What the Hello Kitty

@wthellokitty

Ramblings of "Disgrace Girl", as in "What dis Grace girl is doing disgracing herself with her verboorrhea?!" Beware I inject phrases in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Japanese or French,even Yiddish like multilingual roulette. I am bad at being a good proper Chinese girl. Married to Mr. Kitty Banker Husband-san. Two kids, Evil Techie #1 son (Freako) and #2 son (Kong-kong). Living in an ivory tower within a fish bowl in "Bankersville", CT. Topics: Race, social justice, culture, East Asia, America, feminism, classic film, and my family who reminds me daily, " Mom, you're weird." Tact in audacity is knowing how far you can go without going too far. — Jean Cocteau

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Why I watched “CRA” three (yes three) times

I grew up watching Calgon’s ancient Chinese secret, Kung Fu, Arnold the Happy Days chef, Kung Fu’s barefoot monk, bumbling peasants on MASH, Suzy Wong hookers, Fu Manchu villains, inscrutable Charlie Chans, ridiculous yellowfaced Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi (”Miss Gorightry”), Chinese Tong gangsters*, bespectacled asexual nerds.

Then finally Chinese American women of The Joy Luck Club but that was a quarter century ago.

Too few people appreciated the model minorities behaving badly in Justin Lin’s “Better Luck Tomorrow”.

And now we’ve arrived in “Crazy Rich Asians”. It speaks to me, my brother, my mother, Chinese and Chinese American friends. Most importantly it speaks to my son, who as a boy REFUSED to learn Mandarin, but after viewing the film came home singing, “Wo! Wo yao! Wo yao ni!..”

I paid three times to support the box office. I saw it by myself, then brought my Japanese husband, and today watched it in solidarity with my Chinese friends.

*disclosure I was an extra on “Year of the Dragon”.

#CRA

crazyrichasiansource

The story behind USC sophomore’s recording of ‘Yellow’ from Crazy Rich Asians

For Ho, it’s special to a sing a song she’s loved since she was a kid growing up in Thousand Oaks, in the native tongue of her parents.

“I really do think being Chinese-American is a separate identity from being just American or just Chinese. I think the song is symbolic of this. It’s this classic Western hit with Mandarin lyrics,” she said. “It sounds cheesy. I really never have been more proud of my Asian-American identity until I saw this film.”

And now she has a whole new set of fans — and some she’s always had, like her dad.

“My dad told me — he has a long commute to work — he told me he’s been listening every day,” she told Cosmo.

#CRA

CRA spoiler alert

Don’t read if you haven’t yet seen the film...

You know it’s going to be a happy ending for the couple because there is a hint early in the movie.

When Rachel and Nick wake up in their hotel room the first shot is of them lying in the bed snuggling. In the foreground on the left is the side table with a blue and white vase. It has 囍 on it. This is the symbol for double happiness, used for weddings.

#CRA #spoiler alert

Crazy Rich Asians = Disney Cinderella?

A fatherless girl (Rachel) with no (discernible) friends is invited to the social event of the year. Waiting for her is Prince Charming (Nick), the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom (Singapore). Standing in her way are two jealous rivals (Radio 1Asia and Amanda) and a wicked mother (Eleanor). Fortunately she has help: a very resourceful fairy godmother (Peik Lin).

She rolls up to the ball in a gold carriage, wearing a stunning pale blue gown, complete with bandeau tiara in her upswept hair. Alas when the magic spell is broken she must flee barefoot from whence she came. But do not despair there is a happy ending.

#I'm not crazy CRA= Cinderella