Traffic was heavy on the highway and on the streets of Beijing but Cynthia drove effortlessly and soon, we were at her brand new house. The house contained a large living room, a small study, a medium- sized kitchen and three bedrooms of an equal size. I was amused that there was no master bedroom here. Cynthia read my thoughts. “Prof, this is not racist America. China does not have a history of slavery and we do not have rooms reserved for masters.” I had no idea that the concept of a master’s bedroom had any racist connotation but I did not push it since Cynthia did not say anything flippantly. Later on, during a tour of the house, Cynthia and Li ming took me to a small garden where Cynthia grew tomatoes, basil, peppers and spinach. I had read the glossy publication, China Illustrated, when I was in primary six and the magazine had several articles on the role of gardening in Chinese cultures. I noticed that all the houses in the neighborhood had small gardens.Li
Last Updated : 2020-09-25 Read more