Computer1240
長島生活網 , 豐富你的生活
"The Father from China”and my love story
(by Vincent Lin)
Maxine Hong Kingston (湯婷婷 – the author’s name in Chinese), a writer with
her books awarded National Book Awards, was born in Stockton, California, 1940.
Her parents, Tom Hong and Chew Ying Lan (Brave Orchid), were Chinese
immigrants who owned a laundromat that was located at the same city. Kingston's
writing relies heavily on memory and imagination. She learnt many things about her
family and Chinese tradition from her educated parents. I believe that "The Father from China"
described the story of the endeavors and loves of her parents; however, the father’s
name and the place in the story had been changed.
My feeling of "The Father from China" is more likely a love story than a history lesson or a
family legend. It was the miserable age for most Chinese. China had been raided by
Japan when she was recovering from the war of union among several warlords. Many
of the Chinese then chose immigration; for example, immigration to the U.S. was one
of the ways.
The father from China – Ed, had tried to bring his wife to New York with his plan
since he knew that their children had died in China. His wife, followed by their
correspondence, then went to register a medical school run by white people in Canton.
She finally got the diploma which was the evidence that helped her to apply the
immigration in the U.S. Eventually, they met each other after the time over one
decade since their separation.
Immediately, the father began to teach her how to survive in Big Apple. Ed taught
her how to using simple English, how to dress up, how to makeup and how to travel.
He also accompanied her to visit several popular places which had been considered
the way of life of New Yorkers’ favorites. Actually, the mother was very good at
learning new things. She not only learnt quickly but also helped to cook for all
persons at laundromat. And she made the holiday appeared again.
The suffering of separation with someone that you really love can be one of the most challenged things in your life; however, only a few get through with it.
There are two bags that contains about one thousand letters which has been kept for over twenty years in my house. It's the correspondence between my girlfriend, who now become my wife, and me. It was the time that internet had not been invented. In the year we graduated from same university in Taiwan, I have to join the army to fulfill the obligation of male Citizens of Republic of China for two years and my girlfriend – Rose, planned to pursue a higher degree in the U.S.
Like most people who had been falling in love, we were in the situation of “You took apart in the morning, you already begin to miss the other at noon.” We began to write
to each other regularly from the day we separated. However, I really had the toughest army training in
those long days. I had to do three hundreds of push-ups, ran 3.2 miles and took other military
trainings daily. But, I kept writing letters at night everyday.Furthermore, when I was not on duty , I made tape recording with my guitar playin, singing, and saying somthing. She was very
happy when she received the cassette tapes from me. I usually asked to myself “Why
does time go slowly?”
It was not easy to live in the U.S. for my girlfriend as well. She had to cook for
herself. She could not afford a car. She was busy with her studies. Sometimes she
complained that I could not be with her. Also, she kept asking herself “Why does time go
slowly?”
Two years later, we married and we both got good jobs. At times, we read the letters that we wrote with laughing. And we’ve been wondering often recently to ask:
“Why does time fly?
click pics for larger
    |