Category Archives: Observations

Being the Foreigner: Privilege is Not a Color

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Guest Writer

By Mandy Throughout college, particularly as an anthropology major at a liberal arts school, “privilege” was a term that arose in just about every discursive situation. We read about it in analytical texts, fought about its applicability to ethics and … Continue reading →

Posted in (featured), Lifestyles, Observations | 17 Comments

Does the Ferdinand Center for the Creative have Misguided Intentions?

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Rosemary

For a while, I wondered if there was anything out there that could bring art/graphic design workshops to the poorer parts of the Philippines. It wasn’t until I came across the Kickstarter project of the Ferdinand Center for the Creative.Their … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Observations | 6 Comments

Jeremy Lin Drives it to the Basket as Harvard Defeats Santa Clara University

Posted on January 6, 2010 by John

Monday night, I had the real distinct pleasure of seeing Harvard’s Men’s basketball team player (and Palo Alto native) phenom Jermey Lin play live against Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. Although Lin didn’t have his best night scoring, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Local, Observations, San Francisco Bay Area, Sports | 9 Comments

What Asian Cuisine Will Next Go Mainstream?

Posted on December 31, 2009 by Guest Writer

By Eddy A few years back, I was at dinner with some colleagues after we had finished the day at the client site.  In the course of making some small talk, the project manager (Caucasian male in his 50’s living … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Drink, Observations | 6 Comments

Standing Up for Ourselves: A New Years Resolution

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Guest Writer

By Serena As we are about to embark on a New Year, I want you all to ask yourselves what this year is going to mean to you. I’m sure a majority of you have written your resolutions (i.e. quit … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Observations | 2 Comments

Taiwan’s HTC: Quietly Brilliant

Posted on December 30, 2009 by John

If you own a cell phone, there is a good chance your phone was designed and/or manufactured by the Taiwanese company HTC. Never heard of HTC? That’s alright, most people haven’t. For most of their 12+ year existence, HTC has … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Current Events, Observations, Technology | 6 Comments

Oshogatsu: A Japanese New Years

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Koji Steven Sakai

Besides Groundhogs day, my favorite holiday is New Years. I look forward to it every year. I always forget though that most people just think it’s a day to watch football (or a day to recover from a night of partying). For those who don’t know, New Years or oshogatsu in Japan is the most important and elaborate holiday of the year. Continue reading →

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Silicon Valley’s Ping Pong Boom

Posted on December 27, 2009 by John

While growing up, my family had a ping pong table in our basement — my brother and I would often play during the summers, when we had a lot of time during our summer vacations and when it was nice … Continue reading →

Posted in Local, Observations, San Francisco Bay Area, Sports | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

For Korean Parents, Height can Change Fate

Posted on December 22, 2009 by jee

How important is height? For South Korean parents, it’s more than important. I’m not sure why, but ever since I can remember, I knew the parentals in South Korea were obsessed with the height of their children; it would come … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Lifestyles, Observations | 4 Comments

Does Santa Exist For Asian Americans?

Posted on December 20, 2009 by Tim

I came to the U.S. when I was only 2 years old. As an Asian American immigrant child in a family where money was stretched thin, there wasn’t even the hint that Santa could be real in our household. We … Continue reading →

Posted in (featured), Family, Observations | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

The Art of Gift Giving

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Tim

As we get fully entrenched in this holiday season, now best known for getting and giving gifts, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss the cultures that have really perfected the art of giving gifts. Asian cultures specifically of … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Observations | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Is Japan Becoming A Nation of Whiners and Complainers?

Posted on December 16, 2009 by jozjozjoz

Except for Moye*, the Japanese/Japanese-American folks I know aren’t usually people who do much complaining. While that’s a pretty big generalization, we all know the stereotypes– both real and perceived– of the “quiet” Japanese men and women who don’t like … Continue reading →

Posted in (featured), Lifestyles, Observations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments