This is a long, lonnnng (3,500+ words) Part 2 to my post The Truth About Being a Freelance Writer. I know a lot of people are thinking of doing this but wondering how to start. This is just my experience and what I did. Freelancing is not easy and the money is not always stable. You have to be very self-motivated. Since I’m just starting, I use Upwork (previously Elance) to find jobs, and this could very frustrating. But I…
The truth about being a freelance writer: my thoughts and tips
I’ve been working as a freelance writer for 5 months now. I still feel pretty new to this whole thing, but I have gotten some interest in hearing about my experience. So I thought I’d write a (long, long) post with all my opinions and any tips I have to share. Hopefully, if you’re wondering whether to break out and try your hand at full-time freelancing, this will help you a bit. I’m not trying to persuade or dissuade anyone…
Grandma’s Kitchen: making tang yuan (glutinous rice dumplings)
Chinese New Year is officially over! Monday (February 22) was the 15th day of Chinese New Year, which is also the last day of the holiday. After this, everyone returns to work and there will be no more new years’ bidings and life goes back to normal. Side note: the Chinese really know how to celebrate the New Year with 15 days of festivities. Why isn’t the Western New Year like this?? And what happens on the 15th day of…
Words for 2016
I know I’m late, but happy new year everyone! Last year, while everyone else was talking about their resolutions and/or plans for the year, I kind of let New Years quietly slip by. I was in the middle of a serious writing funk and couldn’t come up with anything retrospective or profound. Eventually, I wrote this, vowing not to give up writing. But the truth is that I quite like the beginnings of a new year. It’s like holding a new…
The 4 Hour Body: is this a sustainable diet? (and month 1 results)
The following is a lonnnng post about the slow carb diet. If you’re not interested, skip it and I recommend this drool-worthy post instead. However, if you are interested in losing fat fast while not exercising and still stuffing your face but in a totally healthy way, then read on! Over the past few months, I’ve been feeling down about my health. We haven’t cooked for months (except for the stint on Koh Chang), due to the lack of kitchens and the convenience…
Finding romance in little gestures
I met D on the beach next to where I lived. It was on my turf. It was with my group of friends whom I played beach volleyball with every weekend. He was a guest of a friend. And it was that friend with whom I flirted with all day. But at the end of the day, it was D who asked me out. Before I could think of a suitable reply, I had said maybe and given him my…
Lessons from a few scribbled characters
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone for your support and encouragement on my last post. I feel so loved! And I want to share this little story today for all of you who also have the same struggles and feelings of despondency (thanks for this new word, Bonnie!) This story starts with a fall. It happened on a cold Beijing early-spring morning, when the snow on the ground had just barely melted from that winter. My grandfather was…
Vignettes from two red stockings
I have a very special post today! The following is an article written by my mother, recounting the Christmases of our childhood. The article was written in Chinese, and I (polishing up my rusty Mandarin) slowly read it character by character. By the time I finished, I had a headache from concentrating so hard, but also a smile on my lips and a warm glow of nostalgia for those magical childhood moments. My memories of my childhood Christmases have always been some…
Fishy Jelly, Pierogi, and A Very Polish Christmas
The best part about Christmas is the coming together of family and sharing a meal. Or, in my case this year, it’s being invited into someone else’s family… a hardcore Polish family. D’s grandfather grew up in Poland, survived WWII, and immigrated to the US where he met his wife and raised 8 children. Through all this, he has kept the Polish tradition of a Christmas Eve supper (a Wigilia) alive. D’s dad has assumed the role of chef and…
Once Upon a Christmas Tree
Sometimes, the smallest things make me insanely happy. I hate to sound like a Grinch, but overall, I haven’t been having the most joyful December. In between the unseasonally warm weather, 12-hour work days, and feeling fat (probably due to my mass consumption of chocolate lately), I haven’t had the time to feel Christmas cheer. But this is also the last Christmas D and I will be spending in his house (and for me, also the first) as the house…