Losing Things

Obviously the people that are more pathological in this field have not stepped up yet - or I really am an extreme case. This is the main reason why I find the fact that good accessories are one of the most important elements of a man's style to be especially grating.In the last five years, I have lost: two pairs of three-hundred dollar glassesmy favorite made in Sicily velvet flat capa camelhair Yves Saint Laurent sport coatat least two nice cashmere scarvesanother custom-made flat capa wool argyle sweaterbasically every pair of leather gloves I've owneda checked Paul Smith shirt - I think the dry cleaner must have made it into pocket squaresthe diamond stud from my platinum money clip (this can be blamed on the producer, I hope)My socks that still have their mate are a very limited breedSomehow all of my metal collar stays - I had over ten pairssurprisingly no ties come to mind, but I'm sure there was at least one. I always lose my keys, though I've amazingly never lost my credit card. I also just losted the black visor type thing from the front of my camera. I've gotten to the point where I just cannot bring myself to spend serious money on glasses, hats, gloves, scarves, or anything that doesn't attach pretty well to the body. I also try to avoid dry-cleaning things. I don't seem to lose pants and shoes. Needless to say I don't even bother with watches and I have to tell people to stop buying me cufflinks.So don't feel bad. When I buy something, I expect it to be gone soon. Everything in life seems utterly transitory.

Shichahai - The fading home of Marzipan Scarves

Marzipan scarves and other accessories are made by hand in the heart of Beijing's historic and lovely Shichahai area. Those seeking a glimpse of life in the old Beijing should come to Shichahai, stroll beyond the boring bars and noisy tour groups, and get lost in the winding hutongs with their water-stained walls and wind-beaten red doors. Some corners remain where life has changed little since the Qing Dynasty even as China as somersaulted wildly and brilliantly out of its past. These days, most Shichahai residents are senior citizens without regular employment.

Sometimes with glee, sometimes with remorse, they are watching the neighborhood fill with various beneficiaries of China's economic dynamism. First are the tourists, mainly in huge hoards from the provinces, usually wearing identical red or orange caps, though there are those pesky foreigners as well. Second are the magnates, military men, and moneyed mandarins - the plutocracy that develops and despoils the country. Along with some members of the global elite, they annex the crowded courtyards and renovate them into opulent and isolated castles. Third are the small business owners who provide the food and other goods for the tourists and plutocrats. The business owners are rarely residents of the area, and in their employ are a multitude of cheap laborers from Anhui and Gansu who also make their home here. A forth group might be the young outsiders, who recognize that this is the hippest and most beautiful part of the city. They recognize that this is the best and last moment to be living in Shichahai.