James look back at Mary who he formed a close relationship with and as he
close relationship with and as he
close relationship with and as he boarded the ship for the three-week cost
boarded the ship for the three-week cost
boarded the ship for the three-week cost crossing back to malaysia he knew that
crossing back to malaysia he knew that
crossing back to malaysia he knew that he’d fallen in love he knew it in every
he’d fallen in love he knew it in every
he’d fallen in love he knew it in every bone in his body this would lead to
bone in his body this would lead to
bone in his body this would lead to marry later joining James in Malaysia
marry later joining James in Malaysia
marry later joining James in Malaysia James had been studying law in London he
James had been studying law in London he
James had been studying law in London he was the son of Lohan glue who was a
was the son of Lohan glue who was a
was the son of Lohan glue who was a teacher in Malaysia who’d migrated from
teacher in Malaysia who’d migrated from
teacher in Malaysia who’d migrated from China at 14 years old on a ship to
China at 14 years old on a ship to
China at 14 years old on a ship to Malaysia to look for work Mary was
Malaysia to look for work Mary was
Malaysia to look for work Mary was persuaded to join James in Malaysia
persuaded to join James in Malaysia
persuaded to join James in Malaysia through letters and they married they
through letters and they married they
through letters and they married they enjoyed the hustle and bustle of what is
enjoyed the hustle and bustle of what is
enjoyed the hustle and bustle of what is now known as kuala lumper they enjoyed
now known as kuala lumper they enjoyed
now known as kuala lumper they enjoyed the possum Alan’s the night markets with
the possum Alan’s the night markets with
the possum Alan’s the night markets with all the haggling over silks and spices
all the haggling over silks and spices
all the haggling over silks and spices the lush plants growing inch by inch
the lush plants growing inch by inch
the lush plants growing inch by inch every minute and they enjoyed being
every minute and they enjoyed being
every minute and they enjoyed being together walking along the streets and
together walking along the streets and
together walking along the streets and seeing the mosques the temples and the
seeing the mosques the temples and the
seeing the mosques the temples and the churches side by side but Mary longed
churches side by side but Mary longed
churches side by side but Mary longed for her family back in England and so
for her family back in England and so
for her family back in England and so without James she made the three-week
without James she made the three-week
without James she made the three-week crossing back to England on board ship
crossing back to England on board ship
crossing back to England on board ship she fell violently ill she had terrible
she fell violently ill she had terrible
she fell violently ill she had terrible stomach pains sure high temperature and
stomach pains sure high temperature and
stomach pains sure high temperature and arriving back into England she found
arriving back into England she found
arriving back into England she found herself in hospital wired up to monitors
herself in hospital wired up to monitors
herself in hospital wired up to monitors she thought that he was serendipity that
she thought that he was serendipity that
she thought that he was serendipity that it was a Chinese doctor that delivered
it was a Chinese doctor that delivered
it was a Chinese doctor that delivered her baby who’s she named pani po yoke I
her baby who’s she named pani po yoke I
her baby who’s she named pani po yoke I was born with a head full of black spiky
was born with a head full of black spiky
was born with a head full of black spiky hair and in London my mother held me
hair and in London my mother held me
hair and in London my mother held me close to her chest as she carried me
close to her chest as she carried me
close to her chest as she carried me through the streets where keep wit
through the streets where keep wit
through the streets where keep wit Britain white posters were being
Britain white posters were being
Britain white posters were being plastered all over the place but soon
plastered all over the place but soon
plastered all over the place but soon she decided that we must move to the
she decided that we must move to the
she decided that we must move to the Midlands to her hometown in
burton-on-trent there was nothing around
burton-on-trent there was nothing around me Chinese there was nobody non-white at
me Chinese there was nobody non-white at
me Chinese there was nobody non-white at school apart from at junior school there
school apart from at junior school there
school apart from at junior school there was one girl of Jamaican girl I can’t
was one girl of Jamaican girl I can’t
was one girl of Jamaican girl I can’t remember her name but I do remember the
remember her name but I do remember the
remember her name but I do remember the other children shouting at me we don’t
other children shouting at me we don’t
other children shouting at me we don’t want no Malay kids here I wasn’t even
want no Malay kids here I wasn’t even
want no Malay kids here I wasn’t even Malay the only Chinese thing that there
Malay the only Chinese thing that there
Malay the only Chinese thing that there was was a Chinese room that my mother
was was a Chinese room that my mother
was was a Chinese room that my mother had created people didn’t have lots of
had created people didn’t have lots of
had created people didn’t have lots of things then like they do now but she’d
things then like they do now but she’d
