在

zài = z + ai4

to exist; to be alive / (of sb or sth) to be (located) at / (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)

在 = 一 + 亻 + 土 : Zorro (z) and Rosa Luxemburg (亻) exist (在) in the airplane's bathroom (ai4). Rosa is in the middle of balancing a flute (一) on her head and on a pile of clay (土). Zorro uses his rapier to inscribe "Z" into the flute, so as to mark that the pronunciation of "在" begins with "z".

在 character breakdown

在
- 一
- 亻
  - 丨
  - 丿
- 土
  - 一
  - 十
    - 一
    - 丨

一

yi̅ = y + Ø1

one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire; whole; all; throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit

Maud Younger (y) forgot her keys to the space station (Ø1), all she brought outside was her flute (一). She has no choice but to crash the door with the giant flute.

亻

rén = r + (e)n2

"person" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 9)

亻 = 丿 + 丨 : Mnemonic symbol: Rosa Luxemburg. She's quite radical, and her name starts with "r", just like "ren2". Also, 亻appears at the left-hand side of characters, and Rosa is a leftist as well.

Robinson Crusoe (r) and Rosa Luxemburg (亻) are having their favorite snacks in the encampment's kitchen: Rosa is eating a banana (丿) and Robinson is eating a dinosaur bone (丨).

土

tǔ = tu + Ø3

Tu (ethnic group) / surname Tu

土

tǔ = tu + Ø3

earth / dust / clay / local / indigenous / crude opium / unsophisticated / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1]

土 = 十 + 一 : Tommy Turtle (tu) wants to fix a cross (十) on a flute (一) in the space station's living room (Ø3). He uses dust and clay (土) to hold them together.

Characters with 在 as component

怪

恠

guài = gu + ai4

variant of 怪[guai4]

怪 = 圣 + 忄 : Gitta Giraffe meets Father Christmas in the airplane's bathroom. She finds it rather bewildering that instead of a sack full of presents he holds a big flail. He also looks kind of grumpy, almost like a big monster.

茬

chá = ch + a2

stubble land after crop has been taken / a second crop obtained by rotation of land / an opportunity