KMT

Kou Min Tang is a political party established in 1894. In 1994, it celebrated its 100th year anniversary. My father was given this certificate during the celebration. It said that he was a member for 40 years. That means that he joined the party in 1954.

I heard that my grandfather was also a member of that party. I am still working on that part of his life. All I know for know is that he was very active during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. I already asked for some help from party member and hope to get more information.

For me, I went to school at Chiang Kai Shek College. Our school foundation day is the birthday of Chiang Kai Shek which is October 31st. Before the Filipinization of the Chinese schools, we would sing the Filipino and Chinese National Anthem. We would also raise two flags. Our Chinese books were from Taiwan. Our teachers were trained in Taiwan. We learned to read Chinese by using zhouyin and not pinyou. We learned to write the traditional Chinese characters and not the simplified version.

After I left the Philippines, I have more chances to read about Republic of China and People's Republic of China. I get to read more about Chiang Kai Shek and Mao Tze Tong. After Sun Yat Sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic, the citizens of China did not really enjoy much of peace and prosperity. The country was torn again into war and chaos. Whenever I read this part of the Chinese history, my heart aches.

Across the Pacific

My grandfather left China when he was ten years old. As of now, I do not know why he left. At that age, I would imagine that his parents made that decision for him.

For me, I left Manila in May of 1989. I just completed my internship at Metropolitan Hospital in Manila. I got married in October of the same year. It was October tenth, the Independence day of Republic of China. For the next two years, I worked as a resident at Country Hospital in Taipei. During those two years, I took the licensure examination to acquire a medical license but did not make it.

My wife Shunchun was the general manager of Slimmer's Diet Center. She obtained her degree in nutrition from Fu-Ren University. One day, she told me that she wanted to go to America to get a Masters degree in Nutrition. She applied and got accepted in Oklahoma State University. I had to make a decision whether to go with her or stay in Taiwan. I applied for US visa thrice and was rejected all three times. Finally, on the last try, the gentleman from Hong Kong gave me a tourist visa.

We left Taipei on May 25,1991. We took Delta Airlines, made a stop over at Korea's Kimpo Airport and then landed in Portland, Oregon. I still remember the lush green surrounding the Columbia River as we were approaching the airport. As we waited for our flight to Dallas, Texas, someone asked me where I was going. When I said Dallas, he said, " Do you know that that place is so hot that you can fried an egg on the side walk?"

Dallas was still bright when we landed at 9 pm. It was one of those first impressions that stayed with me. Security was totally different at that time. Our friend was at the gate when we walked out of the plane.

That was the beginning of my adventure in this new world. I was thirty years old at that time, much older than my grandfather. Life, I would say, was challenging at times. I had to work at St John's Catholic Church in the campus of Oklahoma State University as a janitor. I later worked at Peking Palace, a local Chinese Restaurant. Looking back, two qualities of overseas Chinese might be flexibility and resilience. Even with a medical degree, I did not mind moping the floor of the church and chopping vegetables in a restaurant. I would imagine that my grandfather did the same.

From then on, it was series of visa change until finally in September of 2005, I became a US citizen and call this home.

Ang Bahay ni Angkong

 

TI BALAY NI ANGKONG

 

Rebbeng koma

nga iti Ilokano ti panagiirgotayo

Rebbeng koma

nga sinansanko ti nagbisita

Rebbeng koma

nga idi sarsaritaen ni tatang

dagiti saritam

dimngegak

 

Ita

nagkupasen dagiti maris iti diding

Ita

narban dagiti balkon

Ita

dagiti laeng ladawanen ti maiggamak

 

Ngem

addaka pay dita

nakatakder

tapno makitak

tapno mangngegko

ti sarita ni Angkong

 

iti sumaruno a panagbisitak

agawitak ti sampagita

ikabilko iti ridaw

para kadakayo

para kenni Angkong

tapno agsubli ni Angkong

gapu iti banglo ti sabong

ket

agiirgotayo amin

 

