by Yong Li

 

It's my pleasure to introduce to you to one of Mr. Frank Wong's miniatures.  This miniature is a scenery of a kitchen during Chinese Moon Festival relating back to Frank's childhood memories.  This was where Frank's grandmother once lived in the Chinatown of San Francisco. 

   Bring our attention to the kitchen oven, Moon-cakes were freshly made as a celebrating tradition practiced during the Moon Festival.  This miniature is very detailed.  Everything a small kitchen has, Frank has recreated.  The dinner table with some Moon-cake ingredients spread on top, a few chairs, an oven for making Moon-cake, cabinets full of dishes and numerous canned foods of different brands.  An old fashion refrigerator door that can open, with full interior details inside, stand next to the dinner table was like an actual refrigerator except in miniature scale.  Among these details inside the refrigerator lies all kinds of foods.  Food such as couple of dishes of Chinese foods, a big watermelon, some chocolate, and a frozen jello.  I curiously touch the jello with my fingers.  It actually feels just like the real thing.  Cool!  There is an apron with a five dollar bill in the pocket next to this refrigerator.  Mr. Wong told us a story about his childhood and the apron.  It's also a little secret between Mr. Wong and his grandmother.  When he was a little boy, his parents  never allowed him eat any candy, they never had candy at home, and no one would ever offer him a piece of candy.  His grandmother loved him and she knew that young Frank was craving for candy, but she couldn't give Frank candy directly.  So every time before young Frank came to visit her, she always put some money in her apron pocket.  This way Frank could use this money to buy himself candy to satisfy his craving for sweets.  Every time Frank's parents asked Grandma if she had given Frank any candy, she would say no.

    Frank told us his story with excitement and happiness.  "I was spoiled," Frank told us.  I still remember when he said that.  How great his smile was!  Although Frank is no longer a kid, he still has a big smile on his face.  Young spirited.  And a great effort to bring back his memories by making these miniatures.  This is what we can learn from Frank.  The first time I saw these miniatures, I was amazed by these great how great these miniatures are.  Every one of them is filled with Frank's efforts and emotions.  Every one of them has its own stories.  I think these miniatures are like a story book.  Every object in these miniatures are one of the pages of the book.  And you will learn something from each page.  These books are the books you must read.