1. I read the book recommended by professor Andrew, Roland Barthes’ Empire of Symbols.
It made me think about the most primitive meanings implied by objects in a new perspective. What struck me most was the description of the chopsticks, which are used in a different way to the knives and forks commonly used in the West, as they do not divide the food, insert it and take it, but only gently transfer it.
In our inherent perception, chopsticks are merely an unattended eating utensil, but through the reader’s understanding, they become a maternal, indicative function of tableware.
Unlike the knives and forks commonly used in the West, they are not used for cutting, stabbing, cutting or turning in an artificially aggressive and brutal manner, nor do they follow a mechanical procedure. Because of the material itself, chopsticks have a maternal quality, never ravaging the food, but simply picking, turning and moving it around, transporting it as if two hands were crossed.
2. I try to think about why being an outsider feels like I can’t fit into a new environment
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