secondary school in Mui Wo Upgrading local primary schools—better

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-48359084786487304982011-10-01T17:58:00.002+08:002011-10-01T18:00:48.458+08:00

Dr. Rosa Ma is running for council office in a local Lantau election. Please vote for this candidate who supports local education, better local services, the preservation of the environment and stimulating Lantau's economy. Information on her platform and campaign will be forthcoming.Go Rosa!

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-87446052323640849652011-09-29T19:23:00.006+08:002011-09-29T19:47:50.675+08:00

This means Hong Kong shuts down. So a nice break for us. We get to eat dinner as a family during the middle of the week. This never happens other than on weekends or holidays. This type of crazy schedule is not unusual here in HK and simply accepted as normal, and a typical example of the long hours in HK. Granted, Stephen's occupation means terrible hours, but his seem to top the list of most

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-46719072248488229832011-09-28T21:10:00.004+08:002011-09-28T21:35:52.181+08:00

I am not a fan of this. At all. To add, I am not a fan of teaching a kind of athletic competition at a young age at all. Case in point: the swimming lesson parents.I will save the details of ethnic and national identity of this family because should I mention it, they would be easily identified. A few weeks ago, mom was at the lesson screaming GO GO urging on young (age 8?) boy to beat the other

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-33766705242623383162011-09-26T21:59:00.004+08:002012-01-14T15:30:09.558+08:00

To CeciliaIn Memoriam: To Those Who Die in a Distant Land (2011)Late spring news of the first death: an emailwritten by a mourning spouse.Mad (mentally ill and vehement)she died broken, riddled with cancerlike her father decades before. Insane, her psychiatrist mother did nothing.She believed in the elusive and the impossible,like violets sprouting from the wall,floor lights on her

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-8160226368311591452011-09-25T07:16:00.003+08:002011-10-25T21:09:30.924+08:00

Opened the sliding glass door and spotted one. Screamed and then ran up the stairs, of course forgetting to close the glass door. Stephen came down and killed it with bamboo. Every since the cobra was on our doorstep I have become, admittedly, completely irrational about snakes. Then heard only a week ago that a cobra was in Keohi's teacher's house and she had to get a neighbor to kill it. Then

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-12060113625232089812011-09-22T12:59:00.003+08:002011-09-25T07:13:17.437+08:00

It just happened. There are ways that China and the USA strongly resemble each other. Both have and use the death penalty, both silence dissenting voices in the name of supposed expediency.Life in the American South is not easy if you are non-white, not that it is easy if you are white, actually, because discrimination and the longterm legacy of slavery and racial injustice affects everyone.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-64966175603753681572011-09-20T21:17:00.005+08:002011-09-20T21:45:00.189+08:00

I will post the photos soon, but this was a very good Mid Autumn Festival...Keohi was even one of the winners of the Lick Hang lantern festival contest. I'll post a photo of that. We drank a lot of milk to get those octopus tentacles...it was an Octopus Lantern. Specifically, a Giant Pacific Octopus lantern.Mid Autumn festival this year was the first time that Keohi could really enjoy the event.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-71210081773533511202011-09-12T00:52:00.003+08:002011-09-25T07:13:49.691+08:00

Overseas here in HK, this is not the big news story, of course, that it is in the US. Nevertheless, it is in the news. The anniversary of 9/11 remains significant given how its aftermath affected the world--a two front war that has resulted in thousands and thousands of casualties that effectively, solved nothing and divided nations and people. Then came economic recession. And we are still left

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-49269638810373092872011-09-06T21:22:00.005+08:002011-09-25T07:15:12.030+08:00

Taxes...It is late. I am finally doing the U.S. taxes for 2010. I am staring at a pile of receipts and pieces of paper and thinking OH MY GOD. HELP. Yeah, I have an accountant. That doesn't make the pile go down any faster.Books...OKAY, I read a great book I HOTEL by Karen Tei Yamashita. I highly recommend it.I think it is her best book. It is also a welcome antidote to these tiresome stories

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-46553615459223122562011-08-27T18:52:00.004+08:002011-08-27T19:08:31.799+08:00

A few nights ago Stephen and I were talking and he said, remembering when he came so many years ago to HK, "This was essentially an apartheid system. I had to make a conscious decision, as a British person, as a white person, how I would negotiate it. I couldn't stand most of the attitudes here. And everyday, it's (still) my obligation to educate or to start conversations or to show people or to

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-6429667353726342042011-08-22T06:59:00.004+08:002011-08-22T07:10:19.298+08:00

