Anecdote of my childhood

I have just seen a Chinese movie called "Not one Less". It's a cute story about a peasant girl who subsitutes at a run-down peasant school, where the teacher promises to pay her if she manages to keep all his incredibly poor students in school when he gets back from visiting his dying mother. Then, just as luck has it, one of her students leave school to get a job in the city to repay his family's debts, and the poor 13-year old teacher goes to town to take him back. It's a good movie, even if the actors aren't professionals at all. It truly tells us how the rich of China just keep getting richer and the poor even poorer.

I remember my childhood. I pretty much grew up around my mother, because my dad was in Japan, and then in Canada. And when he invited us to join him in Quebec, I had these childish notions that my dad was living in a White Man mansion, and that when he meets us at the airport, he would bring with him my favourite popsicle. And damn, when I got to Quebec, it was freezing cold, so all hopes of a popsicle was dashed. But it was okay. When my mother and I were in the minivan on the way to my dad's place, we kept on driving through the snowy suburbs, and I kept on asking: is this our house? When we finally arrived at dad's lace, I saw that it was a nice little bungalow sorta house, and I was pretty happy. Sure, it wasn't a big White Man mansion, but it was nice enough for me. I couldn't wait to live there. And then we got of the car, and dad led us into the house.

And right into the basement. I was incredibly disappointed. Everything was even worse than our house in Changchun. I remember sitting down on the shabby sofa, and crying. My parents say that even after all these years, they say that they remember my breakdown. After we moved out of the basement, I remember getting up one morning and taking out some empty ice cream tubs (yes, I finally got my ice cream), and banging on them with chopsticks, and pretending to be a drummer. I didn't have much toys, just some stickers, a colouring book, some crayons, a green glass bead I found in a shopping mall, and my teddy bear, which was the only toy I brought with me to Canada.

I remember going to school, and coming back home crying because I couldn't tell my teacher that I wanted to go to the bathroom. The only "friend" friend I had was a girl who lived next door. Her family was really nice, and even though my English was horrible, and my knowledge of French was non-existant, but she invited me to her house all the same, and we played Monopoly. I had so much fun then, even though I didn't understand much, and now, when I play now, I just can't get the feeling I got that time. I remember the last day of school I had in Quebec city, and being so happy. I guess my "Canadian experience" truly started when came to Montreal.

I love Canada.