GBA Lifestyle News
Three capricious thoughts from Chan Sin Yan.
1. I have never talked so openly about sex than when I attended a sex ed training session by Sticky Rice Love. It’s extremely liberating to be able to throw around words like penis and masturbation, without feeling like I’m infringing on my “chastity” or providing gossip fodder. I totally endorse SRL’s view that we need to talk more about sex, because making educated decisions is tough — let alone on such a taboo subject. I think I make fairly smart decisions about whether I want sex, who I want it with, how to protect myself emotionally and physically, and how to achieve a healthy sexual lifestyle, but I think it helps even more when it’s something I can comfortably discuss and debate with actual people. In the meantime, I’ll most probably stick to reading NY Mag’s Sex Diaries: I like this one especially.
2. On the flip side, I could not have cared less about local news since I quit being a journalist about six months ago. I feel like there’s something wrong with me — I just couldn’t muster any real, emotional response when Zhang Xiaoming said that the Chief Executive’s powers transcended the rest of the government’s, and when the anniversary of the Umbrella Movement came up. There’s this sense of helplessness, stillness in the city’s politics that leaves me exhausted. I mean, I still love articles like this one on the gender-defying fire dragon dancer, this one on the history of Peng Chau, or this piece on the science behind stone wall trees and this profile of the awesome people behind the Hong Kong Art Museum. But I need to figure out a way to reconcile my feelings towards political news.
3. Who I’m channeling right now: Carey Mulligan, feeling exasperated when actresses are congratulated for playing “strong women.” “You don’t say to men: ‘You played another really strong man,’” she explains. “The idea that women are inherently weak — and we’ve identified the few strong ones to tell stories about — is mad.” WORD.
Until next week!
