Father’s flight too late for delivery

Press, 28 August 1986, Page 4

Father’s flight too late for delivery

When a father has travelled all the way from Christchurch to Peking to be at his child’s birth, it seems a pity when he misses the big occasion. Gow Xiao-De, a Chinese American Field scholar exchange teacher came to Christchurch in January this year, for one year. He knew his wife, Jiang YingHong, was pregnant and that he would probably miss the birth of his only child. “But I didn’t what to miss the opportunity to come to New Zealand,” he said. He usually teaches English at the Peking Light Industrial College.

When he reached Christchurch, some people heard that he was going to miss the birth if his child, and offered to pay the $2OOO return airfare to Peking, so that he

could be there. He obtained permission from the A.F.S., organisation and Christchurch Polytechnic, where he is studying and teaching, and returned home for two weeks in early August. When he reached Peking Airport, Mr Gow telephoned his family only to be told his daughter, Yue-si, had been born early on July 7.

Mr Gow chose his daughter’s name carefully. Yue means moon. Si has three different meanings. It is the Chinese name for Christchurch, it means “at this time,” and it also means “gentle.”

“The father was in Christchurch and the mother was in Peking, but we share the same moon in the sky,” Mr Gow said.

Mr Gow will return to his family in January.