記得第一天到美國晚上時分，ERIC來接我，第一餐請我到中式餐館吃宵夜，我點了一晚雪菜肉絲麵，沒想到美國的面超大碗的……。隔天早上船長到旅館接我，給我一本地圖，讓我練習開車上路，餐後帶我至他家附近的MALL逛逛，自己開上高速公路回旅館。週日ERIC開車帶我逛逛，沿著海岸邊開到山上辦公室，竟然左邊是太平洋，一種很奇妙的感覺。
週一上班第一天，才出旅館大門沒多久，被路面讓車減速的突起絆倒，當場狠狠地親吻了美國的土地一下，下巴流血不止，直到下午感覺不妙，秘書幫我掛號，ERIC帶我到附近醫院看醫生，結果縫了幾針。剛開始住在旅館，不太趕往外跑。新年過後一起把太太小孩接來，算是整家團員在一個地方。抵達機場後，不知道要如何租車子，租車電話聽不懂，耗了半個多小時才搭上租車公司SHUTTLE巴士，到租車公司租了一部休旅車，才能把所有行李塞進去。在高速公路上，妻小看到麥當勞很興奮，原來美國也有麥當勞。
隔天後即刻開回機場租車公司換了一部小客車，第一餐到附近麥當勞用餐。剛到晚上妻小精神特別好，三更半夜不睡覺，而當我下班回家時，碩碩總是在睡覺。當搬進租屋時才有家的感覺，接著忙碩碩入學的事，因為要做TB測試，特別跑到喜瑞都找台灣醫生，結果還是得做X光檢查，老婆為此大大抱怨一番，順利入學後開始擔心碩碩語言及適應問題，全校只有碩碩一個華人，其餘大部分是墨西哥裔學生，曾經被其他同學欺負，求助於住在北加州的堂姐，我還寫了一封信給校長。為了趕上其他同學課業，還幫碩碩找了家教老師加強課業輔導。
老婆抱怨老師對碩碩教學不認真，因進度趕不上有時叫他上課時在旁邊畫畫，因此學期結束終於決定效法孟母三遷精神，把學校附近有公寓的區域一一過濾，利用暑假空檔終於找到了不錯學校旁的公寓，當時硬著頭皮一家家打電話找公寓真是刻骨銘心，這是一家熱門學校，即使是學區內的住戶不見得能排的上，簡直有如晴天霹靂般的打擊，剛註冊完要等一週後才能確定是否能順利上學，索性聽人說有錢或許好辦事，於是剛開學捐了五十元給班上同學買文具，當天的聯絡簿馬上得到級任老師感謝回應，一班最多有二十個人，那幾天下課後老是問碩碩班上有幾位同學，過了一週後，並沒有意外的通知，於是碩碩順利的上了這個學校，這個學校亞洲人較多，但很重視課業，每天聯絡簿上都有功課，尤其遇到考試時，我的精神也跟著緊張，因此太太下令我下班後不要上ADULT SCHOOL專心教碩碩功課，遇到社會與自然全部背起來，中英翻譯，而數學的底子足以讓碩碩多出一個年級程度，繪畫的表現讓碩碩得到老師與同學的歡心與人緣。
Academic Success and Artistic Flourish: Shaoshi's Journey
I remember on the first evening in the United States, Eric came to pick me up. He took me to a Chinese restaurant for supper, and I ordered a bowl of shredded pork with preserved vegetables noodles. Little did I know that the portion size in the US was enormous. The next morning, Captain picked me up from the hotel and gave me a map to practice driving. After lunch, he took me to a nearby mall to explore, and then he drove back to the hotel on the highway. On Sunday, Eric took me for a drive along the coast, all the way up to his office in the mountains. It was fascinating to see the Pacific Ocean on the left side, creating a surreal feeling.
On my first day of work, just as I stepped out of the hotel gate, I tripped on a speed bump and kissed the ground, injuring my chin and causing it to bleed profusely. In the afternoon, feeling unwell, I went to a nearby hospital with Eric's assistance. I ended up getting a few stitches. Initially, I stayed in a hotel and didn't venture out much. After the New Year, my wife and child joined me, and we finally had the whole family together in one place. Upon arrival at the airport, we had some difficulties figuring out how to rent a car. It took us more than half an hour to catch the shuttle bus to the car rental company, where we finally rented an SUV that could fit all our luggage. As we drove on the highway, my wife and child got excited when they spotted a McDonald's. I realized that McDonald's was also present in the US.
