Proud of My parents

Author：Tina

My parents, 關明德 and 趙士隆 left their successful careers in Taiwan and moved to the United States in 1976 to start a new life for their family. Although challenging at the beginning, they quickly adjusted  to this new life by doing things they love. And my parents loved to entertain.

For many years, when I was young, I would hear a familiar song playing all through the house every Saturday.  Ba and Ma, Jeffery and Gerrie would  invite their friends over to play mahjong and eat dinner. 

 

      Ma and Ba standing in front of their home.  Their door is always opened for friends and family.

 

By the afternoon, the sounds of clacking of shuffling tiles, followed by silence and only interrupted by occasional whispers of “chi” and “pong” echoed throughout the house. In the background, soft noises of the oven doors opening, knives rhythmically hitting the chopping board, and the clicking sound of a burner added notes of complexity, yet at the same time sounds of comfort. 

 

The two sections played harmoniously together, reflecting the ebb and flow of my parents’ marriage. They were natural hosts, each with their coveted talents.  My mother was known as a skilled mahjong player.  I used to watch her play. Her fingers danced above her carefully selected tiles. Ma would gently rub the surface of a tile, and immediately recognize the symbol. Then she would thoughtfully move a few tiles in her row, only to call out mahjong a few minutes later. 

 

 Two majong tables are set up during  big celebrations.

 

In the kitchen, Ba  would not be outperformed. His deft knife skills were formidable. Pieces of vegetables flying in the air as the blade raced across the cutting board.   He was a conductor in the kitchen, orchestrating the pots and saucepans on the burners while prepping and plating. His  eyes glued to  the clock eagerly waiting for the last round to finish so he could display his masterpieces on the dining table, which had been extended to showcase his creations.  With a final chorus of tiles clicking and scraping across the paper tabletop, the lights would go out. Now, the spotlight shined over the table of Ba’s famous dishes. 

 

The guests oohed and aahed at the food, exclaiming, “趙大哥, you’ve done it again.  How do you do it?”  With each interjection my father’s smile widened.  His face beamed with pride as he waited for each dish to be tasted. Without missing a beat, Ma would fill the rice bowls for all the guests and wash the few dishes left in the sink before sitting down.  Long after the guests returned to their game table, Ba would sit and listen to the silent applause from the empty and half-filled plates of food on the table. Smiling at the call for an encore, he would already begin to plan for his next performance.

 

Helen is married to Kamran. They have 2 sons, Jayson and Ryan who are currently in college.  For many years,

Helen was a director at Fannie Mae and is currently pursuing other interests.   Christi is married to Joe.

Christi is an Executive VP at a major global brokerage firm.   Tina is married to Felipe and they have 3 sons,

Gabe, Alex, and Aden.  Tina is an English teacher.

We remember our childhood as a home of joy and harmony. Everyone lived his or her part, and at the same time we were all attuned to each other. Ba and Ma prided themselves as having raised three self-efficient and successful daughters: Helen, Christi, and Tina. Yet we are the truly blessed ones to have inherited their legacy.

Gerrie's 80th Birthday  (9/19/2015)

 

 明德是滿清正黃旗的後裔。

我們常叫她“ 愛新覺羅·明德格格 ”。

她說起話來，走起路來頗有“ 格格 ”風度。

大家都有同感嗎？

patrick