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Visiting The House I Grew Up In

written by John Chow on April 1, 2009

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Punyu House

The house I grew up in has been in my family for four generations. It was built brick by brick by my great great grandfather and still stands today. The surroundings have changed a lot since I last visited it over a decade ago. The roads are now paved and there’s electricity 24/7. There’s even high speed Internet access! Punyu is no longer a small farming village. With the incredible growth of nearby Guangzhou, Punyu has pretty much become an extension of the city.

Our house is one of the few remaining homes from my time. Most of the houses I grew up next to have been torn down and replaced with apartments. The farming village has turned into a hot place for Guangzhou city workers to find inexpensive places to rent. Growth is being spurred on by the construction of a high speed rail line that will connect Gaungzhou and Punyu to the new International airport. If there is a recession, this part of China is not feeling it.

While the village may have grown and changed, the house I grew up in has remained the same. It still has no heating, electricity or running water. I lived in this house for the first seven years of my life. This is where I came from.

Punyu House

Punyu House

Punyu House

Punyu House

Punyu House

Punyu House

Punyu House

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Blog Tips 5 pts

OMG.... I never thought you are from such a background. But how... how did you manage to do all these things within a house like this. When did you start to blogging. I would like to hear the whole story of your life. If you like please share with us. I think we will be able to learn thousands of lessons from your life story.

Wish you all the best for your future works.

I'm sure your house looks nothing like that now

James Hartje’s last blog post: LinkedIn: A Growing Enterprise

My house looks like that. Sleeping on the floor does wonders for my back.

Thank you for sharing this, and congratulations on all your success!

I say you if you have to tear it down, rebuild it as a shelter for homeless people. Think about it, seems like a great idea.

this is great thing to know house where you grow up in, i am sure you have much better one with your blog to day mr. john

rozim’s last blog post: Earning Thousand Dollars From Internet

Can't beat history John... built by you Grandfather.. that is cool...

Online Marketing’s last blog post: The FaceBook Username Rush

Hey John what camera/camcorder did you use to film your old house in China? I like how well it works at night.

Michael Chu’s last blog post: NeoBux Instant Payment $6.00 - 5/7/2009

From bricks in CHINA to posh mansions in CANADA. HARDWORK+LUCK=JOHN CHOW. More blessings!

D3Marketers’s last blog post: TEN BLOCKBUSTER WAYS TO IGNITE YOUR SALES

I wish I owned the homes that I grew up in. It's so funny how huge they seem when you're so young and small. When you go back, they just don't seem the same. I love child hood memories. I enjoyed looking at your pics there. I love the past.

I thought you are Korean and not Chinese. I'm half Chinese but I never heard of Chow as a surname before in my elementary and high school years (those were Chinese schools). I don't have Chinese friends after that. I also thought you are born in Canada and your parents migrated there.

Anyway nice seeing your photos. It reminded me of my father's roots.

Lito | TheFilipinoEntrepreneur.Com’s last blog post: Domino Pizza - Two Praksters Fired and Charged for Contaminating Food

I sometimes drive past where I used to live as a child. It bothers me to see how much its changed.

Sometimes it's nice to keep childhood memories intact.

Linda’s last blog post: How to Heal At A Distance

pretty amazing. nice photos and nice story

wordpress design’s last blog post: NBA on TNT 2009 Playoffs Myspace Layout Design

That is just too awesome man...I too was born in a small village in Guangzhou (The Zheng province) and I cannot wait to go back again to visit and reflect on the success I will eventually have...Time for me to rise. Literally from rags to riches John...Good for you.

Michael Zhao’s last blog post: Time…is not on any bodies side.

That's time right there.

Static’s last blog post: Moving Over BloggersWalk

I'd love to grow up there as a kid. Seems like a great place to run a muck. Plus, their's no "watch for the cars" traffic.

Caleb’s last blog post: Gerber Baby Food = Not So Crazy. Ramen Gerber Baby Food = Get Your Crazy Bags Packed.

Hi John! I still use a dial-up and Im in New York. I love the pictures. It has its own style.

This is why I named you as one of my most influential people in Affiliate marketing on my blog John.

Sometimes we always look at the obstacles in life and what we can’t do in our limited thinking minds.

But when you see people like you give a testimony like that, and share your life with the world gives promise to all who follow. Thanks for that awesome share;

I am now even more inspired to be the next Super Affiliate Marketer!

