On July 7, 1937, Japan invaded China. The governmnet advised people to evacuate from Guangzhou. We were very naive. We thought that it was only a temporary trip and should return in time to Guangzhou for the next school semester. We packed only a few suitcases of essential belongings, went back to our native village in Taishan, and left all the new furniture behind, including my brother's brand new bicycle. Within weeks, Guangzhou fell. Under Japanese occupation, the vandals stripped our house clean, as they did all the other unoccupied residences. All the furniture, fixtures, doors and door frames, windows and window frames were stripped.
We went back to Taishan for a short while. Then my brother took me to Hong Kong at the start of school in spring 1938. We stayed with a distant uncle at No. 240, 2nd floor, and 242 1st floor, Nathan Road, Kowloon. I went to Pui Ching School, room and board, 7th grade.
That was a critical turning point for my brother. First, he lost his opportunity and enthusiasm for school. Second, he was afflicted with a devastating illness, somewhat like Guillain-Barre syndrome, and suddenly became hoarse and paralyzed. Mother came to Hong Kong, took him back to Taishan village, and nursed him back to good health. In a year or so, he set sail for America, and mother and sister moved to Hong Kong. The three of us then lived in a rented room.
That distant uncle in Hong Kong was a very close friend of my grandfather. They grew up together in the same village. When my grandfather died at the age of 36, he still owed this uncle 100 silver dollars. My father was only six years old and my grandmother remembered that debt. When my father became "rich" in America, he repaid this uncle 100 U.S. dollars, many times the original principal. These two also became good friends. When my brother, as a teenager, met this uncle, in his 60's, they became good friends, too. I was closer to his grandchildren than to him. He died of cancer of the esophagus in 1939. His grandchildren now are in America: Richard M. Hugh in Delaware, Gilbert in New York, Robert in Wyoming or South Dakota, Bertha in New Jersey, Eugene, Henry and Bing in New York.
The room we rented in Kowloon, Hong Kong was a bedroom, just like one of those three bedrooms of our Guangzhou house. We first resided at 27 Tung Choi Street, ground floor, then moved to Number 14 Garden Street, 1st floor, and finally to Number 49, Waterloo Road, 2nd floor. All were close to Pui Ching School and my sister's school.
The room was very small. It was just big enough for one double bed for my mother and sister, and one single bed for me, arranged as an "L"; and a small table arranged as a "U", used for dining and writing. The tiny space left was for a wash basin, and a toilet potty (covered).
The table was too far from the 40-watt light bulb hanging from the ceiling. So after dark, I usually did my homework at one corner of my mother's bed (board bed), by folding up part of her bed covering. My sister slept inside and mother slept outside. So mother had to bend her knees, lay still and be careful not to move or kick my papers. I often did my homework way past midnight. My sister did not seem to have any homework. Yet she always got good marks. She is a smart girl.
Besides going to school, shopping or visiting, that one tiny room was our whole home. We shared the used of the bathroom and kitchen. In most apartments, there were about four to five families residing. Each family had their own terracotta stove lined up in the kitchen. After the meals were cooked, they were brought back to everyone's own room to eat. After the dishes were washed in the kitchen, they were also brought back to your own room for storage.
For washing, we did it in our own room, in a wash basin. For bathing or defecation, one must wait in line for the bathroom. For urination, we usually did it in our own room, into that covered potty, which was emptied into the main toilet bowl in the bathroom. That main toilet bowl, when it was full, was collected by the contractor-collector at certain nights of the week. the union of human waste collectors was called Union of Night Fragrance. What a fragrance. the human waste was put to good use as fertilizer, by the peasants outside of the city. It was said that during the Opium War in 1841, when British troops seized Ghangzhou city, they charged toward the city wall. Suddenly the defenders emptied hundreds of buckets of smelly stuff on their heads. The British were surprised indeed. That was chemical warfare.
The living room did not belong to us. We entertained all our visitors in our own room. Whenever we had a little leisure time, we went out of the house and took a stroll on the street. Therefore, in every evening, there were thousands and thousands of people strolling on the street, walking in all directions, crowded.
