Do​ ​you​ ​still​ ​remember​ ​when​ ​you​ ​were​ ​little​ ​and​ ​had​ ​so​ ​much​ ​curiosity​ ​about love?​ ​
When​ ​I​ ​was​ ​little,​ ​I​ ​asked​ ​my​ ​dad,
“Daddy,​ ​where​ ​did​ ​I​ ​come​ ​from?”
“People​ ​make​ ​mistakes.”
“Why​ ​did​ ​you​ ​get​ ​married​ ​to​ ​mom?”
“People​ ​make​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​mistakes.”
“Is​ ​that​ ​because​ ​of​ ​love?​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​still​ ​love​ ​her​ ​now?”
“Well,​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​hate​ ​her…”

Asian​ ​parents​ ​don't​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​love.​
​Last​ ​time,​ ​when​ ​I​ ​gave​ ​her​ ​a​ ​hug​ ​and​ ​told her,​ ​“Mom,​ ​I​ ​love​ ​you.”
She​ ​shrugged​ ​and​ ​said,​ ​“OK!”
“Mom…..I​ ​just​ ​said​ ​I​ ​love​ ​you.​ ​Shouldn't​ ​you​ ​say​ ​something​ ​back​ ​to​ ​me?”
“Yeah,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​just​ ​said​ ​OK~​ ​back​ ​to​ ​you.​ ​Now​ ​go​ ​back​ ​to​ ​study!.​ ​”

I​ ​love​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​but​ ​she​ ​is​ ​a​ ​terrible​ ​cook.​ ​
On​ ​Mother's​ ​Day,​ ​when​ ​my classmates​ ​wrote​ ​“Mommy,​ ​thank​ ​you​ ​for​ ​making​ ​the​ ​best​ ​cookies​ ​ever!”
​ ​and​ ​I wrote​ ​“Mommy,​ ​thank​ ​you​ ​for​ ​making​ ​the​ ​best​ ​instant​ ​noodles​ ​ever!”​ ​
After receiving​ ​the​ ​card,​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​cooked​ ​instant​ ​noodles​ ​as​ ​my​ ​dinner​ ​for​ ​a​ ​whole week.

Asian​ ​parents​ ​wrap​ ​up​ ​their​ ​true​ ​feelings​ ​like​ ​an​ ​onion.​ ​But​ ​if​ ​you​ ​cut​ ​away​ ​the onion's​ ​layers,​ ​the​ ​love​ ​inside​ ​will​ ​move​ ​you​ ​to​ ​tears.​ ​

When​ ​I​ ​was​ ​12,​ ​I​ ​won​ ​the youth​ ​excellence​ ​award​ ​and​ ​I​ ​got​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​picture​ ​and​ ​shake​ ​hand​ ​with​ ​the mayor​ ​then.​ ​I​ ​went​ ​back​ ​home​ ​and​ ​showed​ ​the​ ​picture​ ​to​ ​my​ ​mom.​ ​Instead​ ​of telling​ ​me​ ​“Good​ ​job”,​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​told​ ​me​ ​“Don't​ ​be​ ​too​ ​happy​ ​la,​ ​It's​ ​not​ ​like​ ​you shook​ ​hands​ ​with​ ​the​ ​president.​ ​Study​ ​harder​ ​ok?​ ​When​ ​Taiwanese​ ​are sleeping,​ ​the​ ​Americans​ ​they​ ​are​ ​still​ ​working.”

Later,​ ​during​ ​the​ ​Chinese​ ​New​ ​year,​ ​my​ ​parents​ ​printed​ ​out​ ​several​ ​copies​ ​of that​ ​picture.​ ​When​ ​my​ ​aunt​ ​asked​ ​“My​ ​son​ ​won​ ​first​ ​place​ ​in​ ​his​ ​class​ ​this semester.​ ​How​ ​about​ ​your​ ​daughter?”​ ​My​ ​mom​ ​would​ ​reply​ ​“Ah,​ ​too​ ​bad​ ​my
daughter​ ​is​ ​not​ ​as​ ​clever​ ​as​ ​your​ ​son.​ ​She​ ​only​ ​shook​ ​hands​ ​with​ ​the​ ​mayor this​ ​semester.​ ​Btw,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​picture.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​have​ ​a​ ​copy​ ​if​ ​you​ ​want.”​ ​In fact,​ ​they​ ​are​ ​proud​ ​of​ ​me.

Asian​ ​parents​ ​love​ ​their​ ​children​ ​no​ ​more​ ​or​ ​less​ ​than​ ​any​ ​other​ ​parents,​ ​the only​ ​problem​ ​is​ ​they​ ​don't​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​say​ ​it.​ ​But​ ​nowadays,​ ​thanks​ ​to​ ​social media,​ ​even​ ​shy​ ​Asian​ ​parents​ ​can​ ​use​ ​Line​ ​to​ ​text​ ​their​ ​kids​ ​everyday​ ​and
stalk​ ​their​ ​children​ ​on​ ​Facebook.

