It’s that time of year: Time to say thank you to our fathers, or enjoy the day if we are fathers. I am not a father. Yet. (Please don’t email me if I am).

I’ve been fortunate in having three fathers. My first father passed away when I was a teen, but there are two other men in my life that took up those difficult reigns.

My step-father (what an ugly term) is a wonderful man. He is thousands of miles away, and I haven’t seen him since I started this Chinese adventure in 2005. To you, Scotty, Happy Father’s Day. Thanks for everything. Your support over the years means more than you know.

My Father-in-law, my Baba (below, left), is a generous-to-the-point-of-foolishness kind of man. He had never seen a real life foreigner (or had anyone in the village) before meeting me, except on TV. The man has made the vast cultural differences not so vast. He welcomed me into his family and treats me as one of his own.

So, the three of you: I’m not with you today, on this plane or any other, but I wish you a cold beer and a sunny afternoon.