VIEWS FROM VERMONT

WHAT UP Y'ALL.

Kai Huang here currently writing from Stratton Mountain Ski Resort in Stratton, VT. I've been here for about a week seeing patients in the urgent care clinic at the base of the mountain as part of the Harvard Medical School "Skiing Injuries and Family Practice" elective, and I already miss the fairly racist but at least racially diverse greater Boston area that I sadly left on Super Bowl Sunday (shout out to all you white people who use coded language to talk about how certain Seahawks players are a bad influence for the youth!!).

So, the thing is, I didn't realize this when I signed up for the elective, but Vermont is over 96% white according to the 2010 U.S. Census (thanks to Creative Director Jeff Cott AKA Kid Koala for this article). So in honor of that, today's post, entitled "VIEWS FROM VERMONT" will actually just be me highlighting some good old fashioned racism here in this lovely mountain state!

That's right. It's another long-awaited edition of "Fucked Up Things White People Do for 1,000, Alex." One of my favorite segments here at EMW.

FIRST UP, this humorous and tragic article forwarded to me by our exceptionally well organized yet persistently whiny and nap-prone Assistant Director slash flower picking enthusiast Amanda Zhang, known to (a) make plans and (b) put them into action. Click the image below for that full article!

Ahh I can't lie, I love it when stuff like this happens. Sometimes you just need an event like this to help white people let us know how they really feel! Because other times, it can be kind of hard to tell.

ALRIGHT NEXT, a series of choice quotes from my supervisors at the clinic, who are esteemed physicians on faculty at Harvard and other white institutions in the northeastern United States. Here are my favorites from the week:

"I was amazed at how little these students were learning. But you know, at the time, Harvard was under a lot of pressure to admit 'disadvantaged' students, who probably wouldn't have won in a fair and equal election."

"These days, you can't even ask if someone's male or female. I saw a form the other day that said Male, Female, or Neutral... or Trans, it must have been. I said to myself, 'What is the world coming to?'" (LOL this one's a bonus, for all you transphobic and oppressively gender conforming ass clowns out there!)

"Ah, damn it. They need to give me some real utensils." I respond, "What, did they give you plastic?" ... "No, they gave me chopsticks." Motherfucker, (a) I'm Asian and I'm standing right in front of you and (b) YOU EATING SUSHI RIGHT NOW.

Given, I ain't say shit in response to any of these comments because med school kind of conditions you to never speak out against bigoted authority figures. Beats it out of you, etc. I'm only comfortable posting this slander about my unnamed supervisors on the internet because I don't believe they'll find it before graduation (May 28, 2015). If you guys do see this though, I'm just playing! I love you and Harvard Medical School.

BOOM AND LAST. This one's not too fucked up, but just kinda made me chuckle. Peep this dope ass Oriental food aisle at the Shaw's over in nearby Manchester, VT:

Lol. Oh H-Mart Cambridge how I miss you so. We should have a white aisle there, call it Caucasoid or something. For all your mayo, bread, and police force needs! Credit Manda for the tagline.

Alright that's all for now, fam. Stay tuned for blog posts on the most recent EMW Gallery Opening AKA Fresh Friday featuring Evelyn's moms Jane Kuang, East Meets Beats (beets?) #12 featuring GOLDBLOC, and possibly some other shit if I can get our staff to stop playing Pokemon Yellow. You already know. Pika pika.

<3 K

Kai Huang Returns Home and features at East Meets Words

Kai Huang comes back home, our tenant in the bookstore's attic - we welcome him at the first open mic of the year. Kai is the big man who plans the EMW program East Meets Words. The team has been taking the lead during his travels and we've eagerly booked Kai as this month's feature! It only sounds fair to give former member of the Providence slam team and Brown University slam team a humble feature on home turf.

