Strangely enough, this wide-bodied, heavy-set, metal-riveted, mobile pig that rolls through Seattle’s streets and sells pork sandwiches has, in a way, special meaning for me.Â
I am a descendent of a family that once had the surname that is pronounced “zhu” in Mandarin. And “zhu” – depending on the tone and context – also means pig.
So, nearly a century after my mom’s dad left China for the United States, our family name is not only synonymous with the animal itself but also with a motorized, heavy metal pig coach that makes people stop, smile and take out their cameras.
My wife and son are visiting my mother-in-law in China. Recently, they all went to a daisy show to have fun and let our son see the sights and gaze at people.
Either my wife, Dan, or my sister-in-law, Yu, snapped this photograph of dome-shaped yellow flowers with a red Chinese character.
So, thank you to my wife or sister-in-law for doing so.
You might recognize this as the Chinese character “fu” – which shows up in words including the name of Fujian province and its capital city, Fuzhou.
The English-Chinese dictionary from Oxford University Press defines the word – pronounced in a lower to higher tone – as “good fortune, blessing, happiness.”
As a teenager, I once bought a white T-shirt from Honolulu’s Chinatown that had black letters noting the location and a red curving dragon representing Chinese culture.
Its mouth was agape, its teeth were sharp, its pointed toes jutting out and its spiny body swirled on the white cotton. For some reason, I liked it.
Since then, I’ve tried to keep my eyes open for Chinese-style dragons in the United States, China or other parts of Asia. I like seeing designs, learning the history behind them and noting where they pop up.
In fact, I once bought some note cards printed by The Metropolitan Museum of Art that featured a yellow dragon on a Chinese emperor’s silk robe.
When I went to the New York City museum’s Web site, I didn’t spot that image but I found this eye-catching piece of history.
Photo credit: Franz Rindlisbacher, Zurich on andreas-saxer.com
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To understand what Andreas Saxer has created, it is necessary to study this photograph of a tofu shelf for a few minutes.
The slabs of tofu rest horizontally on pieces of wood. Boards create just enough space for desk-like slots in which to place more of the good stuff.
Simple. Utilitarian. They get the job done. What’s the big deal?
In fact, if you asked the people who work in that kitchen, my sense is that they might say – in a matter-of-fact way – that yes, the function of these boxes meet the form.
Time to make more slabs, right?
But that tofu box served as the impetus to spur sparks and creativity in Saxer’s mind to think somewhat bigger - at least judging from what he built.
Designer Maya Lin recently talked about how people marveled that she’s from Athens, Ohio.
For a while, my father’s family – originally from Southern China – lived in Augusta, Ga. because there was a need decades ago for people to build canals. A relative went there to work.
When I studied in China, I met ethnic Chinese who called the Maldives, the group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, their new home.
The book, published last year, marks his third about Chinese American history and families. One central theme in Chopsticks, he says, is the universal theme of persistence.
Book lovers, it is time to unite during these pixel-swamped times.
Of course, I say that partially in jest because I enjoy experimenting in the world of New Media. But the printed word still has value to me.
So, take note: The University of California Press has cut prices on over 4,000 titles - with many savings in the 50 to 70 percent range.
And the sale ends Oct. 31.
There are 18 book categories that fall under this sale, which has specific details. Topics include globalization, urban studies, biographies, the history of food and the history of philosophy and science.
People who have wanted to stay put but still move forwards, backwards, sideways and diagonally might have their dreams answered with Honda’s newest creation – the experimental Personal Mobility Device.
Known as the U3-X, the compact device resembles a chair or unicycle but its drive train – which has a large diameter wheel as well as smaller ones around that bigger one - enables it to move in all directions, Honda said in a statement released Thursday.
The Tokyo-based company, which presented it before journalists, said it believes in the idea of “harmony with people” with this device, which uses an ”omni-directional driving wheel system.”
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