Skirt Abercrombie/ Shoes Steve Madden/ Necklace Urban Gem
Teban flew down to San Francisco for a weekend. During our shoot, we wandered to a small park in Chinatown looking for a location to capture some great shots. Coming to this a quieter part of Chinatown, (with less influence from tourism-motivated minds) had me feeling happy yet oddly nostalgic. Even after the shoot, I had a hard time shaking this feeling away. In light of the Chinese culture which both shapes my identity and feeds me with a lifelong fascination towards my roots, and in light of my hopes to share with my readers some of the literature that I love, I decided to do something different a little with this post…
Going to Chinatown reminds me of two things: the portion of my childhood spent in San Francisco, and the theme explored in Girl in Translation– one of my favorite reads. Kimberly, who immigrates at a young age from China with her mother, works very hard in a sweatshop and at school to create a better future for her them through her education. They live in an apartment in Chinatown, and throughout the book there are beautiful depictions which really capture the ethos of this environment:
“Chinatown looked very much like Hong Kong, although the streets were less cramped. The fish store was piled high with sea bass and baskets of crabs; grocery store shelves were stocked with canned papayas, lichee nuts and star fruit; peddlers on the street sold fried tofu and rice gruel. I felt like skipping beside Ma as we passed restaurants with soy sauce chickens hanging in the window and jewelry stores that glittered with yellow gold. I could understand everyone without any effort: “No, I want your best winter melons,” one woman said; “That’s much too expensive,” said a man in a puffy jacket.” (Girl in Translation)
Outside of the touching descriptions of interactions between Kimberly and her community, and the motivation I feel each time I read about Kimberlys tenacity- the beautiful love story between her and Matt never fails to captivate me. There is just the right amount of passion, emotional up-and-downs, and resignation throughout their relationship, which leaves a permanent impression on the romantic and constantly-lovestruck heart of Ally Gong.
Ultimately, the author really portrays the sense of sacrifice that I feel defines the lives of many immigrants.
“There’s a Chinese saying that the fates are winds that blow through our lives from every angle, urging us along the paths of time. Those who are strong-willed may fight the storm and possibly choose their own road, while the weak must go where they are blown. I say I have not been so much pushed by winds as pulled forward by the force of my decisions. And all the while, I have longed for that which I could not have.” (Girl in Translation)
Those who come to a new country to begin a new life often have to choose the hard path in order to create a brighter future for their family. If there is one thing I am lucky to have been saved from, it would be the harsh trials that my parents faced immigrating to America.
Well anyways, I absolutely loved this shoot with Teban of AsianImpressions! Invoked such nostalgia and quiet reflection on my culture and my own upbringing… definitely will be spending more days sitting in Chinatown sketching and writing down my own observations in the future!
Hope you guys enjoyed this post!
