終於 Finally
努力到第三次，穿耳終於成功，可以戴上等候我很久的朋友了！
Eight months ago, I got this pair beautiful folded crane earrings.
感激星島記者訪問May Yu and 先天弱聽攝影師Casey，我才知道去年四月認識的新朋友 May ，她所疊的紙鶴耳環有這美好的回憶故事，這星期又能認識從香港來的朋友Casey 了，多倫多的確增加了不少活力，多謝你們。
The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and many Chinese communities are eagerly preparing for New Year markets. Among them are immigrant artists from Hong Kong, hearing impaired photographer Casey Chan; May Yu, who previously worked as a lecturer in the English department at a university in Hong Kong. This February, they will collaborate at the LunarFest New Year market, selling postcards and handicrafts to share their immigration stories while also engaging with the community to explore the narratives of separation and reunion.
**The Camera Quietly Records the World**
Casey has hearing impairment due to a genetic mutation and has been unable to hear since birth. Even though doctors implanted a cochlear implant in his left ear, he still lives in a world where sounds are nearly inaudible. He has been learning to read lips in Cantonese since he was one year old. “(Reading lips) is harder in English because the mouth shapes don’t move, but in Chinese and Cantonese, the mouth shapes are more exaggerated, so I know what’s being said.”
Despite living in a silent world, Casey has always enjoyed quietly recording the world through photography. “(Photography) allows me to communicate with myself and others through a single image. A camera is like an artist’s brush, painting the message that the artist wants to express.”
### Cross-Cultural Photography
During this Lunar New Year market event, he and his partner, May Yu, set up a booth selling postcards made from their own artistic photography. The entire process has been challenging for Casey. This collection of photos was taken in various locations across Japan, the United States, and Canada, and it will be exhibited in May at the Assembly Hall in Toronto.
About two years ago, Casey followed his spouse to live in Canada. During this time, he not only participated in various markets to showcase his photography but also documented the experiences of Indigenous protest in Toronto. Additionally, he became the stills photographer for the local Mandarin independent film "The Fall of the City."
Regarding his commitment to participating in markets, Casey mentioned that it's a way to interact with people from different backgrounds. For instance, there were residents of African descent who specifically came to the market to appreciate his work, and immigrants from Hong Kong who were moved to tears by his "TTC Life Documentation," reminiscing about the Hong Kong subway while feeling the love present in Toronto.
In addition, he crafted several New Year decorations, such as "White Rabbit" charms, which carry his childhood memories—there was always a box filled with nostalgic "White Rabbit" candies during the New Year. He openly admits that he was inspired by May, who learned about his hearing impairment and helped translate English into Cantonese for him in real-time, making it easier for him to read lips.
**Former English Department Lecturer: Moved to Canada to Care for “Lifeboat” Students**
When it comes to culture, May always speaks passionately. In fact, she graduated from the English and Cultural Studies departments at Lingnan University in Hong Kong and later became a university lecturer, teaching for ten years. Unfortunately, witnessing the drastic changes in Hong Kong's political landscape after 2019, especially seeing teachers from her teacher being arrested at the airport, along with the bleak academic prospects, she resolutely gave up her well-paid university position to move to Canada and care for students in the “Lifeboat Program”. "They are just like me, without family or connections."
May said,
When I was little, I folded a lot of paper cranes. My mother taught me how to fold them when I was in kindergarten. Every time I fold, I think about the connection I had with my mother; it's a part of my memories and something I cherish dearly.
