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Mama Baba qi China

I will admit I was pretty stressed out about my parents staying with me in my apartment here in China. I even confided in my new Irish friend on my Chengdu trip that I was afraid my parents were going to take one look at where I live and drag me on a plane back to the USA. She had some very good advice, “You are full grown now, if they start pulling on you here’s what you do: excuse yourself and take a shot of your favorite liquor. Anything they don’t like just say it is a cultural difference, take another shot and embrace the culture!” I have got to go to Ireland! I am proud to say that I didn’t have to take a shot the whole time my parents were here!

My stress turned into excitement when I got back to the Shenzhen Airport from Chengdu. My parents would fly into the same place the following day. As I walked through baggage claim there was a glass separation that I could see everyone’s family members pressed up against. A little baby boy broke through the security check point and run up to his grandfather. The grandfather not even thinking of the security breech dropped all his things and scooped the boy up in his arms. Maybe I cried a little! It was the cutest thing I had ever seen! I knew that would be me the next day running up to greet my mom.

I somehow didn’t think about the fact that it would be midnight and my parents would be exhausted, jet lagged, and dirty from 30 straight hours of hopping from airport to airport. Shattering my fantasy further, the plane was delayed and my mom came out alone with no bags long enough to shout something inaudible and disappear again, unaware the security points in China don’t count if you are hugging family!

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