Moon Viewing

“You will soon witness a miracle.” Okay, so it’s not quite a miracle, but it hasn’t happened in 33 years. I was already primed to watch the night sky because of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon is supposed to be big and bright. (It's also a fun time to eat moon cakes.) The blood moon was just one more reason to take a peek last night. As an aside, friends tell me they can see the lady in the moon when they look up. There's a Chinese myth that says the lovely Chang'e saved … [Read more...]

The Importance of Moon Cakes

"It is easy to dodge a spear you can see, difficult to guard against an arrow shot from hiding." -Chinese proverb Moon cakes were the arrows in hiding, the secret weapons behind a historical Chinese revolution. These dense cake-like treats are filled with red bean or lotus seed paste. People enjoy moon cakes during the mid-Autumn festival. The moon is supposed to be the largest and brightest during this time of year, and it's an occasion for families to gather together.  This year, August 15th … [Read more...]