What a man should do when he returns to his birthplace after a half century of absence? Feeling thrilled, nostalgic or indifferent? It all depends.

55 years ago, when I was four, I left Shanghai, with my mother, for Hong Kong, to join my father and brothers there, who left earlier. After two years’ sojourn at HK, we continued our odyssey and headed to our final destination, Taipei, Taiwan. It was a long, long journey. We trudged to make it by train, by car, on foot or even crawled across ditches beneath wired meshes. At last, a liner loaded us to our new home over the wavy sea.

Ironically, after so many years, I went back to where I came from exactly the same route as on a seemingly prearranged round trip. The only difference is this time was by plane. On a business trip a fortnight ago, I returned to Shanghai via TPE-HKG-PVG on CI/KA connecting flights. Wait, that’s the only difference? How about my mood? Didn’t I feel anything special on this eventful occasion? Not exactly, because any sentiments might arise was overwhelmed by hard work and a tight schedule during the three days’ visit. Not until I got on KA’s return flight, was I able to settle down my heart and meditate on what really matters to me.

Did the eye-popping, magnificent skyscrapers and neon lights on both side of Huang-Pu River impress me more than the Manhattan-Queens contrast that stood on opposite shores of the East River? Did the impulses that drove me to glean oblivious reminiscence from the debris of my memory haunt me still? My mind ascended, as the aircraft kept climbing, to a level where tranquility prevailed, and I thought about the status of a person like me, who left the birthplace young, raised up and lived in another place for almost the rest of my life so far. Which one should I give my recognition to? How should I identify myself?

Shanghai/China is like my own mother, who, in some sense, deserted me involuntarily back to some fifty years ago; and I don’t have to blame her for anything. To me, Taipei/Taiwan is like a step-mother who raised me well, gave me anything but the blood relation. I am always proud of being their child, both of them. I admire the outstanding performance of my brothers Yao Ming and Liu Xiang from Shanghai, China, and the same of my brother Wang Chien Ming from Taiwan as well. For the majority of the people in Taiwan, China is like a grandma or grand-grandma to them, remotely related. You don’t have to hate her, do you? For the mothers, please impartially love all your children by your side and those who are not. It’s just a matter of time.

No strains on the Straits someday, for all of us.

July 29, 2006