Chinese Earthquake

The long march after losing Taiwan was not a trail of tears but a laughing troop of Mao Zedong's Red Guards occupying the main land, reforming the old ways as they march along singing propaganda lyrics. They have formed an esprit de corps for the new Young China well documented in the Saturday evening movies for expatriates or the so- called paper tigers hired to build an ammonia plant. Communes would be up-graded for more produce.

The darkened room was ominously quiet except for an occasional scraping of metal fold-up chairs or the bored yawn of a jet-lagged expatriate who knew that his beloved protector, Chiang Kai Sheik, had been pushed to Taiwan.

Engineer Barney Smith sitting next to his wife, Allie, stifled his yawn, wishing he could better spend his hours on a hard government mattress and be ready for laying out tomorrow's plans or helping Allie to train interpreters. English was almost unknown, but French, British, and Yugoslav help would be arriving soon, all needing interpreters. It seemed that the tigers were leaving their cages the world over ... heedless of the Boxer revolt of 1900, expelling all foreigners. He thought of the building supplies being shipped to Tientsin; they would need to make an inspection. Ah, so much to resolve within the one year contract and keep from being an expelled foreigner!

Barney winced as he noticed Allie holding her hands over her ears but not from the deafening sound of the cinema. Their jet had dropped down screeching from overstretched metal, painful to Allie's recent ear surgery. Being huddled at gun point by Red guards into a dark corner to wait for the liaison to arrive, was a further insult.

Lee Yong, being reared in Hong Kong and the USA, explained his almost perfect English as introductions were made. Lee and the Smiths entered a small black French Renault, each noticing the private plane marked with extra large lettering: KISSINGER. Barney wondered if September of 1975 was the proper time and place when few entrepreneurs, other than the well-known Kissinger, braved the Peking Airport, flashing their passports.

Allie began quizzing Lee about acupuncture. Did he ever use it? Ve-ely useful for headache. Spreading out a small soft hand, pointing to the hollow between thumb and forefinger, he indicated a pressure point, as he unlocked the car door. They had arrived at the entrance of the Peking Hotel, and were soon sitting across the dining table from a pair of Nipponese pilots. The airmen looked diminutive when compared to Barney's broadness from being a tough pro boxer and a rough cut sea captain. After introductions, he explained their mission. We're on our way to Tsangchow to help build a fertilizer plant ... the pilots widened their slant-eyes so Barney continued. It's about the new reforms: grow your own groceries or join a commune ...

The cockney-voiced pilots tabled their chop sticks, winked at each other, and laughed, patting their hands. Fertilizer, eh ... we thought they made their own.

Allie looked relieved to find confirmation of her ear ache. They should not have landed that fast, even off-schedule ... it could cause inner ear problems ... or even burst ear drums!

* * *

The cinema had ended with a farewell salute to Mao, and the expatriates wishing their hosts a good night, thanks to the black bristle-haired young lady. The interpreter wore the same blue jacket that all wore, whether interpreter or administrator.

As they stepped downstairs, Allie remembered descending the huge iron horse, and being ushered into a well-marked van with the red flag of the new republic, then whisked off to a walled brick compound where a white-coat houseboy grabbed their bags and headed for the stairs. He was stopped short by Mrs. Site Rep! who resembled a phantom with dangling curlers, and half-coated fingernails, as she screamed, "No, no, they are to stay down here--right next door!"

Next, two suites were arranged for Barney and Allie, each having a western toilet and a massive footed tub. Doubled-barred windows opened onto a diminutive balcony.

A few days later, Amsterdam engineers arrived, and Allie learned of their settling into the suite intended for Barney and herself; however, lonesome Lois had interfered, anticipating arrival of Mahjong players, so she began maneuvering Allie and Barney! Allie stomped her loafers! Gritting her teeth, she could have eaten nails, but remembering the Amsterdam welcome banquet soothed her nerves with the heartfelt toasting to friendship and job success. Being non- alcoholic, Barney poured a bottle of colorless soda into their stemware glasses, crying gan bey! (bottoms up). A counselor, encircling the table, paused to ask, "Why you not drink good Molokai?"

School teacher Allie stammered out, "We Americans sometimes copy Edgar Allen Poe" ... Her sidelong glance at the site reps confirmed a pair of dyed-in-the-wool alcoholics, Lois, middle-aged and plump with a face already flushed under brown-dyed hair sitting next to Luke, tall and thin, lisping, leaning on his interpreter, trying to disclaim his share of Poe ... not many banquets later, she thought, would find him staggering through his last job or through an aborted career.

* * *

Connection to the company's Hong Kong office allowed some food items not found at oriental meals: cheese, crackers, peanut butter, sardines, powdered milk, pork and beans, canned ham ... and Bisquick! These deliveries caused contention among home-sick dieters, but Lois explained that any item they liked at a banquet could be added to their daily menu. Allie somehow came by something delicious: a large bowl of noodles with umpteen small bowl toppings. Every diner rushed to the Smith's table, but the expanded menu failed, as the waiter just shrugged his shoulder to all demanding a duplication.

Apple pies turned out to be very delicious after visiting a commune orchard. Lois rounded up the girls who brought back baskets of apples. They rolled out Hong Kong Bisquick dough and added spices, then handed them over to the guest house cooks to bake in their tremendous iron oven fired with charcoal.

Modern appliances may have been the seeds of discord that later led to Tiananmen Square's massacre of university students. Hong Kong officials upon occasion slipped in an American magazine displaying modern appliances. Allie overheard Interpreters exclaiming see I told you so! as they grouped together to secretly scan through slick pages. They obviously hated their ancient pot belly cook stoves, ice from the Arctic, and old eggs from underground!

The field office could not update their mentors, no matter how hard they tried: requesting a permanent wave kit became laughable when an ancient design arrived with curlers hanging down. "B--but I wanted a kit!" cried Lois., backing off.

Allie, on the other hand, empathized with the beautician and spent some time under the torture chamber, a...