Every​ ​time​ ​when​ ​I​ ​post​ ​pictures,​ ​my​ ​dad​ ​is​ ​always​ ​the​ ​first​ ​one​ ​to​ ​hit​ ​like​ ​for me​ ​and​ ​share​ ​it​ ​on​ ​his​ ​facebook.​ ​
“This​ ​is​ ​my​ ​daughter.​ ​She​ ​went​ ​out​ ​with​ ​her friend​ ​last​ ​weekend”
​ ​and​ ​my​ ​aunt​ ​and​ ​uncle​ ​love​ ​to​ ​give​ ​comments​ ​below.
“Wow,​ ​Is​ ​this​ ​Nana?​ ​She​ ​looks​ ​fatter​ ​now.”​ ​
“Is​ ​the​ ​guy​ ​standing​ ​beside​ ​her​ ​her boyfriend?​ ​Is​ ​he​ ​rich?”

One​ ​time​ ​I​ ​got​ ​an​ ​urgent​ ​phone​ ​call​ ​from​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​at​ ​late​ ​night.​ ​I​ ​thought something​ ​terrible​ ​happened,​ ​but​ ​then​ ​I​ ​heard​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​yelling​ ​angrily​ ​
“​ ​Why you​ ​didn't​ ​hit​ ​like​ ​on​ ​my​ ​photo​ ​last​ ​week?”​ ​“Ah…...last​ ​week?”​
​“Now​ ​I​ ​have less​ ​likes​ ​than​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​on​ ​facebook.”​
​“What?”​ ​
“All​ ​our​ ​relatives​ ​hit​ ​like,​ ​even your​ ​auntie​ ​Alice​ ​who​ ​is​ ​still​ ​in​ ​the​ ​hospital.​ ​Except​ ​you!​ ​What​ ​would​ ​others think?​ ​You​ ​don't​ ​care​ ​about​ ​your​ ​poor​ ​mom​ ​at​ ​all?”​
 ​“Humm…...Do​ ​you​ ​really think​ ​others​ ​will​ ​care?”​
 ​“I​ ​was​ ​pregnant​ ​with​ ​you​ ​for​ ​over​ ​ten​ ​months.​ ​Don't make​ ​me​ ​regret​ ​it.”​
​“OK!​ ​I'm​ ​gonna​ ​hit​ ​like​ ​for​ ​you​ ​at​ ​1​ ​am.”

Parents​ ​on​ ​Facebook​ ​can​ ​be​ ​very​ ​terrifying.​
​Did​ ​I​ ​get​ ​Candy​ ​Crush​ ​invitation from​ ​them​ ​everyday?​ ​Yes.​
Did​ ​they​ ​post​ ​a​ ​picture​ ​of​ ​me​ ​wearing​ ​a​ ​diaper,​ ​I mean​ ​only​ ​a​ ​diaper,​ ​on​ ​their​ ​Facebook?​ ​Yes.​ ​
My​ ​friends​ ​told​ ​me”Why​ ​don't you​ ​just​ ​block​ ​your​ ​parents,​ ​like​ ​most​ ​of​ ​us​ ​do?”​ ​
Well…….instead​ ​of​ ​putting them​ ​on​ ​the​ ​black​ ​list​ ​just​ ​to​ ​make​ ​my​ ​life​ ​a​ ​little​ ​easier,​ ​I​ ​set​ ​them​ ​as​ ​my facebook​ ​Best​ ​Friend.​ ​Because​ ​when​ ​I​ ​was​ ​little,​ ​were​ ​they​ ​the​ ​ones​ ​who
watched​ ​Sleeping​ ​Beauty​ ​with​ ​me​ ​again,​ ​again​ ​and​ ​again​ ​?​

​Yes.​ ​Were​ ​they the​ ​ones​ ​who​ ​sent​ ​me​ ​to​ ​the​ ​hospital​ ​when​ ​I​ ​drank​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​bottle​ ​of​ ​glue?
Yes.​ ​Did​ ​they​ ​block​ ​me​ ​out​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lives?​ ​Nope.

For​ ​Asian​ ​parents​ ​and​ ​I​ ​guess​ ​even​ ​their​ ​children,​ ​their​ ​love​ ​might​ ​not​ ​be heard,​ ​but​ ​can​ ​definitely​ ​be​ ​felt.​ ​
After​ ​hearing​ ​me​ ​say​ ​so​ ​much​ ​about​ ​my parents,​ ​some​ ​might​ ​wanna​ ​ask​ ​me​
​“Do​ ​you​ ​love​ ​your​ ​parents?”​ ​
“Well……​ ​I don't​ ​hate​ ​them.”

Contest​ ​Master !