The Incidental Money

In a very safe place I found a packet of cash. I was about to transfer the cash into my wallet when I saw a curious note from my mother.

"Dear Raina, Don't use this cash. These cash is antie (antique?) dollar can sell more value than its face value."

Good thing she told me because I was going to buy an iced latte and do some damage at Forever 21. Under her message was a sticker listing the amounts of European currency the envelope was once contained. Francs, Marks, Sterling, and Lire. 

I took out the $42 in USD. Nothing unusual except the $2 bill and some dollars with gibberish typed on them. Lines of XXXXXs and MMMMMMMs and stamped in caps, "ENCORE INCIDENTALS TAX EXEMPT." 

What makes these ones tax exempt and what kind of incidentals (lattes and Forever 21 purchases)? Why vandalize the money? I did some Googling on combinations of the words tax exempt antique money but not much came up. I wish my mom had written me an explanation. 

The End Of Infinite Christmas

The year my mom got sick she still was able put up the Christmas tree all by herself. I don't know how she did it, being so skinny and weak. It was probably a superpower that Chinese widows develop.

We had one of those artificial trees with the lights built-in from Costco. The itself tree was giant, 8 or 9 feet, and my mom would single handedly assemble it every year. I was out of town for a few days in December and when I came back she surprised me. She had put up the tree and decorated it with all the ornaments that we had kept since my childhood. The mice sleeping in the matchbox, the straw scarecrow doll in a red flannel dress, the plastic Bambi, the clay ceramic music note from my piano teacher, the glitter covered red and green ball ornaments. I was happy to see that we had them all still.

That year we didn't have the energy to take the tree down. We were the sort of people who leave the tree decorated far into January anyway. I at least took the ornaments down, but we left the tree in the same nook next to the pink marble fireplace in the living room into spring, then summer, and then fall. It just become the giant fake tree we had in our the house, the way Chinese restaurants have fake orchids. When friends would come over they'd be shocked.

"Is that a Christmas tree?" one friend asked. I couldn't even see it anymore.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just a fake plant!" I'd reply. It lived there for three years.

Last weekend John came over to help me dismantle the tree. We had to tie straighten out the wire branches, which were as prickly as real pine. I had to put on work gloves. Then we tied each layer of branches with the string my grandfather had collected in Taiwan. I guess I'll never mock grandpa's string collection again.

Below, the hole where the tree used to be.

John asked me why there was a bucket behind the tree. I explained that because the base was broken and the tree was on the brink of falling over. My mother filled a bucket with water and placed it on the base to keep the whole operation upright.  

Notice the stray pine needles I'm gonna have to vacuum! Also, watch John's new awesome show on Cartoon Network.

Infinite Trash To Treasure

One woman's infinite trash can truly be another man's treasure.

"Can you zip me up?" said Mariosh as he fidgeted in my mother's gold charmeuse blouse. Well, it was polyester with a silk charmeuse sheen. A stockier Laurence Fishburne, his muscular arms were too tight to reach the zipper on the back of the neck. It stretched snug across his chest but if he raised his arms he'd burst like the Incredible Hulk. He saw the doubt in my face. I'm not a very good shopgirl.

"I wouldn't raise my arms anyway!" He lifted his arms to reveal a soft abdomen. The gold actually looked good against his tanned skin.

It was a thrill to watch this man preening himself in one of my mother's silky business blouses. She had dozens of business tops to match her hundreds of business suits because she had fashioned herself to be a serious business woman. From sorting through her suits, sequined dresses, and floral Easter dresses in the past year, I've come realized that the clothes we wear are aspirational. Whether we pursue those aspirations is another matter.

Mariosh, the gay Latino actor/ model from Norway told me the blouse would be perfect to wear to parties. His parties were probably the farthest thing from the business meetings my suburban Chinese mother envisioned herself attending in the blouse. Maybe she'd wear them to a church meeting or a trip to the accountant. This is why I love seeing who buys our clothes. It gives me to chance to see both scenarios on a split screen in my head.

