I am fortunate enough to borrow a very old book from a school library which still stocks some very old books published by the Borneo Literature Buerau. It helps me recollect my school days and my siblings' school kid singing.
Looking at Malaysia Sings 1, I am delighted to see that the compilation by Gloria M. Smith which is so global in outlook.
Let me share with you what she wrote in the Introduction,
" Singing is a source of delight and expression for almost all young people. Thus the chief aim of the singing lesson must be enjoyment.
This book has been assembled to fulfil a dual puirpose. First, it provides a selection of songs with varying moods which should be within the range of the studnets' experience or understanding. They should be sung for pleasure, with feeling for the mood of each particular song.
Second, it is designed to encourage a music reading programme so that students may achieve some independence in reading musical notation for themselves. Each song is provided with a short study in music reading. The intention is that students shoud learn correctly the rhythm and melody of the study before attempting to read the music of a song."
Smith went to on write the following procedure for teaching:
1. the teacher wries the study on the blackboard.
2. the class claps the thythm while counting, or "saying" the thythm to Frnech time names.
3. the class sings the melody to "so-fa" in correct thythm.
4. the class sings the melody to "loo" for good head tone.
This is a teaching methodology which has proven time and time again effective during my years of teacher training. My English trainees taught their English songs within the English lessons following this guide. Singing in an English class is full of enjoyment and helps many children learn English in a happy environment.
The local songs included in this booklet also enrich our repertoire of songs. In Smith's words, "Students should be encouraged to take pride in their songs of their own peoles, and to contribute more of these to the music class.
The results of a good singing programme are increased enoyment in singing, satisfaction from participation in a group effort for the attainment of excellence, and the social and cultural benefits to be derived from the appreciation of the crative efforts of one's own people and one's neighbours."
Written and published in 1964, this book was used by almost all Sarawak schools for music lessons until the programme was stopped when music was no longer offered as we "ran out of music teachers". Some of the very good school music teachers in Sibu were Miss Saroha Mamora, Miss Ida Mamora, Mr and Mrs. Lee Bee Teik (they were younger teachers), Mrs. Catherine Chew Ing Seng, Miss McKay, Miss Thompson.
I believe if you remember your school days and you were part of my time, you would remember them and your music lessons.
One of my favourite school songs from this book is Planting Rice from the Philippines
Planting Rice
Planting rice is never fun,
Bent from morning until set of sun
Cannot stand and cannot sit
Cannot rest a little bit.
Oh my back is like to break
Oh my bones with dampness ache
And my legs are numb and set
From their soaking in the wet
When the surly sunbeams break,
You will wonder in your wake
In the muddy neighbourhood
There is work and pleasant food.
Chorus: Planting rice is no fun,
Bent from morn till set of sun
Cannot stand cannot sit,
Cannot bent a little bit.
Oh my back is like to break
And my legs are numb and set
From their soaking in the wet
You must move your arms about
Or you'll find you'll be without!
Whatever the new policy makers today may rationalize their policies regarding curriculum, my friends and I can testify that we had from a great group of dedicated teachers was a fantastic education . I only hope that each generation will be given a better education than the generation before with all the research done and commitment made by the government to our new generation.
Reference:Malaysia Sings Book One. Borneo Literature Bureau. 1964. (Price :M $1.20)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
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Galvanised Metal Pails and Basins or Tubs
Note : This picture is by Regina Doman (blog : House Art)If I can find one such tub in Sarawak I would be so happy to photograph it!!
When I was very very young, I enjoyed bathing in an oval galvanised metal basin which also doubled as a washing tub for my mother. We were living in the Hua Hong Ice Factory on the island, which had no name. It was just Hua Hong Factory or Ice Factory to all, young and old, in Sibu at that time.
Every family I believe had a few galvanised metal pails and one washing basin. These were almost like family heirlooms and were supposed to last a life time. I remember when we moved to our wooden house in Kung Ping Road, my mother made sure that the basin came with us. She found it the most useful household item.
I also remember that about twenty years after we moved to Sibu, a Spanish friend of mine, who was living in Sibu at that time, told me that the Spanish would boil their clothes using a similar basin. By that time, she could not find one in Sibu. And ours had seen enough wear and tear. My eldest daughter was born in the wooden house and she too had a chance to use the metal basin. In a way, that metal basin had seen 26 years of good life by then. Amazing wasn't it?
Which shop made galvanised metal pails and basins? There was one in Blacksmith Road. I remember jumping over the metal sheets whenever I went to school and had to use the five foot way along Blacksmith Road. It was next to Dr. Kiu Nai Cheng's Clinic.
The half shop had an array of metal pails and basins and the two staff would be seen bending over and shaping the metal sheets into pails and basins. The would be wearing their white Pagoda singlets. Once in a while because the weather was so hot, they would not be wearing an singlet at all. Just their blue Chinaman cotton shorts.
At lunch time, they would take their break and their lunch would be served on a low table quite near their fire place. food was most probably brought to them in the enamel tiffin carrier which was so popular at that time.
This was the kind of life style which went out of fashion when cars became the norm and urbanity set in. Then later, the shop and the skilled craftsmen moved somewhere else and the half shop was taken over by another owner. True to progress, industrial enterprises have to move to the outer rings of a growing town to reduce costs like rising rentals, and most probably the owner must have made enough money to expand and have a factory built to accommodate more business and more workers.
A galvanised basin was often used to "heat up" bathing water in the hot morning sun. Babies who were bathed in sun heated water were believed to have less prickly heat. The metal basin would indeed heat up very fast. The special size of the basin was really ingenius in measurement - not too big and not too small. A child could enjoy bathing in the basin until she was about three or four years old. Bathing a baby was such a joy then.
I felt rather sad when plastics started to overwhelm our lives and lifestyle. It was always very comfortable to hear the scrapping sound of the metal basin on the crude cement floor.
