What is "Field Trip" in Chinese?
(continued)

As she was excused from the table, without the usual coercion and scoldings, looking relieved and rather pleased with herself, I added helpfully, "You may drink as much water as you like." The kid who was "not hungry at all" became inordinately interested in food by 2 p.m., casting frequent longing and plaintive looks at the refrigerator. By 3:30 p.m she could stand it no longer and requested crackers.

When a mother sees her child suffering from any discomfort, including hunger, her instinct is to alleviate it. I was no exception. But aside from the above-mentioned considerations against letting her have her way, there was the "no snacks" rule I laid down only two hours ago. How could I go back on my words?

The rest of the afternoon, needless to say, was a challenge for us both. While I struggled to sustain my resolve, she alternated temper tantrums with fruitless trips to the kitchen. When dinner was finally served, she tried to maintain her tough stance, but her hunger got the better of her.

The tug of war was over in three days. Nearly 30 years have gone by since that episode. During our most recent visit, instead of eating out as we usually do on such occasions, she decided to cook us a Chinese dinner. As she and our son-in-law labored side by side in the kitchen, I spied a wok that seemed to have seen a lot of action. "Oh, that," she said, tossing bok choy in the wok in a practiced manner, "I bought it in San Francisco Chinatown after moving out of the dorm in my sophomore year. I remember all the way on the BART to Berkeley and back to my apartment, I was carrying this big heavy wok. . ."

By the way, the dinner they made that night was delicious.