Across: Voices of Two Generations (Full)

承 傳

March 2015  •  ACROSS 1

Across Contents

過去的未來 The Future of Our Past

8. 束翼在飛 Flying with clipped wings

12. Identifying and addressing the academic and social-emotional needs of second generation Chinese students 識別和解決第二代華裔學生的學業和社會/情感需求

19. Youth voices

束翼 Rising Up

76. How to be a vegan and not get in the way of family 民以食為天與地：兩代人的飲食距離

84. 夢想: 心要有一團火 Live your dream: gear up your passion

22. Contrasts in expectations 24. A dialogue with youth on success, role models and parents’ impact

90. Art is my bread and butter

是藝術也是麵包 - 專訪插畫師 Carson Ting

96. 尋問過來人：家位何，何為家 The home promised

植根 Rooting Down

32. 代代相傳的尊貴身分 Legacies of ethnic dignity

101. The healing art journey

36. 兩代人的自豪 - 莫樹雲

108. Fears that stops you from dreaming

藝術裏面的情感出口

44. Enter into the history of art

專欄 Column

與老師對話──訪藝術家何家強

52. Nostalgic modernization – interview with Vitasoy descendants

110. Love you regardless

56. Modern Chinese medicine doctor: inspire the west with ancient wisdom

118. Bridging the generation gap: a step towards passing the torch

懷舊創新﹣專訪維他奶後人 年輕中醫懸壺濟西洋

114. 用心聆聽 用心溝通 跨越代溝：薪火相傳之路

62. Being home: a piece of my city 68. 融在嘴裏的中西文化 Fusion that melts in your mouth

Across: Voices of Two Generations

Editor-In-Chief & Director of Publishing Nicole Wong

Creative & Production Director Joseph Wong

General Manager & Marketing Director Abraham Tang

Editorial Advisors Eric Fong, Larry Law Maria Yau, Stanley So Sze Yuen Ng, Thomas Li

Art Director & Lead Designer ChrisB Liu

Marketing Manager Jacky Lau

Managing Editor Kenix Lau Associate Editors Amanda Jagt, Becky Hung David Au, Evelyn Kwong Holly Du, Joseph Wong Joyce Mak

Senior Graphic Designer Josephine Lau Logo Designer Hazel Leggett Graphic Designer Joanna Ng Director of Photography Harry Choi Production Assistants Casey Ho, Cindy Luk Larissa Ho, Matthew Yeo Naomi Kwok, Qiana Xing Ryan Chan, Spencer Liang, Vania Chan

Publisher: Across U-hub 232 Hood Road, Markham ON L3R 3K8 www.acrossuhub.com

Printed at: Creative Path www.creativepath.com 905-709-9609

Assistant Marketing Managers Charles Ma, Nancy Fok Marketing Associates Diana Lam, Florence Lau Jerry Li, Jonathan Cheung Karen Cheng, Kitty Chan Matthew Yeo, Richard Yiu Cover Models Aaron Tam, Vita Ling

Publish date: March 2015 Price: $ 7.99

© Copyright 2015 Across U-hub. All Rights Reserved

Message from Editor

編者 的話 移

民最常被人問的問題是： 「選對了嗎？」 「適應 嗎？」 「會回流嗎？」

嗯，這些問題，豈是「對與錯」 「是與否」 「會與不會

回流」 ，三言兩語可以說清楚明白。

適應一個新的國家，除了地域、文化、生活、語言

等，方方面面的調校之外，還需要好好審視自己的身

分、價值、信仰。電腦網絡一日千里的發展，處處沖擊、 改變政治 / 經濟 / 文化生態，全球一體化，牽一髮而

動全局，蝴蝶效應不再是理論，乃是現實，凡此種種使 得後現代的世界瞬息萬變，錯綜複雜。

出版「承傳」特刋，是為這一代移民和下一代人留

一個痕跡。中國人有一種特性，就是要將最好的留給

我們的子孫，甚麼是我們最好的呢？相信除了一生默 默耕耘的成果之外，要算是我們的人生故事吧。

本刊分為「植根」和「束翼」兩個專欄:

「植根」是記錄第一代移民懷抱無比毅力，勇敢

面對挑戰，付出心血，在異國他鄉植根， 「為那城求平 安」 《聖經 ( ．耶利米書》)，因而自己也得到了平安，建

立起美好家園。 「束翼」是揭開貌似得天獨厚的新一代 人之真面目，他們正奮力擺脫束縛著他們的捆綁，一 經拆解，定能高飛。

我們邀請了從事青年工作 40餘年，深受華人父母

及他們的青少年子女尊敬的蔡元雲醫生撰寫專題文

章，以全球視野探討廿一世紀年輕人的困局與希望。

多倫多教育局總監關月娜女士，從多倫多教育局的調 查研究報告出發，探討第二代和第三代華人學生的優 勢與缺失。我們又邀請了多位青少年以自己的真實故 事回應二文，引發交流和思考，共勵同行。

I

mmigrants commonly are being asked, “Are you adapting well?” “Did you make the right choice?” “Will you change your mind and move back?” “Yes or no” won’t be the expected answers. Immigration is not just about adapting changes in cultures, living style, environment or languages, it goes into deeper reflections on identity, values, religion etc. It is even more complicated with the quick changes of the world as a whole and the fast development of technology. Giving the best we have to our next generation is a time-proven Chinese tradition. The publication, “Across,” serves exactly this role: to record the histories of the firstand second-generations, and to give this valuable life experience to our next generation. This special publication is composed of two sections, the “Rooting Down” and “Rising Up”. It consists of real stories of two generations that shows the perseverance of the immigrant and the courage in their children while they are striving for a peaceful and meaningful life.

Photo by: 明

We are glad to have invited Dr. Philemon Choi to share his insights on the struggles and hope that the youth of 21st century are facing. Dr. Choi is the founder and honorary general secretary of Breakthrough Hong Kong, he has devoted his time to serve and reach out to youth and their parent for more than 40 years. Moreover, Ms. Donna Quan, the director of education of Toronto District School Board, points out the strength and weakness of East Asian student resulted from a recent research. We also invite several youth to response with their insights from their first hand experiences. In this way, this publication not only offers a dialogue platform for two generations to exchange their perspectives but also a platform for them to listen and share each other’s life experiences.

Nicole Wong

Founder, Executive Director, Across U-hub

專題:

過去的 未來

很多人羨慕移民，因為他們找到了一個更好的

地方──落地生根。移民的公主和王子是否從此快 快樂樂地生活呢？

Feature:

The Future of Our Past

Immigrants are admirable assuming that they have found a better place to live. After all, it must be an ideal place for their children to grow. Given all these admirable facts, does the next generation live happily forever?

March 2015  •  ACROSS 9

專題

Feature•

文: 蔡元雲 | Translated by Priscilla Yung

束翼在飛

21世紀年輕人 的困局與希望

Flying with Clipped Wings:

The Dilemma and Hope Facing 21st Century Youth

蔡元雲醫生 「突破」榮譽總幹事)

世紀的年輕人面對全球陷入的困局：全球一 體化加劇了貧富懸殊，及就業處境更艱難﹔

日益激烈的文明衝突，及恐怖集團的肆虐﹔生物科 技帶來的醫療突破，及濫用基因工程的危機﹔中國

崛起改變全球經濟政治的均衡，及「中國威脅論」帶

來的危機﹔資訊科技帶來「數碼革命」 ，改寫了學習、 娛樂、交友、購物及生活方式，為青少年帶來前所未

見的能量，他們結連的能力大增，有了影響社會的新 平台，同時也容易陷入網上沉溺。

全球大環境的劇變既帶來困局，亦是危中有機。

在新著《Coming Apart》這本暢銷書中，全球知名

的社會科學家 Charles Murray 深入分析過去50年來 美國社會如何走向社會撕裂及解體。他認為基本原 因是人在四個主要生活領域： （一）家庭（二）群體

（三）詔命（四）信仰，未能得到真正的滿足 。

10 ACROSS  • March 2015

要改變社會的困局，已不能寄望政治和經濟領

域的領袖在短期內帶來突破。改變世界，由改變自 己開始。“Be different, and make a difference”。

身為青年工作者，我們應當嘗試從宏觀的角

度參與社會改變的行動：如何帶來「跨代脫貧」 、如

改變世界， 由改變自己開始

何協助促進「全人教育」 、如何與青少年「共創新文 化」 、如何爭取真民主、負起「守望政府」的公民責 任等。

由是，我們必須重視青少年日常生活中四個重要領域 的重建。

1. 家庭關係的重建 Rebuild Family Relationship:

我們不能坐視家庭關係破裂對青少年造成的創傷。倘若青少年經歷了

「沒有父親」(absent father)的成長缺口，我們的正面回應是積極推動培育 「生命導師」 （mentors） ，學習「亦父、亦師、亦友」 ，與青少年跨代同行，共

同成長創新路。讓青少年的生命成長，成為原生家庭重建的重要動力，以 及願意在建立自己的家庭時，以愛心和真理成為家庭的根基。

2. 心靈群體的重現 Emergence of Soulful Community:

「網上連線」不能取代「心靈結連」(“Digital Connectivity” cannot

replace “Soulful Connection”) , 青少年渴求 「心靈群體」的重現──心靈相

交、互相信任、彼此相愛、互相包容、同心同行，參與社會的重建。這一代的 呼喊是從「我世代 me-generation」蛻變為「我們世代 we-generation」 。

3. 從專業轉化為詔命 From Professionalism to Sense of Vocation:

專業知識/技能和詔命都十分重要，青少年活在一個知識型社會中，

專業，但不能失去靈魂：人生意義、誠信、及回應社會重建的需要。青少年

在尋找「詔命」(Vocation) 的路上，要發現自己的深層熱情 (passion)，看清自 己的智慧和恩賜 (intelligences and gifts)，接受生命和專業的裝備，真誠地

回應社會困局帶來的挑戰。

4. 信仰的深化- 靈魂甦醒 Spiritual Awakening :

年輕人尋找自己的夢想，再「展翅高飛」 ；新一代呈現了「公民覺醒」 ，

行公義，好憐憫，改變社會的意願。我們要重視的是如何推動年輕人的「靈 魂甦醒」 。

年輕人在後現代文化中成長，已不甘於單憑理性與科技改造外面的世

界；他們尋求心靈的體驗和更新 (spiritual experience and renewal)，因而踏 入了信仰的領域：信仰生活的起點是尋求心靈的平靜和力量，然而 ， 這一 定要與神有真正的生命結連；並且將信仰與生活中每個領域接軌── 包 括家庭重建、群體重現、詔命重尋、及社會文化更新。

March 2015  •  ACROSS 11

專題

Feature•

World renowned sociologist Charles Murray in his popular new book Coming Apart analyzed how, in the last 50 years, the American society has fallen into a state of social breakdown and anarchy. He regarded that the basic cause of this breakdown is that the individual has failed to have real satisfaction in four important areas of his life: family, community, vocation, and faith.

T

he worldwide dilemma facing 21st century youth is this: the gap between the rich and the poor is growing, the difficulty of looking for a job is increasing as a result of globalization, cultural conflict and the widespread terrorist activities are increasing, the medical breakthroughs caused by biotechnology and the danger of abusing genetic processing are concerning, the rise of China has caused a change in the balance of economies and politics, and the “China Threat Theory” has created a crisis. In addition, the “Digital Revolution” brought about by media technology has changed our way of learning, entertainment, friendships, shopping and lifestyle. The youth are empowered as never before. Their ability to associate with one another is greatly enhanced. They have a new platform to influence society, but at the same time they are easily addicted to the Internet. This dramatic change in our world situation, though it creates a dilemma for us, also gives us an opportunity in the midst of danger.

12 ACROSS  • March 2015

To change the dilemma facing society, we can no longer depend upon our economic and political leaders to bring about a breakthrough in a short time. To change the world, we need to start changing ourselves. We need to be different and we need to make a difference. As youth workers, when we want to be involved in activities causing social change, we need to cultivate broad perspectives when looking at things. For example, how do we bring about upward social mobility for the poor? How do we develop education for the whole being? How do we create a new culture with the youth? How do we fight for real democracy? How do we take up our responsibility of keeping the government accountable?

We cannot ignore the rebuilding of the four important areas in the daily lives of our youth.

1. The rebuilding of family relationship.

3. From professionalism to a sense of vocation.

We cannot overlook the hurt that is inflicted upon youth from broken family relationships. A youth who grows up with an absent father needs a mentor to accompany him as a father, teacher, and friend. We spend enormous effort in developing intergenerational mentoring programs in order to see our youth mature and develop bright futures. When our youth grow and mature, they become the major building force of the “Family of Origin”. We would like to see that love and truth are the foundation on which their families are established.

Professional knowledge and skills are very important. Our youth are living in a society filled with knowledge. However, professionalism cannot be without meaning, integrity, and a response to the need of rebuilding society. When youth are searching for their vocation, they want to discover their passions, look clearly at their intelligences and their gifts. They receive their preparation for life and professional work, earnesty responding to the challenges brought upon by society’s dilemma.

2. The emergence of soulful connection. “Digital Connectivity” cannot replace “Soulful Connection”. Our youth hunger for the emergence of soulful connections– spiritual fellowship, mutual trust, mutual love, mutual forbearing, walking with the same mind-set, participating in the rebuilding of society. The outcry of this generation is to turn from a “me-generation” to a “we-generation”.

4. The deepening of faith: spiritual awakening. Our youth are searching for their dreams to soar high and wide. At the same time, this new generation is experiencing a “civic awakening”, hoping to change society. What we cannot ignore is the “spiritual awakening”. Our youth are growing up in a post-modern age and they no longer believe they can change the outside world with rationalism and technology alone. They are looking for spiritual experiences and renewal. This belongs to the area of faith. With faith as the starting point, this may be the way of finding spiritual peace and energy. However, one must have a real relationship with God and let one’s faith be connected with every aspect of daily life - including the rebuilding of family, the emergence of a “wegeneration”, the re-searching for vocation, and the renewal of our social culture.

March 2015  •  ACROSS 13

專題

Feature•

Text by: Donna Quan | 翻譯: 余滿華 | Photo by: 明

Identifying and addressing the academic and social-emotional needs of Second Generation Chinese students:

A case study in the Toronto District School Board 多倫多教育局的 一項調查研究﹕ 識別和解決第二代 華裔學生的學業和 社會/情感需求

DONNA QUAN, Director of Education TDSB

14 ACROSS  • March 2015

T

he Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is one of the most diverse and multicultural school boards in the world. Located within the largest Canadian metropolis, the TDSB is an assemblage of communities who come to school to work, learn, play, and grow together. However, in large urban centres such as Toronto, socio-political and socio-economic issues including income inequality, urban sprawl, immigration and migration trends, social mobility, access and participation, as well as generational poverty affect communities differently. The TDSB continuously conducts both system-wide and identity-based research, exploring different ways to support the diverse needs of its student population. Our identity-based research, particularly research looking at marginalized communities, is often taken up by academics and the media and presented in both national and international forums. However, little research has been directed towards the school and social-economic experiences of Second Generation Chinese students. While not always visible, Second Generation Chinese students face undetected barriers. Through our comprehensive Student and Parent Census, as well as our collection of Student Success Indicators, the TDSB is able to gain an in-depth understanding of the communities we serve. Looking at students who wrote the 2011 Student Census and identifying generational status, region of birth, and primary language spoken at home, we were able to pull together a comprehensive profile for Second Generation Chinese Students. Exploring both the demographic and achievement characteristics of this student group provides important insight as to how the best educators can support Second Generation Chinese Students in their schools. To truly develop targeted responses to student need, it is critical to understand how students are faring both in school and within their communities.

From our 2011 Student Census data, we found that approximately 15.4% of the student population self-identified as East Asian and just over four fifths (81.3%) of Second Generation East Asian students were Chinese1. While Chinese students shared many similar achievement and demographic characteristics overall, there were interesting and important differences between first, second, and third generations. Across first, second, and third generation Chinese students, Second Generation Chinese students demonstrated the highest levels of academic success across important achievement indicators. For example, of all three generations, Second Generation Chinese students are most likely to pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), graduate with their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) after 4 years of secondary school, and confirm admission to an Ontario university.

When compared to achievement indicators for all TDSB students who wrote the 2011 Census, Second Generation Chinese students continue to demonstrate high levels of academic achievement. Compared to the broader system, Second Generation Chinese students are more likely to be successful on the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test with a 2011-12 success rate of 89.7% as compared to the TDSB average of 76.0%. They were more likely to graduate with their Ontario Secondary School Diploma in 4 years, citing a 2011-12 graduation rate of 91.0% as compared to the TDSB average of 76.3%. Second Generation Chinese students were also more likely to confirm an offer of acceptance to an Ontario university. Of Second Generation Chinese students, 67.9% confirmed an offer of admission as compared to the TDSB average of 46.6%. In terms of exceptionality, Second Generation Chinese students were more likely to be identified as Gifted and less likely to be identified with any other exceptionality as compared to the TDSB population. While 2.9% of the TDSB student population was identified as Gifted, 4.8% of Second Generation Chinese students were. Conversely, 13.9% of the TDSB student population was either formally or informally identified as having special education needs as compared to 8.8% of Second Generation Chinese students.

圖表一﹕2011-12年度第一、第二和第三代華裔學生的學業指摽

圖表二﹕2011-12年多倫多總體學生以及第二代華裔學生的學業指標 1. Chinese is defined here as speaking Chinese through the School Information Systems.

March 2015  •  ACROSS 15

專題

Feature•

Despite the academic success demonstrated by Second Generation Chinese students, they are a group that often face invisible challenges. Of first, second, and third generation students, Second Generation Chinese students were the least likely to have parents who have attended university. While 51.3% of all TDSB students had parents with a university education, the same was true for only 41.1% of Second Generation Chinese students. In addition, Second Generation Chinese students were more likely than first and third generation Chinese students, as well as the broader TDSB student population, to have parents who worked in skilled or semi-skilled clerical positions. Second Generation Chinese students were also less likely to be represented among the highest income deciles across the city. From the analysis above, a picture emerges of students who are highly successful in school and may experience some level of socio-demographic challenge. However, a third dimension of student life is also important to consider: the social and emotional well-being of students. While exploring outcomes for East Asian students as a whole, earlier research confirms that self-identified East Asian students experience the lowest scores on the TDSB’s Student Emotional Well-being Index, particularly female students (Yau, Rosolen, & Archer, 2013). In addition, a study employing TDSB data explored students’ experiences of social citizenship and belonging in school. Results recently identified East Asian students as being significantly at-risk of experiencing exclusion in school (Parekh, 2014). These findings warrant further research.

Notes Data analysis for this article was drawn from the Academic, Research & Information services department at the Toronto District School Board.

It is our duty and commitment to ensure that they reach their potential.

16 ACROSS  • March 2015

Pulling all dimensions of students’ experiences together, we see a hugely variable picture of what life may be like for many Second Generation Chinese students attending school in Toronto. On one hand, East Asian students may present as high achievers who may be simultaneously experiencing some level of socio-demographic challenge. But while highly successful in school, there appears to be a disconnect between East Asian students’ academic achievement and their perception of self, their emotional well-being, and their sense of belonging in school. This presents complex and unique challenges for educators in the public education system. Firstly, educators and teachers must continue to support the academic achievement of all students. However, they must also work to create spaces in which East Asian students, including Second Generation Chinese students, feel accepted, safe, welcome, and supported. While we must continuously strive towards academic excellence, nurturing the child along his or her journey must be a key priority. It is my firm belief that the creation of inclusive and welcoming learning environments can be achieved, in part, through incorporating culturally responsive and relevant pedagogical teaching strategies, as well as differentiating learning and assessment approaches to suit the needs of our diverse learners. Ensuring that East Asian identities, as well as the empowering histories of immigrants, are represented across the curriculum and embedded within the school’s own cultural identity will help create a space within which the strengths of the Chinese community are recognized and celebrated. Second Generation Chinese Students have great potential to become leaders within such global communities as Toronto and metropolises across the globe. It is our duty and commitment to ensure that they reach their potential.

