TravelinghalftheworldandlandingontheothersideoftheEarthoppositetoChinaputmyEnglishskillsthatIhavelearnedinmypreviouslifeintoatest.Afteradisappointeddiscoveryofnotmuchtoshowforthehardworkfrompastoneandhalfdecade,Imanagedtomakemyselfababysittertoaneight-month-oldboyandhisseven-year-oldsister.Chattingtothegirlandconversingwiththestay-at-homemomimprovedmyEnglishjustasmuchasItalkedtothebabyboy.Andthenm...[
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Chineseparentshavethetendencytosetstandardshighonchildreneducation.Andwetendtokeepraisingthebar,sometimes,toanunrealisticlevel.IborrowedabookofMrs.Clinton’sautobiographylastyear.Atoneparagraph,Icouldnotstoplaughing,notbecausethebookitselfwasfunny,butIsawasimilarityinmyownfamily.Shestatedinthebookthatsinceshewasveryyoungherfatherkeptraisingthebartoahigherlevelthatshethoughtshecouldneverbeabletorea...[
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Onedayinthepastspring,asIwastakingawalkaroundthecommunity,thedistantshoutsbeyondthehousescaughtmyattention.Iknewforcertainitwasfromasportevent,probablyasoccergame.Itremindedmethatthesoccerseasonwasjustabouttobegin.Iwasasoccermomduringmyson’sten-yearsoccer“career”priortohiscollegelife.Twodaysearlier,Ireplayedahomemademovierecordedtenyearsago.Thetapehadbeenignoredandsittinginthetapeholderforquite...[
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Therearewildcatsaroundmyneighborhood.TheymustliveindividuallyforIhaveneverseentwoormorecatsinthesamespotatthesametime.Theyseemnottolikewalkingintheopenareas,alwayssneakingalongthewallsorthefencesorbeneaththebushes.Sometimestheywanderlazilyaround,whilesometimestheywalkinacrouchingposition,seeminghavingaimedonsomethingandreadytoattack.MyhouseisaL-shapedranch.Lookingoutthekitchenwindowbeyondtheporchi...[
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Ihaveapeartreeinmybackyard.Itproducesalotpearsthatmyfamilydoesnotlikethetasteandtextureofwhileitappearsthesquirrelsenjoyverymuch.Eachyearassoonasthefruitstartsshowingitsshape,thesquirrelsbegintovisitthetreemoreoftenthananyothertime.Thewaytheysituptopickapearfromatwig,holditbetweentheirtinypalmsandquicklynibbleonitmakesmeseeexactlywhattheiranimatedimagesincartoonmoviesare.Theywouldstopchewingbetwee...[
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Thesecondfallaftercomingtothiscountry,IenrolledinthegraduateschoolintheuniversitynearmyhomeandoneoftheclassesItookwasESLbecauseIwantedandneededtoimprovemyEnglish.Theinstructorwasamiddle-agedwomanwhowasextremelyniceandpatient.Attheendoftheyear,sheinvitedallherstudentstoherhouseforaparty,wherewemetherbig,amberdogthatbefriendedwithussoonafterwearrived.Shetoldusthat,whenhertwocollegechildrenwerestilla...[
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WhenIwasinelementaryschoolandmiddleschool,oneofmyclassmatesalwayshadabigfamilyofcatinherhomeandmyfriendsandIwouldoftenstopbyafterschooltoplaywiththem.Iespeciallylovedthenewbornswholookedsofragileandtheteenagecatswholookedinnocentaswellastroublemaking.Ilikedtoteasethemwithtabletennisballs(bytheway,likemanypupilsinthoseyears,Icarriedatabletennisbatandapackofballsinmybackpackmostofthetime).Ithrewtheb...[
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Theapartmentcompoundwheremyfamilylivedwasownedbythemanufacturewheremymomworkedintheplanningoffice.Itwasbehindtherearwallofthefactory,surroundedbyalineofitsownwalltoformarectangleyardwiththeentrancefacinganarrowstreetthatwasthepathledfromthemainstreettoanearbymiddleschoolaffiliatedwithBeijingInstituteofTechnology.Thereweresomepatchesoffarmfieldsinthearea,andafewpiecesofthemwererightoutsidetheentran...[
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WhenIwasajuniorincollege,theschooldecidedtohaveadepartmentalwomansoccermatchandHuaandIsignedon.Havingneverplayedsoccerinmypreviouslife,likemanyotherplayers,Icouldonlyawkwardlymaneuvertheballwithrightfootandkickitwiththeverytipofmybigtoe.Afteraweekofunsuccessfultraining,weenteredthematchexcitedlywithoutmuchsenseofitsrules.Thefirstafewdayspassedwithfun.Weranaroundthefield,yellingforattentionofgettin...[
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YesterdayasIwashedanddriedawholewatermelonforrefrigerating,Irememberedwhatmymomhadtoldmeherwaytocoolherwatermelonsinthoseolddays.Therewasawellinthemidcourtyardinmygrandparents’residence.Inhotsummerdays,mymomandhersisterswouldputawatermeloninabasketwhichwasthendescendedtothebottomofthewellandstayeddownthereuntilitwasconsideredcoolenoughtoeat.IhadheardthestorymanytimessinceIwasveryyoungandalwaystho...[
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