A Bowl of Rice

A Bowl of Rice

The ricecooker rumbles like a tireless engine

A sharp click signals,

“Dinner’s ready!”

The metal lid is lifted off the cooker,

unveiling the core in outpour of vanishing steam.

What can I do with a bowl of rice?

Without an entree, all it is

is a bowl of rice,

bland, unsatisfying, and impotent

But what would I do without a bowl of rice?

None other than the staple of the East

without a foundation, a meal crumbles.

At the bottom, but never the least

Pristine white like a bed of pearls,

a background to the

spectrum of burning red peppers,

deep brown beef,

shiny jade scallions.

The satisfying texture

of fluffy, hot rice

off my tongue, into my stomach

An unassuming utility,

never standing out.

After all, what would the savory dishes be

without the reliable partner they need?

A perfect complement to the overwhelming

bold flavors like Sichuan spiciness,

Yes, bland, unsatisfying, impotent;

But without, how can I stomach a serving of “Water-Cooked Beef”

without choking on the fire in my mouth?

Alone it is nothing; but in a unit,

it serves a vital purpose.

What would I do without a bowl of rice?

The emptiness of Sohrab

This image represents Sohrab’s mind. The individual spaces represent Sohrab’s possible life. What he could’ve done is captured in each of the spaces. Before Sohrab had a joyful life with his parents, like these cubbies had once been bright and new. However, now, it’s empty, also reflecting upon Sohrab’s loneliness and lack of connection with others. The dust and cobwebs demonstrate how Sohrab has been left uncared of and mistreated which causes him to lose the will to interact with others and to live. The sliver of light entering the cubbies is the hope that Amir brings when he saves Sohrab. However, the majority of the cubby remains dark and empty representing Sohrab’s pessimistic world view and lack of happiness.

The Coat is not a Coat

Sijie uses the symbol of the sheepskin coat to represents the Little Seamstress, Luo, and the narrator’s hunger for knowledge about the ideas of love, passion, and desire illustrated in the western literature, more specifically Ursule Mirouët by Balzac. The new ideas in the book exposes the characters to different aspects in life that they have not been exposed to before. The book introduces a new way of life different to their own which they strive to “reenact” in real life amongst each other.  

“I decided I would write directly onto the inside of my sheepskin coat. The short coat, a gift from the villagers when I arrived, was made of skins with wool of varying lengths and textures on the outside and bare hide on the inside”(58).

“‘She ended up putting your wretched coat on (which looked very good on her, I must say). She said having Balzac’s words next to her skin made her feel good, and also more intelligent”(62).

Free Yourself

The Tao.
To embrace the Tao
is to be like the Tao.

To be like the Tao
is to allow it to flow through you.

You must free
your mind from thoughts
your heart from chaos
your soul from desires

And go back to the origin,
the roots, the Tao.
Complete yourself by emptying your world.
Allow yourself to let go of all,
in order to grasp the Tao.

Lose everything, and the Tao will be your path.
You will see the clarity within the darkness.
Return to the source to enlightened.

Can You Handle the Truth?

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