North West Wales My Story
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
This document is a snapshot of content from a discontinued BBC website, originally published between 2002-2011. It has been made available for archival & research purposes only. Please see the foot of this document for Archive Terms of Use. 28 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Wales Home 35 years on from Hong Kong Last updated: 30 June 2006 Joanna Chung from Pwllheli tells us how she came to make more from this section Wales her home and how she'd like to boost the BBC Local My Story confidence of other Chinese 35 years on from Hong Kong North West Wales women in her situation. A gamekeeper's life Things to do Airborne aid Aunty Enid People & Places I grew up in Hong Kong and came over here when I was 19. Author of many names Nature & Outdoors Before the NHS I didn't really think about my future, I had no idea what History Caernarfon to Canada would happen, I just went with the flow. Then I click my Religion & Ethics Creating a family fingers, and 35 years have gone by. Discovering Aled Arts & Culture Dragon far from home Music My husband and his brother came to Butlin's holiday camp to Eric Roberts baritone TV & Radio I didn't realise I was deaf help run a Chinese restaurant there. We lived in York first, Inspirations from the past Local BBC Sites but we thought Pwllheli was a nice place and came here, first Jet pilot News for just a few years, to open a takeaway. But soon we'd put Life gets in the way Sport in the investment and couldn't get out, so I'm still here 35 Mindfulness helps My real home Weather years on. I love the fresh air and the friendly people. When I Record breaker Travel go back to England they don't say anything to you. Remembering Dick Richard's story Neighbouring Sites My children all went to school here. My two eldest went to Roving for Radio Wales Mid Wales Seafaring life North East Wales Rydal because someone told us it would be good to have Spreading knowledge in Pakistan them educated at a boarding school, so we saved up all our The art of storytelling Related BBC Sites money and sent them there. But I decided I needed to keep Toffeelady for a night Wales my two youngest closer to me (I needed them more than Tom Jones, Colwyn Bay Cymru they needed me probably!) So they went to school in Pwllheli Gogledd Orllewin and can speak Welsh. related bbc.co.uk links News: County support for older Chinese They've all done well. One's a graphic designer, one's a Chinese New Year in Bangor Black History index psychologist in London, another is a pharmacist and the youngest is a mechanical engineer. So the younger related www links generation aren't interested in catering - the hours are too Black Environmental Network long and there's always a string tying you to the takeaway. But the first generation who came over here have mostly more from North West worked in the catering business and now that generation is Wales getting older and it's difficult, especially for the women. Food & Drink When we were young, we needed to help our husbands, look Full of flavour after the kids, run the business. By the time we've reached Is your favourite local produce or recipe in our our 50s, the kids have grown up and left home, we're close guide? to retiring with nowhere to go. Many Chinese women aren't used to going out and socialising, speaking English, enjoying Arts life in the community, so they stay at home, thinking they're Be inspired not good enough and losing confidence. Then illness will Release your creativity with a look at local art and come and that's a problem because often they don't artists. understand exactly what the doctor is saying to them. Traffic and Travel The Chinese population is split up all over North Wales, so we Getting around need a centre to be able to meet up, talk and gain Take the train, boat or plane, or hit the region's confidence. But there was never anyone to represent us with roads. people like the council, to help us get funding for a community centre, which we really need. I'm quite lucky, I'm trusted in the community. Chinese women are very shy, don't tell anyone about family problems, but they do share with me, and I can help because Sardinia: Cymry yn I've built up my confidence to be able to ask places like 'ddiogel' Gwynedd County Council and the Black Environmental Pontio: Dim prif Network for help to fund a community centre. weithredwr The centre would also be great to help the young people follow our culture - learn the lion dance, Chinese writing and drawing. It will also be a place for us older people to do T'ai Chi and learn more about our health. We'd also love some land, because Chinese women love gardening. I'm concerned that they should have a hobby, do things they used to like doing when they were young..