Finished The Known World by Edward P. Jones. A brilliant book. Beautiful prose and the fascinating subject of black slaveholders in the American south. This book should be taught everywhere and tells the reader more about American history and the complexities of the American multicultural society better than most. Am now reading I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita. A zippy great read of the Asian

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-13517329819574641072011-08-21T02:27:00.003+08:002011-08-22T06:58:46.163+08:00

Today I hit the Mui Wo playground. The swing set area. It stank of urine. Oh, for crying out loud. Do you have to let your kid PEE in the playground? The ground tiles absorb the pee. It just reeked. I've actually seen and know of parents who have let their kids pee around the playground (city services, call out to you--install a bathroom, please) in the grates. And before you ask--no, such

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-37291627637063134732011-08-20T17:33:00.003+08:002011-08-22T06:58:02.518+08:00

I'm back and forgot about this aspect of life...one of my least favorite aspects of life here in Hong Kong. Yet it is a very integral part of life here in Hong Kong that I think people might want to know about back in the U.S.-- there is no such thing as a quiet day at the beach, a silent swim at the pool, or even a day on a school playground WITHOUT a loudspeaker constantly going. The

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-76687114383623575462011-08-18T13:58:00.003+08:002011-08-18T14:20:56.124+08:00

Back in Mui Wo. For the first time ever, my plane landed about 45 minutes early. This meant me, Keohi, four 50 pound bags/boxes, 3 heavy carry-ons and some serious logistical maneuvering. Just sign me up to a shipping company. Greeted by the bovine blocking the road by the swimming pool and then Keohi and I just wait on a curb. I am back in Mui Wo. So of course I sit on dried cow poo...heat is

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-12409722221466629852011-08-06T13:53:00.003+08:002011-08-06T14:17:56.936+08:00

This is a little late, but the photo of Keohi staring at a beloved bowl of Tofu-fa, a dessert of tofu with ginger and sugar, is one of the images I will carry in my mind of his childhood. Unfortunately the Tofu Fa Uncle, or Tofu Fa Man--both monikers we used, died several weeks ago. I tried to explain this to Keohi, but it will only sink in when we return to Mui Wo and he searches for the Tofu Fa

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-32322555104653907212011-08-04T13:36:00.005+08:002011-08-04T13:55:11.707+08:00

So earlier I had mentioned I had bought a Kindle to read some academic text, Specifically, a book on narrative theory called NARRATIVE FICTION: CONTEMPORARY POETICS by Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan. This book is available for 110USD or for rental online for 30 days for about $5, plus a conversion fee to Kindle, another buck.Let me say this: it is a significant book, but it is not exactly a page turner.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-32400076276071359062011-08-03T09:52:00.002+08:002011-08-03T09:58:55.802+08:00

"Mom, are you ready for me to be a teenager when I grow up?""There are NO doughnut shops on the moon, okay?"

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-29076574793983545132011-08-02T02:05:00.005+08:002011-08-02T02:34:32.269+08:00

So not only have I entered the technology era and use the Information Superhighway, but I recently have two new tech things in my possession, adding ultimately to the vast floating barges of waste in the ocean, or at least landfill mess.I got an IPod Shuffle. A gift from my mom. Pink. Very cute. Now to figure out how to music on it. This may take me another three months, but I got it to try to

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-57633183264154573332011-07-30T11:34:00.001+08:002011-07-30T11:50:34.367+08:00

Don't even try to eat it. Why did I bother? I'd been reading the book Yoshi's Feast to Keohi and my attempt to enliven his reading experience ended with Keohi vomiting his eel on the ground. He loved the eel. But the eel must have been bad.At least we got a refund of $10.Bummer.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-50983491051617510882011-07-26T11:22:00.006+08:002011-07-26T13:11:19.451+08:00

The biggest issue with this above discussion is how it is now framed in the media, and even among your average person in standard discussion. And the problem is this: people don't know how to discuss it because they are frankly, ignorant. And I will say this, most are WILLFULLY so because you don't have to read the paper everyday to understand a few basic facts, and you don't have to be a

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-30315251960661004762011-07-24T23:35:00.006+08:002011-07-25T07:55:10.461+08:00

I've been doing a lot of reading for what appears to be a rather narrow field of study, as my dissertation focuses on the aesthetics, genre and form of the Asian American Novel from 2000-2010. There have been a myriad of developments in this genre, most of which to the average reader, are probably not that relevant to one's life, nor of particular interest, but such reading has had its effects on

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-12210412971810312532011-07-20T12:13:00.003+08:002011-07-20T12:23:09.265+08:00

