taro leaves leaves of the tuberous taro plant, used to wrap food.
krisses swords.
butcher’s block a square or rectangular surface, usually made of wood, on which a butcher cuts meat.
runners long, narrow tablecloths.
Brigitte Bardot (b. 1934) French actress who became an international sex symbol after starring in And God Created Women (1956), and who has worked tirelessly as an animal-rights activist.
“I Am a Person of the Middle Nation” In Chinese, the word “China” can be translated as “Middle Nation.” The ancient Chinese believed that they were located at the center of the known world.
benevolent associations also known as tongs, protective associations that grew out of Chinese immigrants’ need for protection against criminal members of their own society, as well as to secure social and economic rights for immigrants in the United States.
sandalwood a grayish brown tree native to Asia, whose wood is often used in wood carving.
pandanus fronds the narrow, spiny leaves, used in weaving mats, from the palmlike pandanus tree.
serrated jagged-edged, like a saw’s teeth.
burlap also known as hessian cloth, a resilient fabric used in making sacks.
gesticulating gesturing.
jade trees succulent plants, with fleshy water-retaining leaves, domestically grown either in pots or in gardens.
“the bus with the mark of the dog on it” a Greyhound bus.
Thorazine the trademark name of chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic drug.
