My primary trade is communications. I took up code to become a better communicator for our brave new world. Lately, people have been coming to ask me for advise on making a similar career switch. They come for all reasons of all kinds to take up code — money, ego…

My grandma was admitted into the hospital today. My family at home was taking care of her. They send messages all day long. And tonight, I just received a photo of her, thin, in the hospital bed, doing her best to smile. And it’s such a bright smile, my grandma. …

This is my experience at Jury Duty. The sun still hasn't colored the sky. My eyes struggle to peel open. A crack of light meets my eyes only to filter my room in a cool tone of gray. I take a deep breath. My back seems to have attached itself…

The belief that China is straining itself to lure scientists home — I work for a new drug research institute in China and have been in and out of China’s academia for the past year or so at Tsinghua University, whose name for some reason cannot be stated without mentioning Harvard or MIT. My research center hopes to develop medication and other…

I was catching up with my cousin, Korina. We’re only a couple of years apart, both recent college graduates. We were chatting about how we were getting by in life. I’m in Beijing. She’s at our hometown in small Midwestern America, Milwaukee. “We’re really lucky to have family — that…

When I have too much free time I dig through the pantry and fridge and challenge myself to make something to eat. I made a cool, refreshing, iced grass jelly bowl — a street food dessert you might find in East Asia, Southern China especially — dressed in lemon juice…