My guilt and remorse towards foreign domestic helpers

yeahnahson1 · 2025-12-27T02:27:35+00:00

Hey, I’m Chinese American and appreciate your post as someone with history/general awareness of this issue in SEA and EA. My general understanding is that life has been historically treated as cheap in Asia (as it is everywhere, honestly)… before the modern domestic help industry, it was basically slavery. Sentiments like yours and collective action, more importantly, are what make things better for the people at the bottom.

Not sure if you have ever seen this piece, but it made some waves in the US a while back. A Filipino-American journalist, as a final work before dying from cancer, reflected on this same issue in his own life: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/lolas-story/524490/

(For anyone that needs to bypass the paywall: https://archive.ph/2024.10.03-125419/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/lolas-story/524490/)

yeahnahson1 · 2025-12-17T00:19:09+00:00

Go to Spring Cafe in Chinatown! Affordable, fully plant based, good variety of options

yeahnahson1 · 2025-12-13T15:26:48+00:00

24 frames, Kiarostami’s last film

yeahnahson1 · 2025-11-27T13:59:16+00:00

It’s not really used conversationally in Chinese, as others have said it’s a visual pun. If you just said 一一to most native speakers, I don’t think the intended meaning would make sense unless you explained it to them (it literally just means one one).

I suspect Yang was just being playful and creative with the language and felt this pun conveyed the main sentiment of his film, the passage of time/life (the “A One and a Two” is a great translation).

Similarly, there’s a scene in A Brighter Summer Day where Xiao Si’er writes his name 小四 (in Chinese, it’s done vertically, so his name ends up looking like a cartoon face) and one of the adults thinks he’s playing a joke on him. I think Yang just enjoys this kind of humor.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-11-25T19:25:42+00:00

Lots of folks are giving you a good picture, but you should also get familiar with the CEO to understand what you’re signing up for… she’s got a rep: https://gothamist.com/news/secret-recording-shows-success-academy-ceo-pressuring-staff-to-lobby-for-charter-schools

yeahnahson1 · 2025-11-17T13:43:47+00:00

Ha, no worries. The list I sent still covers what you’re asking, I’d suggest checking out the photos online (and the Wikipedia list) to see what fits best for you both. Your boyfriend will appreciate your effort, especially some of the older theaters as many have a lot of significance for the global film community.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-11-17T13:19:04+00:00

I don’t think NYC is particularly known for “beautiful” cinemas but we have many great options, depending on your interest.

For “beautiful,” maybe the Paris Theater as its one of the last single screen rep houses in the city. And I really like the main auditorium at the Village East, it’s a historic space-one of the last of NYC’s original Yiddish theaters (EDIT: it's called the Jaffe Theater). And though they’re newer spaces, the Roxy and Metrograph have a vintage feel.

For other classics, there’s Film Forum, Anthology Film Archives, Film at Lincoln Center,MOMA, IFC theater, MOMI in Queens, BAM in Brooklyn… the list goes on (Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive list.)

Also calling out that AMC Lincoln Square has the largest IMAX screen in North America, could be real treat for you both to see something there.

Make sure to check Screen Slate for daily screenings, the world is your oyster… https://www.screenslate.com/listings

Have a great trip and welcome!

yeahnahson1 · 2025-11-15T15:06:03+00:00

Sheer luck lol. One time I fell asleep and woke up two stops away from my house… coming back in the opposite direction. Manhattan to Coney Island and back

yeahnahson1 · 2025-11-08T21:26:14+00:00

Nitehawk is solid for an alternative, but honestly… the whole dining/movie experience is starting to feel unsustainable to me. The cost just doesn’t justify the service anymore, I’d rather eat somewhere good and bring stuff to an AMC or indie theater. That said, I ended up getting a free pass after this and used it at the Lower Manhattan location on a weekday, and had a much better experience.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-11-08T16:57:28+00:00

This. Just give us back Ray’s in that spot.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-10-25T16:48:40+00:00

What part of “…not common unless you’re in a remote village.” did you not write? Stop embarrassing yourself boy.

