Kawaii Food

When you think of packing lunch, what comes to mind? Brownbag, GLAD, napkins? Well, that’s what I use and trust me, it’s a mess and there’s little creativity. However, in Japan, packing lunch can be fun and creative. In Japan as well as in the US, we can find bento box lunch as an item on Japanese restaurant menu. However, the difference between the US and Japan is that in Japanese culture, packing lunch is seen as an art form (Squidoo.com).

I usually think of it as simply the box that holds the food I am going to consume. However, there are more to bento boxes than just lunch boxes. Below are some examples of bento box arts where there are little boundaries to imagination and creativity.
























I found this example during a search on different blog sites where I was reading about a girl who likes to make bento boxes for her boyfriend as gifts. Cute isn’t it? Although I probably wouldn’t do it myself, she does it quite often. The process is messy and wasteful as lots of food are thrown away to make the cute shapes that goes into the bento box. It is definitely not economical, especially if it is done on a daily basis! However, I guess that’s the trade off you have to make – art or food, or both.

In “Cuties in Japan” by Sharon Kinsella, there are such things as “cute” food in Japan. I find it interesting how she talks about dessert and ice cream being seen as popular and fashionable. When I visited Japan in 2004, I swear I had soft served green tea ice cream everyday, even in the middle of no where. I saw it as much as I saw Japan’s vending machines of weird and crazy items like cigarettes.

Furthermore, Kinsella mention how there is a marketing strategy geared towards selling cute food. The food should be presented with some of the following characteristic (Kinsella):

• Small
• Gathered/pleated like
• Fairy- tale like
• Old or rustic (Victorian)

The bento box art have at least two of these characteristic. I was able to see some of the bento box art while I was in Japan because my host mother would pack me lunch in boxes. I always question why every portion was so small and perfectly laid out. Learning about this art form explains a lot. On that note, I found a video to teach me how to cook cute food:

CUTE YUMMY TIME: KAWAII COOKING VIDEOS. SHAPED BENTO EGG MOLDS, ANIMAL PANCAKES.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3qRxhmP7U4

All in all, according to Kinsella “Cute culture started as youth culture amongst teenagers, especially young women. Cute culture was not founded by business.” This form of art could be considered a part of these movement and trend.

In one way, cooking with bento boxes helps us because it is a step away from using brown paper bag and disposing them every time versus packing our lunch in a reusable container. However, after the cutting and shaping, too much food is being thrown out!

And in terms of the compact challenge for this week… All I can say is shame on me…I allowed my mom to buy me two new shirts... is that okay??

Phung Kim Vo
blog # 3

Sharon Kinsella. “Cuties in Japan.”
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2009/05/playing_with_fo.php
http://www.squidoo.com/mrbento
http://cuteyummytime.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/cute-yummy-time-kawaii-cooking-videos-shaped-bento-egg-molds-animal-pancakes/
http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/05/08/17-amazing-bento-food-art-creations/

Creative Reuse for Mother's Day

When Mother’s Day weekend comes around, parking lots of liquors stores and produce stands are filled with florists and people buying last minutes Mother’s Day gifts.

I am usually one of the people buying single and dozen roses for my mother, aunties and God-mother. However, last year, I started making my own flowers out of ribbons and candy. Additionally, I also began creating my own cards with different arts and crafts materials and supplies. Not only is it homemade, it is fun to do! In the past I would buy my supplies from Michaels, but things have changed since the Compact Challenge started. I have discovered an amazing find: East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.


