我是黃寶蕾，香港人。家裡有爸爸、媽媽、哥哥、妹妹和我，一家五口都在香港出生。
爺爺是潮州人，他年輕時偷渡來港，初期在九龍打滾，後來到上水古洞投靠親戚，和嫲嫲結婚生下爸爸後，就在木湖村定居。爸爸是大哥，有七兄弟姊妹。
媽媽是客家人，家裡有五兄弟姐妹，她排第三，小時候住在荃灣大窩口。外公很早已經離世，外婆到工廠打散工養活一家。
爸爸會聽和說潮州話，因為小時候爺爺嫲嫲都跟他說潮州話，相反媽媽對客家話就一竅不通，因為當年外公想盡快適應香港的生活，所以他們一家都以廣東話溝通。而我就只會一句潮州話：「我不知你在說什麼！」每次我跟爺爺嫲嫲說這句話，他們都會笑一笑，然後用廣東話跟我說話。這句話萬試萬靈，所以我一直都記在心裏。
我在上水賽馬會石湖墟醫療所出世，住在打鼓嶺木湖村。木湖村位於新界邊境禁區，與深圳近在咫尺，由高處望，會看到深圳蓋滿密集高樓，高樓更不斷在建造中，香港這邊暫時只有零星工程，仍有大片綠地，明顯看到的那條界線很虛幻，大霧時好像看見海市蜃樓一樣。國共內戰爆發後，港英政府為遏止偷渡客，開始在中港邊界設立禁區，進出邊境禁區需要出示禁區許可證，又稱禁區紙，從此木湖村和其他邊界村落變得與世隔絕。以往禁令只有在清明節和重陽節才能豁免，因為很多人會到禁區拜祭祖先。平日來探望我們的親友需要在星期一至五到粉嶺警署辦理禁區紙，即使大時大節（如農曆新年）也不例外。記得我初中時因為未滿18 歲，進出邊境不用出示禁區紙，所以我邀請一班中學同學到我家燒烤，但經過警崗時心情仍然非常緊張，擔心同學會被警察查問或被拒絕通過，當然最後他們都安全通過禁區。
爺爺嫲嫲在木湖村初期以種菜維生，由很小的農地慢慢愈種愈大。後期因為某些原因，爺爺把田地轉型，改為飼養家禽。爸爸每天放學後會到農場幫忙工作。八十年代末農業開始式微，內地食材開始大量供港，而且當時政府亦推出一些補償政策向雞農買回牌照。爺爺在哥哥出世時買了最後一批雞苗養殖，之後便和嫲嫲退休搬到太和居住。我們一家依舊住在木湖村，爸爸將雞場改建成魚場，買了一些熱帶觀賞魚魚苗來養殖。後來爸爸因為擔心魚場發展，所以在我唸幼稚園的時候決定轉行，他去學習中醫物理治療並於上水設立中醫館，我六歲的時候，我們一家搬到上水石湖墟居住，方便爸爸工作。
當時我們住在上水石湖墟新康街唐樓，位於市中心，交通非常方便。上水石湖墟（又稱舊墟）在三十年代設立，是區內的商業中心，多年來小店林立。但二千年初內地自由行興起，為上水帶來翻天覆地的改變，舊墟成為水貨集中地，一街藥房、金行和大型連鎖店。有一間我很喜歡的獨立咖啡店位於舊墟唐樓地下，店內有一個戶外花園，是我中學時期經常流連的聖地，但因為水貨活動開始活躍，以往寧靜的上水變得人口稠密，昔日的咖啡店被一堆水貨和行李箱包圍著。我的生活環境也完全被改變。租金不斷上升，四年前爸爸的中醫館跟其他小店一樣抵受不了租金壓力而選擇結束。而我們一家搬回木湖村居住。雖然不捨，但上水淪陷後變成另一個旺角，已經不是一個適合居住的地方。雖然我的工作經常需要早出晚歸，我見到家人的時間很少，但現在每天回家都可以看見寧靜的天空，又遠離水貨客，一切都是值得的。
二零一六年初，我們搬回木湖村居住兩年後，文錦渡禁區解封。未解封前街上經過的警車比居民多，解禁後我們進出方便了，探望我們的人亦不用再申請禁區紙。隨著邊境禁區開放，和新界東北發展計劃帶動，原本屬禁區的土地價格急升數倍，很多田地被改建成貨倉，禁區亦變得非常繁忙而且經常塞車。禁區消失和新界不斷發展，日後的「新界」可能會變成另一個海市蜃樓。但我暫時沒有打算離開香港，始終習慣跟家人一起生活。我只希望以後不論搬到那裏，都能跟家人一起。
I am Jasmin Wong, Hongkonger. My parents, my brother, my sister and I were all born and live in Hong Kong together.
My grandfather stowed away from Chaozhou to Hong Kong when he was young. At first he was active in Kowloon then moved to Kwu Tung to live with relatives. After marriage he settled down in Muk Wu Tsuen.
My mother is Hakka. She lived in Tai Wo Hau when she was young.
My father speaks Teochew. But my mother knows nothing about Hakka Chinese. I only speak one Teochew sentence – Wah Ng Zai Lu Dah Mi Gai (I don’t know what you say)!
I was born in Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club Clinic, live in Muk Wu Tsuen which is right at the frontier closed area where we can see Shenzhen has been putting up many tall buildings. On the other side, Hong Kong only has a few constructions underway. The area had been closed by the British Hong Kong government since the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War to stop the stowaways. Closed area permits were needed to enter the area therefore Muk Wu Tsuen was rather isolated. The procedure could only be exempted on Ching Ming Festival and Chung Yeung Festival. When I was in junior high school, I invited my classmates to my house. We were all under 18 so the policy did not apply to us but I was still very nervous when we passed the police post.
My grandparents were farmers in Muk Wu Tsuen. Later my grandfather changed the arable farms into an animal farm. In the late 80s, imports from China replaced agriculture. My grandparents then retired and moved to Tai Wo. My father also changed his career as a Chinese medicine practitioner when I was in kindergarten. Our family moved to Shek Wu Hui for his convenience.
We lived in a tenement building in San Hong Street, Shek Wu Hui – the heart of Sheung Shui. Shek Wu Hui has been the commercial district in Sheung Shui since the 30s. However, the district has become the paradise of parallel trading which has severely affected our lives. Four years ago, my father’s clinic was forced to close because of the high rent. We then moved back to Muk Wu Tsuen.
As Man Kam To Frontier Closed Area was open in 2016 and the North East New Territories New Development Areas Planning began, Sheung Shui has become another Mong Kok – it is not a good place to live anymore. But I will stay in Hong Kong with my family. I hope we will be together no matter where we move to next.