Keohi has a little pal here, 5 year old Kaylie, a little girl. There's a big difference between 4 and 5. This was today's conversation I overheard.Keohi: Okay, so that's my husband!Kaylie: What husband?Keohi: My husband! This is a husband, okay?Kaylie: You can't have a husband. You're a boy.Keohi: I have a husband. My dad.Kaylie: Your Dad is your husband? What? He's not your husband.Keohi:

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-25929813033815092702011-07-20T04:27:00.002+08:002011-07-20T04:32:08.942+08:00

Keohi took his second Pa Sa Ryu (a style of Korean martial arts similar to Karate/Tae Kwan Do/Tang Soo Do) class yesterday. He's in the Little Dragons class. He went to my dad's maternal cousin's dojang Kang Rhee. Kang Rhee (www.kangrhee.com) is my one claim to pop star fame as he was the guy that taught Elvis Presley karate--and to that end, received a Cadillac, guitar, a weekend in Las Vegas,

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-25883913360363117322011-06-30T04:13:00.003+08:002011-07-05T23:21:34.200+08:00

Cherie Meiling Baker (a.k.a. Buffalo Girl) (1989-2011)Cherie Baker was raised in Luk Tei Tong Village in Mui Wo, Lantau, Hong Kong, a small rural village outside of Hong Kong. Her father, Manny Baker, a former Wanchai musician who briefly played guitar for the cover band We Are Really Famous, was of British-Filipino descent, and later worked on the building site of the Chek Lap Kok Airport on

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-57135022556075300452011-06-09T22:42:00.001+08:002011-06-09T22:43:41.967+08:00

Swift steps in the night, a nylon bag slides across the floor.Inside: plush toys, plastic robotsstickers, twigs, a worn white lamb, glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs.I reach—a quick scramble and you cocoon into my shoulder, a chrysalis son,curved toes take root against your father. All huddle under down and cotton.I hold this pliant flesh, stroke this soft hair,inhale the scent of sleep.Your insect

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-4771812609936225622011-05-05T19:28:00.002+08:002011-05-05T19:34:04.815+08:00

I hate snakes.Black cobra outside our front door. I walk quickly with Keohi and then pick up the pace screaming A SNAKE!Keohi says, "I'm scared of snakes!"Mommy says, "I'm scared of snakes too!"So much for being a brave parent. Then I felt I should do something, so looked around for a stick. Then realized the snake was by our electric box by tons of wire against the wall. Still, I looked for

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-34559574481731908012011-05-04T09:18:00.011+08:002011-05-14T18:55:28.632+08:00

I am adding this link below as it provides a simple basic guide.Please note the following, some of which can be found on this website, some of which can be found on other reputable websites. I am putting up this post as this situation seems to be a yearly happening here. Since my arrival in 2008, there is a very big outbreak every year with plenty of people overstepping the boundaries of common

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-13811117208177624392011-04-22T12:55:00.002+08:002011-04-22T13:09:01.343+08:00

Stupid encounters one could only have in Hong Kong:a) someone telling me that it is bad for one's health to put your body on cement during hot weather. This seems to be a no-brainer. There are germs and a large number of spitting happy elderly here. (A kid was doing this) BUT NO. The DANGER is that a body will HEAT UP.I could not even begin to discuss this. Language challenge. Cultural barrier.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-63474959348584173702011-04-12T22:44:00.006+08:002011-06-09T21:36:48.683+08:00

A Garden’s BonesBone.Bones shoot from the earth—a three-pronged fork.Hard and pale white stumps—jetties on green sea.Bones;a sturdy skeleton buried in tufts of winter grasshacked and sawed by the woman upstairs—one less to water, feed or tenda Deatha Blessing.A curious sculpture these boneskicked by a tiny boyringed by dirt and dried fecesfor the gods to chewfor the winds to gnawa brittle snapa

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-17418465304638259252011-04-11T06:41:00.002+08:002011-06-09T21:33:35.032+08:00

A Water BuffaloA gray brown beast lumbers down the cobbled path,stops to pull grass that skims its stomach, brushes its dark eyes.The animal wallows in a bog, a coat of chocolate drowns flies,hooves sink and water pools. The creature defecates piles of heat and stench, round discs of volcanic feces, circle on top of circle, a soft messleft to the rain or hardened on the pathshoveled by

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-78769483709333750242011-04-06T22:13:00.004+08:002011-04-06T22:20:58.678+08:00

I had to break my silence to voice my opinion on this community disaster.Three water buffalo have been killed! (see www.lantaulink.com) One water buffalo gored a tourist on the beach. As a result, there have been some people using this single incident to make a case to destroy all the water buffalo/cows on Lantau. This would be a terrible mistake.There is a serious problem with people not

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-68631070094592330312011-03-26T15:25:00.002+08:002011-03-26T15:28:34.277+08:00

Paper to write on Meena Alexander, then 60 pages due in August. So signing off for awhile unless, of course, I don't feel like it...but swamped with reading.Thinking though of migration, expatriation, nation-building, transnationalism, and identity. HK, the former "borrowed place, on borrowed time," is a good place to ponder such things...

