Excerpts
Listen: Eileen tells how she fought off a would-be rapist during the Soviet occupation of Manchuria at the end of WWII:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC9DRg7_N50
Listen: Eileen tells how she fled from Manchuria to Beijing during the post WWII chaos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7caAUsfSpk
Eileen hoodwinks a lecherous official to escape the fighting between the Communists and the Nationalists:
That was really a bad time in Shanghai. Everybody was nervous. They all just wanted to get out of Shanghai because the battle was very nearby. And I had no idea what I was doing—from the beginning, I had no idea. I just wanted to run away. That’s all. I just wanted to go somewhere if many people went there. But In Shanghai, all the flights, everything, were all sold out. You couldn’t buy tickets—you had to know somebody.
And then I met a high officer in the government. He said, “I have two tickets for Guangzhou. But my wife isn’t going, so I have one ticket left over.” Of course, he was sure I wanted it, so he talked this way. He wanted me to go with him.
I wasn’t interested in the details of the flight. I didn’t read the papers. Nothing—I knew nothing. I didn’t know the map. I never learned geography. I didn’t know where was where. No idea. I just wanted to get away. If I could, if it was possible. So, I agreed to take this ticket.
Of course, the officer wanted something. I didn’t care. I really didn’t care. I thought, that’s nothing. I can fight. I can beat him. I always thought: no problem. So I went with him. I had a small box that had been my father’s shaving kit and I threw away the things inside and just kept the box, with my gold bar and some rings and other jewelry. Otherwise, I went with empty hands. We couldn’t take the trunks on the airplane. There was no room. It was a very special flight.
And once again Guangzhou was another country, because I didn’t understand the language and didn’t feel it was in China. We took a taxi to a hotel and he booked a single room. I said, “I want a room.” He said, “There’s no room. There’s only one room.” Okay. Only one bed, not two beds.
But at night time, I said, “You don’t touch me! If you touch me, I’ll yell. I’ll ask for help. And everybody will come here. And you’re a high official. Aren’t you ashamed? You’ll be in the newspaper tomorrow morning.” That’s all. Then I slept very soundly, snoring like a pig.
The next morning, he went to some government office, I don’t know where. Before he left, he said, “I’ll come back. You have breakfast in the dining room.” He left everything there. I don’t know what was in his luggage, perhaps some special things, maybe important things. I don’t know. I didn’t touch it. I just left. Immediately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC9DRg7_N50
Listen: Eileen tells how she fled from Manchuria to Beijing during the post WWII chaos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7caAUsfSpk
Eileen hoodwinks a lecherous official to escape the fighting between the Communists and the Nationalists:
That was really a bad time in Shanghai. Everybody was nervous. They all just wanted to get out of Shanghai because the battle was very nearby. And I had no idea what I was doing—from the beginning, I had no idea. I just wanted to run away. That’s all. I just wanted to go somewhere if many people went there. But In Shanghai, all the flights, everything, were all sold out. You couldn’t buy tickets—you had to know somebody.
And then I met a high officer in the government. He said, “I have two tickets for Guangzhou. But my wife isn’t going, so I have one ticket left over.” Of course, he was sure I wanted it, so he talked this way. He wanted me to go with him.
I wasn’t interested in the details of the flight. I didn’t read the papers. Nothing—I knew nothing. I didn’t know the map. I never learned geography. I didn’t know where was where. No idea. I just wanted to get away. If I could, if it was possible. So, I agreed to take this ticket.
Of course, the officer wanted something. I didn’t care. I really didn’t care. I thought, that’s nothing. I can fight. I can beat him. I always thought: no problem. So I went with him. I had a small box that had been my father’s shaving kit and I threw away the things inside and just kept the box, with my gold bar and some rings and other jewelry. Otherwise, I went with empty hands. We couldn’t take the trunks on the airplane. There was no room. It was a very special flight.
And once again Guangzhou was another country, because I didn’t understand the language and didn’t feel it was in China. We took a taxi to a hotel and he booked a single room. I said, “I want a room.” He said, “There’s no room. There’s only one room.” Okay. Only one bed, not two beds.
But at night time, I said, “You don’t touch me! If you touch me, I’ll yell. I’ll ask for help. And everybody will come here. And you’re a high official. Aren’t you ashamed? You’ll be in the newspaper tomorrow morning.” That’s all. Then I slept very soundly, snoring like a pig.
The next morning, he went to some government office, I don’t know where. Before he left, he said, “I’ll come back. You have breakfast in the dining room.” He left everything there. I don’t know what was in his luggage, perhaps some special things, maybe important things. I don’t know. I didn’t touch it. I just left. Immediately.
