In the month of July, steamy and toasty in North Carolina, I followed migratory birds instead of glossy travel guides, heading north by riding a train. Besides, I intended to take the time to slow down, thus traveling by train came to mind for the first time since moving to America. Plus, a train is […]

In the eyes and the minds of many Chinese and Americans, somehow, the moon appears to be brighter on the other side of the ocean. The recent surging waves of retiring overseas are felt on both sides of the Pacific. In addition, the newly enforced historical 10-year visa agreement for all U.S. and Chinese citizens […]

Looking for a portal to a new culture? There is no easier way than starting with their food, and you don’t even need to set foot across the ocean. Simply, let your stomach become your guide and be armed with a curious mind. Our second restaurant review at TraLi Irish Pub in Morrisville NC offered […]

In the early-1980s, before I hopped on the one-way plane to the U.S., my monthly salary was 57 yuan or roughly $20 a month at that time. That was after I graduated from college, working in an enviable position in the Electronic Ministry in Beijing. As a matter of fact, in those days all college graduates […]

The idea of this proverb (外来的和尚好念经) seems to have originated from an old story from Chinese history. A Zen Master Mazu Daoyi (709–788 during the Tang dynasty), recorded as the first to start a Buddhism Zen School, was born in Chengdu, Sichuan province. His family name was Ma. His father was a dustpan salesman (dustpan […]

When I received an invitation to go for an Ethiopia restaurant review at Awaze’s from Karen, the Cary Park Magazine publisher, I was instantly reminded of an episode I had seen on TV a week prior: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown—Ethiopia. Now I was given the opportunity to experience the only Ethiopian restaurant in Cary with […]

“Many people go fishing all of their lives not knowing that it is not the fish they are after.” The wit by Henry Thoreau crosses my mind as my eyes stop at this 19-years old tennis racquet on the garage wall. After about two decades of falling in love with the game, I have awakened to […]

Life often runs in cycles where everything old can become new again. This has been very apparent during a weeklong expedition with my wife to Cheung Chau, an island located six miles southwest of Hong Kong or 30 minutes by ferry. Cheung Chau is only about one square mile in area and has fewer than […]

If authentic indigenous food is an introductory course leading people to a new culture, then their drinking customs should be a far advanced one. History Thanks to the Himalayas, the drinking culture exchanges between China and the West, among all others, have been blocked for thousands of years. Even today one can’t find Chinese baijiu […]

A Food Tour in the Middle East, and Beyond By Cheng Wang, Feb. 2016 For millions of us who blaze a trail halfway around the world looking for a new life in America, many often reminisce about the food we grew up eating in our native soil. We are far from our roots, and there […]