That "kerliing kerliing" sound was the sound of mother's love - mother was was up early and getting our laundry done in the washing area. It was a comforting sound which told us that she was looking after us really well.
zinc sheets or "Sa Li Ngua"
Sa Li Ngua? It is a saviour kind of building material for the poor and needy. A rich man can donate ten pieces to a man whose house was burnt in the early morning. Some politicians can easily send 100 zinc sheets to garner some votes. As for me, one or two pieces meant that I could collect rain water to wash my clothes in those long ago days. Just two pieces of zinc sheets and one oil drum - we had free and clean rain water for our family. Praise God for that.
Corrugated galvanised iron or in simple Sibu terms, zinc sheets for roofing were common easily obtainable makeshift building materials. I remember that this was a common sight when I was a school girl in Sibu : a farmer would buy one or two sheets, rolled them up and carried them home on his bicycle. He would be pushing his bicycle, often he would be barefooted. Soon he would use them to save rain water from the roof in an oil drum. Another recyling idea.
He could use the two pieces to build a new chicken coop, or repair his leaking roof. He might use them as a shed for his wife who washed in the open verandah.
Or in another scenario, the zinc sheets would be the new wall of his little extension of a small kitchen.
This is just to show you how versatile the corrugated galvanised iron was in the lives of the Foochows in the last fifty years.
Today the tin roof is more often rusty and very identifiable. To me they reflect the struggling life of many inhabitants of Sibu, trying to stretch their ringgit as much as they can. Tin roofing being one of the cheapest and easiest to use building material will continue to be the pet material of not only the pioneers of an area but the itinerant and poorer inhabitants of Sibu.
They will colour the scenary of Sibu and remind any onlooker that life is still a struggle amongst 80% of the population amidst the grand development of multi million ringgit homes of the rich and famous. Thieves have even been known to steal the miserable pieces of roofing from the absolute poor people. When the theives could not still money, they take any removable building materials.
In fact, unknown to many Foochows the corrugated galvanised iron roofing has been rather well documented throughout the world.
It is used in Mount Lawley, Western Australia. One can still see the tin roof to the crushing plant of an abandoned tin mine Northern Territory, Australia. There is the famous corrugated iron Church (or tin tabernacle) in Kilburn, London.
According to the Wikipeadia write up, CGI is lightweight and easily transported. It was and still is widely used especially in rural and military buildings such as sheds and water tanks. Its unique properties were used in the development of countries like Australia from the 1840's, and it is still helping developing countries today.
Early manual corrugated iron roller. On display at Kapunda museum, South AustraliaCGI was invented in the 1820s in Britain by Henry Palmer, architect and engineer to the London Dock Company. It was originally made (as the name suggests) from wrought iron. It proved to be light, strong, corrosion-resistant, and easily transported, and particularly lent itself to prefabricated structures and improvisation by semi-skilled workers. It soon became a common construction material in rural areas in the United States and Australia and later India, and in Australia also became (and remains) the most common roofing material and is even used in urban areas (in which application it is usually painted) but not as commonly as in rural areas. For roofing purposes, the sheets are laid somewhat like tiles, with a lateral overlap of two or three corrugations, and a vertical overlap of about 150 mm, to provide for waterproofing. CGI is also a common construction material for industrial buildings throughout the world.
Wrought iron CGI was gradually replaced by mild steel from around the 1890s, and iron CGI is no longer obtainable - however, the common name has not been changed. Galvanised sheets with simple corrugations are also being gradually displaced by 55%Al-Zn coated steel (GALVALUME® steel) or coil-painted sheets with complex profiles. However CGI remains common.
(Source:Wikipedia® )
Thursday, April 17, 2008
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Short History of Management of Foochow (Sibu)Areas
With the increase in the number of Chinese settling down in Sarawak, the Brooke Government decided that it was time to form a proper system of social management.
The largest number of Chinese settlers was in Kuching. in 1876,the Rajah decreed that "a the post Kang Chu (Head of a River)would be established appointed and be responsible for the security and small legal affairs. The Government of the Rajah would continue to be the overall power for major decision making however, local cigarette,liquor, horse racing and other businesses would be in the hands of the Kang Chu."
The history of the Sarawak Kang Chu if it had been recorded well would have been a tremendous read and a source of reference for historians,politicians, scholars and readers alike
This in a way, was indeed a very great delegation of power by the Rajah Brooke to the Chinese Kang Chu. For several years, this system worked pretty well, in view of the peace and order the Rajah had brought to Sarawak. However,later , when the population of the Chinese immigrants grew to be large, the Rajah appointed a chinese Affairs Secretary in 1925.
This created a new management system with more personnel and more layers of decision making. Between 1925 and 1948, the following were appointed local headmen, in charge of their specific Foochow areas:
1. Lau Kah Tii (Ensurai)
2. Wong Kah Chiu (Sg. Merah and Liik Kii - sixth district)
3. Wong Sing Hui (Sibu Town)
4. Ting Ming Kang (Siong Poh)
5. Tiong Nai Tiong (Three Rivers Village)
6. Wong Chii Wang (Ah Poh)
7. Lau Tiu Hoo (Sg. Assan)
8. Ling Chii Ming (Bukit Lan)
9. Wong Chou Siang (Tanjong Kunyit)
10. Tiong Kung Ping (Binatang)
11. Wong Ching Poh (Sarikei)
Between 1949 and 1959, only the Sibu headmen were listed together, Binatang and Sarikei Headmen were not on the same list.
1949-1959 List of Sibu Foochow Headmen (Kii Tiong)
1. Wong Sing Kheng (Sibu Town)
2. Lau Kie Kwong ( Nang Chong)
3. Wong Chou Siang (Tanjong Kunyit)
4. Tiong Tiong Kee (Bukit Lima)
5. Tiang Ching Teng (Engkilo)
6. Tiong Nai Chang (Three Rivers Village, or San Ho Chong)
7. Tiong Wan Ming (Ensurai)
8. Tang Yin Eng (Nan Chong)
9. Ling Chii Ming (Bukit Lan)
10. Wong Kah Ting (Sg. Assan)
The Third Term list of Headmen 1959 - 1970
1. Ting Lik Hung (Sibu Town)
2. Ting Chew Huat (Sixth Preccinct or Luk Kii, Sungei Merah)
3. Tai Sing Chu (Engkilo)
4. Wong Ta Heng (Sg. Assan)
5. Tiong Nai Tiong (Three Rivers Village)
6. Kang Hin Yu (Tanjong Kunyit)
7. Lau Kie Kwong (Nan Chong)
8. Tang Yin Ing ( Sing nan Chong)
9. Tiong Wong Ming (Ensurai)
According to some historical records, from 1960, March , after the annual headmen's conference, Sibu was divided into 18 preccincts and 76 local areas. All the 18 headmen and 76 local community leaders or representatives would be under the supervision of the government. Meetings were held, area level decisions could be made, but it was up to the State government to make the final decision.
