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Little Swallow Beginnings
The experience of growing up in China varies a lot depending on where you live, how rich you are, your family background, and your experience. But let me start by providing you with some general insights into what it was like for children growing up in China. Education is a significant focus in Chinese culture, and children face intense pressure to excel academically. The gaokao, China's national college entrance examination, is a high-stakes test that determines your future.
Traditional family values are strong in China, and respect for elders is typically emphasized. The one-child policy, which was in place for decades until 2015, had a profound impact on family dynamics for many Chinese people. There are significant differences in the experiences of children growing up in urban areas compared to those in rural areas who have more access to educational and career opportunities, while rural children may face challenges to quality education and healthcare.
Chinese culture is rich and diverse, with a long history of tradition, customs, and festivals. Growing up in China meant that I was surrounded by this rich cultural heritage and was initiated into various cultural practices. In China, there are many societal expectations around success, family commitments, and conformity, and as a child you feel pressure to meet these expectations and fulfill your roles both in the family and society.
The political environment in the country can also influence you as you grow up. Censorship, restrictions on freedom of speech, and government control many aspects of your life. But China has rapidly modernized in recent decades, and technology plays a significant role in the lives of many Chinese young people. Growing up in many parts of China today means being exposed to a wide range of technological advancements and digital platforms.
I am Lee. I grew up in a small town in China. I was born in a village in Zhejiang province in 1992. When I was young, the colour TV wasn't something popular and back then most chinese were poor. Despite this, my childhood was full of joy and happiness. We all believed that as long as we worked hard, we could have a better life.
"Hard work pays off."
I started primary school when I was seven, nothing extraordinary ever happened during school. But I was extraordinary, and I was always top of the class and this got me a place in a good boarding school for high school where I continued to perform even though I came from a poor family.
I got my first mobile phone in the second year of high school. But my parents didn't allow me to take it to school, even though the mobile phone in those days was very basic compared to the smartphones we have today. I longed to travel beyond the borders of China and my gran would say:
"Foreign moon is rounder than the local one."
She would also say: "Your life is so easy." And hold once she told me: "When I was little, all those wars, killing and starvation ..." I was always told that we were the lucky generation and it's true. even in my short twenty-two-year life, China was getting better and stronger.
I know that some of will that this is all stereotypical, but I loved karate and by twenty I had achieved my second dan. The karate dojo gave me meaning and purpose, and it was there that I discovered my love for boys. I watched boys from an early age in the showers and admired their bodies.
My life consisted of study and karate, and my friendship developed with Huang, who was also from my village. It was Huang who taught me about masturbation and blow jobs. Even though there are ancient records of homosexuality in Chinese culture, like most modern societies, public sentiment on homosexuality in China sits within a liminal space. While it is not outright condemned, neither is it fully accepted as being part of the social norm. I had to navigate the space carefully, and I longed to be more open about my sexuality, but I knew better and kept things discreet.
A very important Sensei from Beijing was set to lead the karate camp. He was to get us ready for an upcoming competition. I was excited to meet young people from other dojos and was glad that Huang would be at the camp. We were all advanced students, and I expected the weekend to be challenging.
Huang was cute. Very muscular and much fitter than me. He had a long fringe which he flicked to the side, and I found that very appealing. He was a funny young guy and always had a joke for every situation. Our own Sensei didn't appreciate any jokes or fooling around, and Huang was much more measured around him.
It all happened on the karate camp, not far from our village. It was late one Friday evening and Huang and I were sharing a tiny room. It was sweltering hot. There was no electricity, and it was very dark in the camp. He asked me if I masturbated (Sh?uyín) and I didn't know what was talking about. He climbed down from the top bunk, got into bed with me and said "Let me show you." He gently grabbed my flaccid dick and began to wank me and told me that this was called masturbation. It felt good, and he moved slowly up and down my shaft. It was an incredible feeling, and I didn't want him to stop. Huang leaned over and took my right hand and placed it on his dick. It was a thrill to feel another person's dick, and I copied him and did the same to him as he was doing to me. I wished that there were lights and was able to see his dick. A warm sensation developed in my groin region, and I felt a feeling that I'd never felt before. Before I knew it, I was squirting cum onto Huang's hand and my dick became very sensitive and I had to ask him to stop. I began to wank him faster and suddenly I felt his dick stiffen in my hand as he squirted cum onto my hand. He told me that was the stuff that made babies. We lay together in the bed for a while longer and then he climbed up to the upstairs bunk. I lay on my back contemplating what had just happened and hoped that this was something that would happen again.
I eventually did leave China to join my aunt and uncle in Antigua, Guatemala. They owned a restaurant in the city and were struggling to cope. My mother thought I could help them and satisfy my wanderlust. I was a clever boy, but my parents could not afford to pay university fees, and I registered to do a distance English degree with one of the Chinese universities. I enjoyed the course and had lots of fun reading some of the great English literature.
You can read more about my time in Guatemala at: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/college/little-swallow-surprise/little-swallow-surprise-7