Shifting Lenses
Observations on culture, place, and the ways people live.
Third Culture Kids: “children who move between cultures before they have had the opportunity to fully develop their personal and cultural identity”.
Growing up between the USA, China and Singapore has made us curious about the ways people experience the same world differently. Shifting Lenses is a collection of observations about culture, identity, health, sport and everyday life from the places we’ve lived and traveled.
Category: Culture & Everyday Life
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It is scientifically proven that Barbados has some of the purest fresh water in the world. The citizens take great pride in this, and it is even mentioned at hotel check-in. You probably assume I am talking about the beaches, but I am NOT. The ocean is nice, too. However, I am referring to their…
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The Singapore Botanic Gardens are a national treasure. Founded in 1859, it is a tropical paradise located at the edge of Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping district and is the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. We live pretty close to the gardens and my parents go walking or running there frequently. It is also one…
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When I look back on my time in Beijing, some of my strongest memories are of the parks. If we were waiting for a table at a restaurant, my sister and I would often walk to a nearby park and play on the equipment. Interestingly, the equipment was not always slides or climbing structures. Much…
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Over the past few months, we’ve taken a break from the blog. My sister and co-founder has been busy with college prep and senior year activities, while I have started several new volunteer roles that have been time-consuming during the training phase. Now that my training is over, I have time to reflect on the…
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It seems there is always a bit of competition among states, and I think it’s just human nature. The attitudes of people in the Northeastern USA, particularly the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, definitely take part in this. New Jersey is often looked down upon by Connecticut and New York residents.…
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A quick search will tell you that Rome receives 51.4 million tourists every year. This is not surprising considering it has some of the most famous sights in the world and seems to be on every international traveler’s bucket list. The more surprising number is that the population of Rome is only 2.75 million. This…
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New Orleans has one of the most unique cultures in the United States. While cities like Miami and San Antonio clearly show Cuban or Mexican influence, the French Quarter doesn’t feel like you’re in France. The food and culture are distinctly New Orleans. The city’s culture is homegrown, from the iconic music to the spicy…
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New York is a true melting pot, which makes it unique among my favorite cultural cities. While many other cities with a great cultural vibe have a dominant culture that makes you feel like you’re in a different country, New York’s cultural scene is defined by its incredible diversity. New York’s skyscrapers don’t necessarily scream…
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I have a soft spot for Miami. The white sand beaches with their colorful lifeguard stands are iconic, and the wide sidewalk that runs alongside the beach is perfect for biking, skating, or just walking and taking in the view. The city’s Art Deco architecture, especially in South Beach, is unique and distinctly Miami. It…
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*Warning* This is a very biased post. I move a lot, but San Antonio is my home city. My summers and holidays are spent here and I know this city perhaps better than any place on earth. As a young kid, it was a dream. Theme parks, water parks, museums, the zoo, caverns, the best…
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I love the ocean. Whether it’s a beach or a bay, water brings happiness and calmness to me. I enjoy exploring different beach destinations because, beyond the water, it’s fun to see the cultural differences. A consistent theme is that life moves at a slower pace. Maybe that’s because of the mix of vacationing tourists…
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Before our family vacation to Europe in 2022, I thought I had a bit of an idea of the differences in work culture between the US and Europe. Thanks to social media and chats with my parents, I was well aware of the discrepancies in maternity leave and paid vacation. I even knew about the…
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Traveling via rail in foreign countries often makes me wish we had better public transportation options in the USA. Japan’s rail system, in particular, is just phenomenal. It’s quiet, clean, incredibly fast, and everything an American traveler can only dream of when it comes to public transport. It makes me wonder, what would it truly…
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I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some incredible places, but a recent trip to Bhutan in February truly stands out. I went as part of a school service trip, volunteering with Read Bhutan in a rural area of the country. While there, we also hiked to the picturesque Tiger’s Nest Monastery. The country is…
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Over spring break, my family took a trip to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It’s a city that consistently ranks highly on the “most livable” lists, and having been there, I can see why. The surveys look at things like safety, education, healthcare, culture, and public transport, and I definitely experienced many of those positive aspects firsthand.…
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I won’t forget the first time I heard the unmistakable sound of the ice cream truck coming down my street. Having just moved back to the US after growing up in China, this well-known American experience was new to me, and I became an instant fan. So, I was happy to discover that Singapore also…
