Jing-Mei Woo （2 / 46）

ups were alst the sa, chabudwo. or ybe she said butong, not the sa thing at all. it was one of those ese expressions that ans the better half of xed iions. i ever reer things i didnt uand in the first place.

my ther started the san franc version of the joy luck club in 1949, two years before i was born. this was the yearther and father left a with oiff leather trunk filled only with fancy silk dresses. there was no ti to paything else,ther had explaiofather after they boarded the boat. still his hands swafrantically between the slippery silks, looking for hitton shirts and wool pants.

when they arrived in san frany father de her hide those shiny clothes. she wore the sa brown-checked ese dress until the refugee wele society gave her two hand--down dresses, all toe in sizes for ari won. the society osed of a group of white-haired ari ssionary ladies frothe first ese baptist church. and because of their gifts,parentuld not refuse their invitation to join the churould they igh