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-85017457421536963752011-03-26T00:11:00.006+08:002011-03-27T16:06:05.268+08:00

Hong Kong Island life. You miss the 9:30 fast ferry by 10 minutes and are stuck on the 10:30 slow ferry. You read HELLO magazine at the coffee bar and learn that Prince William's fiancee wore a "stunning blue dress" at something or other. You eat a tea boiled egg from the newsstand and drink a latte made by a Nepalese woman whose daughter is at your son's school. You feign interest in an article

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-48705136357187382312011-03-24T20:51:00.003+08:002011-06-09T21:42:35.432+08:00

This is how you live: nation-less, disguising one self for another,invisible, depending on the audience and inclination.You subscribe accordingly:an object of curiosity,a subject of castigation or rumora being with no allegiance.A turncoat or traitor to nation (any nation and all).Conversant in the ways of both countriesyou are a delight/pain, dependent on the leaningsleft or right of Others—the

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-90899249570248920512011-03-23T21:19:00.005+08:002011-03-23T21:58:38.536+08:00

We've been reading a few different versions of Cinderella. This, combined with a few playdates with friends has sparked an interesting outcome. First, Buzz Lightyear has gone to a ball, this was when he played with his friend, Miriam. And Keohi has declared in my old beaded necklace, that he cannot go to the ball because all he has is his old petticoat. I told him not to worry, I was sure the

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-11762848202498273642011-03-17T23:53:00.002+08:002011-06-09T21:46:44.474+08:00

We walk and laugh, snug in down-filled coats, yours gold, mine pink, hold sweet potatoes, bite the chestnut fleshas steam fills the night. Tucked in my wallet, stickers of our faces framed in aqua and purpleanimal cartoons. For this, we waited two hours in lineas the world in Technicolor filled my eyes.In my window, the bluish glass bottle from the robotayaki, my son shakes it when he enters the

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-86130818352780219742011-03-14T00:18:00.005+08:002011-03-14T00:46:46.223+08:00

Oh boy, Toy Story fanaticism is in full force. Our child does not want to be called Keohi, but Buzz. And has started to introduce himself as Buzz. He also tells people that he is a toy. Hours are spent re-enacting Toy Story (1 and 2, he has not seen 3, but was sent 3 as a book). A girl at school told her father that Keohi thinks he's Buzz Lightyear. Stephen has started to call tie-in products

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-1727140763783333492011-03-02T22:09:00.001+08:002011-03-02T22:10:10.372+08:00

Wow. I feel it. People I knew are now dying...or rather, they have died. I am getting old....

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-83275162322946253962011-02-27T23:55:00.004+08:002011-02-28T00:11:42.061+08:00

Keohi's 4th birthday was celebrated by a mostly Mui Wo contingent, with some CityU and associated kids--31 kids total and some 40 adults. Everyone from his class plus random others and more or less, anyone who showed up on the beach...I bought 42 kites for the day. Weather was fantastic. Windy, sunny, and clear. They construction guys even agreed to halt the drilling between 1-3PM. About 5-6

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-1179108575474159072011-02-23T10:32:00.002+08:002011-02-23T10:36:46.109+08:00

Raymond Gibbs The Poetics of Mind (1994) and Mark Turner’s The Literary Mind (1997) modernize classical notions of rhetorical modes and kinds such as figure, story and parable in concert with discoveries in contemporary cognitive and mental sciences to argue that ‘the literary mind’ with its fundamental structures of emplotment, projection, figuration and genre is indeed integral to, and

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-63870463211483119122011-02-14T21:21:00.003+08:002011-02-14T21:24:45.042+08:00

There is a good interactive video feature on the front page detailing the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions. These are interesting times. I hope that Americans can rethink their ideas about the Mideast and the possibilities of government and people power. Americans have a right to news information. Please support the presence of Al-Jazeera on your local cable network. You, as Americans, have a

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-84278338348636411292011-02-14T20:55:00.002+08:002011-02-14T21:01:04.632+08:00

Big news. Legco supports the creation of a secondary school in South Lantau. Now it is up to the Education Bureau to act on this amendment. Watching the legislative process was interesting. English translation runs simultaneously and people deliver their opinions in both English and Chinese. There is much work to be done for the local community, but it's a great step forward. Issues of

