Not only was it my first time going to China, it was my first time on a plane. I was very excited, so excited that words weren’t able to explain how I felt. I was seven years old and in the second grade. I was going to miss school for a week- who wouldn’t be excited?
My older sister, Kimora, and I were watching Sister Sister, one night when my mother came in with an announcement.
“Hey girls,” my mother said in Chinese, with a look of happiness. “We are all going to China over the winter.”
“Really? When?” said my sister with a big smile stretched across her face.
“When!” I said, a few seconds after.
“A few days after Christmas. We’re going to celebrate New Years in China with your grandparents,” mother said.
I was excited since I had never been outside of California let alone the United States before. Many questions were running through my head.
“What does China look like? What kind of people will be there? Is it going to be fun?” I asked my mother and sister.
“It’s a nice place,” said my mother looking over to my sister, “you will like it.”
They smiled.
My parents are from China. My mother and father immigrated here in 1990. They left my three-year-old sister back in China with my grandparents so that they could come back to get her after they settled in America. It was very hard for them, my mother says, but they knew it was for the best. Overall, my grandparents spoiled her like crazy. My parents moved from Miami, Florida to Oakland, California where they finally settled down. Holding down jobs, and trying to learn English at the same time was very hard for them. My mother worked in a few sewing factories while my father worked in a few different Chinese restaurants as a chef in Miami. Then, when they moved to California, my father found a Chinese restaurant to work for, while my mother worked in a Fiberobtics Company. When they were settled with steady jobs, in October 1991, they had their second daughter, me. After that, my parents wanted to bring my older sister to the United States, but found out that they had to wait a few months, because the papers and documents were not processed . Finally, in 1996, the papers were done for my sister to come to the United States. I herd a lot about my sister as I grew up. “How does my sister look?” “Will she like me?” “Is she coming yet?” these were questions I’d ask my parents all the time during the wait. I was five years old when I finally got to meet her. Sibling fights were here and there, but soon after we got along somewhat.
Finally, in second grade, my parents decided to go back to China, their homeland, for the first time since they had immigrated here to the United States. My older sister was of course, excited. She was going to see our cousins, grandparents, uncle, aunt, and her childhood friends again, while I would get to meet them for the very first time.
The day was finally here. Clothes and gifts were neatly packed in our suitcases. My parents, sister, and I, waited at the door for my aunt to come to drop us off at the San Francisco airport. It was cold and early in the morning, too early. I slept almost through out the ride there. We thanked my aunt for dropping us off, and unloaded our suitcases. My sister and I followed my parents as we walked our way into the airport. It wasn’t until I got in that I started to got excited for the plane ride. My parents quickly walked to the check in line. The line was long; many families and couples with luggage to check in. I looked around and see that it was decorated with flowers and a few Christmas lights. People were rushing, almost running, here and there with their luggage behind them.
After what seemed like forever, we finally got onto the plane. I was amazed at how long it was and how many seats there were. My sister helped my parents look for our seats. We were all in the same row, with four seats. “Perfect!” said my mother, who was glad to sit down and relax.
It was very early in the morning. After the flight attendant finished talking on the overhead speaker about the emergency exits, I fell asleep almost right away. Although I was very excited, the tiredness came upon me. I woke up a few times, watched a little bit of the movies that was on, and fell back asleep.
A little bit after I was woken up by speakers. “ Ladies and gentlemen, one hour till landing” the lady said. Excitement, spread throughout my body. I looked around, the lights were dim, and people around me were asleep. I sat quietly and patiently for the plane to land.
As I got off the plane, I followed my parents. We filled out many vacation forms to let us stay in China. Shortly after, we walked out into the waiting area where my aunt and uncle were waiting for us. I was finally in Ghong Zhao, China. My father walked around looking for my family. Soon we found them. Almost everyone was there, my grandparents, aunt and uncle. But not my cousins, they were at school. Happy greetings were everywhere. Looking around, all I saw were Chinese people. It was weird to me because all my life I had been with different races.
After about twenty minutes of greetings, we all headed outside, carting the suitcases along with us. I followed, and eventually we were at the taxi line.
“What?” I said with a
look of confusion. “Where is their car?”
“People in China usually take taxi’s, not cars,” explained my mother.
I looked around, and many things were different. The air smelled different, the
busses looked especially tall, the atmosphere around me were so different I felt
like I was on a whole new planet. Suddenly my eyes met with my aunt Shelly’s.
Oh no, I thought to myself she is going to start talking to me. She
started to walk a few steps towards me. She was tall, with long, silky black
hair, and really bright red lipstick.
