暑假旅遊Banff, 父親開車，兒子坐車頭。兒子的任務是看著手機的GPS點路，與父親聊天。
世間那有絕對聽話的兒子。他還要用智能電話「打機」，還要看小說。
「What are you reading?」
「Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy。It is a required reading for next quarter's Russian literature class.」
我立刻沉默，兒子在讀托爾斯泰名著。請快把小說讀完，不必與父親聊天了。
年輕時讀過大文豪的「戰爭與和平」，現在輪到兒子讀文豪的「安娜-卡列尼娜」。
..........
兒子在 Northwestern U 讀 double majors, 一是歷史, 另外一個是MMSS(mathematical method in social science), 這科要讀很多數學，什麼 big data 的，我搞不清楚。
他來電說有緊要事與父親商量。
"Dad, I am going to drop the Russian literature class."
"Why? What did you get in the mid-term?"
"I got a 89. but my math class is 48."
"Good for you! Finally get a difficult class."
"You @$@$@ need to bite the bullet. Russia has produced many good writers. You need to read their books. In the future, when you talk to people about literature, you know some great Russian writers; otherwise you only know 'A Tale of Two Cities.'"
"I do not like the professor. Plus I need to put more time on the math class though all my buddies got lower grades than me."
"What is the average grade?"
"56, but a Chinese kid from China got 96. Few white kids got 80 some."
"You need to be friends with those kids. Let them teach you! You cannot study with your buddies; the blind leads the blind."
"I do not like to beg."
"I do not care. Sometime you need to bow to get through."
"The reason I take the class is that if I take 4 classes each qtr for 3 years, I can graduate earlier. We can save one qtr tuition, about $2000."
"I do not want you to graduate early. I want you to enjoy school. HK plane round trip ticket is almost $2000. Dad doesn't have good University memories because Dad had to be a full time waiter. You do not need to be a waiter! Just study and play in school. Chase some girls for me."
"Drop it then!"
Adam: "Ok, I will make good use of my time. I will take the Russian literature class next qtr."
"You just learn the saying in your Chinese class: 前人種樹，後人乘涼."
"You are doing 乘涼."
"Ok! Thanks, Dad."
..........
以上與兒子的對話發給了幾位同學與校長。有同學給了我一個「讚」，並且說我非「tiger dad」云云。校長則要我整理一下，他想要更多人分享。
在這香港名校的舊生會網站。我班門弄斧，講教育！現發出如下謬論：
什麼tiger dad? 世界上最笨是迫仔女讀書的父母。講human right? 你有乜權利剝削他們少年成長時開心快樂的日子，關起來讀書八小時，彈鋼琴八小時？我做不到。
有就有，冇就冇，迫不來。如果「有」，恭喜，你是家山有福。如果讀書普通，「冇」，也無所謂，做個電工，修理水龍頭一樣可以快樂人生，而且大把工作。況且一世人流流長，許多變化。千萬唔好培養個秀才。除非他學院派，一世人在大學做research, 環境幽靜安全。但是大學教授一樣有鬥爭，他們不是聖人。如果是其他，出到社會，好似傻瓜，剩識讀書，人情世故，一慨不懂。有些剩係識做好好先生，見人會膽怯；有些則惡到死，驕傲，看不起窮人與無教育的人。我問你點揾食？除非老豆大把水。
做父母的要 do their best. 兒孫自有兒孫福，”The rest, leave it to 天"，江紹倫教授送給我的。
Don