Some Musings

Before I delve into the next ten years of my life, allow me to divert.

Changes are always difficult. We fear them, because we distrust the unknown. We welcome them, because we anticipate good things, not bad things, to come out of the changes - hopefully.
We circumnavigate. We delay the happenings. We ignore the inevitable. Eventually we had to surrender, then, we even embrace Changes.  

The next ten or so years packed my life with more changes and happenings than the time I was in China. With the War and the constant unrest in China, my growth, mostly my mental and social growths were probably stunned. 
I am not saying that I did not learn to take care of myself under those difficult times.
I am not saying that I did not learn to manage my day-to-day living under my parents' guidance. 
In some ways, I was way ahead of people who did not grow up in big, wicked cities such as Shanghai where one learns a great deal: How to take care of yourself -do not Trust everyone, watch out for the pickpockets, not everything is what it appears to be, But I was very ignorant in many ways.

The next ten years possibly shaped me more for what I am today. More so than I would admit? I am not saying that I did not learn and grow during my life in China. Somehow, life in HK and in England, touched me more than ever. It was possible that my awareness of my surroundings and my senses sharpened. We change, hopefully, we grow as we change.

My mother, in her ways, always tried to help me in my growing years. When I had trouble understanding my science classes, she employed a tutor to work with me after school hours. During  summer vacations, she found different teachers to give me private lessons - I took lessons in French, I took lessons in piano, I took lessons in guitar (Hawaiian style). I became a Jack of all Trades, and master of none. I did learn to do embroidery, to sew, and to knit. And I did become quite good at sewing. And, did I mention that I loved theater and acting? I was a Ham.
But, she shielded me from the outside world. She and my father both.

Of course, during the Japanese Occupation, I wore no makeup ( I was a teen) and I did not dress to attract attention. We were very low key in every way. Do Not call attention to ourselves! There was no such thing as Dating. Although I had lots of brothers and male second-cousins, I did not know much about boys. I went to a girls' school. remember?
Being in Hong Kong changed almost everything.
I grew up in the old Chinese way. I was taught Confucius philosophy - Do to the others as you would others do to you. Take care of Family, then the town will take care of itself, then the province, then the country. Obey your parents, respect your teachers and elders, work hard, etc. . . . and worship ancestors.
We used to have elaborate ceremonies, worshiping our ancestors during different seasons. We had to stop doing that because we had no room for the  rites and rituals. We had to economize. 
At the same time, we had to learn a new language, so to speak - learning to speak Cantonese. Cantonese dialect is so very different from Shanghainese. To us, it was a foreign language. Mother learned quickly. Father had more trouble. Many a time, especially, if we were dealing with the British-educated Chinese, we had to resolve into speaking English. 
so, we gradually adapted.