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-27011925439537188782011-02-10T11:28:00.005+08:002011-02-10T11:38:48.153+08:00

Finished the book. Highly recommend it. One of the best that I have read all year. Truly brilliant. Can't stress enough what a relief it was to read this book and how enjoyable it was amidst the trash reads that one must do to hobble along as a reader and writer in life.An amazing presentation of the complexities of a marriage, parent/child relationship, and the way that human beings change over

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-37999376885962516302011-02-07T21:21:00.004+08:002011-02-07T22:02:45.005+08:00

FREEDOMMaybe because I am not stateside, I am more immune to the hype, so can read without distraction and a different frame of mind about American life---but whatever the reason, I am enjoying this book and highly recommend it. I would definitely recommend it to someone trying to understand the middle class or bourgeois white American and therefore would tell people here to read it. I had tried

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-62690099316334415642011-02-04T22:19:00.004+08:002011-06-09T21:44:56.137+08:00

In the cold bathroom he slumps on the toileta pinched face, weak cries, fevered gasps.I kneel on black ice tiles, hold out a towelhe lurches forward, vomits.I rub his tiny back, knead his hunched shouldersbread warm and soft, a pretzel.He sobs through mucous and saliva, tears and diarrhea,I am trying to get better.Wetness. Fatigue. My back aches, but I lift him high, tuck him in.Massage, massage.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-89772725457677064312011-02-04T00:28:00.004+08:002011-02-04T00:41:30.097+08:00

Here's a key link:http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/For people in the States, who cannot watch Al Jazeera, that's the link. Here it was a free channel if you have cable sign-up, hard to believe (and then again not) that it is not carried in the U.S..Thinking of the Egyptians. Courageous people. May the people of Egypt have the government and leadership they want in this new year--the world

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-79511137938303937592011-01-19T21:43:00.006+08:002011-01-20T10:16:38.971+08:00

Some interesting responses to the book by Amy Chua--haven't read it, so will comment only on excerpts, but some of her responses and parenting seem...well, how should I best put it?Rather immature. I'm not sure if throwing back artwork at your kid because you think it is below par, or not allowing them to pee until they mastered some aspect of piano is particularly reasonable or a mature reaction

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-52271048923223576562011-01-13T11:18:00.000+08:002011-01-13T11:19:23.154+08:00

Lucifer has entered...Terrible Threes in full swing...

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-76430302899161859592011-01-03T18:00:00.002+08:002011-01-03T18:07:39.007+08:00

Seize the day, that's about all I can say, after hearing about various illnesses, recent deaths--and there have been quite a few...And then too, there is this: live simply.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-25285585643529881602010-12-28T22:18:00.003+08:002010-12-28T22:21:18.718+08:00

So now we put on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and Keohi grabs his plastic sword and dances around the room. He leaps and tries a pirouette and fights the imaginary Mouse King. He's the Nutcracker. I'm usually Clara, though sometimes I'm a tin soldier. The ballet made a profound impression on him. Today after 15 minutes of running, leaping, fighting and dancing to the music he told me: "I need a

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-17511871545158857272010-12-18T20:27:00.004+08:002010-12-23T22:54:55.906+08:00

Friday was a seminar and then I invigilated an exam. My first invigilation. Back in States we call it proctoring an exam. I see students and think of myself--with six sharp pencils, a shuffle through the notes...cramming it all in. When I went back to university in my late 20s I actually remember a few history exams with fond memories. If you know the stuff, it's a great feeling to know that

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-53188942292769235052010-12-15T23:08:00.003+08:002010-12-15T23:26:26.600+08:00

Biking side by side with Keohi the other day from Sun Lung Wai to Luk Tei Tong. He looks up and says to me: "I love you, Mommy!" I say, "I love you too." He stops his bike. He's smiling wide--so happy. Pure joy. Nothing beats a bike ride through the village. He puts up his hand--we high five and cruise along through the green, right by an ambling fly covered cow, pull to the side for a cement

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-65647440651791411882010-12-14T20:04:00.003+08:002010-12-14T20:07:44.720+08:00

Stephen's grandmother died. A charismatic, lively, and witty 89 year old. She survived the war, lived in or around Aldeburgh her entire life, and took joy in the moment. Keohi saw his great grandmother two times, myself only four, but she was an unforgettable spirit.R.I.P. Nana -- we will miss you always...

