"Jesus, oh!" "Oh God" "No Metal in the microwave" "No metal!" "Martha, it's Robert" "Just to let you know to keep an eye peeled for the first reviews of your breathlessly awaited first novel" "Word is, the Times is going to rave..." "Talk later" "Thanks" "You look like shit" "Where's Grandpa?" "He's so cute with the headphones on" "Hi Grandpa!" "Do you think he remembers me?" "Come on, it's a steal You've got to see it" "You'll have your own room to write in" "Grandpa can be out in the back chopping bricks or whatever he does out there" "You'd never even know he existed I wish he didn't" "God, he's really getting you down" "From the way Alex has acted for the last 7 years you'd have thought he didn't have a father" "And then boom, a month ago this showed up on the doorstep I haven't written a word since" "Well, Alex has got to get him out of here lt's not that simple with Alex and frankly we can't afford to buy another place let alone a mansion" "Of course you can especially if your mother's offer is still good" "Alex will never accept money from her you know that" "Work on Him!" "For God sakes, Martha you have a lot to learn about men" "And you have a lot to learn about husbands" "Sorry lt's okay. I'm getting a dog" "Hi Alex!" "Smells good Good Jimmy" "Grandpa, I'm home" "How's my boy!" "What's that?" "It's a book I made for you" "Animals that change" "One day I saw the most weird thing lt was a turtle, a fish and a rat" "They were in a puddle of potion" "They grew" "They destroy the universe." "The end" "Jeremy gets some ideas" "Come on." "Let's clean up for dinner" "Dad, you shouldn't eat so much fat at your age" "How are you today?" "Did you watch those tapes I rented for you?" "Terrible!" "I'll get you some Taiwanese tapes" "They'll be just as bad" "Well, what about some Hong Kong kung-fu movies?" "The worst!" "Their kung-fu's a joke" "Dad!" "They're only acting" "You're a Tai Chi professor They can't compare" "Damn, I can't learn English lt's a disgrace to go back" "My life is going nowhere" "Dad it hasn't even been a month since you retired and came to America" "Give yourself some time" "Jeremy come here come here you little rascal" "Come here" "Come here, Jeremy." "Get off the couch I don't have time for this, come here" "Whoa!" "My precious young man running bare naked!" "Let me see!" "The future of the Chu family is depending on your little treasure" "What does he think he's doing?" "That's all right" "Chinese elders must always reassure themselves that their family name will go on" "Come on Jeremy, upstairs with you!" "She's afraid he'll catch cold" "Kids aren't made out of paper" "Thanks" "Thanks" "No, thanks" "Why does this American woman only eat vegetables?" "She's afraid of getting fat" "Why am I not fat?" "On this Earth there are two kinds of food" "Cereal and vegetables are 'yin' and meat is 'yang'" "You must eat both to be balanced and to be healthy" "Alex, Linda came over today" "Great" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Just great" "What exactly do you have against her anyway?" "So what if she was a Maoist in college?" "From Maoist revolutionary to real estate baron lf there's one thing worse than a communist it's an ex-communist who has become a capitalist" "Well, she's ready to do us quite a big favor" "Oh no." "She's trying to sell us a house again" "What's she mumbling about?" "Nothing" "Something about cigarette butts?" "What?" "Mommy said she wants to move out" "Quiet!" "Alex, I'm talking to you" "Mommy, can I watch cartoons?" "Here put some meat on your bones!" "I don't want it, thank you" "Jeremy, finish your milk and you can watch TV" "What did she say?" "If he finishes his milk, he can watch TV" "American people teach children everything's a deal, like doing business" "You should at least take a look at the photos lt's apparently a real steal lf children can't concentrate on eating what else can they concentrate on?" "Yes, father" "And, these American cartoons are only adding weirdness and violence to this messed up world for children?" "It's just a mess" "Our sages said..." "Dad, eat!" "Don't get upset. I'm just afraid your dinner's getting cold" "What has he been babbling about?" "The violence in cartoons" "How can he complain he's martial arts expert himself lsn't that violent enough?" "Would you cut it out?" "Both of you!" "Just eat" "You finish up. I'm going out for a smoke" "In America, you're so polite to kids You think so?" "You don't treat kids as kids lt's not so simple lt's called democracy" "No big and no little I see, you understand America better than me" "Chinese Time" "Jeremy, stop playing" "Come on, time for homework" "Alex" "The teachers' Putonghua is poor ls his Chinese school any good?" "Don't be too picky!" "We only have one Chinese school around here" "Every weekend Jeremy learns some