stuff

[pensnest]

I wound my way through LJ and came upon an essay which I heartily recommend to you all: Greetings from Idiot America, which is presented in jblaque's journal, though it's by Charles Pierce. It's about... I suppose, it's about dumbification, about the way it's becoming increasingly unwelcome for people who actually *know* what they're talking about to be appreciated for their input. When everybody can have an opinion, having an informed opinion isn't necessary.

Anyway. It's quite a long read, but good stuff.

In other news, my Boy has had his hair cut, very stylishly. His eyes are now visible, his chinscraggle has been transformed into a neat, short beardlet, and he looks about four inches taller. As he was starting to resemble that hairy wossname from The Addams Family, this is a great relief.

I was tidying up (!!!) a little bit yesterday, and was inspired to unpack my china. Not the dinner service we had given to us when we got married ever so many years ago, but an even older set, bought by my parents in Hong Kong before I was born, and passed on to me in four large boxes at least a year ago by my Pa.

A small selection, in quite big pictures.








Will have to have a Chinese-themed Murder soon, I think.

I also have a collection of teeny tiny plates, and teeny tiny bowls (the kind with rice grains embedded), and china spoons, all in blue and white. I have no use for these, but if there's anyone on my friends list who would like one, and who has a reasonable chance of meeting me in the not-too-distant future, please let me know and you may have them with my blessing.

Comments

[withdiamonds.livejournal.com]

That's fabulous china and I'm jealous.

Also, I love the new layout.

[pensnest]

I hadn't really appreciated what I'd got in the boxes, but unwrapping it was such fun!

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

If they're what I think they are, your blue and white china are the kind that are quite commonly used in most Asian households, especially in China and SE Asia. The teeny tiny plates are the ones we use for soya sauces and the like. I've grown up with them so much it I had to buy tiny tupperware in the UK just so I could have my sauces out on a separate receptacle during mealtimes. And depending on how teeny tiny the spoons are, I think they're meant for doling out the sauces by whomever wants them. No idea about the bowls though. Embedded rice grains you say?

[pensnest]

They do look like 'everyday' china, and the little plates definitely seem to be the kind of thing you'd put soya sauce on. The spoons are, hmm... the size of the smaller spoon in the bottom picture, except that there's no scale on that so it doesn't help much! Like soup spoons? And the tiny bowls are o more than a third of the size of the kind of bowls I remember *eating* out of (hmm, wonder when that was?), so they're probably for 'additionals' as well, I dare say. I expect I'll steel myself to give them to a charity shop at some point, if nobody asks for them.

[milosflaca.livejournal.com]

the china is lovely *envies you*

[pensnest]

I now have to find an occasion to *use* it!

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, beautiful china! I love the fish.

[pensnest]

Gorgeous, isn't it! So vivid, although on a few of the plates, one of the fish has faded! Still, they're older than I am. A little greying is excusable.

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

Your china is beautiful! I especially like the inside of the bowl/dish/thingy, so cute with the fishes seen from above.

It sounds like your Boy is really growing up - a beardlet! (No relation to JC's chinstripe I hope? That was a very "unfortunate" facial adornment :-)

[pensnest]

That bottom picture is an oval platter, quite a respectable size, too. It's all so vivid, really lovely.

Yes, my Boy had, well, scraggles all around his jawline, not because he wanted a beard but because he couldn't be bothered to shave. Hah. He now has a very tidy little goatee and moustache, much more respectable.

And thank you very much - bear hugs are always good. :-)