20 June 2019
The elderly man who sold me these clay wind lion figurines on Mofan Street (模范街）Kinmen Island, was tall & bespectacled.
Now and then when he spoke or laughed, a single incisor would peep from the upper corner of his nearly toothless mouth.
After I had selected the pieces from the display set , he took out the boxes that held the new ones.
Then very methodically, he opened up each box and took out each lion to scrutinize for cracks and workmanship defects.
Pleased with the outcome of his inspection, he then wrapped and put back each piece into the designated boxes again.
Only after that, he noted down the prices and billed me.
This man must have loved his wind lions more than money, to make sure that I didn’t take home any broken souvenirs.
Lisa Ong 