<Ang Bahay ni Angkong>

Dapat

Ilokano ang usapan natin

Dapat

madalas ako bumisita

Dapat

noong ikinukwenta ni itay 

ang istorya mo

nakikinig ako

Ngayon

kupas na ang kulay ng dingding

Ngayon

nasira na ang mga balkon

Ngayon

ang mahahawakan ko lang ay litrato

Subalit

nandiyan ka pa

nakatayo

para makita ko

para marinig ko

ang kwento ni Angkong

sa susunod na bisita ko

magdadala ako ng sampaguita

ilalagay ko sa pinto

para sa inyo

para kay Angkong

para bumalik si Angkong

sa bango ng bulaklak

at

mag-usap po tayong lahat

《阿公的舊宅》

               ---菲律賓呂宋島美岸

或許

我們應該用當地話交談

或許

我應該多去找您

或許

我應該在父親細說您的故事時

多注意聽

現在

您牆壁的漆已經掉了

現在

您的洋台只剩下一個

現在

我只能看著您的照片

回想當初

還好

您還是站在那兒

讓我看看

讓我聽聽

阿公的故事

下次回家

我會帶一串茉莉花

掛在門上

給您

給阿公

希望阿公聞香而來

那

我們可以一起坐下

好好聊一聊

Angkong's Old House

Maybe

We should talk in Ilokano

Maybe

I should have visited more often

Maybe

When my father was telling me your story

I should have listened more

Now

Your walls have faded color

Now

Your balcony has only one left

Now

All I can hold on to is just a photograph 

But

There you are

Standing

For me to see

For me to hear

The story of Angkong 

When I visit you next time

I shall bring some sampaguita 

I shall hang it on your door

For you

For Angkong 

So that Angkong can smell the fragrance

Of the flower and return

And

We all can have a visit

Vigan: More Questions Than Answers

 

 

Today I received a copy of my father's birth certificate. He was born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. At that time, the name of the city was Fernandina.

 

With that document, I was also able to find my grandfather's name. It is Chan Teh.

 

I feel that tracing the family root and writing a book is no different than fishing. It is a test of patience. You might sit for days without catching any, then suddenly there is a gush of information!

 

I have been to Vigan as a child. Honestly, I do not have any memory of it. For me, it was just another place. It is true that I have a godfather there. I do not know him. It is just a name that my father mentioned from time to time. It is also an information that I use when people say they are Ilokano, meaning people from the Ilocos province. I would say, "My dad is Ilokano too!"

 

People asked, " What do you want to know about Vigan?" 

 

For me, it is the pivotal city in our family history. It is the city which attracted my grandfather to leave China. Without that move, there will be no Francisco Chan and Benjamin Chan. It is also a city that I need to give thanks to. It allowed my grandfather to survive outside of China. It provided a place for my father to be born.

 

The biggest question is, what is it like in those days?

 

 

Oral History Session

I shall call this ORS, oral history session. I spent two hours with my cousin Jennifer and Eric in Las Vegas, Nevada. I listen to what they remembered about the family. Jennifer confirmed what I learned about the family. I also learned something new. She said that angkong was actually very rich before the Japanese occupation of the Phillppines in 1941. The war changed his financial status. He became poor.

Above is a picture of their maternal grandfather. Jennifer mentioned how he has many European features. I never met him. Jennifer also does not have the body of a Chinese woman. Her body is more European. She also can dance very well. As I post this information in our Binomdo Heritage Group, someone suggested that it is very possible. Even though their grandfather is from Fujian, China, Quanzhou, Fujian, China was the beginning of the so called Silk Road of the sea where merchants from Quanzhou, Fujian, China would travel west, past Malaysia and India to the Middle East. Their grandfather's ancestor could be from Middle East!

My Father's Reunions

When I was much younger, I do not understand why my father will get so excited about their reunions. They even have a name for the class organization. It is called 長風級友會 zhang feng Ji you hui. Zhang Feng means long wind. I remember that their logo has a ship with wind blowing. Whoever came up with that name should get an applause! For me, it stands for the wish for a long trip together!

