restaurant buzzer

Many of the restaurants here have call bells at the table with corresponding buttons to call for waitstaff service. I’m not sure if it allows for better or worse service. The ‘ding-ding-dong’ sound can be easily ignored, making it difficult for customers to get service. Or it can be great, attentive service when needed as […]

nice to meet you, here’s my card.

I pushed myself to go to the first Ignite Event in Beijing, a few days ago, even though it was all in Chinese and only 1 of the presentations was in English. I can get around with directions and my minimal knowledge of the language, but attempting to listen to the speakers, it’s confirmed that I […]

Shanghai: no pajamas in public

The Chinese are trying to become more ‘Westernized’? Or ‘modernized’? Instead of accepting pajamas in public as part of the culture and allowing foreigners to see a different lifestyle, is Shanghai attempting to suppress the daily living habits of their local citizens? The wearing of colorful, boldly-printed pajamas in public has been popular in the […]

true ‘fusion’ food: Bánh mì sandwiches

Bánh mì sandwiches, if you’re not familiar, are a delicious Vietnamese sub that come with a variety of different fillings. What makes the Bánh mì unique (and fusion) is the use of French bread and pâté with traditional Vietnamese ingredients of pickled vegetables and meats. It’s interesting to think about how this sandwich came to exist through French-colonial influences […]