Author: t
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[ESSAY] βReturn Trips: A Japanese Canadian Writer Revisits Her Family Past at Vancouverβs Powell Street Festivalβ by Leslie Shimotakahara All things Leslie Shimotakahara in Cha. ARRIVAL I think of the internment camps where my Japanese Canadian grandparents spent the Second…
![[ESSAY] βReturn Trips: A Japanese Canadian Writer Revisits Her Family Past at Vancouverβs Powell Street Festivalβ by Leslie Shimotakahara](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/766762714_1570548318418903_6545822534501777451_n.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “Shades of HuαΊΏ” by Cheryl Chong The heat has a strange way of blurring things in HuαΊΏ. We glimpse rust-coloured shophouses and dusk-toned homes, most of them melding into a haze as our chartered car nears the city centre.…
![[ESSAY] “Shades of HuαΊΏ” by Cheryl Chong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/view-from-the-melia-vinpearl-hue-otherwise-known-as-the-hotel.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “The Many-Headed Dragon: Myth, History, and The Chronicles of Japan” by Marsha McDonald All entries in Chaon The Chronicles of Japan Matthieu Felt (translator). The Chronicles of JapanβVolume I:…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “The Many-Headed Dragon: Myth, History, and πβπ πΆβππππππππ ππ π½ππππ” by Marsha McDonald](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/71mw8p3wrll._sl1500_.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Mapping Belonging in Sonia Bahlβs Eighteen Inches Apart” by Namrata Sonia Bahl. Eighteen Inches Apart, Fingerprint, 2026. 362 pgs. In Eighteen Inches Apart, Sonia Bahl turns to the fleeting encounters…
![[REVIEW] “Mapping Belonging in Sonia Bahlβs πΈππβπ‘πππ πΌππβππ π΄ππππ‘” by Namrata](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/eighteen-inches-apart-by-sonia-bahl.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βConan, A Barbarian: Inside Bulong, the Filipino Obsessionβ by William Carlo Antonio Sanchez β Chito S. RoΓ±o (director). Bulong, 2011. 105 min.β Curry Barker (director). Obsession, 2025. 100 min. Curry…
![[REVIEW] βConan, A Barbarian: Inside π΅π’ππππ, the Filipino πππ ππ π πππβ by William Carlo Antonio Sanchez](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bulong-2011-and-obsession-2025.png)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βRevisiting Farewell My Concubine: Is Devotion Enough to Keep Art Alive?β by Stella Kwok Chen Kaige (director). Farewell My Concubine, 1993. 172 min. Like everyone in the audience, I was…
![[REVIEW] βRevisiting πΉππππ€πππ ππ¦ πΆππππ’ππππ: Is Devotion Enough to Keep Art Alive?β by Stella Kwok](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/images.jpeg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Our Land: What Hero Still Understands About the Price of a Country” by Zubair Mahar Zhang Yimou (director). Hero, 2002. 99 min. I was fifteen, and I had come…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Our Land: What π»πππ Still Understands About the Price of a Country” by Zubair Mahar](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/hero-film-1.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “The Body Remade: On Sarah Wangβs New Skin” by Kailee Haong Ellis Sarah Wang. New Skin, Little, Brown and Company, 2026. 448 pgs. “Body horror” receives a new definition in…
![[REVIEW] “The Body Remade: On Sarah Wangβs πππ€ ππππ” by Kailee Haong Ellis](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sarah-wang.-new-skin-.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Writing After Malaya: Literature, Revolution, and the Silences of History” by Elias KΓΆnig All things Jeremy Tiang in Cha. β Hai Fan (author), Jeremy Tiang (translator). Delicious Hunger, Tilted Axis…
![[ESSAY] “Writing After Malaya: Literature, Revolution, and the Silences of History” by Elias KΓΆnig](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/jeremy-tiang-malay.png)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “The Ecstasy of Love: The Precarious Line Between Reality and Illusion in Kiwi Chow’s Beyond the Dream” by Hilda Wong Kiwi Chow (director). Beyond the Dream, 2019. 120 min. Is…
![[ESSAY] “The Ecstasy of Love: The Precarious Line Between Reality and Illusion in Kiwi Chow’s π΅ππ¦πππ π‘βπ π·ππππ” by Hilda Wong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/beyond-the-dream.webp)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “The Weight of Change: Shuang Xuetaoβs Hunter” by Seiya Tanase All things Jeremy Tiang in Cha. Shuang Xuetao (author), Jeremy Tiang (translator). Hunter, Granta Books, 2025. 288 pgs. In a…