One night I was mugged by an "bandit." That guy was merely a teenager, playing as a tough bad guy. He grabbed me from behind, pulled me into a dark alley and robbed me. I had not a single penny and nothing of any value in my pocket. But I was very calm. He kept asking me questions, I kept asking questions, too. About an hour later, he set me free. About a year later, I encountered him on the street, we recognized each other. By then I had grown much taller and stronger. He, being poor, was still skinny and bony and much smaller than I. He ran out of sight in a hurry.
The last residence at Waterloo Road was the nicest. The landlord rented out only one room, to us. So, the apartment had only two households. We got along well. My mother dealt with their parents well and my sister played with their children well. I did not have much time to deal with them because I was too busy with myself. I belonged to the school harmonica club. I practiced and enjoyed my harmonica when I could. I bet they enjoyed my harmonica, too.
When Japan invaded Hong Kong on December 8, 1941, we became very close and looked after each other. During the night when Kowloon fell, the bandits ruled the streets and systematically robbed every single household. It was this landlord, Mr. Chen, who belonged to the same union as those bandits and rescued all three apartments, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors, from being robbed.
That was the general picture of our life in Hong Kong. No, we were not poor. Most people living in Hong Kong at that time lived in a room like that. Some didn't even have what we had. We lived a perfectly normal life. Under our mother's care, we had a warm and sweet home. At school, we had a rich and solid education and extracurricular activities.
Besides home and school, we had many school friends and often went to the movies together. Our favorites: Jeanette McDonald, Nelson Eddy, Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Robert Taylor, Ronald Coleman, Robert Donat, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Vivien Leigh, Greer Garson, Norma Shearer. No, not Marilyn Monroe. We saw Gone with the Wind, Robin Hood, The Good Earth, Tarzan, etc.
About five months after Japan occupied Hong Kong, we went back to Taishan, our native place.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Saturday, September 26, 2015
City Life In Guangzhou (1936--1937)
In summer of 1936, father ordered the family to move from the country to Guangzhou. That move was a gigantic forward step for us. It changed our whole life and had an enormous influence in our future. Suddenly we became "civilized."
City life was sharply different from country life. In Guangzhou, people spoke a different dialect. All of our neighbors were no longer our relatives or clan. They were merely friends. Chickens and hogs and oxen were no longer in sight. For the first time in our lives, we saw electric lightbulbs, movies, automobiles, railroad trains, steam boats, piano. for the first time in our lives, we used indoor plumbing. We no longer had to go outdoors to carry water from the river or the well. We no longer had to go outdoors for toilet. In the city, clothing, food, house and means of transportation were all different from the country.
Clothing
In the country, everybody wore dark-colored pajama-like clothes, with no underpants and no pocket on the pants. Girls were not supposed to cut their hair short. All unmarried girls braided their hair in a long pigtail. All married women were supposed to make a hair bun on the back of the head. All grown-up females were not supposed to expose their faces in public. They were supposed to wear a large straw hat to cover up. Most people didn't wear shoes, except in cold winter or if they were wealthy folks.
In the city, we wore white shirts and pants, with underpants. We wore tennis shoes (rubber shoes). Girls wore chi-pao (cheung-sam). Most females cut their hair short, no more long piggy-tail and no bun. Most clothes had to be starched and ironed. Later we wore leather shoes which had to be shined.
Food
In the country, the cooking, pastries, goodies, and table manners were quite plain and simple. In the city, we used gravy almost routinely. Pastries and goodies were plentiful in quantity and variety. Won ton and noodles were daily intake, no longer just a treat. For the first time in our lives, we tasted all sorts of bread and cakes, western-style. Almond cookies, coconut candies, and all sorts of goodies were readily available.
We also adapted the table manners. We "set" the table before we ate.
In the country, we ate two meals a day. Both meals were almost identical. In the city, we ate three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and supper, all different. We no longer had to eat rice in every meal. We didn't have to cook everything, either. Peddlers' shops and restaurants were all over the place. All sorts of delicious foods were readily available and affordable.
Housing
We lived at No. 20, Ngar-Yiu Rear Street, tung Shan District, Guangzhou, ground floor, a rented small apartment within a two-story duplex. There was a living room, kitchen and a bathroom. the three bedrooms were partitioned with wood panels.
We had windows in every room. That was modern. We had one electric light bulb hanging down from the ceiling in every room. That was extravagance. We even had a live-in maid. The meals were cooked in the kitchen, then carried in a "tray" to the dining table in the living room. Laundry was done in the bathroom and dried on the bamboo bars hanging in front of the house. Mother and sister slept in the front bedroom, brother and I in the middle, and the maid used the rear bedroom for sleeping and ironing clothes.
