Excerpts from Letters from QingYuan

by Peter Y. Woo, 2/2003

These are students supported by FCBC friends.

[Translator's comments in brackets.]

    These are 7 kids we supported in the last 3 years: Back row from left: BladeGleam, GreatHero, Taxicab, WorldPeace. Front row from left: Sharon, Woopy, SilverPetal, SimpleFlower (a.k.a. "SW" in the recent Fountain article).

     From "Taxicab", a boy who won a prize in singing, at some City wide competition:
    (11/2001) . . . . . I am repeating 12th grade, because of the personal problems last year. Ms. XXX decided to support me one more year.
I was sick for a while. For two months my support was questionable, so I could not afford to eat at the dorm. Eating too much from the streets, plus catching a cold last week, gave me a high fever. I coughed so bad that I would plop over my desk in class, and cannot pull myself up. Eventually I took a sick leave for a week, taking medicine for 6 days, plus 6 shots, and finally got much better. I still have some lingering fever. The doctor said I got it from eating too much stuff from the streets, and it takes time to clear up my digestion. Please don't worry for me. I will take good care of myself . . . . .
    (5/2002) . . . . . I have lost much weight, being so busy in studies. However, I trust the Lord Jesus will surely help me. Dr Woo, a lot of sad things happened. Last month my Grandma died. I saw her for the last time at her funeral. I was broken hearted, feeling helpless and despair. She loved me very much since my childhood. Now she is gone, and there is a big void in my heart that cannot soon recover.
    And then 2 months ago my parents quarreled and fought. Dad beat up Mom with a iron pipe, till her limbs were too swollen to go to work. Then my older sister was dragged on the street by a robber on a motorcycle, who grabbed away her handbag with 500 yuan [= $60 US] which is a large sum for my sister. Her salary is low because she just started working, and she could not send any money back to Mom. It is already a relief for Mom that she could barely feed herself. My father is out of job, and Mom is the sole financial supporter.
    Last week I visited my home [2 hours away in Seven Arches village], and found out my other Grandma has been in hospital for almost 2 weeks. I asked Mom why she did not tell me earlier. She said she did not want me to be upset, so I can concentrate on my schoolwork. I asked her what was the illness, she disclosed to me it was heart attack, only after my repeated pleading. Then she said Grandma would have died if they delay one more day from sending her to hospital.
    I have a Great Grandma who can hardly recognize people now [sort of Alzheimer disease]. Neither can she walk or even go to the bathroom. Only my Grandpa [her son] is helping her, but his wife is now in hospital. I yearn to go home to serve them, but then I would be goofing off my duty towards you kind donors. So I had to stay on.
    My mother has 4 younger sisters. Because of their lack of education, they are all out of job. Our family at large has yet to produce a college student, so they have so much hope bestowed on me. I know I am not very bright, but hope to be able to enroll in some non-prestigious college somewhere. I think that is the least that I can do. Am I right, Dr. Woo? .
. . . . I have thought of you as my own uncle. May the Lord bless you . . . .

    From NewLeaf, a girl I've yet to meet.
    From her letter of application for financial aid, 8/24/2002. . . . . . I have a younger brother and sister. My parents are peasants at Rocky Pool. Father would also work a second job as a house repairman, just to make ends meet for our family. He is now 50, and looking much older than his age, due to long days of exposure to the sun and rain. My mother would do her unending chores of farming, facing the soil all day. The school fees of us three children is very heavy, and now the new budget for me attending college is simply astronomical, [$700 US per year, including room and board, for her to attend teachers training college]. I have no rich relatives from whom I can apply for a loan . . . . .
    A good friend of mine got accepted into one college. The whole village rejoiced. They asked me, "Are you going to college just like she?" I could not utter any reply. Of course I want to, but I have no means to. Then they remarked, "What a shame, you have done well academically all these years in high school, yet cannot go to college . . . . " I felt helpless. I know they have the best hope for me . . . . .
    [The principal Mr Ko wrote with his elegant brushstroke on this letter, saying, "NewLeaf has a fine personality and integrity. Her ambition is to become a teacher. We visited her home. It is literally a cottage with four empty walls. Hope someone will help her."]
    [Later on she wrote me that at her college she had military training and marching every day. It was tough, sunshine or rain. They had to march, even to crawl on the ground, but there is time for singing at recess. She is a happy girl with lots of hope for future.]