I do not know most of them, but I can tell you many names, some of them are even very famous in the Chinoy community. They would have different reasons and occasions to get together. They even have elections and officers. If I have a chance to go home and dig up my father's collections, I am sure there are many more to talk about!

Now that I am passed 50 years old and over the hill, I truly appreciate and understand my father's passion for reunions. In the past few years, I have been to a few reunions of my own. I saw some classmates whom I have not seen in thirty years. The truth is, we might have change externally, but the core spirit is the same. It felt like yesterday. It felt like we were still in that school yard playing games. It felt like time froze!

家書 A Letter to My Father

親愛的父親大人：

距上次見面已有三個多月，近來可好？

我最近決定寫一本書。書名是中國心，China Luck。我想敘述祖父少時離家出南洋的故事。父親有空的話，希望可以幫我寫下一些資料，例如，他是那一年生的，為何離家，剛到呂宋的情形…

至於我回菲的日子，那將是明年六月底。

最近有聽說父親常生氣，駡人，打人。我聽了很難過。身為長子，我沒有盡到責任。中國人説，養兒防老，父親日子過得不高興，我有責任。我知道文聰很用心的安排事情，我很感謝他！

父親，人在晚年，我想該是享受清福的時候。如果我有什麼可以做到的地方，讓您生活可以過得好一點，請跟我講。

最後，

祝

康安！

兒

文明 敬上

A Letter to My Son

Dear Ryan,

I guess this is going to be the first time for me to write a letter to you. It is going to be a new experience. I'm excited at the same time scared because this is going to be included in my book. 

Let's see, where should I start? Let me start by saying I love you! In my generation, my family do not say those three words openly. We do not hug nor kiss. You probably noticed that when you went to Manila. Ever wonder why? Well, I do not have the answer. Growing up, I have not seen grandpa kiss or hug grandma. The only time I saw him kiss her was during his 80th birthday celebration. Still, that was after cheering and pushing from all of us around them. It actually felt like they were newly weds!

In my generation, love is expressed in terms of care. When you went to Manila, grandpa will go to his room and bring out all those gifts for you. That is love! In Chinese, there is a saying: 望子成龍 (wang zi cheng long). It means hoping the son become a dragon. In other words, hoping that the son will succeed. That is what grandpa did to me. Grandpa only completed two years of college. He dropped out to work in sales. He knew how hard it is not to complete school and how hard it is to do sales so he did all he could to make me excel in my studies. There were long tutoring sessions with him even during elementary school. There were review sessions before each test. Without his tutoring, I would not be able to come take all those test in this country and practice medicine. Without him, you will not be born in this country and have a different kind of opportunity. I wish you great success in you present plan to enter medical school.

As I write this book about your great grandfather's journey from China to the Philippines, grandpa's story in the Philippines, my journey to America and your life in this country, I feel a sense of belonging and pride about our family. As they say, blood is thicker than water. Let keep the family lineage going! 

Till next time,

Dad 

A Letter to Angkong

一柱香

那是我

與您

唯一聯繫的方式

在回鄉之際

在離鄉之前

阿爸一句

阿爹， Benna 回來了

好像一下子把您請出來

好像一下子您摸摸我的頭說

好孫！ 好孫！

而離家前的一句

阿公保祐

我好像帶著護身符

像您下南洋一樣

一樣勇敢

一樣往前走

Dear Angkong,

You passed away in 1958, three years before I was born. I never get to hear your voice, see you walk or hear you talk. All I have was your picture in the altar. It is up to me now to imagine how you were. If there were video recorders at your time, it would have been handy, isn't it?

All I remember is, whenever I return to Manila, dad would light up four incense. I would hold it in my hands and kneel down. Dad would say, "A-tia, Benna to lai lo!" In English, "Dad, Ben is home". I would then bow four times. We would do the same when I was about to leave, whether returning to Taiwan or to America.