References: Parekh, G. (2014). Social Citizenship and Disability: Identity, Belonging, and the Structural Organization of Education, Doctoral Thesis, York University Yau, M., Rosolen, L., & Archer, B. (2013). Factsheet : 2011-12 Student & Parent Census, Issue 2, June 2013, Academic, Research & Information Services, Toronto District School Board

March 2015  •  ACROSS 17

專題

Feature•

多

倫多教育局 ( TDSB - The Toronto District School

Board ) 位於加拿大最大的城市多倫多，是全球最多

樣化和多元文化的教育局。不同族裔前來多倫多就學、工

作，娛樂和生活。他們對社會/政治以及社會/經濟的議題， 譬如收入差距、城市發展、移民趨勢、社會流動、進入和參 與、以及世代性貧窮，其關注不盡相同。

多年來，多倫多教育局一直進行全面有系統及個別針

對性的調查研究，嘗試透過不同方法了解不同背景學生的

需求。我們以身分作為基礎，並著眼於邊緣化社區而作的調 查研究，其結果常常穫得學者和媒體採用，並在國家和國際 論壇上獲得引用。然而，針對第二代華裔學生狀況而作的研 究不多，因此，我們對他們的處境及面對的障礙瞭解甚少。 了解學生在學校和社區內如何生活，對制定真正針對

學生需求的策略極為重要。 2011 年，教育局進行了一項深 度問卷調查， 收集學生成功指標。透過學生的身分，出生

地，在家中使用的主要語言，我們可以得出有關第二代華裔

第二代 華裔學生 極具潛能 成為多倫多， 甚至世界上 許多大城市 的領導者

學生的數據，為教育家如何支持第二代華裔學生提供了重 要參考。

根據 2011 年度學生普查數據，約 15.4% 的學生自認

為東亞裔，在第二代東亞裔學生中，約 81.3% 為華裔。總體 而言，華裔學生擁有許多相類似的成就和特徵，不過，在

第一，第二和第三代之間存在許多重要差別。在第一，第二 和第三代的華裔學生當中，第二代華裔學生在重要成就指

標上最為特出。三代之中，第二代華裔學生在安大略省中學 讀寫測試 ( OSSLT) 中表現最出色，以最高比率取得安大略 省高中文憑（OSSD） ，及穫得安大略省的大學錄取。

調查結果顯示，第二代華裔學生在學業上持續取得高

水平。在安省高中第十年級讀寫測試中，和教育局的整體數 據相比較，第二代華裔學生的成績驕人，以 2011-12 學年

為例，教育局總體學生的平均成功率為 76.0%，而華裔學生 的成功率為 89.7%。教育局總體學生在四年內完成學業，取 得安省中學畢業文憑的平均率為76.3%，而第二代華裔學

生平均率為 91.0%。教育局總體學生的大學平均錄取率為 46.6%，而第二代華裔學生為 67.9%。

18 ACROSS  • March 2015

從優異標準的角度來看，和教育局總體學生相

比較，第二代華裔學生有更高比例穫鑑定為卓越，

而較少被鑑定為有特殊需求。總體學生穫鑑定為卓

越的有 2.9％，而第二代華裔學生則是 4.8%﹔有特 殊教育需求的學生佔總體學生的 13.9%，第二代華 裔學生僅佔 8.8%。

儘管第二代華裔學生的學業成就非凡，他們常

常面對無形的挑戰。在第一，第二和第三代的學生當 中，第二代華裔學生的父母較多沒有上過大學。父母 擁有大學學歷的學生佔教育局總體學生的 51.3%，

相形之下，第二代華裔學生只得 41.1% 。此外，相對 於第一代和第三代的華裔學生，以及教育局總體學 生，第二代華裔學生的家長更多是從事技術或半技 術的文員工作。第二代華裔學生也比較不太可能在 全城收入首十位數中佔一席之地。

上述分析讓我們清楚看到一幅圖畫，那些學習

成績卓越，出類拔萃的學生有可能面對到社會地位

的挑戰，這是非常值得我們關注的。早期以東亞裔學 生而作的一項全面研究證實，在多倫多教育局的學

生中，自認為東亞裔的學生，尤其女生，其情感滿足 指數得分最低 ( Yau, Rosolen, & Archer, 2013年)。

此外，採用教育局數據所作的一項探討學生的社會 公民體驗和學校歸屬感的研究，發現東亞裔學生顯

著感到在校內受到排斥 ( Parekh, 2014年)。這些調 查結果值得作進一步研究。

將學生各方面的經驗放到一起，我們看到在多

倫多學校就讀的第二代華裔學生的一幅多面貌畫

面。雖然東亞裔學生學業表現卓越，但是，自我認知、 情感滿足、及對學校的所屬感，這三者卻與學業成 就脫節。

這是公校教育工作者要面對複雜而獨特的挑

戰。首先，教育家和教師必須繼續支持全體學生的

學業。然而，他們也必須努力創造一個令東亞裔學

生，其中包括第二代華裔學生，感到安全、受接納、

受歡迎，和得到支持的校園。當務之急是在學生成長 的旅程上，培育他們成為一個情感成熟的人。

我深信，透過一系列思維整合，諸如文化敏感

度，教學策略，尊重學習差異性，以及考核方式等，

創造具有兼容並蓄精神的學習環境，以適應學生的 不同需求是可以實現的。在不同課程中肯定東亞裔

及其移民的身分，讓這點成為學校文化的一部分，有 助於發揮華裔社群的正面力量。第二代華裔學生極

具潛能成為多倫多，乃至全球許多大城市的領導者。 確保他們充份發揮自己的潛能，這是我們的責任， 也是我們的承諾。

March 2015  •  ACROSS 19

Youth VOICES

Arrangement by: Joseph Wong | Photo by: 明

The youth generation today has the power of technology and social media at their fingertips to influence social and cultural change. Information and knowledge are at the click of the button. With the family support they strive toward academic excellence. However, this same youth generation is viewed as more depressed than the previous ones, termed as the “Lost Generation”, who has a lot of hope and dreams, but limited prospect or opportunities. What are the challenges and stuggles that are bounding them and clipping their wings? We have invited several young people who are at different stages of their lives to reflect upon some of the core issues that they are currently facing in their personal lives and amongst their peers. 誰都知道這一代年輕人只要指尖滑動，便掌握無窮資訊，然而，恐怕沒有多少人知道

他們也是孤寂與沉鬱的一群。難道他們現在已經生活在未來，沒有什麽吸引他們爲未來而 奮鬥嗎？還是有其他原因束縛著他們，不讓他們夢想未來呢？因此，我們特地請來幾位年 輕人，表白他們的心聲。

誰 捆綁 了我們 ﹖ Qiana Xing Grade 10 student

無

論在哪裏，無論是誰，總會遇到種種困 難。像我們這樣年齡的人更是如此。

究竟是什麼困難捆綁著我們呢？

我是一個十五歲少女，最能感受到青少年面

臨的不同壓力。我們和父母有代溝是很平常的

事，進入青春期，我們和父母的關係因著種種不 同原因，變得越來越疏離。孩子越不願意講，父 母就越發一直追問﹔等到孩子願意講了，父母

卻又未必把握到機會，耐心聆聽，難怪代溝越來 越深。與父母溝通確不是一件容易的事情。 那麼，又是誰捆綁著我們呢？

我們都需要傾訴對象，既然與父母的隔閡太

大，唯有另覓出路，整天躲在網絡虛擬世界裏面 跌進虛假的生活圈內，與外界近乎隔絕，其實把 自己牢牢捆綁住的，不是別人，正是我們自己。

要突破這個循環，就要打開心靈的眼睛，世

界不是那麼狹窄。

孩子越不願意講，父母就越發一直追

問﹔等到孩子願意講了，父母卻又未必 把握到機會，耐心聆聽。

March 2015  •  ACROSS 21

專題

Feature•

The

Invisible Disconnection Nick Poon Recent Graduate Social Work

B

eing a member of the Chinese community or Second Generation Chinese community, I’m not surprised to see the results stated from TDSB survey. First of all, much of the Chinese population has always been labeled as academic achievers; receiving below 80% on your test is considered as an “Asian fail”. There are many key world issues and mentioned about the weight of information technology in the 21st century. Without a doubt, they have made significant impact on everyone around the globe and I can immediately relate to it as a Generation Y-er. I remember in the movie Total Recall how memories are implanted into a person’s brain, and The Matrix how you can acquire a skill by downloading it to your mind. While the concept is brilliant and I am a heavy smartphone user, technology or any kinds of digital connectivity can only serve as a convenience in life and not a replacement. We desire a loving community that we can feel supported and accepted in love. “Digital connectivity” simply cannot do that.

22 ACROSS  • March 2015

I once thought that friends are the most important group of people in my life. While that may stand true, family is very important and definitely cannot be overlooked. However, in the Chinese culture, I grew up learning to respect and obey my parents which created a sense that my parents are superior over me. I do not mean any disrespect to any parents, but often, it creates a distance between youth and parents. This invisible wall often prevents the youth from receiving the needed support. Youth do not need a “life manual” explaining what to do in each step in life. We need someone to walk with us in life; therefore, mentorship is encouraged. When I first graduated from university last year, I was a little clueless of what my future was like. I knew where my passion lay, but I did not know how to get there Humbly may I say that I was led towards my passion through different people and opportunities in life. Sometimes a little leap of faith is required and of course, you have to optimistic for the challenges in life.

The Role Community Played in my “Awakening”

I

n response to Donna Kwan and Dr. Choi’s articles, I found that it’s through developing strong ties to a community that I was able to experience “spiritual awakening” and to feel motivated to contribute back to that community. By “spiritual awakening”, I mean I find meaning in what I do and am motivated to get involved in my community. My Family & Academic Life My parents and older sister immigrated to Canada in 1983 and my twin sister and I were born in Toronto. As a second generation immigrant, my parents expected me and my sisters to go to university. It was not negotiable because they believed that education was what brought them out of poverty. Much of my extracurricular activities in high school were for the purposes of getting into university. There was an expectation to perform academically, but this stemmed from my parent’s awareness of each child’s strengths and weaknesses. Finding the right learning system that fit each person’s needs are essential. Transferring to the International Baccalaureate program really changed my perspective on education and learning. I no longer focused on my marks, because we weren’t graded according to the Ontario Secondary School

Nancy Fok Young Career Marketing Analyst

curriculum. Our grades were based on a series of projects, papers, and final exams. More importantly, I was thrown into a community of hardworking and engaged individuals. I don’t remember too much of what I learned, but I remember enjoying school, the teachers, and the students who were going through the journey with me. Fear of underachieving Looking back at my high school and university years, I see wasted time. To be honest, I still find it difficult to mobilize myself and take action. Part of the reason I underachieve was because of fear. Fear of failure and fear of responsibility. I looked at the large issues in the world and thought “what can I do”? I felt so small and limited in my resources, but I am now willing to contribute. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and the only change that I can control is the change in myself every day. Each day I struggle between being apathetic and being engaged in my community and the people around me. I’m thankful to have found a community that I feel valued and belonging, and where I find mutual support from multiple generations. I have good friends from 16 to 60 because of this community (Across U-hub). I really value the intergenerational support and encouragement I receive from this community. Being a part of a community, whether within the school or external to the school, is important for a youth’s development of sense of self and social engagement.

“what is important for a youth’s development of sense of self and social engagement”

March 2015  •  ACROSS 23

專題

Feature•

Story by: Blackbeard | Illustration by: 筠子

Contrasts in Expectations ..............One last round................

...........Favorite Dessert................

24 ACROSS  • March 2015

...........Mandatory Hobby................

...Meaningful Summer................

March 2015  •  ACROSS 25

專題

Feature•

Interivew by: David Au

Amongst the next

Chinese Canadian immigrant generation: A dialogue on success, role models and parents’ impact Everyone has stories handed down to us which we either accept or challenge – of success, of who we are, and who we aspire to be. How do Chinese Canadian young adults identify themselves in those stories? We invited some of them for a conversation:

Immigrated to Canada when she was 14 months old, Joyce often thinks that being a Chinese Canadian is a privilege. Joyce is now in the School and Clinical Child Psychology PhD program at OISE/University of Toronto. Her research focuses on acculturation issues facing international students from East Asia.

Born in Toronto, Evelyn once wanted to be a singer. But her experience of being Asian in Canadian schools taught her to stand up for herself; finding her own voice in the process. Evelyn works as an editor for a fashion magazine. Her goal is to be a writer, bringing an authentic Asian female voice into the mainstream.

Facilitator, a father, a son, a musician and a pastor.

26 ACROSS  • March 2015

Immigrated to Canada at the age of 11. In Grade 5, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a firefighter. As he found himself in the world of cinema, Joseph turns to help others through different media. He works full-time at a non-profit organization, delivering youth programs as his way to contribute back to the community.

What’s your definition of success?

My mentor used to tell me that many kids from Chinese families always ask him, “Why does my mom always want me to be successful? What’s the point of being successful?” But the question is who do we end up living for? Do you live for yourself or someone else? For me, my mom raised me simply wanting me to be happy, which gives me freedom and I respect her for giving me a choice. So I guess, for me, to be successful is to be happy and free.

Art is a huge thing to me. So success, for me, is to be able to do my craft, and I hope it transcends to other people as well. But I also hope that it can help me to maintain good emotional balance. When I was in high school, I was very depressed. My mood fluctuated day to day, swinging between extremes. So success also means a holistic balance of everything; it means being able to not get too far ahead of myself, and remembering things and people behind you.

As I get older many things tie me down. Now I can understand my parents’ viewpoint of being successful. The Chinese tradition of a son has embedded in me that I have to take care of parents. Especially when my dad passed away now, taking care of my mom and family means so much to me. For me, success is being able to help other people and contribute back to the community. If I can keep using different media to tell messages to build up others, it will be amazing!

March 2015  •  ACROSS 27

專題

Feature•

Who was your role model growing up? Who do you look up to for inspiration?

For me it’s a collection of friends. Who I choose to be friends with really matters to me, because I need friends who I respect and inspire me with their way of living. I have one friend who teaches me to be free. As I was starting graduate school, she could see that I had drawn a lot of boxes around myself about what it meant to be good: to be filial to my parents, and to earn the respect of my community. Over the years, she kept pushing me to be myself, to follow my heart and step out of my boxes. This got me thinking: am I doing this only because I know it would please my parents or so that my friends would accept me? Maybe I can follow the inclination in my heart.

In Canada we are all free, Canadians are “super nice people”. But there are so many things behind the background. We definitely still prioritize one demographic group, and we are still like that. I have a lot of old poets whom I look up to. One of them is LeRoi Jones who was a black poet in the 1950’s. He took so much risk to fight for the Black power movement. The way he fought and the words he used are a big inspiration to me. He showed me that it just takes a few people to be strong enough to take risks, which motivated me to be someone who dares to write something controversial to fight against injustice.

I remember in Grade 5, I was bullied and got into fights all the time. My dad was still working in Hong Kong to support the family. At that time I wanted someone to protect me, but my dad was still working in Hong Kong to support the family. Now I realize it was one of the important developmental stages for men the cowboy stage - where kids would explore different things in the world, and we need a father figure or male role model to guide us and explore together, otherwise it is hard as a teen. Later on at different life stages, I find different role models in films and in books. One of them is the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski; the other is Aung San Suu Kyi, who put up her life to fight for social justice. My spiritual mentor is Thomas Merton, whose work guided me to inner peace.

28 ACROSS  • March 2015

How do you see yourself similar or different to your parents? If there are no consequences, is there one thing that you want to tell your parents?

I can see that my mom’s wish for me to be free has brought her things that are difficult for her to digest. I may not be on the ideal path that she wants for me. I know she struggles. I guess I am selfish and I want to be happy and peaceful in life. She’s so supportive to give me that space. It’s not easy for her, but out of her love for me, she allows me to be free and I respect her for that. I just want to tell my parents how much I want to please them and how much I want them to be proud of me. I think they are proud of me.

Me and my mom are like day and night. I am very outspoken and passionate, and she is a very dainty and gentle woman. I am such an annoying kid, but her resilience and patience in dealing with me is something that I admire her for. She tries her best to do whatever I need, which shows me the Chinese saying, “family first”. My dad is a rebellious figure. The way he was brought up made him go against parents’ expectation and choose another path. I have the rebellious manner like his. Since my parents are so different, I have to find the balance in between and try to be myself. I want to tell my mom that I am sorry, I was terrible. For my dad, I told him that it sucks that my brother had no father figure back then, but it’s okay and we got through it and it’s good that we can still be good friends at the end of the day.

My dad’s sense of justice and of wanting to do good as a firefighter is strongly embedded into me. I always saw him helping others. This is one of the reasons why I chose to work in non-profit. My dad is also a very traditional Chinese man. We rarely talk during dinner. Although he is very sociable outside, he is very strict with his own family. This is why I am not very expressive, which I want to breakthrough. I want to tell my father that he is a great father, I am really proud of him. My dad has never told me that he is proud of me. I can see that he is proud of me, but he never said it.

What is your greatest dream?

To have my own home and to be a home. To be a place where people can come to, feel safe being vulnerable with and being themselves.

In one word, what is your greatest fear? And why?

Failure - Being a failure means settling for less, less than fulfillment. I want to win at life. Winning at life means being true to my values and finding what those values are.

To always question things and always use my mind. Always find goodness in people and help people to find their own way.

I want to build an artland, have a retreat centre that people can come to recharge, a studio for people to do art. Conclusion:

Trapped – I have been through a lot of things just to find myself when I was trapped in a box. I want everyone to be themselves, find themselves, it’s so important to understand ourselves before we make decisions.

Regrets – I don’t want to live under other people’s expectations, not being who I am. I hope I am not living under other people’s shadows, and just being happy.

O

n the surface, the stories told by the three individuals seemed to be the normative expression of today’s young people; the commonly heard mantras of “be yourself ”, “reach your dreams.” Every culture and its prominent generation upholds a certain set of ideals, they value something that is distinct from those who came before them. Take one look at the stories told and you will find that the ideals once valued are now changing. Behind the ambitious dreams and aspirations of Evelyn, Joyce, and Joseph is first a deep appreciation for their parents, for who they are, and the things they have done, and second is a deep desire to make an impact on humanity through their talents, be it writing, filmmaking, youth work, or research and clinical studies. If we are to understand this generation, then we must also understand why they care about the things they do. They long to communicate to their parents and mentors; people who may be generations ahead of them yet whose ears are willing to first listen and whose guidance is being lived out.

March 2015  •  ACROSS 29

告別鄉愁

Farewell Nostalgia, Fly Home

，展翅高飛

詩 人余光中寫過一首膾炙人口的新詩《鄉愁》 ： 小時候，鄉愁是一枚小小的郵票， 我在這頭，母親在那頭。

長大後，鄉愁是一張窄窄的船票， 我在這頭，新娘在那頭。

後來啊，鄉愁是一方矮矮的墳墓， 我在外頭，母親在裡頭。

而現在，鄉愁是一灣淺淺的海峽， 我在這頭，大陸在那頭。

《鄉愁》寫於1971年，很悲哀的一首新詩，曾經觸動過

許多去國遊子的心靈，叫人鄉愁處處，淚流滿面。但不要忘 記它已經差不多半個世紀前的作品了。在今天互聯網的時

代，地球早已「一體化」 ，高科技給我們插上了翅膀，飛越地

域國界，一個人一生可能會在不同國家工作和生活，因此， 實不用再患什麼思鄉病，反為要學習好好投入當下身處的

地方，生於斯土，而植根於彼土， 「為那城求平安」 ，做個真真 正正的世界公民。

當初你，或你的父母，決定移民加拿大，雖然未必百分

百心甘情願，然而，既來之則安之。余光中的《鄉愁》可以當 作文學來欣賞，可以用來瞭解那曾經漂流過大江大海的一

代的離情別緒，對故土的執著與懷念，但是，千萬不要太認

真，更沒有必要也揹上《鄉愁》的包袱，徒然令自己兩頭不到 岸。加拿大除了有一流的自然風景和空氣，也是人文薈萃和 人情味濃厚的好地方。你必須感恩這個國家接納你成為她 的國民。

新一代大可以左右逢源，中西兼容並蓄，可以聽楊千嬅、

容袓兒的歌，也可以欣賞加拿大的 Celine Dion；徐悲鴻和齊

白石與加拿大的 Group of Seven 如 Tom Thomson 和 Emily

Carr 同樣鬼斧神工，並駕齊驅；至於科學、文學、政治等領

域，加拿大也人才輩出，有被載譽為電話之父的亞歷山大．

貝爾 ( Alexander Graham Bell)、文學家及詩人 John Mccrae， 以及紅色中國大力宣傳的人道主義者白求恩醫生 ( Norman

Bethune )。還有改寫體育運動馬拉松長跑，使之成為千萬人

造福的癌症研究募款義跑的 Terry Fox，國際知名的科學家 大衛鈴木( David Suzuki) 。

話說當年，有人問耶穌如何跟隨他時，他是這樣回答的：

「狐狸有洞，天空的飛鳥有窩，人子卻沒有枕頭的地方。」(太

8：19-20) 耶穌的意思是：我們要學習四海為家，身在哪裡， 心也在哪裡，那地方就是我們的家鄉。

30 ACROSS  • March 2015

文：吳思源 | Photo by: 明

Poet Yu Guangzhong wrote a popular poem, Nostalgia. This poem has a decent English translation: “When I was young, My homesickness was a small stamp, I was here, my mother was there. After growing up, My homesickness was a narrow ticket, I was here, my bride was there. Later, My homesickness was a little tomb, I was outside, my mother was inside. And now, My homesickness is a shallow strait, I am here, the mainland is there.” Written in 1971, Nostalgia, a tragic poem, touched the souls of many who were leaving the country; invoking widespread nostalgia and the shedding of many tears. However, it cannot be forgotten that this was the product of the previous half-century. In today’s Internet era, the world is already “integrated”. Technology has given us wings to fly over international borders, and so a person may at some point in their life, work or live in another country. Therefore, they need not suffer any true homesickness. Instead one must learn to invest in their current place of residence. It means that you may be born in one place, while growing roots in another; you may be called to be a genuine citizen of the world, and to “pray for the peace of the city” even if that city is not where you were born. A young man once asked Jesus how he should follow him, and Jesus replied: “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8: 19-20). Jesus’s meaning was that we must learn to be cosmopolitan: wherever the body is, and wherever the heart is, that is the place we call home.

