In the Chinese tradition, we are expected to bring out the best food we have in our kitchens to serve our guests. It is considered impolite if we have just enough food for everyone on the table, as leftovers are an indication that we have served and fed our guests to the fullest.
Thus, I grew [...]

Dinnertime at Grandma’s house was always delicious — endless bowls and platters of food, eating more dessert than Mom would normally allow, and always cups of coffee for everyone, no matter what the age. What I remember most, though, was not what was on the table, but what sat on the floor next to the [...]

Everything happened so fast.
Smoke billowed from the kitchen. Sirens screamed from the fire trucks. And a woman on the other end of the phone line nonchalantly told me not to panic.
I stood so helpless, praying to God, asking for rain, “Make it stop, make it stop!”
In less than 30 minutes the fire claimed everything. All [...]