Transportation
In the country, we had to walk to wherever we wanted to go. In the city, for the first time in our lives, we saw and used rickshaw, bus and bicycle. Bicycles could be rented for 5-10 cents an hour. We quickly became expert in bicycling. When the bicycle was too high to mount, we would stick the right foot through the middle to reach the pedals, and rode it sideways.
The Neighborhood
Tung Shan means East Hill. It was a relatively new development of Guangzhou, mostly by Toishanese. Therefore, our neighborhood was full of our native people who spoke our native dialect. It was a friendly and nice neighborhood. School and shopping were within walking distance. My sister went to Kwong Tung Elementary School, within sight. I went to Pui Ching School, about 15 minutes walking distance. Brother went to Baat-Kwei Middle School, in town, he had to ride a bus or bicycle.
The shopping area was at Tung Shan Main Street. At the end of the street, there was a Tung Shan Park. For the first time in our lives, we saw a park and learned what a park was. We saw a live elephant there.
The Town
Guangzhou was not only the provincial capital of Guangdong, but also the cultural, political and economic center of Southern China. It was a very busy and thriving city. There were public libraries, bookstores, etc. The learning opportunities were unlimited. There were all sorts of shops. One whole block of shops specialized in ivory. One whole block was selling coffins only. One whole block was designated to sell silk and cloth. Another block was lined with won ton shops. It was fascinating.
Police were everywhere, at least one on each block. In town, a police officer stood at the center of an intersection to direct traffic (no traffic light). In the neighborhood, the police had a notebook in his pocket, recording the names of every household, and the visitors to that household. They knew us well, and we knew them well, too, and were very friendly with them. We saluted to each other when we were in boy scout uniform. One time someone stole our laundry. The police returned it to us before we knew it.
In the summer of 1937, at the end of the fiscal school year, we moved to a new house we had just bought. It was a row house, concrete, two-story, at No. 8 of 8, New South Street, Tung Wah Tung Road, about 45 minutes from Pui Ching School. We did not live there long. On July 7, 1937, Japan invaded China, and we had to evacuate from Guangzhou.
City life was sharply different from country life. In Guangzhou, people spoke a different dialect. All of our neighbors were no longer our relatives or clan. They were merely friends. Chickens and hogs and oxen were no longer in sight. For the first time in our lives, we saw electric lightbulbs, movies, automobiles, railroad trains, steam boats, piano. for the first time in our lives, we used indoor plumbing. We no longer had to go outdoors to carry water from the river or the well. We no longer had to go outdoors for toilet. In the city, clothing, food, house and means of transportation were all different from the country.
Clothing
In the country, everybody wore dark-colored pajama-like clothes, with no underpants and no pocket on the pants. Girls were not supposed to cut their hair short. All unmarried girls braided their hair in a long pigtail. All married women were supposed to make a hair bun on the back of the head. All grown-up females were not supposed to expose their faces in public. They were supposed to wear a large straw hat to cover up. Most people didn't wear shoes, except in cold winter or if they were wealthy folks.
In the city, we wore white shirts and pants, with underpants. We wore tennis shoes (rubber shoes). Girls wore chi-pao (cheung-sam). Most females cut their hair short, no more long piggy-tail and no bun. Most clothes had to be starched and ironed. Later we wore leather shoes which had to be shined.
Food
In the country, the cooking, pastries, goodies, and table manners were quite plain and simple. In the city, we used gravy almost routinely. Pastries and goodies were plentiful in quantity and variety. Won ton and noodles were daily intake, no longer just a treat. For the first time in our lives, we tasted all sorts of bread and cakes, western-style. Almond cookies, coconut candies, and all sorts of goodies were readily available.
We also adapted the table manners. We "set" the table before we ate.
In the country, we ate two meals a day. Both meals were almost identical. In the city, we ate three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and supper, all different. We no longer had to eat rice in every meal. We didn't have to cook everything, either. Peddlers' shops and restaurants were all over the place. All sorts of delicious foods were readily available and affordable.
