My partner, Guo Jian, has been priming me for the “Moon Month” or to zuoyuezi 坐月子. When my in-laws were here a couple of weeks ago (the precursor to their more permanent visit that starts as of the 21st) and we were downstairs helping to unload the car, a perfect stranger saw my advanced pregnant shape, the presence of parental…   …read more.

I know this is a blog about my partnership and the courtship that eventually led to my decision to get married to this creature known as Guo Jian. But, if this is a full story then you sometimes need some sub characters. Guo Jian’s cousin is one of those characters. She plays a role in this story of identity, identity…   …read more.

Several years ago now, back when I was still living in Toronto in fact, a friend changed my whole world when it came to sushi. You see, I have been a vegetarian (of varying degrees) now for twenty-two years. Even before I stopped eating meat, though, I never ate seafood or fish, (unless they were frozen fish sticks as a…   …read more.

Back in the late 90’s, I used to nickname my mailing list “signees” this cute play on words: “M-Embers,” that is until a male friend made a joke about how much that nickname made him think about genitalia. I was mortified! I promptly stopped using that in my (then just postal) mailings about my shows. I’m admitting this because I…   …read more.

I am one day from 36 weeks pregnant. My due date is January 1st and so when I crept into December this week, I felt a little tingly at the thought of it just being one month away <gasp!> … ONE MONTH! Pregnancy is almost over (give or take a few weeks) and I’m soon going to meet Little Spark!…   …read more.

That spring of 2008 when I came to China to really see if we had a shot, when it came to the living situation, Guo Jian acted like a U-Haul lesbian. At least years of being surrounded by that community behaviour—where new lovers would move in together within a month or two—meant that I could recognize it, if nothing else….   …read more.

As I head to the end of my 34th week, I realize that I have lots to report regarding Little Spark and our soon-to-be expanded family… Last Sunday, our community here in Beijing threw us a baby shower. It was officially the first time that anyone’s ever thrown me a shower (of any kind) and I was so touched. I…   …read more.