kumshaw alms (of Cantonese origin)
kwai a ghost; more accurately a disembodied spirit
Kwan Ti the god of war and literature, and the patron god of secret brotherhoods, the police and many others
lai see packet a red paper envelope printed with gold lettering and containing money: usually given as a gift at Chinese New Year
loh siu a rat (or mouse)
mai dan the bill
Mat yeh? What? (rudely implying What do you mant?)
m’ho bad or no
m’ho cheen Literally, no money
m’koi thank you (for a service or act); also, on occasion by implication, please
muntjak a small, indigenous deer, also known as a barking deer on account of its dog-like call
Nei wui mui gong ying mun? Do you speak English?
Nei giu mut ye meng? What is your name?
Nei ho ma? How do you do?—a common greeting
nga pin opium
ng mun five dollars
Ngo giu jo My name is …
nullah an open drain, varying in size from two feet wide and three deep up to sixty feet wide and fifteen deep; usually built to cope with heavy rain or effluent
pi lau a ceremonial archway
praya a stone-fronted dock or esplanade
pu-erh a variety of Chinese tea
roorkee chair a folding camp chair used in India and rather like a film director’s chair
sarong a Malay (usually Tamil) ankle-length cotton skirt worn by men
saw hei combed or combed back (of hair)
Sei Hoi Jau Dim Fourseas Hotel
shadouf an ancient Egyptian crane-like irrigation mechanism for raising water
sheh snake
skink a common lizard
suq an Arab market or bazaar
ushabti a small ancient Egyptian funerary sculpture
wan bay or inlet
wei! hey! or, if used on the telephone, hello: the American equivalent would be Yoh!
wok a type of cooking pot, used especially for shallow frying or searing
won ton a deep fried dumpling of minced beef and pork, water chestnuts and onions
yamen a building housing the home and office of a mandarin, magistrate or other regional administrator in dynastic times
yat, yee, sam, sei, ng, lok … one, two, three, four, five, six …
yum cha literally drink tea
martin booth wrote the nonfiction histories Cannabis and Opium and the novel Hiroshima Joe, among many other books. He began this memoir of his childhood after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002 and died shortly after completing the manuscript in 2004. An internationally known, Booker Prize – shortlisted novelist and writer, Booth was considered an authority on everything from the history of Chinese organized crime syndicates to the conservation of the African rhino. Opium: A History is regarded as the definitive book on the subject, and he is the author of eight other works of nonfiction, eleven novels, and five works of children’s fiction.
JACKET DESIGN BY KAREN HORTON
JACKET PHOTOGRAPH
HONG KONG (CHINA: 1842-1997 BRIT. COLONY).
VICTORIA (CENTRAL DISTRICT).
“STREET SCENE WITH RICKSHAW AT A CROSSING”
PHOTO, UND AT. (1950).
CAKG-IMAGES/PAUL ALMASY
GOLDEN BOY. Copyright © 2004 by Martin Booth. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied jn critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
www.stmartins.com
First published in Great Britain by Doubleday
a division of Transworld Publishers
eISBN 9781466818583
First eBook Edition : April 2012