Now that I am writing this book about our family, how I wish that I was born a few years earlier. I wish we can be like other grandpas and grandsons where I can ask you questions about your adventure, where we can go get some ice cream and have a few laughter, where you can teach me how to ride a bike. Or maybe that is not how Chinese express their love. Knowing dad, he would bring us to eat or give us gifts whenever we return to Manila. Maybe you would do the same if I were on your arms.

As I read about your generation and the adventures of overseas Chinese, I come to realize why dad was so thrifty. I now realize that thriftiness is the virtue which carry each and every overseas Chinese to succeed. Saving is how many overseas Chinese were able to start from a little store and build a business empire.

I have many more things to learn in this life. Writing this book will be a challenging journey but at the same time, a chance for me to grow. I truly believe that knowing where I came from and who I am will make my life better.

Until next time,
Benna

 

Benjamin Chan Trading

My father's business is called Benjamin Chan Trading. I did not really get a chance to ask him why he name it that way. Positively, I would like to think that he loves his first born! I also remember that when he got mad at me, he would say, "Do not forget that I am the proprietor!"

Growing up, part of our job is to help him pack the products to be send to the provinces. It is mostly hardware products like hinges and potlucks. Sometimes we will have bigger items like boxes of nails or chicken wire. I would get a sharpie and write: FR BCT TO XX Hardware Baguio City.

Early on, when he did not own a pick up truck, he would go to the street corner and look for an empty jeepney who is willing to make some extra money. They would load the merchandise and deliver it to the trucking service. Later on, he bought a red Chevy truck with a tall camper. Aside from being the delivery truck, it was also our family car.

My father's business brought him to the different provinces in Luzon. Luzon is the northern big island of the Philippines. He went as far north as Laoag, Ilocos Norte and as far south as Albay where the famous Mayon volcano is located. I have been with him in many of his business trips. Just like in Manila, watching movies was part of it. I would wait at the store while he visit with his customers. For me, it was boring. But it allowed me to travel to many provinces.

Among those many trips, probably one incident stands out. We arrived in a city somewhere in the north of Manila. As usual, once the bus stops, vendors come over to offer what they are selling. The window was open. I was watching the vendors when suddenly water came down from the top. I wondered, "Is it raining?" The next thing I knew was there was the sound of an animal. It was a sheep! There was sheep on top of the bus. The water was not water or rain, the sheep urinated! We hurried to the restaurant nearby so that I could get a good wash of my face.

Four Generations

 

                       Grandfather, Mr. Sui-Te Chan, born 1898 E-ni, Jinjiang, Fujian, China

                      Father, Mr. Francisco Chan, born 1934 Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

                                  Dr. Benjamin Que Chan, born 1961, Manila, Philippines

 

                                Son, Mr. Ryan Oliver Chan, born 1995, Pontiac, Michigan, USA



I have been reading a lot recently about China, The Philippines, and Overseas Chinese. I know that as Chinese, we talked a lot about lineage and propagation of the family. As I look at these four generation, my heart is touched. I know that I need to continue to work on this project.

Four generations, from the time my angkong was born to the time that me son was born, it was a span of 97 years, almost a century. That by itself is something worth writing and sharing. It also includes three countries, China, Philippines and United States of America. From the last dynasty of China, to the American occupation of the Philippines, to the independent Philippines and to the big melting pot of United States of America, there seems to a hint of adventurous genes in the family.

Angkong left China for survival. I admire his bravery. Without his decision to leave the chaotic China, the rest of the family will not be around. My father left Vigan and went to Manila to study and have his family. I left Manila in 1989, went to Taiwan for two years and then came to USA in 1991. My son was born when I was doing my Family Medicine residency in Pontiac, Michigan.

I can partly understand my angkong's adventure. Although I would say that mine is nothing compared to what he did. It is probably our overseas Chinese virtues that made us flexible. We do whatever we need to do to survive. Angkong found new land and hope in the Philippines, I found new way of life in USA.

