Living in Shanghai After My Chinese Father’s Death

Here is an article I wrote for Business Insider's Lifestyle section. The article is about being drawn to Shanghai after my father's passing and how his hometown helped me process that grief. I've also posted the original version of the article after a photo of the Shanghai skyline. * * * My dad's death led [...]

Home Truths

Cover image for "Home Truths" article in CKGSB Knowledge Writing About the Chinese Real Estate Market While in Shanghai In December 2024, I wrote an article, "Home Truths," about China's real estate market for the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) publication, CKGSB Knowledge. The school is based in Beijing, with campuses in Shanghai, [...]

Gelato Infused With Chinese Herbals – A Unique Treat

Just in time for Shanghai's high heat, Zhong Yao Tang opened on Xiangyang Road and offers gelato infused with Chinese herbal ingredients. The names of the 16 flavors will give you some idea of what awaits you.

Saying Goodbye to My Father From Shanghai

After almost a year in my father's native Shanghai, I am able to write about his passing.

Two Words Two Years After a Stroke

And since 2015, after his most recent stroke robbed him of his ablity to swallow, stripped him of his speech, and rendered the left side of his body useless, he has said two words to me.

Small Movements

The subway and then the bus took me east to the hospital, through the neighborhoods of Los Angeles, to say what I know we should have said to each other years ago. Decades ago.

When Therapy Runs Out

We have almost exhausted my father's allotment of therapy for his stroke. Will supplemental insurance make a difference? For now he is seeing an acpuncturist twice a week.

Father’s Day Is Sometimes Complicated

The holiday has caused such confusion and questioning that for a long time it was easier to ignore it and its significance.

Connecting with Connect Four

It was Sunday, and I thought I'd pay my father a visit at the skilled nursing facility. A caretaker who accompanied him to acupuncture the day before said his left arm was very active and that the acupuncturist was working to awaken his throat muscles and improve his ability to swallow. I was curious if [...]

One Year After a Stroke: What Now?

I don't remember who was on the other end of the call, but I do remember the words: my father had had another stroke. My father lay in the emergency room while we waited on the results of an MRI to tell us the extent of the damage and to confirm he did indeed have [...]