    From Little Sunshine, whom I still have yet to meet. 9/12/2002. She is also attending some teachers college.
    . . . . . Oh how I wish I can see your face. I don't know whether at GZ [GuangZhou, i.e., Canton, 100 miles from Hong Kong. Provincial capital.] I can contribute something to mankind. But I am just a little grassy plant, I can stubbornly grow and survive anywhere. I hope some day I can adopt some abandoned child. I shall work very hard, to be worthy of the hopes of you folks supporting me across the Pacific Ocean.
    Like to share with you my experience of job search. One day after our finals exam, I was roaming the streets from one shop to another. But perhaps I was not as pretty as the others, or due to lack of work experience, nobody would give me a job. I know the taste of repeated disappointments. One shop owner asked me can I type Chinese [on the computers]. I shook my head, and came to the realization that I was a loser. So I decided to learn to use computers. Cost me 2 yuan per night [U.S. $0.20]. Later on some shop employed me on probation for one day and one night. My wages were only 10 yuan [U.S. $1.20] Later on I worked for a swimsuit shop, just because I have had that one day and night experience.
    Later, at school, 9/19/2002: Thank you sooo much for helping me. Now I am living in a dorm for 750 yuan [u.s.$90, per quarter, just room cost.] Our school is not very big, about twice my high school, but I was welcome by many older girls students here. Perhaps I do have an attractive face ! [Wow, she said literally, human favor face.] Food is expensive, 1 yuan for breakfast, 3 yuan for lunch and 3 yuan for dinner, [$1 U.S. per day].
    Dr Woo, if you come to Brightness High School again, I would not be able to travel there [from GZ to QingYuen] to meet you, because I do throw up whenever I am in the busses. I did not mean to, but I cannot help myself. Can you send me a photo of yourself? I want to know how you smile . . . .
    In a recent letter, she told me she would spend 2 afternoons on campus selling stationery on the street side, making 1 cent U.S. profit for selling a 20 cents notebook, etc. After one afternoon she may have earned 20 cents U.S. She said it was not worth the toil and effort, but at least she can reduce the financial strain on her family . . . . .

    From Sharon, whom we have known for 3 years. Her English was the best. Last year, 1 hour before we departed for the bus station, she ran from one post office to another, just hoping to buy for us a whole set of 55 stamps representing the 55 ethnic groups of China. She got only 52 stamps, but we were so touched by her desire to fill our fancy. Like the 3 braves who dashed through enemy lines just to get a pail of water from the pool at Bethlehem's city gate, for their master. Such is their love and devotion for us.

    Letter written 70% in English, 4/2001, quoted verbatim: This summer holiday I took park in an English camp organized by the CCCS [ organization in HK, my good friend.] The teacher who came from America were all very kind and smart. . . . . The days with them were very wonderful . . . . . 20 days were not a long time . . . . but they had to leave. When I thought of their leaving, but I just showed them my happy smile . . . . . We had a party before their leaving. . . . But at the end of the party, we cried together. I tried to smile, but I failed. . . . . I couldn't help crying. I took them in my arms. At that time, I hoped time would have stopped. . . . . Some of the teachers cried too. Frankly, I hadn't cried so terribly . . . . What I could say was just, "I love you, take care." . . . . .
    Most of them are in CA. Beverly and Daniel are sister and brother. They live in Gerogia Alanta [sic]. I write to them about once two months. Although we are not in the same country, we live under the same sky.

     2/22/2002: I went home during Spring break [Chinese New Year so called.] I helped my mother sell celery. On one hand it was boring and I felt very tired. On the othe hand I felt very happy, because I could do something for my mother. . . . .
Today I lend some money to my classmate to buy some medicine. [Then she switched to Chinese] He has liver illness, and had to go to hospital to get medicine. He is on poverty-help scholarship just like me, but every time at the hospital he had to pay several hundred yuan for the drugs. Not a few of my classmates have illness. Yet they would never quit school because of it. As I look at them, I think about myself. If they persisted in studying inspite of their sickness, I better learn from their attitude.

