Art Is Messy

Each time we come back to the States David and I stock up on certain things to bring back to China. I usually buy loads of shoes and pants and David buys electronic gadgets. (I hope you’re having fun with your new itouch, babe.) In addition, we always make a stop or two at bookstores.

This time around David found an amazing book called The Arrival by illustrator and writer, Shaun Tan. This beautifully and imaginatively illustrated book tells the story of a man who leaves his family and impoverished community in search of opportunities in a foreign and strange land. Along the way the man meets people who help him settle into the new world and share stories from their lives.

This book touched me for several reasons. Being first generation American, it made me imagine what my father and grandmother might have experienced when they left Austria and arrived at Ellis Island.  It also made me think of my own experiences with living in China. There is a section of the book where the man is being introduced to strange and exotic foods. His reaction is exactly what I feel every time I go grocery shopping!