May 10 2007
My parents
Zhang Ying 张鹰 (1931 - ; Beijing -)
Lyu Youlan 吕友岚 (1934 – 1968;
Beijing, November 1959. 10 years into Mao’s reign when blue collar workers, farmers and soldiers were the in crowds, this nuptial didn’t make any splashes. But the banquet was held at the swanky Moscow Restaurant, so it was privileged and special after all.
Dad was born Zhang Changzhao 张常照, as 好景常在. Over the years, he took on many names, 续明 as his nickname by his mom since birth; Zhang Ying 张鹰 since 1949 when he applied for the air force - I wanted to fly away - but got turn down; Protect the Spirit 保灵 as his style (not exactlly … but he’s known to his friends by this name for a while); Cheung Ying since 1979 in Hong Kong, Cantonese translation of Zhang Ying … then finally Danny John since 2002 when he became US citizen. I’m as cluelss for the last change as he is in life. That’s my dad, a civil engineer designed/built generators.
Mom was the editor for the scientific journal Acta Entomological Sinica 昆虫学报. She attended the Beijing Normal University 北师大 but left in her junior year due to tuition. By all account, she’s very witty, life of the party type of person; well spoken and wrote beautifully… Poor me, I got the worst of both, neither my dad’s look nor my mom’s brain or flair.