Week 3: 5.29-6.04 from Hong Kong to Vancouver

———a route to old “Gold Mountain”

This week is quite tired for me because of the jet lag, but it is also fulfilling due to we had receiving knowledge from the lectures every weekday, and exploring the most famous attraction the Grouse Mountain in Vancouver with CUHK students during the weekend.

Firstly, I am so delighted that I can back to Hong Kong, the place where I grow up; and hang out with CUHK students in Sai Kung 西貢. Comparing to the past, there were a huge difference and change for my impression of Hong Kong. In my memories, Hong Kong is a very busy and prosperous city with the high density of population and extremely advanced transportation, as the same as nowadays. However, many places in the past had changed, for example, a small children’s paradise in Diamond Hill which I used to came had replaced by a modern shopping mall. I felt a little bit mournful and regrettable because the place I used to go in the past had already disappeared permanently. As such, I believe this may be seen as “nostalgia”.

Nostalgia, a term refers to an object or a place in which involved by a feeling a displacement in time. I believe “nostalgia” involves the special moment (time) with the old meaningful historical story as well as the specific emotion from someone. Yet, it is not all old thing could be seen as “nostalgia” or “heritage”. Take the Star Ferry Clock Tower in Hong Kong as an example. The Star Ferry Clock Tower, an eastern “Big Ben”, it was built in 1957 located in Central of Hong Kong but it had dismantled by the government in 2007. As the historical heritage, the Star Ferry Clock Tower has an essential meaning for the local people because the local people thought the Clock Tower had become part of their everyday life, and some people may always take a walk around the Star Ferry Pier and the habit has been kept for several years. Thus, the local people will feel upset and melancholy because of the everyday thing for them, the Clock Tower, becoming disappear. Additionally, the Clock tower is tangible whereas the feelings of nostalgia are intangible.

According to the lectures, I had learned a rich knowledge about the immigrant history of people from China, especially from Sze Yap counties of Kwangtung province, immigrated to North America, Southeast Asia, as well as Australia. I thought a lot during the lecture because the lecture was reminded me of my family, and my relatives, because my family members had scattered around the world. My uncle, one of my father’s elder brother, his family had immigrated to Australia for a long long time, but I never went to Australia so I seldom to meet them. Then, the another uncle’s family has immigrated to Toronto for almost fifty years, and I was so glad that we reunited due to my family been to Toronto several years ago. However, owing to the extremely cold weather condition of Toronto, we moved to Vancouver after I finished my high school diploma. Sometimes I may feel lost in Vancouver because when I walked in the street, I will think of my identity and feel less about the sense of belonging. I am a Chinese but live in a place far away from my original hometown, my home country. Facing with the western society and culture, I have to change something to fit the lifestyle in this circumstance. Nevertheless, is it really what I have to be? I love Richmond because it is the place I think very close to my homeland in Vancouver, and it makes me feel comfortable. Moreover, I do not know where I will stay in the future, maybe still stay in Vancouver after I finish my bachelor degree, or maybe back to my homeland, or maybe I will go to Australia. But one thing for sure is that I would miss the place I had stayed.

Hoping the next week can fulfill vitality and energy!

Photo: Grouse Mountain in the North Vancouver

Photo: Peak Chair Ride in Grouse Mountain (p.s.: so scared)

Photo: Black Bear in Grouse Mountain

Photo: the Peak of Grouse Mountain

Photo: Aerial View for City of Vancouver