What was interesting was that a top layer of headmen were appointed more properly to rule over the local area headmen. This created a two level social administrative strata without the administrative system of the British rule. It was a very interesting dual administrative system, perhaps a spin off from the Rajah days..
Here is the list of the 18 headmen (Kii Tiong) and their local area representatives (Poh Tiong).
1. Kii Tiong or Headman of lst Preccinct - Ting Lik Hung (Area headmen : Yik Tek - Lee Yu Siong, Queensway - Ting Cheng Leong,Kiew nang - Lau Kiu Sing,Salim - Chieng Yin Siong, Pulau Keladi - Lau Chuong Chang and Durin - Wong Leong Meu)
2. Kii Tiong of 2nd Preccinct - Ting Chew Huat (Area headmen : Sungei Merah - Ting Chiw Hing, Bukit Lai - Lo Kwong Cheong, Bukei Assek - Wong Kee Ching, Queensway - Ling Siew Yu, Nan Shan - Chieng Tiong Yew)
3. Kii Tiong of 3rd Preccinct - Ting Kah Ong (Heng Hua)
more to come....
The largest number of Chinese settlers was in Kuching. in 1876,the Rajah decreed that "a the post Kang Chu (Head of a River)would be established appointed and be responsible for the security and small legal affairs. The Government of the Rajah would continue to be the overall power for major decision making however, local cigarette,liquor, horse racing and other businesses would be in the hands of the Kang Chu."
The history of the Sarawak Kang Chu if it had been recorded well would have been a tremendous read and a source of reference for historians,politicians, scholars and readers alike
This in a way, was indeed a very great delegation of power by the Rajah Brooke to the Chinese Kang Chu. For several years, this system worked pretty well, in view of the peace and order the Rajah had brought to Sarawak. However,later , when the population of the Chinese immigrants grew to be large, the Rajah appointed a chinese Affairs Secretary in 1925.
This created a new management system with more personnel and more layers of decision making. Between 1925 and 1948, the following were appointed local headmen, in charge of their specific Foochow areas:
1. Lau Kah Tii (Ensurai)
2. Wong Kah Chiu (Sg. Merah and Liik Kii - sixth district)
3. Wong Sing Hui (Sibu Town)
4. Ting Ming Kang (Siong Poh)
5. Tiong Nai Tiong (Three Rivers Village)
6. Wong Chii Wang (Ah Poh)
7. Lau Tiu Hoo (Sg. Assan)
8. Ling Chii Ming (Bukit Lan)
9. Wong Chou Siang (Tanjong Kunyit)
10. Tiong Kung Ping (Binatang)
11. Wong Ching Poh (Sarikei)
Between 1949 and 1959, only the Sibu headmen were listed together, Binatang and Sarikei Headmen were not on the same list.
1949-1959 List of Sibu Foochow Headmen (Kii Tiong)
1. Wong Sing Kheng (Sibu Town)
2. Lau Kie Kwong ( Nang Chong)
3. Wong Chou Siang (Tanjong Kunyit)
4. Tiong Tiong Kee (Bukit Lima)
5. Tiang Ching Teng (Engkilo)
6. Tiong Nai Chang (Three Rivers Village, or San Ho Chong)
7. Tiong Wan Ming (Ensurai)
8. Tang Yin Eng (Nan Chong)
9. Ling Chii Ming (Bukit Lan)
10. Wong Kah Ting (Sg. Assan)
The Third Term list of Headmen 1959 - 1970
1. Ting Lik Hung (Sibu Town)
2. Ting Chew Huat (Sixth Preccinct or Luk Kii, Sungei Merah)
3. Tai Sing Chu (Engkilo)
4. Wong Ta Heng (Sg. Assan)
5. Tiong Nai Tiong (Three Rivers Village)
6. Kang Hin Yu (Tanjong Kunyit)
7. Lau Kie Kwong (Nan Chong)
8. Tang Yin Ing ( Sing nan Chong)
9. Tiong Wong Ming (Ensurai)
According to some historical records, from 1960, March , after the annual headmen's conference, Sibu was divided into 18 preccincts and 76 local areas. All the 18 headmen and 76 local community leaders or representatives would be under the supervision of the government. Meetings were held, area level decisions could be made, but it was up to the State government to make the final decision.
What was interesting was that a top layer of headmen were appointed more properly to rule over the local area headmen. This created a two level social administrative strata without the administrative system of the British rule. It was a very interesting dual administrative system, perhaps a spin off from the Rajah days..
Here is the list of the 18 headmen (Kii Tiong) and their local area representatives (Poh Tiong).
1. Kii Tiong or Headman of lst Preccinct - Ting Lik Hung (Area headmen : Yik Tek - Lee Yu Siong, Queensway - Ting Cheng Leong,Kiew nang - Lau Kiu Sing,Salim - Chieng Yin Siong, Pulau Keladi - Lau Chuong Chang and Durin - Wong Leong Meu)
2. Kii Tiong of 2nd Preccinct - Ting Chew Huat (Area headmen : Sungei Merah - Ting Chiw Hing, Bukit Lai - Lo Kwong Cheong, Bukei Assek - Wong Kee Ching, Queensway - Ling Siew Yu, Nan Shan - Chieng Tiong Yew)
3. Kii Tiong of 3rd Preccinct - Ting Kah Ong (Heng Hua)
more to come....
Pulau Kerto and "Rubber Bowls"
Pulau Kerto or Ke Lo Toh, a pottery making and a very unusual meander just slightly outside Sibu has long been a haven for many Hokkiens especially the Ng Family of the Pottery Culture of Kerto. But to me it has always been like a little kept secret place at the backwaters of Sibu, away from the hustle and bustle of a city in the making.
