Travel — Writing — Jessica Fan

Design of Everyday Things - Tokyo Edition

Tokyo is an experience designer’s paradise. On my recent trip there, I was amazed by how considerate and intentional the Japanese are with every action, product, service, and process. “How can we make life easier and more enjoyable for everyone?” seems to be the guiding principle in life. I felt it in everything from the perfect weight of a wabi-cha teacup to the incredible efficiency and accessibility of their public transit system.

Travel, Design / InnovationJessica FanJune 20, 2017Comment

Pre-Japan trip: Conflicting emotions

This will be my first trip to the "Land of the Rising Sun", and I'm feeling many conflicting emotions. I have been a fan of Japanese culture ever since I got hooked onto Sailormoon as a kid. Anime and manga were a hugely influential part of my childhood and teenage years. In junior high, we learned about Japanese culture, feudal history, and literature. In university, I studied the approaches of Japanese design firms…

TravelJessica FanApril 22, 2017Comment

[China] 雍和宫 Lama Temple Vlog

The most renowned Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet, the Lama Temple was converted to a lamasery in 1744 after serving as the former residence of Emperor Yong Zheng. Today the temple is an active place of worship, attracting pilgrims from afar, some of whom prostrate themselves in submission at full length within its halls.

Photography, TravelJessica FanMay 15, 2014ChinaComment

[China] The Old Schoolhouse

Mengjinzhuang Village, Hebei Province, China (2013)

I spent this past summer in China, working on a project at Tsinghua University and spending time with relatives. It had been over 8 years since I visited my father's village in Hebei, and I was eager to see the changing rural landscape.

Photography, TravelJessica FanDecember 14, 2013Comment

[China] “Trust doctors, but never completely”

An inside look at China’s medical system

TravelJessica FanJuly 7, 2013

[China] A factory life

On the bus, I happened to sit next to Xiao Wang – a round-faced 24 year old man with an infectious smile. After breaking the ice by offering him a cookie, I asked him where he was headed. Xiao Wang was visiting a friend in Baigou in hopes of finding a new job there. He had been working in a Beijing factory making boxes for the past 2 months and had grown tired of it. “I don’t have any specific job in mind. I’ll see when I get there. It takes about a day to find work, at most 3 days.”

TravelJessica FanJune 11, 2013China

[China] In the Clouds - Mr. Li's Take on Changing China

I've already met quite a few characters with great stories to tell. On the flight here, I had a long conversation with Mr. Li who sat next to me. He was a Beijing native and a product manager for a large tech company, on his way back from a business trip. He had spent a few years in Canada before moving back home, realizing that it was easier to find a job in Asia after the tech bubble. We talked about everything from China's state capitalism, to government accountability, to healthcare.

TravelJessica FanMay 30, 2013Comment

[China] Sichuan and Shanghai World Expo

I recently posted photos from my last trip to China on Behance. I wanted to get them all up before I head out on my next adventure. You can view the photosets below:

TravelJessica FanMay 9, 2013 Comment

Return to the Motherland - Coming Full Circle

I just got my visa and will be off to China at the end of this month! I will be spending 2 months at Tsinghua University in Beijing, working on a community supported agriculture (CSA)project led by Professor Liu (Deputy Director of the Sustainable Design Institute). This project is part of the "Rural-Urban China" thematic cluster under the umbrella of the DESIS Network.

TravelJessica FanMay 9, 2013China Comments