From: f0l8973@zeus.tamu.edu
Subject: Always Mom's Son
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 00:25:00 GMT

		Always Mother's Sun

Prof. Wang is a new visiting scholar from China.  He and Mrs Wang came to 
the states two month ago.  Before they came here they stopped at Los Angles 
for a month visiting their son.  Then through a friend of friends, they got 
my name and phone number.  They called me up and asked if I could find an 
apartment for them.  After they settled down, they invited me to dinner.  
Mrs Wang made double cooked pork with lots of extra Chao2Tian1Jiao1 they 
brought from China.

One major topic of the dinner conversation was about, naturally, their son.  
I learned that he came to the America three years ago studying physics.  
Then he transferred to the computer science department and got a master 
degree in two years.  After he graduated he got a job writing softwares for 
a company in L.A.  It's not hard to see how proud Prof. and Mrs Wang were 
about their son.

"He's very busy," Mrs Wang said, "very busy.  He works extra hours every 
weekend.  He always finishes his project before it's due.  When he first 
started, he always finished the project four to five days earlier.  Then his 
boss just gave him another one.  He thought he finished earlier he could 
take a break.  He couldn't.  He got a new project.  Now he finishes the 
project and wait until the last day to turn it in."

Mrs Wang picked up some pork, put in my plate.  "His boss likes him very 
much.  When he went to a meeting, he brought my son with him.  There were 
hundred of people in the company.  But he only brought my son with him.  He 
likes my son very much.  He gave him a raise."

"Only a small raise."  Prof. Wang point out.

"Yes, only a small raise."  Mrs Wang continued.  "My son works a lot extra 
hours.  His boss only gave him a small raise.  My son came home very late.  
When he came home, he usually was very tired.  He then just sitting on the 
couch watching TV until late night.  I asked him, 'Why do you watch so much 
TV?  why don't you study?'  He said, 'I am learning English, mom.'  He watch 
TV to learn English."

"He went to bed very late everyday.  Then he got up very late in the 
weekends.  I make him breakfast, but he wouldn't get up.  I tried to heat up
the breakfast again and again.  Finally I had to go to his bedroom and 
yanked his cover away.  He jumped off the bed and yelled, 'What are you doing, 
mom?'  He didn't want to get up."

"After he got up, he stayed in the bathroom for a long time.  He needed to 
comb his hair.  He is not a girl.  But he combed his hair.  I asked him what 
he was doing.  He said, 'I have to look good, mom.  You have to make your 
boss like you.  Everybody dose this.'  I still don't understand why a man 
need comb his hair."

"He took a lot of care of his look.  He even had to buy water to drink.  He 
got the water delivered to his apartment.  I asked him why not buy water 
from the supermarket.  He said, 'I don't have time, mom.'  He could save 
almost five dollars every month if he fetched the water himself.  But he 
preferred to get the water delivered."

"He bought a very large TV.  But he bought a very small car.  His car could 
only seat two people.  When he bought his TV, he couldn't even put it in the 
car.  He had to throw away the box to get the TV home.  He told me, 'This is 
a good car, it is very fashioning.'  I don't know about that.  I think your 
car (A very old American hatchback) is a lot better.  You can put a full 
size bed in it.  Do you want to sell it?"

"Not yet."

"When you do, please tell us.  We would like to buy it."

Newsgroups: soc.culture.china