Asian Around the House

A plastic extruded Kwan Yin with great detail, bought two months ago at the only natural food store in Pemberton. Her quiet style is slowing growing on me.

This Mao badge was given to my Mum on the day of her arrival to Canada in 1965 by some 'annoying communist sympathizers' who made it their job to accost chinese ex-pats while embarking on their new lives as landed immigrants. To this day, she still goes ballistic when communism or Mao Tse Tung is mentioned within earshot of her presence. The badge was later passed on to me when I left home after college. Mum, having grudging respect for it as a collectible item with a bastard's face on it, told me to keep it just in case it might be of some value. Time flies when you've been lying in a drawer for 42 years.

Here's what to do if you want a mabe pearl pendant but don't want to pay Mikimoto prices for it. Buy a mabe pearl from a chinese seller on eBay, drill a 3mm hole and fashion a bale out of .18mm flat gold fill wire. Thirteen dollars later, and Bob's your Uncle!