The original clay or kaolin deposit , not yet studied to perfection by geologists as yet, from this little place provided a simple, family based business with a small direct outlet (by boat only ) from the 30's until very recently. Most importantly, Kerto provided almost all the rubber tapping latex bowls for the Foochows of the Rajang Valley, and may be even the fourth and fifth divisions of Sarawak.
Some bigger rubber garden owners even made these latex bowls to order and have their names "burnt" on the latex bowls. A few collectors of antiques have in their hands some of these latex bowls which bore good names of towkays from Sarikei, Sibu and even Miri. It was indeed a genuine enterprising spirit which made the rubber garden owners put their names on their latex bowls. Foremost of all, this would reduce pilfering and day light robbery.
However little has been written about this small industry which probably did not catch the attention of mainstream business but in view of varying circumstances of economics, this it went into social oblivion. If only it could have been more developed, then Sibu would have a strong ceramic base. The pottery culture of Sarawak went to Kuching and the developers of the special Sarawak Vase, which today is so well known that even Harrods of London carries a few items. The Kuching born Viscountess of Cornwall has also helped to promote the Kuching ware in the UK to the delight of her friends from near and far.
Nowadays our shops are filled with ceramics from West Malaysia and even Chentechen, China!! Chentechen, China, is THE world ceramic centre and has a few thousand years of excellent history, by the way.
These little ceramic rubber "bowls" were glazed on the inside and unglazed on the outside and measured only about 3 inches on average. According to one of my great friends, a grande dame of rubber tapping days, there were two sizes of rubber bowls. A bigger one for the speical grafted rubber cloned trees of the 1950's and 1960's which could produce more each day and a smaller one for the older seedlings. These bowls were bundled and sold in tens, and a few cents only at prices in those days. And most bowls were made to order.
All rubber tappers would know that these bowls come from Pulau Kerto , even though there was no brand name marked at the bottom of the bowls. These bowls have simply called rubber "bowls". These bowls sit nicely on the stem of a rubber tree and collect the latex which flow easily out from the moment the tree was tapped until the rubber tapper collected the bowl in mid morning. Most of the time the bowls were just left by the tree as rubber gardens were not ravaged by marauding thieves. But I am not sure today whether the same thing is still being done.
One very unusual and amazing story from my family was that of a relative who prematurely and suddenly gave birth in the rubber garden and the umbilical cord of the baby was cut by breaking and getting a sharp piece from the latex bowl. The baby was healthy and bouncing. His life was tough but happy. Such was a legend amongst the hardworking Foochows of those long ago days. Thanks to a rubber "bowl" from Pulau Kerto. I am sure there are many familiar and similar stories.
My first student day visit to Pulau Kerto was a very long time ago. We had a picnic on the sandbank in the middle of the river and using a borrowed prahu from one of the families. We had a lovely time there, and got very sunburnt. In those days we were not aware of safety at all. So we just gave ourselves a great time in the river, without really knowing the undercurrents. Today, I would shiver at the idea of swimming in an unknown river. Perhaps ignorance is bliss.
Another one of my earliest recollection of buying flower pots was a trip to Pulau Kerto when a friend wanted to buy some pots for her orchids and we decided to take a slow wooden boat journey to visit Pulau Kerto. By taking a slow boat to Pulau Kerto, she would have bought the pots at factory outlet price and besides, it would be a very nice outing for her and her friends too. To me that was quite an adventure, as Sibu was so quiet and life was slow.( I often wonder if that factory is still around.)
We walked a little inland from the jetty and came upon a ramshackle kind of factory which produced all sorts of pots and of varied sizes. The workers were distinctly simple and taciturn and definitely not Foochows. A small altar to a diety was at a corner and incense was still burning. The kilns must have been more than 40 years old then. Production was very basic and it was a very home based kind of industry. Little children ran out to watch us buy and after a short while we were again seated at the jetty, waiting for the next boat to come along.
At that time, the river was already quite small, a small branch from the main Rejang River.
A few women were washing their clothes at the jetty and this was about nine o'clock in the morning. Laundry must be done before nine I suppose so that the housewives could catch the best of the sunshine and most probably these ladies had done a good day's work already, feeding pigs, chickens and doing most of the gardening. Such multi-tasking women!! One bicycle was waiting with two kerosene tinful of water. That was how most women carry their water home after their washing.
In a way, every clay pot will remind me of Pulau Kerto and its slow paced lifestyle.
The original clay or kaolin deposit , not yet studied to perfection by geologists as yet, from this little place provided a simple, family based business with a small direct outlet (by boat only ) from the 30's until very recently. Most importantly, Kerto provided almost all the rubber tapping latex bowls for the Foochows of the Rajang Valley, and may be even the fourth and fifth divisions of Sarawak.
Some bigger rubber garden owners even made these latex bowls to order and have their names "burnt" on the latex bowls. A few collectors of antiques have in their hands some of these latex bowls which bore good names of towkays from Sarikei, Sibu and even Miri. It was indeed a genuine enterprising spirit which made the rubber garden owners put their names on their latex bowls. Foremost of all, this would reduce pilfering and day light robbery.
However little has been written about this small industry which probably did not catch the attention of mainstream business but in view of varying circumstances of economics, this it went into social oblivion. If only it could have been more developed, then Sibu would have a strong ceramic base. The pottery culture of Sarawak went to Kuching and the developers of the special Sarawak Vase, which today is so well known that even Harrods of London carries a few items. The Kuching born Viscountess of Cornwall has also helped to promote the Kuching ware in the UK to the delight of her friends from near and far.
Nowadays our shops are filled with ceramics from West Malaysia and even Chentechen, China!! Chentechen, China, is THE world ceramic centre and has a few thousand years of excellent history, by the way.
These little ceramic rubber "bowls" were glazed on the inside and unglazed on the outside and measured only about 3 inches on average. According to one of my great friends, a grande dame of rubber tapping days, there were two sizes of rubber bowls. A bigger one for the speical grafted rubber cloned trees of the 1950's and 1960's which could produce more each day and a smaller one for the older seedlings. These bowls were bundled and sold in tens, and a few cents only at prices in those days. And most bowls were made to order.
