I don’t touch other people’s kids without asking their parents or the kid themselves first.

First of all, kids are gross. I know kids touch everything and anything.

Aside from being a mom, I’ve been a babysitter, a camp counsellor, a tutor, a piano teacher and a tennis coach for elementary school kids. Their grubby, sticky little hands have been in their nose, their ears, their mouths, handrails, toilets…anything and everything.

I remember this one time I was walking downtown and noticed a little boy was walking ahead with his older sister.

Growing up with Asian immigrant parents, we always had a disconnect. However, the way they raised me affected me significantly and shaped how I am in other relationships.

Although the title of this series is “5 Steps to Having a Better Relationship With Your Asian Parent,” it really isn’t about steps.

Just because you’ve completed some steps doesn’t mean you get your reward.

It’s not a recipe where you get to have your cake and eat it too.

Ever heard the phrase, “You choose your friends but not your family?” Here’s why you don’t have to like your Asian immigrant parents but you can still love them. You can learn to accept them for who they are.

Each step in this series talks about Why What and How to have a better relationship with your Asian Parent.

Now that you’ve had some initial conversations, what do you do when it doesn’t meet your expectations?

Asian immigrant parents don’t share our mindset. They grew up differently than us. How can we talk to them when they don’t understand you?

Now that you’ve taken some time to think about why and what you want to improve in your relationship with your parents. How do you actually do it? Where do you even begin?

Talking to my Asian parents wasn’t easy. For a long time, I didn’t know what to talk to them about because it seemed like we couldn’t talk about anything. Here’s what you need to know to figure out what you can talk to them about

So hopefully you’ve read the first step and taken some time to flesh out WHY you want to improve your relationship with your parents. What’s next?

How can we deal with Asian immigrant parents when we barely understand one another?

Here is the first thing you should do.

Why is Sum spelled that way?

Why am I here?

Where am I?

Who am I?

Maybe not that question unless you’re having an existential crisis…but perhaps listening to my podcast will help.

If you’re Chinese, have Chinese friends or ever been to Vancouver, you’ve probably heard of Dim Sum.

For those who don’t know a lick of Chinese, Sum is ‘heart’ and Dim is a ‘point/dot/small bit’. 

And all together, it is my way of introducing you to my blog in fancy schmancy Chinglish.

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is an actual reason why millennials overspend.

Are you freaking kidding me?

People my age spend money because they have a “fear of missing out on”

What?

Like that beautifully pictured cappuccino and notebook placed precisely on the edge of a table?

Or that perfectly timed photo of someone mid-jump on top of a mountain, looking super cool and dangerous?

How Teaching Your Husband or Boyfriend About Your Period Can Make Your Relationship Better (Feminist Series)

The men in our lives, our boyfriends, friends, husbands, brothers, fathers will never understand what getting a period feels like. I hate being a woman sometimes because I get periods.

I menstruate; I bleed every month for several days on end.

drink, drink, drink! From the workplace to hanging out with friends, it’s so easy to succumb to the pressure to drink.

So I don’t enjoy drinking alcohol.

Some people might be like,

“Seriously? And you’re a mom? How do you do that?”

I hate the taste of alcohol. It’s extremely bitter and I feel like I’m doing the cough syrup gag every time.

I look like a cherry tomato about to burst in pictures (Thanks to my Asian genes).

So no, it’s not because of health reasons, or that it’s expensive or that I’m trying to be a Saint to my kid