Feature Stories

Whatever you do as a Chinese, keep a poker face (喜怒不形于色). Because it’s not about experiencing emotions. It’s about not expressing them. But in a society which glorifies non-verbal implications, there should be no need to express any emotion anyway. In...

The concept of “congestion” is referenced widely in modern Chinese culture. It is present in conversations whining about public transport, city traffic, lines at a tourist attraction, hospital or service desk; in fact, almost any public space. An “uncrowded”...

There are a lot of cars in Nanjing, getting on for three million now. That’s one for every three people, these days a small family. So with much of the city now on their own four wheels and more...

“When I Find Myself in Times of Trouble…” September is always a funny month for me. The daylight begins to contract, school imposes routine on the wildness of the summer months, and for the last 27 years, the anniversary of the...

“Inhale. … Exhale.”  These are the most said words in a yoga class. And if you have ever taken one, you have probably heard these words spoken to you by a yoga instructor who is oblivious to the fact that...

“All of us, when we travel, look at the places we go, the people we see, through different eyes. How we see them is influenced by the books we’ve read, the things we’ve seen, the baggage we carry.” I don’t...

“Before examining the splinter in my eye, try removing the rafter from your own”. Matthew 7:5 As conduit to Jesus’ words, the great apostle, Matthew (although yes, he probably didn’t write the words himself), had a point. But before we...

I have been caught up in a blur of shadow and edges lately.  Everywhere I went, I saw the world as a painting on a canvas. I studied how the pavement reflected the setting sun, I studied the raindrops that...