March 2015  •  ACROSS 31

植 根

是將整株植物連根遷移到另一

片土壤種植。道理很淺顯，但是，

當喻為移民連根拔起，在他國土地植根，重 新生活，就沒有那麼簡單了，這是遷移和重

建整個家園的事 ，是一趟往往超過我們能計 算的歷程。

選擇移民的理由有很多﹕追求較佳的

生活質素，安穩的社會環境，子女的未來，有 更好的教育機會等，最常說是要到更好的地 方生活。然而，生活本身是一連串相當複雜

的活動，包含﹕信仰、教育、言語、文化、族裔

傳統、人與人之間的相處、起居飲食方式等， 從這些生活活動，我們可以確認自己的身

分，明瞭我們是誰，我們家的所在。植根他鄉 就是將這一連串複雜的生活活動在另一個

新環境繼續進行，是一項龐大的工程，不是

換一個新環境，乃是要認真地改變原來的生 活模式，配合新的環境。新移民要作好心理

準備，持開放的心懷，迎接新事物，適應新文 化，要一次又一次放下自己的身段，調校對

Ro ot in g T Down

自己的期望。

he theory of transplanting a plant’s roots from one pot of soil to another to continue its growth is easy to understand. When a plant outgrows its original pot, it needs more space to grow. But when it is applied to us immigrants, transplantation means uprooting oneself to start a new life in entirely foreign surroundings. This move takes us on a journey beyond our expectations. To pursue a better quality of life, to seek a more stable society, to enhance education opportunities for our children – these are just some of the many reasons why families migrate. The most common of all reasons is to look for a better place to live. However, life itself is a complicated web of beliefs, education, language, culture, ethnic traditions,

Artwork by: 一，籽 32 ACROSS  • March 2015

and interactions among people. Through these activities, we confirm our identities, understand who we are, and discover where our home is. Uprooting ourselves to a foreign land means continuing our complex life activities in a new environment. This is an enormous undertaking! It is not simply living in a new place; rather, it means to seriously adapt to a new way of life to complement a new environment. Not only does the transition mean you need to open your mind and adjust psychologically to cope with new surroundings, it also means you need to forego your glorious history and lower your expectations. Your expectations change, but for whom?

遷移 和重建 整個家園的事

是一趟往往超過 我們能計算的

歷程

March 2015  •  ACROSS 33

植根

Rooting Down•

訪問: Holly Du | 文: 黃鳳玲 | Translated by: Joyce Mak

代 代 相 傳 的

尊身 貴分

f o s e i c y t a i g n e g i L D c i Ethn

黃

梅初( Moy Wong) 是生於汶萊的第二代華人。汶萊是一個

小小而富裕的東南亞國家，對公民資格管制嚴格，梅初雖

在汶萊出生，也不能成為該國公民；非公民受到諸多限制，諸如

做生意要有公民合伙人，不能置個人產業，必須取得更高分數才 獲得大學錄取。

雖然飽受排擠歧視，華人仍心懷優越感，以祖國擁有悠久的

歷史文化為榮，而視本地人為野蠻民族。梅初的父母和奶奶也毫 無例外，從梅初懂事起，長輩便一遍又一遍告訴她，他們的祖家

在中國那一省那一縣那一村，所以，她自幼便清楚知道自己的根 在哪裏。梅初仍然記得，在汶萊長年炎熱的天氣裏，奶奶仍穿高

領的大襟衫，直到她上中學那年，一天，她忽然覺得奶奶的打扮

好土氣，而羞與為伍。不過，她一直以母親身上的一襲旗袍為榮， 認為旗袍高雅大方，是中國人的驕傲。

後來父母因工作關係經常往來馬來西亞，梅初也順理成章到

馬來西亞接受教育。

34 ACROSS  • March 2015

17 歲那一年，梅初和姐姐一起留學溫哥華。

3 年後，梅初遷居多倫多，入讀約克大學，後取得移民身份。雖然成

為加拿大公民，要落地生根還是有很多適應和困難。留學生的日子沒有

依靠，沒有特權，沒有人脈，一切都要靠自己努力，這些經驗令她體會到 新移民的掙扎，因此，她認為服務移民的工作非常重要。

大學畢業後，梅初投身服務移民的社會機構，幫助新移民在楓葉

國落地生根，後來她更出任加拿大種族關係基金會( Canadian Races

Relationship Foundation )首任總裁一職。此外，她亦出任多個服務移民

的要職，包括研究、教育、消除種族歧視，和改善移民就業等，由於她卓

越的表現，榮獲加拿大立國125年周年紀念勳章。目前梅初擔任華咨處

行政總監。回顧自己在服務新移民領域內的工作成就，梅初說這是她的 Dream Job 夢想工作，她感到很有意義。

她的成長跟她的成就有甚麼關係呢？

梅初認為祖父母的教導居功厥偉， 「他們頭腦開明，對我們採取開

放態度，鼓勵我們尋找自己喜歡做的事。祖父母喜歡講述家族的故事，

所以我自小已經很清楚自己的族裔身分，知道自己是誰，對自己的身分 有一份榮譽感和歸屬感，對自己的華人身分十分自信，這大大有助於我 日後與不同種裔人仕共事。」

工作上她又遇到什麼挑戰呢？

梅初認為首先要確認自己真正喜歡的工作，抱著積

極正面的思維，世上沒有完美的工作，困難和挑戰是必然 的，加拿大不是完美無瑕的天堂，但是，加國確實給了她 很多很美好的東西。困難是剎那間的事情，從容面對，困 難便會過去。

她既然繼承了家庭傳給她的華人優越感，那麼，她又

有甚麼可以傳給下一代人呢？梅初是基督徒，她堅定地 表示信仰最珍貴，信仰是人生至重要的錨（Anchor） ，她

在汶萊和馬來西亞被本地人視為華人，飽受排擠﹔移民 加拿大後遇到兩岸三地的華人，卻不認為她是華人，因

此，梅初認為，地上的身分不重要，重要的是「基督徒」 ，

這個天國身分永不改變。她認為基督的愛不應只限於教

會的四面牆壁之內，更要像耶穌那樣走出去，關心身邊有 需要的人。

最後，梅初强調， 「每個人都有自己獨特的身分和人

生旅程，切勿扼殺自己的族裔身分，就算你已經完全融入 西方文化，甚至對中國文化一竅不通，在別人眼中你依然 是中國人。擁有多元文化身分，能說多種語言不但可以遏 制老人痴呆症，在地球村年代更是一種難得的優勢，應當 好好珍惜，引以為榮。」

March 2015  •  ACROSS 35

植根

Rooting Down•

Centre: Moy Wong Left: Holly Du Right: Nicole Wong

M

s. Moy Wong Tam is a first-generation ChineseCanadian woman who was born in Brunei, a small oil rich country located in Southeast Asia. Despite being born in Brunei, she could not receive her citizenship due to certain policies at the time towards persons of Chinese descent. The lack of citizenship meant such persons cannot start a business or own land in Brunei, and more importantly, they could be left unprotected in times of social unrest. It gave Moy an inkling of the importance of social justice. Even though the Chinese people living in Brunei during those days faced many restrictions, it did not deter them from maintaining their cultural identity. The Brunei Chinese remain proud of their Chinese identity, in the richness of China’s history, and they continued to celebrate their cultural heritage and festivities. Moy’s sense of pride as a Chinese person is passed down from her parents and grandparents. Since Moy was a child, they had educated her about her ancestral roots and imparted their values and customs. She understood her roots clearly and was proud of and could identify with most Chinese traditions, except that she found it hard to comprehend her grandmother wearing traditional high-collared Dajin blouse every day in the hot and humid weather of Brunei. As an adolescent, Moy disliked this old-fashioned Chinese costume; and yet, she was fascinated by her mother’s cheongsam. Moy lived in Brunei and moved to Malaysia as a teenager. At the age of 17, Moy and her sister flew to British Columbia as international students to attend high school. A year later, she moved to Toronto to study at York University. In time, she obtained her Canadian citizenship,

36 ACROSS  • March 2015

but the journey of adapting to life in a new place was not easy. When Moy and her sister first came to Canada as visa students, they had no one to rely on. They lost their former sense of self-confidence, were unaccustomed to the food, were extremely homesick, and they experienced culture shock. Because of this experience, she understood the difficulties that each new immigrant had to face every day, with the additional need to make a living. It sowed a seed in Moy’s heart to help ensure that every newcomer can settle more comfortably. After graduating, she found her first job in a social service organization where she worked with the elderly, and later began to work with new immigrants and refugees. She found the work deeply meaningful and fulfilling. While in Ottawa, she began to work as the Executive Director of an agency that served new immigrants and refugees, and she knew she had found the job that she loved. She was also involved in building social housing for immigrants in Ottawa. Due to her outstanding contributions to the community, she was awarded the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal. Over the years, she has continued to actively contribute to various organizations that share similar objectives. Another of her “dream jobs” was as the founding Executive Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Furthermore, she also has been involved in research, anti-racism and immigrant settlement issues, as well as college teaching. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services.

How did Moy’s experience while growing up impact her achievements today? Moy gives foremost credit to her grandparents. “They were very open-minded, and always encouraged us to find the things we liked doing most. They often told us stories of our family history. From time to time, we learnt more about our identity and our roots. That helped us to build a strong sense of belonging and grew our confidence in our own ethnicity.” This became Moy’s strength in working with people of different ethnic backgrounds.

What do you find challenging in your work? Moy believes we can’t find the perfect job in the world but we can find passion in our work. If you truly love your job, you will know how to handle challenges with a positive and motivated attitude. “Canada is not a flawless heaven, but it does give me a lot of good things that I cannot take for granted. Difficult times do occur once in awhile, but they won’t last long. Take it easy, it will pass very soon.”

You received your family traditions in a positive way. How would you like to pass them on to the next generations? Moy said, “Faith in Christ is the anchor of my life that I’d like to pass on.” Moy was a local-born Chinese in Brunei. She works with Chinese people from different parts of China every day in Canada. But she doesn’t feel like she belongs to any part of China. Identity on earth is no longer important to her. Christianity is the eternal identity that is her anchor of life. She said, “The love of God is not bounded by the four walls in a church building. We should live like Jesus, go to the people and care for the needy.”

Lastly, Moy emphasized, “Everyone has his or her own path and identity on earth; don’t try to kill or hide your ethnic identity. Even though you may have fully adopted western culture, and may know nothing about Chinese traditions and cultures, we are still Chinese in other people’s eyes. Being born into and owning a bi- or multi-cultural identity is an advantage in today’s global village.” Moy smiled, “To be able to speak different languages helps to prevent Alzheimer’s disease too. We should be proud of who we are, and what we have, why throw it away?”

植根

Rooting Down•

文: 翎 | Translated by: Andy Ma

兩 代 人 的 自 豪 莫 樹 雲

38 ACROSS  • March 2015

的門檻，即使地方轉變，亦未有完備的計劃和時間表，均 無礙他破釜沉舟的決心。

創業初期他曾遭折翼，同一時期經營批發蔬菜、廚

櫃、汽車排氣管三盤生意，被『走數』(呆賬)，與合夥人意

見不合，最後流動資金不足，至近破產。印象最深刻的一 幕是他呆望著一組龐大的蔬菜冷藏櫃，購入時價值七萬

訪

元，最終以五千元賣出。 「要成功，首先要學會面對失敗， 問前一晚下傾盆大雨，莫樹雲 ( George) 的公

司險遭水患，幸而辦公室安裝了水浸警示，否

則損失更大。整天處理善後工作之後，甫坐下來，他 竟氣定神閒： 「做生意就是這樣，要將未發生，甚至

不會發生的風險計算在經營成本之內，還要事事親

力親為，隨時『執生』(應變)。」一句聽來簡單的道理， 卻是他多年實戰經驗累積而來的智慧。

早於60年初，樹雲的父親便開始了從事鐘錶零

件裝組的生意，他卻沒選擇繼承家族生意，高中時代 留學加拿大，遠赴艾伯塔省修讀計算機科學；80年

代初畢業回港，正逢香港經濟起飛，機會處處，他從 技術部門做起，幾年後，年僅30歲便已擔任一家中

型電腦科技公司的高層管理人員。事業上一帆風順， 他卻未感滿足，他認為創業才是他的天空，奈何正藉 中英雙方開始就香港回歸展開談判，樹雲擔心香港 的前途，想及子女的將來，決心舉家移民多倫多。

移民後，再闖創業之門，由於資金不多，對營商

環境又陌生，樹雲坦言當時全憑一份傲氣踏進創業

還要懂得善後。」

樹雲直言失敗也是一個好的經驗， 「明知會失敗也要

做，不單要做，還要做得好。」他把握另一次商機，取得一 個品牌的獨家代理權，將公司轉型代理防盗設施，終揭 開成功的一頁。

看看今天的創業環境，樹雲對年輕一輩創業專才有

何忠告？

樹雲感激父母當年的教育方法，在他升學和就業選

擇給他很大自由度，鼓勵他勇於作新嘗試。他坦言當年

畢業後在香港工作的 10 年，有機會由電腦專業人員擢 升為管理階層，令他累積了經營中小型公司的寶貴經

驗，且建立基本財務基礎。然而，現今世代不同，注重分 門專業，而經營生意講求多元知識，冒險精神，變通能

力，都是年輕一代所缺乏的，現今年輕人較受保護，少有 栽培冒險精神，應變能力因而變得薄弱。此外，創業需要 資本，今時今日要建立個人財務，對初出茅廬的年輕人 來說，相當困難。

樹雲認為他經營生意的天份遺傳自父母，特別母親。

雖然她只有小學程度，但她思維清晰，眼光獨到，多年來 協助父親打理公司業務，頭頭是道。 「若當時條件許可， 她可以接受高等教育，她肯定是女強人！」另一方面，父

親從商多年，成績有目共睹，卻從未要求子女繼承父業， 倒鼓勵兒女們盡情尋找自己喜歡的職業。樹雲多次强調 自己非常熱愛做生意，而且對自己適合做生意的執著， 是受他父母的潛移默化。

March 2015  •  ACROSS 39

植根

Rooting Down•

今為人父母，樹雲管教一對子女，亦繼承了父親的

開明。樹雲的兒子曾修讀藥物學，經過一年實習後發現 不合適，轉讀法律，現已成為執業律師。他鼓勵子女認

真選擇自己喜歡的工作，全情投入，而非只為了專業身 份或虛名而入行。

樹雲的女兒現職工業設計師，她非常熱愛自己的

工作。樹雲認為加拿大的教育制度給了女兒發揮潛質

的空間，按自己的興趣發展。他說﹕「女兒讀中學時，只 有體育和美術兩科成績最好，要是在香港，便很難有發 展機會。」

樹雲說，他從不擔心子女的學業和發展，他看重的

是他們如何做人處世，他說： 「從小到大，我不容許他們 在家裡說 “It’s not fair”。我要他們明白，世界就是不公 平的，天行健，君子當自强不息。」

從前樹雲以經營生意為榮，今日他以子女的性格

為榮， 「他們和家人的感情很深」 。

Sometimes even if you know you’ll fail, you still have to try, and not only that, you also have to try your best.

I

t rained heavily the night before the interview. George’s office nearly flooded. Fortunately, the office was equipped with a flood alarm. Otherwise, he might have suffered heavier losses. He spent the next day trying to recover from the disaster and manage any resulting damages and risks. Just as he was sitting down to start the interview, he calmly said: “This is what managing a business is like, you have to take into consideration both real and imagined risks into your operating costs. You also have to be ready for the unexpected.” It sounded like a very simple principle, but this was the product of his years of accumulated experience and wisdom. George was born into a Hong Kong family that runs a family business in building watch parts, which his father started in the early sixties. George chose not to inherit the family business, however, and, instead, decided to study abroad in Canada. Initially, he went to Alberta to study computer science. Following his graduation in the eighties, he decided to return to Hong Kong. At the time, Hong Kong’s economy was experiencing rapid growth, and there were opportunities everywhere. He started his career in a technology support department, and eventually became a member of the top level management team. It was smooth sailing for his career, but he was not satisfied. He began to

think only entrepreneurship could advance his career. As negotiations began on Hong Kong’s return to China from British colonial rule, George started to think how this might impact the futures of his children and Hong Kong. Out of these concerns, he decided to emigrate his family to Canada. When he arrived in Canada, he started his business plan right away. He did not have a lot of financial resources after emigrating and was not familiar with the business environment. He strongly believed in his passion and ability in running a business. Even if the location changed, and even if there was no fully prepared plan and schedule, his determination would not be waivered. He experienced many roadblocks in the early stages of his entrepreneurial adventure. He was concurrently operating three different businesses, which included operating both a vegetable supplier, and a kitchenware store, and while also selling automotive exhaust pipes. He was cheated. He had conflicts with his business partner. He almost declared bankruptcy due to insufficient circulation of funds. What was most memorable to him was when he could only idly watch as a set of large freezers for vegetable storage, originally valued at seventy thousand, were being sold for five thousand dollars. “In order to succeed, you have to first learn how to face failure, as well as how do clean up after yourself ”, George said. To George, failure is also a good experience. “Sometimes even if you know you’ll fail, you still have to try, and not only that, you also have to try your best.” When another opportunity presented itself to George, he grabbed it and transformed his company into a sole agent for a security system. Finally, he had opened a new chapter in life. George’s passion towards entrepreneurship is almost like a leap of faith. Is this a trait of the baby boomers? George admitted that his and his generation’s environment growing up trained them to have a type of fighting spirit. Among his friends, there are many examples of a long held belief that if “you persevere then there will be opportunities, and if you work hard you will succeed”. This belief to persevere is what allowed him to overcome hurdles one after another at the beginning of his entrepreneurship. What advice could be given to young entrepreneurs in the current entrepreneurial environment today? George admitted that his decade of working experience

March 2015  •  ACROSS 41

post-graduation in Hong Kong, and the opportunity to be promoted into management, allowed him to gain both invaluable experiences in running a small to medium sized business and fundamental financial management. It is different today. There is currently a focus on the multidisciplinary, and running a business requires a diversity of knowledge. Risk taking and flexibility are what today’s youth lack. Furthermore, entrepreneurship requires a large sum of funds. It is very difficult for today’s youth to independently establish their own financial base. George thanks his parents for their approach to education, which offered him a lot of freedom in academics and work. They also encouraged him to try new things. George does not deny his business talent, which he inherited from his parents, especially his mother. Even though she only received an elementary school education, she was very talented and assisted his father in successfully managing their business for years. “If she had the right qualifications, she definitely could have been a business iron lady”, George said. As for his father, without a doubt, he was very successful given his achievements over the years. Despite their success in business, George’s parents never demanded that their children inherit the family business, but instead encouraged them to explore their own career paths to their hearts’ content. During the interview, George mentioned multiple times that he loved business and was suited for business, which was something that was strongly influenced unknowingly by his parents. Similarly, as a father himself, George also inherited the open-minded, hands-off attitude from his father in raising his own children. George’s son initially studied pharmacology but after one year of practicum he discovered it wasn’t something suited for him. He then converted to study law and now he is a licensed lawyer. George encouraged his children to choose a career that they enjoy and love, not for professional identity or reputation. This was what he believes is professionalism. Despite being very open-minded, George strictly prohibited the phrase “It’s not fair” to appear in his family. He wanted his children to understand that the world is naturally unfair. What he wanted to emphasize is that we should fulfill our own duties. He had taken pride in his business talents and now, it is his children that make him proud the most. Even though they grew up in western culture, they still inherited Chinese views and an emphasis on “family”. Interpersonal relations are very important to them, especially towards their family. This is what makes George the proudest.

42 ACROSS  • March 2015

家庭事工 服務社區 締造和諧 榮神益人

416-493-3373 parentchild.centre@gmail.com www.parent-childeducation.ca

植根

Rooting Down•

Text by: Joyce Mak | 翻譯：張漢先 | Photo by: Harry Choi

Enter into the history of art 與老師對話– 訪藝術家何家強

談 熱 情 、 堅 持 與 成 敗 46 ACROSS  • March 2015

F

Left: Henry Ho, Right: Joyce Mak

rom the age of 12 to 18, in those formative years of being an adolescent, I studied art under the instruction of Henry Ho. I expressed an interest in learning to draw and paint, and my parents soon began bringing me to Henry’s classroom studio once a week after school. I had imagined that I would learn skills such as drawing and painting– activities I enjoyed doing. Little did I imagine that my time with Henry would be exceptionally formative, not only in my artistic abilities, but in my understanding of my Chinese Canadian identity, my faith and spirituality, and my approach towards life and success.

