Georgia Straight: Kevin Chong writes an intercultural love story about a Chinese guy and his Jewish non-girlfriend

Intercultural Love Stories… or almost-love stories do happen.

Once upon a time, I had a non-girlfriend who was half-Jewish, half-Caribbean.  Then we dated.  Then we didn't.

Today, I still listen to Leonard Cohen music.  I have friends who have Jewish ethnicity. And I have a girlfriend who claims we share the same cultural identity – multi-generational Canadian.  But she doesn't have any Chinese DNA.

Writer Kevin Chong has written an interesting Christmas time short story for the Georgia Straight that traverses multi-ethnic cultural definitions.  Afterall… Love knows no boundaries, right?  In the end, we are all Canadians in love… or out of love.

No Christmas at the Happy Panda

What’s an angsty Chinese guy to do when his wry Jewish non-girlfriend leaves him lonely during the holidays?

Ellie
Simmons didn’t wear makeup and had thick, sideways-sprouting hair that
was the colour of dark chocolate. She slouched around campus in a
leather trench coat, smoked hand-rolled cigarettes, and drove an
unreliable Mazda GLC. It was 1994. We were 19 when we first met outside
the university library. She made fun of me for reading a collection of
poetry by Leonard Cohen. “Guys only read poetry to impress women,” she
said with her characteristic scorn. “You would do better if you wore a
clean shirt and looked me in the eye.” 

Read the story at: http://www.straight.com/article-176244/no-christmas-panda

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