the steps of the library. In fact, one day, we were all called to a meeting by the party secretary of the English department.
“Apparently, some of you are ignoring the very reasonablerule that dating is not allowed on this campus,” he sternly announced. “In fact, recently campus security discovered several lights knocked over. These lights—which are very expensive, by the way—were put there to make sure our campus is safe. Yet, for the sake of kissing in the quad . . .” He said the word kissing with such distaste that one might have thought he said defecating . “Someone took it upon himself to break our campus lights.”
He paused and looked around the room to intimidate the kissing criminals.
“And so, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of a simple fact,” he said, straightening his back in indignation. “Dating is not the purpose of college.”
The university made sure the lights were back up within the week, and the campus police began walking around with flashlights, hoping to stem the raging hormones on the library steps and in other dark corners of the campus. Eventually, the students realized we had the upper hand. After all, there were so many covert relationships the university couldn’t punish everybody. Gradually, people began holding hands in public. Then, a few weeks later, people came out and simply announced their relationships.
“Really?” I said, when my roommate told me he was dating a beautiful girl in the Chinese lit department. “You hid it very well!” I didn’t admit my surprise was mainly due to the fact that I assumed she’d find a more attractive mate.
When Heidi and I told our friends that we were dating, their mouths dropped open too. “You?” Joseph said. “And you?”
Apparently, we had hid our affection very well, because people were shocked. The person who was the most shocked was Heidi’s dad, who used to be a teacher too but had been imprisoned for five years during the Cultural Revolution for a crime he didn’t commit. While in jail, he lost his job teaching at a government school. Even though all criminal charges were dropped after the revolution, it was too late. His reputationwas forever marred and he was damaged beyond repair. In China, children bear the responsibility for their parents’ care, so his hope for the future of his family was placed squarely on Heidi’s shoulders. He hoped Heidi would marry someone who could make some money.
“Dear Bochun,” he wrote, after she revealed our relationship in a letter home. “I urge you to find someone else. Someone who can work in the capital city of our province, bring home a nice paycheck, and be respected in our community.” We were walking to class together as she read it aloud to me. “That way our family can have a better future.”
“He doesn’t have much confidence in me,” I said, though I understood why her father placed such an emphasis on having a good reputation. “But I promise I’ll go to grad school, focus on international relations, and make a good living for us.”
I smiled as I assured her that I could pull it all off. However, the number of people who were already depending on my future salary was growing. My dad, my sister, Heidi, Heidi’s parents, and possibly her siblings. And that was not including any children Heidi and I might have.
And so, I continued to focus on my international studies during the evening, after doing all of my other English homework. I developed a friendship with a Chinese literature student named Bruce, who was the son of a political leader. Because of his dad’s position, he was more interested in government and could speak more intelligently about it than most people. I enjoyed his company, so I told him of my future plans for grad school, and we spent many hours discussing world affairs.
In 1988, we got to see some political affairs being acted out right there in China. A nationwide outcry against the poor treatment
“Apparently, some of you are ignoring the very reasonablerule that dating is not allowed on this campus,” he sternly announced. “In fact, recently campus security discovered several lights knocked over. These lights—which are very expensive, by the way—were put there to make sure our campus is safe. Yet, for the sake of kissing in the quad . . .” He said the word kissing with such distaste that one might have thought he said defecating . “Someone took it upon himself to break our campus lights.”
He paused and looked around the room to intimidate the kissing criminals.
“And so, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of a simple fact,” he said, straightening his back in indignation. “Dating is not the purpose of college.”
The university made sure the lights were back up within the week, and the campus police began walking around with flashlights, hoping to stem the raging hormones on the library steps and in other dark corners of the campus. Eventually, the students realized we had the upper hand. After all, there were so many covert relationships the university couldn’t punish everybody. Gradually, people began holding hands in public. Then, a few weeks later, people came out and simply announced their relationships.
“Really?” I said, when my roommate told me he was dating a beautiful girl in the Chinese lit department. “You hid it very well!” I didn’t admit my surprise was mainly due to the fact that I assumed she’d find a more attractive mate.
When Heidi and I told our friends that we were dating, their mouths dropped open too. “You?” Joseph said. “And you?”
Apparently, we had hid our affection very well, because people were shocked. The person who was the most shocked was Heidi’s dad, who used to be a teacher too but had been imprisoned for five years during the Cultural Revolution for a crime he didn’t commit. While in jail, he lost his job teaching at a government school. Even though all criminal charges were dropped after the revolution, it was too late. His reputationwas forever marred and he was damaged beyond repair. In China, children bear the responsibility for their parents’ care, so his hope for the future of his family was placed squarely on Heidi’s shoulders. He hoped Heidi would marry someone who could make some money.
“Dear Bochun,” he wrote, after she revealed our relationship in a letter home. “I urge you to find someone else. Someone who can work in the capital city of our province, bring home a nice paycheck, and be respected in our community.” We were walking to class together as she read it aloud to me. “That way our family can have a better future.”
“He doesn’t have much confidence in me,” I said, though I understood why her father placed such an emphasis on having a good reputation. “But I promise I’ll go to grad school, focus on international relations, and make a good living for us.”
I smiled as I assured her that I could pull it all off. However, the number of people who were already depending on my future salary was growing. My dad, my sister, Heidi, Heidi’s parents, and possibly her siblings. And that was not including any children Heidi and I might have.
And so, I continued to focus on my international studies during the evening, after doing all of my other English homework. I developed a friendship with a Chinese literature student named Bruce, who was the son of a political leader. Because of his dad’s position, he was more interested in government and could speak more intelligently about it than most people. I enjoyed his company, so I told him of my future plans for grad school, and we spent many hours discussing world affairs.
In 1988, we got to see some political affairs being acted out right there in China. A nationwide outcry against the poor treatment
Similar Books