Chinese I can play basketball and you get to teach Tai Chi" "Thanks God for it!" "Let's follow what they teach" "Eh!" "Not like that" "Dad, I've got some things to take care of" "Jeremy, come on" "Grandpa will teach you an old Chinese rhyme" "On East West Street, North South Go" "Outside the gate, a man bites a dog!" "Grab the dog to hit a brick" "Watch out that brick might bite the hand" "Follow Grandpa" "On East West Street" "North South Go" "Outside the gate a man bites a dog" "Outside the gate a dog bites a man a man bites a dog!" "a man bites a dog!" "Shit" "Just one more sentence" "Okay" "How's your computer virus?" "Almost killed" "and when can I start reading your new book?" "There is no new book, can't you tell?" "Shit Alex, are as out of it as your father?" "You don't know my father I have spent every single day in the same room with that man since he showed up here a month ago" "Alex, it's impossible" "He's taken over my work room I just don't have the space to think" "Not enough space?" "In China, this house is big enough for four families" "Sure, but they'd speak the same language so they could talk to each other" "Alex he hasn't learned one word of English" "And what about you?" "What have you done but make fun of him treating him with disrespect?" "Alex, I tried I'm his only son What do you want me to do?" "You could at least consider moving into a bigger place." "We can afford it" "No I don't see why we have to pay for his insurance let him eat us out of house and home when we can't accept a little loan from my mother lt's not a little loan, it's a bride a big bride and you know it" "You look a little freaked out here" "Come on, let's go to bed" "Good night Alex" "Honestly Linda l don't know why we're here" "Come on, let's explore" "Father-and-son" "Father" "Sweep" "Step back" "Collect" "Hook" "Step out" "Single whip" "Play guitar" "Lean" "White crane spreads its wing" "Left hand ward off" "Right hand attack" "Excuse me, are you the instructor here?" "I teach the cooking class" "My name is Chen and you?" "What's your name?" "Chu" "Master Chu" "Please, we're all friends here" "Don't call me master" "Mr. Chu, I don't know what our headmaster's thinking my class is making dumplings, half-done" "Some workmen just came in to do some repairs we have to leave I see you have plenty of space here could we move in just this once?" "Dumplings can be moved in but they can't be moved out" "We've also got scallion pancakes and spring rolls!" "Come on, let's help!" "Thank you" "Sink your chest" "Stretch your back imagine a string pulling up your head" "Sink lower your body" "Master Chu don't torture the child!" "Look at all his weight" "How can he 'sink his chest'?" "Let him help me knead the dough" "Oh, it's so difficult" "Mrs. Chen, next week I'll help you make dumplings" "Can I enroll?" "Next week, no dumplings but General Tso's Special Chicken" "Master Chu, would you please demonstrate how to emit force with Pushing Hands?" "Okay, let's try Thank you" "My God, would that hurt?" "Hey, Mr. Chu, try me" "You're too heavy" "So your kung-fu can only go so far!" "Okay" "Mr. Chu, can you take the fighting away?" "Don't you see these burners and the boiling water!" "It's alright if Heavyweight gets burned but the dumplings!" "If you smash them what're we going to eat?" "We'll eat roast pigging!" "Oh, okay!" "Far enough?" "I'm ready Master!" "What!" "Haven't you any eyes to see!" "Sorry...!" "I don't mean you!" "It's your Master who wasn't looking of all the directions!" "Why did you throw Heavyweight right smack on the dumplings!" "Excellent aim!" "Okay!" "No dumplings today!" "Instead, we'll have sandy crab scalded noodle lump soup!" "I'm sorry lt wasn't on purpose!" "It was on purpose" "Are you okay?" "It was on purpose!" "Got mad ln front of all these people sooner or later I knew you'd show off!" "Sorry...!" "Okay!" "Don't stand there with a red face!" "Let's clean up!" "Everyone helps!" "No more Tai Chi Chuan!" "We'll make dumplings!" "Come..." "Did you hear that?" "Master says no more Tai Chi!" "Let's move" "Oh my, what's this shape?" "Hold on." "Let me see your hands." "Filthy!" "Men, all of you wash your hands" "Use soap!" "No dirty hands on my dumplings ls that clear?" "Quick..." "Mr. Chu, sit!" "Let the young people stand" "Come and sit" "Not bad" "Thin skin, plump stuffing, nice twist lt's nothing" "Northerners like making things from dough" "Are you from Peking?" "Yes" "How long have you been here?" "Just over a month" "Are you used to it here?" "If I was would I be here messing around?" "Watch what you're saying, I'm here too I don't mean that" "America is a world for young people" "Are you also from Peking?" "Do I seem like I am?" "By your accent, yes;" "the way you look, no" "That's right 1949, I went with my husband to Taiwan to escape the