Learn to first empty your cup — Most people live — whether physically, intellectually or morally — in a very restricted circle of their potential being. We all have reservoirs of life to draw upon of which we do not dream. -Philosopher William James In recent months, I found myself trapped and surrounded in a cloud of…

Examining our addiction to productivity under a global pandemic — If you don’t come out of this quarantine with either: 1.) a new skill 2.) starting what you’ve been putting off like a new business 3.) more knowledge You didn’t ever lack the time, you lacked the discipline You might have come across this blurb on social media sometime this…

But an economic and systematic one as well — There are two types of people in the world, the people from somewhere and the people from anywhere, or so it goes… British author David Goodhart coined the terms “Somewheres” and “Anywheres” to explain the divisions of British society that brought on Brexit and the rise in populist politics. According…

Stop with the US-China blame game — In the recent political tic-for-tat blame game, both the US and China have tried to shift responsibility for the spread of the coronavirus by downplaying their failings in virus response while escalating accusations of blame aimed at each other. …

Michelle Kwan excelled at a time when Asian-American media representation were few and skewed — You know one of those moments where you meet a household name you’ve grown up with, and you do a double-take on just how normal — not “normal” like average Joe normal, but “normal” as in down to earth and surprisingly easy to relate to — they are in real…

Writing guidelines and all that good stuff Welcome to Asian Voices Matter (AVM)! A place where Asian voices are amplified and Asia-related issues are brought forward to the public conscious! The Idea! AVM was originally created out of frustration to speak out against the rise of racism faced by Asians around the…

A personal account of life in China during COVID-19 and how we’ve reached the new normal — Over a few short months, COVID-19 has evolved from an obscure virus to a full-blown global pandemic that has now spread to every continent, with the exception of Antarctica. Citizens around the world are falling into panic mode as governments sound alarms to prevent the spread of coronavirus. …

#IAmNotAVirus #JeNeSuisPasUnVirus #我不是病毒 — In the months following the COVID-19 outbreak, fear and racism spread faster around the globe than the virus itself. This month, Jonathon Mok, a Singaporean student who had been assaulted on the streets of London in a coronavirus related racist attack, posted about his experience on Facebook. …

“In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears...” — “The curriculum is too focused on rote learning and kills creativity.” “It’s all work and no play.” “The competition is too fierce and stressful for quality education at top schools.” These are just raindrops in the ocean of complaints that target the rigid Chinese education system, which values memorization and…