However, Massachusetts seem a little less inviting compared to the sunny-side-up California.  The week leading to the open mic felt like the temperature was way below zero. Daunting for even New Englanders to troop it outside for any post school/work activities. On the flip side, we can always count on our fam for a full house and a full open mic list. The room elevated with hands, half of the audience were new faces, the other half were regulars like Jelyn Masa.  She has been attending the open mic since the Summer of last year.  She is a student at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.  Jelyn was introduced to EMW and the open mic through the ROOT Collective, a group of self-identified Asian American women, trans, and gender queer individuals seeking community in shared histories of personal experiences.

"In this space, I experience vulnerability and growth. I hear truth so raw I lose my breath for a second and then five minutes later, I'm laughing like crazy.  Thanks for filling a void I didn't even know I had," she shared.

Sharing the stage that evening was Sabrina Ghaus, a long time friend of EMW. Performing at the open mic, she reads a brave piece about language and her internal battle between cultures.  Sabrina tells us that the only reason she feels comfortable is that this space feels safe.  "I feel that family is here. EMW is one of the reasons I moved back [to Boston]".  Sabrina did absolutely amazing and the cool thing is, her first time ever performing poetry was here at East Meets Words!

Sitting right in front of the stage was Ayo E., a writer, comedian and student at NYU.  This was her first time in the space. She planted herself in the first row with several friends.  All of them were close enough to be in "spit range" some might call it.  After the event we got her thoughts, "...coming from New York, the vibe between the two cities could be competitive," but Ayo left with a very different impression.  She felt extremely welcomed at the bookstore.

It was also Amanda and Ricky's first time co-hosting together.  As they introduced Kai Huang, they asked one another how would they describe him in two words.  Amanda answered thoughtfully, "endearingly abrasive." Ricky added, "very attractive," - both of which are true and both are two of the many qualities that make this man an incredible artist and human being.  Kai premieres his set responsibly rocking his accent piece, a red knitted scarf, which he tells us that it is first colored garment he has worn in four years.

"2015 is the year of humility!" Kai repeatedly announces during his feature. "The sheep shall inherit the earth."

Regardless of your astrologically and zodiacal beliefs, we can't deny how amazing last Friday was.  Kai opened up with "Private Institution," a hard-hitting, truthful piece about higher education. He performs a few throwbacks like "Mao" and "Miseducation Revisited," then sneaks in a few new gems, two persona pieces to be exact. One in the voice of Samson speaking to Delilah, the second was in the voice of his revolutionary glasses.

Thanks to all the new faces, regulars, organizers, performers, Kai Huang, ITSYERBOI - we out here! Take a look at all the photos from East Meets Words featuring Kai Huang here.

TOTTO RAMEN YELP REVIEW

HI SOPHIA

What up y'all. I wrote a little op-ed for the Crimson on seeing Tiger Moms Amy Chua and her husband Jed Rubenfeld speak at the Harvard Book Store a few weeks back. Check it out here: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/3/25/havard-amy-chua/

Oh, and HI SOPHIA. You know it's all love, girl. Holler at me if you want to grab some hot chocolate at Burdick's sometime. @SophiaCaribou

<3 Kai

IT'S THAT CARLTON!

Damn. The boy Kai Huang here with a recap on our 9th anniversary open mic for East Meets Words, fam. Ish was crazy. It was truly a magical night on all fronts, but I gotta say that the highlight for me was when the feature artist, my roommate, DJ and electronic music producer Scooter Oyama AKA Go Yama AKA the Asian Carlton Banks dropped this fucking silliness:

Ugh. The room exploded. Dance cyphers broke out on all countries and continents. Children laughed. Women cried. Withered old men smiled for the first time in decades. And me? Well, I remembered why I love living in a rat-infested old Chinese bookstore where the pipes freeze every winter. Holler. It's ya motherfucking boy. Music continues. I'll see y'all next month.

Oh, and big ups to the folks over at the Mindful Music YouTube channel for putting that video together with Scoot's track. Good looks, y'all. Breathe in breathe out.

IGNORANCE

Cover art for unfinished and indefinitely delayed debut album by Kai Huang, Harvard Medical School class of 2015. Stay tuned.

Photo credit: David Kong