Advocates and consumers demand their right to basic healthcare
by Bruce Allison/City Hall Resistance Beat
At 9am August 9, 2009, this reporter went to a meeting with about 20 other people. Most of it was about the cuts that Governor
did to the Healthcare budget and due to the mistake he did by using
the money while cutting the budget at the same time. So it was taken
by the Gray Panther‚ and Senior Action Network lawsuit was placed by
them. These groups with other groups sued the Governor for violating
the stimulus money from the U.S. government. It says that no money
shall be taken out of any of the health programs that is already
there. So the Governor removed health plans as dental, podiatry,
vision and others.
As I gave my speech about the cut in in-home supportive services and
the finger printing as the cost of this will cost $10,000,000 dollars
for a chance of fraud of 1% for all in-home supportive services for
the whole state.
Due to the Governors fear that there are 30% fraud. At this time he is
totally wrong. According to the Director of the Public Authority of
San Francisco County who runs all homecare in the City of San
Francisco ‚ Donna C. and Tony Nico the Director of Homecare for D.O.S.
[Department of Social Services] agrees ‚ that its only 1%.
At the rally, the final speaker came up. He was a gentleman in a wheel
chair with diabetes. Because of the governors cuts, he cant get his
toenails cut medically. Due to the cuts, they took away his so-called optional services. His only other option is one of two that is deadly and dangerous. One is to have his home care worker, who isn't
trained, cut it for him. Because he is diabetic, if they are cut wrong, he may lose his feet. The second option is for him to cut them
himself, which in this disability and elder scholar is the least
practical and safe option. If he gets gangreen, it will cost the
state $20,000 to treat him--do the math, people. The next day, I
found out that the optional services will be restored in two weeks.
The money that is needed to generate the rainy day fund is still
being negotiated. Stay tuned because Bad News Bruce will keep you
updated
PNN staff intern questions POOR Magazine’s notion of Panhandling as work
by Takuya Arai
( POOR Magazine released Volume #4 The Work Issue in 1998. In that issue we explored the concept of Unrecognized labor and specifically the idea that Panhandling was, in fact, work)
I was walking down Haight Street in the city of San Francisco with my roommate. After the consecutive cold days of rain and chilly wind, we finally had a nice, warm day. We were approaching Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Shop on the corner, where a group of four teenagers with eccentric attire were begging for change from the pedestrians. When we walked across the street, I noticed that one of them looked at me and turned to her companions to talk about my MTV T-shirt, which I knew looked pretty stupid. They were laughing at me.
"Can you spare me some change?" she said to us with a sneer.
"I am sorry, but I am broke too," I replied, because my financial situation is getting really tight these days.
"No, you’re not!" To my surprise, she suddenly raised her voice, telling me not to lie to her. I think she was just trying to get some fun out of us because it seemed they did not have anything else to do. But I felt offended.
'That's none of your business. Get out of my sight." I did not say that, but I wanted to.
I just ignored her and went to a bookstore to buy my textbook. With the textbook in my hand, we passed Ben & Jerry's again on our way back. They were still there.
"Now you have some change because you bought something." I could not believe how she could have the nerve to say that.
"What the fuck!? I'll give you a penny if you lick the sole of my shoe." I did not say that, but that was my immediate response. Instead, I just stared at her eyes for about 15 seconds as we passed her by. She cast her eyes aside, so I stared at her other companions.
I am Japanese. Haight Street is introduced in the Japanese best -selling tour book "How to Walk the Earth" as one of the hottest spots to visit in San Francisco. Whenever I go there, I encounter several Japanese tourists wearing nice, fancy clothes with GAP shopping bags in their hands (although I have no idea what GAP has to do with Haight community). So I knew how she felt when I told her that I am broke, because I think she knew that I was Japanese and most of the Japanese people she sees on Haight Street can afford to go traveling and shopping.
If you live in a big city, you have a few chances a month to encounter people who ask for change on the street. The other day, I was driving my car and I stopped at a traffic light where a homeless person was standing. It was a cold, windy day. With a brown cardboard sign that said, "Homeless, even a smile would help," this disabled man in his 50's, wearing a torn shirt and ripped jeans, was bending forward and asking drivers in every car that was stopping at the traffic light for change. Although I did not know anything about this person, his shabby appearance immediately aroused a feeling of pity and made me want to do something for him.
