Norman NG
Norman NG
Norman NG [吳男就] is the first Chinese name in this project that I heard of in the mid 90s when I saw his name on a building at 256 Karangahape Road. My curiosity about Norman and his building cooled off after a while. In 2014, I met Norman at the 75th anniversary gathering of the Chinese war refugee children. In 2016, I finally arranged to photograph him and his wife Katie [吳鍾結梅] at the Norman Ng Building and also his ‘self-made wooden-safe’ at their home. He made the now-dusted wooden safe between 1943 and 1944 in his leisure time. Among the treasures crammed inside are souvenirs from the US soldiers such as model army hats and bombs, a tiny notebook with his birthday, a loan record in the Chinese calendar that his father NG Chuen Yip [吳全業] had borrowed 108 pounds from him on 22nd October 1947, and most compellingly a chromed plate ‘Norman love[s] Millie’. I couldn’t resist to ask about Millie in front of Katie. He, however, said smilingly that he had completely forgotten about who Millie was and why he made the plate, only that he probably made it at about ten to 13 years old. What a wise man! The Chinese say: The answer is in the unanswered [盡在不言中].
King Tong HO
2016
吴男就
这研究计划开始时，最早知道的中文名字应该是吴男就，那大概是九零年代，在 Karangahape Road 二百五十六号的一座建筑物上看到，之后对他及建筑物的好奇便淡忘了。二零一四年，在「 战时中国难民儿童」的七十五周年聚会中，我与吴男就认识。直到二零一六年才安排了在 Norman Ng Building 替他及妻子吴钟结梅、与及他自制的木造夹万拍照。在他的家，他给我看自制于一九四三、四四年间的尘封了的木夹万。在一堆放满的宝藏中，有美国士兵送给他父亲吴全业的纪念品：军帽和炸弹模型、 一本标有他的生日的记事本及父亲于一九四七年十月二十二日向他借了一百零八英镑的记录。最令人注目的是一块刻有 'Norman love [s] Millie' 的镀铬片。我忍不住好奇, 在吴钟结梅面前问他 Millie 是谁, 他微笑说已忘记了她是谁, 及为何刻此铬片, 那大概是十至十三歳时的事了。有智慧的人！
中国有句谚语：尽在不言中
何经棠
2016
吳男就
這研究計劃開始時，最早知道的中文名字應該是吳男就，那大概是九零年代，在 Karangahape Road 二百五十六號的一座建築物上看到，之後對他及建築物的好奇便淡忘了。二零一四年，在「 戰時中國難民兒童」的七十五週年聚會中，我與吳男就認識。直到二零一六年才安排了在 Norman Ng Building替他及妻子吳鍾結梅、與及他自製的木造夾萬拍照。在他的家，他給我看自製于一九四三、四四年間的塵封了的木夾萬。在一堆放滿的寶藏中，有美國士兵送給他父親吳全業的紀念品：軍帽和炸彈模型、 一本標有他的生日的記事本及父親于一九四七年十月二十二日向他借了一百零八英鎊的記錄。最令人注目的是一塊刻有 'Norman love [s] Millie' 的鍍鉻片。我忍不住好奇, 在吳鍾結梅面前問他Millie是誰, 他微笑説已忘記了她是誰, 及為何刻此鉻片, 那大概是十至十三歳時的事了。有智慧的人！
中國有句諺語：盡在不言中
何經棠
2016