Well, to be fair, it WAS 1983. Not exactly a good time for hair or fashion, looking back from a 2014 POV.

I was four months shy of 25 and wrapping up grad school (Master of Education in the History of Education). I probably had classes earlier that day, but was home to watch the finale. Friends got me through most of high school, undergrad AND graduate school (SATC got me through undergrad, and since the finale aired…

Just asking you whether you'd find it weird to watch a show or movie set in 1800s US with characters meant to speak English (i.e. not immigrants from non-English-speaking countries) but were speaking, say, German or Italian instead. I'm not talking about Shakespeare (or Greek/Roman theatre - I'd otherwise be…

But what if you were an American/Canadian of Italian descent who can speak/understand Italian, but was not educated in the language? The only way I could give an Italian language film/stage production of Little Women is if it happened to be a musical/opera.

Another question I'd like to ask you: What would you think of an all-Italian-speaking film of, say, Little Women? Setting does not change. It's still Civil War era Massachusetts. Only the Marches, etc... speak Italian instead of English. Wouldn't you find it strange, at least at first?

I think it just shows that English speaking society isn't a big fan of foreign films/prefer not to watch anything with subtitles.

If it goes back that far, it isn't too weird. However, if it's in, say, 1500 or later, then it can be (unless it's a musical. That I'm willing to let go). But they really shouldn't have North American accents unless it takes place in North America or the characters are North American. It would just be really weird…

What about including grats on the bill? They often do that for larger groups and the menu will note that a certain percentage (usually around 18%, I think) will be added to parties over six (or whatever number).

You know that I am fairly fluent in Cantonese, right? I might not be able to read/write, but I am able to function enough at a restaurant to order food. I can probably insult people in various ways. However, I don't plan on teaching my kids Cantonese. It's a little bit regional and Mandarin is more important. …

It would really depend on the setting. An all Asian cast, set in Asia, but at the same time, be English speaking, would be a little weird for me. It would seem a bit artificial, like watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon dubbed. A period piece set in in the west, featuring a predominantly Asian cast would…

I didn't think you were talking about Disney musicals, because I wasn't. I was looking at it from a costume/period piece in general. And there HAS been a Soong Sisters movie, featuring some big international names (Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh). Historical figures in the movie also included Sun Yat-Sen (he's…

But it's kind of pretty hard in a more globalized world to go back to the "old ways" of doing things 100%, right? I can live my life almost exactly the way I do now, by wearing what I typically wear, behaving the way I do, etc... in Hong Kong and not be seen as too abnormal. Sure, true locals might think I'm a bit…

Actually, I'd to see stories of East Asian students who went to school in the west pre-1920s. Think Soong Sisters and the like. They may have been rare cases, but they couldn't have been the ONLY Chinese women who went to school in the west, could they?

Totally not surprised. And it doesn't help when parents tell their kids they're not this or that. I mean, I'm all for the truth and realize that the truth hurts (i.e. I'm not a fan of the "let's make everyone a winner" attitude that some people profess), but we need to assure kids they're good at SOMETHING! And not…

I still want to see an aristocratic East Asian woman in a period piece that doesn't take place in East Asia. I mean, pre-Chinese Republic costumes (for example) are lovely, but I like western clothes, too.

I don't know about this. Why would being rude mean that a salesperson would get more commission? I SWEAR that at certain higher-end stores, salespeople expect me to spend and spend A LOT (whether I'm a regular "browser" at the store or not). Because, you know, East Asian females are supposed to be shopaholic…

I guess it's like the Cantonese last name, Ng. In Cantonese, it sounds a little like "Mmmmm" (okay, more like Gnnnnn (think "gnocchi"), but Anglophones say "Ing."

Zess-ZEE-KAH? Am I close?

Just because you interact with a diverse group of people doesn't mean that you'll necessarily come across a wide range of names. Almost EVERY Hong Kong-Canadian person I know has a western name, for example (most of the people who DON'T are elderly, and culturally, I call most 80-somethings Poh Poh and Gung Gung…

Well, my name, Cynthia, is probably difficult for non-English speakers to pronounce. In French, people will likely say something like "Sen-TAY-AH" and some of my Cantonese-as-a-first-language relatives say "SEEN-fee-ah." What's interesting is that though many Cantonese (as a first language) speakers also have…