Earlier this week, my dad and his friends organized a get-together, the invited among whom are those we frequently dine out with apart from several unfamiliar faces. As usual, on such occasions, traditional Chinese table manners are regarded as a must, even between old friends. Take my dad for an example, he never gets tired of making toasts at the table. His eloquence combined with the colloquial features of our little town’s dialect would rarely fail to entertain the guests present. Obviously he is also quite good at picking the time to show off his great sense of humor- usually right at the point that my mouth is full of partially chewed food. What I usually have to do is to rush all the food down my throat as quickly as possible while wearing an “I’m so sorry” facial expression and then stand up reaching out my glass cup, mirroring him.

“Let’s make a toast towards uncle Lee’s family, wishing them a happy year and good health!” I stood up holding my glass half filled with wine along with my dad as he reached his glass out in the Lees’ direction.

“Uncle Lee, I wish you a successful new year and good health for all your family.” Our cups met half way above the large dinner table and each of us took a big sip of wine (Usually females drink wine at table while men have baijiu, the Chinese liquor) after the clink of the glass.

Normally I wouldn’t care what those people were talking about - sually politics, or social problem - but I did have to avoid being absent-minded when they focused the conversation on me, or the other young adults at the table.

“How is your son doing during his fourth year in college? I heard that he wanted to make into the graduate school of Tsinghua University and continue studying physics?” Someone asked uncle Hu at table.

“Ahuh, yeah, that’s what he’s been up to for the whole summer vacation. Not only Tsinghua University, but Beijing University and the Chinese academy of Sciences are his secondary targets.” Uncle Hu replied.

“What an ambitious boy. Did he succeed?”

Instead of answering the former person, he lifted up his face in a proud glory, giving me, who was eating silently and trying to hide away from this conversation his full attention.

“Victoria, has your little brother Hu contacted you these days?”

“Uh? You mean has he talked with me these days? No...I assume he’s still busy with his tests and interviews to the graduate school.” I answered, feeling a bit disappointed for failing to hide my existence.

He smiled, took a deep puff on his cigarette, and said in somewhat perky voice, “Oh, he already got in. He’s just helping his mentor with some kind of research paper in the lab now. Three schools, they all wanted him.”

Alright, fine, I guess he’s justified in his perkiness.

“Oh really? Congratulations!” “What an excellent boy!” “Good job!”All of a sudden uncle Hu was bombarded by congratulations from all directions. Failing to bury my head under the bowls and cups, I put up an obedient good student face when uncle Hu continued making me the focus of the dinner, encouraging me that “You should take brother Hu as your model in studies. Good results can only derive from hard work.”

I didn’t reply, grinning embarrassingly when my dad spoke for me, “She certainly should. There’s a lot for her to learn from him.”

Since I successfully grabbed everyone’s attention, one unfamiliar person asked, “By the way, which university is Victoria in? I remember she studies in Guangzhou, right? Is it Sun Yat-Sen University?”

“Sun Yat-Sen University? Impossible!” My dad laughed out loud right before I said anything myself.

“Her scores only got her into South China Agricultural University!” My dad was always like this, pleasing others by mocking his own daughter. However, he he did retain at least a little pride, therefore adding “Though her school is also a major university in China, it just cannot beat Sun Yat-Sen University.”

His humbleness fully showcased how disappointed he was about my lowly status - not being a part of Sun Yat-Sen University.

They all laughed at his humor. As the dinner went on, they talked about each other’s daughters and sons, asking about their present status while making toasts to each other from time to time. I just sat there in their laughter and loud, droning conversation, eating and drinking alone, silently.

And that’s what happened at my depressingly normal and mortifying dinner.