Communists" "And Mr. Chen is..." "He's dead" "His name wasn't Chen" "Not long after we arrived in Taiwan he got liver cancer and passed away I'm called Mrs. Chen because of my second husband" "Oh and Mr. Chen?" "He's dead too, just last year" "Life and death, it's fate" "Riches and rags are given by the gods You just accept it." "Everything is destiny" "Sure..." "Earlier this year, I left Taiwan came to live with my daughter" "Every Saturday, I bring my granddaughter here to study Chinese" "Are you used to it here?" "How did you put it just now?" "If I wasn't so bored at home how could your Heavyweight have smashed my dumplings?" "A computer couldn't have aimed more accurately" "Destiny, it's all destiny" "That's right!" "What kung-fu!" "What's the matter?" "Since last year sometimes my right arm just gives out when I pick up something a little heavy lt's helpless" "Have you seen a doctor?" "Yes" "Chinese doctors, western doctors accupressure, acupuncture herbal remedies, shots, medicine I've tried everything but getting a spell cast on me I'm just old" "Mrs. Chen, I don't want to sound like a self-promoter but practising Tai Chi will heal your arm" "Okay, spare me!" "Haven't I suffered enough in this life?" "Practise?" "I won't be that stupid enough" "No, when you practise Tai Chi your circulation and energy will flow I've let go, I'm not holding on" "Energy must be released to me" "When its released there's no tension and one feels at ease" "What's up?" "The review, I can't find it" "When you arrive at old age everything is quiet" "There the gentle wind passes through the pine forest 15 minutes to practice Okay" "When the moon is rising and shining on the mountain I only want to go to the familiar forest I reply with a simple fisherman's song" "Alex" "Yes?" "Does New York have a place to mat Chinese calligraphy?" "Who's the present for?" "You know, last week I smashed Mrs. Chen's dumplings I was so embarrassed I want to give her this I'm just afraid she'll laugh at my calligraphy" "Come on Dad we know you're good" "What's the matter?" "They've ignored the book" "Just pretended it doesn't exist lt'll be in next week" "What's a matter with her?" "There's no review of her book" "Years from now we'll all be lying peacefully underground" "What's the big deal?" "Dad, when're we going?" "Coming" "What is it?" "A stomach cramp or something Nothing important" "Do you want to lie down on the couch?" "What's wrong with her?" "A stomach cramp" "Let me take a look." "Make her lie down" "Dad said he wants to take a look at it" "He knows this kind of thing He does?" "He's an expert" "She's too tense something's wrong with her stomach" "You're too tight Thanks for letting me know" "Tell her to relax" "Just relax" "What happened?" "Mom!" "Oh my god!" "Get away from me!" "Relax!" "What did you do to her?" "Her stomach's bleeding!" "Quick get her to the hospital!" "I want to go too Jeremy, be good" "You broke Mama" "Jeremy wants a goldfish, right?" "Here's a big tail" "Big eyes and thick lips" "And wings" "What's Martha's condition?" "Her stomach was bleeding She has to stay in the hospital" "How's Mommy?" "Oh" "Mommy is all right She just needs a little rest, okay?" "I didn't do anything to her" "Her tension caused her stomach to bleed I know that" "Can I go to the hospital with you?" "Dad ls this the calligraphy you want matted?" "Go take care of Martha" "Don't bother about me" "Can I have some macaroni and cheese please?" "Wait until Sunday when your mother comes home, all right?" "Master Chu Hello everybody!" "Master Chu, they tell me your kung-fu is great" "Last week, you barely touched Mr. Sung and you sent him flying" "And you threw Heavyweight right on the dumplings" "Nah, where's Mrs. Chen then?" "I don't know." "She's not coming anymore I'm the new teacher" "Not teach?" "Yes" "Why?" "I don't know" "You can ask them" "Her family's going to that other school north of here lf you want to contact her, you can ask the principal about her telephone number" "Okay, I'll go for my class ls this General Tso's Special Chicken?" "No, we aren't making chicken This is to make 'eoly ice'" "'Eoly ice'?" "Yes" "Oily rice." "Oh yes, oily rice!" "Hey, do you want us to bring the oily rice over so you can throw Heavyweight in?" "Alex, will you make a call for me?" "Mrs. Chen's family doesn't come here anymore I still have to give her the calligraphy" "No one's home. lt's their machine" "Yici Chen." "This is Alex Chu" "My Dad has a present to give your mother" "Give us a call at 287-0425." "Thanks" "How can you talk like that?" "Like what?" "I'm not going to the hospital with you to see Martha" "Take me home to wait for the call" "Relax Dad, they're not going anywhere I can't communicate with Martha" "You'll be there for hours and all I can do is stare into space" "Okay" "Hey