Early Life and Grandparent's Care

• 🇨🇳 Born in Shanghai under China's one-child policy, Andrea Jin's mother left her shortly after birth, leading to her being raised by her maternal grandparents.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Her mother and biological father, who were not married and later moved to Vancouver, left Andrea in the care of her grandparents in Northeast China.
• 🏫 School in China was highly structured and rigorous, with daily flag salutes, early math education, and strict posture rules.
• 🏡 Andrea's grandparents, from a rural background, provided a loving and nurturing environment, filling the void left by her parents, with many animals on their property.

Move to Vancouver and Family Dynamics

• 🇨🇦 At age 10, Andrea moved to Vancouver to live with her mother, who had remarried, and suddenly gained a stepfather and stepsister.
• 🛌 Sharing a room and a bed with her new stepsister, Andrea experienced significant psychological distress, including bedwetting, which stopped once she felt more comfortable.
• 💔 The marriage of her mother and stepfather was short-lived, ending in divorce after two to three years due to his infidelity.
• 👵🏻 A turning point came when Andrea's grandparents moved to Vancouver, providing crucial support and stability to her life.

Mother's Struggles and Relationship

• 💸 Andrea's mother struggles with addiction, primarily gambling, and has lost millions of dollars, often relying on men for financial support.
• 💔 Her mother's philosophy is that if a man doesn't provide financially, he doesn't love her, leading to transactional relationships.
• 📞 Andrea's mother often calls her only when she needs something, confusing her daughter with her transactional approach to relationships.
• resentment towards her own parents for sending her away as a child, yet she takes care of them, living together in Vancouver.

Discovering Her Biological Father

• 👨‍👧‍👦 Andrea believed her stepfather was her biological father until she was 23, when her mother revealed the truth during the pandemic.
• 🤫 Her mother