Newspaper Nostalgia: Unfolding Memories Under the Dinner Table
The bottle of soy sauce commonly used for dumplings, often likened to holy water for individuals living abroad, has the ability to alleviate feelings of homesickness when combined with noodles. © Jade Kayo MIKI
As a child, the magic of dinner began with a single code: “Let’s lay out the newspaper.” In Taiwan, we turned old news into makeshift placemats and tiny trash receptacles—perfect for crab shells, shrimp crackers, and stray chicken bones. That habit came from my father, famed for his nourishing chicken soup—the same broth that warmed me in my mother’s womb.
I’d clamber onto my chair, awaiting the evening’s delights, while Cupid—our gentle eighty-kilogram English Mastiff—nuzzled me like soft waves beneath my legs. Even then I sensed that freedom lay in those moments beneath the table.
My mother would rustle through the folded sheets, pressing corners with heavy teacups before setting down bowls of rice, chopsticks, and utensils. The mingled aroma of printing ink, sauerkraut, and simmering stew created a sensory tapestry I still taste in dreams.
She was our family’s creative anchor, dubbed a “talented lady” in the style of Chinese poetry—adept at qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—yet forged in the crucible of Hualien’s Yuli district. The second-born daughter of seven, she learned to light fires at seven, mend shoes at nine, and care for her sisters through wartime scarcity—collecting lard for soap, fishing ditches for shrimp to barter. Through it all, her optimism never waned.
Despite humble beginnings, she honored herself with a single black cheongsam and pearl hairpin—worn not for mourning but at her Japanese friends’ weddings. She tended her long hair with fragrant oils, a ritual of self-respect that spoke louder than any grand gesture.
As our fortunes improved, she never lost her modest touch. Yet at our table we still relish quick comforts—gua bao, dumplings, meat buns—each bite a testament to hands that stir pork in lard until flavor unlocks every detail.
