In the fall of 1995, I entered sixth grade, the final year of elementary school. The atmosphere in our classroom was noticeably different from what it had been in the previous five years. Everyone was feeling the squeeze of the upcoming Middle School Entrance Exam...
In 1994, a Dragon Ball cards collection frenzy hit Chengdu’s youth. Red vending boxes popped up everywhere in front of little shops around the city...
Entering mid-90s, Chengdu was infected by soccer craze. Wealth gap started to become more noticeable in the society and I started to learn to fathom a complicated world around me.
Three rapid knocks on the door jolt me awake from a semi-conscious state. “Chi tsu’ung lo…. Tai yang tzao pi’i gu’u lo’o!! (Get up… the sun is shining on your butt already)” my Erba’s voice announced loudly from...
I don’t recognize much of this city anymore- its streets, its skyline, and its people have all transformed while I was away. But I recognize this feeling in me and the accent, a distinctive type of flat-toned sichuanese dialect with a laid-back speech pattern and drawn out vowels that are uniquely Chengduren....