Occasionally I work at my friend's vintage store, where I get to see people try on, get excited about, and take home our things. Sometimes I tell them about the Garage, but then I wonder if it's TMI. Strangers might not want the weight of your family history in their impulse buys.

Item: Ralph Lauren Polo Country chambray print shirt
Belonged to: my dad
Purchased by: works at The Hundreds

Item: Forenza cardigan from The Limited
Belonged to: my mom
Purchased by: Kelly, teenage tourist from Vancouver

Item: Francois (?) button down 

Belonged to: my dad

Purchased by: Nathan, works at Scout

Item: Michelle Stuart blouse from Casual Corner

Belonged to: my mom

Purchased by: Mariosh, actor/ model from Norway

Oil Painting Of A Chinese House On A River

In our formal living room, the one with antique chairs and tables for drinking tea but paradoxically not for living, I found this oil painting in the wooden Chinese armoire with the hidden desk. It was rolled up alongside mass produced scrolls of brush calligraphy, grandmother’s watercolors, a metal stand for violin music, and a plastic doll in Chinese satin pajamas. 

I usually find grandmother watercolors in suitcases, purses, and cards regularly, but this is the first oil. It’s dense and crispy, and I’m careful not to flatten it too much for fear it’ll break apart like a desert floor. The painting is of considerable skill so I’m doubtful anyone in my family did it. It's strange that someone would buy a decent painting and not bother to get it framed.

I’ve been thinking about how opening drawers and unravelling paintings and photographs are like peering into another universe. This time it's the fabled universe of fishing, farming, and triangle hats, carry buckets on sticks balanced across shoulders and washing clothes in the river. It’s a China that lives in the imagination of people like my mother, who never lived there but dreamt of her rural beauty and dignity their whole lives. The only China we ever really called home was the Republic of China better known as Taiwan. I didn't understand how she could love a place she had never touched or smelled. How could she love a place that never loved her back?

Answer to Mystery Object #7

Two things: 

- $7.30 seems really cheap for a whole box of rifle bullets cartridges. 

- I have to seriously start making the Mystery Objects more challenging. Or, I need to start uncovering weirder things. 

Congrats to Irvin for guessing correctly! Irvin incidentally runs the beautiful Eat The Love, which you should check out because his photos will make you fat. Thanks for playing!

Going head over to the Angeles National Forest this weekend to actually use the bullets cartridges. I figure if I can make use out of my mom's old clothes, I should be able to do the same for my dad's old bullets cartridges. 

Fashion Friday: New York From The Sky

Tugging on a mother's skirt. My mother had dozens of matching skirt and top combos and made me promise to never split them up. They belonged together, she said.  

This photo is somewhere in New York. Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center, and you help identify? You can see water in the blurry distance, so it doesn't look like the Empire State. 

Mystery Object #7: Copper And Gold

Copper and gold, what secrets do you hold? 

What is this object? First correct answer left in the comments will receive a garage grab bag! 

Also, Mystery Object #6 was indeed calculator paper, from our restaurant days at Numero Uno. We used it to calculate payout. MO6 was correctly guessed by Ardith-- Ardith, email me to redeem your prize! 

Ernest And Gallo Johannisberg Riesling, Vintage 1984

You'd hope to find fine wine vintaging in a 30+ year old garage. From our Italian pizzeria days, may I present to you Ernest and Gallo Johannisberg Riesling, limited release vintage 1984.

When the professional organizer came last week, I discovered a case of champagne and riesling. I took two bottles of each and gave the rest to Habitat For Humanity, who were picking up other housewares. They were really picky about what they'd take (like no unpacked dishes) but the two guys were cool with the wines. There was probably a blow out party at Habitat Gardena that night.

Ok at this second, I am actually regretting that decision. My logic was that we only had crappy wine at Numero Uno, so old crappy wine might be really gross.

However it is the only edible thing I've found so far. I'll let you know how the tasting goes.