All rubber tappers would know that these bowls come from Pulau Kerto , even though there was no brand name marked at the bottom of the bowls. These bowls have simply called rubber "bowls". These bowls sit nicely on the stem of a rubber tree and collect the latex which flow easily out from the moment the tree was tapped until the rubber tapper collected the bowl in mid morning. Most of the time the bowls were just left by the tree as rubber gardens were not ravaged by marauding thieves. But I am not sure today whether the same thing is still being done.
One very unusual and amazing story from my family was that of a relative who prematurely and suddenly gave birth in the rubber garden and the umbilical cord of the baby was cut by breaking and getting a sharp piece from the latex bowl. The baby was healthy and bouncing. His life was tough but happy. Such was a legend amongst the hardworking Foochows of those long ago days. Thanks to a rubber "bowl" from Pulau Kerto. I am sure there are many familiar and similar stories.
My first student day visit to Pulau Kerto was a very long time ago. We had a picnic on the sandbank in the middle of the river and using a borrowed prahu from one of the families. We had a lovely time there, and got very sunburnt. In those days we were not aware of safety at all. So we just gave ourselves a great time in the river, without really knowing the undercurrents. Today, I would shiver at the idea of swimming in an unknown river. Perhaps ignorance is bliss.
Another one of my earliest recollection of buying flower pots was a trip to Pulau Kerto when a friend wanted to buy some pots for her orchids and we decided to take a slow wooden boat journey to visit Pulau Kerto. By taking a slow boat to Pulau Kerto, she would have bought the pots at factory outlet price and besides, it would be a very nice outing for her and her friends too. To me that was quite an adventure, as Sibu was so quiet and life was slow.( I often wonder if that factory is still around.)
We walked a little inland from the jetty and came upon a ramshackle kind of factory which produced all sorts of pots and of varied sizes. The workers were distinctly simple and taciturn and definitely not Foochows. A small altar to a diety was at a corner and incense was still burning. The kilns must have been more than 40 years old then. Production was very basic and it was a very home based kind of industry. Little children ran out to watch us buy and after a short while we were again seated at the jetty, waiting for the next boat to come along.
At that time, the river was already quite small, a small branch from the main Rejang River.
A few women were washing their clothes at the jetty and this was about nine o'clock in the morning. Laundry must be done before nine I suppose so that the housewives could catch the best of the sunshine and most probably these ladies had done a good day's work already, feeding pigs, chickens and doing most of the gardening. Such multi-tasking women!! One bicycle was waiting with two kerosene tinful of water. That was how most women carry their water home after their washing.
In a way, every clay pot will remind me of Pulau Kerto and its slow paced lifestyle.
Kang Kong or Ung Chai
No one can believe that kang kong was the main free staple besides rice for my family when we were young in Sibu. Our mother would make us go out to the huge drain quite near our house to pick the free, fresh and very clean kang kong ( or Chinese Water Spinach) for our meals. Sometimes we would go every day. It was not that my late father had left us destitute. It was just because my mother did not want to be beholden to any one of our relatives for a single cent.
My late father had taught us to feed rabbits with the freely growing kang kong and we had reared lots of them. But because we could not kill and eat the beautiful rabbits my late father had to give up the home industry. We did eat a few. But after he died suddenly, we stopped rearing the rabbits. And my mother also found the rearing of rabbits too painful. This was before Sarabif was founded.
If it had been different, we could have had the first rabbit farm in Sibu!!
Also known as Water Convolvulus,or Swamp Cabbage, the Kang Kong is indeed a very versatile vegetables. We grew them from seeds in our back yard. We also just planted them from cuttings. Whatever type we grew, we had a lot of harvest. Besides, we were harvesting the free ones from the drains too.
According to the information taken from Wikipedea, "the plant's smooth-surfaced leaves are either arrowhead-shaped, 5-6 inches long, or relatively narrow and pointed. Two major cultivar forms are grown. These being: Ching quat, the narrow leaved form most often grown in moist soils and Pak Quat, the arrowhead shaped form usually grown in aquatic conditions.
The plant is an herbaceous perennial aquatic, semi-aquatic plant of the tropics and sub-tropics. Alternate branches and leaves arise at the leaf axils of the trailing vine-like stems. The stems being hollow are adapted for floating in aquatic environments. Adventitious roots readily develop at nodes when in contact with moist soil and water. The succulent foliage and stem tips are light green in color. Flowering is favored by short days with the development of white and light pink flowers. Purple flowers develop in wild forms of Ipomoea aquatic. To obtain seed harvesting of the plants is stopped to allow developing flowers to mature, from which seed bearing pods form.
Other names. Kankon (Japanese); ung choi (Cantonese Chinese); toongsin tsai (Mandarin Chinese); ong choy, ungtsai, tung choy (China); kang kong (Filipino, Malaysian); kang kung, rau muong (Vietnamese); pak bung (Thai)."
I would like to echo Professor Agongcilo's comment on kang kong during one of his lectures in 1971, when he was visiting History Professor at University of Malaya, "I always cry when I see Kang Kong because this simple vegetable has kept all the Filipinos alive during the Second World War."
I feel the same too. This simple vegetable has kept my siblings alive during the harsh times after our father passed away prematurely.
One old widow used to walk up and down Brooke Drive in the old days. She would be selling mainly kangkong, long beans and mustard greens. She had them in two baskets and she used a pian dan ( carrying pole) to ply her vegetables. The old lady was very independent and what ever she carried, people would buy because the vegetables were very neatly bundled and very well washed.
In my memory,she was the last lady to use a pian dan in Sibu. An old lady like her was free to sell her vegetables without having a pay any dues to the Sibu Municipal Council. After her passing, the tricycle men came into the Sibu scene to sell vegetables to the housewives and other dwellers along all the roads branching out of Sibu. And much later, the Van Penjaja which are licensed to sell goods. when every one was able to afford a car, the Main Market of Sibu expanded to become one of the largest in Sarawak. An old lady enterprising enough to sell simple vegetables ,proudly bearing a pian dan, become an antiquated memory.
