We are sitting down dinner al fresco cinese. The entire afternon was spent in the countryside in the peach orchard. Tensions have been tamed. Everything we're eating for dinner was just freshly picked from the vegetable gardens. Hand made noodles w/various stirfry vegetables was delicious. I ahd scrambled eggs w/tomatoes, green bell peppers with bits of pork, cucumbers w/vinagrette dressing and a clove of garlic.
Anectdotes of everyone's experience as a sent down youth was brought up. 王燕宁 (Wang Yan Ning) luckilly slaved away only 30 km from Lanzhou. He was lucky and it was I think because of the fact that he had a younger sister. They also mentioned how silly the past was; how everyone cried when Mao died and how it was taboo to speak ill of the Party.
"Chiang Kai-Shek is dead, mao's time is soon too." said an Old Man when Dad was sent down. Dad freaked out at the statement. "HEY!!! Old Man!! I'm screwed if people hear this! You're a citizen! I'm a dog! I'm a sent down youth!"
As of now my Mom said that it was rather embarassing that Dad's friends saw us fighting. I really don't give a shit. They need to be reminded that my Dad is not perfect, he's still human. Imperfections we all have. Beneath that exterior lies a man who can't control his alcohol around friends, who gets arrogant, go exaggerates and blows everything out of proportion. Sometimes I can sense that he prefers my brother over me. I understand. Peter is a boy. I'm a girl.
Everyone else adores my brother. How handsome he is, how he has beautiful masculine features. I don't care. I always have to play this game alone. I'm the blacksheheep since I'm not really understood among this family. No one is on my side. I can only turn to my friends Sure there's a language barrier at times, but they have to the make the effort too. It can't always be me who has to be on the front line.
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