June 30, 2006

• My heritage never ceases to fascinate me. I am a fifth generation
  Canadian; a stange entangled breed of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino.
  I've been paying attention to some of the articles on the recent
  Chinese headtax refund. My grandfather (who's father paid a headtax) is
  currently trying to get his refund. However, the idea of a refund is
  not exactly what captivates my thoughts.

  Being curious by nature
  and having a strong obsession with historic/nostalgic memories even if
  they're not my own. I continue to ponder what it was like back then in
  Shanghai Alley in the 1930's during my grandfather's childhood or even
  my great grandfather's memories during the late 1800's. Either way, I
  will eventually have to read up on it.

  I've heard many stories from my grandfather through him and other
  family members... The buildings that they lived in were fenced up to
  keep people
  out. They had to sleep upon dirty old matresses due to poverty, these
  matressess were so dirty that they were literally infested with "bed
  bugs." He would wake up with bites all over his body. Being poor, money
  can only get you so much; his family ate weeks old bread from the
  bakeries after being tossed out. The swimming pool by the beach was
  racist towards Chinese people so they couldn't swim with the Caucasians
  during opening hours. However they would let the Chinese boys go in
  before then and when those boys were done swimming they would urinate
  in the pool on purpose out of spite. Many little memories that I've
  heard througout my years..

  • 9:21 pm
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