When the opportunity arose to interview an artist for this publication, Henry immediately came to mind. He was an artist who had influenced my life in profound ways, such as showing me the wisdom of ancient Chinese art and calligraphy while I was yet an arrogant, young Chinese Canadian with little appreciation of my Chinese roots. I was curious to learn more about Henry, his artistic lifestyle, and his artwork. The interview was light in spirit and deep in inspiration, revealing Henry to be a man with rich passion, vast wisdom, and focused determination to become a great artist. I first asked him, “How did you become an artist?” Henry explained that he had already been artistically inclined from a young age– every spare piece of paper would be covered with his drawings, sometimes even the furniture! When guests came to visit, he would draw them something as entertainment and everyone would applaud. As he grew older he began to read a lot, including a book of the 20 greatest philosophers and their work. Henry recalled with vigorous excitement one specific moment when he was 17 years old. He had been reading when suddenly he slammed the book shut in his hands, stood up, threw the book to the ground, and declared with one arm raised, “I am going to be an

artist!” At that very moment, a ray of sunlight burst through the window and shone upon his face. With this passionate declaration Henry embarked upon a lifetime journey of becoming an artist. “But becoming an artist isn’t easy,” I inquired. “So many artists struggle to make a living. How did it happen for you?” Henry had a plan that he systematically and purposefully followed to establish himself as an artist. First of all, he had to prove to his parents that he could responsibly support himself as an artist. In Hong Kong, he studied design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in order to find work. He sent money home and spent money carefully. It was important for him to become independent first. With his natural talent, brilliant mind, and focused hard work, Henry quickly rose in the ranks of the design world in Hong Kong, becoming a designer of the Hong Kong Television Broadcasting company, the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Cartoon Association, and a lecturer at the First Institute of Art and Design where he gave lectures on TV graphic, illustration, cartoon and general art.

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Although his design work enabled him to continue fine-tuning his artistic abilities, he soon felt limitations on his potential growth as an artist. With his wife, Flora, he immigrated to Canada in 1988 choosing Toronto as their landing point simply because it was closest to New York City and it would give him more opportunity to explore western art. He decided that in Canada, he would no longer work in design – it was his time to become a fine artist and an art teacher. The change of environment and transition in career was very difficult. Henry spoke of a despairing moment when he lay down in a corner after teaching young children who had crawled all over him and he remembered how in Hong Kong he used to teach university- and college-level students. This moment led to a profound understanding: “When you realize that no one is going to push you anymore and you still want to do it, that’s when you know that it is truly your passion,” Henry admitted. When he reached the pinnacle of a design career in Hong Kong, he felt there was no more room to be original. In Canada, he had enormous space, but he also needed to develop personal discipline to remain faithful to his artistic vocation. At the age of 60 and after several exhibitions in Canada and China, Henry believes he is finally ready to create his masterpieces. His next project for an exhibition in China is to paint life-sized horses in the Chinese brush and ink style. Using paintbrushes the size of mops and

48 ACROSS  • March 2015

large swaths of xuan zhi (rice paper), Henry says that his art has taken decades to train for. He practiced Tai Chi for 30 years to develop the strength, force and power in his body to skilfully manoeuvre the brush, as well as the spiritual connection he experiences when he creates art. Henry also studied art theory, both Chinese and Western styles, in Canadian universities so that he could have the language to articulate his creative expression. As an art teacher, Henry has taught hundreds of students, some who have become artists themselves. Henry’s teaching philosophy is simple: “I need to do it. I need to help others do it.” Even though my vocation was not to become an artist, Henry’s way of living and his artistic lifestyle have been deeply ingrained into my life. To spend time meditating in solitude, to recognize the inherent beauty and aesthetic grace around myself, to enjoy art in its creation and created form– these are my teacher’s gifts that enrich my quality of life. According to Henry, the greatest hindrance to an artist is not failure, but rather, success. “When people begin to admire your art and many people want to buy it, will you still paint for yourself or will you paint for others?” Henry asks. Henry’s vision for himself as an artist is much grander– to enter into the history of art. As we can see, he is well on his way.

When you realize that no one is going to push you anymore and you still want to do it, that’s when you know that it is truly your passion.

早

在少年時期，我開始對繪畫有興趣，在父母鼓勵下，跟隨何家 強( Henry Ho)老師學畫，正式接觸藝術訓練。起初，我抱著學

習繪畫技巧的心態上課，豈料他竟成為我的生命啟蒙老師，不僅引

發我對藝術的興趣，更在多方面影響我的人生，讓我重新思考我的身 分、信仰和人生目標。

當編輯組建議訪問一位藝術家時，我即時想起何老師。回想少年

的我，無知、自以為是，認為自己是一個加拿大人，對自己的祖籍毫無 興趣，不聞不問，是何老師教我認識中國古典藝術與書法的奧妙，改 變我一生。

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我渴望透過這次訪問，深入了解老師的作品和藝術生活。

訪問在輕談深省的氣氛下進行。

「你是怎樣成為藝術家的？」我問。

「我自小偏愛藝術，一張白紙便是我的圖畫紙，一件傢俬

上也有我的『作品』 。客人造訪，我以繪畫娛賓，博得不少掌聲。 後來，我愛上閱讀，很多人感到枯燥無味的哲學書籍，我特別 喜歡，涉獵過大約 20 位哲學家的著作。」

何老師回憶起 17 歲時的轉捩時刻，仍然十分激動。 「當時

我正全神貫注閱讀，突然把書本合起來，拋在地上，舉高手臂， 大聲宣布：我要成為藝術家！」他感到一縷陽光從窗口直射入 屋，照耀在面頰上。就這樣何老師踏上了終身成為藝術家之 路。

「成為藝術家絕非易事，絕大部份藝術家成名之前生活

潦倒，這些你有考慮過嗎？」我又問。

何老師有一套從事藝術的計劃，循著既定目標前進。他考

入香港理工學院主修設計，勤奮與天賦使他很快在香港設計

界站穩陣腳，曾擔任香港無線電視公司設計師，香港漫畫協會 副主席，亦任教大一設計學院。他向父母證明了從事藝術工作 也可以維生。

雖然設計工作有穩定收入支持藝術創作，但他很快感到

發展空間有限。1988年，他與妻子Flora移民加拿大多倫多，主 要原因是多倫多接近紐約，使他有更多機會探討西方藝術。抵 加後，他毅然放棄設計，專注繪畫與美術教學。

50 ACROSS  • March 2015

當你知道再沒有人推動你的時候， 你仍然堅持要做下去， 那就是你真正的熱誠所在。

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適應新環境，轉換工作的確困難重重。有一次一個稚齡學生

下課後，爬在他身上玩耍，憶起在香港時，學生都是大學生，他感 到尊嚴受損，這種失望感覺局外人不易理解。不過他感到失落的

同時，卻更肯定自己： 「當你知道沒有人推動你的時候，你仍然堅 持要做下去，那就是你真正的熱誠所在。」

在香港設計事業達顛峰時，他感到創作空間很狹窄；來在加

拿大，海闊天空，最重要是嚴守紀律、堅毅貫徹對藝術創作的熱 誠。

何老師最近的興趣是創作巨型作品。經過數十年訓練，勤練

太極拳使他壯健，有足夠氣力運用如拖把般大的巨型毛筆，在宣 紙上繪出栩栩如生的駿馬。他表示創作時體驗到一股靈氣融合

其中。何老師在加拿大大學修讀中西方美術理論，認為此舉可幫 助他用語言表達創作。

從事美術教師多年，老師桃李滿門，有些人更成為藝術老

師。何老師的教學哲理非常簡單： 「我要做藝術，更要幫助其他人 做藝術。」雖然我的理想不是成為職業藝術家，但是，老師的生活 哲學和藝術形式深深影響我── 獨處靜思、認識身邊一切的內 在美、審美、欣賞藝術原創── 這些都是老師給我的禮物。

今時今日何老師已屆60，他先後在加拿大及中國舉辦多次

展覽，在不久的將來，他將再次前往中國展覽巨型毛筆水墨創 作。

結束前，老師特別指出，藝術家的最大障礙不是失敗，而是

成功。他說。 「當別人欣賞你的創作，要購買的時候，你究竟是為 自己而創作，還是為他人？」

52 ACROSS  • March 2015

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Text by: Becky Hung | 翻譯: 洪雯華

Nostalgic Modernization - Interview with Vitasoy descendants

懷 舊 創 新

專 訪 維 他 奶 後 人

T

he Lo brothers, Erik Lo and Francis Lo, emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada with their family during their adolescence. The Lo’s, a typical middle-class Hong Kong family, chose Ontario as their new home, and was no different from other immigrant Hong Kong families: Worried about Hong Kong’s future after ’97. Their father wasted little time getting back to commerce, and their mother - worked as a homemaker. Both Erik and Francis enrolled in local schools to study. The elder brother, Erik, had majored in food science while the younger, Francis had studied agriculture commerce. While studying at Guelph University, Lo brothers joined a school-wide competition, that required students to use Ontario soybeans to develop related products. Although the Lo brothers did not take home any prizes, that competition awakened their business gene and served as the starting point of their future in non-dairy products. According to the Canadian Digestive Health Association, more than seven million Canadians across the country are diagnosed with varying degrees of lactose intolerance. This particular group is the potential customer base for the Lo brothers. YOSO provides dairy-free, gluten free, casein-free, vegan, fermented and cultured foods to consumers. Their products include yogurts and spreads. Their three-year age difference and different personalities made the Lo brothers perfect business partners. Erik, modest and introverted, is the food scientist responsible for developing new products while Francis, outgoing and dynamic, is the brand ambassador responsible for marketing. “We do not always agree on everything, but no matter what decision we make, it is for the best interest of our company,” said Francis; at the same time, Erik was nodding and smiling.

...to be a person who works hard, with devotion and dignity.

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The Lo brothers are continuing a family tradition with their business. Their grandfather Dr. K.S. Lo was one of the first to start mass producing soy milk in the 1940’s in Hong Kong and founded the multinational corporation Vitasoy Company, and their father, Frank Lo, was one of the two sons who took over leadership of the company in 1979. To Erik and Francis, their grandfather Dr. Lo is a man who loves his grandsons with a little serious personality. In their memory, Dr. Lo taught them to be a person who works hard, with devotion and dignity. Erik and Francis were also encouraged by their father to be adventurous! But anyone can be an entrepreneur by themselves, how do you differentiate yourself from others? “Your products have to be creative and innovative,” said Erik. “Our products have gone through first generation soybean products, second generation coconut products to third generation almond products. I like to walk in supermarkets to cultivate new inspirations and new ideas.”

But anyone can be an entrepreneur by themselves, how do you differentiate yourself from others?

“The competitiveness within Chinese soybean products market is fierce, it is really not easy to stand out in this specific market; sometimes you even need to lower prices below costs. Mainstream market might be easier to get into. Also, non-dairy market isn’t big enough for big name companies, there is always a lack of suitable products to meet particular demand,” Francis also pointed out. “We choose local non-genetic-modified soybeans as our source; consumers for sure will welcome the concept.” Lo brothers mentioned that their first investment to start YOSO was close to one million dollars. Half of the money was loans from family; another half was mortgage from the bank. The majority of this went into equipment March 2015  •  ACROSS 55

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purchasing and to upgrade quality control standards. After non-stop trials, they were require to pass different requirements from distributors and mainstream supermarket buyers before consumers could buy their products. Occasionally, when miscommunications occured between head office and local store managers, everything might need to start over again. Fortunately, after consistent efforts, YOSO products can now be found at different mainstream supermarkets like WholeFoods. Francis also points out that YOSO participates in at least five major consumer exhibitions coast to coast annually. Setting up regular meetings with distributors to discuss marketing strategy and maintain business relationships is also required. Furthermore, interaction with consumers via social media; inviting renowned chefs to develop product-related recipes are necessary aspects of promoting YOSO products.

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US venture capital Database Company, CB Insights’ recent analysis of 101 start-up companies summed up 20 reasons behind their failures: short on capital, lack of competitiveness, bad products and business model, etc. This study also points out 42% of cases share the very same problem: not understanding market demand, which is the number one reason for their failure. When founders cling to their concepts without any clear ideas on how to meet market demand, this might lead to disasters. Descendants of Vitasoy in Ontario inherited the entrepreneurship spirit from their grandfather. But before devoting themselves to the business, they carefully analyzed market demand, found their own unique product foothold, and were not afraid of making mistakes. They successfully transformed traditional soybean products into a new product category and forged their own entrepreneurial path.

羅

偉烈( Erik)及羅偉昌( Francis)

兩兄弟在大學時代，從參加一

個大學校內比賽開始，激發兩人血液 中的營商基因，繼而進攻非奶類產品 的生意。

相差 3 歲的兄弟，個性一動一靜，

正好是生意上好夥伴好搭擋：哥哥像

食品科學家，負責開發新產品，弟弟像 品牌大使，負責行銷產品。

「我們不是無時無刻都意見契合，但無論做

什麼決定，都是為了公司發展。」Francis 這樣說

時，Erik 微笑以對。

他們的祖父，是香港維他奶創辦人之一羅桂

祥博士；在兩兄弟印象中，爺爺個性有點嚴肅，但 十分疼愛孫兒，常教導他們倆人，做事要全心全

意，要做個有尊嚴的人。父親羅友義，時常告誡兩 兄弟，做生意要有冒險精神。

從小在大豆家族成長，長大了，兩兄弟的生意

也與大豆有關。人人都可以落手落腳做生意，關鍵 在於要如何與眾不同。

「產品要有創意、要創新！」哥哥說：「我們的

產品已經從第一代大豆產品，開發到第二代椰子

產品，及第三代杏仁產品。我最喜歡逛超市，尋找 開發產品新靈感。」弟弟補充：「我們產品原料來

源選用本地非基因改造優質品種，消費者一定能 接受。」

兩人設立公司的第一桶金約百萬加幣，一半

來自家族親友貸款，另一半來自銀行信貸。這些

錢幾乎都投資在購買設備與品質檢驗上；在不斷 摸索研發後，新產品還要經過主流超市、批發商 層層關卡考察，才能送到消費者面前。目前包括 WholeFoods 等主流超市，已經可以找到 YOSO

產品。

Francis 表示，一年至少要參加五個大型消費

者食品展，每年還要與批發商，定期聚會討論，維 繫生意關係。同時，透過社交媒體，直接與消費者

互動，邀請名廚為產品開發菜譜，亦是行銷產品的 必要方式。

維他奶後人在加拿大安省，延續祖父創業精

神，但在投入生意前，仔細分析市場需求，找到自

己產品的特殊立足點，不怕犯錯，大膽放手去做， 將傳統大豆產品帶出新面貌，走出屬於自己的生 意路。

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Text by: Joseph Wong | 翻譯：翎

Modern Chinese Medicine Doctor 年 輕 中 醫

58 ACROSS  • March 2015

懸 壺 濟 西 洋

T

he moment you step in the Evergrace Chinese Medical Clinic, you will not see the traditional Chinese herbal medicine lined up against the white walls in glass jars, neither will you smell the various ingredients. Instead, you will see a clean, modern clinic, walls painted in light brown, lined with Chinese calligraphy paintings of famous mountains, and bottles of Chinese herbal elements made into powder form. Ryan explains that modern powder medicine will help the doctor know the exact measurement and able to get the best essence out of the medicine itself.

Inspire the West with Ancient Wisdom Ryan Ho is one of the youngest Chinese medical doctor I have ever met, and he leads me to wonder how one young adult like him decided to train in an ancient Chinese profession. “Actually, my real dream was to become an author, writing novels about the love stories of ordinary people finding love as they go on their daily life. I still have that dream, but it may happen later in my life with more experiences and stories.” Ryan comes from a line of great Chinese medical doctors, where his grandfather gained his knowledge from a Chinese monk as a child, and practiced Wu Shu at the same time. His grandfather later passed this unique medicinal philosophy to Ryan’s father, eventually practicing in Hong Kong and China. Ryan moved to Toronto where he came to study during his teen years. At the time, both him and his mother would get sick a lot, so he experimented at home with his limited knowledge from helping out at his father’s clinic as a kid. It was the start of his new career path before he knew it. After high school, Ryan went back to Guang Zhou to study five years of Chinese medicine. “I did not really know what I wanted to become at the time, but as I was searching and exploring my life direction, I found that my grandfather actually influenced me a lot. Even though he passed away one month before I was born, the books and literature which recorded his philosophy about Chinese medicine impact me to this day. He showed me the depth of the Chinese history and culture, modern day Chinese medicine, our understanding of how the human body works and the way we practice may only capture twenty percent of the true essence.” March 2015  •  ACROSS 59

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“After I graduated and moved back to Toronto, one of the first clinics that I started to practice at was in Chinatown. I still remember the first customer I had, who was diabetic but also faced depression. She came to see me about her eye problems. When the patient first came in, she thought I was a store clerk, and showed a lot of doubts because I looked too young to be doctor. But as we talked, I was able to not only prescribe her the medicine which helped with her pain, we were also able to have a great conversation about life and how to live a healthier lifestyle. This led to the start of our friendship.” During that period, even with small client base and spending a lot of time waiting, Ryan was able to garner research and create relationships with his clients.

Even today, six months into the opening of his own clinic, he still faces the biases of being a young doctor, but Ryan’s dedication to Chinese medicine and its positive results are starting to win people over, holding a great reputation through word of mouth. “I want people in western culture to understand that Chinese medicine is not only about taking away your pain or problems, but to teach and educate the holistic approach of having a healthy body through what we eat, rest, and exercise. People may think that it is not “scientific” as there are not enough research done on the usage and effects of the herbal medicine.” “I have to admit that sometimes when specific Chinese words, terms or concepts are translated into English, they may lose their original meanings and are often misunderstood. One of my goals is to let people understand the richness and practicality of Chinese medicine as it helps us to build up our own body’s system. Let the body be strong, self-sufficient and it will take care of itself. One of the advantages of being a young Chinese doctor is being able to relate to the younger generation, and to explain in plain terms the advantages of ancient Chinese medicine in the world they live in. In my understanding of both the Chinese traditional practices from my grandfather’s work combined with our Canadian health continuous living style, the Chinese Medicine field can be promoted and be understood for generations to come.” Some tips from Ryan to check our body’s status by looking at the signals and stay healthy with our daily habits on the page 58.

60 ACROSS  • March 2015

沒

有擺放整齊的中藥材玻璃樽，也沒有濃濃 撲鼻的煎藥氣味，取而代之是經過精鍊而

成的中藥粉末。牆上一幅水墨山水畫，是懷仁中醫館的

佈置焦點，這是一位年輕醫師的中醫館，簡潔明澄，配合現

代化而依然保存傳統。

何秉楠出生於中醫世家，祖父年少時得到高人教授，習武學醫；期後

祖傳給秉楠的父親，相信秉楠對中醫術的興趣是祖傳而來。秉楠認為祖 父留下來的中醫學說和研究是他的啟蒙，祖父的中醫學問深不可測，他

認為： 「時至今天，我們對中醫藥的了解都只屬皮毛，還有更多博大高深 的學問有待發掘。」

傳統中醫的經驗和年紀都是顧客的信心，年輕中醫師如何打破這個

印象呢？曾遇上一位患眼疾的病人，病人眼裏充滿疑惑，何秉楠靈機一

動不單開藥幫他消除痛楚，還跟他閒談人生和健康生活等等，結果他們

成為好友，現在是他的忠心顧客。自此，何秉楠領悟到關心顧客的健康， 跟病人建立朋友關係，日後才可以醫得稱心。

「我的從醫心願不單是醫病驅痛，而是從中醫術和學問的角度推

廣均衡的生活模式。中醫藥之所以給予人一種不科學的印象是因為未

有足夠的研究，加上用西方的言語和文化作研究的基礎，難免會有點失

真，我認為作為中國人，從事中醫工作和研究的意義重大。」心懷這偌大 的中國人使命，何秉楠唯有暫時放下他原本想做一個愛情小說作家的 夢想。

Tel: 905-946-1838 Fax: 905-946-1835 First Markham Place 3255 Hwy 7 E., Unit 97, Markham, Ontario L3R 3P9

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文：何秉楠

有型健康 手腳一年四季都溫暖，頭臉冰冷； 睡眠好，早上起床有精神；

大便通暢，一天1-3次，小便一天5-7次； 有正常的慾望：食欲、性欲、購物欲

以上是檢查健康狀況的基本法則。能夠合乎以上幾項的人寥寥可

數，無論是生活節奏急速的亞洲地區，或是朝十晚四的加拿大人，在這

個聲色犬馬的世代，要飲食清淡， 「日出而作,日入而息」真的不容易，更 莫説講「恬靜虛無，真氣從之，精神內守」如此神仙一般的生活。或許我

們可以退一步， 「不求健康，但求無病」 。好像很矛盾的八個字，但似乎這 正是現代人的追求。

人類在地球上數百萬年，身體擁有強大的自我調節機能，當出現以

下訊號，其實是身體響起警號。如果你習慣每天觀察自己的身體狀況， 聆聽裡面的聲音，你會更了解自己。在你吃炸雞前、熬夜前先評估自己 的身體狀態，就不至於失衡：

1. 起床後，口苦口乾（肝膽有熱，忌煙酒和夜睡）

2. 胃口差（消化功能減弱，不要勉強進食，容易消化為主）

3 . 怕 冷（陽氣不足，忌生冷食物，注意頸部保暖，因為頸部是人體的冷暖 調節系統）

4. 舌 苔變厚，變黃（習慣早上觀察舌苔，變厚變黃反映脾胃有熱，要更加 注意飲食）

5. 大 便黏，沖馬桶不乾淨（大腸濕熱，忌濃味食物和酒精，注意休息，睡 眠最重要）

中草藥和飲食都可以調整身體的失衡狀態。不同的是，草藥有更大

的偏性，而食物的偏性相對較少。

何謂偏性？可以這樣理解：喝一口熱水，身體會變暖一點(+0.1)；

喝一口冰水，身體會變冷一點(-0.1)。飯的偏性是0的話，西瓜就是 -10。

烹調方法、產地、不同時間進食，食物作用於人體的偏性都會改變。偏性 越大，越容易導致身體失去平衡。當然，中醫不是數學，比喻只能作為參 考。

簡單來講，中醫就是根據這樣基本的陰陽法則，發展出一套完善的

診治方法。注重健康的你，只需要學會評估自己的身體狀況，便可活得 有型而不失健康。

62 ACROSS  • March 2015

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Rooting Down•

Text by: Joseph Wong & Nick Poon | | Photo by: Harry Choi

e: m o H Being of my city W e c e i p A

hen oversea friends or relatives come in town to visit, one of the first attractions that we bring them to see is our world renowned CN Tower, or to showoff our luxurious Yorkville shopping area, in order to illustrate that Toronto has her own landmarks to be proud of that is comparable to other world class cities. As more and more people move up to the northern suburban area, how much do we, as local Torontonians, know about our city, its deep heritage roots and stories? How often do we get outside and walk on our own feet, out of our comfort zone and explore our city with a pair of fresh eyes like a tourist? It is only when we open up our barriers, to connect the city’s social context so that we join together as a circle. There is no need to ask “Who are my neighbors?”, as we are right and left of each other, as we belong and share a common fate with the city. It is only in a circle that we can see each other as equals, without fear of the others. We only need to take the first step, to open up our hand and join in. Let’s go and explore together!

