Gung Hay Fat Choy

Image found here

For those who don’t know, I’m half Chinese. I get a lot of looks from people trying to figure out “what I’m made of” and when I tell them, the usually reply “Oh, I can see it now.” My younger cousins, who are younger than me, look way more Asian than I do. Anyway, this is all beside the point.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year, more specifically, the year of the Tiger, a.k.a. MY year! (Or anyone else who was born in 1986. I guess I’ll share.) I’m quite proud of my Chinese heritage. My great-grandfather came over to Canada with his family (my grandfather) and they settled in my hometown, starting up a general store and making an impact. (There’s a photo of my great-grandpa, grandpa and great-uncle in the local museum). My dad is a first-generation Canadian and tries to keep our Chinese heritage alive.

When I was born, my grandparents (who had since moved from my hometown to Vancouver) wanted to help raise me. My mom didn’t like the idea of me being away I suppose, so I never got to. I really wish I could speak Chinese, like really really wish. I know I could take language courses at the university, but sometimes, I wish I knew it naturally.

One day, when the Vancouver Olympics aren’t going on at the same time as Chinese New Year’s, I’d like to go down to Vancouver and take in the sights. The last time I was there was in 2007, but we had to leave the day of the parade so we never watched it. I did get some photos in Chinatown, like this Fu Dog outside a store:

Anyway, I hope every appreciates their family’s history and where they came from. It makes us who we are and will always be a part of us. Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Happy New Year!)