MENTOR SAGE MONOLOGUE

I lived in a rural little town. My dad had an electric appliance store in my town. I got accepted to
the best girl high school in my home district. I had to ride 45 minutes train each weekday to and
from my high school early at 6:20 AM in mornings and late at 6:30 PM in afternoons. The round
trip was 50 miles.
My high school was very famous on its strictness. Our hair had to be one centimeter
shorter than the lowest part of our ears. But our skirt had to be longer than our knee. Every
student in my time had to wear the uniform to school every school day. If you didnt follow the
school rules, the school military education officer would give you a hard time. Once, my hair
didnt meet their requirement even though my hair styler had already followed the school
requirement, the school military education officer forced me to cut my hair again and came back
to him the following day otherwise he would record me a demerit. I hate to say but my high
school years was the worst time in my life. Except my teen emotional issues, the trouble school
requirements, tiring long-distance commuting and lots of homework and quizzes each day, I had
to prepare a big examination, the Joint College Entrance Examination, during my high school
years. I cared about getting good grade and not being smacked by my teachers. My room
teacher was much better than my cousins since my room teacher was a gentleman. He would
only give us some hits to remind us to study hard.
The world has changed a lot ever since I am living. I had never heard of cancer before
the 80s. We went from riding bikes to riding scooters and driving cars. Taiwan experienced the
famous Taiwan Economic Miracle. This is kind of like China has right now everyone getting
educated and better living. Also, Taiwan transformed from martial law under a dictatorship
(Chiang Kai-shek) to one of Asias big democracies. How? Before the late 80s, we could
criticize the government but everyone was scared to. But we could not speak our native
Taiwanese. We got fined if they caught us. The government would censor any news that make
the Nationalists look bad or talked about REAL democracy. It was better than North Korea,
though. It was like China is right now.
That was all a long time ago. Now Taiwan is famous for being very democratic. I think its
even more democratic than America! And now, I am married with two adolescent daughters and
a comfortable life in America.
But I am not over yet. I still have to raise my daughters into good, God-fearing women,
and make sure they are happy and successful in the future.