有

朋自遠方來，可曾為安排

他們觀光多倫多市中心而

煩惱呢？ CN Tower 遊覽過、約克

村名店購物街也去過，還有甚麼

呢？遊走多倫多市，令人深刻的是

「聚居與共融」的特色，不分國族

和背境，同住一城，使這個城市變 得不一樣。下次，不妨帶訪客遊賞 多倫多的人情和文化，他們一定 會嚐出多倫多的味道來。

Yorkville is recognized as one of Canada’s most exclusive shopping districts; well-known for its high-end shopping street, bordered by Bloor Street and the Mink Mile. The Mink Mile has been ranked as the 22nd most expensive street in the world. However, Yorkville is not only about upscale shopping, restaurants, or five star hotels. What began as a residential suburb, at the very beginning in the development of York, Toronto became one of the most important bohemian cultural hubs of the city where one can find unique architectures, Victorian-styled homes, street art murals, and historical heritage buildings; recording the stories of the different generations of people living in Toronto.

Village of Yorkville Park The first line in Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” [They paved paradise and put up a parking lot] refers to a spot in Yorkville which was paved over to become a parking lot during its development era. This later became what is the Village of Yorkville Park today. Yorkville Park has won numerous awards for its thematic landscape based on elements of Yorkville’s history, as well as the Canadian landscape. The park is divided into twelve sections with elements like pine grove, prairie, marsh, rocks, each section varying in width to reflect on the row of houses which was once on the site.

Lower Bay Station Below the main platform of Bay Station is an abandoned platform, which was used for only six months in 1966 when TTC was experimenting with the different subway routes. It is opened for the Doors Open event, as well as private party bookings if you want a unique experience in the subway cars. 64 ACROSS  • March 2015

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Riverboat Coffee House (118 Yorkville Ave.)

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By the mid 1960’s, Yorkville was famous for being a gathering place for the “hippies”, folk music, and coffee houses The Riverboat Coffee house was a brewing ground of Canadian culture. It gave a stage to the young artists like Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, and many of the biggest names in Canadian music history, including Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLauchlan, and Dan Hill.

First Mount Sinai Hospital (100 Yorkville Avenue) The Mount Sinai Hospital on University Ave. was actually started by four immigrant women from the Jewish community back in 1913. Due to the growing population of the Jewish community at the time, not many mainstream hospitals spoke their language, or knew about their unique culture; therefore the Mount Sinai Hospital was built. Its original facade is still standing at the location today, to record the Jewish community’s development and contributions in Toronto.

Yorkville Fire Hall (34 Yorkville Ave.) Built in 1876, it is one of Toronto’s oldest active fire halls, with the original clock tower. In the front of the building is the Yorkville Coat of Arms, reminiscent of the Yorkville Town Hall. The Coat of Arms is a record of the people who formed the Village’s first Council, John Severn the brewer, Thomas Atkinson the brickmaker, Reeve James Dobson the carpenter, James Wallis the blacksmith, and Peter Hutty the butcher; who represented the main group of professions in the area.

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Street sculptures and contemporary art galleries There are numerous street sculptures and contemporary art galleries along the streets of Yorkville where there is a sculpture in remembrance of the famous Canadian painter Emily Carr. Mira Godard Gallery (22 Hazelton Ave.) houses work of important Canadian artists like Edward Burtynsky, Joe Fafard, and Jean Paul Riopelle.

360: The Restaurant Heliconian Hall (35 Hazelton Ave) One of the first and oldest associations to delegate a meeting space for women in the arts and letters. Its Carpenter’s Gothic architectural style is one of the few churches of this style in Ontario today.

66 ACROSS  • March 2015

Not only does 360: The Restaurant offer an unforgettable experience of fine dining at 1,151 feet in the open sky, its revolving floor also provides you a magnificent view of Toronto’s skyline. 360 ensures that their food is made from fresh ingredients that is as enjoyable as the skyline view. Their award-winning wine cellar does not only hold the title of the World’s Highest Wine Cellar, it is also a great place for celebration of any special occasion.

Although it no longer has the “highest” honour, it continues to attract around 1.5 million international visitors annually. The Canada’s National Tower or, the more commonly named, CN Tower, became one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It also held the world record of being the tallest tower from 2007 to 2010, and held the previous title of the World’s Tallest FreeStanding Structure for over 34 years. Other than being a telecommunication tower, it brings visitors for a breathtaking adventure in the EdgeWalk, and a delightful dining experience at the Horizons Café and 360 The Restaurant.

Rogers Centre Beside the CN Tower is the home of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts. On top of being the home of Toronto’s sports teams, its fully retractable roof makes it a great place for any sporting event, concert, exhibition or convention, under any circumstance. Since its public opening, Rogers Centre has hosted over 2,000 events, it has brought over 60 million visitors. It continues to bring over 3.5 million guests annually, making it one of the top 3 tourist attractions in Toronto.

The Audience, Michael Snow Other than its dome-shaped architecture, “The Audience” is another signature of the Rogers Centre that is well-recognized by visitors. Located at the northeast and northwest entrance of the stadium, “The Audience” is an animated portrayal of sports fans that extends from the interior to the exterior of the building to express the fans’ experience. No matter which angle you’re looking from, you will get a taste of the fan action; whether it is being captured in the fan’s camera, or being sneered at if you’re cheering for the visiting team. You may also find Snow’s artwork, “Flight Stop”, a Canadian geese art piece at the popular Toronto Eaton Centre.

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Roundhouse Park “The Art of the Possible”, Mimi Gellman At the level 100 concourse of the Rogers Centre stands a steel and glass sculpture. It is an appreciation and tribute to all those who contributed to building the dome. In addition, Gellman also included in the mural some of the artifacts that were found in the excavation at the time. Other sculptures include “Salmon Run” by Susan Schelle, and “Spiral Fountain” by Judith Schwarz.

The Roundhouse Park was originally the Canadian Pacific Railway John Street Roundhouse, which was built in in the late 20’s to early 30’s. The facility contained 32 stalls for repairs for different types of locomotives, including steam locomotives, and diesel-electric locomotives. The City of Toronto took ownership of the facility in 1986 and now it is part of the Toronto Railway Museum. The dynamic venue is not only home to the Toronto Railway Museum, but also home of the Steam Whistle Brewing and Leon’s Furniture. One of the main attractions of the venue must be the 120-feet long locomotive turntable that is located on the west portion of the park. To people’s surprise, it is fully operational, and occasionally supports repairs to the locomotives at the museum.

“A Tribute to Baseball”, Lutz Haufschild

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On the other side of “The Audience” is the Gate 5 entrance, where you can find another beautiful art piece by an internationally recognized glass artist, Lutz Haufschild. “A Tribute to Baseball” is exactly what its name suggests. It is a representation of the great moments of the sport.

68 ACROSS  • March 2015

YORK STRE ET G A R D IN

ER EXPY

Downtown Tourist Area

Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway (RPMR) With the retirement of steam locomotives, the RPMR provides an interactive experience for guests. The track goes around the park from Don Station and the major showpieces in the park. Guests will also feel through their senses what it’s like to be sitting on the memorable steam and diesel locomotive. It is a mix of education and enjoyment for guests at all ages.

M

Steam Whistle Brewing Beside the historic site is the world-class brewery- Steam Whistle Brewing. Every bottle of beer is a taste of the exceptional history of the John Street Roundhouse, and its dedication to the purpose it served. You may also attend their tour to see how they brew the Canadian beer.

植根

Rooting Down•

文：洪雯華 | Translated by: Dexter Chu

Fusion Food 融 在 嘴 裏 的 中 西 文 化

對

華人來說,飲與食，是聯繫親朋好友感情 的一種方式，君不見咱老中打招呼的方

式通常是：吃了沒？吃飽沒？肚子餓嗎？要不要 喝點什麼？廚房有煲湯，飲唔飲湯？答謝朋友 便說：請你去飲茶。

我愛在各類食物中找尋類似馬可波羅東

遊後，中式飲食對後世的影響；生活在多倫多

這個多元文化城市，信手捻來，例子處處可見， 且待我一一道來。

Bubble Tea 最早起源自台灣的泡沫茶飲。

飲料店服務人員把新鮮紅/綠茶，倒入調酒器， 再加上冰塊及糖漿，以調雞尾酒姿勢，手搖出 帶有細緻泡沫的茶飲，稱為「泡沫紅/綠茶」 。

珍珠奶茶，就是在泡沫茶飲內，加入由木

薯粉做成的粉圓；粉圓未煮前，形狀渾圓顏色

偏白，所以稱為「珍珠奶茶」 。後來在臺灣南部， 有業者以香港80年代豔星葉子媚為靈感，推出

裝有大顆粉圓的「波霸奶茶」 。 90 年代，臺灣人 帶同波霸奶茶移民北美，英文譯為 Boba Tea

或是 Bubble Tea。

Fusion that melts in your mouth 70 ACROSS  • March 2015

多倫多市中心有一間專賣墨

西哥捲餅的小店，店東是兩位同在

東區唐人街長大的華裔移民後代； 華裔家庭重視飲食內涵，多倫多成 長重視做事邏輯與方法，誰規定中 式飲食，只能在餐桌上盤盤碟碟滿 桌呈現？誰規定墨西哥捲餅只能

黃頤銘在訪問中表示，自己不

捲豆子？這間店的菜單，有左宗棠

愛唸書，也討厭父母硬逼子女做功

豬肉、魚肉捲餅、素捲餅等等三十

社會後發現，若沒有父母當年逼迫

雞、混合中西烤肉方式的慢火燒烤 多項；捲在餅裡的主食；可以選擇 撈麵或米飯。

一份墨西哥捲餅裡，有蔬菜(纖

課的傳統教育做法，可是當他出了 出來的抗壓性，他現在應該是紐約 市某角落的一名流浪漢，而不是已 經出了自傳、又與美國 ABC 電視

維素)、有肉(蛋白質)、有澱粉類主

網拍攝電視劇的 Eddie Huang。

化一向強調的，食在時令與飲食均

參賽者不分華裔與否，都涉獵了

方式包裝呈現，實在就是「中學為

心、有的用豬腩肉，令自己的成品,

食(麵或飯)，這不就是中式飲食文

衡？將中式飲食，用主流人士熟悉 體，西學為用」 。

這幾年多倫多街頭流行的

美食餐車，已見漢堡包夾炸豬腩

肉、五花肉的餐點，和臺灣小吃刈 包，有異曲同工之妙，這要拜紐

約 Baohaus 店東台裔移民黃頤銘

( Eddie Huang)大力推廣，令主流社 會了解刈包的可愛。

這一季 Master Chef Canada，

中式飲食，有的用飲茶中的不同點 與眾不同。今年 Summerlicious，有

餐廳推出蕎麥麵配中式燒豬腩肉

的涼麵前菜；市中心老釀酒廠新開 法式餐廳內，早午餐菜單上的燒豬 腩肉，味道與中式燒臘類似；這些 都是中西文化交流印證於日常生 活。

誰規定中式飲食， 只能在餐桌上……

植根

Rooting Down•

A

s it is often said, Chinese culture is profound, stretching back 5,000 years, and since ancient times it has been a way for ethnic Chinese to connect emotionally with family and friends no matter how far away they are. With the rise and fall of the sun, Chinese life has centered around all varieties of food. Have you not noticed the Chinese way of greeting usually revolves around these phrases: Are you hungry? Have you eaten? Are you full? Would you like a little something to drink? There’s some soup in the kitchen, would you like some? I love all kinds of food. Ever since Marco Polo toured the East, Chinese food has been spreading across the globe. Living in Toronto, examples of Chinese food can be seen everywhere. Let’s start with Bubble Tea! Bubble Tea first originated from Taiwan’s foam tea. One of the teashop personnel pours fresh red or green tea into a cocktail shaker, adds ice and syrup, then shakes it out into a delicate foam tea, making “bubble red/green tea”. It became a traditional way to drink tea, allowing consumers to enjoy an occasion with a fresh sweet tea and giving their taste buds the new experience of foam melting in their mouths. Pearl Milk Tea is bubble tea with added tapioca pellets, made from cassava. Uncooked tapioca pellets are whitish in colour, hence the name “Pearl Milk Tea”. Later, in southern Taiwan, a company took the 1980’s Hong Kong sex symbol, Amy Yip, as inspiration and launched larger tapioca pellets, producing Boba Tea. During the 1990’s, many Taiwanese people immigrated to North America, and “Boba Tea” came with them. In translation, the term appears as either “Boba Tea” or “Bubble Tea”. Considering this amount of background information, it must be mentioned that cassava made into round tapioca is not unique to Taiwan and can also be found in South East Asian desserts. But today, Bubble Tea is trendsetting around the world and is a good example of a “Chinese Substance, Western Use” fusion. Early Chinese settlers in the ethnic townships only knew how to fry Chop Suey and Chicken Balls and open small restaurants through self-reliance.

72 ACROSS  • March 2015

How could the cuisine loved by generations of Chinese be elevated to such a high level? Though Bubble Tea originated from the concept of cocktail shakers, the heart of the matter is the continued selling of a Chinese staple: tea. For another example of “Chinese Substance, Western Use”, take a look at downtown Toronto’s Mexican Burrito shop monopoly. Mexican Burrito? What does a Mexican and Southern United States dish filled with beans have to do with Chinese food? The person in charge of this Mexican bakery is the descendent of two Chinese immigrants who grew up in East Chinatown. His Chinese family background represents a dietary connotation, while his Toronto upbringing represents logic and methodology. Who says that Chinese food can only be served on a table full of a plethora of dishes? Who says Mexican burritos can only be stuffed with beans? The store’s menu has General To’s Chicken, a simmered mix of Chinese and Western style BBQ pork, along with a fish burrito, vegetarian burrito, and so on. There are over thirty kinds of food items, with burritos as the staple, on the menu, and you could even order Lo Mien or rice. In one order of burrito, there are vegetables (cellulose), meat (protein), and a starchy staple (noodles or rice). Isn’t it that Chinese food culture has always emphasized seasonal food and a balanced diet? Anyone who is familiar with the mainstream way of packaging and presenting Chinese cuisine understands the statment, “Chinese Substance Western Use”.

植根

Rooting Down•

In recent years, gourmet food trucks have become popular in the streets of Toronto, with fried pork belly burgers, marbled pork food items, and Taiwanese guabao (steamed buns stuffed with pork, pickled vegetables, peanut powder, and cilantro) all serving the same delicious purpose. And respect must be given to New York’s Baohaus owner and Taiwanese immigrant, Huang Yiming (Eddie Huang) for promoting the lovely guabao in mainstream society. Huang Yiming once said in an interview that he detested studying and was very annoyed by parents forcing their children to do homework and practice traditional education. But after having gone out into society, he realized that had his parents not forced him to learn self-reliance, he would now be a wandering nobody on a New York street corner. Instead, he has an autobiography and an American ABC network television series based on his life. In this season of Master Chef Canada, whether of Chinese descent or not, some contestants have dabbled in Chinese cuisine. Some have used dimsum and some have used pork belly and marbled pork to differentiate their product in hopes of becoming champion. During this year’s Summerlicious, some restaurants had soba noodles with Chinese roast pork belly as appetizers. At a newly opened French restaurant in an old downtown brewery, the brunch menu has roast pork belly, similar to Chinese roast in taste. Such confirmation, in addition to the daily cultural exchange between East and West, from my word and elsewhere, makes me believe that Chinese-Western fusion is an unchanging principle.

74 ACROSS  • March 2015

束 翼

翅膀，本來是上帝創造作飛行之用，但當翅膀被緊緊

束縛，要一飛衝天，談何容易。

除了「束翼」找不到更貼切的詞語來形容第一代移民的下一

代。那有少年不愛做夢﹖可惜夢想之翼被束縛著，不能任意飛翔。

無奈我們往往只看見年輕人的翼，卻看不見他們的束縛。這無形的 束縛是﹕身分的迷惘，無根而來的無歸屬感，文化共融與分歧，人 脈的局限，網上世界的紛亂，真假難分，往往都令今日的年輕人振 翼難飛。

RISING W UP

ings are naturally created for flying, but when wings are clipped, it is impossible to soar in the skies. I cannot find a metaphor more fitting to describe our youth today than birds trying to fly with clipped wings. I have never seen youth who do not like to dream, but with their constricted wings of dreams, how can they freely soar?

Artwork by: 一，籽 76 ACROSS  • March 2015

We only see their wings, but what we fail to see are the invisible restrictions placed on them by a myriad of forces: identity confusion, lack of a sense of belonging, cultural differences, networking difficulties, and a chaotic online world. These challenges have left the youth of today grounded with clipped wings.

Wings are naturally created for flying, but when wings are clipped, it is impossible to soar into the sky

March 2015  •  ACROSS 77

束翼

Rising Up•

Text by: Jaden Cheng

HOW TO BE A VEGAN AND NOT GET IN THE WAY OF FAMILY O

n a cold, lazy day in February 2010, I went to a book shop and as I walked past the Top Seller’s table, an intriguing book caught my eye. What I thought would be a fun read surprisingly became one of the most influential and informative reads of my life- Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It was such an easy and interesting read that I finished the entire book in just a few hours- I was hooked! I became vegan overnight without any hesitation and even further educated myself by watching documentaries such as Forks Over Knives, Food Inc., Earthlings...etc. I had become passionate for my own health and animal ethics just like that. As a vegan in a Chinese family that runs a Hong Kong style Chinese restaurant, I never feel that my dietary choices have excluded me in some way from my family’s traditions. There is a wide variety of plant-based options on the Chinese menu. I mean, don’t forget that there are a lot of Chinese people who believe in Buddhism and are vegetarians, so the options out there are limitless. Although, I must admit that I actually enjoy cooking my own Chinese meals a lot more than eating out since I am oil-, salt-, and MSG-conscious. As for limitations for vegans - it’s a fact that Chinese cuisine revolves around meat predominantly, but it’s a no brainer that I can still enjoy plant options! I was just in Shanghai a few months ago and stumbled upon an amazing Hunan restaurant. I have to say, they had a massive vegetarian section in the menu - the biggest one I’ve seen in Asia!! This is a big statement, but it was by far the best Chinese meal I’ve had since moving to Hong Kong!

78 ACROSS  • March 2015

A healthy lifestyle to me is one that is BALANCED My mom used to cook everyday. And don’t get me wrong - she was and still is my favourite chef! But once I became vegan and healthconscious, it did prompt me to become my own chef- for my own pleasure and to avoid other peoples’ headaches- which is a whole new learning experience and adventure in itself. My favourite family dish is definitely the widely-loved AND veggie friendly, Ma-Po Tofu! Gotta love that spiciness!! To be honest, my healthy lifestyle has brought me even closer to my family and friends. Whenever there are family gatherings, I personally prepare a couple dishes that meet my ethical and health standards while they are delicious enough that everyone can enjoy. Healthy does not equal boring nor are they “cardboard” tasting! These gatherings are the perfect opportunities to showcase this. Often times I have family friends going for seconds, thirds, and then asking me for the recipe and for more recipe ideas! It makes me so happy to educate and spark peoples’ interests in incorporating healthy meals to their lifestyles. It is reactions like these that overfill my soul with joy and ignites my passion to further spread the human-animal love and knowledge. A healthy lifestyle to me is one that is balanced. Too much of anything could become harmful to one’s well-being. I believe in the concept of yin and yang. Finding the balance between the “feminine” and “masculine” energy is the key to a happy, healthy life for me. For example, I discovered the raw vegan lifestyle and I believed it to be the best approach to reaching one’s utmost vitality. I explored, became obsessed, and ended up embracing a very dogmatic approach towards

health and nutrition. Everything I consumed had to be organic, raw (nothing heated above 40-49 Celsius), and of course, no animals or animal byproducts. When I discovered such a “perfect” way of living, I wanted nothing more than having my loved ones around me to do the same - which in the end, drove me, my friends, and family apart. Luckily, I was able to realize this sooner than later, and was able to say to myself, “Every one of us has the freedom to live the way we want to. Although I am enforcing these healthy lifestyle changes on them out of love - is it really love if I don’t respect their own personal choices in life?” It is through this lesson that I now believe one of my responsibilities as a human being on Earth is to live the healthy lifestyle I love so much and to, simply, be a glowing example of it. By practicing what I preach, people will notice and become intrigued and curious - just as they have been. It is only through this process that I can plant healthy and nutritional seeds in peoples’ minds in a positive manner; so that one day when they are ready for a healing and vibrant journey, it will then resonate with them, and away they soar into the health nut world. The key is to enjoy all aspects of life within a safe space. I play around with my meals all the time with just a few key points in mind: plant-based, high alkalinity, low fat, and low sodium. As for taking care of my mind, body, and soul in exertion, I always switch it up between sweating (biking, high interval training) and giving myself time to be alone and breathe (hikes, yoga). Everybody’s body is different - spend some time with yourself and cater to your personal needs. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun through it all! Having fun is a main contributor to feeling your best and being healthy.

