So after some desperate escapes, and hopping around in refugee camps, they came to Canada and settled in a small town in Saskatchewan.
They, like most refugees at that time, had nothing. Like stereotypical Chinese people, they quickly attained two jobs each as they mourned about their lost loved ones. About 16 hours a day.
They knew very little English, but thankfully the community they lived in consisted of super nice Christians. They provided my parents much unconditional support. I'm thankful for them. My parents relied on them to help them with life events, such as having a baby, and purchasing a car.
One day, my dad told one of his friends, "I want to buy a house."
The friend looked at my father with doubt. My dad worked super minimum wage jobs, had a child, and had only been living in Canada for a few years. The friend's salary was double, and just recently sold his car because he could no longer afford it. If he couldn't afford a car, how could my dad afford a house?
He hesitated to answer, hoping to not break my father's heart. "I don't know...you need to have about *** amount of money to put a down payment on a house," he finally said.
My dad laughed. He and his wife has been saving up. They had enough cash to buy a whole house on the spot. Apparently, his friends jaw dropped - but I think my father was just being dramatic when he told me.
Chinese people at that time, my father told me rather proudly, worked like slaves, wore second hand clothing and ate cheap food in order to save for a better future for their children. White people, my father looked at me (because he thinks I act too white), like to have fun, and spend more money on today than tomorrow.
Which makes sense to me. Why save for tomorrow if tomorrow never comes? Say two 27 year olds all of a sudden die. Who had the better life? The miserable tightwad who never saw the world because he was too busy saving up for house? Or the near broke world traveler?
In a way, the "old fashion Chinese way of living" still doesn't make sense to me. But in another way, I really wish I could live that way.
Take an acquaintance of mine that I've known since high school as a case study. I rejected him when he tried to woo me. I thought he was really weird because he wore weird clothes and was always uber cheap. But after high school he went to a good school and got an impressive job.
He's only a couple years older than me and isn't drowning in student debt like the rest of us. In fact, these days, he's freaking prosperous. Ttoday, he has a fat savings account, dresses ridiculously well, and drives a shiny new yellow sports car. He's waiting for the one before he purchases a house that he already has the money for.
How did he do that? He did the Chinese way of living with an education and look at him, all rich with girls all over him and stuff. He only had to spend his childhood in frugal living. And got out of debt asap so he could enjoy life.
Sigh.
PS I know not everyone likes generalizations. I don't either. But when my father generalizes, I give him an exception, because, well, he's my father.
PPS I've heard this story multiple times. Each time I hear the story, some parts change - probably because he only likes to tell stories after a couple beers. (Yes, many Asians get drunk by a couple beers.
PPPS Remind me next time to ask my dad why he didn't just take out a mortgage.
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