mister, don't kid me I never kid anybody" "Hello..." "It's me" "Mrs. Chen?" "Why weren't you at school?" "Yes..." "Don't listen to my kid." "What nonsense!" "It's not a present I'm still embarrassed about what I did to your class last week" "Okay." "How about this?" "Tomorrow at 1 1 :00, my son's going to get his wife at the hospital" "We'll come by at 10:30" "Okay... lt's nothing" "She's a small stomach problem" "Right, then see you tomorrow" "Hello, Uncle Chu!" "Not at all, welcome!" "Mother, they come!" "How are you, Yici?" "Hi!" "Hi, Jeremy Hi, auntie" "Why are you all guarding the door?" "Come in, sit down!" "Sorry, we've got to get to the hospital to pick up my wife" "Oh, you can't be late then ls your wife, all right?" "What am I talking about!" "She's getting out of the hospital" "Mr. Chu, how are you?" "Good, Mrs. Chen, at your new school is there a cooking class?" "Not until I showed up" "There's a kung-fu class too" "But it's only Karate" "They don't have grace" "Better than Tai Chi Chuan they sound much tougher but they can't throw anywhere near as far as you!" "Dad, we'd better get going I planned for you to stay for lunch but you've got to get to the hospital I won't keep you for dinner" "Next time Thanks and bye" "Uh, you stopped by today to?" "Ah!" "I forget" "You shouldn't have." "Thank you I'm going to hang it up right away lt's nothing" "Drive carefully!" "Bye" "Good bye!" "Bye!" "What's the rush!" "We didn't even get the scroll open!" "Thanks!" "Toothache?" "There isn't much you can do But you sure have a lot of problems" "Mr. Philips called" "Jeremy received the lowest reading scores in the gifted class again" "That school is too distracting for him" "No Alex, we're too distracting for him" "He's only responding to the situation at home" "Then change it" "What's your problem?" "What's your problem?" "I ain't got any problem" "Get back in the car, Alex!" "Shut up!" "Great" "Martha" "What do you want?" "I go for a walk" "A walk?" "I don't know I don't want to see you getting lost" "Smoking" "You know, in a way I'm kind of baby sitting you I'll just hang around, won't go far Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" "All right." "Go ahead" "What do I care?" "Oh Jeremy, where'd you get those?" "Teddy gave them to me" "Well go put them away" "Go on." "Go get yourself cleaned up" "Dad" "What're you looking for?" "Dad" "Where's he?" "Oh" "Where's he?" "is he back?" "No" "Did you check with the police?" "Alex, I'm sorry I should've been more careful" "But I'm... uh... with the book ln some ways, your father is more and more like a child cooped up here with me" "And I can't talk to him I was trying to write" "I had a feeling that he was gonna get himself lost just like a kid trying to get some attention" "I grew up believing you should care for your parents the way they care for you" "My father is a part of me" "Why can't you accept that?" "I know. I tried" "Just leave me alone" "Oh my god." "You've found him Thanks God he's safe" "We're looking for Mr. Alex Chu" "Alex is still out looking for his father. I'm his wife" "Okay." "Mr. Chu, you take care of yourself All right?" "Thank you very much officers" "Alex is still out looking for you Are you hungry?" "Thirsty?" "You really should eat something" "I'm sorry too." "Alex is furious" "Jesus How did you get so drunk?" "Where did you go?" "I was just walking around and I lost sight of the church steeple my landmark" "Policemen brought him back two hours ago" "You're back, that's good" "What are you doing?" "..." "What're you doing, Alex?" "Nothing I know this wall, it isn't thick" "What are you doing?" "..." "Mommy" "Calm down..." "Jeremy, Dad isn't feeling well he'll be all right" "Let me talk to him" "Dad banged his head by accident" "Do you need a band aid?" "Okay" "Jeremy... is the good one" "who knows better than Mommy and Grandpa how to care for Daddy" "I haven't seen you that drunk since the night we got married" "That drunk?" "Yeah" "Well, my head is clear now" "What're you mumbling about?" "I've made up my mind already" "About what?" "The old man has got to go I'll send him to an old people's apartment" "Are you sure?" "I really don't have too much choice" "I'll go tell him right now" "Come in" "Dad, why didn't you get up and exercise today?" "Aren't you feeling well?" "What's wrong?" "I probably caught cold from being outside too long last night" "I'm going to call a doctor" "You've got important business at work" "Don't waste your time on me" "Come on Dad, cut it out!" "You're never sick if you don't feel well it must be serious I'll find a doctor for you" "Why get sick now?" "The vital organs aren't in harmony" "The circulation's blocked That's why I'm sick" "Dad, Ma's been gone for so many years and you've never wanted to look at her picture I couldn't face her" "Do you