A queer feminist anthropologist exploring the realities of culture, gender, and sexuality in contemporary Asia
I look at images of China – my images of China – and I am amazed. I have travelled to some astoundingly beautiful places since I arrived 14 months ago. I have been incredibly lucky to have the time to get out of the city for long periods, and am privileged with visits from keen [...]
In my first few days of university I met a bright, bubbly girl while I was out on a pub-crawl. She had crazy hair, wore glasses and she was on the same degree course as me. We spoke at high speed back and forth for hours that night, and became great friends very quickly. We [...]
Since I moved to Beijing, my parents have told me countless times to be careful what I write about China. I wouldn’t want to get caught by some kind of authority and be kicked out of the country now, would I? But this has not been a problem, because, as much as I would love [...]
I'm a Lenny subscriber. So I'm treated to intelligent, witty, Feminist writing at the end of every week, when I need it most. Lenny's weekly letter picks me up just as my Friday evening is setting in (I'm 13 hours ahead of NYC). On the way home on the Beijing subway after 7 hours of [...]
I was preparing to alight from the gaotie (high speed train) on my way to a friend's wedding one sweltering Friday afternoon this summer when I heard raised voices. At first, I thought nothing of it. People in China shout at the top of their voices all the time, it's just the normal pitch at [...]
Shakespeare told us that: ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’, which is true, to an extent. And yet, and yet... Some people suit their name. There are those people who are utterly, one hundred percent, an ‘Annie’ or a ‘Joe’. Perhaps they were the first person called Annie that you ever [...]
I can barely believe this is true!! I had hardly dared hope this would really happen, but Aung San Suu Kyi has won a huge majority in Burma's elections held last Sunday. Election commission says National League for Democracy has won staggering majority in parliament, ending decades of military dominance Announcements of the results have [...]
In April this year, my wonderful mother came to visit me in Beijing. She hadn’t taken an international trip alone for a few years. Well, she hadn’t left Europe alone for something like 30 years. (Having kids changes things like that, I would think.) So she boarded a plane from Norwich to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to [...]
Not long ago, I had a particularly memorable class with a young female student I see once a week. I have been going to her house to teach Tali (13) and her younger brother, Uri (9) for over a year now, and we have become quite friendly with each other. She has quickly shed the [...]
Beijing Dance / LTDX premiered Earth / Quake, a contemporary dance work by well-known traditional Chinese choreographer Yang Wei at the People’s Liberation Army Theater last week to a noticeably mixed and highly enthusiastic crowd of foreigners and locals alike. This is the first time Yang has done a modern dance piece, announced good-humoured Artistic Director [...]
Zhēn de Gender 