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From The Asian Reporter, V31, #10 (October 4, 2021), page 6.
Li Ziqi — Martha Stewart on steroids
Many years ago, writer and columnist Wayne Chan met a young man who creates comic strips, a good portion of them drawn from the perspective of an Asian American. When Wayne saw the cartoonist’s works, he thought they were truly terrific. They got to talking and thought it might be a perfect match if they collaborated, combining Wayne’s writing and the artist’s strips. The two work in different mediums, as Wayne writes columns and the illustrator draws comics, but they share a commonality of perspectives as Asian Americans who find humor in everyday life. Wayne Chan the columnist lives in the San Diego area. Wayne Chan the cartoonist is based in the Bay Area.
Who would have ever thought that a global pandemic could lead to feelings of complete inadequacy?
As is the case with just about everyone, I have been home a lot the last year-and-a-half. And as is the case for many of us, being home a lot means having more time for home improvement projects. Things in the house that seemed perfectly fine when we weren’t stuck at home are suddenly completely intolerable.
Now, I will be the first to admit that my home improvement skills are minimal at best, but that hasn’t stopped me from bringing attention to even the slightest accomplishment to my lovely wife, Maya.
"Sweetie," I say, calling out to Maya. "You know that smoke detector that was beeping in the family room? I got the ladder out and replaced the battery. Problem solved. That was all me, baby."
I’m not expecting an award for my efforts, mind you, but times are tough. You do what you have to for some recognition, right?
Another change in our lives during our isolation at home has been watching more TV, and that led to me discovering the wonders of Li Ziqi. Li Ziqi is a Chinese video blogger who posts on various social-media outlets in China and abroad showcasing her skills in cooking and handiwork. She has amassed a huge following, with her videos being viewed billions of times.
I would have never watched any of her videos, but sadly, I am not in control of the television. Maya has that responsibility. On the rare occasions I have access to the remote control, I zero in on whatever programming that displays the maximum number of explosions per episode.
Getting back to Li Ziqi. While watching the first few videos, I was fairly nonplussed. She plucked various vegetables from her garden and cooked them in a giant wok. I mean, serene and beautiful, but no big deal.
But, a few more videos in, I started to appreciate the true extent of her skills. In one post, she makes a tofu dish. But first she picks the soybeans then makes the tofu. In another video, she made a corn dish, but first started by planting a field of corn, raising it, harvesting it all by herself, and then making the dish.
While viewing a video of her preparing to paint a portrait, I remarked to Maya, "She’s just going to paint? Do we really have to watch this? I think there’s a Vin Diesel movie with lots of explosions on right now."
As Li Ziqi prepared to paint, she started by making her own paint using various berries and other materials. Continuing on with my efforts to change the channel to more explosion-centric programming, I slyly remarked to Maya, "OK, she makes her own paint — fine. But I’d be more impressed if she painted on a paper canvas that she created herself." Which, of course, is exactly what she proceeded to do — she produced her own canvas using pulp from wood she had grown on her own and even made her own paint brushes by hand using horse hair for the bristles.
Suddenly, me changing the battery of the smoke detector didn’t seem nearly as impressive.
One of the latest videos I watched of Li Ziqi showed her sewing together a beautiful silk dress completely by hand. I would be remiss not to mention that the silk she used was produced only after she raised the silkworms that made the silk which she then turned into silk thread.
I blame Li Ziqi for my feelings of inadequacy. Now all of a sudden, I question everything I do. For example, we have a small pizza oven in our backyard. Last month I made my own pizza, but after watching Li Ziqi, I started doubting myself. I didn’t raise the cows that produced the milk for the mozzarella. I didn’t grow the wheat and harvest it to make the crust. I didn’t even grow the tomatoes for the sauce. My sauce came from a (gasp) can!
To add insult to injury, I bought an outdoor pizza oven. Li Ziqi has an outdoor oven too, but the difference is she built a clay oven herself and heats it with wood she gathers.
Maya recently asked me to hang a painting in our bedroom. I don’t know if I’m up for that.
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