Movies

This is the oldest movie that can remember. The movie theater is called King's Theater 亞洲戲院 in Ongpin St of Manila Chinatown. At that young age of six or seven, I was really bored. But I made through it. Many years later, I do not know what happened to my taste of movie or culture, I actually love it. Right now, I can still hum some of its tunes. I guess it is still recorded in the back of my brain.

Bruce Lee became my idol and hero after I watched this movie. Of course, I subsequently watched every movie he made. When I was growing up, I was skinny and shy. When I was bullied by some Filipinos, I would pray that I turn into Bruce Lee and give them a lesson. Learning martial art was out of the question. Aside from studying, my past time was reading, no sports, no martial arts. Interestingly, I attended four sessions of karate class at the age of 53. I had to stop due to my knee problem. 

Before Ang Lee's award winning movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", we had Jimmy Wong's "One Arm Bandit". From that movie on, I watched many other sword fight movies. The theme was always the same. Revenge! If you harm my family, I will track you till the end of the world and kill you. In Chinese, it is 報仇. 

Later on, when I was in high school, romance movies was the hit. There was always a new film and another old film showing in one of the four movie theaters in Chinatown. After dinner, we would watch two movies! 

Movies allowed me to escape from whatever challenge I am dealing with in life. That is one of the influence I got from my father. During college, on Friday nights, I would walk to the busy street of Avenida, take a jeepney to the corner of Recto St where there were four theaters to choose from. It was my exposure to the American culture. James Bond, Saturday Night Fever, Zorro, Poltergeist... 

 

Movies, up to these days, it is my favorite past time. There is a movie that will always remember, and that is Forest Gump. I remember that I was in Pontiac, Michigan. It was a long movie. When I walked out of the theater, I was lost. I remember saying: Where am I? It took me awhile to return to reality.

Thus I am child in the candy store every time I visit Universal Studios in Hollywood. My favorite part was the studio tour. Even though I have done it many times, there always something new each time I pass by. To help me understand movie making more, few years ago, I signed up to be a movie extra. Albuquerque, New Mexico has become a good place for movie makers due to the tax break that they receive. I became an extra in the movie "Spare Parts" starring George Lopez. It was a story about four high school kids from Phoenix, Arizona who joined a national underwater robot competition. The scene was supposed to be Santa Barbara, California. It was shot at West Mesa Swimming Center in town. I was one of the audience standing and cheering!

My Grandmother Ong Chay

All these years, I thought ama (grandmother in Minnan) belongs to the Ong 王 family. It is only today when I saw her grave that I realized her last name is Tan 陳. Her Chinese name is 陳謚. She was born in 1898 in Fujian, Jinjiang, E-ni 福建晋江下輦. She passed away at age 82.

The ama that I remembered has her hair combed back and wears a Chinese traditional dress for women, just like the one in the picture. Ama stayed with my Uncle Jose who is the eldest son. From time to time I will see her during family get together. A vague memory was the day when I went to the temple with her. We rode a kalesa (horse drawn cart) and went to the temple on Magdalena St. I remember her lotus feet, the incense and the delicious vegetarian meal.

I also remember one afternoon in our apartment, I sat in front of ama and talked to her. I was probably a teenager at that time. I really do not remember what we talked about. Now that I am doing this research about our family, I wish I asked her more questions. But the challenge is, during that era, a child is not allowed to ask to many questions. As they say, be seen and not be heard.

Other bits and pieces of information comes when my father will mention things like, "during the Japanese invasion, we had to go to the mountain province, the Igorots were carrying her because of her lotus feet". In 1980, she fell, broke a bone and passed away. I was in college at that time. I vaguely remember that my uncle Macario who is a physician said something about a blood clot to her lungs. I was also told that she gave birth to fourteen children. Based on the record on the tombstone, there twelve of them, six males and six females. When I was born, I only met seven of them.

As I write this, I feel that even though family is a big factor in the propagation of the Chinese culture and the survival of many of the overseas Chinese, there is really a big gap in the preservation of our history. One reason I can think of is that "saving face" is very important in the Chinese culture. There are probably many things that cannot be said publicly, even among relatives. thus, I have a lot of work to do to follow the trail and pick up the piece. For me, this is an interesting project.

