SUMMER PASTTIMES TO ENJOY
SUMMER PASTIMES TO ENJOY
BY gerrye wong July 13, 2024
CHINESE HISTORY COMES ALIVE
Devoted fans of New York Times bestselling author, LISA SEE, are delighted with her latest offering LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN. Count me as one of them because the stories Lisa weaves not only are enthralling by themselves, but also give a historical perspective of the time period she puts into her fiction story . The time frame of this book is 1469 and is a story of lives of women who lived within the regimes of obeying what was told for them to follow without choice. As she tells it, women during that era were born and bred to follow the traditions of bound feet, arranged marriages and being subservient to the husband’s household, especially his mother. Education was not valued for women, in fact looked down upon.
As Lisa tells it, womens’ lives then were narrow as mostly confined within the walls of their family compound, only able to socialize with family members and the concubines of the family’s males. Lisa’s tale is of a woman who educated herself on the age old theories of Chinese herbal medicine and its capacities to cure common ailments. Her granddaughter, although married and sent off to live behind closed walls of her new husband’s family compound, is eager to learn from her grandmother’s skills at tending to the sick. The story of the lives of these women, and those surrounding them, makes for fascinating reading very hard to put down once started.
The story is based on the writings of an historical Ming Dynasty female physician but See embraces the story with a fascinating tale of life lived by the women of the era’s controlling culture. It combines stories of women’s friendships and hardships living under the harsh realities of a patriarchal culture. I loved the story of how women still could be strong willed and able to cope despite what their lives have already been destined for them. Friendships still were a mainstay of their closed lives. And as Lisa wrote me on the cover page, “For Gerrye to share with your own circle of women.” Indeed I have, Lisa, and thank you for bringing this Ming Dynasty history alive for all of us to enjoy and learn from. You’re right – no matter in the past, present or future – women cherish friendships which encircle and enrich their lives, no matter when or where in the world they are. Rush to your book store and get “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women” and it will make for your favorite summer pastime.
A CHINESE FAMILY’S STORY
When the weather is stifling hot outdoors, what better way to spend a day than in a comfy chair with a book in hand. Author Russell Low has come up with a continuing saga of the American West with his new book, A WILLOW TREE BECOMES A FOREST. It is a wonderful true story of Russell’s grandfather, Hop Lee, and his journey to America, settling in small town, Salem in Oregon to begin his dream of living in America. Low’s artful use of dialogue makes the story come alive with the trials, tribulations and triumphs his grandfather sweated through to become a beloved citizen Salem citizens came to love and admire. Although I am sure Hop Lee suffered periods of isolation and discrimination from the white community of small town America, Low’s story emphasizes his grandfather’s ingenuity, personality and perseverance which helped him become the success in America he always dreamed about. With historical photos and pictures from his grandmother’s albums, Hop Lee’s life becomes a fascinating story of another example of Chinese immigration in the 1800s.
Set in Oregon in the 1800s, the protagonist is a teenage Chinese boy who came to America in 1877 armed with a brush, a blank journal, a fortune teller’s scroll that foretold his life’s journey, and a burning desire to become American. Nineteen-year-old Low Sun Fook, aka Hop Lee, arrives in Oregon in 1877 to begin a journey that covers five decades in his adopted country. Along the way, he acquired and cultivated good friendships with Salem publishers, bank presidents, politicians, and hop farmers.
CAPTION: Author visiting Low Ancestral shrine Ha Chun Chong Village 2016. Low Family Collection.
This book is among so many wonderful stories I hope will enter school libraries for students to read during the new edict of having ethnic studies class a necessity for every high school to offer in California. With at least 15 per cent of the population in California being of Chinese background, this is a good read telling how life was facing the struggles of starting a business in white America during the late 1800s and 1900s. Russell is lucky his grandfather kept a journal of milestones in his life, and obviously they had the means to take many professional portraits as the family grew to 10 children. Loren, one of the younger ones, was Russell Low’s grandfather. This is not just another immigrant’s story; it is one where author Russell Low makes this life story read like a historical novel in its simple prose. When you read about Hop Lee’s life and realize he left many stories and photos for the subsequent generations to learn about their family “roots” , you might want to start talking to the elders in your family and see and hear their stories of their own personal struggles in assimilating to American life. And like Low, you can make that roots story come to life in a book.
A SUMMER SPECTACLE: PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS BRINGS ART ALIVE
.I am excited to share an event in Southern California that I have gone to before that has just opened for the second year after the pandemic halted it for many a year. This show is something you might consider if you want to try something very unique and different . It is the Festival of Arts & Pageant of the Masters Festival which just opened last week. Located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach, CA 92651 in a beautiful open-air gallery, the Festival of Arts is a highly acclaimed juried fine art show featuring the work of over 100 award-winning Orange County artists. From paintings, glass, ceramics, photography and more, the Festival of Arts showcases a variety of mediums and artwork styles for avid collectors and festival goers to browse and purchase directly from the artists. In the same complex is the very unique Pageant of the Masters “À La Mode: The Art of Fashion” which just opened its 2024 season with shows nightly at 8:30pm.
Locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the summer with tickets to the 2024 Pageant of the Masters, “À La Mode: The Art of Fashion.” The 2024 Pageant of the Masters will mesmerize audiences with a captivating journey through history’s most iconic fashion trends and spectacles, brought to life through the artistry of living pictures, unforgettable music and engaging storytelling. Artwork to be re-created include pieces by traditional masters like John Singer Sargent and James Tissot, as well as works by contemporary artists such as Erté and David Hockney.
Pageant of the Masters is a highly sought-after event that draws art enthusiasts from around the world. This presentation is fascinating as live actors pose in a setting exactly like a famed painting so that from the outdoor seats, it is hard to discern which are the live actors and which image is not. This unique show is like none other and presented by Laguna local citizens every year for many past decades. If you’ve never seen a spectacular unique production like this before, this will run through August and I recommend it to everyone, young and old. It’s also nice to enjoy a full day at the village of Laguna Beach, known for its unique art galleries and antique shops.
