Commodity

Commodity is probably one of the biggest buzz words in the last decade with the rise of mass produced consumer electronics, in particular, cell phones. There was a brief period when cell phones were what they were. The market was flooded with cell phones of different designs and styles and there really isn’t any difference in functionality, features or technology. It wasn’t until the arrival of PDAs and Smart Phones when the game finally changed.

Back in those days, working at a sweat shop design firm really meant you will be cranking out hundreds of cellphone styles every week. The design director of one such company described cellphones as commodity. It is something that everyone expects to have, but it’s not the reason why people buy them.

Of course, the word commodity comes from finance and trading initially, and later used on consumer products. Since English isn’t my first language, the word commodity has been rather vague to me for a long time. I sort of get it, but can’t quite pin point its exact meaning, until one day….

It was in 2010 Chinese New Year. I was in the US since I don’t get vacation to go home. A co-worker decided to have a Chinese New Year party at her place. Chinese New Year celebration is equivalent to Thanks Giving for Americans. It’s a day or time when family members get together and reunite. It’s a day where we recollect ourselves from the whole year’s chaos and separation and find the cultural and family value that make us who we are. It’s more than a celebration. It’s a reflection.

Having lived away from family for a long time, Chinese New Year gathering with friends often means pot luck. Friends around the table become family members. It’s a few hours of quality time spent with each other accompanied with the food that we’ve made for each other with best wishes that we shared.

So in 2010 when my co-worker sent out the invitation, I thought that would be the case.

It wasn’t until about an hour into the event when I realized that we were not going to be sitting around a table. It wasn’t until when others start to trickle in when I realized that this is not about emotional investment and treating each other sincerely. It was about partying, drinking and socializing, and Chinese New Year was the commodity.

At the end of the party, I doubt any one knew each one any better. I doubt any non-Chinese understood what Chinese New Year was about.

Now imagine the Chinese throwing a tequila party on Thanks Giving with sliced cold turkey as appetizers, accompanied by a few tables of mahjong games that continue to the next morning.

Needless to say, my mind was rather lost that night.