“You’re 24? Better start thinking about marriage.”
“Girls shouldn’t pursue a Master’s. No guy wants a wife smarter than him.”
It took all physical exertion to restrain my arm from hurling the unopened can of Red Bull at Uncle. I shifted my gaze to the leftover pork ribs on the mahogany dining table while mentally banging the head of Mom’s younger brother against a thorn-infested wall. Auntie was still trying out the salt level of the fish; Mom was hastily gulping down her soup, and Dad took another sip of his Taipei beer, his eyes glued to his phone.
In truth, I had foreseen those types of comments from my extended family, as I’d overheard similar accounts from some of the female international students I’ve tutored — complaining about their parents pressuring them to be married before they hit 26 was part of their daily routine. My inability to relate to them in that regard made me feel like we were from different planets. Somewhere on the road of adolescence, I realized with robotic objectivity how far my life has strayed from my mother culture and the prescribed values that pertain to it.
“You got an English degree? That’s not too bad. Girls suit the arts, boys suit the sciences.” said Uncle, glaring at Dad as if challenging him to disagree.
Slouched in my chair, I stretched my hand out for the Red Bull. I needed all the energy I could muster for the rest of the evening.
ORIGINAL VERSION
With Undue Respect
“You’re 24? Better start thinking about marriage.”
“Girls shouldn’t pursue a Master’s. You’ll never find a husband.”
It took all the strength of my jet-lagged mind not to hurl my unopened can of Red Bull at my uncle. Being the more-or-less civilized person that I am, I shifted my gaze to the leftover pork ribs while mentally banging the head of Mom’s younger brother against a thorn-infested wall. Around the dining table, my aunt was hastily gulping down her soup; Mom was biting her lips; and Dad took another sip of his Taipei beer, concealing his expression.
In truth, I had foreseen those types of comments from my extended family, as I’d overheard similar accounts from some of the female international students I’ve tutored — complaining about their parents pressuring them to be married before they hit 26 was part of their daily routine. Their actual anxiety over a social custom so fucking last century made me feel like we were from different planets, and made me realize, with robotic objectivity, how far my life has strayed from my mother culture and the prescribed values that pertain to it.
“Ah, you got an English Literature degree? That’s not too bad. Girls suit the arts, boys suit the sciences.” said my uncle, looking at Dad as if demanding that he agree.
Slouched in my chair, I stretched my hand out for the Red Bull. I needed all the energy I could muster for the rest of the evening.