“Hello. So, where would you like to go? I can take you anywhere!” she
said in a very enthusiastic voice.
What do I say? I thought to myself. I was a very shy girl
when I was young, even towards family.
“Hi, umm…. I don’t know…..anywhere is fine,” I said shyly.
“Don’t be shy, I wont hurt you,” She said noticing that I was shy.
I smiled back not knowing what to say. My sister turned around and
started a conversation with my aunt.
I felt relived that I didn’t have to talk to her. I was not used to having all my family members around me they felt like total strangers.
Suddenly I felt a tap on my
shoulders. I turned around, and saw my uncle, Tony.
“Hey, you want some candy?” he said, holding out a piece of chocolate
wrapped in a shiny blue wrapper.
“No thanks,” I replied.
“Are you sure? It’s very good,” he said with a big smile acrossed his face.
I took it. “Thanks,” I said.
He started making jokes and did a magic trick with coins. I started to like him,
and felt more comfortable with him.
“Here comes the taxi!” my grandmother announced.
We all piled into two different cars, my grandmother, grandfather, dad, and aunt
in one, and my sister, mom, uncle, and me in another.
“Where are Kim, and Jane?” my sister asks my uncle.
“Oh, they’re at school. They don’t get off for break for another week.
They will probably be at your grandparents house tomorrow for breakfast.”
Yes, I thought to myself,
I would get to meet my cousins for the first time, feeling a little disappointed
that they weren’t here now.
Soon after, we arrived at their house. We walked up about five
flights of stairs with our suitcases dragging behind us. Luckily, my uncle was
holding mine.
“We are finally here!” my aunt announced as she unlocked the door.
Finally, I thought to myself. I was hungry and tired. I felt
the jetlag coming on.
“You must be so tired Elle, what can I get you to eat? Do you want some soda?”
my grandmother said.
“No thank you,” I said with my shy voice.
“Grandma, I’ll have some soda,” my sister said.
I started to feel jealous of my sister. She knew everyone, and she talked to
everyone. Almost like she had been here all her life. I hated being shy, but I
couldn’t break out of my shell.
The next day, I woke up to loud voices, and dishes being set on the
table.
I walked out and saw my family again, but this time my cousins, Jane and Kim
too.
Kim was about 5’4, with short black hair and a light complexion. Jane was tall,
skinny, with long black hair. We said hello to each other and they initiated
some small talk. But soon after, they started their own conversations with my
sister. I felt like I didn’t belong. They were all around the same age, fifteen
to seventeen, and I was the only seven year old.
I followed my parents around for the time that we were there. They always told me to join my cousins and sister, but I didn’t want to. I tried the first few days, but it never worked out.
“Hey, Kimora, and Jane, lets go buy some firecrackers for the new years,” said Kim, not addressing me.
“Alright, lets go,” replied Kimora.
“Can we go get some ice cream?” I asked.
“No, we don’t want ice cream, do we?” said Jane.
“Nope,” they all said and started walking.
“But…” I’d say, but they just kept walking.
And of course I followed them to
the firecracker store, to get what they wanted. They always did things their
way, the “older people way”, is what they called it. I felt annoyed with them
and I didn’t like them.
The trip soon
began to become boring. In time, I began to open up to my aunt, uncle, and
grandparents, but not my cousins. It stayed this way for the rest of the trip.
There were a barrier between my cousins, and myself mainly because of the age
difference. We said our good mornings, hellos and goodbyes, but we never really
had a real conversation.
The day was finally here, it was time to go, back to Oakland,
California, my home. The trip that I was so excited about had not turned out too
well. My family and I were all at the airport saying their goodbyes and
see you laters. I gave my grandparents and my aunt and uncle a hug before
I left. But I just said goodbye to my cousins. As I turned my back around
heading to the lady to check tickets, I thought to myself, maybe when I got
older and come back again we will be friends. Goodbye.
I am seventeen years old now writing this story of my first trip to China. I have been back when I was fourteen, my second time, but not much has changed. My cousins and I say hellos and goodbyes, but never do we have a real conversation, like how I see my friends and their cousins talk together. My cousins and I could be standing next to each other, and it’ll be an awkward moment. I guess its one of those things where if you don’t see each other much, its hard to be friends. I have not been to China ever since I was fourteen, nor have I talked to them since. I don’t hate them or anything. I don’t know them. But If they need help I’d help them, overall they are family. Like what my mother always said to me, “family is the most precious thing, who would be more willing to help you in a situation.”
Family.