My First School

In 1945, we moved to Nanking, we flew to Wuhan first, where we stayed at Xiao-gie’s home for a few days before we continued to Nanking. I was six then, it was the first time I watched a movie in the theater across the street from where we stayed. The movie’s name was “The Yangtze flows to the East” (一江春水向东流). At the end, the main lady jumped into the River, it was so sad!

When we got to Nanking, I was immediately enrolled in a primary school which was managed by Central University. I was there for three years; it was quite a distance to walk to and back every day. It took a long time to walk home, I remembered, especially in the winter time.  Nanking is equivalent to the DC area; winter could be severely cold. I remembered that our hands were cracked once and was told to make sure to wear gloves all the time. 

In 1981, our whole family was able to visit my first primary school and our old new home in Nanking.

   1981

It was then belong to Nanking Normal University. There was still one teacher who taught there when I was there, but she was not teaching first three grades. Margaret and Steven were teasing me about what a short distance the school was to my old home. Of course, my answer was that “ we were in the car”. I am sure that we will still have arguments about that.

   1981 in front of our brand new home in 1945

It was then belong to Nanking Normal University. There was still one teacher who taught there when I was there, but she was not teaching first three grades. Margaret and Steven were teasing me about what a short distance the school was to my old home. Of course, my answer was that “we were in the car”. I am sure that we will still have arguments about that.