Derek Bingham’s last blog post: Derek Bingham Dot Com Takes Home A Win In The Twitter Mania Contest

大哥,不能拆了建别墅的哟。应该花点钱整修一下,是历史的见证。

呵呵 要常回家看看有

Is a very long time since you have visit the house where you grew up and where you lived and I believe many memories have started taking control over you thinking about your childhood...

Technolik’s last blog post: Caroline Caz Pal - Michael Phelps’s hot Girlfriend

hi this house is scary, the video is pretty

Global Ingresos’s last blog post: Como Conocer La Información De Tu Nicho De Mercado Y Ganar Dinero

Wow, these photos as well as your story are great. This is the true "roots".

Beautiful stuff.

-Ron

These photos are amazing. Your past home is indeed unique.

Smart Boy Designs’s last blog post: Love Your Blog Topic Like Stephen Hawking Loves Science

i think it would be a pity if you torn it down , if i where you i would keep the house and renovate it with modern furniture and technology.

and for your friends that grew up with you i think you can search in qq.com (china's version of facebook & myspace)

A very nice video. How lucky that your boyhood home is still there for you to reminisce. A house that sturdy is worthy of preservation and wouldn't that be nice!

earthtoholly’s last blog post: Hide ‘N Seek With Lucy

Thanks for letting us see where you came from. I'll bet that at 7 years old living there, you never could have imagined how different your life would be in 2009. Good on you!! You are proof that hard work and the drive to succeed are all you need to accomplish anything you desire.

girliegeek’s last blog post: This Week in Twitter

That’s a great house !
Contemporary art from all over the orld, Art contemporain

Contemporary Art’s last blog post: Mary Mattingly – Robert Mann Gallery – ‘Nomadographies’

WOW...you've made such great strides since then

Andrew@jetcomx’s last blog post: Chester French & Clinton Sparks Present Jacques Jams Vol. 1: Endurance

I love brick houses! And this one is surely a nice old styled one.

:)

Affiliate Guides’s last blog post: Which Affiliate Program Should I Choose

Amazing! Its just like going back to the past!

Built by hand by your great great grandfather and still standing that's amazing!

Teen Forum’s last blog post: Last time you...

Wow, culture shock! The toilet is awesome!

BlogTipsForBeginners’s last blog post: Why YOU Should Start A Blog - The Top 10 Reasons And 26 More

that's a great house,

jobucks’s last blog post: Classified Site Project

Great John. My hats off to someone who is proud of his beginnings. As they say, always appreciate everything you been given in life before and now. Be proud man. Your past is a part of you, much of it is what made you who you are today.

nice post!

Wow John, I see you have a humble beginning and look what you have accomplished. You are a true inspiration of success. I have a very humble background myself as I was born in Cuba. Pretty poor there as you might imagine. Great post! :-)

Mario Remedios’s last blog post: My Trip to Florida

Is there anybody still living in this house?

Nobody lives in the house anymore.

is there anybody who's still living this room?

Judging from the pictures, I'll say than nobody still lives there.

How I miss the place where I was born... I never visit Vietnam since I left it 30 years ago...
Amazing pictures John.

Umm... April Fools anyone? You honestly don't all think JC used to live there... right?!

Saro’s last blog post: La Banquise: 25 variations on a heart attack

Actually, Punyu should be Panyu, Punyu or Poonyu are both cantonese pronunciation. We use the mandarin or Putonghua pinyin phonetic system to name a place.
By the way , I am blessed to live here now at Panyu district of Guangzhou. I live and study in the Higher Education Mega Center.

abnerfan.blogspot.com’s last blog post: Go after money or for interest?

Punyu should be Panyu, actually. Punyu or Poonyu are Cantonese. In China, we now use Pinyin phonetic system to name a place in China.

abnerfan.blogspot.com’s last blog post: Go after money or for interest?

Nice to see the house John. Looks like a cool place.

You've definitely come a long way since then, and you should feel proud of all your accomplishments. Oddly enough, even with that, I envy you for a different reason. As a military kid, I've lived in many places that I'm not allowed to visit, and that's too bad. So, I can't even track back that little bit of legacy.

Mitch’s last blog post: I’ll Write Articles For You; For A Price

very nostalgic john

Such a strong house!Imagine, for so many years it stood still against the modern world.

A place that should be preserved IMHO.

marl’s last blog post: 5 Easy Ways to Start your Own Self-Supported Blog

That's nice to hear positive news from that part of the world.

Silvia’s last blog post: Эмили Браунинг снимется в картине Запрещенный прием

It's good to know there are some places that are prospering. Thanks for openly sharing your childhood, it is refreshingly honest.