March 2015  •  ACROSS 79

束翼

Rising Up•

文: 劉頌恩 | Translated by: Dexter Chu

民以食為天與地

兩代人的飲食距

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離

ita 和丈夫同為愛吃之人，移民前兩口子經常在

香港大小食店尋找特色美食，移民後更開創港

式食肆；家中晚飯桌上必定有魚有肉有老火湯，一家 五口最愛叉燒炒蛋豉油雞。

一天，女兒 Jaeden 宣布成為素食者，起初 Rita

很不習慣。為了配合女兒的新飲食習慣， Rita 每餐飯

加一兩道素菜，又嘗試煲湯不放肉。

某次 Rita 在吃白切雞，女兒坐在旁邊，用手機播放 Youtube 視頻關於屠宰場

如何宰殺雞隻，一邊說「媽咪，好殘忍」 。女兒又告訴她，北美飼養家畜的方法很不

人道，在動物身上注射大量荷爾蒙、抗生素。 Rita 開始留意相關新聞，參加營養師

的講座，發現女兒說得的很有道理。

最重要是， Rita 明白女兒的出發點是為家人健康著想。有一晚 Rita 患了傷風

感冒，凌晨在客廳看電視，女兒在廚房洗洗切切，弄來一杯深綠色的蔬菜汁，叮囑 她一口氣喝完了，馬上去睡。 『愛心菜汁』實在難喝，但睡到半夜，鼻子果然通了！ 另一次 Rita 的丈夫喉嚨發炎，女兒又用她的方法，生蒜塗蜂蜜和香料，要他吃下 再喝一大杯水，連吃三天後，喉嚨發炎就好了。

女兒後來改吃全素，連雞蛋也不吃，甚至不吃任何煮熟的食物。身為母親，

Rita 最擔心女兒不夠營養，欠缺鐵質和維生素 B12。幸好女兒定期做身體檢查，

醫生說各方面營養均衡， 「女兒說她要當『白老鼠』 ，讓身邊的朋友知道不吃肉也 可以活得健康。」

80 ACROSS  • March 2015

素食不但沒 有破壞親子 關係，反而增 進了母女之 間的感情，一 起學習如何 吃得有智慧

女兒會帶她去

農夫市場買菜，教 她認識不同顏色 和品種的蕃茄，

又教她用不同的

蔬菜水果配搭做出

美味前菜。 Rita 偶然

會帶一盤這樣的新式前菜

到朋友家的聚會分享，其中一道是用西瓜 加上櫻桃小番茄和羅勒葉，再撒點玫瑰晶

鹽岩鹽。 「華人對蔬菜了解比較少，沒想過 蔬菜配搭水果和乾果仁，可做出健康又美

味的一道菜。有時我們要打破既有的觀念， 才會有新發現。」 Rita 說。

素食不但沒有破壞親子關係，反而增

進了母女之間的感情，一起學習如何吃得 有智慧。

現在一家人向女兒學習，盡量少肉多

菜，買有機的肉類，以 almond milk 代替牛

奶。老爸負責製作五青汁，一家人每天早上 喝一杯，代替以前要煮的五花茶。」

R

ita and her husband are both food lovers. Before immigrating, the two explored many Hong Kong food spots in search of delicacies. After immigrating, they established Hong Kong style eateries. At home on the dinner table there would be staples of fish, meat, and hours long brewed soup. For their family of five, their favourites are ‘BBQ Pork with Fried Egg’ and ‘Soyasauce Chicken’, so when their daughter Jaeden became vegetarian, Rita was very unaccustomed to it at first. Once while Rita was eating poached chicken, Jaeden was beside her, watching a YouTube video of how animal plants treat chickens, while saying, “It’s so cruel, Mom!” “She says the treatment of North American livestock is so immoral, and how animals are injected with so many steroids and antibiotics.” After having kept up with the news, and listening to nutritionist lectures, I realized that what my daughter says makes a lot of sense.” The most important thing was for Rita to understand her daughter’s main point, which is the family’s health. One night, Rita caught a cold, and was watching television in the living room the next morning. Jaeden cleaned the kitchen, made dark green vegetable juice, told her mother to drink it down and go straight to bed.

82 ACROSS  • March 2015

“The ‘Love Veggie Juice’ is tough to drink, but I slept till midnight and, sure enough, my nose cleared up.” Another time, Rita’s husband had a sore throat; Jaeden again used her ways and prepared ‘raw garlic coated in honey and spices’. She instructed him to eat it and wash it down with a large cup of water. After repeating this for three days, his sore throat was cured. Jaeden later became vegan, and would not even eat eggs, or any cooked foods. As her mother, Rita worried her daughter would be too malnourished, lacking iron and vitamin B12. Fortunately, at her regular medical checkup, the doctor talked about all aspects of nutritional balance.

‘rose petals sprinkled with rock salt’. “Traditional Chinese households do not understand vegetables very much, and we never used to think vegetables and fruits could be mixed and eaten together. Who would have thought that fruits and veggies mixed with dried nuts could make such a healthy and tasty combination. Sometimes we have to break down our own conceptions.” Not only does vegetarianism have no affect on the parent-child relationship, instead, it enhances the bond between mother and daughter. Learning how to eat together brings understanding.

“She said she wanted to be a ‘white mouse’ and let everyone know that one could live healthily even without meat.”

Now the family tries to learn from the daughter, eating less meat and more greens, buying organic meat products, and replacing drinking regular milk with almond milk.

Jaeden would take her mother to the Famer’s Market to buy groceries and teach her to recognize different colours and varieties of tomatoes, and how to make delicious appetizers with fruits and vegetables. Rita occasionally brought friends to share in the knowledge. Among such dishes are ‘watermelon with cherries and basil leaves’, and

“Dad is now responsible for making Five Greens juice, that the whole family must drink a glass of each morning, instead of the usual Five Flower tea.”

March 2015  •  ACROSS 83

束翼

Rita 的健康食譜

Rising Up•

蠔油鮮蝦豆腐

Stewed Beancurds with Shrimps in Oyster Sauce 材料:

鮮蝦調味料：

步驟:

杏鮑菇 4 個 (切片)

少許胡椒粉及高山鹽

腌15 分鐘 。

豆腐3塊

鮮蝦15-20隻

蒜頭切碎 (1/2湯匙) 葱 2 條 (切段)

少許紅蘿蔔 (切片)

少許麻油 醬汁：

溫水一杯

黃糖 1/3 茶匙

高山鹽 1/3茶匙

低鹽豉油 半湯匙 粟粉 半茶匙 蠔油 2 湯匙

Ingredients:

Seasoning for Shrimps:

3 beancurds 4 stalks big king mushrooms (sliced) 15- 20 medium size shrimp 1/2 tbsp minced garlic 2 stalks spring onion (sectioned) Few slices red carrot

Pinch of sesame oil Pinch of pepper Pinch of mountain salt Sauce: 1 cup warm water 1/3 tsp brown sugar 1/3 tsp mountain salt 1/2 tbsp light soy 1/2 tsp cornflour 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce

鮮蝦去殼，洗淨。用廚房紙巾抹乾後，放入調味料 燒熱平底鑊，加入1/2 湯匙葡萄籽油。待油燒熱後， 放入蒜泥、鮮蝦輕炒。加入杏鮑菇及紅蘿蔔，炒熟 後上碟待用。

在平底鑊上加入1湯匙葡萄籽油，燒熱，放入豆腐

輕煎至金黃色。加入已炒熟的鮮蝦、杏鮑菇及紅蘿

蔔，放入醬汁以中火煮3分鐘。起鑊上碟後，以青葱 伴碟。

Method : 1. Remove the shells from shrimp, wash and pat dry with kitchen paper; marinate with seasoning for 15 minutes. 2. Add 1/2 tbsp grapeseed oil to stir fry the minced garlic and shrimp, add king mushroom and red carrot, mix well, remove from heat and set aside. 3. Add 1 tbsp grapeseed oil to lightly fry beancurd until it turn light brown, add cooked shrimp, king mushroom and red carrot into beancurd, add sauce to stew over medium heat for 3 minutes, set on a dish and garnish with spring onion.

豆

同一樣的食材，不一樣的味道。 84 ACROSS  • March 2015

Jaeden’s choice ALOO GOBI WITH TOFU & KALE 北印度馬鈴薯椰菜咖喱配豆腐甘藍菜 Ingredients: 2 cups firm tofu 5 tbsp or more vegetable broth for sautéing 1 medium sweet onion, chopped 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tbsp ground cumin 2 medium tomatoes A pinch of coconut sugar 2 cups diced potatoes 1/2 can light coconut milk 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces 1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 cup kale, roughly chopped and de-stemmed Himalayan salt (or not) to taste Freshly ground black pepper Fresh cilantro, for garnish Optional: Steamed rice or Baked naan 材料:

硬豆腐 2 杯

鷹嘴豆半罐 隔水洗淨

洋蔥切碎 1個

高山鹽 少許

素高湯 5湯匙 咖喱粉 1湯匙 孜然粉 1湯匙 蕃茄 2 個

椰糖 少許

馬鈴薯切粒 2個 低糖椰奶 半罐

椰菜花半個 切小粒

Method : 1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add onions with a splash of vegetable broth to prevent sticking. Saute until they are translucent, soft, and aromatic. Once onions begin to stick to the pan, add the remaining vegetable broth. When broth starts to bubble, lower heat slightly. 2. Add curry powder, cumin and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. adding a bit more broth if necessary to prevent sticking. 3. Add diced tomatoes, coconut sugar, potatoes, and coconut milk, stir and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. 4. Add tofu, cauliflower and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes. 5. Add chickpeas and stir. 6. Add as much chopped kale as you would like and stir. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Let simmer until kale has wilted and potatoes are soft. Serve garnished with cilantro. 7. Make sure to consume while hot with some steamed rice or naan!

甘藍菜1 杯 除莖、切塊 黑胡椒碎

芫荽葉少許 可選放:

蒸飯或印度鍋餅

步驟:

1. 在大鍋中放入洋蔥及少許素高湯，以中高火慢炒至洋蔥軟身、 金香。洋蔥黏鍋時，加入餘下素高湯。待高湯煮沸，調至低火。

2. 拌入咖喱粉、孜然粉，煮 2 分鐘。若黏鍋可加入適量素高湯。

3. 加入蕃茄、椰糖、馬鈴薯及椰奶，拌勻至煮沸。調至低火煮20分鐘。 4. 拌入豆腐、椰菜花。慢煮 10 分鐘。 5. 拌入鷹嘴豆 。

6. 加入已切塊的甘藍菜，放少許鹽及胡椒調味。慢煮至甘藍菜及馬鈴 薯軟身。上碟後灑上芫荽葉。

7. 可配撘蒸飯或印度鍋餅享用 。

腐

You may be surprised by how differently each of them handle and interpret the same ingredient! March 2015  •  ACROSS 85

束翼

Rising Up•

訪問：翎 | 文: 劉頌恩 | Translated by: Andy Ma | Photo by: Harry Choi

想 夢

火 團 有一

: ssion m a e 心要 r a D p r r u u o o y Y Live Gear up

每

一代總有為追尋理想而勇往直前的 人，在理想和現實之間，踽踽前行。

Alan 曾經是全職舞台劇演員，現在是獨立

咖啡店老闆，兩者都是許多年輕人羨慕的

工作，然而， Alan 的藝術和咖啡館生涯，並 不浪漫。

86 ACROSS  • March 2015

在追尋理想的路上，最重要是 敢踏出第一步，離開自己的安 樂窩，否則只會原地踏步

劇照由Alan Fong提供

Alan 中一時隨父母移民多倫多，大

學時曾參與一齣思索移民身份的話劇演

出，激起他對戲劇的興趣，亦讓他重新思 考自己的「根」在何方。

幾年後，他決定回流香港，報讀演藝

華人在西方社會做生意，與在香港

從事藝術相比較，路會寬一點嗎？

Alan 坦言，藝術路是艱辛的，要全心

投入，是一條不要回頭望的路，一回望便

會輸。自由藝術工作者 ( freelancer)，收入

學院，主修戲劇。 「讀藝術？十個有九個

不穩定，他想過自組藝團，不過一旦與商

年自己的父母也不例外，父母是商人，從

迎合要求，難以維持自己的藝術路向。相

父母聽到也會想殺人吧！」Alan 笑言當 小對他說「工字不出頭」 ，讀藝術更保證 餓死。

畢業後，他在香港舞台劇界工作長

達十年，曾在多個大型劇團演出，亦在中 學從事戲劇教育工作。婚後，女兒出生， 考慮到香港的政治氣候，為了女兒有好

的教育環境，決定舉家回流多倫多，重新

出發。如何給家人更好的生活，成為 Alan

成了他生意上的師傅，處處指點迷津。不 過，父母明白他對藝術的熱誠，還未完全 冷卻。 Alan 的心願是待咖啡店穩定下來

後，與太太開設工作室，透過藝術活動， 培養下一代。

Alan 直言自己對藝術的一團火曾經

業掛鈎便很多制肘；即使獲得資助，亦要

為了生活而熄滅，回加拿大後決心開咖

比之下，經營咖啡館的生意有多一點空

調，無論是當年報讀戲劇抑或今天開店，

間，雖然也要配合市場、顧客的口味，不

過，總可以自創一條路，靠自己的賣點突 圍而出。

從追尋藝術到創業， Alan 感激父母

多年來的體諒。他成長時觀察父母營商 的經驗，沒想到今日可以應用。父親更

啡店，而心中的藝術火種又再重燃。他強 在追尋理想的路上，最重要的是敢於踏 出第一步，離開自己的安樂窩( comfort

zone )，否則只會原地踏步。面對現實的

限制，要不忘心中的火種，才可活得豐 盛。

現在的首要目標。

March 2015  •  ACROSS 87

束翼

Rising Up•

I

n every generation, there will always be people who are unable to proceed freely in the pursuit of their ideals, as they struggle between reality and the ideal. Alan was previously a full-time theatrical drama actor, but is now an independent café owner. Both careers may be something that many youth envy, but Alan’s paths in both was neither easy nor romantic. Alan came to Toronto with his parents in Grade 10. In university, he participated in a drama that explored immigrant identity. It was this experience that stimulated his interest in drama, as well as renewed his thoughts on where his “roots” lay. A few years later, he decided to return to Hong Kong and study drama at the College of Performing Arts. After graduation, he worked in Hong Kong’s theatrical drama industry for more than a decade. He participated in many large drama group performances and, at the same time, was also involved in high school drama education. After getting married, and with the birth of his daughter, he decided to go back to Canada with his family for a new beginning. This decision was made in consideration of Hong Kong’s political atmosphere at the time, and to give his daughter a better education environment in the future. How to provide his family with a better life was his primary focus. “Would running a business in western society as a Chinese give him a better path than performing arts in Hong Kong?” he asked himself.

88 ACROSS  • March 2015

Alan admitted that a career in performing arts is a very difficult path to walk. You must immerse yourself completely, and cannot think about giving up or retreating; or you would lose. Being a freelancer especially meant that his income could be unstable at times. He thought of creating his own performance group, but there were many business-related constraints. Even if he did receive government funding, he would have to follow their direction and this would make maintaining his own artistic direction difficult. From pursuing art to entrepreneurship, Alan thanks his parents for their support and understanding over the years. “Study Art? Nine out of ten parents would probably kill someone if they heard that!” he jokingly said, suggesting that even his parents were no exceptions. Alan’s parents have business backgrounds, and believed that you cannot find success working for someone else. He never would have thought that the business knowledge and skills he observed

and learned from his parents while growing up could be of use today. Now, his father has become his teacher in business and often gives him sound advice. Even so, his parents understood that his passion towards art never faded. Alan wishes that once the café business is stable, he would open a workshop with his wife to nurture the next generation through art activities. Alan admitted that the passionate fire he once had towards art was extinguished due to the realities of life. That fire was ignited once again after opening his café. Regardless of whether it was deciding to study drama in the past, or opening a café today, Alan emphasized that the most important thing was to take that first step when pursuing your dream. If you don’t step out of your comfort zone, you will only stay where you are. You need to face the limits of real life but you should not forget the sparks in your heart, so that you may live an enriched life.

March 2015  •  ACROSS 89

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Learn Artistic Skills That Boost Creativity

www.kanosfineart.com

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ive

束翼

Rising Up•

Text by: David Au | 翻譯: 劉頌恩

1 92 ACROSS  • March 2015

2

ART IS MY BREAD AND BUTTER 是

藝 術 也是麵 包

專 訪 插 畫 師 Carson Ting

Carson Ting 生於多倫多，曾於 OCAD 修讀平面設計，被評為 全加拿大最重要200位插畫師，現於溫哥華 Rethink 廣告公司 擔任藝術總監，亦為品牌 Chairman Ting Industries 創始人。 3

March 2015  •  ACROSS 93

束翼

4

Rising Up•

Dad

N

aming his number one influence as an artist, Carson cites Bruce Lee and his dad. Bruce Lee because he’s the “Asian Superstar in North America.” Seeing him on TV shaped his identity as a Chinese in Canada. Right there beside Bruce Lee is his dad, who passed away earlier, and who Carson noted as having a “huge impact” on him. His dad would draw for fun and “for some reason he would always draw Tarzan,” Carson recalls. He vividly recounts a “mind blowing experience” at a young age when his dad introduced him to… wait for it… pencil crayons! Mind you before that, Carson had always thought pencils only came in grey or black. With all of his artist inclination and sensitivities, even at a young age, the introduction to these colorful drawing tools turned his world upside down and forever expanded his imagination as an illustrator.

In today’s economy and culture, education is an area parents have outsourced to teachers, tutors, the Internet, and etc. Yet by doing something as simple as showing the then-kid Carson some pencil crayons, his father has forever left his mark in shaping the person Carson is today. Take one look at Carson’s artwork and you see vibrancy; colours dance energetically on the canvas of choice, bursting forth with a passion that tells you he is having a lot of fun doing what he is doing. If there is anything parents can learn from Carson’s story about parent-child interaction, it has to be to never underestimate the tiniest thing you do with your child, it may just be a life-shaping stroke of genius.

5 94 ACROSS  • March 2015

7

6

Realities Google “Chairman Ting” and you’ll see that Carson fits the profile of a rising star in the industry. Having fronted projects with big names like Nike and Adidas, not to mention the SportChek campaign he is working on As simple as at the time of this writing, he has got everything going for him. When asked showing the then-kid about qualities he sees as essential Carson some pencil to make it in the business other than crayons, his father has the art itself, he pointed to resilience, forever left his mark among other things, as one of the keys in shaping the person to succeed under pressure and even Carson is today. in times of criticism from others. He mentions a recent incident where he had to work and rework his illustrations over and over again to fit the client’s demand. Another quality is to be open, “there are certain opportunities,” as he recounts, “when I finally did say ‘yes’ to, that turned out to be a bigger opportunity that I thought.”

Rising Up•

束翼

8

一盒小小的彩色 鉛筆，從此打開 了他的想像領域

父 親 問

及 Carson 在藝術生涯中影響他最深的人時，他毫

不猶豫地說是李小龍。李小龍是北美洲的亞洲巨

星，在電影的形象深入民心，在 Carson心中塑造了他的加

拿大華人身分。另一位影響至深的人是他已離世的父親。 回想起父親閒時以繪畫自娛， Carson 笑說： 「他總是畫卡

通人物泰山！」

小時候是父親讓他知道世上竟然有彩色鉛筆 ( pencil

crayons)！鉛筆不是只得灰和黑的嗎？ Carson 說那次發現

翻轉了他的世界，一盒小小的彩色鉛筆，從此打開了他的 想像領域，埋下插畫家的種子。

在今日的經濟與文化環境裡，父母早已把教育「外判」

給老師、補習班，甚至互聯網。但原來父親做的一件簡單

小事──小得只是給當時年紀小小的 Carson 一盒彩色鉛

筆，已經深刻影響了他的一生。

Carson 的作品活躍而具生命力，鮮明的色彩如在畫

布上跳舞，熱情澎湃，一看已能感受到他非常享受創作的

過程。如果讀者已為人父母， Carson 的故事也許能給你一

點啓發：千萬別輕看你和子女一起做的微小瑣事，隨時是 影響他或她一生的神來之筆！

9 96 ACROSS  • March 2015

10

11

現 實

在 Google 上搜尋“Chairman Ting”的話，不難發現 Carson 是現時

業界裡的後起之秀，與著名運動品牌 Nike 和 Adidas 合作；寫這篇文章 之際，他正忙於 SportChek 的廣告系列。

有何個人素質是成功打入設計界商業市場時必不可缺的？

Carson 提到有頑強的毅力極為關鍵，這樣才可以面對客戶和同業

的批評，在壓力下繼續努力。他舉例說最近便為一設計項目，重覆又重 覆地修改他的插畫稿件，以配合客戶的需求。此外，開放的心懷也很重 要，他說： 「有好幾次，當我猶豫良久而最終 say yes 時，才知道原來是

比我想像中更大的機會！」

Artworks Credit: 1.

