A Spider in the Wind: My World, My Time, My Life, My Thoughts

The life story of a celebrity may be entertaining or even newsworthy to many, but that of an ordinary man or woman offers a much closer parallel to that of most readers. This is such a story: the story of my life from birth to my “golden” years.
I left my native southern China for Vietnam at the age of three, running away from the invading Japanese. I grew up in a small, conservative and closed Chinese community in this under-developed country through some of its furious internal strife, not knowing much about the outside world until I had a chance to go to Taiwan for a free college education, when my mind was cracked open to the immense opportunity in the world. After graduation I smuggled myself into Hong Kong and worked several jobs there to save enough money to go to the United States. After struggled through a top-grade graduate school of journalism, I managed to build a career and a family.
Along the way, I’ve learned to speak English and met many interesting people. I’ve also witnessed the debut of the computer in the business world, the dawning of the telecommunication age, and the awakening of that “sleeping giant” that is China.
Now comfortably in retirement with three accomplished children and six grand children (and counting), I reflect on life’s vagaries and how I faced the many fork roads during my journey.
For the many young people facing the prospect of an independent life ahead, and also immigrants who face an uncertain future in their new homes, I hope I could offer, if not a realistic case study on how to navigate their future, at least a cautionary tale of what not to do.