Stories gathered by a Son with a Real Birthday.
July 16th, 2010
I was born and grew up in Hong Kong, BCC (British Crown Colony), then under British rule. Of course Hong Kong is now part of China (since 1997) but yet it still has an abbreviated suffix attached to it. It is now called Hong Kong, SARs (Special Administrative Regions) China. I wonder when it can get its own name back without any attachment or condition. It seems people in Hong Kong are used to etching out a living no matter how they are labeled. They are the most adaptable citizens I know. If you don't believe me, I bet you a dozen donuts or dim sum of your choice that you can find people in all corners of the world that have come originally from Hong Kong. In everywhere I traveled, I can usually pick them out within a few minutes.
Anyway, I grew up full of colorful, heart wrenching, poignant stories told by my parents and siblings. These are stories on how my family and relatives grew up in China during the pre-WWII era, and how they suffered during the Japanese invasion of China between 1937 to 1945 and how our family had to split into two in 1949 (Liberation by the Communist Chinese). How the ones that escaped to Hong Kong lived? And how the ones that were left behind in China survived. We all subsequently united and are all living in the United States. There are countless stories needed to be told by everyone spanning the two continents (Asia and North America).
I am the only one among my siblings that was born in Hong Kong (in 1952 and know my true birthday). The rest of them have to guess or hold on to the dates from word of mouth passed on by my Mom as to their birthday due to absence of a Magistrate System in rural China. Have I told you I am the youngest of nine children? My Dad had two wives, a child bride and a common-law wife. My child bride mother has three kids ( one daughter and two sons) and my real mother has six (two girls and four boys).
The Chan family history (like many other family histories) is like an onion, has many layers. I am determined to peel back as many as possible and chronicle its stories. I have some ideas on how to do that but for the most part, I have to wing-it as it goes, as I know this is going to be a monumental task. Much, much harder than sailing Living Water from Panama to Galveston.
In the coming days, I will tell you how I gather (but not yet share) these stories from members of my family (all 56 of them from the last count). At the end, I will write a book and then you can read all about it.
Wish me luck!