Another thought that constantly comes to mind is, why am I doing this? Since none of my previous ancestors put the family history together, I would like to pass to my son and daughter and my nephews a book/history where they can begin to trace their root if they so desire in the future.

Manila Chinatown

王彬街

你如果回家

過來坐坐

花園口

依舊很忙

你同學的書店

依舊在橋邊

橋邊的水溝

依舊是黑黑臭臭

亞洲戲院

不再放電影

馬路上

馬車及集尼車

依舊來來去去

王彬街頭

到王彬街尾

短短

在我心底

却記得

牢牢地

Ongpin

If you come home

Please come

And visit

Binondo plaza

Is still very busy

Your classmate's bookstore

Is still next to the bridge

The estero next to it

Is still dark and stinky

King theater 

Has no more movies

On the streets

Kalesa and jeepneys

Still come and go

Front the start

To the end

It is really short

But in my heart

The memory is long


Kalye Ongpin (Tagalog version by Joaquin Sy)

Kung mauuwi ka...
bumisita ka naman.

Ang Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz
abalang-abala pa rin.
Ang tindahan ng libro ng kaeskuwela
nasa tabing-tulay.
Ang estero sa tabi ng tulay
maitim at mabaho, gaya nang dati.
Ang Asia Theater
di na nagpapalabas ng sine.
Sa kalsada
paroo't parito pa rin
ang mga dyipni't kalesa.

Maikli lang
ang puno't dulo
ng Kalye Ongpin.
Nguni't sa puso ko
mariing
nakatiim.

 

When I was growing up, Ongpin is synonymous to Chinatown. Ongpin is the street that runs through the heart of Chinatown.

As one of our regular family activity, we spent many weekend night in Chinatown for food and movies. There were four Chinese theaters at the height of that period. From Chinese sword fight movies, to Bruce Lee to romantic movies, those movies were partly entertainment and partly education. There were Chinese and English subtitles in each film.

Speaking of education, at the height of the Betamax rental period, we would also go there to rent Chinese soap operas. I still remember many of us would crowd the small second floor landing of our apartment, eyes glued to the small colored Sony television. That was another family activity!

As I try to recall Ongpin in my mind, interestingly, it has to do with food! The store which sale sugar cane juice just before Salazar Street, the preserved mango from the store across from it, the soup number 5 from the little store after the bridge before Gandara St, the roasted chicken at corner of Alonzo Street, and the Duck with Misua soup at the corner of Tomas Mapua Street!

Of course other than food, many of my friends live in the area which makes it a place where I went frequently. Claris lived on Nueva Street, Bebe lived on Magdalena Street, Norman on Aguilar Street and Vangie lived on Reina Rejente and Alex lived by Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz.

For many summers, I also spent a lot of time at Liberty Hall owned by Koumintang Party of Republic of China. The summer classes were taught by teachers from Taiwan. I attended Chinese language class and Chinese painting class. In 1977, I joined a group of Overseas youth and went to Taiwan for two weeks. I spent many days there for meeting and program rehearsals.

I have to thank Mr. Co for my Chinese education. He was the husband of my senior high school Chinese class Ms Lee. His office was located at the Liberty Hall. I would stop by his office to pick books and magazines in Mandarin. It was a big help for my written Chinese.

 

Amoy

Amoy, the present day Xiamen, was also called Siming at one time by Koxinga, the great sea navigator of the Ming dynasty. Siming means "Remembering the Ming". I like the old name of Amoy. So far, I have not found where that name came from.

Amoy plays an important role in the history of Chinoys. During the years when my angkong (paternal grandfather) migrated to Manila, most people used this port to leave China. From a book written by W. Hastings Macaulay called Kathay, A Cruise in the China Seas, this was the description of Amoy in the 19th century:

"The town of Amoy presents the same features of Shanghae, and other Chinese cities: streets narrow and filthy, and  dirt abundant, an equal number of offensive smells pervade the atmosphere, and as many disgusting sights offend the eye; beggars to be sure, are not as common as at Shanghae, but the inhabitants have a squalid look, as if too lazy to beg."