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-287376267772876382010-12-13T23:39:00.002+08:002010-12-14T00:01:09.783+08:00

I thought I would include this link because it is very clear most people still don't realize that the choice of a diamond in any fashion as a piece of jewelry, symbol of love, accessory or status item, is rather contentious. This piece is actually not as radical as some other writing out there on the issue of diamonds, and thus is why I hope people click through to read.To be fair, there are

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-84710045338364580322010-11-29T22:32:00.003+08:002010-11-29T22:51:16.046+08:00

Trying to buy a doll or human figure for Keohi for Xmas.Got some action figures. Avoided all with machine guns and robot types.Settled on a series from ELC called The Bad Guys. Long process...I saw pirates--two sets, not bad. First set, white guys in pirate outfits with swords. Then I thought, maybe there should be other non-white guys. And what about girls?So I saw another set with green and

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-33627838241888350042010-11-23T10:11:00.001+08:002010-11-23T10:11:43.155+08:00

Californiaby Joni MitchellSitting in a park in Paris FranceReading the news and it sure looks badThey won't give peace a chanceThat was just a dream some of us hadStill a lot of lands to seeBut I wouldn't want to stay hereIt's too old and cold and settled in its ways hereOh but CaliforniaCalifornia I'm coming homeI'm going to see the folks I digI'll even kiss a Sunset pigCalifornia I'm coming

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-76185529167093160522010-11-21T20:51:00.005+08:002010-11-21T21:06:24.283+08:00

Very true. My colleagues at a previous educational institution found that every year the assigned pages for nightly homework decreased--students couldn't handle focused reading. Concentration levels were not as high. More reasons why I will never buy my son a video game. Period.Yeah, I'm a party pooper, but I've actually even been warned by several parents not to buy them, and I will heed the

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-4472123554058221012010-11-21T10:28:00.004+08:002010-11-21T10:56:48.999+08:00

I posted this on May 17. It was written after our visit to the UK. Stephen's great uncle Pat died on Thursday. I met him myself, very briefly only twice--the same time that Keohi did. Uncle Pat made a great impression on Keohi, lying in his bed, in the old people's home, watching the TV. When we came back to Mui Wo, Keohi lay on the bed, pulled the covers up to his chin and said "I'm Uncle Pat."

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-28776454779247988752010-11-13T21:56:00.003+08:002010-11-21T10:54:48.965+08:00

OK, the banana tree in front of our kitchen window is ours. Surveyors came. Property staked. Lines drawn. Yes, we're in the village and no, we ain't movin' in the near future.So the old lady will just have to deal...ahhh village life...

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-17890517659969257512010-11-11T20:46:00.003+08:002010-11-21T10:55:18.133+08:00

This is a good site for people who care about girls, and it is also a good site for those who care about boys.I strongly believe that parents are the ones who should take responsibility for creating open minded and tolerant men. And that parents of boys should also be aware of the challenges that face young girls today.It's also weird for me as a parent of a boy. If he's surrounded by a

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-53975043077393922912010-11-08T11:24:00.003+08:002010-11-21T10:53:23.433+08:00

I love this post and wish that there were more people as tolerant and open as this parent.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-12343185774097061062010-11-08T07:22:00.009+08:002010-11-09T09:43:54.941+08:00

The Lowdown--ethnicity and gender of participants added for more demographic fun...A Bad Weekend in Mui Wo (end result: Mom (moi) with an acid churning stomach ache--the kind I used to get in Iowa as a kid after being tormented at the bus stop by the local bully--of the ulcer variety)Saturday AMStephen with Keohi. Some asks if he is a girl. Stephen, says no. (Filipino female)Saturday PM at

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-68496567976503653732010-11-05T19:10:00.006+08:002010-11-07T21:40:35.449+08:00

Post Election Doldrums...I voted absentee in the most recent election. From here I see that Americans need to have a little faith and hold fast. No presidency is perfect and there is a tremendous difference between leaders who are elected and those who spring from the grassroots and lead and work outside of the system. It takes all kinds to move a nation. And our country was left in shambles

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-51602047344007147792010-11-04T20:03:00.006+08:002010-11-04T20:45:54.880+08:00

About three weeks ago Keohi had an accident and this event added even more to my overwhelming support for public health care. If only people in the U.S. had access to this type of system. Quality of life would be much better. With good healthcare I could maybe even afford to live back in the U.S. and not live in fear of bankruptcy due to pre-existing health conditions, and the general cost of

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-18391717012859655412010-10-08T21:20:00.001+08:002010-10-08T21:23:26.202+08:00

You can talk all you want about designer goods, shopping malls, and affluence, but this is the real story about China. And there are many here who would agree.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-13881143951710424952010-09-28T22:33:00.001+08:002010-10-01T07:28:08.124+08:00

