Chinese Father

I have a commuting companion that I (silently) call my Chinese father. I am guessing he is on the later side of middle age, and we take almost the same route to work and run into each other frequently. And we both work at the same place.

He asks me questions about my life, and expresses concern about the exact things a father would express concern about. Am I making enough money? Am I saving up to buy an apartment? How is school going? Can he take a look at my research book to see what I'm learning? I had a date one night (when SC and I first started dating), and he told me good luck, he hoped things would go well. He gave me software to help me with my research and tells me about studies that may help me in work and school. He says all of this in a very quiet, non-pressuring way.

When we run into each other on the train, he sits by me the whole way to work unless I end up talking to someone else I know. He tells me about his research at work in NYC and his teaching in China. (He's one of the top research managers where I work.)

All of this may seem odd, but there is something comforting about a kind stranger who has taken to me and has a completely different background (and demographic) than my own but who is in the limited capacity that I know him quite uniquely loyal and generous. I wonder if he thinks of me as a white, U.S. American daughter.