Da-ma, Shao-ma: My Two Moms

By Shoulee Paul

Shoulee Paul was born and raised in post-World War II Taiwan, Republic of China. Besides the difficulty of surviving in a nation that was rebuilding after half a century of Japanese colonial rule, Shoulee faced other challenges. Her family was divided by a reality not unknown in Chinese society. Her father, married and fathered children, then accepted into the home a second woman, who likewise gave birth to several more. The competition between the mothers, "Da-ma" and "Shao-ma," and the strife between their offspring evolved into an environment where everyone struggled for survival. But there is love between the half brothers and sisters, who have stayed close over the years. In spite of painful memories, family gatherings are lively and fun-filled. And while old grudges are frequently revisited, the solidarity of family remains. Shoulee retells her story, sharing her experience as well as painting a portrait of life for a poor family struggling amidst political and domestic realities.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shoulee Paul
• Release date: May 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458056450

Shoulee Paul

Shoulee Paul was born and raised in post-World War II Taiwan, Republic of China, the daughter of a Taiwanese police officer, who had served in the Japanese Imperial Army. She struggled to make sense of her father's often cruel behavior, and after surviving a home life of fear and desperation, she married an American serviceman stationed in Taiwan. Shoulee then left home to accompany her husband as he moved between various posts throughout the world. Due to her family's poor financial circumstances, Shoulee was unable to attend school above the eighth grade, so she taught herself to read and write English, and learned how to run a business from experience working in her family's barbar shop in Taiwan, and through owning and operating a beauty salon in the United States. Presently, in 2011, Shoulee lives in San Diego, California where she continues to run her salon. She enjoys life today with her daughter's family, including two grandsons.

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Da-ma, Shao-ma:

My Two Moms

By Shoulee Paul

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011

My Old Neighborhood in Taipei

Editor's Introduction

Anyone who was around during the 1960's might recall the song Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan. For over 40 years, the following lyrics from this song have echoed in my heart:

Histories of ages past

Unenlightened shadows cast

Down through all eternity

The crying of humanity

Perhaps these lines put too negative a spin on human life. And to be fair, I should remind myself that later in the song, the Hurdy Gurdy Man comes singing songs of love. It seems that life's suffering is moderated by the compassion and kind deeds of individual human beings, who though living amidst the pain and strife around them, nonetheless manage to give themselves to making life better for others, if only in a humble and unassuming manner. They survive and persevere despite overwhelming obstacles.

I am pleased to introduce the story of a person who has experienced the cruel side of human nature all too often. And yet I am impressed that people like her survive, lovingly raise children and grand-children, and struggling with their past, live deliberately, with an enduring hope that one day justice will finally triumph in an unfair universe.

It may have been one afternoon, as she sat alone in her beauty salon, fighting off the urge to sleep. The weather was warm, business was slow, and drifting off into a dream-like reflection about the past, she wondered how she had come to be what she was today. However, it wasn't as if the question arose suddenly. Indeed, she often pondered over the circumstances of life, and often asked why there was such a mixture of joy and sadness along the way.

Shoulee first told her story to long-time customer and friend Jeff Archer. Thanks are due Mr. Archer for his careful interviewing and assistance in getting Shoulee's story down on paper. As editor, I made only minor revisions to the original manuscript, and modified the title, changing little else so the reader can experience Shoulee's story in her own words.

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