Sun Lung WaiOutside my kitchen window wave smooth banana leaveslarge with heat, perfect in greenshading a stone shack next to a garden.It’s a woman’s plot—insistent styrofoam boxes,choy and chives, ginger and herbs.They linger and wilt in heat and neglect.A daughter—worth ascribed by sonsa paper deed blank married off,tradition dried, peeled, and preserved.Her obedience, her acquiescencebitter,

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-55183257230528708372010-09-20T18:30:00.003+08:002010-11-21T10:54:03.052+08:00

RSI flares up.But this site must be seen, this poem read.http://www.awwproject.org/2010/01/i-thought-it-was-a-dream-but-when-i-woke-i-couldnt-walk/

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-24115298316555733102010-09-08T20:44:00.003+08:002010-09-08T20:46:29.102+08:00

Given RSI flare-up (think: carpal tunnel, but not as bad...) I am temporarily halting ye olde blog...Should someone need to contact me--try this address: word@stephaniehan.com, or better yet, give a shout.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-4295222526430555012010-09-02T20:20:00.007+08:002010-09-02T21:23:23.482+08:00

Various scenes are re-enacted in the bathtub by Keohi. These are two of the popular ones:Picking up Poo PooI bought Keohi gloves to use in the bath, figured that they would allow him to was more easily than with a washcloth. They are neon purple, scratchy and made of synthetic material. He tells me, "Do a poo poo, Mommy.""What?""Do a poo poo, so I can pick it up with my poo poo gloves like Habi (

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-594228743115306002010-08-24T20:25:00.004+08:002010-08-24T20:37:45.610+08:00

Today--Make oatmeal, Hemingway prep, pilates class, sing a "Bushel and a Peck" 15 times, deal with Keohi's poo in undies two times, read over Rhetoric quiz questions, read one chapter Anil's Ghost, read article on the short story, skim bio on Hemingway, answer emails, work on two lines of poetry, play "Wicked Uncle" from Flying Carpet book which involves chasing Keohi around the dining room

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-73653242463187181402010-08-19T13:47:00.004+08:002011-06-09T22:02:30.084+08:00

I gaze, project up to the black arc,arm drapes a chair, hand pats a small knee.Life is short; he is young.Everything new in the universe.Our harnessed awe stormed by currents—fused.Careful calibrations, certain calculations,dials, knobs, switches, steel, glass and plastic.Tricks of mirror and light.Dwarfed: I smell his hair,wonder at the sky, tremble unconsoled.Matter and atoms, we return to dust

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-88875640937208553822010-08-18T21:02:00.003+08:002010-08-18T21:05:15.190+08:00

Thought I'd link to a good friend and fellow writer's website--Renee Simms. Also in Strange Cargo and part of the PEN anthology...Her blog really explains the Emerging Voices program. So click on the title of this blog!

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-49726908713019818882010-08-17T14:53:00.006+08:002010-08-18T20:59:18.145+08:00

Hey--it came out! I am so pleased to be a part of this anthology. My experience with PEN West Emerging Voices was by far the best out of all of the many writers workshops I have participated in over the years. The writers were and are smart and interesting. Their purpose and their passions far more intense than the majority of people I met in the MFA or MA programs. I respect their work. They

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-30540141909389667802010-08-14T09:18:00.003+08:002010-08-14T14:09:17.469+08:00

Went with my son, the aspiring astronaut, to the HK space museum. The race to space. The race to control outer galaxies. To ascend...I wish I could say this was simply about the desire to see and explore the possibilities of the unknown.Then I saw the prototype in a photo of what could possibly harness more energy to keep up with our rapacious energy consumption. If we could simply learn to live

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-50751058115956393922010-07-27T16:51:00.001+08:002010-07-27T16:53:23.701+08:00

http://gu.com/p/2th59 Click through and watch.

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-44293832880356224162010-07-23T06:41:00.004+08:002010-07-30T21:14:05.192+08:00

Finishing The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies. He can really craft a sentence. It is a very good book. Interesting, am thinking of how nationalism affects Asians differently, it seems in the UK with regards to subject matter. Of course, he is half Welsh, half Chinese, raised in England. Many of his stories do not feature Asians. But then again, there seems to be more of a class marker in the UK

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-73673487380244239712010-07-20T19:36:00.001+08:002010-07-20T19:36:55.064+08:00

Here's the clip: http://link.reuters.com/fef75m

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-2322290226062457012010-07-18T16:32:00.006+08:002010-07-18T17:55:49.008+08:00

Ahhh....well, how should I begin? I've been thinking about this incident and believe it deserves more examination within a fictional context, but I thought I'd write if only to mull it over more myself. It encapsulates the complications of life in the US on so many levels.Dad, Keohi and I went putt-putt golfing in Memphis. When picking up our futon, mom and I had spotted it, and Keohi also saw

