A queer feminist anthropologist exploring the realities of culture, gender, and sexuality in contemporary Asia
Burns, Baby, Burns... Last weekend I survived a bit of an ordeal. I’d been invited to an academic event hosted and attended by various people I’ve admired from afar and never met before - the kind of people I quoted in my dissertation, whose plays I studied at university, and who might be the help [...]
When it comes to hair removal, I am (to my immense irritation) unrelentingly hypocritical. It's something I've got strong views on but haven't always stuck to my beliefs in my own personal habits. On the surface, I believe it's a waste of time, money and sense. It goes right against my feminist beliefs. Knowing that [...]
A few weeks before Easter, I was struck down with a horrible, unrelenting bout of flu. I was bed-bound for the first three days, sleeping for upwards of 18 hours of the day, only waking up when the painkillers ceased working. I drank pints upon pints of squash, all the variations of tea and honey [...]
Today is Ascension Day (40 days after Easter), which is a public holiday throughout the rest of Europe but not in the UK. I know this because work has been put on hold by many clients I work with today, who have a nice 4-5 day weekend while we continue the normal routine. Re-reading the [...]
This Valentines Day, I had planned an evening at home with the people that I love, but my evening soon went tits-up when we realised we couldn’t find the cat. Her owner, who had just received her engagement ring in the post and was heading out to show it to her fiancé who hadn't seen [...]
It’s taken a long time for me to write this down, but I hope I can do it justice: this was the worst job interview of my life. It’s laughable now, but at the time, I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. The experience shook my confidence and undermined my faith in humanity (just [...]
The potential to miss our biggest and best opportunities is part and parcel of life. It's finite nature, our mortality, is what makes life worth living to the absolute full. Knowing I have missed past opportunities, and could let future chances pass me by, fuels my ambition and makes me work harder to achieve the [...]
A few weeks ago, I had a Bridget Jones moment. I know you know what I mean; we all have them. Those times when all you want to do is sit in front of the telly wrapped up in your duvet, while you eat ice cream and drink far too much wine. Not exactly a [...]
Zhēn de Gender 