At the same time, however, he reminded me of a teenage girl on Haight Street who was basically doing the same thing that this homeless person was doing. Instead of giving her some change at that time on Haight Street, I gave her a contemptuous look. While I was thinking about the difference between the girl on Haight Street and this homeless person at the traffic light, he came to my car. I opened the window and gave him eight quarters. With a big, warm smile on his face, he said, "Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you. Now, you have a pleasant day." He had a hoarse voice, but I felt good. I gave him change because I thought it was worth more to him than it was to me. I guess I gave him money out of compassion.
I wondered if it was the right thing to do. I think I did the right thing because I helped him, even temporarily. But then I wondered if he deserved money that I gave him.
We live in a free-market capitalistic society where money is used as a means of transaction. Money is an officially issued coin or paper note that is legally established as an exchangeable equivalent of all other commodities. It is used as a means of storage of assets and as a measure of comparative values on the market. Therefore, whenever somebody pays money, they get something of equivalent value in exchange.
When I gave the homeless man money, what did I receive in exchange? It is true that I felt good when I gave him money, because I felt like I helped him and he thanked me. But does that mean that I bought conscience? Did I receive good karma? Was he selling misery? If so, is there any demand for the product or service he offers? When he spends money that he received from the pedestrians, how does he feel about it? Does he feel guilty? What if he lived in a society where barter is the main form of commercial transactions? Would he still be begging for food without giving anything in exchange?
According to a dictionary, "work" is defined as physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something. A "job" is defined as a regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as one's trade, occupation, or profession. It is a task that must be done, a specified duty or responsibility, and a specific piece of work to be done for a set fee.
Without any guarantee to secure enough money to get by, panhandling on the street for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week must be harder than any type of job we have on the market. But when people are standing on the street begging for change, how are they contributing to the good of the society? What are they producing? What are they trying to accomplish? Are they responsible for anything? Are they trying to give us a signal that the society is not functioning properly? I really do not know if we can call panhandling work.
One thing is true. When I gave him change, it was mutually beneficial. I felt good and he got what he wanted.
Haven't been to Cuba
would like to visit
for a few months.
Anybody Have Free
Round Trips Tickets?
by Joe B.
Wednesday, April, 3, 2002.Between the early morn and night lots of activities happened from Food Bank cruising for donated delicacies to riding a bus on Valencia and listening to Junebug spitting truth, sacred word gems.
Its yet another day of this Wednesday off which I should have slept through then go to a movie but Nooooo, helping out a little for an upcoming “Resistance Award” dinner.
After deciding to forgo movies I leave late after taking a shower, teeth brushed, my recording machine has no batteries in them I’ll be dusting of an old notepad.
There’s a slight worry of being on the wrong bus at night, light panic looking for ”Modern Times Book Store for Junebug’s return from the “Cuba Sustainability Tour Report & Slide Show. It was a joint Ecology Center/Media Alliance and others recently returned delegation from Cuba.
The team visited mostly Havana about Cuba’s Organic Farming, Green medicine, Farmer’s Market, and Agricultual Collectives, and other alternatives to pesticides use in more developed countries like North America.
The Modern Times Book Store next to the Ethiopian Restaurant on 26th and Valencia Street which ment I had taken the right bus at 6:33 pm.!
Ms. June (Verse) is not here.
Tiny is there giving or selling the “Survival Handbook” on the counter, quickly said hi and bye.
Settle down in the rear of the room where a film projector, video machine, and portable movie screen.
I go out, by a mango juice, return-find a seat waiting for whatever will happen.
The slide show, movie, discussion afterwards is lively and energetic but no Junebug although there was a picture on screen showing her self and a cute cuddly puppie.
By 9pm people who are late are able to see the first film full of lively Cuban music and language.
Fighting sleep as I know Junebug did working earlier the same day must have sapped her near limitless energies that’s what I take naps like a demented vampire.
It was a great function to be at even though Junebug has not shown up.
Oh well, life’s-a twitch then your reborn doing all over again without remembering - you did this before. Bye.
David Duncombe is in Washington, DC, fasting in support of debt forgiveness for 33 impoverished nations. He has been on a water-only fast since his last meal on June 10. UNICEF estimates that 30,000 children die in developing countries every day because of hunger and poverty. Governments of poor countries have little left for health care, schools, housing, or sanitation services after they make their debt payments to foreign creditors.A year ago, the wealthier industrial nations pledged in Cologne to write off $90 billion of developing country debt, a 70 percent reduction. The United States' share is $920 million over 4 years. The U.S. Congress needs to appropriate $435 million this year to keep debt relief on schedule, but the House has only approved $69 million and the Senate has only approved $75 million.