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-60856709038894374272010-07-15T23:07:00.004+08:002010-07-30T21:14:40.836+08:00

Read Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine and loved it. A graphic novel. Very American and accurate portrayal of interethnic dynamics within the Asian population. Very rarely do I say I know these people in the book, but yeah, I know these people...Finished The Calcutta Chromosome by Ghosh. Felt there should have been more with the wrap up, but it was still a page turner. Big departure for him, but will

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-64278568605723732352010-07-12T16:04:00.003+08:002010-07-12T16:20:16.071+08:00

OK. I finished the book The Favorites by Mary Yukari Waters. I was not entirely clear or correct about my previous assessment. The problems with the book are primarily structural in that it should be constructed as a short story, novella at its longest, and is dragged out to a novel.So it feels forced.Nothing more tiresome than forced art. I have heard the short fiction she writes is very good

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-60874577224523636242010-07-10T10:43:00.004+08:002010-07-10T11:01:05.237+08:00

Keohi backfloats, dogpaddles, jumps off the side, and flips from front to back...amazing. Thanks to Laura Lee the fantastic Memphis swim teacher. Shows what good instruction can do. Hope we can continue the swimming when he gets back to Mui Wo, but here the pool is shallow and so he can touch the ground, feel secure when trying out new things. And it's salt water...not so bad when you swallow the

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-67120720543443803312010-07-07T19:55:00.002+08:002010-07-07T20:01:52.814+08:00

I cannot get enough of the clouds--this is what I miss most about American life, I realize. Clouds. Clear blue skies with billowing white puffs that recede into the far distance. Clouds for painting. Clouds for pictures. Clouds in full view without the shadow of pollution.In Seoul, it's the same. Haze and gray. And all over Asia, they blame it on China. As if China, Mainland is responsible for it

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-90297272390320198582010-07-07T05:04:00.004+08:002010-07-07T05:14:00.471+08:00

1. Red jello--made in the same glass rectangular dish that I ate jello out of as a kid...2. Ice cream everywhere and everyday--soft or gourmet, vanilla and chocolate, in a dish at grandparents, etc...3. Swimming pool next door. Empty. Shallow parts to be an alligator in. Salt water.4. TV and the Cartoon Network. He still hasn't figured out TV commercials. So we say, oh the show is over...just

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-24023946905094884852010-07-03T05:10:00.005+08:002010-07-03T07:06:41.050+08:00

This is how I know I'm back in the States--I'm cruising down the road in Mom's big ole white SUV (the half electric version--it saves gas, but probably costs the same amount as a small house) and turning the dials listening to the radio. Bruce Springsteen comes on. There are flags everywhere--July 4th weekend is upon us. The US has wars on two fronts going on, the recruiter storefront is here in

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-5936639377308259702010-06-30T10:56:00.004+08:002010-06-30T11:14:07.261+08:00

Read this--slowly at first, then really skimmed as it progressed. I didn't like it as much as her short story collection. There was a similar tone in War Trash by Ha Jin--his book I did not get through for a variety of reasons and feel that I should go back to it at a later date. (I am a fan of his other work, especially Waiting) I understand that there is very little to find humorous or

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-5569336031932049912010-06-19T19:13:00.003+08:002011-06-09T22:07:38.001+08:00

It’s long past bedtime, but we answer the call.My child grips plastic handles eaten by mold and grime,steers the rusty bike from the bellow of the frogstowards a flutter of moths that bat the glowing lamp.We ride into the heart of mosquitoes and steam,enter a hollow hull enclosed by iron gates.Inside, an old stage swaddled by black curtains,chipped paint walls, concrete floors. Ceiling fans hum.I

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-87791687127632469172010-06-18T18:11:00.003+08:002010-06-18T18:33:44.568+08:00

Cannot watch many of the games, and just parts of most. Keohi is thoroughly enjoying himself and had his first swimming lesson here with an amazing teacher. He's had a month of them back in Mui Wo. When you are three, and have never had a bad experience with water, you are fearless. Other recent activities have included chasing Pico the Pomeranian around with the rake in the garage and throwing

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957712600278012328.post-87157774808868521582010-06-14T17:28:00.002+08:002010-06-14T17:34:53.690+08:00

My parents' behmouth TV from 1990 died yesterday. Luckily they have a tiny screen in their bedroom where I can watch a molecule make its way across a field. World Cup family highlight: As Dad and I rooted for Ghana. (He's rooting for all the African teams this World Cup.) We're staring at small screen of Ghana vs. Serbia and asking me which team is Ghana and which is Serbia. I said Serbia has

Stephanie Hanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05436291491636218103noreply@blogger.com0