A Family Affair

I wasn't sure whether I was going to post this. It's not about studying Chinese, nor is it about Beijing. And it's rather long. But here it is anyway.

Saturday June 8, 2008

I arrived in Guangzhou yesterday. The plane ride from Beijing to Guangzhou was only about three hours, but I had the worst ear-popping experience. I made sure to wear my favorite teal blouse that day.

I had not seen my grandparents since I was… ten? I don’t remember really… it’s been too long. They came to America for a brief time, but decided that China was their home and returned to Gujing. I’ve only seen a few photos of them since.

My phone wasn’t working when I landed. I guess I can’t use the same SIM card I had purchased in Beijing in Guangzhou. Annoying. So I couldn’t give my grandparents a call to let them know I had arrived. I hoped they were on the lookout for a girl in a teal top. As I headed away from baggage claim, a woman stopped me and asked for my baggage claim stub. The simple procedure took longer than necessary, partly because I didn’t immediately understand her request (she spoke in Mandarin) and partly because I had to dig through my purse. After her inspection, I looked up and saw an elderly couple… I recognized my grandfather at once. He didn’t stand as tall as I remembered and his silver hair stuck up in places, but everything else about him seemed unchanged. I looked over at the tiny woman standing next to him. I don’t think I would have recognized her had she not been standing by my grandfather. “Mama, Yeye!” I called. My grandfather broke into a smile. “Aye, Hua Hua!” my grandmother called back. I walked over as quickly as my two luggage would allow and noticed my grandmother holding a manila envelope with my dad’s handwriting – what I was suppose to look for in case I couldn’t recognize my grandparents.

They were really happy to see me, and commented on how tall I am. I’m only 5’1”. xP

I never really knew much about where my parents were from, where they grew up that is. I always assumed they lived in Guangzhou because that’s what they told people. Turns out they didn’t actually live in Guangzhou, but only said they did when people asked because it was easier than explaining where they were really from. It’s like when people say they’re from DC when they really aren’t. It’s just easier. My parents spent their childhood in Gujing, which is a little over half an hour outside of Guangzhou. I’m not even sure in which direction. Note to self: Learn China’s geography.

My grandparents and I climbed into a minivan and my grandparents’ neighbor drove for two and a half hours past the outskirts of Guangzhou. My first impression: It’s hot…it’s really hot. Then I realized… it’s not very hot at all (it was raining after all); it’s just extraordinarily humid. I have never before experienced such humidity. The air was sticky.

Guangzhou is different from what I had expected. I imagined a bustling city… Lonely Planet told me so! Instead I only saw towering residential buildings and diverse vegetation. Maybe I was just in the wrong part of town. Guangzhou is very different from Beijing. Many parts of Guangzhou appear to as they probably were decades ago – tiny boats sitting in small bodies of water, rundown wooden shacks for storage by watery fields, old structures built in the traditional Chinese style.

China captivated me in a way it had not while I was in Beijing. Perhaps it’s because I have closer ties to Guangzhou. Or maybe I was just really eager to see the place my parents called home before they ventured to the States. My parents talk vaguely about their life in China. The effects of the Communist Revolution on their lives, jobs they had, how they spent their days as kids. I know very little even about the simple things. I wanted to catch a glimpse of the China my parents knew.

My grandparents are very proud of their new home. Well, it’s not exactly new. They’ve lived here for about ten years now. But "new" in the sense that they have an older home that they visit once in awhile to pay their respects to the gods and ancestors. Their block has several seven-story residential buildings with entryways like what we’re used to at Yale. My grandparents live on the third floor. As we head up the stairs, my grandfather notes, “The lights are out again.” And indeed, the lone light bulbs on each level are out. The first few concrete steps are wet from the rain, and we make our way up slowly. We set down my luggage and take a flashlight with us before we head out for dinner. Just in case the lights are still out when we return.

Their new place is spacious for only two people. Three bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen, dining area, and fairly large living room. I have my own room, and my grandparents thought of everything they possibly could to make my stay comfortable. They installed an air conditioner in my room when they found out I was visiting. They bought a new mattress, pillows, and comforters. They got me soap, a toothbrush, tissue, bottled water, slippers, lots of snacks they normally only buy during New Years.

Nearly everything in my grandparents’ new home is used. The bed frame in their bedroom is the very first one they’ve ever bought. The rusting fan in the living room was my dad’s. My grandmother explained that my dad worked hard and saved for that fan when he first got a job out of high school. He made less than 20 dollars a month. The fan cost 180 dollars. I wondered if I heard her right… I’m not sure. My grandfather piped in and said even the newer fans can’t compare to the old one. He’s quite right. The old fan still works very well. My grandmother also left an umbrella in my room and said that she’s been keeping it and hasn’t let anyone use it. I could use it though while I’m here because it had been my mom’s. It’s a beautiful umbrella she said. It’s very humbling to be in Gujing.

Today I visited the home where my dad lived until he married my mom and left for the States. Da Long Bo (I'm completely unsure about the pinyin...) is about fifteen minutes from where my grandparents currently live. I passed my dad’s elementary school on the way. The buildings look as though they’ve suffered through a fire, and are no longer used. Our destination was only two minutes past the charcoaled white buildings.

When we reached an archway that signaled our entry into Da Long Bo, we piled out of the car to take a photo. We drove on a bit and turned left into a narrow alleyway that had enough space to fit only one car. It wasn’t long before we got out and walked several steps through an even narrower alleyway to the first set of doors on our left.

I walked through after my grandfather straight into the kitchen. There stood an old-fashioned stove, was the best in the village then my grandmother said. To the left was a large rectangular room; it could have been a handsome bedroom. An old desk still stands sturdy against the right side of the wall, and framed Chinese art and a photo collage hang above it. A clock that is no longer working and a beautifully decorated mirror still claim their place. The far end of the room is used for storage now. Beyond the kitchen was a small sitting room. The opposite side of the room featured a two-foot wide concrete staircase that spiraled to the rooftop. To the right of the sitting room was a tiny square room that’s now empty except for a decorative mirror and a light bulb hanging from the ceiling. This room led into another similar-sized room that is now stacked with old wooden chairs, stools, and tables. The room to the left of the sitting room is what intrigued me most. All the framed artwork was still intact and there also hung several photo collages including photos of my parents in their 20s. I found my dad’s old sword from his visit to Beijing and his painting of Sun Wukong (Monkey King) from high school. I always knew my dad was an artist in addition to a scholar. He’s always studying, especially English and mechanical engineering. But his passion lies in art, poetry, and calligraphy.

I saw the most beautiful photo of my mom in one of the collages. I wish I could visit her home too during my brief stay in Gujing.

It’s very overwhelming to be here. But it's a good thing.