明珠 The Year of Lost&Found

In my youthful years, strangers(little kids) used to point at me and called me Mulan enthusiastically while their parents panicked and apologized.  Nothing to offer apologies for…  I am honored to be seen as a warrior.  That positive sentiment no longer holds its ground thanks to the latest Disney rendition.  Mulan 2020 was an unfortunate mix of cultural stigma and lazy storytelling.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… wrapping up gifts for my team.  The devil is in the peppermint red and white swirl twine!

 

父親故鄉產珍珠, 從小讀’滄海月明珠有淚’, 對山海經博物誌的鮫人泣珠充滿遐想.  結婚時父親母親公婆與眾長輩相贈的珍珠手飾, 因貴重且LK不擅珠光寶氣, 沈睡銀行保險箱多年.

終於活到能配戴珍珠的年紀, 開始迷上各品牌於珍珠詮釋, 珍珠的確經典, 可華麗可低斂, 隱惡揚善.  目前只限耳墜, 至於繞頸珠串, 再多等幾年吧!  讓老成為優雅的期待.  2020充滿爭議, 每個國定假日皆埋政治導火線, 撇開感恩節錯縱複雜的史實不談 今年平安渡過已值感恩.

Roasted Peking duck takeout Thanksgiving dinner.  Lately I am obsessed with Caravaggio inspired colors.

 

My gifting theme varies year by year:  2018 Tea For Two, 2019 Eco, and 2020?  The lost art of writing it is.

Picture credits:

Upper left  - Olivetti 

Lower left – ZEYN NY 

Upper right – Clip Art 

Lower right – Blackwing Volume 42

 

送禮回禮乃工作室節慶習俗, 往往反映送禮人心頭好, 每年LK選擇禮物主題:  前年是鴛鴦茶, 去年是環保, 今年回歸最愛的文具.  ㄧ貫支持小商家, 頂頭上司好品牌意識, 送她Blackwing慈善限量版; 同儕總監們則贈藝術史淵源的實用設計; 敝人團隊辛苦整年, 值得多花心思, 請紐約獨立皮具坊替手工筆袋加繡每位成員名字, 希望大家收禮平安, 佳節快樂!!!

 

While MarieKondo-ing my study space, I found old watercolor sketches depicting my hairy crab feast in Shanghai years pre-COVID, the good old days of travel and dine.  Hey, I could wield a pen as well as chopsticks.

往年此時該整理行裝冬旅, 現下只能神遊… 淘出數年前深秋上海蟹宴舊畫, 敝帚自珍, 覺得筆法挺不賴(咦? 剪刀畫歪…) 看著畫, 黏牙糖心蛋, 稠糯紅燒肉, 鮮腴醉雞, ㄧㄧ回味唇齒間.

 

Tis the season for selflove, too.  I have long coveted Blackwing pencils and Bruno Munari wooden blocks.

毋需報名心靈成長課程, 我愛自己從不手軟, 垂涎許久的復古鉛筆和Bruno Munari積木組, 此乃LK獨家'寫拼'療法 :)

Picture credits:

Left – Blackwing pencil set 

Right – MC1 Architecture Box  

 

My penmanship has dwindled over years and writing letters became an unrequited love.  How could anyone fall in love through e-mailing, texting, and messaging?  Too instantly gratified and deceptively convenient(vice versa).  Love requires patience and perseverance. 

再來是卡片, 些許寂聊, 手寫卡片年年遞減, 朋友們寧選簡訊微信.  有次我疼愛的小表妹(已是能幹的兩女之母)傳來她收藏我倆年少時書信往返, 舊日好時光重現眼前, 21世紀慢活與等待彷彿是罪, 偷瞄吾兒小V, 如今的少年如何談戀愛呢?

 

True romantic I am, even feeling beloved admiring these stationery from Firenze.

去年仲夏於翡冷翠捎回的描金信紙原封不動, 把玩指尖倒也賞心悅目.

 

My Mr. Rochester Marou chocolate boxes resurge as the keeper of the lost and found knickknacks.  I champion good designs for all ordinary items.

我是廢物利用山大王. 鈕扣, 緞帶, 書夾 皮紙繩… 分門別類, 回收巧克力糖盒.  所以說任何設計都別掉以輕心 耐看實用環保上選.

 

An uncommon fascination yet totally logical since I am a product designer.  This miniature set I acquired in Christmas 2019 at Tokyo boasts precision and functionality.

LK文具箱館藏浩大, 遠超珠寶盒.  日本精工meta mate袖珍工具系列:  卡尺, 線鋸, 老虎鉗… 小歸小, 項項皆可活用, 不得不向ㄧ生懸命的大和工匠魂致敬, 也悼念我工業設計黑手的青春歲月.

 

Such fascination with beautiful utility reoccurred in the lock pendant from an artisan workshop in Kyoto.  We wandered into the quiet neighborhood for sipping tea at a famed wagashi salon and stumbled upon a gallery in the attic.  Very meta.   

某年遊京都, 誤闖和菓子老店二樓別有洞天藝廊, 看中桐木盒裏綰皮鞣的黃銅心鎖, 結帳後出門, 店主人追上來奉解鎖的鑰匙串, 項鍊的設計師怕是心有千千結, 這麼多年晃眼即過, 不知她或他的心鎖是否已解? 

Happy Holidays!