Recently I discovered a whole pool of kang kong near a housing development area in Miri. I also found out that the water in which the kang kong was growing was very clean, with fish swimming in it. Definitely an unpolluted area. I was so tempted to go and pluck some for my dinner!! Old habits die hard. But I am sure, some simple folks would come and collect them to supplement their diet.
In our very motorised world, the "plit plat" noise of a sandal and samfoo wearing old Foochow lady plying her kang kong,calling out "Ung Chai eh", is gone forever.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Pinky & Killer DX
Ever wondered what goes on behind the closed doors of love hotels or VIP rooms in Tokyo's underground clubs? Photographer Hal has done the "dirty" work and got you the keys and VIP passes.
Pinky & Killer DX is a photographic expose into the private, party lives of Japanese couples showing their wild side at love hotels and clubs all over Tokyo. Lewd, shrewd and often nude, the antics of couples in Tokyo getting a little bit naughty has been captured in a holographic bound, compact book. What more could your voyeuristic intentions desire?
Photographer Hal's obsession with capturing behind the bedroom door shots of some of Tokyo's raunchiest couples has lead to the creation of a must have glossy photographic album of sweaty, lust induced ecstasy. Essential peeping for all coffee tables, waiting rooms and night stands. A jaw dropping collection of real life couples living out their fantasies in Tokyo.
Shot with 6 x 7 film. All photos were taken in Tokyo, Japan. 134 color photos.
15cm x 20cm
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Gourd - a backyard sustenance
When we were young, my mother always had a "bu" vine at the back of our house in Brooke Drive. Sometimes we would give some away to friends and relatives in return for their gifts. Sometimes we had it every day because it could grow so well and sometimes we went out to count up to fifteen on the vines.
In my mind, this vegetable has always been a backyard sustenance and it indeed helped our family through thick and thin, besides the China made Luncheon Meat of course.
We had it in soup, as a stir fry and sometimes to bulk up a meat dish. We learned how to be thrifty eating very simple food. Dried prawns were cheap then, so quite often my mother would use a bit of it, pound it really nice and fine and have a sliced gourd fried with dried prawns dish for an afternoon meal. It was nice food on the table served with a lot of love.
The humble gourd or calabash is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, one of the calabash subspecies is known as the bottle gourd. The fresh fruit has a light green smooth skin and a white flesh. This is what we have in Sarawak and they are found everywhere. Just anywhere anyone wants to plant!!
The calabash was one of the first cultivated plants in the world, grown not for food but as a container. It was named for the calabash tree (Crescentia cujete), a different type of plant.
The calabash, as a vegetable, is frequently used in southern Chinese cuisine as either a stir-fry or in a soup. The Chinese name for calabash is hulu (simplified Chinese: 葫芦; traditional Chinese: 葫蘆; pinyin: húlu) or huzi (Chinese: 葫子; pinyin: húzi) in Mandarin.
In Japan, where it is known as kanpyō, it is sold in the form of dried, marinated strips. It is used in place of seafood in a form of vegetarian makizushi (rolled sushi).
In Italian cuisine, it is known as cucuzza (plural cucuzze).
In Central America, the seeds of the Calabash gourd are toasted and ground with other ingredients (including rice, cinnamon, and allspice) to make the drink horchata. Calabash is known locally as morro or jícaro.
In India, it is known as Lauki in Urdu or Dudhi or Ghiya in Hindi, Sorakaya in Telugu, Dudhi-Bhopala in Marathi, Sorekayi in Kannada and 'Suraikkaai' (colloq. "Sorakkay") in Tamil. In parts of India, the dried, unpunctured gourd is used as a float (called 'Surai-kuduvai' in Tamil) to learn swimming in rural areas.
In Arabic it is called Qara. In Bangladesh it is called Lau or Kumra/Komra. The tender young gourd is cooked as a summer squash.
The shoots, tendrils, and leaves of the plant may also be eaten as greens.
Additionally, the gourd can be dried out and used to smoke pipe tobacco. A typical design yielded by this squash is recognized in the pipe of Sherlock Holmes.
West Africa
Hollowed out and dried calabashes are a very typical utensil in households across West Africa. They are used to clean rice, carry water and also just as a food container. Smaller sizes are used as bowls to drink palm-wine. Calabashes are used by some musicians in making the kora (a harp-lute), xalam (a lute), ngoni (a lute) and the goje (a traditional fiddle). They also serve as resonators on the balafon (West African marimba). The calabash is also used in making the shegureh (a Sierra Leonean women's rattle)[1] and balangi (a Sierra Leonean type of balafon) musical instruments. Sometimes, large calabashes are simply hollowed, dried and used as percussion instruments, especially by Fulani, Songhai, Gur-speaking and Hausa peoples.
Mexico
In many rural parts of Mexico, the calabash is dried and carved hollow to create a bule, a gourd used to carry water around like a canteen.
China
The hulu is an ancient remedy for health. In the old days the doctors would carry medicine inside so it has fabled properties for healing. The hulu is believed to absorb negative earth-based qi (energy) that would otherwise affect health and is a traditional Chinese medicine cure. Dried calabash is also used as containers of liquids, often liquors or medicine. Calabash were also grown in earthen molds to form different shapes and dried to house pet crickets, which were kept for their song and fighting abilities. The texture of the gourd lends itself nicely to the sound of the animal.
Thinking about gourds just make me wonder about today's world where food seems to be full of fast food and gourmet food and thousands of other pickings. But anytime, where our home is, a good family meal is simply wonderful with stir fried gourd, some salted fish and a nice bowl of changkok manis soup. In this way my children and I know that when we live simply, others can simply live.
The heart of the gourd is soft and gentle to feel. It represents mother's love I would tell my children. The softness is the softness of one's heart. So we have to be gentle with other people's feelings. The skin of the gourd is thin and so easily sliced. A little poking with a sharp knife would draw out the gourd's sticky juices. People around us are sensitive and easily hurt. So we have to handle people with care, like the way we handle the gourd.
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Nani Birds Take Flight
The Nani Birds have been flying to new homes recently so luckily illustrator Josh McKible kindly let us adopt a few more of his original creations.
