Next Stop, Taipei Station

“Ah… Good bye my fellow friends and family. I’m going to work in Taipei City. Cuz I’ve heard they have everything good.” This is a song called “To Move Forward” written by Lin Qiang. My grandfather was born in an awkward period of time. It was late in the Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan, and nobody knew when the Japanese would leave. At the end of the World War II, Japan was defeated, so the Republic of China took over Taiwan’s leadership. After that, the economy started getting worse. Many years later, around 1966, my grandfather wanted to live a better life. Thus, he decided to move the whole family to Taipei City for better opportunities, and new life. My grandfather’s decision changed the destiny of my family and specifically has affected my father’s life.

Living in Taipei City costs more money than living in the countryside, so my grandparents had to work extra hard to feed the whole family. Because they did not have much education or skills, they were willing to do any kind of jobs. For example, they had sold bamboo shoots along the streets, opened a street vendor to sell chewing gum and betel nuts, and a little grocery store on the busiest avenue. Unfortunately, these stores did not last long because of the Martial Law imposed by government. People couldn’t do what they wanted, and there was no freedom of speech. They ended up working in a clothing factory. Even though times were hard, they believed as long as they stayed in Taipei City, there always was hope.

In addition to the poor economic times, my father had to earn money to pay his own tuition fee for school. In that period of time, not many people could study in school, and not to mention a poor country boy like my father. Every day, he got up early to deliver newspapers, and after class he went to a factory to clean up the trash. As a result, he could not pay much attention to his classes. His teacher drove him out to the remedial classes, for he failed most of the classes. Once my father told me, he only got two points on his math test. I asked him how could this happen if you studied. He answered me you didn’t have time to study because you have to work, and the teacher was too strict. Even though my father was not the smartest student in school, he still worked hard, so he could study.

One of the biggest effects of this time was that my grandparents were too busy to take care of the family, so my father and my oldest aunt had to take over this job. My youngest aunt was just born, and my grandparents’ income was not enough to support the new family member. Therefore, as the oldest son in this family, my father, eventually had to give up his education to help the family. My oldest aunt, as well as my father, had to take care of younger siblings with my father. Eventually, he found an opportunity to be an apprentice in a lamp factory. As time passed, my father became a professional technical worker. Sadly, these days, most of people think he is just a worker. None of them understood his sadness and bitterness for sacrificing education and childhood in order to support a family.

My grandfather’s choice had affected so many things in my family. My grandparents spent their whole life working, and my father and oldest aunt sacrificed their education and youth for family. I don’t think I will be able to understand my grandparents and my father’s struggle to survive in Taipei City. It was tough, but they have successfully come through. Like the end of the song sang “Nobody knows how many people like me try to living in this strange city, but I afraid nothing! Just to move forward!” I’m very thankful of what they have done for the family, so I could be born in this city of hope.