remember this scar!" "?" "The day when the red guards came to our house they knew they couldn't hurt me so they took it out on you and your mother I only had this one body!" "In protecting you I couldn't protect your mother" "When they finally stopped their beating she was too gravely injured to survive ln this one life I can never face your mother again but I can face you!" "It's been so many years why talk about it now?" "I feel stifled" "Let me tell you something compared to loneliness persecution is easy" "Look at how much hardship and injustice I've endured in the last 40 years" "Their tortures only inspired me to perfect my kung-fu" "To study the Soft internal Style of Strength we pursue more refined states of being with the loss of tension we attain concentration" "And from that one we achieve carefree nothingness but this is nearly impossible to attain" "Yes, it's easy to have physical strength but inner strength is harder to practise" "Go on, don't bullshit me!" "Okay, I'll go call a doctor" "Do me a favor and call the Chinese school principal tell him I can't teach the class on Saturday" "Okay." "You'll go when you're better I'm not going anymore" "Why?" "The students always want me to show off I hate that" "Then what will you do on the weekends?" "Why don't we change to that school north of here" "You mean with Mrs. Chen?" "No!" "They say it'll be good for Jeremy's studies l heard they're much stricter" "How about it?" "So did you tell him?" "He's sick." "Caught a cold from last night I couldn't tell him I hope it's not serious" "No, I don't think so" "But I'd better take him to the doctor's I've got a great idea about what to do with him without hurting anyone's feelings" "What's that?" "Just be patient" "Promise me, you'll be nice to him for the time being" "Okay?" "Go on!" "What?" "Nothing" "Then why do you keep looking at your watch?" "Nothing" "Hello... yes, I am." "Yici" "How's the picnic?" "Thanks" "Sorry for bothering you again" "Yes, it's great weather and great for a picnic" "Unfortunately he doesn't have much energy now lf he got sick again, it'll be trouble" "Take a break" "Say thank you to Chen Mama for me" "Okay" "Don't hang up Hold on" "Who said I'm sick?" "I didn't say sick, I said energy" "No energy - means you need to get out!" "My father says he's fine he'd like to get some exercises" "Let's use our plan then Okay" "Okay, that's settled then" "Bye" "Right" "How can it be healthy to stay home all the time!" "Ma, I've already had two" "Have more" "Here Yi-yi Thank you" "Kids should eat more" "Jeremy" "No, thanks" "Have more!" "Help yourself, don't worry about him" "Have another piece No..." "There's lots of meat no point is saving it I have to leave some room for tonight lt's the middle of the day" "You're a big man!" "Come on!" "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning I'm preparing for the dinner you're cooking tonight" "You stupid one" "Nonsense!" "Here" "He's reaching middle age he's afraid of fat cholesterol, and high blood pressure Give it to me" "Ma, again?" "Yes, damn it" "Can you give me a little massage?" "Let me take a look" "How can I let you do that?" "It's okay" "Did you find the spot?" "This is trouble lf it's trouble, leave it alone No" "There's too little flow and too much blood" "This kind of problem is called Mid-Spring Paralysis" "Now try to move the pinky toe on your left foot" "Did you feel that subtle pain?" "So, I was right" "When this illness gets serious you'll get a spasm under your knee sore waist you back will give out your neck will tense up you won't be able to lift your arm and your muscles will be stretched between your armpits in one tight knot" "Enough!" "In a minute you'll be looking right through at all my internal organs!" "Let me see lt's her right shoulder that's stiff" "He knows!" "He was rubbing your left hand" "Shush!" "It's burning Burning?" "Your meat, on the barbeque" "Why don't you pay attention to your own business" "Mr. Chu, thank you I've just begun" "You've got a complicated problem lt would take over a year of treatment to get results" "What a bother!" "Okay, don't break me apart" "Jeremy, let's go play frisbee" "Oh goody, goody I would like looking" "Don't go too far, you hear me?" "Okay" "Mr. Chu, your kung-fu is so powerful how do you manage to have such elegant calligraphy?" "I'm ashamed to talk about it" "My grandfather was a Ching Dynasty Scholar my father was one of the founders of the Nationalist government" "My son is a Ph D in computer science ln the middle of this line there's worthless me" "Fate and circumstances pushed me to spend my life practising martial arts" "You shouldn't say that I had bad health when I was a kid I'm an only son" "My family was worried" "They took one of the doctor's advice which is, and made me practise kung-fu I couldn't