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Observations of a wanderer
Created on 2007-02-12 03:06:06 (#12264686), last updated 2009-10-02
275 comments received, 551 comments posted
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Basic Info| Name: | Benjamin Ap Gwilym Ap Thomas |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | 1949-05-05 |
| Location: | Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| Website: | Cross Cultural Discipling Mission |
BioOne question I'm often asked, but which is not easy for me to answer is, "Where are you from?" Even "What nationality are you?" or "Are you an American?" are not much easier.
My Mother was American, born and raised in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. My Dad was British-Canadian -- born in Wales, where he lived until age 14, then lived in a coal-mining town in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, from then until he was in his 20s. They went, separately, as missionaries to Tibet and West China and were married there. I was born in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. When I was a baby, we moved to South Africa, then, from there to Hong Kong when I was in my teens. While growing up I lived in South Africa, Oregon for three years while my parents were between stages in their work, and Hong Kong until I was college age. I attended college in Missouri, where I married an American from Oklahoma. After college my wife and I moved to Hong Kong to begin our own mission work there in 1975. We have two grown children, both of them "Made in Hong Kong." The son teaches biology in a community college, and the daughter is a counsellor in a shelter for abused women.
In our work in Hong Kong we worked first with a Chinese church, but since 1981 we have worked with a church that is mainly made up of Filipinos who live and work in Hong Kong (most of them women, working as domestic servants). The church has also drawn members (and myriad visitors) from many other nationalities and cultures.
As for nationality, I have at least dual nationality and have passports for both the U.S. and the U.K. I might also be eligible for Canadian citizenship. It probably mainly depends on exactly when my father lost his Canadian "domicile." Chinese nationality (by birth as opposed to naturalisation) goes not by place of birth but by descent through the father, so I am not eligible for that. My wife and I are "Hong Kong Permanent Residents", which gives us a status almost the same as citizens for Hong Kong, but not the rest of China.
Most of my cousins on my mother's side of the family live in the U.S., apart from one who lived in New Zealand for many years and is now in Eastern Siberia, I think. On my father's side of the family, most of my cousins live in Canada, apart from one who lives in India.
My Mother was American, born and raised in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. My Dad was British-Canadian -- born in Wales, where he lived until age 14, then lived in a coal-mining town in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, from then until he was in his 20s. They went, separately, as missionaries to Tibet and West China and were married there. I was born in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. When I was a baby, we moved to South Africa, then, from there to Hong Kong when I was in my teens. While growing up I lived in South Africa, Oregon for three years while my parents were between stages in their work, and Hong Kong until I was college age. I attended college in Missouri, where I married an American from Oklahoma. After college my wife and I moved to Hong Kong to begin our own mission work there in 1975. We have two grown children, both of them "Made in Hong Kong." The son teaches biology in a community college, and the daughter is a counsellor in a shelter for abused women.
In our work in Hong Kong we worked first with a Chinese church, but since 1981 we have worked with a church that is mainly made up of Filipinos who live and work in Hong Kong (most of them women, working as domestic servants). The church has also drawn members (and myriad visitors) from many other nationalities and cultures.
As for nationality, I have at least dual nationality and have passports for both the U.S. and the U.K. I might also be eligible for Canadian citizenship. It probably mainly depends on exactly when my father lost his Canadian "domicile." Chinese nationality (by birth as opposed to naturalisation) goes not by place of birth but by descent through the father, so I am not eligible for that. My wife and I are "Hong Kong Permanent Residents", which gives us a status almost the same as citizens for Hong Kong, but not the rest of China.
Most of my cousins on my mother's side of the family live in the U.S., apart from one who lived in New Zealand for many years and is now in Eastern Siberia, I think. On my father's side of the family, most of my cousins live in Canada, apart from one who lives in India.
ConnectInterests (33):
'50s rock 'n' roll, '60s pop, apologetics, baroque music, c.s. lewis, cajun music, christianity, church history, classical music, cross cultural communication, dorothy sayers, early music, ethics, folk music, folk-style music, hiking, hong kong, indian vegetarian food, languages, middle-eastern music, mysteries, oregon, palestine, photography, reggae, renaissance music, restoration movement, thought-provoking books, thought-provoking movies, wales, words, world music, writing
Schools:
King George V School - Kowloon, Hong Kong, China (1963 - 1967)King George V School - Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong, China (1963 - 1967)
Ozark Christian College - Joplin, MO (1967 - 1974)
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camillofan, chinchiller, courtly, culturalnomad, eliskimo, forest_lady, fox_sejant, hel_ana, lametiger, larmer, pirish, wunmadmonkey
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