Wu Wei Cai 吴韦才

Wu Wei Cai, a writer, a poet, a performer and a concerning social worker at times. He is humorous, knowledgeable, and talented. Recently he has organized a program at Whampoa CC entitled 'Wang Shi Yi Qi Hui Wei', attracted more than 200 senior citizens to attend. The scene was warmth and touching.

This is a clip taken at the scene.




This is one of the peoms from Wei Cai in late 1960s:

The Joy at Whampoa CC on Sunday Morning

Whampoa Community Centre organized an event entitled 'Wang Shi Yi Qi Hui Wei 往事一起回味', supposed to attract around 150 residents to attend. To the organizer's surprise, the turnout reached almost 300! The audience not only packed the mini theatre, it also jammed the walkway leading to the venue.

The main cause is the great attraction of Wu Wei Cai (吴韦才)! He is a writer, a poet, a performer, an art director and best of all, a well established speaker. His one and half hour session made the audience drown with laughter and joy, while in the mean time enjoyed all the Chinese oldies ranging from the 40s to 60s. Most of the audience were senior citizens, they really enjoyed the session and good old memories.

At this function, I really felt the original essence of a Community Centre. It is to connect people together, sharing laughter and love; sharing ideas and exchange experience. It should not be a place to make profit, or to show off its management excellence. Judging a Community Centre by it yearly profits does not serve it original purpose, it could only lead the premises further away from the people. Renting part of the premises to commercial entities will be heading the opposite way of the objective of building that CC. People who manages the CC may think otherwise these days, but people's mindset would not be the same.

So, would CC be another white elephant in the future? I think the bosses on top should give a thorough thought on this issue.

If have doubt, come to Whampoa CC on the next session of 'Wang Shi Yi Qi Hui Wei 往事一起回味'. And experience the warmth and touching feeling of the people there! The event is on a weekly basis, it starts from 9.30am to 12.00 noon on Sundays.

今夜正是元宵夜，正月十五夜。窗外一轮黄月，撲面而来。据报章说，今夜的月是近五十年来最大的一盤圓月。事因今夜的月距离地球最近，所以看来会比平時大。闲來无事，翻出辛弃疾的青玉案元夕诗共賞：

《青玉案 元夕》
（宋）辛弃疾
东风夜放花千树，更吹落，星如雨。 宝马雕车香满路，凤萧声动，壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞 。 蛾儿雪柳黄金缕，笑语盈盈暗香去。 众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首， 那人却在，火阑珊处。

An Old Working Table for a Goldsmith

一日，无意走过近觀音廟附近的购物廣場，驚见在三楼的一個角落，在一间不大上眼的店内，静静的摆着一張陳旧的金匠工作桌。仔细再详看，那影像差点将我活活擊倒。那可不是我小時候。日夜相对的老爸的那張工作桌嗎？那么熟悉的摆飾，那么亲切的工具。老爸就是利用这些器具，终日在桌前，敲敲打打的，将一個家独撑了半个世纪，将我们幾兄弟养大。

重見这些器具，恍如隔世。如今，老爸的敲擊声不再。留给我的，僅是一支小小的枰子。那是他常用来称量金飾用的。


那店中还摆着一張用人力拖拉金絲的工具。这一切实在令我震撼非常。只是世事无常，大多随风而逝。僅存斯人唏嘘于此。奈何奈何？

On day, as I walked along Waterloo Street toward Middle Road, accidentally I walked into a shopping centre. In that centre I found something that was related to my childhood and to my father. My Father who was a goldsmith by profession, had use his skills in goldsmith, brought up a family of four in 50 years. He was a good craftman, I still remembered one of his works was the commissioned work from the old Johor Sultan, that was in the early 60s.

As I saw this workstation of a goldsmith, it makes me recalled all my old memories that related to my father. I stood there for long time, and took several shots with my handphone to secure this scene. I regretted that I had not taken any photos while my father was working at his table.
I missed all the sounds, smell and glittering lights from his table.

A working table for a Goldsmith.

This is a tool to flatten a piece of gold bar, turns it into sheet form.

This is a tool to pull and produce gold thread with different sizes. All these tools are manual, need human force to perform the job.