hair knotted, gold rim glasses, white from head to toe
you could tell from just looking at her hands though
she had the hands of someone familiar with hell's currency
deft fingers folded the golden papers into triangles
her wrists making quick accurate flings into the dragon painted oven
she was talking in rapid taiwanese
how environmental nuts wanted them to stop burning paper money
what will the gods think?! she exclaimed
he was listening
smiling and listening
those gods
they're used to the good life
stop burning and you'll have trouble that's what i'll tell you
spoiled that's what they are
but what can you do about it?
all this was said with the density of monks reciting passages of the bible
her hands making efficient strokes and flicks
and he chuckling in between
----------------
this was what mao zedong drank, this tea
he says, filling my cup
i pick up the hot teacup
its pungent and strong
leaves its trace in your mouth first time down
doesn't trickle back like other teas
i'm trying to decide whether i like this tea or not
i'm also trying to decide whether i like him
he fits in well at first glance
signature blue and white slippers that people in the country side wear
balding hair
weathered face
its until gramp's friend mentions that he's from the states
entire family's there
he lives in texas
he starts throwing me the questions
what i've studied
what i plan to study
you should have stayed with international business he tells me
could've become a CEO
i don't know what kids these days are thinking
you all live in fantasy
he doesn't even look at me when he says this
expertise should be found before interest
when you have enough expertise in something
then
thenthenthen
you can pursue your every interest
i don't like him from that point on
he prides himself in being an american citizen
too bad that's the only thing american about him
my kids all play sports
they've went to harvard berkley you name it
they can go anywhere they want and get a scholarship
my daughter
universities pay her to study there
for her tennis
i'm thinking
they don't pay her to study there
they pay her to play
ten fucking hours of tennis everyday
who has time for anything after that
i never pay for my kid's university tuition
he says with glee
as if not paying makes him all the more standard american father
and your going to study english
he looks at me from the corners of his eyes
and you want to write with the americans
compete with the americans
i am one of those silly little girls who believe that they can do english cause they hell can't do math
he looks and laughs
i look at him and laugh
i don't despise idiots
its not their fault they don't know better
----------------
why are you sending her abroad they joke and laugh
just find a good husband for her after university
i had a cousin that went to juilliard
wouldn't come back
her mom threatened her to cut connections
made her come back
made her marry
i had a granddaughter that went to juilliard
caught america like a bad virus
forgot about taiwan
wouldn't come back
her mom begged her to come home
she'd told her mom she'd rather send her money then go back
her mom cried some more
begged some more
had her come back
marry a doctor
she became so much more peaceful after marrying
she lived happily ever after
don't stay there gramps says
face long and serious
frowning a little
don't marry a foreigner
leave me
but remember to come back
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