Canada Mural for Canada Day in Vancouver at Canada Place. Commissioned by the Canadian Tourism Commission. 2. Carson Ting at the Creative Mornings talk on the topic of #Rebel. 3. Large scale mural project for KGMS in Vancouver. 4. NOISE’s office wall mural. 5. Chairman Ting Dunny, part of the Kidrobot collection. 6. Chairman Ting x adidas Shanghai, China. 7. Illustration work for BC Business “Why Vancouver Loves Geeks”. 8. Chairman Ting decks. From left to right, Title: TingPeeps & BunBunTing. 9. Illustration work for the VOTEE app. 10. Illustration work for BC Business “What’s the Big Idea? Seven Leaders Share Their Secret to Success”. 11. #MyNorth illustration project for Sport Chek in collaboration with Sid Lee. 12. “Stop it” illustration for TAXI, Vancouver’s anti-bullying campaign.

12

March 2015  •  ACROSS 97

束翼

Rising Up•

文: 洪雯華 | Translated by: Joanne Leung

尋問過來人:

家 位 何 , 何 為 家

20歲，花樣年華的年紀。

歲，生日那天，你想做什麼？你曾經做了什麼？ 20 歲，是一個什麼樣的故事？

五位同屬 20 歲年齡層的年輕人，選擇前往臺灣臺北

市紹興社區，用一個月的時間拍攝一部紀錄片，藉著影像 與觀眾探討「家諾：家位何、何為家」。

才20歲，怎麼會想要探討「家」的抽象意義？

「沒有特別挑選臺灣或臺北，乃是多倫多大學有一

門研究臺灣的課程：Global Taiwan，探討臺灣的歷史、地

位、認同感，與國際關係等等。」導演謝嘉怡( Betty)說。她

在多倫多大學主修亞太關係和電影。 2012 年，多大給該

系學生提供到臺灣觀察總統大選的機會，由是，她來到了 紹興社區，這才曉得臺灣政經中心的臺北市，亦有衰敗殘 破的老社區，它的故事等待有心人前來挖掘、敘述。就這 樣，她選擇去講述一群被世人遺忘了的歷史難民與臺灣 第一學府臺灣大學的抗爭故事。

98 ACROSS  • March 2015

20歲花樣年華時， 夢想又是什麼？

你們的家又在哪裡？認同感為何？

紀錄片五名核心工作人員，謝嘉怡、邱岑、劉長欣、曾

楊、王中偉，全是中港台移民後代。他們的父母為了下一代 有更好的出路，斬根而起，離開原居地，移民加拿大。

這五位年輕人，有人當初一點都不想留在加拿大、也有

人不斷地在網海尋尋覓覓，冀望找到類似背景同輩，一洩

心頭那股無人理解的糾結、一嚐得到共鳴的體會與理解。 不少華裔移民後代，亦在認同感這件事上走過，有人一路

笑看沿途風景；有人掙掙扎扎，跌跌跘跘，一身傷疤入心。 「跟紹興社區相比，或者，跟我父母那輩相比，也許他

們走過艱苦歲月，對家的意義，一個屋頂四根柱子的現實 概念，比我們看得重要；對我來說，家比較是『懷舊』的概

念，就是我們到臺北紹興社區，讓我想起小時候的家，那樣

你們會和父母擁抱嗎？

年輕人彼此相視一下，靦腆地笑了笑。

謝嘉怡說，現在的她，日常生活忙碌，和父親相處機會

不多，每次見面，分別時會有意識地去抱抱父親，但一擁 抱，總有鼻酸的感覺。

各人紛紛表示，同父母擁抱、跟父母說「我愛你」之類

的言語行為，還有待努力。

這代年輕人生活在高科技的環境，利用科技和影像表

達內心世界，但是，在他們的血液裡，華人的靦腆害羞，並 無消失無蹤。他們都同意使用手機傳簡訊與父母溝通，反 而較易說出內心想說的重點。

20歲，花樣的年華，正是磨拳擦掌，邁開腳步，探索世

的感覺，現在回中國已經不是那樣子了。」紀錄片共同製作

界，馳騁天下之時。上一代含辛茹苦，面對現實，才為下一

坐在最外邊的曾揚( Yang)點頭如擣蒜，說﹕「從臺北回

20歲，花樣年華之際，我們的父母其夢想又是什麼？

人邱岑( Lisa)說。

來後，比較能夠與父母更好地溝通，我也覺得如果留在中

代鋪下毫無遲疑，勇往直前，追求自我夢想的墊腳石。

國，不會像現在這樣欣賞中華文化。

「我是獨生女， 紀錄片攝影師劉長欣( Jessie)則這樣說：

爸媽在哪裡，家就在哪裡。

March 2015  •  ACROSS 99

束翼

Rising Up•

Lisa

Yang

B

eing a twenty year-old, you’ll find yourself at a blossoming stage.

If you’re twenty years old, what would you want to be? If you already passed the age of 20, what were some memorable things you’ve done? What stories can you share with us?

Numerous second generation immigrants find themselves struggling with their sense of identity. There are some who can ride on this tide, but others find themselves silently suffocating.

Five youths in their twenties chose to spend one month in the city of Shaoxing, Taipei, filming a documentary called “The Home Promised” that asks Where and Why We Belong.

Where is your real home? Where do you find your sense of identity?

What inspired you to ask yourself such abstract questions in your twenties?

Jessie

Betty, who is pursuing her major in Asia studies and film at the University of Toronto, and is also the director of this documentary, shares with us that she had the opportunity to study and visit Taiwan during the presidential election in 2012. Since then, she realized that in contrast to a flourishing city such as Taipei, you will also find a historic and forgotten city like Shaoxing. In this city, many stories are waiting to be uncovered, waiting to be told. Betty was so excited to dig into the stories behind a captivating history between of a group of refugees and the most prestigious university in Taiwan. “I didn’t specifically choose Taiwan or Taipei, but in school there was a course on Taiwan called Global Taiwan, which explored the topic of Taiwan’s history, her position in the global world, sense of identity, and international relations.”

Betty

100 ACROSS  • March 2015

How do you define home? And status? Or Sense of identity?

All five crew members of this documentary are from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Their parents hoped for a better future for their family, uprooted themselves from their hometown, and immigrated to Canada. Some of them won’t disagree to the fact that they hated it at the beginning and didn’t want to stay at all. Others would seek out friends who were on the same boat and shared the same brokenness, hoping that through sharing, they could find support and comfort. “In Shaoxing, or in my parents’ generation, having a roof over their heads was more real to them than having a “home”. But for me, there is something nostalgic about the meaning of “home”. Just like when I visited Shaoxing, I almost felt like I returned to my home in China. But I know when I return to my real home in China, it’s not like that anymore,” says coproducer Lisa. Yang, who sits beside her, nodded to agree. “After we returned from Taipei, I found myself being able to connect with

my parents more. Also I somehow realized that if we had stayed in China, I wouldn’t appreciate Chinese culture as much as I do now”. Photographer of this documentary, Jessie, adds, “I’m an only child. To me, where my parents are, my home is too”. Will you hug your parents? All five of them were obviously caught off guard, looked at each other and smiled embarrassingly. Director Betty shared that since she doesn’t see her father very often; whenever she sees him she would deliberately give him a hug. She knows she misses him being around. Other people shared that hugging is not their family norm. This generation is indulging in a high technology environment and is very comfortable using technology and visual images to share their inner worlds. It seems like they are built that way, but in their blood, this closeness and shyness typically found in Asians is still in there. All of them agree that communicating through texting with their parents is much easier, especially about deeper emotional issues, than face-to-face. Being in your twenties is like being in a world full of mystery and wonder where everything is blossoming. Being in your twenties is a time to spread your wings, to see the skies, and to sharpen your senses. This generation would not have the luxury to enjoy all these privileges and freedom to search for their dreams if it was not paid by a high price from our previous generation. What was it like when our parents were in their twenties? What were their dreams when they were blossoming?

March 2015  •  ACROSS 101

Discover the artist in you! Mentoring students towards their artistic dreams.

Children’s classesNurture the child’s creativity, develop positive self esteem For Teen classesMentoring them towards their artistic dreams. For adult classesIt’s never too late to draw!

Sylvia Chan believes in using art to help empower people to have a better understanding of themselves and foster belief in their capabilities. The use of creativity and imagination can help guide people of all ages in creating the possibilities they want for themselves and in their community.

​h ttp://sylviaartwork.com sylviachan@sylviaartwork.com

Text by: Amanda Jagt | 翻譯: 雷家欣 | Photo by: Harry Choi

the

Healing art journey

藝術裡的情感出口

March 2015  •  ACROSS 103

束翼

Rising Up•

1

W

e are sitting in ChrisB Liu’s art studio on a September morning; she shows us pieces of her artwork and explains that much of it is still being shipped from Scotland where she spent the last two years doing a Masters in Art Psychotherapy. Her two cats, Curry and Ju Ju, rub against our legs and sniff our purses. We ask ChrisB what got her interested in art therapy. Initially when she left China to attend university in Canada, she was going for a business degree. Instead, with her parents’ blessing, she enrolled at OCAD to study graphic design. “I did lots of crafts,” she says, “but thought that it was never enough.” She wanted to continue to express herself through art. She pulls out a painting she did in 2012 after a period of grief. The bottom half of the canvas is dark blue; it changes to a lighter blue near the top of the canvas, then eventually change to white. A small umbrella floats in the top right corner. “I put thick paint over and over,” ChrisB explains, describing the brushstrokes.

104 ACROSS  • March 2015

2

Painting through her grief helped her “find the light” in her life

Painting through her grief helped her “find the light” in her life, and she understands that art is a way for her to connect with emotions and understand herself. While working as a graphic designer, she joined the Refeel program committee at Across U-hub, a weekly program for youth to engage in self-expression and connect socially through art and other media. It was during this program that the idea of pursuing art therapy first came to her mind. ChrisB talks about a male youth who came to Refeel. Although he wasn’t outspoken about his personal life, he was very engaged in making art. “There was a gap,” says ChrisB, “between wanting to express himself but not knowing how.” Despite his verbal shyness, ChrisB knew he had deeper emotions that he was trying to understand, and somehow the art was helping. “His face was relaxed. A tension had left it,” she explains. Soon she felt compelled to create more art, and quicker than she knew it she had quit her full-time job and was studying in Scotland.

It was in Scotland where she was first introduced to the art studio commune. Some of the students would get together to create and share art at the house ChrisB lived in. She also experienced a way of emotional expression within this “trust group” that was different from the Chinese culture she had grown up in. “In our culture,” she told us, “we are not encouraged to make art and then share how we feel.” She found a similar theme emerge from the Chinese immigrant population of Scotland. During an art therapy group she conducted for Chinese parents, she realised they found it difficult to express emotions. They would instead talk only about facts. Often they did not talk about themselves at all, but made the conversation about their children. Similar to the male youth who had come to Refeel, ChrisB sensed that it was not only Chinese youth who had difficulty connecting to their emotions and connecting with each other; Chinese parents were having the same trouble.

March 2015  •  ACROSS 105

束翼

Rising Up•

提筆繪畫讓她從傷痛中

「找到生命的曙光」

Coming home to Markham in the spring of 2014, ChrisB found life too comfortable and lacking creative stimulation. She told us, “Youth here have no lack of material needs, but they don’t know what they want. They don’t know how to step out of their comfort zone.” For ChrisB, art is the perfect way to step outside comfort zones, for it is “non-verbal” and “nonthreatening.” Thinking about this, she decided to bring the experience of an art studio commune to Markham to start her private practice. Her goal is simple: “I wanted a studio so people can come over and do art together.” Beyond providing the physical studio, ChrisB hopes that the healing power of art, the power it has to make people feel “not alone,” will encourage people to try making art. “There is no such thing as perfection,” she says, excluding the pressure many feel to become the next Picasso. “It’s not about making beautiful things; it’s about picking up pencils, choosing colours, choosing textures.” Art therapy, she says, has helped her understand herself, just as it has helped her understand her parents in the way they think and understand the culture she has inherited from them. It has been a journey, one that is not always easy, for being an art therapist is a “hard road,” but one that has been healing and hopeful. Perhaps most poignant of all is the healing she witnesses in others. “There are unspoken secrets in the art,” she says, thinking back to youth she has worked with. In a culture where many struggle to understand and express themselves, art is a pathway to both. Art leads to connecting and understanding oneself, and this leads to sharing and connecting with others. ChrisB wishes parents and their children will share more feelings and be open with each other. Art has the potential to be healing to both individuals and communities. This potential is expressed simply by ChrisB: “I see you,” she says, remembering the youth. “I see you.”

九

月的一個初秋早上，我們來到 ChrisB Liu 的藝術 工作室，獲她親自導賞多幅作品。ChrisB 娓娓道

來兩年前到蘇格蘭修讀藝術心理治療學碩士課程的因 由。

ChrisB 高中後離開中國遠赴加拿大升讀大學，原

擬報讀商科，及後獲雙親支持，在安省廣告及設計大學 ( OCAD) 修讀平面設計。幾年來雖已有不少設計作品，

卻未感滿足。她沒有質疑自已喜愛設計工作，但一直相 信從事藝術創作的發揮更大。

2012 年經歷了一場傷痛，讓她找到自己。她即向

我們展示一幅作品仔細解說： 「油畫的下半部份一片深 藍，愈朝上去藍色逐漸轉淡，直至頂端只見純白，一柄

小傘在右上角浮游。」她憶說當時一再塗上層層油彩，

每筆仍深印腦海，提筆繪畫讓她從傷痛中「找到生命的 曙光」 ，藝術創作助她透徹認識自己。

她任職平面設計師期間，加入 Across U-hub「燃動

青年」的 Refeel 策劃委員會，每週為年輕人舉辦活動，

讓參加者透過不同媒體創作抒發個人情懷和擴闊社交 圈子，從那時起，引發她探討藝術治療的想法。

ChrisB 提到一名參加 Refeel 的年輕人，他很靜，很

少跟別人吐出心聲， 「其實他有很多話要說，可惜不曉

得從何說起，甚至怯於啟齒」 ；幸好透過藝術創作，他痛

快淋漓表達心聲，過後如釋重負。ChrisB 認定這是藝術 創作迸發的力量，讓他得以跟別人交流。這次體會促使 她致力善用藝術創作，助別人梳理情感。不久她辭去全 職工作，前往蘇格蘭深造，探尋藝術創作背後的意義， 協助年輕人釋放情緒，重建自信。

開學初期，她跟一名台灣同窗透過藝術創作互抒胸

臆，她倆明白中國傳統文化鮮有鼓勵這種做法，直至加 入一個「互信」小組，才得以敞開心扉跟人分享起伏跌

宕的情緒。初嚐這種交流滋味，令她體會「有人同行」的 暖意，跟她習以為常的中國式溝通法截然不同。

3

106 ACROSS  • March 2015

There are

unspoken secrets in the art

4

1. We are no different, I see you. Seeing the participants in Refeel program,we are a group as a whole. Size: 12” x 16”

2. Emotional & Rational. Being both emotional and rational form my whole being. Size: 23” x 15”

3. Protect. I want to protect something which I valued, but it is out of my reach. Size: 2.25” height

4. Up or Down. Is the umbrella going up or down? Answers vary at different life stages. Size: 16” x 20”

5. Our lives, as a pair, on the same journey. Reflection of my journey in art therapy studies and with my clients. Size: 33” x 23”

6. Not perfect. Brokeness forms out of the depth of our lives. Size: 15” x 12”

March 2015  •  ACROSS 107

束翼

Rising Up• ChrisB 表示，在蘇格蘭的華人移民圈子秉承中國傳

統，少有鼓勵透過藝術創作交流感受。有一次她在蘇格蘭 主領一個為華人家長舉辦的藝術治療小組，組員只談子

女，不談自己；只懂陳述事情，絕口不提個人感受。由此看 來，不僅是華人青少年，即使是華人父母均不善於掌握自 身感受，遑論與人交流。

2014年 ChrisB 返抵萬錦市定居，總覺生活太舒適，欠

缺創意挑戰。她告訴我們： 「加國年青一輩物質豐足，衣食 無憂，卻不知道自己需要甚麼，亦不願吃苦。」對她本人來

說，投身藝術是踏出舒適生活圈的最佳途徑，既「毋須隻字

片語」又「安全至上」 ，於是她自行創業，為有需要人士提供 藝術治療，執業的同時在萬錦市設立藝術工作室交流站， 目的簡單不過： 「讓人走進工作室一起創作。」當然她最期

望讓藝術充份發揮治療功效，令人不再感到孤單的同時， 更努力創作藝術，不是要成為畢加索第二，畫出讓人傳誦

的作品；而是拿起畫筆，挑選顏料，成就有韻味內涵的作 品。

她表示透過藝術治療，讓她更了解自己，了解雙親，以

致他們的想法和所傳承的中國文化，這是漫漫長路亦非坦

途。決定要成為藝術治療師的時候，更要竭盡所能，披荊斬 棘，無論當中多少艱辛。

她曾見證許多成功個案，讓她深信藝術創作可以讓困

在自身文化框架的人，對內心感受心領神會，自然流露。

她又指出，藝術創作的過程是尋找真我，活生生的我身

處何方，她尤其希望父母子女能夠透過藝術創作，坦誠交 流分享心底話。

藝術的特性足以讓人與人之間，以及群體之間消除隔

閡，彼此連繫。ChrisB 說： 「我明白他們」是最好解說。

藝術創作的過程是在尋找真我，活 生生的我身處何方，她尤其希望父 母子女能夠透過藝術創作，坦誠交 流分享心底話

5

6

藝術治療 藝術不只是屬於藝術家的。藝術 創作是一般人的一種生活活動過 程。利用人的感官例如視覺、聽 覺、五肢的活動等，創作出不同 的成品，是創作者個人的成長、 性格、思想的反射。藝術治療師 的工作就是從創作者的活動和成 品中，啟發創作者了解自己，而 達成不同的治療目標。

108 ACROSS  • March 2015

Art Therapy Art is not only restricted to artists. Art creation is a daily life process. Through our five senses like sight, hearing, touch and body movements, we can create different unique artworks. Each art piece reflects the thoughts, character traits, and growth of the maker. Art therapists believe making art is a therapeutic process.The aim of Art Therapy is increasing one’s self-understanding, gaining personal insight and encouraging personal growth through the process of art making and the reflection of the artworks.

束翼

Rising Up•

Text by: Joseph Wong | Illustration by: Helen Liu & Ivon Liu

Fears that stop you from dreaming

E

ach year, Across U-hub hosts a Youth Leadership Training Camp in August to help youth to recognize their potential and dreams. Last year, the focus was on identifying some of the fears that hinder us from pursuing our goals. Some of these fears may be fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment, fear of being lonely, fear of what others may think or fear of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. There was a songwriting workshop in the camp where all the youth composed a song together, where, through musical expression, they could explore the introspective barriers they had in their daily life. They were also asked four different questions: 1. What do you do when you’re afraid? Why did you do that or go there? 2. What is difficult for you to do or confess? 3. What are you most afraid of?

110 ACROSS  • March 2015

In the lyrics written by the youth, there is a sense of hopelessness or anxiety, as there are many things they want to express, be it fear, love, dreams, or stress. They wish to escape to a safe place where they can be free of judgment and pain. At the end of the day, we can still see the hope that they look for when there is a platform for them to express their emotions, to be heard, and a community to journey through together. 「年輕人，你的恐懼是甚麼？」

我害怕「被拒絕」 、 「尷尬」 、 「孤單」 、 「別人的眼

光」及「不安全」 。

這全都是年輕人在去年 Across U-hub 的青年

領袖訓練營中吐露的心聲。在他們的畫作和音樂中， 隱藏著沈重、無望和焦慮的情緒，逃避似乎是唯一的 出路，然而，他們更想要的是有人聆聽和同行。

>>

Song Title

Fears that stop you from dreaming

Lyrics

Across Atypical Camp 2014 Campers and Jaisy Tam

Composer

Jaisy Tam

Art Mural depicting the “Five basic human fears”.

I wanna run away and cry Cause it’s easier to hide from me I wanna show my love out loud Just trying hard to figure out Right now Pre-Chorus If I could go and start all over If I could do it all again Chorus I wish I could follow My heart and just let go With nothing holding me With nothing stopping me If only I’d reach for The dreams that I’ve longed for With nothing holding me With nothing stopping me

I wanna cry and let it out For the time when we are down Alone Can’t find the words that read my mind Afraid of what you just might find In my heart

I wanna cry, escape and hide Can’t stand to fail or take the pain Inside me Can’t find a way to let it out Afraid of what you’ll think of me Who am I

I wanna hide or run away Cause of the pressure that I face Alone I gotta try to let it go To strive for dreams and all my goals There’s hope!

