The Beauty in the Painting and Other Stories
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An excerpt from "Lucky Louie in the Golden Triangle" -
Louie loved his life in Bangkok.
Like any chef, he enjoyed his daily morning visits to the Bangrak wet market at the end of Silom Road, where the road met the river bank, just a few blocks from the restaurant.
He would browse the spice and herb stalls after buying fresh meats and vegetables from his regular vendors.
A shriveled Thai woman with matted grey hair sat on a low stool beside her produce. She sold items Louie had never seen before - herbs with exotic fragrances, greens that looked like giant beans, and colorful powdered spices. Some of them tasted slightly bitter, and some had pungent smells. There were also assorted mushrooms, dried and fresh.
One day, some round dark balls in a large plastic bowl among her produce caught his attention. They were brown, many covered in mud, and the size of large marbles. He had never seen them before.
Noticing his interest, the woman told him that they were mushrooms. She picked one up and pried open the hard shell with her fingernails to reveal black flesh inside. She handed it to Louie and signaled him to smell it. Louie put the mushroom close to his nose, and his eyes lit up in wonderment. The fragrance was nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet and reminded him of the expensive truffles that he only got a whiff of while working at the Su Hong in Shanghai.
He remembered how the head chef boasted to his staff about how rare they were, that they only grew in the wilds of Yunnan, and how he could get only a small amount from his contacts there.
"I use a tiny amount in my secret sauce on the most expensive meat dish. My customers love it! Eating it makes them feel so relaxed and satisfied! You can see it in all their faces!" Louie overheard the head chef.
He returned the piece to the smiling old woman and, gesturing with his hands and face and with his accented Thai, asked her how to cook it.
The woman talked on and on while Louie took out his notebook and pen to sketch the mushroom and took down what she said, at least the parts that he understood.
The woman said that the mushroom could be found in the mountains of the north, that it was rare and appeared only at the end of the monsoon season.
Adding the tiniest amount to any sauce would make it taste out of this world, she said as she smiled and made a thumbs-up sign.
She separated her hands to signal about using too much of the mushroom, then pointed to her stomach. She folded her hands and brought them to one side of her bent head, and shut her eyes, signaling that too much of it could put someone into a deep slumber.
She ended with a long, shrill laugh, followed by loud cackles.
Louie decided that he’d better not try this strange mushroom. He put away his notebook, thanked the woman, and left.
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About the Book
This book is a collection of stories set in Asia, inspired by the author’s travels to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines.
The stories are about people from all walks of life, from young lovers to old friends, from farmers to factory workers, from cooks to merchants. They are stories about hope, love, loss, compassion, and redemption. They are stories about the human experience, told from a uniquely Asian perspective.
The stories in this book are diverse and thought-provoking. They explore the different cultures and traditions of Asia, as well as the challenges and triumphs of the people who live there.
In “The Beauty in the Painting,” a young woman in an ancient painting wrecks havoc on the wicked. In “Ah Mei and the City,” a young woman from a rural village leaves home to pursue her dreams in the big city. In “Dr. Chan’s Homecoming,” an elderly doctor returns to his hometown in China after many years away and discovers a gift. And in “Lucky Louie in the Golden Triangle,” a cook uses his creativity to escape the clutches of a drug lord.
These are just some of the stories in this book. Each one is a unique and unforgettable tale that will take you on a journey through the fascinating world of Asia.
If you are interested in learning more about Asia, or if you simply enjoy a good story, then you will want to read this book. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to experience the rich culture and diversity of Asia.
Kim’s first book, “Where Chingchoks Chirp”, is a memoir, a collection of essays about his childhood days in Bangkok.
“The Beauty in the Painting” is Kim’s second book published by Archway Publishing.
About the Author
Kim Pao Yu was born in Bangkok, Thailand. He came to the United States for college, earning his BS degree at Lowell Technological Institute, and his master and doctoral degrees at the University of California, Berkeley. His professional career spanned across multinational power and IT corporations, where he held engineering, sales, and general management positions in the United States, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan. Retired, he lives in Mountain View, California.