There are plenty of places that run weekly/spontaneous jam sessions in Chengdu. Submarine Bar down in Yulin is one of them. Here’s a little ditty I shot and edited for the buddies down at Submarine Bar last night. The chick in the hat was doing an acoustic singer-songwriter type thing early on, then as the night grewContinueContinue reading “Jams at Submarine Bar”
Author Archives: Kristen Ng
Lady Lazer Light Casts A Spell Over China: Interview with Erica Sklenars
Wellington! 惠灵顿！ Erica Sklenars a.k.a. Lady Lazer Light is in the capital this week for two talks about her art residency in Beijing and touring with Orchestra of Spheres around China. Kiwese caught up with her ahead of tonight’s first talk! The last Lady Lazer Light show I saw before moving back to China was in collaboration with long time pals OrchestraContinueContinue reading “Lady Lazer Light Casts A Spell Over China: Interview with Erica Sklenars”
The Biggest Losar: Solo Travels to Larung Gar
It was a fairly sudden decision to travel to Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Garze, Western Sichuan, for Chinese New Year, informed by the news there would be no tutoring for a week. “What are you planning for Spring Festival?” I asked on a Tuesday over dinner at my student’s house. “Actually, we’re going to Lhasa.” ChopsticksContinueContinue reading “The Biggest Losar: Solo Travels to Larung Gar”
Responding to Brian Rudman’s Push for More Nationalism and Less Dragons
Yesterday a friend of Kiwese sent through this opinion piece: ‘Why focus on other cultures and not our own?’ by NZ Herald columnist Brian Rudman. I eyeballed it somewhat carefully – any article that opens with possessive pronouns around culture and a cartoon dragon engulfing a white, flag-waving, Fred Dagg figure in a wife beater warrants several deep breaths through theContinueContinue reading “Responding to Brian Rudman’s Push for More Nationalism and Less Dragons”
Food Cravings: Wellington Edition
Summer in Aotearoa, Winter in China… It’s around this time each year, Kiwese gets homesick for the beach, friends and whanau, and home food… Don’t get me wrong, I love the food in Chengdu. But sometimes, it’s like faaa I’d smash a potato top pie… From what I’ve heard, the food landscape of Wellington has changed a lot over theContinueContinue reading “Food Cravings: Wellington Edition”
Losing My Shit Over Polyswagg
Earth has borne witness to unstoppable forces of nature – earthquakes, volcanos, hurricanes and The Royal Family. TW: extreme fangirling Crowns UP! The Royal Family are so fucking badass. I’m hooked. Tautoko these bitches all day – literally. Maybe a little too literally… For the past 48 hours I’ve been on a very real YouTube marathonContinueContinue reading “Losing My Shit Over Polyswagg”
Started from the Bottom Now We’re Here: 14 Years Since the Poll Tax Apology
“Sorry,” “arohamai,” “对不起,” “ma bad.” Kiwis tend to over apologise for everything – sorry for being late, sorry for moving your bag, sorry for ever so slightly scuffing your foot on the bus. But what about when ‘sorry’ really means something? The Poll Tax was a tonnage restriction and tax on all Chinese arrivals to New Zealand from 1881 to 1944. Fourteen years agoContinueContinue reading “Started from the Bottom Now We’re Here: 14 Years Since the Poll Tax Apology”
Chinese New Year (Chunjyeah!)
Ayi Wan Lin phoned on the weekend. Forgot to reply to that text, flicked it away for later consideration while the eternal online shopping hole of Taobao was draining my essence. Chunjie seems to creep in just as you’ve been blobbing into the festive glow of Christmas, New Year’s and a self-administered hangover period. It’s chill. Then you realise that laowai holidays didn’tContinueContinue reading “Chinese New Year (Chunjyeah!)”
KIWESE 