I wanna break the chains off me Sometime I find it hard to scream Out loud Can’t cry, Can’t see, Can’t hardly breath Afraid to speak and seem so weak To me

I wanna run away to find A place that’s safe where I’ll be fine And okay Can’t seem to be the real me Afraid to hurt and disappoint again March 2015  •  ACROSS 111

專欄

Column•

Text by: Flora Chong & Erika Chong | Illustration by: Erika Chong

112 ACROSS  • March 2015

Dedicated to my Mom Erika @ 11 I looked for a spirit in my soul, And I found it standing, waiting for me. I guess I tried to run away, But I stopped for all the same reasons you told me, So, I won’t give up, and I won’t shout out, Sooner than it seems, she’s there waiting for me. She’s in my soul, and she loves me so, And when I come running back, she’s waiting for me with open arms. Her loving spirit is my guidance. Mom, you’re the light of my life. My laughter still booms with joy, and my tears are full of memories. Because of you, I learned to love myself. Thank you for teaching me to all I can be. Thank you for loving me.

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DearErika: Our communication started since the day I knew you existed in me.

D

ue to the potential risk of the pregnancy, I had to stay in bed for the first few months and was advised not to work. Therefore, you were almost my only audience while I was alone, lying in bed. I would tell you stories, share with you pieces of music I loved. Your movement inside my body, your heartbeat, and even your ‘kicks’, were proofs of your existence, a comfort to my fear of losing you. I remember on one occasion when I was attending an event, you were kicking me like you were doing gymnastics inside. “Ouch!” It was a harsh kick. Breaking the silence in that room, I felt so embarrassed. I didn’t know how to calm you down apart from quietly pleading with you to stop kicking me and gently patting your little bulging foot or fist. Wonders happened; you stopped. Your responses reaffirmed my belief that you and I were connected.

I was warned by my friend about her nightmare with her teenage daughter. She said the hormonal change at puberty could switch a daughter from an angel to a witch in a second. But I thought this would never happen to you as our bonding was so strong and we never had any communication problems. Besides, you had been super sweet and easy to deal with. But I was wrong. We did encounter moments when we were both in tears. Like many other teenagers, you still rolled your eyes, talked back at me without looking at me, wrote hurtful notes… but the most trying one came totally unexpected. Playing piano was always my childhood dream. Born into a family of seven in which the ends could hardly be met, it was a luxurious dream. I still remember how excited I was when I was given a toy piano as a gift. Even though I could hardly play music with that toy, it was one of my treasures at that time.

Maybe that was the reason why it seemed to be so easy and natural for us to communicate throughout the years. We used to share almost everything and always asked for each other’s opinions. Possibly we both share a very sensitive and sentimental persona which allows me to read your mind without lots of barriers.

I was overjoyed when you asked me if you could learn to play piano at the age of four. I really wasn’t sure if it was my dream or your dream come true when I brought you to the first piano lesson. You looked so proud sitting on the elevated piano chair and so satisfied bouncing your little fingers on the keyboard. But you probably didn’t know your mother beside you was just as proud and emotional. In order to ensure you practiced correctly, I also started taking piano classes for adults. So learning piano became our common mission at the beginning.

Our ‘conversation’ continued in a different format after you were born. I could finally talk to you, sing to you, tell you stories, kiss you and hug you physically. When you grew a bit older, you loved to give people hugs and kisses too. But one very peculiar way of you showing affection was to rub the arms of the person you trusted and loved. You would drift through tight long-sleeves swiftly in order to reach the arm you desired. “Jeut jeut” (Cantonese which means “rub rub”), you would say this to the person whose arm you wanted to rub, including your favourite teachers and schoolmates. In the senior kindergarten year-end memorabilia, your teacher Mrs. Hawkins wrote: “Erika, I enjoyed sharing my arms with you.”

But unfortunately the shared passion did not last. After 2 to 3 years of showing your keen interest, you became more and more reluctant to practice; the tension over the issues of responsibility and slackness grew between us. We used to talk over everything, but whenever we touched on the topic of practicing piano, our communication channel shut off. You seldom whined, but one time at the age of 10, in response to my ‘very serious’ warning which came with a raised voice, cross eyes and a long face, you struck the keyboard with all your might in front of me. I was shocked, then mad. Without a second thought, I grabbed your hand and hit it with mine. Both hands turned red. Your tears rolled

114 ACROSS  • March 2015

down your cheek, while I swallowed mine. It was the first time I ever hit you. I ran back to my room and tried to calm myself down. Why and when did I turn into a tiger mom? Did I tell myself that all I wished for you was to become a happy and loving child? Was I mad at your irresponsible attitude or your incompetence to meet my expectations? It was hurtful to both of us. The next day you sent me an email, questioning if my love for you was based on how good you were. You said you didn’t think I would love you the same if you were to become a clown. While I was in tears reading your email, I was grateful that the communication between us had resumed. Before I wrote my reply, I asked myself once again: “Is she telling the truth or would I love her regardless?” Awakened, I told you in my reply, “I love you the same regardless of who you are, but as a mother, I have the obligation to teach you to be a responsible person. Nothing comes in an easy way. Even if you want to be a clown, I want you to become a clown with a heart and desire to provide laughter and love to people in need. If you want to enjoy playing piano,

you have to learn how to. It is your choice but do remember it is your privilege to be able to have the choice.” That night we reconnected with a heart-toheart talk. You reaffirmed your wish to play piano and I agreed to continue supporting you; you would continue learning and practicing piano until you passed level eight, while I promised I would not request that you enter any competitions, as you told me you hated to be under the spotlight and wanted to enjoy music quietly. That was the deal, and it worked out perfectly, peacefully and non-regrettably. As you said, music has been part of your life, and I am sure it will continue to be. Whether you are playing piano, violin or cello on your own or with your kids in the future, I hope you will remember this deal between us.

Thank God that this short period of confrontation helped me grow and realize my ‘parental arrogance’, my incomplete love.

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文: 鄭偉樑博士 | Translated by: Joanne Leung

鄭 偉 樑 博 士 資 深 教 育 工 作 者

用 心 聆 聽 用 心 溝 通

116 ACROSS  • March 2015

已

經超過父親身高的孩子低著頭，沉默，拇指不停在 手機上劃動，一天聽不到他講幾句話，不知道他在

想什麼。孩子越來越陌生了！父母不禁皺起眉頭。試圖跟 他聊聊吧，根本聊不起來，他一逕用最簡單的方法回應

「嗯」 、 「啊 」 ，仿佛嘴巴裝了拉鏈，封住了。

到底要怎樣跟青春期的孩子溝通呢？

許多父母希望孩子改變，向父母敞開自己的內心世

界。其實換個角度來看，父母可以嘗試自己作出改變，另 闢途徑與孩子溝通。父母可以轉型。

一位資深輔導員觀察到後現代的青春期孩子甚少說

話，即使同輩之間話也不多。因此，跟他們溝通，不一定非 要用我們慣常的方式，可以改為用心聆聽，用心溝通。把

自己習慣的溝通方式，改為孩子樂意的方式，值得當代父 母好好思考。

當今社會已經是一個視覺時代，學校的教

學方式也改變不少，老師傾向讓孩子去經歷、觸 摸，而非只在課堂上靠耳朵學習。那麼，父母也 可以使用短訊、留言的方法與孩子聯繫溝通。

此外，長輩發話，孩子聽話，這樣的老傳統不

免帶有身分高低不平等的關係，雙方沒有處在

同一平台，給孩子造成壓力。換成以短訊交流，

感覺上不同了，孩子感覺舒服得多，互動就更通 暢自然。

當然，父母對孩子講話是免不了的。父母與

孩子交談，要謹慎自己的言詞，因為習慣上，家 長一張口，一般都是壞消息，或有所要求，孩子 試想一想，怎麼樣表達才能讓不願聽別人嘮

叨、不想說話的孩子願意接受，並予以回應？傳

統的「耳提面命 」 ，很容易讓孩子抗拒；而父母見 孩子全無反應，很可能會再講幾遍，結果越弄越 糟，孩子聽到的是千遍一律、反反覆覆的同一論 調，認為家長太麻煩了！結果變成：凡家長開口

就會警惕起來。父母要小心哦！不妨談談自己在 工作生活上所遇見的人和事，自己的感受，自己 的難題。這樣孩子比較放鬆，這是你的難題，不

是他的難題嘛！他亦容易地表達自己的看法，沒 有壓力，彼此之間就有交流。 各位父母，不妨試試看！

說話，他們一槪懶理，靜靜起革命。

Am I a future entrepreneur?

YLD@acrossuhub.com March 2015  •  ACROSS 117

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ooking over to this young man, who’s a head taller than himself, doing what all young people are doing - playing with his phone, his eyes forever stuck to his gadgets, never utter a word. His mind is always a mystery. But this young man is no normal young man. This is your own son. This might be what a lot of frustrated and helpless parents find themselves facing: the relationship between you and your children is getting more and more estranged. You try to stir up a conversation, but you find you can’t get more than a few words from their mouths, and what they tell you is same old, same old. What are the secrets to communicate with a teenager? How can we present ourselves so they can open up to us? A lot of parents nowadays would like to see their child CHANGE into someone who would open up their world to them. In fact, in another light, parents could be the ones to take the first step, to CHANGE the way they reach out to their children. In other words, the ball is on the parents’ court; everthing depends on how they pitch it. Studies from a experienced counsellor show that teenagers from this generation really don’t talk much, even amongst their own peers. So when we reach out to them, we need to find new ways. It might not be what we used, but we need to listen, and speak, with our hearts. When you come to think of it, how can we communicate without sounding like a broken record, so that our teenagers will listen and truly respond? We are living in a time where everything leans towards visual stimulation. Even in school, teachers encourage students to go out and experience, to see the world with their own eyes rather than sitting in the classrooms and learning through listening. In the same way, we as parents can try new ways to communicate with our children using texting, whatsapp, facebook, and not by merely repeating the same message to them face to face. When we repeat the same old “tune” to teenagers, (to them this appears as nagging), they shut off completely. When we see them shutting off we tend to nag even more, which makes the matter even worse. Let’s change our ways of communication, into ways that our teenagers are receptive to. This is something worthwhile to ponder on. Moreover, since texting is easier to follow up, you’ll find yourself getting to know your teenager at a next level.

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We, as parents, do not realize we talk in a condescending way. We do not realize that our tone of voice makes them feel they can not truly express how they feel. We seem to be always right, and they are always in the wrong. With texting, teenagers see us more eye to eye. It’s more casual, more cool and natural. I’m not saying we don’t need to speak to them face to face. But when we do, we need to be very careful with our tongues. We might be used to shouting out commands and demands and complaints. But that will shut them off again. As parents we need to be aware of that. We must try to open up our own world, our own struggles, our own feelings. Maybe, when we truly open up our world, our teenagers will be at ease to open up theirs and share what their world is like.And there, without pressure, without further nagging, we will be truly sharing our thoughts with one another. Dear fellow parents, it’s worth a try!

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Text: Maria Yau | 翻譯：劉頌恩

Bridging the

Generation Gap:

A Step Towards Passing the Torch Maria Yau, Experienced Education Researcher

跨 越 代 溝 ：薪 火 相 傳 之 路

A

s in any society, generation gaps exist in terms of worldview, social conventions, lifestyle, communication, and/or work attitude. For immigrant families, this gap can be further intensified by an extra layer of cultural tensions. Most of our baby boomer parents are first-generation immigrants with deep-rooted cultural identities; on the other hand, their children - born or raised in North America – are often faced with a constant tug-of-war between their parents’ heritage and mainstream culture. This cultural gap has made the already existing generational rift even more challenging for many immigrant families. Despite the challenge, the generation gap between us and our children need to be bridged for the well-being of our next generation and future society as a whole. Research has shown that two of the key factors related to youth success and high resiliency are strong family relationships and availability of adult support in their community. Adolescents and youth that lack a nurturing relationship with their parents or who do not have a caring adult in their lives, are more likely to have low self-esteem, feel alienated, and become disengaged and prone to negative behaviors. Aside from adverse effects on personal well-being, at the societal level where multiple age groups coexist, deep generational divides can also compromise collaboration, harmony, stability, and even productivity or the overall welfare of a society. It is true that immigrant parents in general pay great attention to their children’s education with high expectations and with the best academic support they can offer. However, further research has revealed that there is an important missing link that parents tend to overlook. That is, many adolescents, especially those from immigrant families, seldom talk to parents about their problems or difficulties because they have the perception that their parents

Good communication is more than just having conversations 120 ACROSS  • March 2015

will not understand them, or will not be interested in understanding their thoughts or feelings. In fact, recent studies have shown that East Asian students were least likely, compared with students from other cultural groups, to share personal issues with their parents. Additionally, they were also least likely to feel that their parents showed interest in what they wanted to say, to ever receive praise for their accomplishments, or to have a caring adult at school or in the community whom they feel comfortable to turn to for personal advice or help. In other words, aside from their schooling and daily routines, many of these young people lack adult support in their lives to nurture them intellectually, culturally or emotionally. In fact, research has indicated that many Chinese Canadian youth, despite their academic success, are not happy or confident about themselves; nor are they hopeful about their future. What can we do? Perhaps, as parents, we should re-examine ourselves if we have listened to our children beyond the surface to understand their complex thoughts and feelings. Do we know their internal struggles? Fortunately, I believe this communication gap or emotional disconnect can be mended if we are willing to find ways to listen to our adolescent or young adult children with genuine interest, patience and empathy. Although it will take efforts from both ends, it can open doors for ourselves and our children to understand each other’s struggles, and to become emotionally comfortable with one another. More importantly, it helps rebuild their trust and respect for us. Only by then will they be willing to trust our judgment, and seek our advice and guidance. Good communication is more than just having conversations; spending quality time including fun occasions together can be powerful in building emotional connectedness. This bonding is crucial for both sides to genuinely appreciate and learn from each other. Apart from parents or peers, many young people do tacitly yearn to have someone older or wiser whom they can turn to for inspiration and encouragement. They do hope to be able to look up to some role models whom they can relate to and aspire for. This is where we, as community members, can come in. As baby boomers, we have accumulated decades of experiences – both successes and failures – to be their mentors, coaches, or simply caring adults. By listening to them and by sharing our stories, or by walking/ working side-by-side with them, we can help nurture their critical thinking, offer them multiple perspectives and different viewpoints to broaden their outlook. We can as well foster in them important values and the appreciation of their own cultural roots. These are valuable legacies we can leave for our next generation when we pass the torch to them, who will soon be the pillars of future society.

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我們能做什麼？作為父母，也許我們該重新

檢視自己，我們有傾聽孩子們心底深處複雜的

兩

想法和感受嗎？我們了解他們的內心掙扎嗎？ 代人的世界觀、社交習慣、生活方式、溝 通模式、工作態度總有差距，因此，任何

社會都無可避免出現「代溝」 。對許多移民家庭

而言，文化上的隔閡往往加深這道鴻溝。許多嬰 兒潮父母是第一代移民，深受原居地文化的薰

陶；他們的子女則在北美出生或成長，經常處於 主流文化與家族傳統之間的拔河。此道文化間

隙，使原有的代溝更闊更深，成為很多移民家庭 的挑戰。

可幸的是，只要我們願意耐心聆聽，與子女真誠

相對，總能修補溝通上的阻隔和情感上的疏離， 透過雙方共同努力，定能打開溝通之門，了解彼 此的難處，最終達至互信而坦誠的關係；更重要 的是建立信任和尊重。唯有如此，子女才願意信

任我們的判斷，聽從我們的提議。良好的「溝通」 並不單單是「對話」 ，給子女優質的相處時間，一 起從事有趣的活動，既可互相學習，彼此欣賞， 也是建立情感結連的秘訣。

很多年輕人也渴望在父母和朋輩以外，有長

整體而言，跨越父母與子女之間的代溝，對

輩可給他們鼓勵和啓發，有生命師傅可作為榜

顯示，良好的家庭關係，獲得社區內成年人的支

過成功與失敗，我們可作為年輕一輩的生命導

未來一代，以至未來社會尤其重要。許多研究

持，是青少年具抗逆力，達至成功的兩大重要因 素。缺乏父母或長輩關愛的青少年，更有可能會 欠缺自信、感到被排斥、不投入社群，甚至產生 負面行為。由於社會是由不同年齡層的成員組

成，深度的世代隔閡，除了對個人的全面健康帶 來不良影響之外，更可能會影響社會整體的和 諧穩定，甚至社會的生產力及大眾福祉。

誠然，移民父母對子女在學業上抱有極高期

望，盡其所能給予最大支持。然而，許多研究顯

樣。我們是嬰兒潮一代，數十年人生閱歷，經歷 師，即使簡單如聆聽他們的心聲，分享我們的人 生故事，也可給他們關愛，培養他們慎思明辦的 能力，讓他們有多一個參考角度，拉闊他們的人 生觀點。

最後，我們必須謹記，子女們年幼時依賴我

們；將來我們老去，他們便是我們的依靠。代溝

只是眾多隔閡之一，讓我們跨越鴻溝，攜手建立 互相尊重、彼此支持的社區。

示父母往往忽略了重要的一環──青少年很少 跟父母談到自己的困惑和遇到的困難，因為他 們認為父母不明白他們的想法，或者父母根本 沒興趣了解他們的感受，其中以移民家庭的青 少年尤甚──近年有研究指出，在眾多族裔之

中，東亞裔學生最少與父母談及自己的事，他們 亦是最感覺不到父母有興趣留心傾聽、獲得父 母讚許的一群；他們最少擁有學校或社區裡的

成年長輩可傾訴或求教，即是說，除了上課和日 常生活，很多年輕人在情緒上、知性上或文化上 缺乏成年長輩的支援。研究亦指出，很多加國華 裔青少年學業成績優秀，卻不快樂，而且欠缺自 信，對將來沒有希望。

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「溝通」並不單單 是「對話」

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124 ACROSS  • March 2015

March 2015  •  ACROSS 125

編

本

後語

刊命名為《承傳》 ，旨在建構一個兩代 人可以深情凝視，坦誠對話的平台，

從而可以從不同的角度了解人與事，承傳正 面的人生價值觀。

這是一個夢，而夢想成真需要很多勇氣，

和務實的操作。我們經過多次討論和思考，

認定這一個使命可以鼓勵跨代合作，搭建起 兩代之間溝通的橋樑，一起記錄這個時代的 青少年和他們父母的人生，讓年輕人可以細 訴心聲和夢想，承傳父母寶貴的人生經驗。 由籌備至發行的每一個工作組都是跨代並

肩合作而成，這合作無間正正體現了跨代溝 通和共尋夢想的歷程。

一如 Across U-hub 過往的事工，本刊能

成書全賴一班忠心的同工和義工全情投入， 和無私的奉獻。他們鍥而不捨，奔波籌款、邀 稿、寫稿、採訪、翻譯、拍攝、設計、宣傳和發 行，此外，還有無數的禱告勇士時刻記念，

每一篇文章和圖象背後，凝聚了多少人的心 血和汗水、代禱和祝福。

我們要特別感激羅國威先生以心以力鼓

勵和支持出版﹔ Across U-hub 籌款委員會

共同主席邱綺雯女士和蘇凌峰先生，及董事 局的積極支持﹔遠在香港，有數十年出版和 編輯經驗的吳思源先生，作家余滿華女士，

和專業採訪人洪雯華女士的鼎力相助。本刊 最後得以順利出版，得力於每一位贊助出版 的朋友和商戶的臨門一腳。

這只是一個跨代同行的開始。

126 ACROSS  • March 2015

“Across”

Epilogue

– Voices of Two Generations presents a platform for dialogue between two generations to tell their stories from their own vantage points and to share the value of their lived experience. Not only is the publication a dialogue platform for the two generations, it is also a collaborative effort of two generations who progressed together to achieve the successful completion of this project. Like every single mission of Across U-hub, the special publication could not exist without the energy and hours of staff and volunteer effort and time. Last but not least, the publication is a showcase of many people’s painstaking efforts in planning, writing, interviewing, editing, design work, marketing and distribution. Apart from the practical work, this publication is also filled with prayers and blessings. I especially thank Mr. Larry Law who supported this publication along every step of the way and was honest with us too. Having the full support from Ms. Maria Yau and Mr. Stanley So, Co-Chairs of Across U-hub’s fundraising committee, was very encouraging. We especially thank Mr. Ng Sze Yuen, senior publisher and editor, writer Ms. Holly Du, experienced reporter Ms. Becky Hung. Their contributions made this publication very special. We cannot forget to mention the sponsors and donors that put together their support to make this publication successful. After all, we need to kick-start the building of bridges between two generations. It is never too late to begin now.

Photo by: 明

March 2015  •  ACROSS 127

Sincere Thanks Mentor Sponsor Partner Sponsor HSBC Bank Canada

Donors Daniel Hung James & Margaret Chim Charitable Foundation Lai Wah Heen Restaurant Larry Law Lena Auyeung Leung Mei Fung Stouffville Physiotherapy Clinic Sun Ming Hong Zindart (De Zhen) Foundation

Our Sincere gratitude to all sponsors, donors and volunteers whose names are not on the list at the time of printing.

128 ACROSS  • March 2015

Printing Sponsor

16

th

March 2015  •  ACROSS 129

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130 ACROSS  • March 2015

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