The Davebrand Monthly Visitor

I’m in the middle of a week-long vacation in Seattle, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the parents of my old roommates, Jerry and Yi. This is their parents (all four parents, in matching sets) first trip to the United States, and it’s caused some culture shock for them as they’ve adjusted (quite well) to their new surroundings.

It’s also given me the chance to learn some Mandarin Chinese and teach them some English. We’ve had informal classes around the dinner table and while walking around the city and Mt. Rainier. Jerry’s father and mother are very adept, but Yi’s father has only managed the phrase “I don’t speak English.” I can feel their frustration, but I admire their adaptation and am adopting many of their habits.

Lots of little difficulties abound - language problems, for instance. Old habits, of course, remain. Under the faucet in the bath tub, for instance, is a small pan to conserve water. Clothes are dried outside on the line. Paper towels are cut in half to conserve paper. All of these are smart, economical choices that come from a country where poverty and lack of resources have encouraged measures of savings.

Here’s a picture of them picking unripe apples off a tree at the University of Washington at Seattle campus:

One trait, however, has caused a bit of friction, especially for Yi: stinginess. The prices in the US are so much higher than the parents, and especially Yi’s mom, refuse to do do anything. Once, after visiting the Kirkland senior center, they decided to walk home rather than pay the $1 bus fair. Not realizing that it’s about 30 miles away, they ended up on I-405 and were flagged down by the police.

Yi’s father quickly stepped into action. He went up to the officer, and explained “I don’t speak English.” Puzzled, the officer let them go, and they walked another two or three miles before Jerry picked them up.