Vladimir Tretchikoff

The Chinese Girl, also popularly known as The Green Lady was painted in 1952 by Vladimir Tretchikoff. You might not be familiar with the artist's name but have seen this print many times and it one of the world best-selling art reproductions of the twentieth century. 

I became familiar with his work in the mid 50’s as Vladimir Tretchikoff lived in South Africa and had a well-published exhibition of his work in Johannesburg. He mixed the exotic with the erotic and marketed his work for the middle-class with inexpensive reproductions.

What caught the eye was the cool blue-green hue covering the face, offset with the with warm colours of the clothing or the background. He was called the King of Kitch by art critics but not by his banker.

My father attended his exhibition in Johannesburg and was in awe of Trechikoffs creativity. Many copycat artists started painting and experimenting with different hues to the skin tones. Prints appeared everywhere of Thretchkoffs' work and the original Green Lady sold for $1.5  million 2013 and on display at the Delaire Graff Estate near Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Vladimir Tretchikoff was born in 1913, in now Petropavl in Kazakhstan and passed away in 2006 in Cape Town.

Mah Jong

The spelling of Mah Jong seems to vary, just like the rules of the game. With the Winds, Dragons, Bamboos, Dots and Cracks, the clicking of tiles was a familiar sound in Vancouver's old Chinatown. The gambling went on throughout the night with high stakes; fortunes were made and lost. The game is still very popular and there are two versions of it - the traditional Chinese way and the North American way.

The North American style became popular with the Jewish ladies of New York and some changes to the traditional rules were made. They produced a game card with the annual change of sequence in tiles. To Mah Jong, one has to follow the current sequences accurately. Also, one must purchase a new card every year, which is a good business for the ladies of New York. The gambling part remained the same. The early Chinese immigrants brought their sets with them, and these games ranged from plain bamboo to very ornately carved tiles.

I played the North American version for years with a group of friends, four to a table. We drank gallons of Rooibos tea and solved domestic problems. We supported one another through the tough times and laughed through the good times. For the last ten years, my life has been in transit on our yacht Sequitur and our Canal barge. Now that I have returned to living in Vancouver, it is time to organise another Mah Jong group.

Dancing Buddahs

Before sailing and boating, I had another life as a potter on Vancouver Island.  In the quietness of my studio, I created the dancing Buddhas. 

 Each one individual and different from the next, with a character of its own. 

They practised a few dance steps while waiting patiently for their turn into the kiln. 

The fun didn't stop during loading for bisque firing.

 I am convinced I could hear giggles as I closed the lid.

There are always a few wallflowers that didn't dance but watched.

At completion, they almost danced their way out of the kiln to the "wardrobe room" where they receive their final glazing of their colourful robes.   

At completion and well dressed, they practice their dance moves and turns

   I smiled as they were sold, lifted off the shelves and sent on their way to new homes.

Vancouver's Old Chinatown

Some of the first Chinese immigrants were men, who left their families behind in Asia. They were in search of gold in the Fraser Canyon during the Gold Rush of 1858. They later found an opportunity to work on building the Canadian Pacific Railroad, who was making its way to the coast. They mainly settled in Vancouver's Chinatown and slowly began bringing their families and concubines over to live in Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria.  

Vancouver’s Chinatown is North America’s second largest and founded in 1885. The business grew and the area developed into a lively and colourful area. There was a steady influx of immigrants till the second world war. 

In 1980 it spiked again with most coming from Hong Kong, prior and during the transfer of sovereignty of the former British colony to China. 

The majority of the new immigrants settled in Richmond where large houses, large malls with plenty of parking has sprung up.

The smaller vegetable markets of old Chinatown could no longer compete with more famous establishments such as T&T supermarkets, Cosco and Urban Fair. 

Merchants have moved or closed shop, leaving the beautiful old red brick buildings behind. 

The store's owners children are educated and hold positions of their own and are not interested taking over a small fading business. The real estate market value has far exceeded the business value. Visually charming older buildings have been restored and refurbishing and turned into art galleries, coffee shops, beauty salons and interior decor stores.

It still has a long way to go, but the city is closing in slowly. Unattractive or derelict building are demolished making way for high-rise apartments. Vancouver's horizon is forever changing, a sign of growth.

Fall in Vancouver

It is autumn in Vancouver and the colours are turning to orange and crimson. 

Gone are the beautiful gardens.

Children have returned to school leaving the bare playgrounds behinds.

Gone are the laughter and giggles that echoed through the tunnels made from abandoned equipment

We are now catching the last rays of the sun

The prime sunspots now vacated by locals and tourists alike

A few can still find a nook or a hollow to cuddle in the sun

Some will finish the book they have started earlier in the summer

Others holding on as long as they can

   Smaller birds are still looking for crumbs left behind on the benches occupied by the lunch crowds

as bigger birds keep watch while the leaves turn

For my walking group, it is the beginning of many autumn walks

Watching the sunsets from my balcony is spectacular and it is also my last summer in this apartment as I will be moving soon and I will miss this view.

The Boston Tea Party

European countries developed a taste for tea in the 17th century and England embraced the new taste wholeheartedly. In 1698, Parliament than gave the British East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea.

When tea became popular in the British colonies, an act was passed that colonists were only to import tea from Britain, illuminating competition from other trading companies. There was already a 25% tax in place on imported tea plus an additional tax for consumption within Britain. The British East India Company did not deal directly with the colonies and all Tea was wholesaled and exported to merchants in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston. Tea became an expensive commodity for the colonists.

The Dutch Republic was not taxing tea, which meant that Britons and the Colonies were smuggling tea supplied by The Dutch East India Company from the lowlands. The biggest market for illicit tea was in England. The British East India Company was losing £400,000 annually to this tea smuggling.

The Tea Party was a resistance movement throughout British America against the Tea Act passed by British Parliament. Partially to blame was the financial problems the British East India Company faced. The Colonist objected to this Tea Act because they believed that it violated their rights as Englishmen to "No taxation without representation". They wanted to be taxed by their own elected representatives and not by the British Parliament in which they were not represented.

The Boston Tea Party was an event that took place in 1773, when a group of 30 to 130 men, some disguised as Mohawk warriors, illegally boarded three tea trading ships at Griffin’s Wharf. The Dartmouth, the Eleanor and the Beaver were the targets and 342 chests of tea was thrown in the Boston Harbour. The event became iconic in the American History.

The Great Wall of China part Deaux

I was curious to see if any changes have affected The Wall. The Wall remained the same, but the approach to it now had a cable car and a village of various shops. A community designed to supply the demands of visitors with endless souvenirs and all made in China.

We found a quiet day on the Wall with few tourists around. That made it enjoyable taking photos as it was cherry blossom time. The view unchanged and it remained spectacular.

On the way back we were booked at one of the standard revolving-centre-piece-with-numerous-dishes-restaurant. The bus driver couldn’t find it, and we ended up at a very expensive North American owned restaurant. 

The East Indian waiter had a familiar accent; he was from Vancouver. The Chef and Sous Chef were from California and were introducing “slow food” to the area. A concept of locally grown organic food with local recipes prepared by the women that live nearby. He had also started a piggery for meat served at the restaurant. 

An old brickyard building was tastefully converted to accommodate overnight guests and the comfortable restaurant. Besides the vegetable gardens, it has well-maintained flower gardens, and I wasn’t surprised that King Willem-Alexander from the Netherland had previously stayed there.

I hope that this concept would take off in this vast country.

Somewhere I spotted a more playful wall and smiled as I left

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