Housing
We lived at No. 20, Ngar-Yiu Rear Street, tung Shan District, Guangzhou, ground floor, a rented small apartment within a two-story duplex. There was a living room, kitchen and a bathroom. the three bedrooms were partitioned with wood panels.
We had windows in every room. That was modern. We had one electric light bulb hanging down from the ceiling in every room. That was extravagance. We even had a live-in maid. The meals were cooked in the kitchen, then carried in a "tray" to the dining table in the living room. Laundry was done in the bathroom and dried on the bamboo bars hanging in front of the house. Mother and sister slept in the front bedroom, brother and I in the middle, and the maid used the rear bedroom for sleeping and ironing clothes.
Transportation
In the country, we had to walk to wherever we wanted to go. In the city, for the first time in our lives, we saw and used rickshaw, bus and bicycle. Bicycles could be rented for 5-10 cents an hour. We quickly became expert in bicycling. When the bicycle was too high to mount, we would stick the right foot through the middle to reach the pedals, and rode it sideways.
The Neighborhood
Tung Shan means East Hill. It was a relatively new development of Guangzhou, mostly by Toishanese. Therefore, our neighborhood was full of our native people who spoke our native dialect. It was a friendly and nice neighborhood. School and shopping were within walking distance. My sister went to Kwong Tung Elementary School, within sight. I went to Pui Ching School, about 15 minutes walking distance. Brother went to Baat-Kwei Middle School, in town, he had to ride a bus or bicycle.
The shopping area was at Tung Shan Main Street. At the end of the street, there was a Tung Shan Park. For the first time in our lives, we saw a park and learned what a park was. We saw a live elephant there.
The Town
Guangzhou was not only the provincial capital of Guangdong, but also the cultural, political and economic center of Southern China. It was a very busy and thriving city. There were public libraries, bookstores, etc. The learning opportunities were unlimited. There were all sorts of shops. One whole block of shops specialized in ivory. One whole block was selling coffins only. One whole block was designated to sell silk and cloth. Another block was lined with won ton shops. It was fascinating.
Police were everywhere, at least one on each block. In town, a police officer stood at the center of an intersection to direct traffic (no traffic light). In the neighborhood, the police had a notebook in his pocket, recording the names of every household, and the visitors to that household. They knew us well, and we knew them well, too, and were very friendly with them. We saluted to each other when we were in boy scout uniform. One time someone stole our laundry. The police returned it to us before we knew it.
In the summer of 1937, at the end of the fiscal school year, we moved to a new house we had just bought. It was a row house, concrete, two-story, at No. 8 of 8, New South Street, Tung Wah Tung Road, about 45 minutes from Pui Ching School. We did not live there long. On July 7, 1937, Japan invaded China, and we had to evacuate from Guangzhou.
Chinese Festivals - Coming of Winter
This last festival of the year falls around Christmas, near the end of October. It was to worship our ancestors at the village temple. That day a fabulous banquet was prepared and many hogs were butchered, some boiled and some roasted, as a whole. After the food was offered to our ancestors, the pork was cut up, into bite-sized pieces. Part of the pork was saved for dinner, part was to be distributed to all make members of the clan in the village. Each male got one share; 60 and older got double shares. At dinner, all males aged 18 and up could attend. Those 60 and above received double servings.
In the village, an 18 year old boy was promoted to be a man, and a 60 year old man was promoted to be an elder. All the elderly in the village formed an unofficial council. That council was supposed to influence or determine the village affairs. If any youngster misbehaved, he would be punished by one of the elders or the council, with scolding or whipping. I never saw it done, but the simple presence of those old guys certainly exerted great influence on morality and stability in the village. In the country, we needed no police, no soldier, no law book, no birth certificate, no death certificate, no contract, no deed. That was the way it was. for thousands of years, social order had been peacefully maintained by such tradition.
In the village, an 18 year old boy was promoted to be a man, and a 60 year old man was promoted to be an elder. All the elderly in the village formed an unofficial council. That council was supposed to influence or determine the village affairs. If any youngster misbehaved, he would be punished by one of the elders or the council, with scolding or whipping. I never saw it done, but the simple presence of those old guys certainly exerted great influence on morality and stability in the village. In the country, we needed no police, no soldier, no law book, no birth certificate, no death certificate, no contract, no deed. That was the way it was. for thousands of years, social order had been peacefully maintained by such tradition.
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