I read this book review for The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet in the NYT the other day. To be honest, I was ready with a heaping bucket of scorn as soon as I read the short description:

David Mitchell’s novel describes a young man out to make his fortune who discovers a complicated world in a closed-off country.

( Sarcasm ahoy )

I just watched this short (less than 40 minutes) documentary about Asian-Americans: East of Main Street: Asians AloudI don't know how long it'll remain available for viewing online, but if you can, I recommend watching it. The format is simple: individuals speaking about their experiences to the camera. There's a pretty good mix of ethnicities, ( Read more... )

I saw a scooter with a Nazi flag sticker on it today...which is at least the second one I've seen here in Taiwan. And I can honestly say I'm baffled ( Read more... )