Ralph Jennings is a journalist and long time resident of China. He currently lives in Taipei. From mid-2000 to 2006, he had an advice column in the 21st Century weekly newspaper in which he answered letters from thousands of students and young professionals. Below is a letter from the archive, with an introduction by Jennings.
Study whatever you want. Explore the world while you’re at it. We’ll even pay the bill. That’s what wealthy Chinese parents might tell their late-teen children. But for a few too many in China this cruise into adulthood is unreal. Adults coming out of China’s countryside, where parents often save up a child’s college tuition for years at the expense of their own health care, can barely afford meals with their more moneyed classmates. Case in point:
Student letters to a foreign agony uncle
Dear Ralph,
I’m a freshman at a university in Nanjing. Recently, some of my roommates’ parents went to see them with a lot of new clothes and food. They have also invited our whole dormitory to meals. I’ve attended three such meals. My parents are both (blue-collar) workers, and they hardly have holidays, even during festivals. Besides, my home is not very rich compared to those of my roommates. It would cost a lot for my family to come to my university even once. So I didn’t slip even a word to my parents about the meals. But I do feel guilt, and I hope I can invite my roommates out to eat as they have invited me. What can I do?
Liu Yan, Jiangsu
November 2001