National Adult Literacy Database

May 15, 2006

The following story was composed by Ting, from Red Deer, Alberta. The story was dictated by Ting to Michelle Cook, Coordinator at the Red Deer Adult Literacy Program, and typed into the computer for him to use as a literacy exercise. Ting felt no one would want to read his story. When you have finished you will not be able to look at another new Canadian again and dismiss them as anonymous and inconsequential. Below is the third part of Ting's story.

Ting's Recollections (Part 3)

by Ting

I started work and changed jobs many times. In China you can’t choose jobs. But in this province I changed many times. I worked as a glass maker in a big company for three years, making window glass. I worked as a mechanic. In 1967 I was a truck driver for a company for many years.

I married at 27. My daughter was born when I was 30. I have just one daughter because in China there are too many people. If you have a big family, and have many children, you are poor. You do not eat enough good food. I have just my daughter. Now there is a law. You cannot have many children. But many people my age have 4 children or 5 children. But\ I was scared there would be no food. I have just one child. My wife worked.

I worked. No body was home. I had one child and she was in a day care. She was born and her mother could stay home only two months, no more.

Mother must go back to work. My wife stayed home two months and then back to work. My daughter was put in a day care at my wife’s company. She would leave work every two hours to give my daughter food. At coffee time, she could go to give my daughter food, then back to work. At one year old the baby goes to a day care outside of the company and is there all day.

Everyday I think of my daughter. Just one daughter. She went to university far away from Shin Ja, three days and three nights. She was alone at university. Four year s after university She came back to Shin Ja. My daughter in China finished university and with my son-in-law came to Canada.

My son-in-law first went to Canada. My daughter went to Canada. After he worked, she worked then she sponsored me to come to Canada. In 1994 I retired. After I was retired 1 month I came to Canada.

My granddaughter was born in 1994. I came here. My wife was very sick. We look after my granddaughter. My wife looked after our granddaughter in Edmonton and I went to school to learn English. After one and a half years I moved, in 1997, to Red Deer. I have been studying English since then.

By 1998 I can speak a little bit of English. I go to find a job.

Every day I work, no holiday, no weekend. Last year I retired for the second time.

Part 1 | Part 2