Why did the series “Copying Yuan Miming” appear? The reason is that I am about to turn 40. Although I am not a famous person, my life is halfway through and my memory is still fresh. I still want to record my life well. I also often think and analyze whether something happened in the past that shaped me into who I am now? This series will also share a set of theories, which can be used as a reference for everyone. Whether you think of “Copying Yuan Miming” as a parenting manual, or you are curious about my life, the first episode will start from the age of 0 to before entering elementary school:
I have inherited my grandfather’s taste since childhood.
I was born in Sanatorium & Hospital on September 28, 1980. When I was young, my family was fairly well off. From the age of 0 to 6, I lived in a place called Casa Pino in Kowloon Tong (154 Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong). It was a Spanish-style building with three floors.
The saying that taste is life is really true. My grandfather is from Shanghai and lived in the French Concession in Shanghai. His taste is very Westernized. His taste was also passed down to my father. Therefore, the decoration of the home was also very particular when I was a child. As soon as you enter the underground entrance, there is a guest room and a large TV room with many sofas and a bar! Because my mother plays piano, she has a grand piano and a glass house outside the house. In the summer, she and her brother would open a small temporary swimming pool there to swim.
First childhood memories and pastimes
The first memory I have as a child is that before I could walk, I climbed to the TV room on the third floor to find my mother. I have a very good memory, so I still remember many things when I was a child. When I was K1, my brother was K3, and my sister was 7 years older than me (she was already boarding at St. Stephen’s). I would only see my sister on weekends, and my brother also stayed there after school. So for two years, my mother and I were the only ones at home, and even though I had brothers and sisters, I felt rather bored.
In my free time, I watch Little Cream to kill time, but I am more interested in adult programs. In the evening I watch “Hong Kong 83”, “Hong Kong 84”, and “City Story”, which are a series of situation comedies from that year (Note: the series from “Hong Kong 81” to “Hong Kong 86” are Hong Kong TV broadcasts) It is a fashion drama series produced by Broadcasting Co., Ltd. This drama is currently the second-largest TV drama series in the history of Hong Kong TVB. Watching TV dramas has taught me a lot of worldly wisdom. Don’t think that 3 or 4-year-old children will not understand it, just concentrate on watching it.
fun and music
My sister is 7 years older than me, so I was exposed to pop music very early, such as Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, etc. In terms of toys, because my brother is older than me, the toys are more masculine. No one will play with me as a cook. I know how to play video games. In those days, we used Floopy, summer game, winter game, etc.
Talking about my mother, she was also very trendy. When she lived in Kowloon Tong, she drove a open-top “Ben Run” with us on river cruises and took us to North Point to buy wife cakes. The most impressive thing was that my brother and I were sitting on the soft top of the car! (I don’t know why there is no drop car.) I believe that due to the influence of my grandfather and mother, when I grew up, I also bought two open-top “Ben racing”. One was a retro model from the 1960s, purchased from the United Kingdom, and the other was purchased in 2012.
Memories of Kent Park: A sense of justice already present at the age of 3?
Before K1, I remember that I went to a Fangfang kindergarten. Because I was born at the end of September, I was considered a “little B”. I wonder if I was in a class full of “big Bs” at that time. I was not even 3 years old, and I had the impression that I was way behind the curve! When the teacher taught something, other people could immediately give the answer, but I couldn’t do it at all. Later, K1 entered Gende Garden to study.
The Gente Park campus is very large and beautiful, with a mountainous landscape. At that time, there were already computers that could be used, such as 1+1 =2, Enter, and it took me half a day to complete simple operations.
Let me share an interesting story from Gentex Garden. When the summer vacation was approaching, the teacher specially bought a cola-flavored pop lollipop for us. Unexpectedly, when everyone ate it, everyone said loudly: “Wow, it smells like insecticide!” At that moment, I couldn’t stand it and was very angry. I immediately stood up and said, “The teacher bought the pop lollipop specially for us! Don’t say it smells like insecticide!” “I believe that Buping Zeming’s character should have been fully revealed at the age of 3, hehe. (Looking back at that time, it seemed disrespectful to do so :P)
A question you asked your mom when you were 5 years old?
If there’s one thing I can say I’m smart about, it would be observation and systematic thinking. I remember asking my mom a question when I was 5 years old: “Actually, people can defecate because we know how to eat?” Because I would think that something would be excreted every day? It should be something that goes in before it comes out! I remember my mother was stunned for a moment when she heard me asking this question😂
Must-read for childhood: Red Apple Children’s Magazine
One of the collective memories must be of childhood readings. “Red Apple” is one of the most popular books, and the most attractive thing is its packaging. I remember that the packed “Red Apple” plastic bag had a buckle, and there were also small toys for burial. If I didn’t buy an issue of it, I would feel a bit lost (laughs).
In addition to red apples, I also like to buy riddle books and horoscope books in supermarkets. The riddle books are arranged with questions on the left and answers on the right. I will buy them every time they come out, and I will know them by heart!
After talking about the static activities, let’s talk about the “dynamic” activities. Since I am still young, I can only watch from the side when my sister and brother play roller skating. Because if the three of us go to play together, it is summer vacation. After playing, we must go to the supermarket to buy Fengxian ice cream. The ice cream comes in the red plastic box of the Dairy Company. It’s probably not because of my childhood memories of eating delicious food first. The ice cream back then was so creamy and so different from home.
Is it deeply influenced by a business family?
The 1980s were an entrepot. My father-in-law was in the warehousing business, so it was definitely a golden age; while my grandfather was in the camera business and also invested in real estate. The watch factories run by my father have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. I worked as an OEM for CASIO and also made other electronic products. At that time, it was considered high-tech!
These are the childhood memories from the ages of 0 to 5. In the next article, I will share more about the experience of primary school boarding. ☺️
