About Blue Lamb
Blue Lamb or 蓝羊 is more than a name – it symbolises heritage, faith and exploration. The name is birthed out of my family’s Chinese surname 蓝 and rooted in Christian values. In Chinese, 蓝羊 also sounds like Nanyang 南洋 or Southern Ocean often used to reference South East Asia. This is our origin and geographic focus.
This is My Story
I never knew my grandfather. He was taken away by the Kempeitai during the Japanese Occupation when my father was just two years old. Despite hearing fragmented stories about him from my relatives, I felt I never truly knew this man. For years, I assumed it would be impossible to uncover more about his life, as I am not fluent in Chinese.
That all changed in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. While sorting through old family documents, I rediscovered my grandparents’ marriage certificate and decided to have it scanned. Armed with this document, I reached out to a family research agency in China, hoping they could help me piece together my grandfather’s story. The agency was able to use the information on the certificate to trace my grandfather’s and grandmother’s Chinese names, dates and places of birth.
Delving deeper into my family’s history, the agency searched for our ancestral Family Tree Book, known as a zupu (族谱) or jiapu (家谱). After two weeks, they located it in the archives of the Lam family clan in Dabu (大埔), my ancestral hometown. Unfortunately, the clan was in the process of updating the book, so I was unable to obtain a copy.
Undeterred, I conducted my own online research and discovered a blog written by another member of the Lam clan. This blog documented 800 years of the 蓝 Lam clan from Dabu (大埔). I am Generation 27 and we had the same ancestor in Generation 19.
When I reached out, I received the page showing my grandfather’s 25th generation – including the fact that he had 22 brothers, though the sisters were not recorded.
The research agency was also able to secure a document containing oral testimonies from survivors of the Japanese occupation, which included details about what happened to my grandparents during that tumultuous time. I was able to have these pages translated, further illuminating the hardships they endured.
As I continue to uncover the details of my family’s past, I am reminded that my journey is not unique. Many of my friends have expressed a desire to embark on similar quests to explore their own family histories. The site features ‘House of Lam,’ where I share stories from my family. Through ‘Discover for Yourself’, I will share my experiences and insights, hoping to inspire others to delve into their own ancestral roots.”
And as a public relations professional, I will also share my thoughts and insights in communications related issues through ‘Practically Nothing – Ramblings of a PR Man‘.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.