Yellow top: Marshalls
Orange top: Marshalls
Skirt: Boscov's
Shoes: Worthington, J. C. Penney's
Bag: Charming Charlie
DISCLAIMER: Crazy Rich Asians is (mostly) about Chinese people. But it also has "Asians" in the title, and I've decided this means that it's okay to use both Chinese and Japanese terms in this post, putting them under the same cherry blossom-emblazoned parasol-slash-umbrella. This does not mean that I think Chinese and Japanese people are the same, just that I'm desperate for wordplay any way I can get it. Please do not send hate haikus.
Not too long ago, I finished reading the last two books in Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Kwan picks up where he left off with Nick and Rachel, pitting their tender love story against the flamboyant foil of Asia's most earnest connivers. So, this week's look blooms from that gaudy garden. The floral pattern in the ruched and ruffled crop top reminds me of the kind you'd see on a kimono, and the orange blouse underneath adds a twist of -- wait for it -- mandarin. Never one for subtlety, I tossed in a trio of Chinese takeout containers. I've always loved the bold red designs on the crisp white backgrounds, even if I'm not so crazy about what comes inside. Well, except for the pu pu platter with its tempting array of golden fried goodness. Cream cheese and crab in a wonton? Yes, please. (Although now that I think of it, the pu pu platter comes, not in a container, but in a foil-lined bag bearing the words "Delicious Chinese Food." Still, they didn't have those on Amazon. Also, the pu pu platter should be labeled "Delicious American Food Made to Look Like Chinese Food for People Whose Families are Sick of Pizza.").
Of course, shunning moo shu pork is blasphemy to the Singaporeans who inhabit Kwan's universe. These people are foodies of the first order, downing street fare delicacies as enthusiastically as they gobble up Gucci purses. Which is fun to read even for someone with my pedestrian palate. The desserts, for example, sound as delicious as they do beautiful, like those trendy kawaii squishies come to life:
Yet as envious as I was of Colette's stash of stuff, my favorite character is Nick's cousin Astrid. She sets the trends instead of following them, a fashionista with a heart of gold who embodies not just glamour, but grace. Which is refreshing, as so many well-heeled heroines turn out to be villains (hint hint). Also, I love the name Astrid. A Scandinavian moniker meaning strength and beauty, it conjures images of fiery asteroids juxtaposed with deceptively delicate-looking asters, making it spot-on symbolic for this (almost) leading lady.
Crazy Rich Asians, for all of its flash and fast talk, is about good people amidst the evils of excess. While others finagle their way to the top of the fabled Forbes World's Billionaires list and plot to get richer through the time-honored sport of will stalking, Nick, Rachel, and Astrid remain firmly grounded. This is the heart of Kwan's message, I think. That the quest for status is futile, that all we have is here and now and each other.
So wise, that Kevin. Just like a fortune in your post-pu pu cookie. Speaking of which, here's one the husband got recently:
"As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point your way."
We liked it so much that we put it in this dish in our dining room.
Needless to say, Kwan's creeps are snagged by many a splinter. Well done, karma.
Which is from India, I know. But still Asia.