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KIMIKO says she grew up without a dowry because she was the most expensive thing

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Dance teacher KIMIKO recalled her mother joking that she would have no dowry because “the most expensive thing was you.”
  • She said dance students once spent tens of thousands of dollars on costumes, ribbons, hair accessories and framed competition photographs.

Dance teacher KIMIKO, whose real name is Lin Rui-jun, shared a playful exchange with her mother about the cost of growing up as a dance student.

You won’t have a dowry when you grow up, because the most expensive thing is you.

— KIMIKO’s motherA playful remark about the money spent on KIMIKO’s dance training and related expenses.

KIMIKO recalled asking which three hobbies cost the most. Her mother had previously told her, “You won’t have a dowry when you grow up, because the most expensive thing is you.” She said she did not understand the joke as a child, but later calculated that it made sense.

She also remembered how dance students handled competition photographs before mobile phones and digital studios. After winning, they went to a photography shop, chose one printed picture and had it framed at home. If there was no room on the family walls, the photographs moved to her grandparents’ home, creating what she called a “touring photography exhibition.”

Touring photography exhibition.

— KIMIKOHer humorous description of framed competition photographs being moved between relatives’ homes.

Competition outfits, satin fabric and hair accessories added further costs, with a full set starting at tens of thousands of dollars at the time. KIMIKO said the experience gave classical dance students a fitting nickname: “mobile money shredders.”

Mobile money shredders.

— KIMIKOHer nickname for classical dance students because of the high cost of costumes and competition-related expenses.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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