take the rough styles I could only take the gentle styles like Tai Chi Chuan" "Who would have thought that a couple years later I was completely vigorous and healthy" "At 30 I won a national Tai Chi Pushing Hands Championship" "Exercising the body and teaching students" "That's a relatively simple trouble-free life" "What's good?" "Since the communist liberation I've been persecuted in every movement" "Let's not talk about it" "Teaching students has hurt me so much" "Yes" "Have you gone back to see your old home and relatives since Taiwan loosened up?" "Last year I went back but I don't have any close relative just a few nieces and nephews" "Still, a reunion with your family it must have been a happy time" "Not really" "When I left, they weren't born I felt like Santa Claus giving so many gifts" "None of them were born when I left!" "Peking seemed to have lost its flavor the old warmth was gone" "But I was very young when I left 40 years ago maybe my memories are mistaken" "Anyway I don't know what it was everything seemed unreal. I couldn't put my old and new impression together" "Your impressions are not mistaken" "Peking has changed a lot ls that so?" "When I talk with you, I feel closer to you than with my neighbors in Peking" "Really?" "Relax, don't move" "Ma, you're still in one piece" "You child!" "We're going to take the kids up the hill" "Don't go too far Okay" "Don't leave us here!" "I'm going with you" "Ma, it's a steep climb" "You won't make it I'll take it slow" "Come on!" "Let's get everything cleaned up and put in the car" "Let the young folks go ahead" "You take it slow" "No, I'm fine" "How come your son-in-law didn't come today?" "Gone... gone... a... way on bus... business lf he weren't away we wouldn't have you over for dinner" "Don't mention him" "He makes me angry" "What about your daughter-in-law?" "Ah..." "let's go" "Chen Mama, it's too much for you Let's go down" "Nonsense!" "Let's go!" "Don't run so fast, wait for me" "Hey!" "The young are so energetic" "They can't slow down." "Let them go ahead I'll climb slowly with you." "Why not sit down and rest a bit" "I'm old, useless" "No one wants me" "We're out for fun Why get mad at the kids?" "How can you be so developed in kung-fu and not have any insight?" "They set us up" "Set us up?" "Your precious son came to our house last week and arranged for my daughter to call and invite you" "They thought I was taking a nap but I heard everything" "Can't be?" "How come at our age" "we don't have any self-respect?" "Letting two children manipulate us!" "What is this?" "I'm old and useless" "Son, thank you for your good will trying to fix me up with Mrs. Chen" "But we still have our pride No need to drive me out I have the sense to leave on my own" "You know the saying 'lt's easier to struggle together than to pass happy days together' I never imagined this would apply to us ln China we managed to stay happily together through so many bitter times but here in America with so many fine material things" "it seems there's no place in your home for me" "Comparing the two I can't help but recall the days when you were a small lovely boy" "Don't look for me" "Enjoy your life with your family I wish you all the best lf you have time send my regards to Mrs. Chen and her daughter" "The world is so big I'll find a little room where l can spend my worthless old age" "Life passes before one's eyes like smoke nothing but emptiness" "One shouldn't set one's heart on anything" "Father" "Thank you, come again" "Bye-bye" "Please, faster if I can't put out the soup my other dishes can't go out I'll wash you a bowl" "Sorry" "Thanks" "Old Chu, I beg you please, faster" "Coming..." "Why do you keep sending out the take-out orders?" "There's guests at the tables with nothing to eat!" "And a line around the block!" "We can't put out the food without dishes!" "Yesterday at the employment agency you said you had experience!" "More or less I'm running a business to make money not to invite you for dinner" "What do you mean more or less This is less!" "Yeah... don't get mad, I'm hurrying" "You have to soak the honey banana ball plates in hot water" "Don't just scrape them!" "You break the plate, you pay for it!" "Yes..." "Hey, Boss" "Do us a favor, let's quit selling those dick-haired honey banana balls?" "It's hard for us to make and hard for him to wash. lt's not worth it I'll decide if it's worth it lf you don't like making them go work somewhere else" "Just a good hearted suggestion" "Thanks!" "What are you three guys stuck here for?" "Waiting for bowls" "Can't you do something else while you wait?" "Are your brain dead?" "There's nothing else to do?" "!" "Are the Mu Shu Pork pancakes steamed?" "In the steamer" "The pickled cabbage is out" "The wontons are boiling the forks are cleaned the tables are cleared the