博文
(2006-03-13 11:18:39)
TravelinghalftheworldandlandingontheothersideoftheEarthoppositetoChinaputmyEnglishskillsthatIhavelearnedinmypreviouslifeintoatest.Afteradisappointeddiscoveryofnotmuchtoshowforthehardworkfrompastoneandhalfdecade,Imanagedtomakemyselfababysittertoaneight-month-oldboyandhisseven-year-oldsister.Chattingtothegirlandconversingwiththestay-at-homemomimprovedmyEnglishjustasmuchasItalkedtothebabyboy.Andthenm...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-26 13:59:27)
Chineseparentshavethetendencytosetstandardshighonchildreneducation.Andwetendtokeepraisingthebar,sometimes,toanunrealisticlevel.IborrowedabookofMrs.Clinton’sautobiographylastyear.Atoneparagraph,Icouldnotstoplaughing,notbecausethebookitselfwasfunny,butIsawasimilarityinmyownfamily.Shestatedinthebookthatsinceshewasveryyoungherfatherkeptraisingthebartoahigherlevelthatshethoughtshecouldneverbeabletorea...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-26 13:23:06)
Onedayinthepastspring,asIwastakingawalkaroundthecommunity,thedistantshoutsbeyondthehousescaughtmyattention.Iknewforcertainitwasfromasportevent,probablyasoccergame.Itremindedmethatthesoccerseasonwasjustabouttobegin.Iwasasoccermomduringmyson’sten-yearsoccer“career”priortohiscollegelife.Twodaysearlier,Ireplayedahomemademovierecordedtenyearsago.Thetapehadbeenignoredandsittinginthetapeholderforquite...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-26 11:29:10)
Therearewildcatsaroundmyneighborhood.TheymustliveindividuallyforIhaveneverseentwoormorecatsinthesamespotatthesametime.Theyseemnottolikewalkingintheopenareas,alwayssneakingalongthewallsorthefencesorbeneaththebushes.Sometimestheywanderlazilyaround,whilesometimestheywalkinacrouchingposition,seeminghavingaimedonsomethingandreadytoattack.MyhouseisaL-shapedranch.Lookingoutthekitchenwindowbeyondtheporchi...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-26 08:34:33)
Ihaveapeartreeinmybackyard.Itproducesalotpearsthatmyfamilydoesnotlikethetasteandtextureofwhileitappearsthesquirrelsenjoyverymuch.Eachyearassoonasthefruitstartsshowingitsshape,thesquirrelsbegintovisitthetreemoreoftenthananyothertime.Thewaytheysituptopickapearfromatwig,holditbetweentheirtinypalmsandquicklynibbleonitmakesmeseeexactlywhattheiranimatedimagesincartoonmoviesare.Theywouldstopchewingbetwee...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-25 13:59:46)
Thesecondfallaftercomingtothiscountry,IenrolledinthegraduateschoolintheuniversitynearmyhomeandoneoftheclassesItookwasESLbecauseIwantedandneededtoimprovemyEnglish.Theinstructorwasamiddle-agedwomanwhowasextremelyniceandpatient.Attheendoftheyear,sheinvitedallherstudentstoherhouseforaparty,wherewemetherbig,amberdogthatbefriendedwithussoonafterwearrived.Shetoldusthat,whenhertwocollegechildrenwerestilla...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-25 12:46:47)
WhenIwasinelementaryschoolandmiddleschool,oneofmyclassmatesalwayshadabigfamilyofcatinherhomeandmyfriendsandIwouldoftenstopbyafterschooltoplaywiththem.Iespeciallylovedthenewbornswholookedsofragileandtheteenagecatswholookedinnocentaswellastroublemaking.Ilikedtoteasethemwithtabletennisballs(bytheway,likemanypupilsinthoseyears,Icarriedatabletennisbatandapackofballsinmybackpackmostofthetime).Ithrewtheb...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-25 09:03:28)
Theapartmentcompoundwheremyfamilylivedwasownedbythemanufacturewheremymomworkedintheplanningoffice.Itwasbehindtherearwallofthefactory,surroundedbyalineofitsownwalltoformarectangleyardwiththeentrancefacinganarrowstreetthatwasthepathledfromthemainstreettoanearbymiddleschoolaffiliatedwithBeijingInstituteofTechnology.Thereweresomepatchesoffarmfieldsinthearea,andafewpiecesofthemwererightoutsidetheentran...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-22 13:58:07)
WhenIwasajuniorincollege,theschooldecidedtohaveadepartmentalwomansoccermatchandHuaandIsignedon.Havingneverplayedsoccerinmypreviouslife,likemanyotherplayers,Icouldonlyawkwardlymaneuvertheballwithrightfootandkickitwiththeverytipofmybigtoe.Afteraweekofunsuccessfultraining,weenteredthematchexcitedlywithoutmuchsenseofitsrules.Thefirstafewdayspassedwithfun.Weranaroundthefield,yellingforattentionofgettin...[阅读全文]
(2005-08-22 11:01:04)
YesterdayasIwashedanddriedawholewatermelonforrefrigerating,Irememberedwhatmymomhadtoldmeherwaytocoolherwatermelonsinthoseolddays.Therewasawellinthemidcourtyardinmygrandparents’residence.Inhotsummerdays,mymomandhersisterswouldputawatermeloninabasketwhichwasthendescendedtothebottomofthewellandstayeddownthereuntilitwasconsideredcoolenoughtoeat.IhadheardthestorymanytimessinceIwasveryyoungandalwaystho...[阅读全文]