things then like they do now but she’d been to an auction she’d brought a
been to an auction she’d brought a
been to an auction she’d brought a Chinese rug some sort paintings on the
Chinese rug some sort paintings on the
Chinese rug some sort paintings on the walls and we had this Chinese picnic
walls and we had this Chinese picnic
walls and we had this Chinese picnic basket that my grandfather lohan galloon
basket that my grandfather lohan galloon
basket that my grandfather lohan galloon had sent to me from Malaysia when I went
had sent to me from Malaysia when I went
had sent to me from Malaysia when I went to secondary school things weren’t much
to secondary school things weren’t much
to secondary school things weren’t much different there was just one indian girl
different there was just one indian girl
different there was just one indian girl but everybody laughed at her for eating
but everybody laughed at her for eating
but everybody laughed at her for eating curry I don’t tell them about the
curry I don’t tell them about the
curry I don’t tell them about the Chinese dishes that my mother cooked at
Chinese dishes that my mother cooked at
Chinese dishes that my mother cooked at home that she’d learnt in Malaysia what
home that she’d learnt in Malaysia what
home that she’d learnt in Malaysia what was the point at school in home
was the point at school in home
was the point at school in home economics it was just all meat and
economics it was just all meat and
economics it was just all meat and potato pie and jam roly-poly pudding
potato pie and jam roly-poly pudding
potato pie and jam roly-poly pudding when I went to university things did
when I went to university things did
when I went to university things did begin to change there were students from
begin to change there were students from
begin to change there were students from different parts of the world not lots
different parts of the world not lots
different parts of the world not lots but just a few but when I got speaking
but just a few but when I got speaking
but just a few but when I got speaking to them they thought that you should
to them they thought that you should
to them they thought that you should have both parents from the same race I
have both parents from the same race I
have both parents from the same race I decided to go to asian cultural evenings
decided to go to asian cultural evenings
decided to go to asian cultural evenings but somehow china and malaysia didn’t
but somehow china and malaysia didn’t
but somehow china and malaysia didn’t seem to be in asia anymore it was when
seem to be in asia anymore it was when
seem to be in asia anymore it was when I’d love to universe
I’d love to universe
I’d love to universe and I got my first job it coincided with
and I got my first job it coincided with
and I got my first job it coincided with me moving to pitts more and I was so
me moving to pitts more and I was so
me moving to pitts more and I was so warmed to see the people from all around
warmed to see the people from all around
warmed to see the people from all around to the world living around me there was
to the world living around me there was
to the world living around me there was still rare sightings of anybody Chinese
many years later I got a job for got a
many years later I got a job for got a job with the local green city action to
job with the local green city action to
job with the local green city action to engage the multicultural community in
engage the multicultural community in
engage the multicultural community in environmental education it was spring
environmental education it was spring
environmental education it was spring the time of chinese new year so i
the time of chinese new year so i
the time of chinese new year so i decided to organize the Chinese lion
decided to organize the Chinese lion
decided to organize the Chinese lion dance in RB Philip Ark hundreds of
dance in RB Philip Ark hundreds of
dance in RB Philip Ark hundreds of people came and as the lion was rising
people came and as the lion was rising
people came and as the lion was rising in the air and diving to the ground and
in the air and diving to the ground and
in the air and diving to the ground and the symbols were crashing and the drum
the symbols were crashing and the drum
the symbols were crashing and the drum was beating I had a quake through me as
was beating I had a quake through me as
was beating I had a quake through me as I thought of my Chinese family all the
I thought of my Chinese family all the
I thought of my Chinese family all the way over in Malaysia and here I was
way over in Malaysia and here I was
way over in Malaysia and here I was standing in my homes homes placed in
standing in my homes homes placed in
standing in my homes homes placed in pits more in my Park celebrating my
pits more in my Park celebrating my
pits more in my Park celebrating my culture and then I looked around me and
culture and then I looked around me and
culture and then I looked around me and thought of all the people all around the
thought of all the people all around the
thought of all the people all around the park from lots of different parts of the
park from lots of different parts of the
park from lots of different parts of the world and that’s when the abbeyfield
world and that’s when the abbeyfield
world and that’s when the abbeyfield Park multicultural festival was born I’d
Park multicultural festival was born I’d
Park multicultural festival was born I’d heard that if you knocked on the door of
heard that if you knocked on the door of
heard that if you knocked on the door of the Sikh temple you would always be let
the Sikh temple you would always be let
the Sikh temple you would always be let in so I knocked on the door a man in a