I can imagine that. During that era, aside from population explosion, drought, famine and crop failure, there was also the non stop war in China for decades. From what I read, the thought at that time was: I will die if I stay, I might die if I board a ship and go overseas, but I might not.

From the documentary film "Going to South Pacific, 下南洋", it was reported that the topography of Fujian added to the challenge of living. The inward half of the province is mountainous. Only the coastal plains were suitable for agriculture. Another saying during that era is: When you go out into the sea, bring seeds and coffin. You might be stranded in an island where you need to plant something to eat, or you may need the coffin for your burial.

I now appreciate my angkong's bravery. Without him, there will not be my father nor I. I also have a sense of gratitude to the Philippines for allowing many of my angkong's countryman to find a place to settle and survive.

The picture above is a view from my hotel in Amoy in 2003. The island at the far end is Gulangyu.

The Root Tracing Trip

There are many things in life that if you don't just do it, you may not have the change to do it. That's the way it is for my trip with my father back to Fujian.

It was 2003. I flew back to Manila, joined my parents and made a trip to my grandparents' hometown in Fujian, China. My paternal grandfather is from E-ni, Jinjiang, Fujian, China. My maternal grandfather is from the same area but a different town. We flew from Manila to Xiamen, China. The airport was new, massive and very modern. I was impressed.

From Xiamen, we hired a taxi which took us to our hometown. It was a quick day trip on our way to the next big city which is Quanzhou. Honestly, aside from the pictures I took, I really do not remember much about the place. We visited a temple in our Chan's hometown. Then we visited a nice house that was built using the money that my maternal grandfather sent to his hometown of Que family.

I also do not have much impression about Quanzhou. It is supposed to be one of the important ports in the southeast China. I should have done some research before going. Nevertheless, that area reminded me of Taiwan. the weather and the food were very similar. I actually had a good time!

After we went back to Xiamen, we went to this little island called Gulangyu. It was very beautiful and peaceful. The best impression was an two elderly gentlemen playing Chinese chess under a big tree. I remember saying to myself, I can come and retire here!

Food is Everything

 My wife is from Taiwan. Yesterday, we were having breakfast and I prepared this bread stick. She took a bite and said, "It is too thick. Also, I do not like to eat it with sugar. In Taiwan, I would eat it with 'sao ping' ".

Of course, we did not stop the discussion there. We talked more about food and it gave me the idea to write this chapter.

As a child, our breakfast was always pan de sal. A dinner role like bread, fresh from the oven, no, not from our kitchen, but from the bakery just around the corner. As the eldest in the family, I would get to my father's shirt which is hanging behind the door in that one bedroom apartment. I would grab some pesos, go to the store and buy the bread. Mother would make the chocolate drink, Ovaltine or Milo, and there would be either Reno liver spread or Vienna sausage from the can.

When I explain to my wife that we eat six meals a day, she would usually look at me in disbelief, but it is true. At school, at around 9:45 am, during one of our recess, students would ran to the canteen where they would get a fried plantain coated with brown sugar on a stick with Pepsi or Coke. There are also sandwiches that we can buy. My other favorite is called turon, it is like an egg roll with banana inside.

Then for lunch, there is always rice. A meal without rice is not a meal but just a snack. It is always rice with one or two dishes to go with it. Vegetables and soup were optional. As long as we have something with deep flavor, does not have to be a lot, the meal is good! I remember for some of the hard working Filipino workers, their meal might be a big plate of rice with a small dried fish. The diet was definitely high in carbohydrates.

In the afternoon, at about 4:30 pm, we would a snack. A favorite place for me to go is Ha Yuan on Magdalena street. They have "Maki", a thick soup with pieces of soft meat. They also have "Machang", sticky rice cooked with meat or sometimes peanut wrapped in bamboo leaves and tied with a string. Sometimes they have "Ginataan", a desert made with coconut milk containing banana, jackfruit, yam and others.