After eating Korean BBQ on Telegraph Ave (Berkeley) last weekend, I was too full to seat in my car and drive so I decided to take a walk down the street. It was then that I stumbled across the East Bay Deport for Creative Reuse. This store uses craft items that people donated, and resells them at an extremely low price. You can find so many cool materials to paint, draw, and sew. Since I do not have a picture of the store here is a youtube video of the place

The store is actually a non-profit corporation with the mission to get people to reuse materials. They gather and redistribute “reusable materials for education, arts & crafts, and a wide variety of other creative projects” (East Bay Depot). Here is their website where you can read more about them and their goals East Bay Depot's Website

It is a fun place with so many supplies to find and bring home; most of all, it’s cheap! For my Mother’s Day gift I bought:

• 3 blank craft paper
• 5 Hallmark envelopes
• 3 ink stamps ((sold by pounds (8.00 dollars per pound))
• 3 different color glitters
• 1 dark blue lace (2 yards)
• 2 ribbons (4 yards)

The grand total I paid for these items are 5.32! I am pretty sure this price is impossible to find at Michaels and JoAnns
With these items I was able to make my mom a rose kiss candy boutique and a card, which totaled to less than 10 dollars.













I was able to create something new out of something old. Honestly, a lot of people would not be able to tell that the bouquet I made is made with old supplies. Our society is one that values new goods for it gives us more status than owning something old (Kawamura, pg 92). In connection with fashion, consuming “new” fashion is important for those who have the wealth and resources. People’s ability to keep up with the trends allows them to maintain their status in society. Trend keeping is something that the U.S is very fond of, and our society seems to be dictated by trends. Young kids in school make fun of peers who can not keep up with the fashion trends. Lately, schools have changed their dress codes to uniform. When this occurs, store in the surrounding areas changes too. Store managers make sure to contact their buyers to purchase more uniform in the right quantities and colors to fit the school requirements (NBC News). Kawamura said, “Production influences consumption, and consumption influences production” (pg, 92).
As for me, I am following the green and reusable trend! When it comes down to it, cheap is good and if going green and reusing means I can spend less and still get things done, why not? Plus I can put a smile on my mother’s face while I’m at it.

Phung Kim Vo
(blog # 2)

Kawamura's Fashion-ology
http://www.wndu.com/education/headlines/8926032.html
http://www.east-bay-depot.org/

Lululemon’s “Seaweed” Clothing

I officially started the Compact Challenge today! As part of the process, I decided to clean out my closet. I wanted to get rid of duplicate items.

What I have too many of are scarves. I love scarf because they come in so many shapes, patterns, and colors. I especially went too far with the purchasing of scarf in China during my study in Shanghai. I bought each scarf for a little over a dollar. My consumption of cheap goods has not only took up a lot of my closet space here in the U.S. but it caused me to go over my luggage limit on my return flight from China on United Airlines.

While cleaning, I found my white Lululemon scarf (scarf shown in picture is the same just different color) with two balls at the end of it side. My boyfriend had bought me a really expensive scarf for Christmas with the hope that I would stop buying more. It was 70 dollars. I have never bought a scarf for more than 10 U.S dollars. So I asked myself why I kept it again. Then I recalled my main motive. It was all because Lululemon claimed the scarf had “Seaweed” in it, which was supposed to have some healing effects for the wearer.

This seaweed is supposed to “reduce stress as well as provides anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hydrating and detoxifying benefits” (CBC News). Without doing my research, I kept the scarf for that reason. However, after a few months, I found several article including one from NYTimes who debunked Lululemon’s claims. This caused a lot of problems regarding the seaweed content. Other articles claimed that the seaweed content is actually 5% and while 95% are wood pulp fibers made by a unique Lyocell process. That content is said to be environmentally-friendly, bio-degradable (Alter).



The revelation made me feel as if I was just another subject sucked into the consumption mode because of a desire derived from a marketing claim rather than because of rationality. How often can I say that “my clothes have seaweed in it?” this propaganda got the best of me. Just like Kawamura claimed in her “Fashion-ology” book, "people in society are susceptible to all kinds of propaganda”(pg86). This scarf was the first clothing item that I cared enough to research on, and I must admit, it made me feel better knowing what I am wearing.

Cited:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/new_york_times_15.php
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/11/16/lululemonseaweed.html?ref=rss
Fashion-ology

Phung Kim Vo
Blog #1