![[REVIEW] “The Weight of Change: Shuang Xuetaoβs π»π’ππ‘ππ” by Seiya Tanase](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/shuang-xuetao-author-jeremy-tiang-translator.-hunter-granta-books.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “Home” by Daniel Cheng Right: A photograph taken by the author in NewfoundlandLeft: A photograph taken by the author during his first semester in Waterloo Iβm flying home to Newfoundland for Christmas, for the first time since leaving home.…
![[ESSAY] “Home” by Daniel Cheng](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22home22-by-daniel-cheng-.png)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Ancient Fears, Modern Horrors: Sinophagia: A Celebration of Chinese Horror“ by Jennifer Eagleton Xueting Christine Ni (translator and editor), Sinophagia: A Celebration of Chinese Horror, Solaris, 2024. 496 pgs.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Ancient Fears, Modern Horrors: πππππβππππ: π΄ πΆπππππππ‘πππ ππ πΆβππππ π π»πππππ” by Jennifer Eagleton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sinophagia-a-celebration-of-chinese-horror-xueting-christine-ni-translator-and-editor-solaris-2024.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Scattered Thoughts and Admiration for Her Name Upon the Strand and Other Tammythings: A Partial Retrospective” by Cyril Camus Click here to read all entries in Chaon An Extraterrestrial π»…
![[ESSAY] “Scattered Thoughts and Admiration for π»ππ ππππ ππππ π‘βπ ππ‘ππππ and Other Tammythings: A Partial Retrospective” by Cyril Camus](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/books-by-tammy-lai-miing-ho.png)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Hearing the Pandemic: Sound, State, and Care in Christina Schwenkel’s Sonic Socialism” by Hantian Zhang Christina Schwenkel. Sonic Socialism: Crisis and Care in Pandemic Hanoi, University of California Press, 2025.…
![[REVIEW] “Hearing the Pandemic: Sound, State, and Care in Christina Schwenkel’s πππππ ππππππππ π” by Hantian Zhang](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sonic-socialism-crisis-and-care-in-pandemic-hanoi-university-of-california-press-.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Kore-eda Does Not Direct Life and Death” by Laurehl Onyx B. Cabiles Hirokazu Kore-eda (director). After Life, 1998. 112 min. Every time I say that I am from Carmen, people…
![[ESSAY] “Kore-eda Does Not Direct Life and Death” by Laurehl Onyx B. Cabiles](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/after-life-directed-by-hirokazu-kore-eda.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Many Hong Kongs: Xu Xiβs Horizon Hong Kong” by Rebekah Chan ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ Cha onΒ Horizon Hong Kong. Xu Xi. Horizon Hong Kong: Selected Stories, Gaudy Boy, 2026. 288…
![[REVIEW] “Many Hong Kongs: Xu Xiβs π»ππππ§ππ π»πππ πΎπππ” by Rebekah Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/horizonhongkong122925.webp)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “How beautiful will be the feet, of the one who comes to announce my death to me”: Patrick HollandβsΒ OblivionΒ as “inchoate place on the shores of Oblivion and Mnemosyne”Β by Jason S…
![[REVIEW] “How beautiful will be the feet, of the one who comes to announce my death to me”: Patrick HollandβsΒ πππππ£πππΒ as “inchoate place on the shores of Oblivion and Mnemosyne” by Jason S Polley](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/patrick-hollands-oblivion.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Never Finish Making Refuge: Mai-Linh Hongβs Continental Drift” by Anna Nguyen Click HERE to read all entrieson Continental Drift. Mai-Linh Hong. Continental Drift, Trio House Press, 2026. 108 pgs. There…
![[REVIEW] “Never Finish Making Refuge: Mai-Linh Hongβs πΆπππ‘πππππ‘ππ π·ππππ‘” by Anna Nguyen](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/mai-linh-hong.-continental-drift.webp)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βRiver of Time: Maitreyee B. Chowdhuryβs I Walk Insteadβ by Mani Rao Maitreyee B. Chowdhury. I Walk Instead, Red River Press, 2026. Maitreyee B Chowdhury’s fifth book I Walk Instead…
