January 6, 2011
Red flowers such as peonies are popular among Chinese so it is not surprising that some Chinese used it for their restaurant name, which when transliterated becomes "Hung (red) Far (flower) Low" (building) or HUNG FAR LOW. The Anglo perception, however, is that the name has sexual connotations related to the male sexual anatomy. When the neon sign that proclaimed this restaurant name in Portland for almost a century was removed a few years ago, Portlanders felt a deep sense of loss and campaigned for the resurrection of this symbol which titillated visitors to Chinatown for years. Eventually, $77,000 was raised to restore the sign atop its original building site in 2010 even though the original restaurant had since moved to another part of town!
Posted by John Jung. Posted In : Chinese restaurants
January 6, 2011
A Christmas Story, the classic movie, based on Jean Shepard's story of the same name includes many unforgettable scenes. The family Christmas dinner in the 'Bo Ling" Chop Suey Palace (so named because one of the assistant directors mistook a neon sign for a bowling alley with the letter W burned out to be a sign for a Chinese restaurant because it sounded Chinese-y... BO LING, is definitely one of them even though it mocks the Chinese waiters' inability to pronounce English words correctly.
Posted by John Jung.
November 6, 2010
Within walking (well, almost) of my house, the Cerritos Library is not
only convenient but also a dream come true of an attractive and
functional library. It was my second presentation to a lively and supportive
audience.
Posted by John Jung. Posted In : Book talks
November 6, 2010
I have been fortunate to have received the support of large audiences at this lovely charming venue for presentations on three different occasions for my books. Located in the historic Gaslamp district, its staff provides a rich and varied program.
Posted by John Jung. Posted In : Book talks
November 6, 2010
What
a wonderful and unique venue for speaking about "Sweet and Sour" in
July! After socializing with a vibrant group of Chinese foodies,
munching on the cornucopia of delicious and attractively presented
dishes prepared by members, and watching some amazing cooking and
watermelon 'carving' demonstrations, I got to talk about my book, with
the aid of a contributor to the book, the noted artist, Flo Oy Wong, who
grew up in her family's restaurant in nearby Oakland Chinatown. We also
had hulu dancers entertain us on the restaurant deck overlooking the
estuary. A good time was had by everyone!
Posted by John Jung. Posted In : Book talks
June 4, 2010
Although the evening event focused on Chinese laundries because the three speakers, Elwin Xie, Judy Fong Bates, and yours truly, all shared experiences of growing up in our family laundries, I also was able to talk about the origins and characteristics of family-run Chinese restaurants, the focus of "Sweet and Sour."
Here is a detailed description of the event and photos of the traditional village dishes served , 
What better setting in which to make a presentation about this iconic Chinese livelihood than at Foo's Ho Ho, a classic example of the type of restaurant run by Chinese immigrant families and their descendants to which "Sweet and Sour" pays tribute!
Posted by John Jung. Posted In : Book talks
June 4, 2010
During the research process for Sweet and Sour, I suddenly realized that I had relatives on my mother's side living in Saskatchewan that I had never met. As I was learning that virtually every small town across Canada, especially in the prairies, had a small Chinese-run cafe, I wondered if my cousins had also had a Chinese restaurant. After some effort, a bit of luck, and half a dozen phone calls, I was able to locate a second cousin by phone who confirmed that one cousin had in fact run a Chinese cafe in SK!
Several months later during a visit to Vancouver to speak about "Sweet and Sour" at Foo's Ho Ho Restaurant, I was able to finally meet my cousin and his family and share with them the history of my mother's life in the U. S. They had never met her but were eager to know more about her as her remittances to them in China were greatly appreciated.
This chance encounter was an unexpected, but welcome, personal dividend for me in writing "Sweet and Sour."
Posted by John Jung. Posted In : family
After retiring from a 40-year career as a psychology professor, I published 4 books about Chinese immigrants that detail the history of their laundries, grocery stores, and family restaurants in the U. S. and Canada.