in so I knocked on the door a man in a
in so I knocked on the door a man in a white turban and a big black beard
white turban and a big black beard
white turban and a big black beard answered the door and I said hello I’m
answered the door and I said hello I’m
answered the door and I said hello I’m pani low from Green City action and I’d
pani low from Green City action and I’d
pani low from Green City action and I’d like to set up a multicultural festival
like to set up a multicultural festival
like to set up a multicultural festival would you like to get involved and they
would you like to get involved and they
would you like to get involved and they let me in there there was loads of seat
let me in there there was loads of seat
let me in there there was loads of seat people around me talking excitedly about
people around me talking excitedly about
people around me talking excitedly about what they could do in the festival it
what they could do in the festival it
what they could do in the festival it was the same when I went to the Hindu
was the same when I went to the Hindu
was the same when I went to the Hindu temple then Churches Together wanted to
temple then Churches Together wanted to
temple then Churches Together wanted to get involved and many many organizations
get involved and many many organizations
get involved and many many organizations from around the pits more area there
from around the pits more area there
from around the pits more area there wasn’t long to organize the festival
wasn’t long to organize the festival
wasn’t long to organize the festival just a few months but nobody was more
just a few months but nobody was more
just a few months but nobody was more surprised
surprised
surprised than me when thousands of people turns
than me when thousands of people turns
than me when thousands of people turns up in a refill park there was in Barbie
up in a refill park there was in Barbie
up in a refill park there was in Barbie and dances that lit the stage alight
and dances that lit the stage alight
and dances that lit the stage alight Irish dances in brightly jeweled
Irish dances in brightly jeweled
Irish dances in brightly jeweled costumes ran across the grass there’s
costumes ran across the grass there’s
costumes ran across the grass there’s black women drummers purchase dancers
black women drummers purchase dancers
black women drummers purchase dancers were getting everybody holding hands and
were getting everybody holding hands and
were getting everybody holding hands and dancing in a circle there was hip hop
dancing in a circle there was hip hop
dancing in a circle there was hip hop there was Reggie there was English tea
there was Reggie there was English tea
there was Reggie there was English tea and cakes it was pakora there was
and cakes it was pakora there was
and cakes it was pakora there was Bhangra there was salsa and so much more
Bhangra there was salsa and so much more
Bhangra there was salsa and so much more and as I was pushing through the crowds
and as I was pushing through the crowds
and as I was pushing through the crowds a little girl stopped me and she looked
a little girl stopped me and she looked
a little girl stopped me and she looked up at me and she said you came to speak
up at me and she said you came to speak
up at me and she said you came to speak at our school my mum’s Jamaican and my
at our school my mum’s Jamaican and my
at our school my mum’s Jamaican and my dad’s English I looked at her and I said
dad’s English I looked at her and I said
dad’s English I looked at her and I said that’s wonderful and we smiled like that
that’s wonderful and we smiled like that
that’s wonderful and we smiled like that little girl I’m a child born out of
little girl I’m a child born out of
little girl I’m a child born out of difference and like many of you here
difference and like many of you here
difference and like many of you here today I celebrate difference but I not
today I celebrate difference but I not
today I celebrate difference but I not only celebrate difference i implement
only celebrate difference i implement
only celebrate difference i implement difference i see this is born out of the
difference i see this is born out of the
difference i see this is born out of the fact that i’m a dual heritage and it’s
fact that i’m a dual heritage and it’s
fact that i’m a dual heritage and it’s given me a unique perspective to see
given me a unique perspective to see
given me a unique perspective to see things for multiple perspectives and
things for multiple perspectives and
things for multiple perspectives and this happens every time I put pens paper
this happens every time I put pens paper
this happens every time I put pens paper paint paint brush to canvas I see things
paint paint brush to canvas I see things
paint paint brush to canvas I see things in this way on whether you’re an artist
in this way on whether you’re an artist
in this way on whether you’re an artist a scientist a business person a public
a scientist a business person a public
a scientist a business person a public servant i invite you to not only
servant i invite you to not only
servant i invite you to not only celebrate difference but to implement
celebrate difference but to implement
celebrate difference but to implement difference because together we can make
difference because together we can make
difference because together we can make a more vibrant exciting / he civ and
a more vibrant exciting / he civ and
a more vibrant exciting / he civ and tolerant world not only celebrate
tolerant world not only celebrate
tolerant world not only celebrate difference but implement difference
”
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