David Duncombe has said: "Millions of people are starving because of Congress' inaction. I feel it is my duty to illustrate for the men and women in Congress who quite literally are making this life and death decision. That a person is willing to starve so that others may not has to speak powerfully to the soul." During his fast he has been visiting eight to ten Congressional Offices a day. For more information see the Jubilee 2000/USA website at http://www.j2000usa.org/updates/fast5.html
by Muteado Silencio/PNN Voces de inmigrantes en resistencia
Scroll down for English
El Derecho alas Tierras Ancestrales
“Para la gente Nativa Americana la tierra es todo”
Tube la oportunidad de escuchar a Danny Blackgoat, maestro (Sha’olta’i) interprete, guia de la gente Diné. Los Navajos se nombraron Diné, o “la gente’. En 1868, un “tratado de paz” fue firmado dando el derecho ala gente Navajo a regresar a sus tierras. Ahora la tribu Navajo representa la mas grande en las Amerikkkas alargandose en los altos desiertos y bosques de los cuatro esquinas de Arizona.
Ahora los Diné estan haciendo confrontados con la lucha de mantener sus tierras Ancestrales. Quienes estan haciendo desplasados y reubicados por leyes introducidas por el govierno Amerikkano.
En Montaña Grande en Black Mesa en tierras Navajo, donde
generaciones han venido y pasado, donde 150,000 lunas de oraciones han transformado la tierra y el cielo.
En lenguaje Navajo no hay una palabra para describir la reubicacion, reubicacion es desaparecer y nunca ser visto.
Estan siendo desplasados y reubicados por hecho de que en Black Mesa contiene los depositos mas grandes de carbon en Amerikkka, como 100 millones de barriles de petroleo, 25 trillones cubicos cuadrados de gas natural, 80 billones de libras de Uranio.
En este momento los que toman desiciones en Washington D.C. planean formas para quitarles las tierras y extraer minerales de la tierra. Las
Compañia de carbon estan dando fondos a los Republicanos y Democratas porque tienen interes para que los ayuden.
Peabody Compañia de Carbon es las mas grande en el mundo, yactualmente planea expander sus operaciones.
Peabody Compañia de Carbon ha destruido tumbas, lugares sagrados, santuarios designados especificamente para ofrendas, prevencion de practicas rituales.
Podemos analizar como una y otra vez corporaciones desplasan a gente Indigena no solo en Norte Amerikkka pero tambien la tribu Mapuche en Ecuador en Sur America donde luchan contra Chevron que derramo petroleo en la Amazona.
Donde gente esta siendo forzada de tomar agua contaminada o morir de sed, donde se encuentran toxicos en la tierra.
“ El genocidio continua contra la gente Indigena con mucha fuerza, que podemos hacer”
Habra una caravana de gente una vez mas quienes viajaran cruzando estados de la union Amerikkkana para mostrar su apoyo a la gente de la Montaña Grande, en la nacion Navajo. En parte de la gente, sus tierras Ancestrales sagradas y por la futuras generaciones, estas comunidades siguen luchando y resistiendo los efuerzos del govierno, quien actua a favor de los intereses de Peabody Compañia de Carbon, cuales a desvastado comunidades y ecosistemas tambien el clima del planeta con la violacion de Black Mesa.
En este mes de la Historia Nativa Americana nos levantamos, protestamos, luchamos juntos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas de cualquiera manera necesaria.
“Una lesión a uno es una lesión para todos”
Right to Remain on Their Ancestral Lands
“For native people land means everything”
I had the opportunity to listen to Danny Blackgoat, teacher (Sha’olta’i), interpreter, guide from the Diné people. The Navajo refer to themselves as the Diné, or “the people”. In 1868, a “peace treaty” was signed allowing the Navajo people to return to their homeland. Today the Navajo Tribe represents the largest Indian Tribe in the Amerikkkas and stretches across the high deserts and forests of the four corners region.
Now the Diné are been confronted with struggling to keep their ancestral land, who are been displace and relocate by a policy introduce by the government of the united snakes of Amerikkka.
In Big Mountain in Black Mesa on the Navajo reservation, where many generations have come and past, where 150,000 moons of praying have shape and bound land and sky.
In the Navajo language there is no word for relocation, to relocate is to disappear never seen again.
