Time Warp

My father moved from mainland China to Taiwan at the age of 8. This was during the Communist revolution in the 1940's. Because of Communism, he was separated from his second brother, second sister and his grandparents. In fact it took my father an additional 35 years before he saw his older brother and sister again. In 1980, as part of a student exchange program that Hofstra University was promoting, and that my father was running, my father was able to visit mainland China.

At the time, my uncle was married and living with his wife and two children in Fuzhou. This was a tough time for the Chinese, as food was scarce and the economy was not doing very well. In fact, when my father told them he was going to visit them they went and borrowed an air conditioner from a local factory, which didn't make very good air conditioners to begin with. The unit was loud and clunky, and barely put out cold air. Since food was scarce it was rationed using ration coupons which allowed families to purchase small amounts of food. My uncle sent my cousin Chiu Yuen to go to all the neighbors to borrow ration coupons so they could buy enough food to for a feast to welcome my father. At the time their living conditions were very poor. They lived in a one room apartment that all four of them shared. I imagine it was a bittersweet reunion. The American success returning to China. (Ironic, if you've read some of my other stories of how poor my father was during his early years in America). My father also visited his older sister on this trip. But he doesn't tell much about it. I imagine her life was not much better than my uncle's, and having my father visit was difficult. I know she asked my father for money, but who could blame her, given how tough it was to live in China during that time period.

Fast forward another 23 years. During the year of 2003, I was able to take my parents back to Fuzhou to visit again. Life is very different for my uncle's family now. He's retired from his job as a policeman, his kids are grown up and married both have kids of their own and living on their own. The Chinese economy is roaring, and the they all live in 3 bedroom apartments. My cousin Chiu Ping even owns his own car, a major luxury in China today.

My dad says part of their success now has to do with the fact that they have Chinese relatives in Taiwan, and it was this very fact that led to their poor living conditions in 1980, when Taiwanese connections was considered un-patriotic. As my uncle says now his life is finally as good as his little brother's. He claims they want for nothing. It's good to know things have changed for the better.

I myself have seen the change, but I personally wonder if it's for the better. My own first trip to China was in 1994, to Beijing on a trip for work to attend a tradeshow. Even back then the economy was going pretty fast, buildings going up at a rapid pace. But in 2003 and 2004, the pace is even faster, as if China can't catch up fast enough. The air quality is at an all time low, and there are certainly enough people getting left behind, as there are now plenty of beggars in the street, along with all those shiny new Mercedes on the streets of Beijing. For the average Chinese citizen I'm sure things are better, but what future are they giving up for this better life today?