checks are paid" "Chu here's today's pay" "Thank you" "This isn't working out" "Don't come tomorrow I'll find someone else" "Boss he's going okay now" "Enough" "No Problem there were enough dishes" "What do mean enough dishes, no problem?" "It was only after the dinner rush hour that thing returned to normal" "Don't be pleading for him because he's old" "Lots of young guys would fight for the chance to make 700 dollars a month washing dishes" "Why should I have an old man?" "I'm not running an old folks home" "Boss, please give me another chance" "We all have to start somewhere." "Right?" "Okay..." "One more chance" "Thank you" "is Sargeant Warren there?" "It's Alex Chu... yes" "No?" "Thanks Sargeant." "Bye bye" "Linda. lt's Alex" "Let's have a talk... about the house" "Hey, congratulations on your review:" "A bold new voice in women's fiction" "Better late then never I'm really proud of you, although it makes me feel like I should quit my job and become a painter" "In the meantime, all I do is eat" "Maybe you're pregnant" "Sure, if you believe in immaculate conception I'm even thinking of going to my high school reunion to see if there are any aging jocks still available" "Linda" "Well at least I have my work How's yours going?" "Two chapters this week" "Oh, more travails of study pioneer women" "Actually I've written in a Chinese family" "The father brought over to work on the railroads" "Don't tell me you miss the old geezer?" "Of course not" "Runaway Grandpa I'm gonna have nightmares for the rest of my life imagining his face on the side of my milk cartons lt's sad" "And Alex..." "He blames you, does he?" "No, he's just anxious. I blame myself" "How can I let you do this?" "You'd better do your own work" "Don't worry about me" "Once I get busy I won't be able to help you anyway" "Wu, thanks a lot but everyone's got work to do" "Don't treat me special. I'll manage" "Chu, this is for you, I got someone" "Boss, I've been doing all right" "Eight bowls, five plates it's only 6:30p.m." "You need those two to help you" "What happens at 7:30 when the guests are lined up outside the door?" "He didn't ask for help we volunteered" "You volunteered, fine!" "He asked for help, fine!" "I don't care I can't take any risks tonight" "Liu go downstairs and get yourself an apron" "Here's ten dollars take it or leave it" "Boss, why do you have to treat an old man this way?" "I'll wash faster" "Not just faster but clean too!" "Come on, cut the crap, go!" "This is money" "Have you heard that before?" "Probably not, being from the mainland l know everything's shared there working more gets you nothing" "Four decades of such thinking produced all you lazy bums" "Who are you calling a lazy bums?" "Eh?" "What's wrong?" "You don't accept that?" "Then go back to China and live off your relatives." "Go on!" "No one's stopping you I'm telling you, this is America" "There's no communal property" "You have to earn everything yourself!" "If you want to be American then why don't you go all the way and buy dishwasher lt'll wash faster and cleaner" "Yeh!" "I'm offering you ten dollars because I respect your age I'm saving face for you if you don't want that I'll throw you out!" "See if you can" "Don't think I won't touch you because you're old" "Come try me!" "If you can move me half a step I won't say another word I'll turn and leave" "Don't" "So the old geezer knows kung-fu" "No wonder you dared be so arrogant with me!" "Oww!" "Li, Wu, help me!" "I'm not getting involved in this" "Cooks, Chang, Chien, get over here!" "Boss, this is none of our business" "Do you want to keep working here?" "Quick" "Old Chu, don't get angry but we've all got families to take care of" "We'll just move you half a step, okay?" "Then the business will keep going Everyone, thank you" "Come on, careful now" "Get him!" "Liu, help out!" "Wu, help!" "Go and help" "Chu, you're a hero." "We can't move you" "We brothers apologize" "Boss Huang, we quit" "Go find yourself some of those thick skinned types with big muscles I can't take this" "Hey, you can't all leave!" "Okay!" "I'm calling every employment agency!" "Don't think you'll work in New York again!" "Fuck you You" "All right tough guy!" "The business is closed tonight" "But I'm calling the cops on you!" "I don't have a green card You hired me illegally" "They'll find you three thousand dollars I'm telling you I'll move you without the cops!" "Thank you, come again" "Grab him!" "He's like an eel" "He's like a slimy fish" "Yeah, I've seen this kind before" "Ten police officers from the Fifth Precinct were injured earlier this evening in a brawl inside a Chinatown restaurant" "Helen Wong reports" "Shirley I'm standing in front of the Lai Fu restaurant" "The owner Frankie Huang tried to fire his 70-year old dishwasher here earlier this evening" "But Huang got