By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Have you ever thought about thanking those who wished that you would fail? Maybe, you should. In my high school senior year, my history teacher called me to her desk and said, “You will never get credit (meaning A or B in the Hong Kong public exam system for […]
BLOG: Good news means no Trump news
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY A few days of news, without President Trump in much of the headlines, are a good thing. The late Sen. John McCain stole the show. That must irk the hell out of Trump. There was other good news, too. 1. Yay, Seattle Storm! It doesn’t matter that Seattle Storm […]
BLOG: Conquering the MSG syndrome
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY MSG — monosodium glutamate, flavor enhancer for Asian foods — is sort of my oppressor. I know you readers would be shocked that I, being a frequent diner at Asian restaurants, don’t care for MSG. A small amount of glutamic powder can do wonders for our taste buds. But […]
BLOG: The Asian (food) invasion
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Imagine dining in a Seattle restaurant, but you can order only steaks, fish and chips, or chicken breast. Would you be inclined to eat out more? Thank God, Seattle isn’t one of those cities without imagination. Nor is Bellevue. What really energizes the culinary scene nationally and locally for […]
BLOG: The king of Lunar New Year feasts
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The highlight of my family’s Lunar New Year feasts have always been the chicken. Why chicken? It’s never duck, goose, lobster, or beef. The flat bills of ducks and geese make it look as if they are sad and crying, as my grandma used to say. The chicken has […]
BLOG: A good year for Asian Americans in politics
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY It’s been an amazing year for Asian Americans in politics. Bruce Harrell, Seattle City Council President, who ran for mayor four years ago, became Seattle’s first Asian American mayor for two days in September. Hyeok Kim, former deputy mayor, was considered the best candidate to fill in Mayor Ed […]
BLOG: Behind the scenes — My weapons for battling crises (Part 3)
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The crises at the Northwest Asian Weekly never ends. One hit us as recently as last week — on Oct. 5, a day before the 35th anniversary gala of our sister paper, the Seattle Chinese Post, for more than 300 people. The Asian Weekly was already delivered to the […]
BLOG: Want to visit Buckingham Palace? It’s easy.
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Imagine yourself walking through the Ambassadors’ Entrance, the main entrance of Buckingham Palace, standing in line for the red-carpeted Grand Staircase and admiring Queen Elizabeth’s gifts. Except I wasn’t imagining. I was there a few days ago, and even dined at the Queen’s garden. You might think I have […]
BLOG: Can you not take yourself too seriously?
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY How many times do you laugh a day? Studies have found that children laugh at least a few hundred times a day, and adults about 30. You know why? As adults, we can get tense, angry, anxious, and sad easily without logical reasons at times. We take things too […]
BLOG: What do Trump and the Chinese community have in common?
By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY What’s in a name? “People’s” is the difference between China and Taiwan’s official name. The official name for China is the People’s Republic of China, and the official name for Taiwan is Republic of China. If you omit “People’s” when addressing China, it could lead to protest, mistrust, and […]