My Chinese grandfather was well into the latter part of his life when he made some money. He'd brought his children up on bowls of white rice with soy sauce and maybe a little pat of lard if he was feeling flush. And so, when it was time to feed his grandchildren, he loved that he could feed them the good stuff, the expensive stuff. I remember him being happy to see my grade school straight-A report cards, but the grins he showed me then were dwarfed by the supernova smiles he'd flash when I ate with him, precociously enjoying shark's fin soup and other delicacies cousins my age were studiously avoiding at the kids table. And so I wonder what he'd think of the movement to ban shark's fin.


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