more than he bargained for" "Because the man he tried to fire Mr. Chu refused to leave the restaurant" "Alex" "Police said that Mr. Chu is a Tai Chi master and he let lose a 1 30 pounds of martial arts fury" "And hurt over a dozen of New York's finest" "Now it appears that Mr. Chu's being led out of the restaurant by the police and is being put into a squad car and taken to the precinct and be arrested" "Reporting live, Helen Wong now back to you at the studio" "He's been like this ever since he came in" "The entire time he has been here he hasn't said anything nor has he eaten or drunk anything" "I tell you I don't know if he's meditating or sleeping" "If you don't mind me saying so Mr. Chu it's... kind of depressing" "I'll let you go in and talk to him" "Thank you officer" "Any time" "Dad" "Ah, attaining nothingness isn't easy" "Dad, we've bought a new house it's much bigger than the old one" "What for?" "I'm here to take you home" "Home?" "Whose home?" "My home is your home!" "Forget it. I see clearly now the only thing that matters is that you have a happy life lf you want to show me some filial respect" "get me an apartment in Chinatown" "Let me peacefully pass my days there disciplining my spirit ln your free time bring the boy to see me" "This way when we get together there'll still be some good feelings" "Dad all these years I've studied and worked hard and built my family in order that one day I could bring you to America so you could have some good days in your life" "Dad!" "Alex, can you give a hand up here?" "Okay, coming up" "is this straight?" "Lower in the left" "Yeah, it's fine" "Do you think he'll ever spend a night here?" "Oh, yes." "As long as Jeremy is here Grandpa will visit" "Jeremy wants to be a Tai Chi master" "Why didn't you ever learn any Tai Chi from your father?" "You know, for Dad Tai Chi was a way to escape from reality" "Even when he did pushing hands, for him it was a way to avoid other people" "Pushing hands?" "Yeah, it's like Tai Chi for two" "A way of keeping your balance while unbalancing your opponent" "Like marriage... only kidding" "Okay, you stand like this..." "Balanced?" "Yup lf you try to unbalance me I simply avoid your energy and turn it back on you" "Relax" "Don't resist and don't break contact" "Feel it?" "Step out and collect" "Moving up on left" "Collect and moving up" "Turn to right" "Hugging your back" "Hand down" "Turn back and attack" "Get back" "Spread your legs" "Get in" "Squat down" "Collect" "Swing hands and step forward" "Moving forward" "Get in and spread your fingers" "Step back and collect" "Hook" "Get in" "Sweep" "Turn hands" "Single whip" "Very good..." "Relax, relax your whole body" "Relax your hip and lower down" "Relax..." "Good, raise your arms up" "Relax little and eyes looking in the distance" "Mrs. Chen, long time no see" "You've come a long way to buy groceries" "No, not far. I live in the area" "Your daughter moved?" "No, I moved" "That's great!" "Living on your own, you're free" "You can do whatever you want I just finished shopping saw it was early and decided to stop by your class" "How did you know I was teaching here?" "Wow!" "Who doesn't know about the hero old Mr. Chu famous all over Chinatown" "The TV news showed that you knocked flat a gang of American police and Chinese hoodlums" "From what I can see if" "Tai Chi Chuan could be practised upside down the ceiling of this old age centre would be packed with your students" "You're making fun of me!" "I'm speaking the truth did you make a fortune?" "No way" "Every morning I come here and pass the time with the students" "Anyway we old folks have nothing but time to kill I earn my own money and don't take anybody's flack" "That's why I always say you can't hold everything inside" "Sometimes you've got to lose your temper to straighten things out" "The kids are grown up lf we old folks don't take care of ourselves who will?" "You're right ls your shoulder better?" "Better?" "At my age, I just thank the heavens that it doesn't get worse I don't know kung-fu like you" "But is it convenient living alone?" "It's all right" "My daughter comes to see me every two or three weeks when she goes shopping around here she cooks and eats with me" "Uhhhh." "That's good." "Alex and his family do the same" "You'd better take care of your students I'm leaving now" "When you're free, stop by" "We're neighbours now" "Well, take care" "You too" "Mrs. Chen!" "Why did you come out?" "To see if you had left" "The sun is so pleasant today I was thinking, I'm just one person I could go home or stay out both would be good" "Anyway, standing here I got lost in thought" "Where do you live?" "I live in that building, number 1068 I live in that building, number 20101" "Stop by for a visit sometime" "Do you have anything to do this afternoon?" "Uh..." "Nothing"