Crazy Rich Asians

I enjoyed this movie throughly.  We went to the late show and the fact that I didn’t fall asleep or even close my eyes for a second attests to its entertainment value.  Just ask my husband!

I love a good romantic comedy and this was certainly a delightful one.  One of the reasons Crazy Rich Asians is being touted by critics and audiences alike is because all of the characters are indeed Asian.  I think its great to have a successful movie with so many actors from a group that has been underrepresented in Hollywood films.  

Here are some scenes in the movie that resonated with me perhaps because I lived and taught in Asia for six years and have visited Singapore where the majority of the film’s action is set. 

1.  There is a scene where a group of unbelievably wealthy women are having a Bible study.  The Christian prosperity gospel certainly has its hold on Asia probably thanks to missionaries, particularly in former British cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. I met many a Christian millionaire in Hong Kong where I taught at a rather expensive private faith-based school, supported in large part by those millionaires’ generosity. 
   

   Nick, the hero of the movie introduces his girlfriend Rachel to his grandmother who has the final say on whether he can marry her

2. There is enormous family pressure on children to do well in Asia, to succeed and to be loyal to the family. Grandparents play a major role in raising children and have a big say in their lives.  I had students in Hong Kong who would get scolding phone calls from grandparents living in other countries if they weren’t doing well in school.  Many of my students had names chosen by their grandparents. 
   

   Making Chinese dumplings

3. Making dumplings as a family is a ‘thing.’  I’ve done it. There’s a key scene in the movie where a family makes dumplings and viewers learn a lot about family history and dynamics. 
   

   Dave and our friends enjoying street food in Singapore

4. Singapore street food is world-famous.  I was so glad one of the scenes in the movie featured that food in a big way. 

Other posts………

The Sculptures of Singapore

Making Chinese Dumplings

 

History Comes Alive- The Sculptures of Singapore

One of my favorite things about Singapore was twenty life-like sculptures placed in key locations along the water-front esplanade. The series of statues titled People of the River depict various scenes from Singapore’s history.
There’s one called The River Merchants which shows men with abacuses buying and selling their wares. There’s another labeled First Generation which consists of five little boys in mid-air jumping off a bridge into the Singapore river for a swim. I loved one near the Asian Civilization Museum of a young girl leading her grandpa by the hand. It’s titled Forward to the Future. There’s one called Coolies Take a Break which is a tribute to the thousands of unskilled workers who came to Singapore from China to escape poverty and make their fortune. They lived in cramped and squalid quarters and worked brutally hard. Many loaded and unloaded ships for merchants or plied small craft along the river for traders. The word coolie means “suffering strength” in Chinese. Often these men ended up dying in Singapore, never having achieved the better life they had hoped to gain by immigrating.             

The neat thing about the People of the River sculptures is that they are life size. Viewers can join the action and pose as part of the sculpture. I had my husband Dave sit at the table in The Coolies Take a Break sculpture and pretend to be part of the unique tableau.

In Singapaore they’ve made history come alive in sculpture and you get to jump right into that history too. 

Other posts about sculptures………

A Teetotaler and a Dakota Chief Found A City

A Vortex of Books

Ai Wei Wei- Giving the Finger To His Home and Native Land