New Nani Birds are nesting at TOKYOMADE. Each birdie is a one of a kind painting, part of the complete Nani Bird series created by Josh for the MCKIBILLO range.
New Nani Birds are nesting at TOKYOMADE. Each birdie is a one of a kind painting, part of the complete Nani Bird series created by Josh for the MCKIBILLO range.
Costume Shopping in Tokyo
With the Earth Day Hoop Matsuri less than a week away I am sure you are thinking about the ideal colorful costume to don! To help out I thought I would pass on some of my costume shopping tips in Tokyo.
For wigs, the flashiest, junkiest jewelery, colorful socks, rainbow belts and plenty of fake gold you cannot go past the 390 yen shop! Also know as Thank You Mart apparently these babies are all over the place but they are easiest to find in Harajuku. A stroll down Takeshita Dori will let you stumble upon THREE of them. They all stock basically the same but the one just around the corner from Takeshita Street on Meiji Street next to the stinky kebab shop on the same side of the road as ABC Mart is nice and roomy.
Of course the 100 yen stores are always filled with trashy bargains. The Daiso chain is my fav and now has this English website - how very cool. The 5 story mecca also on Takeshita Street is the bargain hunters dream. Everything 100 yen and from memory they have some great tinsel wigs!
Tokyu Hands has the wildest array of costumes all in one hot spot. the prices are not as thrifty but some people would pay anything for a Billy Blanks costume or a full samurai outfit.
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday in your finest and most colorful!
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Monday, April 14, 2008
I'm the Trustee Scholar Runner Up but...
Congrats to FRANCIS VALLEJO!!!
Everyone should go congratulate him!!!
If i had to lose to anyone I'm glad it was you!
keep up the great work!
Check out his blog:
Everyone should go congratulate him!!!
If i had to lose to anyone I'm glad it was you!
keep up the great work!
Check out his blog:
Riding Buses in Sibu
My first bus ride was in a 15 seater British made bus which had a wooden frame. It made a big racket going to Sungei Merah. My grandfather never had a driver's licence and he left all the driving to my grandmother, after they bought one of the ealiest cars in Sibu, a yellow Austin. But Grandfather and I continued to enjoy riding on buses. the greetings we had for and from every one on the buses stayed in my mind for a long time. I loved my grandfather for taking me around,even he had wished that I was a boy.
In those days, the bus station was in the triangle made by Cross Road, Island Road and Market Road (?). Next to the bus station was the chendol and rojak centre where we could get chendol in the antique glass and rojak in a small tin plate. My grandfather never allowed me to eat chendol so he would take me to Lido Cinema's coffee shop where he could have his coffee and I could have a bit of his coffee in the saucer (Lat drew this in one of his books). He would then buy me Magnolia Grape Juice. What a luxury.
After a movie, Grandfather would take me and ride the bus back home to Sungei Merah.
I cannot remember how often I spent time with him, but it was quite frequent.
One of the best things parents and grandparents can do is to take the kids out to ride on buses - very memorable - and great for bonding. And good training too as the kids would have to learn how to ride a bus overseas. Kids are too spoilt nowadays and they tend to suffer more if they are not well brought up in simple ways.
There were buses to Upper Lanang Road then. Buses to Oya Road came very much later. Buses then were meant to carry lots of goods and farm products. It was still very much the in thing for people to walk to town, very often bare footed, from as far as Kampong Nangka, or Bukit Assek or even Ei Ti Road in Lanang Road. The Foochows were very frugal then. They would think nothing of walking three or four miles every day.Today the scenario is very different. You can read below:
The main bus lines have ticket stalls at the long-distance bus station, west of town at Sungai Antu. There should be no problem getting a seat if you arrive 15 minutes before departure, but it may pay to book ahead for weekends and school holidays.
The main bus companies running services from Sibu are Biaramas Express (084-313139), Borneo Express Bus (084-319773), Borneo Highway Express (084-319533), Lanang Road Bus Co (084-314527), PB Express (084-332873) and Suria Express (084-319773). Most have ticketing agencies around the local bus station on the waterfront.
1. Lanang Road Bus Co Bhd
No. 8, 2nd Floor, Lrg Pahlawan 7, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak
084-33 5973
2. Bus Terminal Mukah, Jln Orangkaya Setiaraja, 96400 Mukah, Sarawak
084-87 2679
3. No. 47, Lrg Teng Kung Sui 4, Upper Lanang Industrial Estate, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak
084-21 3711
4. No. 7, Bangunan Baru Terminal Bas, Jln Tun Hussein Onn, 97000 Bintulu, Sarawak
086-33 8518
5. Bus Terminal Padang Kerbau, Jln Padang Kerbau, Kampung Padang Kerbau, 98000 Miri, Sarawak
085-43 3116
Sibu (SBW): Location: 18 km/11 Miles E of the city. By Road: To Sibu 23 km/14 Miles. By Taxi: Pre paid taxi coupons are available in the terminal for trips to the city. Average cost to Sibu city is MYR 30. By Bus: Local Bus #3A runs between the airport and the city every 90 mins or so 0600-1800. Cost: MYR 3/25-30 mins. Updated Mar07 www. [back].[top]
Tawau Syarikat Bas Lanang Road Sdn. Bhd.
Bintulu/Sibu 06:00; 08:00; 12:00; 14:00; 18:00 RM16.50
In those days, the bus station was in the triangle made by Cross Road, Island Road and Market Road (?). Next to the bus station was the chendol and rojak centre where we could get chendol in the antique glass and rojak in a small tin plate. My grandfather never allowed me to eat chendol so he would take me to Lido Cinema's coffee shop where he could have his coffee and I could have a bit of his coffee in the saucer (Lat drew this in one of his books). He would then buy me Magnolia Grape Juice. What a luxury.
After a movie, Grandfather would take me and ride the bus back home to Sungei Merah.
I cannot remember how often I spent time with him, but it was quite frequent.
One of the best things parents and grandparents can do is to take the kids out to ride on buses - very memorable - and great for bonding. And good training too as the kids would have to learn how to ride a bus overseas. Kids are too spoilt nowadays and they tend to suffer more if they are not well brought up in simple ways.