The next day, I returned to the airport to exchange the SUV for a smaller car and had our first meal at a nearby McDonald's. When we arrived home in the evening, my wife and child were unusually energetic, staying awake until the early hours of the morning. Meanwhile, my son, Shaoshi, always seemed to be sleeping whenever I returned from work. It was only when we moved into a rental house that we truly felt like we had a home. We then busied ourselves with Shaoshi's enrollment in school, including undergoing a tuberculosis test. We went to a Taiwanese doctor in Hacienda Heights for the test, but it turned out that an X-ray examination was also required. My wife complained about the whole process, but eventually, Shaoshi successfully enrolled in school. We worried about his language skills and adjustment, as he was the only Chinese student in the entire school, where the majority were of Mexican descent. He even faced some bullying from other students. Seeking help, we reached out to my cousin who lived in Northern California, and I also wrote a letter to the principal. To catch up with his classmates, we hired a tutor to provide extra academic support for Shaoshi.
My wife complained that the teacher was not serious about teaching Shaoshi. Sometimes, when he couldn't keep up with the pace, he was allowed to draw instead of participating in class. Consequently, at the end of the semester, we decided to emulate the spirit of Mencius' mother and search for an apartment near the school. During the summer break, we tirelessly made phone calls to find an apartment, as it was a highly sought-after school, and not all residents in the school district could secure a spot. It was a devastating blow to our hopes. Finally, after registering, we had to wait for a week to confirm if Shaoshi could attend the school. We heard that having money could make things easier, so I donated $50 to the class for stationery supplies. Immediately, I received a thank-you note from the homeroom teacher in the communication book. The class had a maximum of 20 students, and for several days, I kept asking Shaoshi how many classmates he had. After a week, without any unexpected notifications, we finally received confirmation that Shaoshi was accepted into the school. This particular school had a significant number of Asian students, but they placed great emphasis on academics. Every day, there were homework assignments recorded in the communication book. During exams, my anxiety level matched Shaoshi's. As a result, my wife ordered me to focus on teaching Shaoshi his lessons after work, instead of attending adult school. We dedicated our evenings to helping him memorize social studies and natural science, translating between Chinese and English, and reinforcing his mathematical skills. His solid foundation in math allowed him to perform at a level one year ahead, and his artistic talent won him favor and popularity among his teachers and classmates.
My wife complained that the teacher wasn't serious enough in instructing Shaoshi. Sometimes, when the pace was too fast, she allowed him to doodle while others continued the lesson. Therefore, at the end of the semester, we followed the spirit of Mencius' mother and decided to make a change. We meticulously searched through the area near the school for an apartment, using our spare time during the summer break. Eventually, we found a nice apartment adjacent to the school. I still remember the feeling of desperation as we made phone calls one after another, trying to secure a place to live. This school was highly sought after, and even living in the school district didn't guarantee admission. It was like a bolt from the blue when we received the news of our success. After the registration, we had to wait for a week to receive confirmation that Shaoshi could attend the school. Some people said that having money could make things easier, so I decided to donate $50 to the class, allowing Shaoshi's teacher to purchase school supplies. That day, I received an immediate response of gratitude from the homeroom teacher. In his class, there were a total of twenty students, and those days were filled with inquiries about the number of classmates Shaoshi had.
After the waiting period, we finally received the notification that Shaoshi was successfully enrolled in the school. This school had a larger Asian population, but it placed great emphasis on academics. Each day, there were assignments written in the communication book, and I would often feel nervous during exam periods. My wife instructed me to stop attending adult school after work and focus on teaching Shaoshi instead. We helped him memorize his social studies and natural science materials, practiced Chinese-English translation, and reinforced his math skills. His strong foundation in math allowed him to perform at a level one year ahead of his peers, and his talent in art gained him favor and popularity among teachers and classmates.
