Xie Xie Baba

I'm not sure how much he'd appreciate me sharing this, but I can't keep this amazing story to myself. Though the English may be broken, this is a beautiful portion of his story from his point of view.

He's my Baba.

"Your aunt was sent to live with her grand parents when she was little because of my mom’s ignorance and the old style thinking that the boy is better than the girl. I went to Hong Kong when I was in the 6^th grade; I also lived with my grand parents because my father didn’t have the finance means. I never complained and blamed my father. The first apartment was very small; it’s smaller than our living room; the next apartment was bigger; it’s the size of our kitchen. Can you image that 5 (my grand parents, their maid, aunt Frances and I) of us lived in that space? Your Aunt Vivien took very good care of us; she did her best to give us more. After graduating from high school, my father and I “begged” my uncles and aunts to pay for my airplane ticket and give me some pocket money so that I could go to the USA. Aunt Frances and I didn’t have a normal family life when we were young. I often think of orphanage. Aunt Frances can tell you more.

"Your mom and I have been working hard in order to provide comfortable environment for you all to study and advance,so that you don’t have to BEG like I did. In the contrast, I am begging you to advance. I always preach that “There is gold in the book”. Education diploma is yours to keep forever. Please don’t let that golden opportunity pass by. I know that I am not as a good father as you’d like; I am working hard to better myself everyday.

"My father was graduated from China’s Tsinghua U which is equivalent to the Harvard U in USA; he worked/earned his way thru college. He loved music; he played the “erhu” and had a recording. He was a very successful business man till the communists took over the China in 1949 then the Communist sent him to a hard labor camp. He escaped from Canton, China to Hong Kong, which was a British Colony at the time, when I was in 5^th or 6^th grade.

"My Aunt Vivien was a stay home mom; her husband gave her a monthly allowance and she used part of that to spoil us. She had a terrible mother-in-law and her husband didn’t stand up for her. She’s a happier these days. I visit my Aunt Vivien every year to thank her; without her help, I won’t be here today.

"One of these days, you may understand why I was always home when you got off the school bus."