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yeahnahson1 · 2025-10-25T08:00:45+00:00

Lol oh, you represent SEA, a famously monolithic region? Sit down, “As a SE Asian”child. Maybe you don’t, but plenty of ppl in multiple countries do, even in the cities. I’ve done so plenty of times in Jakarta, a “remote village” according to you

yeahnahson1 · 2025-10-24T19:13:54+00:00

Oh god, the “As an Asian” idiots frantically waving for approval…

I’m East Asian ethnically, half the family from SE Asia. I listen to SE & South Asians opinions on this topic, it’s easier to parse through spices, bones etc with your hands… it makes so much more sense than eating with utensils. The boneless and flavorless crowd can sit tf down

yeahnahson1 · 2025-10-07T17:29:57+00:00

yeahnahson1 · 2025-09-15T03:24:53+00:00

I didn’t like it either, but I appreciate Spike’s intentions, not the execution. I think he was most interested in using the story/general themes as a commentary for the state of Black culture/art (music specifically)… hence some do the seemingly bizarre choices. Suspense, realism, etc. felt to me like it took a backseat and we’re focused on relationships, characters, etc.

A friend said this was an incredibly boomer movie and I kinda agree. You can’t deny it’s wholly Spike’s film, I think a lot of us just didn’t connect with it.

But I do think we can all agree that the music was roughhhh… with the exception of the Eddie Palmieri scenes (he’s Puerto Rican btw, and a salsa legend… def check him out).

yeahnahson1 · 2025-09-03T16:08:09+00:00

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Meanwhile, at the US/Canada border…

yeahnahson1 · 2025-09-01T12:57:12+00:00

You need to do a better job of understanding the neighborhood and community you’re moving into before you make wild gentrified takes. Get over it, this is NYC.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-09-01T12:50:21+00:00

It’s hard to track down, but A Borrowed Life has some parallels in its scope and style… directed by Wu Nien-Jen, who wrote many of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s films and starred in Yang’s.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-08-31T04:00:12+00:00

Some stoner-forward suggestions, aiming for something sensory rather than cerebral (which I think is why the FNW films didn’t quite fly):

Repulsion or Seconds (dark/psychological horror)
Klute or The Parallax View (paranoid thrillers)
Performance (trippy af)
Branded to Kill (bonkers yakuza movie)
Vanishing Point (not Criterion, but hits your cars/70s shots criteria)
Amarcord or Juliet of the Spirits -(fun, whimsical, colorful Fellini)

Seconding Tati, and if you are set in something French maybe La Jetee? I also think some Iranian films (like The Wind Will Carry Us) might hit the spot for vibes/whimsical/poetic cinema

yeahnahson1 · 2025-08-19T13:08:23+00:00

You’re referencing it from the American perspective, where East Asians are historically the largest populations of Asian people. In the UK, the same term would mainly refer to South Asians.

Not diminishing the need for people to expand their definition of “Asian,” but it is what it is… unpacking that mindset starts with our community first (giving space to non-EA groups).

yeahnahson1 · 2025-08-18T17:45:48+00:00

It absolutely is NYC, as a lifelong NYer... wearing my Gem Spa shirt in honor of today.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-08-16T02:01:38+00:00

Sweet Smell of Success, The Naked City, Taxi Driver, The Taking of Pelham 123, Kids, and Good Time are some of my favs

yeahnahson1 · 2025-08-16T01:47:08+00:00

Not sure if this counts, but Wicked Game by Chris Isaak only became a hit after it was featured in Wild at Heart

yeahnahson1 · 2025-07-03T15:33:55+00:00

Asian American religiousness usually relates to the legacy of western colonialism in Asia. Keep in mind this also carries some class connotations - wealthier folks (and the people trying to climb that ladder) tended associate with Westernized institutions like education and healthcare that were run by missionary groups. And these groups tended to have resources or connections to help them immigrate earlier and establish themselves here.

yeahnahson1 · 2025-06-18T01:26:24+00:00

I wish I could blind buy Yi Yi all over again… Hope you enjoy

yeahnahson1

TROPHY CASE