Hello! I am Ran Ang-Rui, born in 1912. Currently, I am a college student in Beijing, a bit rare for women like me from my hometown. I come from a family of farmers in Shaoshan, Hunan, China who do well enough for themselves. I have three older brothers, the last of whom just got married so my house was getting pretty crowded with both of my parents still alive and grandchildren on the way. One of my brothers just graduated from university and even found his wife while at school, so my impressed parents agreed to let me leave and go to school on the condition that I pay for part of my education by myself, hence me taking this job.
Coming to the city after spending my entire life in a rural area has been eye-opening to not only the problems China is facing right now but also the possible solutions for them. I’m interested to see how my classes in school support or refute what I’ve been told growing up about China and its history. College has given me the chance to hear many opinions about national issues, even the less conservative ones that don’t usually make it back to my village. The tension in the city is palpable and I’m concerned that this talk of revolution will cause more problems than it will solve for my country. As a woman especially, I can see that some big changes need to be made here but I’m worried about the dangers along the road to a more egalitarian society.