Cheong Tat Chan

I was raised in a middle class family in China. My father was honest and my mother was kind. My wife Jean's maiden name is Mei Chun Fong who is a virtuous women and a very good house keeper.

During my childhood I was taught in school and at home to be a good citizen. I do not cheat anybody and always hope that nobody would cheat me. Being very proud I have no bad habits.

Kindness and happiness are my lifelong interests. I always encourage myself to do useful things and to do exercise to strengthen my health.

My father use a quote the old adage to me that “One bears hate for a moment so that he is free from worries for a hundred days”. It seems to me that forbearance is a useful character in my experiences. I do not owe anybody any money and never asked anybody to pay me back when I lent them money. Therefore, people who owe me money up to a thousand dollars are still good friends. I enjoy quietness rather than a large amount of friendships. This could be my weak point but I believe the philosophy that the more people one knows the more trouble one gets into.

In school I consistently won awards and usually had pretty high marks. Mathematics was my best and my favorite subject. Fortunately, I always surpassed my mathematical competitors in class. Being not a very intelligent man, I am not a fool. I studied hard, worked hard and upgraded myself all the time. I believe that a happy life is not merely being honest and trustworthy but also needs studying, learning and reading… especially in the old age. I used to have a dream of one day becoming a scientist or an inventor. Since my schooling was not fulfilled, this illusion is in vain. Now, I only can hand this imagination to my next generation.

From 1937 to 1945 Japanese was invading China. There was no communications between Canada and China. Chinese immigrants in Canada could not remit money to support their families. At that time I was forced to drop out from school while my father was in the Canadian labor field. So, I had to feed myself be being an elementary school teacher for two years. In 1945 when World War Two ended, I reentered school.

Graduating from high school, I came to Canada to meet my father in 1949. At this time my ambition for learning was still strong. Although I had entered grade 12 at King George high School, my English was still insufficient. University had to be dropped. This was the greatest, deepest regret I have ever had in my whole life. Without full-fledged knowledge I only relied on my two hands for living.

My wife and I are pleased with our children. We love them, feed them, protect them and educated them. We always wish that they will grow up with good characteristics and will be educated in one profession so that they will live happily. This is our sole hope which might patch my previous disappointment.

I had worked in restaurants, operated my father's hotel, owned a grocery store, run a Chinese imported grocery in China Town with partners, been a life insurance agent and been a theater manager. I enjoyed my work and also my sweet home life.