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My great grandfather was a holy man. In the village that he lived in, people would bike across town to see him. They would bring nervous chickens in steel cages for my great grandfather to ceremonially execute, since he was the only one in the village that could kill the chicken in a "kosher" way (to steal a Jewish-ism).

My mother tells me that I look like my great-grandfather, and I must agree. In my mother's line, my family has always wondered why we don't look exactly like every other Asian person; that is, my mother and her sons do not look like the stereotypical squinty-eyed Asian, and we tend to have longer noses (which in Chinese culture is somewhat of a point of pride)!

Some research by my mother's sister, who is a historian by trade, shed some light on perhaps why my mom and myself look the way we do. She found out that in our family's distant history, there are records of intermarriage between non-Chinese and Chinese in the area that borders the province where my ancestors lived. What this means, if the research is right, is that I have at least one arab ancestor in my background (arab being a term that probably didn't exist back then, nor any specific country with which to cite my roots).

I am sure that if my great grandfather were not an ayatollah, he would be pimping it up with all the ladies. Look at that mischevious smile and proud posture. I feel downright fantastic to be able to say that I have even a little bit of his awesomeness pumping through my own veins.

- Chui

Description
My great grandfather was a holy man. In the village that he lived in, people would bike across town to see him. They would bring nervous chickens in steel cages for my great grandfather to ceremonially execute, since he was the only one in the village that could kill the chicken in a "kosher" way (to steal a Jewish-ism).

My mother tells me that I look like my great-grandfather, and I must agree. In my mother's line, my family has always wondered why we don't look exactly like every other Asian person; that is, my mother and her sons do not look like the stereotypical squinty-eyed Asian, and we tend to have longer noses (which in Chinese culture is somewhat of a point of pride)!

Some research by my mother's sister, who is a historian by trade, shed some light on perhaps why my mom and myself look the way we do. She found out that in our family's distant history, there are records of intermarriage between non-Chinese and Chinese in the area that borders the province where my ancestors lived. What this means, if the research is right, is that I have at least one arab ancestor in my background (arab being a term that probably didn't exist back then, nor any specific country with which to cite my roots).

I am sure that if my great grandfather were not an ayatollah, he would be pimping it up with all the ladies. Look at that mischevious smile and proud posture. I feel downright fantastic to be able to say that I have even a little bit of his awesomeness pumping through my own veins.

- Chui