They are been displace and relocate for the sole reason that Black Mesa has one of the largest remaining deposits of coal in the Amerikkkas, about 100 millions of barrels of oil, 25 trillions of cubic of natural gas, 80 billions of pounds of uranium.
At this moment the decision makers in Washington D.C. are planning ways to seize tribal lands to extract mineral resources. The coal companies are funding both the Republican and Democratic parties because they have huge interests.
Peabody Coal Company is the world’s largest coal company, currently has plans to expand its strip mine operations.
Peabody Coal Company has completely dug up burials, sacred sites, and shrines designated specifically for offerings, preventing religious practices.
We see over and over again companies displacing Indigenous people not only in North America but also the Mapuche tribe of Ecuador in South America that is fighting against Chevron who spill oil in the Amazon.
Where people are force to drink contaminated water and high levels of toxics can be found on the ground.
“The genocide continues for Indigenous people in full force what can we do about it”
A caravan of work crews will once again be converging from across the country in support of residents of Big Mountain regions of Black Mesa, Navajo Nation. On behalf of their peoples, their sacred ancestral lands and future generations, these communities continue to carry out a staunch resistance to the efforts of the U.S. government, which is acting in the interests of the Peabody Coal Company, to devastate whole communities and ecosystems and greatly de-stabilize our planet’s climate with their Black Mesa coal mining operations.
In November which is Native American History Month we stand with our brothers and sisters to fight to defend to not give up, by any means necessary.
I was riding Muni the other day. An African descendent sister sat nearby. Suddenly she said aloud, "God don't like ugly". I thought about those words. I wondered who first uttered them. Perhaps a poor person, a person removed from their land or perhaps it was a person wrongly incarcerated. I glanced at the other passengers. They stared straight ahead. It was as if the woman's words met deaf ears. I heard them. They touched my heart and mind.
Senior Action Network (www.senioractionnetwork.org) recently honored Mission District elder Jose Morales for his long fight against displacement and gentrification. Jose was evicted from his Mission District home courtesy the Ellis Act--a place he had called home for over 40 years. Jose fought for more than a decade to keep his home while his landlord fought to take it off the market for the purpose of converting it into a condominium. Folks from the community sat in Jose's kitchen listening to this elder describe his long struggle--the clock ticking in the background. Jose talked about the harassment of his landlord. The weight of the fight and the struggle and the harassment could be seen in Jose's bent back. We waited for the sheriff.
And what of the countless numbers of tenants, elders, people with mental and/or physical disabilities who have suffered from the physical and emotional stress of landlord harassment? Cases of harassment are well-documented--residential burglary, severed phone lines, sawing holes in floors, stalking, mysterious fires, etc.
San Francisco currently has no laws protecting tenants from harassment. The rent board does not involve itself in such cases. Presently the only thing tenants can do to fight is to document harassment, which might be over a period of months or years. Once the abuse has been documented as being so egregious as to cause physical, mental or financial damages--can the tenant then file a lawsuit.
Proposition M will add an important section to San Francisco's rent control law a section that will define and ban harassment. Prop M would give tenants a rent reduction when harassed. It will also give tenants attorney's fees to fight eviction attempts. Longtime tenant advocate Tommi Avicolli Mecca of the Housing Rights Committee (www.hrcsf.org) sees prop M as necessary. "Prop M gives tenants a tool for fighting landlord harassment. Currently, we don't have much that we can do when a landlord is tring to pressure us into leaving our apartment or is making it extremely uncomfortable for us to live there. Putting this in the rent ordinance makes perfect sense, its where most of our rights as rent-controlled tenants are already stored. This is a very important proposition--particularly for elders on fixed incomes who should be honored and cared for,not harassed. As the sister on Muni said, "God don't like ugly".
Talk-Story Circle on Land, Migration and Resistance - A POOR Press Benefit- Wednesday, November 11th @ 6:00pm Galeria de la raza, 2857 24th Street, SF
Talk-Story Circle on Land, Migration and Resistance - A POOR Press Benefit- Wednesday, November 11th @ 6:00pm Galeria de la raza, 2857 24th Street, SF
by Anna Kirsch/PNN
English follows
"Desde cuando los sue�os se volvieron en suicidio, desde cuando que los sue�os le quitan la vida a la persona. �Qu� es el sue�o Americano?" La voz poderosa de Muteado quebro el aire caliente y mal ventilado que llenaba el cuarto de poesia en la Librer�a City Lights. Era la apertura del nuevo proyecto revolucionario de Prensa POBRE, Los Viajes.
