July 16, 2008

• Triggering memories

  Memories can be funny sometimes.  It gets triggered when you least expect
  it. 

  I was cutting tofu the other day for my soup.  Normally I just put it on a plate or the
  cutting board and get on with the job. 
  But the other day, I held it on my hand and diced it with a knife.  The tofu is soft so I knew I wouldn’t cut
  myself.  In a flash, I was back in my mom’s
  kitchen in Manila.  She was holding the tofu in one hand and
  cutting it with the other.  I asked her “Won’t
  you cut your hands?”  She grinned and
  said “No, watch carefully.  You just stop
  when the knife reaches your hand.  Just do it slowly and carefully.”  She
  lowered her hands and let me watch closely as she sliced the tofu. 
  I turned my head to make sure I saw the knife reaching her hands.  She slowly retracted the knife from the tofu and
  continued cutting it cross wise to make small cubes.
  

  I paused and smiled as the memories came back.
  

  * * *  

  My bf called me tonight to watch a show on CBC.  It was a documentary called “Tailor Made”.  I’ve seen parts of this before so it was good
  to take a break from work and watch the parts I haven’t seen.  It’s a pretty good documentary.  You can also read a bit more about this last
  tailor (custom made suits) in Vancouver’s Chinatown here. 

  While watching it, I remembered the very first suit I got to
  look for a job.  It was from a small store in
  my neighborhood.  I knew one of the guys
  who worked there part time.  I went in
  and explained to the owner that I was looking for a suit for job interviews and
  hopefully to wear when I got a job.  I also didn’t have a lot of money so I wanted something affordable. 

  He spent a lot of time with me and steered me towards a wool
  navy blue suit.  It wasn’t the most
  expensive suit – sort of a middle of the line. 
  But he explained that it was flexible. 
  He showed me the many different colors of shirts and patterns of shirts
  that would go well with the suit.  He
  also picked out a tie for me – burgundy rep tie with stripes running diagonally
  across.  One of the colors of the stripes
  was the same blue of the suit.  He walked me to the window and explained that sunlight is the best light to look at colors of clothing.  The artificial lights can sometimes give a different shade of color.  He
  showed how the color of the tie would complement the suit and how the blue stripe would also pick up (match) color of the suit.  This would help pull it together.  When I came back a week or so
  afterwards to pick it up, he asked if I knew the proper way to sit down.  I shrugged and just sat down on a chair.  He then told me to watch as he sat down.  He gently pulled his pants up (perhaps an inch or so) as he was sitting down. He explained that by doing so, it reduces a lot of the stress in the fabric by the rear (the bum). 

  Well, back to work.  I just remembered that I have to finish reading this document for tomorrow.  

  • 12:10 AM
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