     2/24/2002: Today I received your letter from Taxicab. I am so excited when I got your letter and photo. [I wrote a letter to all of them, telling them my not visiting them in Summer 2001 was because I saw dangling cobwebs over one eye, and so I hurried back to Calif. She now interpreted it to mean some spider crawled into my eye, Ai - yah !!] I feel sorry that [switching to Chinese] your eyes got hurt by a spider. I had a similar experience before. My mother told me to put some seeds of "fish stench grass" into my eye, close the eye, and turn a few rounds. [back to English] Are you OK now? Please take care of yourself.
    Every time my grandpa health got worse, I felt sad and worried. Once he was beaten [bitten] by a mouse and then he was very ill. [switching to Chinese] Seeing him in pain, my heart was broken into pieces. All that I could do was merely to take good care of him. After some days, he got getter, then I could sigh a deep sigh, thanking heaven and earth that he escaped a big tragedy. Often when I go home we would chat about many things. He loved to tell me old stories and events, because hardly anyone else would listen to his stories . . . . I love my grandpa the most. I know he had had a hard life, and I don't want to cause him any more suffering. Right now I still cannot give him material support, but I can give him spiritual support, that his last days will be happy ones. I want to go to college, so that he can be proud of me, but then I cannot be on his side all the time . . . . [back to English] I'm so sorry I can't control myself. Every time I talk about my grandpa I have lots of things to talk about.
    [What a lovely girl, now at a college in Hunan province, some 200 miles up north.]

    From Silver Petal. 8/12/2003. For 3 years she wrote me long, long letters. She lack confidence, thinking others are smarter or luckier than herself. When results of their nation-wide High School Graduation Certificate Exam ("gao kao") came out, the first list are those with the best GPA, these would go to the best schools in China, equivalent to MIT and Berkeley. The second list comes a week later, then the Third another week later, then . . . . . Sort of like being picked by the NBA. Imagine the stress of finding out you are not even in the third list. Some of the boys we supported decided to seek work in factories. Some finally enrolled in some Adult Vocational College, similar to those here in Calif. Silver Petal one night was in such a despair that her parents worried about her mental state, and tried very hard to borrow some fund to help her go to college. All they got was: $200 U.S. or so. Eventually she wrote me a long tearful letter. (Air Mail postage is like a big dinner at a restaurant.) I immediately phoned somebody to tell her I will support her. It costs about $700 U.S. for one year in teachers college, including room and board. Here are parts of her letter:

    . . . . . During those weeks of H.S.Exam results, I could not concentrate my mind, could not sit or stand. I sometimes wish the list would come out earlier, but sometimes wish otherwise. I cannot understand what kind of a person I am. When the result came out, I could not believe my eyes, I got only 400 plus points, [ not good enough to go to most colleges] I could not dare facing people. I cried for a whole morning, despite all the encouragement from my parents. I was depressed and dejected. After a few days, I decided to report to you kind folks, who supported me for all these 3 years . . . . .
    Some months ago my Mom borrowed 10,000 yuan [ about $1200 U.S.] for my older brother to start a business, by mortgaging our house to the bank. We had previous loans before, so we are up to here in debt. So I know even 1000 yuan [ U.S. $120] is already too hard for my family, and 5000 yuan for one year of college [ U.S. $700] is frankly unthinkable. After a while my Dad mentioned the "unthinkable": why not try to borrow from Dr Woo in America . . . I know you are a retired professor, and the financial support for us these years are really from your friends at church offering it sacrificially, out of love . . . . .
    But I do wish to study. I am interested to attend either Adult College or the South China Sci. & Tech. Univ. [ in Canton, I guess] where I would love to go into pharmaceutics.

    Eventually she got into some college in Canton. She said one thing she could do is to run. She would run from one end of the campus to the other, to find a friend with a computer. With that she began to write me email. I said her English is "good", and that encouraged her so much she wrote me more and more, and I can see she got more and more fluent every time. She would tell me two social clubs she got involved with. I told her not to associate with rich kids who spend money on brand name clothes etc. She said she won't, because she could not afford it, etc.