Exprimidos en filas de sillas escasas y rodeado por estantes de libros de poesia, lo oimos explicar la lucha de migracion en su poema, �El Sue�o Amerikkkano.� Un sabio de inmigracion y la pobreza, Muteado es uno de varios autores, poetas y artistas publicados en Los Viajes.
Los Viajes es un libro y proyecto de audio que arroja una nueva luz sobre el significado de la inmigracion y cruce de la frontera. Redefinar inmigracion. Los Viajes comparte el dolor, la esperanza, y la lucha de gente Ind�gena quien cruza la fronteras por todo el mundo. Desde Mexico a los E.E.U.U., Oakland a Berkeley, del pasado al presente. Los Viajes explora lo que significa para la gente lo que es luchar con el racismo y la pobreza, en cruzar las fronteras fisicas, de identidad y racial.
"Para que la gente tenga la oportunidad de publicar es halgo realmente revolucionario." Tiny, la co-fundadora de Prensa POBRE hablo despues, ��Como es que se crea acceso para voces muteadas? �Como es que se crea la revoluci�n para que se mire como nosotr@s?� su voz poderosa cauptivo a todos en el cuarto. �Lo hicimos con nuestr@s ancestr@s, nuestras familias, y hij@s,� dijo ella, �Nosotr@s somos due�@s de nuestras propias historias, noticias y arte.�
Para crear Los Viajes, el proyecto escrito de prensa POBRE inicio talleres gratis, multigeneracional de arte y escrito en refugios, escuelas y centros comunitarios. Estos talleres les dio a adultos, jovenes, y ancian@s la oportunidad de contar sus historias y ser due�@s de su propia noticias y arte; para rechazar el titulo de inmigrante.
La musica se oyia del callejon al lado, mientras l@s sabi@s contaron sus historias. Ingrid de Leon, la primera reportera de prensa POBRE y la inspiracion para Los Viajes, compartio su lucha en el trabajo, �Tengo Miedo� ella hablo honestamente y claramente. �Soy dicriminada y humillada por mis patrones,� ella dijo. Angela Pena nos conto de su viaje a los E.U. para salvar la vida de sus nieto. Vivian Hain nos conto de su familia, y cuando se migraron de Oakland para Berkeley en sus historia, �Cajas Cerradas.�
En cada historia del sabi@ hubo dolor, pero tambien esperanza porque sus verdades finalmente fueron contadas.
Ingles Sigu�
"Since when did dreams become suicide, since when did dreams take people's lives. What is the American dream?" Muteado's powerful voice cut through the warm, stuffy air that filled the poetry room at City Lights Bookstore. It was the launch of POOR Magazine's latest revolutionary publishing project, Los Viajes (The Journeys).
Squeezed in tight rows of chairs and surrounded by shelves of poetry books, we listened to him describe the struggle of migration in his poem, "Amerikkkan Dream." A race and poverty scholar, Muteado is just one of many authors, poets and artists published in Los Viajes.
Los Viajes (The Journeys) is a book and audio project that sheds new light on the meaning of migration and boarder-crossing. Redefining migration, Los Viajes shares the pain, hope and struggle of indigenous people crossing boarders all over the world. From Mexico to the U.S., Oakland to Berkeley, past to present, Los Viajes explores what it means for people struggling with racism and poverty to cross physical, identity and racial boarders.
"For poor people to publish is truly revolutionary," Tiny, the co-founder of POOR Magazine spoke next. "How do you create access for silenced voices? How do you re-make the revolution to look like us?" her powerful voice captivated all those in the room. "We do it with our ancestors, our families and our children," she said. "We own our own stories, media and art."
To create Los Viajes, POOR's community writing project conducted free, bi-lingual, multigenerational art and writing workshops in shelters, schools and community centers. These workshops gave adults, youth and elders the opportunity to tell their own stories and own their own media and art; to reject the label of immigrant.
Music wafted in from the alleyway below as the scholars shared their stories. Ingrid De Leon, the first reportera for POOR Magazine and the inspiration for Los Viajes, shared her struggle in the workplace. "I am scared," she spoke clearly and honestly. "I am discriminated against and humiliated by my own bosses," she said. Angela Pena told us about her journey to the U.S. to save the life of her grandson Vivian Hain described her family's migration from Oakland to Berkeley in her story, Sealed Boxes.
