The Maori Purse was a gift given to me by my mother when I was married in 1962 and left New Zealand to live overseas. She had been given it a long time before that date.  It was a purse that my mother had kept for safekeeping. She only took it out to show people on certain occasions.  I was very fortunate to have been given this special purse. It reminded me of New Zealand when I was overseas and how fortunate I was to be a New Zealander.

The beautiful and colourful plate is a souvenir from my mother. She gave it to me when she returned from her holiday overseas.  The plate has a Chinese identity with its gold and red colours, edged with pictures of dragons and a Chinese temple and colourful flowers in the centre.   It represents her thoughtfulness in thinking of family when she was on holiday.

My husband professor Kuan Meng GOH was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of June 1999 for services to soil science and services to the community.  He was the foundation President of the Christchurch Ethnic Council & the NZ Federation of Ethnic Councils; the National President of the NZ Chinese Association and a long-serving Justice of the Peace.  

The naming of GOH Street, Lincoln in 2013 was a great honour, in recognition of all of his achievements. Together with my family, we are very proud of all of his achievements.

Nancy GOH

2015

Nancy GOH

Nancy GOH was introduced to me by her sister, Lily LIU. I am amazed about their difference in personality. My conversation with Lily was centred on her daily ordinariness. With Nancy, it was about her husband Kuan Meng GOH, a first-generation Chinese New Zealander who had devoted his whole life to the academic. Naming a street in Christchurch after his surname GOH is a pride to Nancy and her family.  For Nancy, recalling her past times with GOH, particularly about his achievement, is pleasurable. And travelling to GOH Street is to return home.

Placing GOH’s ONZM medal on top of the Maori purse and the Chinese plate that Nancy inherited from her mother not only reassure her family’s identity but also constitutes a cosy memory about her time as a young woman when she was overseas with GOH and moving back home together afterwards. For many Chinese who were born, or who have lived in a Western country for a long time, their identity is ambivalent when returning to their native Chinese home. How ambivalent? My brother and sisters in Hong Kong told me that I am not a Hongkonger any more!

King Tong HO

2015

盘子里的毛利钱包, 是母亲在一九六二年送给我的结婚和旅居海外的礼物。母亲拥有这个钱包很久了, 并十分珍惜它, 只在重要场合才展示于人。我很幸运得到这个特别的钱包, 当我身在海外时, 它让我想起纽西兰, 并提醒我作为一个纽西兰人是多么幸运。

钱包下面美丽多彩的盘子, 是母亲在海外度假后带给我的纪念品。盘子有着中国特色。它颜色金红、龙纹镶边。盘子的正中绘有一座寺庙和五彩花朵。这份礼物显示了她在假期中还惦记着家人。

我先生吴光明教授因在土壤科学上的研究成就和对社区的贡献, 被授予纽西兰功绩勋章 (ONZM) 。他是基督城种族协会和纽西兰民族联合会理事会的基金会会长, 同时是纽西兰华人联合会会长, 并且是长期服务的太平绅士。

二零一三年 Lincoln 的 GOH Street 以他的姓氏命名。这是对他的成就的极大肯定。我们全家为他的一生成就感到非常自豪。

吳蘇瑞馨

2015

吴苏瑞馨

Lily LIU 介绍她的姊妹吴苏瑞馨给我认识, 我惊讶于她们俩人的不同性格。与 Lily 交谈, 她的话题大多是闲话家常, 而吴苏瑞馨则多谈及丈夫吴光明。他是一生致力于学术和社区工作的第一代华裔纽西兰人, 而基督城 Lincoln 的一条街道以 GOH、他的姓氏命名, 使吴苏瑞馨及家人引以为傲。回顾她与丈夫一起的往事, 尤其他的成就, 吴苏瑞馨无限欣慰。而走在 GOH Street, 使她有返家的感觉。

把吴光明的 ONZM 奖章放在来自吴苏瑞馨母亲的毛利款式钱包和中式盘子上拍照, 不单体现她的家族身份认同, 也挑起她年青时曾与丈夫居于海外、而后来回国的亲密回忆。对出生或久居西方国家的华裔来说, 当返回中国故乡时, 他们有身份认同的矛盾, 怎么样的矛盾？我在香港的兄弟姊妹们说： “你已不是香港人了。”

何经棠

2015

盤子裏的毛利錢包，是母親在一九六二年送給我的結婚和旅居海外的禮物。母親擁有這個錢包很久了，並十分珍惜它，只在重要場合才展示於人。我很幸運得到這個特別的錢包，當我身在海外時，它讓我想起紐西蘭，並提醒我作為一個紐西蘭人是多麽幸運。

錢包下面美麗多彩的盤子，是母親在海外度假後帶給我的紀念品。盤子有著中國特色。它顏色金紅、龍紋鑲邊。盤子的正中繪有一座寺廟和五彩花朵。這份禮物顯示了她在假期中還惦記著家人。

我先生吳光明教授因在土壤科學上的研究成就和對社區的貢獻, 被授予紐西蘭功績勛章 (ONZM) 。他是基督城種族協會和紐西蘭民族聯合會理事會的基金會會長，同時是紐西蘭華人聯合會會長，並且是長期服務的太平紳士。

二零一三年 Lincoln 的 GOH Street 以他的姓氏命名。這是對他的成就的極大肯定。我們全家為他的一生成就感到非常自豪。

吳蘇瑞馨

2015

吳蘇瑞馨

Lily LIU 介紹她的姊妹吳蘇瑞馨給我認識，我驚訝於她們倆人的不同性格。與 Lily 交談，她的話題大多是閑話家常，而吳蘇瑞馨則多談及丈夫吳光明。他是一生致力於學術和社區工作的第一代華裔紐西蘭人，而基督城 Lincoln 的一條街道以 GOH、他的姓氏命名, 使吳蘇瑞馨及家人引以為傲。回顧她與丈夫一起的往事，尤其他的成就, 吳蘇瑞馨無限欣慰。而走在 GOH Street, 使她有返家的感覺。

把吳光明的 ONZM 獎章放在來自吳蘇瑞馨母親的毛利款式錢包和中式盤子上拍照，不單體現她的家族身份認同，也挑起她年青時曾與丈夫居於海外、而後來回國的親密回憶。對出生或久居西方國家的華裔來說，當返回中國故鄉時，他們有身份認同的矛盾，怎麼樣的矛盾？我在香港的兄弟姊妹們説：「你已不是香港人了。」

何經棠

2015