![[REVIEW] βRiver of Time: Maitreyee B. Chowdhuryβs πΌ ππππ πΌππ π‘πππβ by Mani Rao](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/maitreyee-b.-chowdhury.-i-walk-instead-red-river-press-2026.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Christopher Cheung’s Very Vancouver: A City in Everyday Voices” by Raymond K. Nakamura Christopher Cheung. Very Vancouver: Uncovering the Soul of a West Coast City, ECW Press, 2026. 328…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Christopher Cheung’s ππππ¦ ππππππ’π£ππ: A City in Everyday Voices” by Raymond K. Nakamura](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/very-vancouver-uncovering-the-soul-of-a-west-coast-city.jpg)
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[FICTION] “Three Travelling Portraits: India” by Matt Reeck Also read “No Moral at Its End”, Matt Reeck’s essayon “Three Travelling Portraits: India” Preeti (Delhi) I FLEW INTO INDIA on December ninth. I was going to stay at the Fulbright House…
![[FICTION] “Three Travelling Portraits: India” by Matt Reeck](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/screenshot-2026-07-10-at-18.33.52.png)
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[ESSAY] “No Moral at Its End” by Matt Reeck Also read Matt Reeck’s story “Three Travelling Portraits: India”. When I wrote βThree Travelling Portraits,β I was interested in depicting some of the sexual tension that I had experienced and witnessed…
![[ESSAY] “No Moral at Its End” by Matt Reeck](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-10-at-19.06.38.png)
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[ESSAY] “The Internet Cafe That Died During The Pandemic” by Laurehl Onyx B. Cabiles There was a well-known internet cafΓ© in our municipality. Like all other small businesses, it was located at our public terminal since there were no complex…
![[ESSAY] “The Internet Cafe That Died During The Pandemic” by Laurehl Onyx B. Cabiles](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/screenshot-2026-07-11-at-11.40.29.png)
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[FICTION] βThe Room After the Typhoonβ by Christian Wilken Christian Wilken on “The Room After the Typhoon”: “The Room After the Typhoon” began with a memory from my year as an exchange student in Okinawa, from 2013 to 2014: the…
![[FICTION] βThe Room After the Typhoonβ by Christian Wilken](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/christian-wilken.png)
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[INCIDENTAL] “Bear, Boar, Monkey, Mouse, and Cat” by Marsha McDonald Bear Β© Dima Solomin and Marsha McDonald I am returning this year to Japan for a month mid-November, staying near Osaka, and visiting friends, doing my creative work. I will…
![[INCIDENTAL] “Bear, Boar, Monkey, Mouse, and Cat” by Marsha McDonald](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-11-at-14.09.19.png)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βThe Forbidden Desires of Women: Salmaβs The Dark Hours of the Nightβ by Fathima M Salma (author), GJV Prasad (translator). The Dark Hours of the Night, Simon & Schuster, 2025.…
![[REVIEW] βThe Forbidden Desires of Women: Salmaβs πβπ π·πππ π»ππ’ππ ππ π‘βπ πππβπ‘β by Fathima M](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/the-dark-hours-of-the-night-by-salma-.-translated-by-gjv-prasad.jpg)
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[ESSAY] βSaigon, in a Previous Lifeβ by Yun Li Yun Li’s note on “Saigon, in a Previous Life”: “Saigon, in a Previous Life” was originally written in Chinese and published as “θ₯Ώθ΄‘ηεδΈδ»η” in the Night Light Cup section of Xinmin…
![[ESSAY] βSaigon, in a Previous Lifeβ by Yun Li](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-09-at-16.04.22.png)
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[CONVERSATION] βWaving Frantically at Lifeβ by Sadie Kaye and Lindsey McAlister Sadie Kayeβs introduction: Accidentally local, Lindsey McAlisterβs spent over thirty years as the heartbeat of Hong Kongβs youth arts scene. A powerhouse of creativity, she has written and directed…
![[CONVERSATION] βWaving Frantically at Lifeβ by Sadie Kaye and Lindsey McAlister](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lindsey-mcalister-cha-f.jpg)
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θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βOld Anklets, Modern Cages: What Pakeezah Still Gets Right About Being an Indian Womanβ by Swapna Sanchita Kamal Amrohi (director). Pakeezah (Pure One), 1972. 147 min. There are films…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βOld Anklets, Modern Cages: What ππππππ§πβ Still Gets Right About Being an Indian Womanβ by Swapna Sanchita](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/kamal-amrohi-director.-pakeezah-pure-one-.jpg)