In each scholar's story there was pain, but also hope because their truth was finally being told
Deep within the monsoon rainforest of China, lives a
young boy named Shiao Hu, meaning little tiger, and
his parents in the midst of dense and lush trees and
vegetation entangled with webs of vines climbing up
and hanging off every branch and limb. The sweet
fragrance of exotic flowers permeate through the air,
as their aroma is released by the sweltering heat of
humidity. The sun’s powerful rays are barely able to
penetrate the thick foliage of the rainforest, making
it dark and mysterious as sounds of wild animals echo
from every direction.
Shiao Hu hears the cries of prey being captured. His
heart begins beating faster and harder against his
chest, almost dropping the wood he had gathered for
fire. When suddenly he hears a rustling from behind.
His head slowly turns in fear of it being a hungry
tiger, as his frail body paralyzes with terror.
Then from behind a tree, a small kitten leaps out in
front of Shiao Hu, who took a deep breath of relief as
the kitten greets him with a tiny "meow". The kitten
was white with orange stripes and had white paws with
tiny pink pads under each toe. She was wet, cold,
shaking, scared, and hungry. Shiao Hu named her Mimi
and took her home with him even though his parents
would be against it because they barely had enough
food to feed themselves, let alone a cat. Sure
enough, his parents firmly deny him the permission to
keep the cat. But eventually, they give in to Shiao
Hu’s persistent persuasion of having a cat to catch
the mice that infested the little amount of food they
had.
Shiao Hu took Mimi everywhere he went and nurtured
her with care, as they grew closer to each other as
friends. One day, Shiao Hu decides to buy a simple
painting brush and a small bottle of ink because he
has always wanted to try to paint, but could never
afford the supplies until he was finally able to save
up enough money. He eagerly lays out the paper and
soaks the brush in water to soften the bristles before
gently dipping the brush into the black ink.
He paints a few strokes, but to his disappointment
they turn out nothing like the beautiful bamboo leaves
he envisioned in his mind. Mimi looks on while
sitting on the table. She gently nudges Shiao Hu with
her soft forehead on his cheek to reassure and
encourage him. Then, she walks towards the bottle of
ink and dips her tail with just enough ink. Shiao Hu
is confused but observes with curiosity and amazement,
as Mimi begins to paint with smooth and steady
strokes. Mimi finishes with the last drop of ink to
complete the painting of the fish.
Then to his surprise, the fish begins to move on the
paper and come to life, as it jumps off the paper onto
the table. Shiao Hu is in utter disbelief and shock.
But at the same time, he is filled with joy as he
holds Mimi tightly in his arms because this was the
first time he didn’t have to worry about having enough
to eat.
However, people began finding out about Mimi’s
painting powers somehow, including the Emperor who
sends his soldiers out to bring Shiao Hu and Mimi to
his palace. The Emperor commands Mimi to paint gold
coins and expensive gems. She obeyed his demands, but
the painting did not come to life like the fish. The
lifeless painting infuriates the Emperor, who
wrongfully accuses Shaio Hu of fabrication. The
Emperor felt embarrassed that a mere cat brought shame
to his pride. So out of anger and vengeance, he
sentenced Shiao Hu to the death penalty.
However, Mimi proposes a deal with the Emperor. She
asks the Emperor to spare Shiao Hu and to take her
life instead. The Emperor is not satisfied and
demands once again for Mimi to bring a painting of
gold coins to life. But this time, the Emperor
threatened the lives of both Shiao Hu and his parents
if the painting failed to transform. Mimi agrees to
his terms and begins painting. When the painting is
complete, the table is covered with so many gold coins
and precious jewels that they are falling to the
ground.
The Emperor then spitefully orders for Mimi to be
sentenced to death, as he begins counting his money
with greed. But as soon as Mimi is killed, the gold
coins begin to disappear despite the Emperor’s attempt
to tenaciously hold onto them. While the Emperor was
distracted by his loss, Shiao Hu quickly escapes
without being noticed.
Shiao Hu returns home safely but is filled with grief
for his friend Mimi, who sacrificed her life for him.
He tries to find relief from the pain in his heart by
making another attempt to paint. This time, his hand
felt steady as the ink flowed onto the paper from the
brush. When he finished, there was a sweet bowl of
fruit on top of the painting he had just completed
because it had come to life!
Shiao Hu knew that Mimi was with him in his heart,
even though she wasn’t there physically. But she will
be remembered through the living paintings that
provide the daily needs of Shiao Hu and his parents.
