My father YAN Yeung Hing (Ah Hong, 甄楊慶) and mother YAN Sun Hung (Lee See Hong, 李新杏) were from the Toi Shan district, Guangdong Province, China. My grandfather YAN Yiu Kat (甄饒吉) came to New Zealand first but later returned to China. Dad arrived in New Zealand in the 1920's and did not return to China. He died in 1957. Mum arrived in NZ via Sydney on 28 February 1940 on board the S.S. M.V. Waganella.

I have cherished memories of Dad and Mum. Dad was a caring Father.  Mum and Dad were typical of the Chinese families at that time, law abiding and hard working. They were market gardeners, first in Point England Road, Tamaki, and then in Ashcroft Avenue, Mangere Bridge. We progressed from using a draught horse and sledge to a rotary hoe and Fordson Major tractor. Dad also had a Chevrolet truck and an Oakland car, later upgraded to a Ford V8.

My parents took us to Cantonese movies screened in the Rialto Theatre in Newmarket. They were a respite from the hard work in the garden. Mum and Dad enjoyed these sessions which connected them again to Canton.

After Mum was bereaved of Dad, she had to raise 5 children from 11 to 16 years of age. Now a widow, and running a market garden, she did not insist I work full-time in the garden. I studied accountancy, played sport for school and club, and helped in the garden. In my early twenties I became a Christian and Mum raised no objection to my faith. She herself became a Christian in later life.

David YAN (HONG)

2017

David YAN

In 2013, I joined the first Ventnor Ching Ming trip and met David YAN [甄福沾] who was my flatmate during the 3-day event. David is known to the local Chinese community as a Cantonese songwriter, for his love of music; and as a pastor who has dedicated to serving the church since 1960s.

When they entered the country, many early Chinese settlers were mistakenly given a different family name by the then immigration officers. The Chinese custom is to state the family name first.  Some families continue to keep the ‘given’ family name which was written on official documents and some have already changed back to their inherited one.  When David wrote up his feelings on the framed portrait photograph of his parents and his earlier portraits that I took, he told me that he had changed his family name from HONG back to YAN-HONG in 1972 and then to YAN in 1991.

In another visit to his home I was amazed by a collection of Cantonese-English bibles on his work-desk. His perseverance in crossing over cultures and languages in his preaching is apparent, similar to his determination to changing back to his inherited surname.

King Tong HO

2017

父亲甄杨庆和母亲李新杏来自中国广东省台山县。曾祖父甄饶吉先来纽西兰, 但后来返回中国。父亲于一九二零年代来到纽西兰, 在一九五七年终老于此。母亲于一九四零年二月二十八日乘S. S. M.V. Waganella 号轮船, 经悉尼后抵达纽西兰。

他们务农, 最先在 Tamaki 区的 Point England Road, 之后在 Mangere Bridge 的 Ashcroft Avenue。

我珍惜对双亲的记忆, 像典型的中国家庭般, 他们守法而勤劳。父亲很爱护我们, 他离世后, 母亲独力抚养我们五个从十一至十六岁的孩子。务农时, 我们逐渐由用马拖拉大锤, 旋转式锄头, 之后用 Fordson Major 的拖拉车。继而父亲拥有Chevrolet 货车和 Oakland 车, 最后更提升至有Ford V8。

父母会在辛劳务农后, 抽暇带我们到 Newmarket的 Rialto 影院看广东电影, 他们享受此种与广东家乡的连系。

成为寡妇的母亲仍然务农, 但她不会坚持要我们务农为业。我选择读会计学, 参予学校及社团的体育活动, 及帮忙种植。我在三十多岁时成为基督徒, 母亲对我的信仰没有反对。若干年后, 她也成为基督徒。

我对双亲有快乐的回忆。

甄福沾

2017

甄福沾

在二零一三年举办的 Ventnor 清明拜祭团中, 我初次认识甄福沾, 三天的行程, 我与他为室友。喜爱音乐的他, 在华裔社团中创作广东歌曲。自一九六零年代, 他便作为牧师, 投入教区服务。

很多早期的中国移民, 当抵达本国时, 他们的名字常常被移民官错误地写成姓氏, 因为中国姓名是先写姓氏, 部份家庭从此以名为姓, 亦有部份之后更正过来。甄福沾看着父母亲装着画框的照片、以及我早前替他拍的照片、书写感受时, 他告诉我, 在一九七二年, 他把家族姓氏从 HONG 改为 YAN-HONG, 再于一九九一年更正为姓 YAN [甄]。

在一次拜访他家时, 看到他的书桌上, 有多本注有广东语音的圣经和字典, 可见他在传道时, 为了跨越语言和文化上的差异所表现的毅力, 正如他把姓氏多番更改, 以求正确的决心。

何经棠

2015

父親甄楊慶和母親李新杏來自中國廣東省臺山縣。曾祖父甄饒吉先來紐西蘭，但後來返回中國。父親於一九二零年代來到紐西蘭，在一九五七年終老於此。母親於一九四零年二月二十八日乘 S. S. M.V. Waganella 號輪船，經悉尼後抵達紐西蘭。

他們務農，最先在 Tamaki 區的 Point England Road，之後在 Mangere Bridge 的 Ashcroft Avenue。

我珍惜對雙親的記憶, 像典型的中國家庭般, 他們守法而勤勞。父親很愛護我們，他離世後，母親獨力撫養我們五個從十一至十六歲的孩子。務農時，我們逐漸由用馬拖拉大錘，旋轉式鋤頭，之後用 Fordson Majo r的拖拉車。繼而父親擁有Chevrolet 貨車和 Oakland 車，最後更提昇至有Ford V8。

父母會在辛勞務農後，抽暇帶我們到 Newmarket的 Rialto 影院看廣東電影，他們享受此種與廣東家鄉的連系。

成為寡婦的母親仍然務農，但她不會堅持要我們務農為業。我選擇讀會計學，參予學校及社團的體育活動，及幫忙種植。我在三十多歲時成為基督徒，母親對我的信仰沒有反對。若干年後，她也成為基督徒。

我對雙親有快樂的回憶。

甄福沾

2017

甄福沾

在二零一三年舉辦的 Ventnor 清明拜祭團中，我初次認識甄福沾，三天的行程，我與他為室友。喜愛音樂的他，在華裔社團中創作廣東歌曲。自一九六零年代，他便作為牧師，投入教區服務。

很多早期的中國移民，當抵達本國時，他們的名字常常被移民官錯誤地寫成姓氏, 因為中國姓名是先寫姓氏, 部份家庭從此以名為姓，亦有部份之後更正過來。甄福沾看着父母親裝着畫框的照片、以及我早前替他拍的照片、書寫感受時，他告訴我，在一九七二年，他把家族姓氏從 HONG 改為 YAN-HONG，再於一九九一年更正為姓 YAN [甄]。

在一次拜訪他家時，看到他的書桌上，有多本注有廣東語音的聖經和字典，可見他在傳道時，為了跨越語言和文化上的差異所表現的毅力，正如他把姓氏多番更改，以求正確的決心。

何經棠

2015