A grandfather's brief historical synopsis of his life in these United States.

A grandfather's brief historical synopsis of his life in these United States.

This is my story --an odyssey of a 74-year-old grandfather in his quest of finding a 21st century bridge to computer literacy!

I am exceedingly happy that I have an opportunity to create a blog to reflect upon the vagaries of my life leading to Professor Ke Xu's computer class!

It has been exactly 35-years ago (1972) --my last college course in "Real Estate Practices and Brokerage" at Pace University in downtown New York City --that I now have just the opportunity write again.

With your kind indulgence please allow me --Herbert C. Din, to briefly share with you my trials and tribulations --in what I call the "circle of life." I am a 74-year-old grandfather of Chinese ancestry, born during the great American Depression of the 1930's --on Columbus Day, October 12th 1933. The Lamaze method --a natural method of childbirth helped bring me into this world with the assistance of a midwife --in an apartment on Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. How giving birth has changed over time. --doctors now prefer to perform new births by Caesarean section. I suppose it's because a doctor's liability becomes a worrisome factor in any hospital.

Well, Herbert C. Din --how did I get such a non-ethnic sounding name? In the late 19th century, my grandfather Eng Chin Din was recruited from the Sai Lung Lee Village, (my ancestral village in the Toishan district of Guaundong Province --located in the delta region of southern China), in The Peoples Republic of China. My paternal grandfather was selected to leave the village for work in America or Gum San (Golden Mountain to the southern Chinese), --because the shop steward for the American Corporation was from the same village area.

I am cognizant of the fact that my grandfather endured struggle and hardship in these United States --so I feel blessed and grateful for the riches and abundance that I have!

It certainly took my grandfather many months to reach the shores of American --by the four-mast sailing ship of yesteryear.
I am trying to visualize how difficult it must have been --a laborious and tedious journey sailing on the high seas without comforts of 21st century travel. I can only think of my grandfather as a true pioneer in his time!

At the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan there is a sailing ship docked at the pier that is similar to the late 19th century sailing ships. I think it's amazing how such a wooden vessel could traverse the treachery and dangers of the high seas --such a magnificent feat in those early days of travel!

I shall continue blogging another day --I am trying to edit my beginning piece of writing to see how my blog page functions.