Most Fridays, after my father came home from the province, we would all pile into a taxi and head for Chinatown. My father's favorite dishes and later became ours' were sweet and sour whole fish and "Pat Po Tao Hu Teng". The latter is a thick soup with tofu, carrots and green peas.

After dinner, we would watch two Chinese movies. And the there is one more meal before we head home. It would be a simple peanut soup, with or without egg. If I remember right, sometimes you can add a piece of chocolate.

Food is definitely everything. By telling you the kind of food I grew up with, you would now understand why I am called Chinoy. And I am.

Red

I read somewhere that a sign that you might be a Chinoy is that you have a red shirt in your closet. That is true! As shown above, in celebration of my father's 80th birthday, we were all in red!

Red in China is a symbol of good luck. You see a lot of red in celebrations like weddings and birthdays. When I was growing up, black was prohibited in our home. At that time, when there was a death in the family, we wore black. Then we have to wear a black pin for some time. I did not own a black pants or black shirt until I left the Philippines. I now married a pianist who wears black all the time when she performs on stage. Interestingly, since I joined Binondo Heritage Group and started writing this book, I noticed that the black car that I bought recently needed something red. I attached a red ornament.

Speaking of red and good luck, there were other things that we do and do not do when I was growing up. When my father saw a thin man coughing, he would immediately walk to the other side of the street with us in tow. He would cover his mouth and nose and asked us to do the same. I do not understand that when I was growing up. Now that I am a physician, my best guess is that there are many cases of tuberculosis in the Philippines. He might be concerned about it.

The is a street called Misericordia that we would pass on our way to Chinatown. There was a funeral parlor on the left side of the street. When we get close to it, he would ask us to look to the right until we pass. I did not ask him about it. Up to now, I still do not know why.

Death is also taboo in our house. For my mother, it is a curse if we talk about it. In the days of advance directives now, where patients discuss whether they want to be resuscitated or not, we still do not talk about it. For me, I made it clear to my wife that I want to be cremated. I want my ashes to be spread in the Pacific Ocean because I have friends and family in other sides.

My Alma Mater

My father and all my siblings and I went to the same school, Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila, Philippines. The school was named after General Chiang Kai Shek later became the President of Republic of China.

As I look at this picture of the old building, I have many fond memories. It seems to make me feel younger!

I started going to Chiang Kai Shek College in 1966 when I was 5 years old. The building was still there when I visited this summer. In fact we were able to locate a teacher who retired already but went back to help out. One clear memory of my days during kindergarten was walking to this old building and sat side by side with the first graders. They were getting us ready for elementary school. In kindergarten, we started learning Chinese characters, learning them in both Mandarin and Hokkien.

Most of my elementary day classrooms were in that building. I remember the library which was on the second floor towards the right corner. At that time, we each have a library card. The most fun I had was to get a new card because I borrowed so many books. I read Sherlock Holmes in Chinese and many other well known Chinese novels like the Journey to the West.

From elementary school on, we had English class in the morning and Chinese class in the afternoon. After school, I would have two sets of home work to do. I would always do the Chinese ones first. Memorization is a big part of our Chinese education. the teacher would ask us to stand in front of the class and memorize a certain paragraph from the book. The test also includes writing out certain paragraphs. Most of the time, we had double exposure, meaning learning algebra in English in the morning and the same subject in Chinese in the afternoon.

A favorite game at that time is called sipa. In China, they used feather. In the Philippines, we used a corduroy like thread attached to a tin washer. During recess, even when it is only 15 minutes, we would race down to the playground and play a game. Usually it was a group against a different group. A person would kick the sipa twice where on the second kick, he would pass it to the other team. Someone in the other team would have to catch it either with the inner shoe or the thigh, then on the second kick, pass it to the opponent. If anyone misses the catch, it was a point against them. It was always fun to play except that I would ruin my leather shoes early. When it is time to get a new pair, dad was not very happy!