Feb 25 2008
Yan Liangkun 严良昆
Beethoven’s 9th symphony .. he’s well known for that .. 
Actually his given name Kun is double fang 方方 on top and tu 土 on the bottom, but unfortunately my Chinese word processor doesn’t have this character. He was Auntie Jennie’s colleague and his daughter Yan Di was my classmate, we all lived in the same building. Our nanny was very close with his. Yan Di wasn’t a top student, her nanny would go so far as to bribe me with food or popsicles in the summer - even as late as 70s, nannies and maids were caring. Once after dinner I was out side of the building playing with other kids, her nanny yelled out loudly that dinner was ready and I was invited. The teaching went that without permission from our parents/guardians, we could not and would not eat at other’s - not food poisoning, but didn’t want to be perceived to be greedy and gluttonous - 馋. Inviting kids either playing or eating were rare - we didn’t have play dates, we just gone out and played. I didn’t quite know what to say, except telling her that I already had dinner.
“No, come on in, I just made dumplings - (that was a treat, and she knew our nanny was from Shanghai who couldn’t make dumplings) ..” Auntie Jennie wasn’t home, there’s no way I could get a permission.
“I just had dinner, I’m not hungry.” I politely refused, feeling very flattered.
She won’t take a no for answer. Came out (they lived on the first floor) and grabbed me by the arm, “I’ll talk to your nanny .. you’ll be ok ..” I didn’t remember the taste of dumplings, but I did a lot of redundant homework that night, :).. .. She now works for a publisher specializing in music.