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Newsletter #7 $$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
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Readers of Soy Sauce, Sugar, Mirin
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The one with Zha Jiang Mian.
When I emailed Peiyao to set up a time to collect his book, he said he’d like to bring me his family’s Zha Jiang Mian.
I thought that’s a really alpha move. The week before I’ve just written about my mum’s Zha Jian Mian, he’s trying to beat my mum’s with his family’s.
It took me a while to realise he was actually a she.
Peiyao is an international student from Shandong.
I’m uneducated in a way that part of me believes in the narrative of Chinese students not caring about our culture and they’re trying to buy our land and steal our jobs rarararara
She was nothing like that.
I mean, first of all, she uses Facebook.
She has a boyfriend here. She intends to stay in Australia.
She said she has no idea how to go back and live a ‘Chinese’ life.
She actually traveled quite far to collect her book, and of course to pass me a week’s worth of Zha Jiang Mian.
She initially thought I was from China from the way I wrote my recipes. She said her parents were here during COVID and they just went back not long ago. They cooked for her and, I think, she missed them.
I also think, apart from buying my book, the zhajiang is her way of showing support.
I did that auntie thing by asking the cafe for a container so she could have her Tupperware (the underground currency of home cooks) back.
I brought some noodles for her in exchange. Remember that Chow Yun Fatt movie, how the guy gave the girl the watch and the girl gave him the wristband in the end when they part?
The most surreal thing is, Peiyao had her mask on the whole time so I actually don’t know how she looks like.
The only proof I had was a giant takeaway container of a homemade Shandong Zhajiang.
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The one with the nama choco.Santiago came during my very first launch at Parco and we didn’t have much time to chat. My first and last impression of him was his motorbike. Was it a Ducati? I don’t know, I remember it looking pretty awesome.
He gave me a box of chocolates. He said he’s a pastry chef and runs his own Japanese chocolate business. He’s really excited to try my recipes as his wife is also Japanese and recently gave birth to a baby daughter.
Anyway, gotta go work, bye.
I returned to the book launch. Later, when I realised Santiago is a chocolatier that represented Canada in some culinary Olympics and won medals etc I was devastated to find out Hana, my daughter has eaten all the chocolates. It was the only time I wanted to shake her neck and go ‘why you little!’ like Homer.
We chat on Instagram from time to time. He tells me what scissors to buy. Maybe one day I’ll work out the courage to ask about making chocolate.
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The accountant.Nicole was one of the readers who came to my apartment block after work to pick up her book.
When asked about her occupation she said “I’m just an accountant.”
”No no, accountant for whom?” I asked.
‘Ferrari’, she said sheepishly. “And Lamborghini, Aston Martin etc…”
Me being the Asian I am, asked how do car loans work for supercars like that.
Nicole said people who buy Ferraris, don’t need no dirty car loans; they pay cold hard cash.
So if any of you are in the market for a 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo F142, hit me up.
Nicole might be able to give you a Soy Sauce, Sugar, Mirin reader discount.
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The one with her mother.Miss Lee said she’s not usually on social media, but she’s on it to read my post. She could relate to many things I wrote.
The funny thing is, her daughter Cherie and boyfriend said the same thing to me the week before.
I don’t remember much from our conversation at Kilineys. I must have talked a lot of shit, but I remember her words of encouragement. Something along the lines of if I ever start a Patreon account or a YouTube channel, she would be a supporter. You seldom get those from Asian seniors.
It got more embarrassing when I found out she was an English teacher from Singapore and now teaching at local universities.
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The one who writes ads.Weina received my book as a gift from her friend.
Once she told me she used to work for a Creative Director I knew in Malaysia, we spoke on the phone almost immediately.
To be honest, I have not met a Malaysian adman in Melbourne, not to mention ‘adwoman’. Quick rundown: in advertising, a copywriter (like Weina) teams up with an art director (like past-me) to create ads.
I dug out all my past trauma from the hole within a tree and flung them towards Weina. Because I know she’d understand, all the struggles of being an Asian migrant in this country’s ad industry.
She shared an experience of how a headhunter called her in, being impressed by her CV, only to change his mind when he saw her in person.
She said if she has any overflowing freelancing work, be it writing or design, she’ll hit me up.
Some friends give compliments; the best ones give opportunities.
