Living like an oversized baby

As a 12-year-old, I clearly remember my father taking me to our local bank and setting up a savings account for me. I recall receiving my first bankbook and my dad teaching me how to manage it. This was indeed a proud moment.

I had the same sense of excitement when I was 16 and my dad brought me back to the bank to arrange a checking account. Driving to the bank, filling out the documents, speaking with the teller, these were all tasks that needed adult supervision. Now 32, I have found myself back in need of it again.

Being a foreigner in China with limited use of the spoken language, I have as much capability to manage the affairs of my daily life as a pre-pubescent boy.