Chan Is Missing - Mr. Woo and Apple Pie, Chinese Style
Then … Jo thinks his friend George who is the administrator of the Newcomer’s Language Center may know where Chan is. A sidewalk-mounted camera captures him here walking north on Grant Avenue on his way there.
… and Now, this is Grant at Clay Street.
Then … He passes the corner store, Empress Fine Arts, at 801 Grant.
… and Now, the Fanloli gift shop recently took over this location.
Then … he continues along Grant; gift shops abound on Grant Avenue - another one is just ahead, Hong Kong Art Goods, at 815 Grant.
… and Now, the World of Magnets now occupies that store. Grant Avenue, originally named Calle de la Fundación, then Dupont Street, is San Francisco’s oldest street. These days its concentration of gift shops and restaurants attract the tourists; Chinese residents shop elsewhere, mostly Stockton Street and the crossing streets.
Then … A class is in full swing at the Newcomer’s Language Center where a white instructor leads a group of adults in English drills.
… and Now, Citysleuth turned to director Wang as to the whereabouts of the language center. It was on the 4th floor of the Sing Chong building on the corner of Grant Avenue and California Street at what was then called the Chinatown Resource Development Center. (Photo by Matthew X. Kiernan).
In his office George remembers Chan Hung, but not specifics about where he can be found. Instead he talks about how Chan, like many immigrants, wanted to stay fully Chinese, reluctant to assimilate ... “of course that’s a problem”. Then there are those who try to be just like white Americans …“that also presents a problem - they’re not white”.
Then … He points to a pie on his desk from the Sun Wah Kue restaurant, using it as an analogy by saying that it’s traditional American apple pie but cooked with Chinese baking techniques and so has a different taste. “When we deal with our everyday lives that’s what we have to do”. (Coincidentally, Sun Wah Kue is Cantonese for Newcomer).
… and Now, The role of George was played by George Woo, a friend of director Wayne Wang. George was a teacher at San Francisco State who would stop by to give talks at the language center (where Wang himself used to teach English). Over lunch at the Sun Wah Kue restaurant at 848 Washington Street on the corner of Ross Alley they came up with the idea of the apple pie analogy. It’s still a restaurant, now called San Sun.
An observant eye would notice that when Jo leaves the language center he walks along the same block as he did when he went to the center. Compare this image at Grant and Clay to the first one in this post; although this time filmed from across the street it appears that they were separate takes from the same photoshoot, perhaps filmed as an editing option except both ended up being used. (That’s the same trash receptacle in both images).