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The one with the Ivy League donabe.Speaking about opportunities, Laurie responded to one of my newsletters.
Truth be told I thought she was a spambot.
As a wedding photographer, I get 5-10 emails a week from ‘SEO experts’ to boost my ranking on Google search results.
So when an email claims to be from an ex-Facebook employee, ex-WeChat, and now a product strategy consultant for an online Asian grocery store looking to collab, I kinda thought: yeah right.
I checked Facebook, we have a common friend, another Facebook ex-employee. Okay …
And then I googled said online Asian grocery store.
Valued at $2.8 billion.
These Indian scammers are getting better every day huh.
Even as we had our very first zoom call I was still expecting some kinda trap reveal. I just couldn’t figure how or why because it seems like … she has more to lose?
I also remember eyeing the Japanese clay pot on her kitchen counter, thinking: “if this is really not a scam, I’ll use this ‘colab’ money to buy a donabe just like that.”
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The not-ex.Get this.
Charissa shares the same name as my ex in college.
She currently lives in the same suburb as my ex.
Same nationality. (Singapore.)
Her daughter’s name is Hannah.
My daughter’s name is Hana.
Apparently old Charissa has met new Charissa.
I’m not sure what the universe is trying to tell me.
But I really want to meet new Charissa’s mum.
Because she runs a Peranakan restaurant in Singapore - Peramakan. (What word play!) And I feel kinda vindicated that the daughter of a restauranteur approves of my book.
According to auntie via new Charissa, you can train anyone to cook. Being able to identify what needs to be fixed in a dish, is a rare talent.
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The one who approves my posts on SAC.Maggie is one of the admins of the Subtle Asian Cooking Facebook group. On our first video call, she was making Hainanese Chicken and asked if I thought the chicken was done.
She’s also the victim of my first case of book theft. The book and tote bag sent to her address in Boston, stolen.
We’ve done an ‘interview’ for the upcoming SAC podcast, only to be told the audio was pretty bad. So we were supposed to do a second recording.
Due to the time differences, I had to wake up at 6am or something to chat with a stranger in America about chicken. It’s weird, right? What would her father think?
Maggie’s still in university getting ready for her finals.
She said she spent some time in Melbourne (exchange? I don’t remember) and the places I visited when in Shanghai were her hood.
It blows my mind that the admins of a Facebook group with 300k+ members are mostly uni kids scattered around the world. The admins have to constantly monitor abusive comments, not to mention approving appropriate posts, (apparently people make threats when their posts don’t get approved) voluntarily.
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The one with the cat ears.Kevin and his girlfriend Vyna make cat ears. You know, the ones cosplayers wear with their costumes?
To comicons and vlogging etc.
No? Yea you’re too old.
Because business is booming.
Kevin came to collect the books during launch and came back again once he dropped Vyna off to her friends.
He also returned the week after.
He was planning an anniversary dinner with Vyna, and I recommended a tempura restaurant.
I think, they had a good time.
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There are so many more encounters that I can’t fit in. So many conversations interrupted. I think readers #1 and #2 Helen and Mandy work closely with domestic violence support? There’s a sister who bought the book to encourage her brother who’s working at Nasi Lemak House right across my place. I’ve met architects, nurses, people in and out of the food industry, parents who found me via Broadsheet, building managers, siblings, conveyancers.
I am aware that 90% of my readers are women.
My whole life, all my big breaks came from women.
My mother who carried me through primary school, my cousin who told me if I wanted to be a photographer there’s nothing stopping me, my university tutor who helped me win a student award from London, my first creative director who offered me a job in Melbourne just as I decided to move to Sydney. As a wedding photographer, who do you think makes the call to hire me? As a commercial photographer, my point of contact - the marketing managers, designers, account managers, stylists. My wife and daughter who I spend almost all my waking hours.
I don’t play sports, I’m not into cars, gadgets, drugs, alcohol, or dick measuring. I’m literally the grown-up Asian version of the fat boy from Modern Family.
Not saying all men suck (if you’re reading this you’re probably the good ones) but so far, girls have treated me better.
So I’m more than happy to suck up to them.
Thank you all.
You look beautiful in what you’re wearing today.
I hope you’ve eaten well.
And drink more water.
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Hi there, if you’re receiving this, that’s because you’ve recently purchased my book. You can find all the previous newsletters here.
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