sounds like you come from a well to do family?
Parent must be working for British, the masters of invasions, lootings and colonization. They know they cannot sell their stupid hardware technology to the Far East Asians, to solve that problems invasion and colonized them. In China sell them opium and go to war if the Chinese want them to stop
The First Opium War (1839–42), also known as the Opium War and as the Anglo-Chinese War, was fought between Great Britain and China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice for foreign nationals.[3]
Prior to the conflict Chinese officials wished to end the spread of opium, and confiscated around 20,000 chests of opium (approximately 1.21 million kilograms or 2.66 million lb)[4] from British traders. The British government, although not officially denying China's right to control imports of the drug, objected to this seizure and used its military power to enforce violent redress.[3]
In 1842, the Treaty of Nanking—the first of what the Chinese later called the unequal treaties—granted an indemnity to Britain, the opening of five treaty ports, and the cession of Hong Kong Island, thereby ending the trade monopoly of the Canton System. The failure of the treaty to satisfy British goals of improved trade and diplomatic relations led to the Second Opium War (1856–60).[5] The war is now considered in China as the beginning of modern Chinese history.[6][7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Opium_War
Your parents must be really well off....I could only salivate at the train set at Robinson's toy Department, I could still see the place in my mind. Spent a lot of time there..while the adults shop. There was not that many departmental stores back then, Robinson would be one, & John Little all at Raffles Place. In Orchard Road it was Tang's, Metro was just starting up, as a small shop along High Street. Later years, they expanded, & then Tay Ban Guan in Katong opens. The first Chinese Departmental store was Oriental Emporium, I think it was at Gian Singh Building, Raffles Place & it was crowded for it was novelty back then. Later the first Taiwanese Departmental store opened at People's Park Complex..Taichung Emporium. Talking about Emporium's, was giving a metal construction set from Oriental Emporium for Christmas....but I Could still remember Robinson & John Little at Raffle's Place & still salivating over that train set... "you lucky devil"..