There were buses to Upper Lanang Road then. Buses to Oya Road came very much later. Buses then were meant to carry lots of goods and farm products. It was still very much the in thing for people to walk to town, very often bare footed, from as far as Kampong Nangka, or Bukit Assek or even Ei Ti Road in Lanang Road. The Foochows were very frugal then. They would think nothing of walking three or four miles every day.Today the scenario is very different. You can read below:
The main bus lines have ticket stalls at the long-distance bus station, west of town at Sungai Antu. There should be no problem getting a seat if you arrive 15 minutes before departure, but it may pay to book ahead for weekends and school holidays.
The main bus companies running services from Sibu are Biaramas Express (084-313139), Borneo Express Bus (084-319773), Borneo Highway Express (084-319533), Lanang Road Bus Co (084-314527), PB Express (084-332873) and Suria Express (084-319773). Most have ticketing agencies around the local bus station on the waterfront.
1. Lanang Road Bus Co Bhd
No. 8, 2nd Floor, Lrg Pahlawan 7, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak
084-33 5973
2. Bus Terminal Mukah, Jln Orangkaya Setiaraja, 96400 Mukah, Sarawak
084-87 2679
3. No. 47, Lrg Teng Kung Sui 4, Upper Lanang Industrial Estate, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak
084-21 3711
4. No. 7, Bangunan Baru Terminal Bas, Jln Tun Hussein Onn, 97000 Bintulu, Sarawak
086-33 8518
5. Bus Terminal Padang Kerbau, Jln Padang Kerbau, Kampung Padang Kerbau, 98000 Miri, Sarawak
085-43 3116
Sibu (SBW): Location: 18 km/11 Miles E of the city. By Road: To Sibu 23 km/14 Miles. By Taxi: Pre paid taxi coupons are available in the terminal for trips to the city. Average cost to Sibu city is MYR 30. By Bus: Local Bus #3A runs between the airport and the city every 90 mins or so 0600-1800. Cost: MYR 3/25-30 mins. Updated Mar07 www. [back].[top]
Tawau Syarikat Bas Lanang Road Sdn. Bhd.
Bintulu/Sibu 06:00; 08:00; 12:00; 14:00; 18:00 RM16.50
A Tribute to a Good Neighbour
Ah Hang's Mother, or Mrs. Lau Nguong Ding, passed away a little too early in her life. She succumbed to cancer after Mr. Lau carefully nursed her and even took her to China for a series of treatment in the 1990's, something which was rather new to the community then.
What can one write about a dear neighbour,whom you saw as a young child, whom you grew to love because your family grew familiar with her and there was so much love nurtured between the two families, one Foochow and one Heng Hua? We could have experienced polarisation.
She had boys about my age which grew lanky and naughty. My late brother, a little younger was amongst them, growing up and taking in youth and pranks. They played with sticks.They played with marbles and ran after kites, apart from making their own kites from scratch because we did not have much money to buy any other toys like what children can today. And in the evenings we ran up and down the newly constructed Brooke Drive which was only a collection of rough granite rubble. But never mind the dust and the roughness. We had energy to play away our innocent childhood. We played games of Jui Ing, Jui Ko (High tide, low tide), Eagle catching Chickens, and even rounders (just sticks and a ball).
To her evening calls, " Children!! Come back for your porridge! Chiak Mui!" the boys would rush home to her, eager for the lonely bowls of porridge, coloured only by cikap (soy sauce, mixed with sugar and a bit of Bovril) and perhaps one salted egg or just a plain boiled egg when she felt a little more than generous. This was dinner for the children, washed down by thin Chinese tea (which she had boiled in a huge kettle). Mrs and Mrs. Lau were our Heng Hua tenants. All her children spoke Hokkien and Foochow so that they could be assimilated into our community. Mrs. Lau stretched her dollar like any thrifty Chinese woman then. She spoke Foochow with a very strong Heng Hua accent, which we loved, and sometimes imitated humourously.
She was the first Chinese woman I knew personally who breastfed her babies in public, without embarrassment. While feeding porridge to her older child, a baby , another baby boy would be suckling at her breast. As a young girl of six, (now I am ashamed to tell you this), I stared at her mammary glands and the hungry baby. (She grew into a great beauty later). She taught me in her simple ways that breastfeeding was a joy and a natural way of saving money and she did not have to sterilize milk bottles which was a waste of time. I did not fortunately learn that lesson. When I have stopped having my own babies and was in my forties, the local hospitals starting having their Breast Milk is Best Campaign.
Ah Hang's Ma, as we all called her lovingly, was a mean disciplinarian. She would take out her rottan cane any time to beat her two older boys, Ah Hang and Ah Tee (both are reputable businessmen now, so I just use their pet names). They used to play Tarzan in the little forest behind the houses (as Sibu was not so developed then), or fished in the hot sun in the stream next to the kampong. When boys played, they lost count of time. And mum had to beat them when they returuned all dirty and hungry. She beat them more because her boys did not have good grades. But she was making a statement to show that she was "boss". I am glad that her message got through and her boys grew up to be real gentlement and "filial sons" to the ends of her days.
As very close neighbours, I like to see her getting ready to attend a feast. I would sit by the door and watch her put on powder and her little pale lipstick. She would apply some hair oil to her very well permed hair. In between she would pass on worldly wisdom for women to my ears and I would hang on to them. She had such a way of telling me things that I can still remember to this day. "You might not be rich,but you have to be really clean, inside and outside. And a little fragrance is all you need to enhance the clear beauty that you have inside you. Never mind you are not rich. We all become rich when we are older. When young, you must work hard and save money. Build your wealth with your two hands and you will have a good old age."
After she had finished dressing up, other neighbours would come up to her and ask, " Go eat dinner? Siak Jiu?" The simple outfit of floral homemade samfoo and the little powder she put on her face with a little lipstick, changed her entire demeanour, from a frumpy housewife to a lovely lady, proud to be by her loving husband's side. Indeed the Chinese saying, " A woman's good looks depend on 30% dressing and 70% natural beauty" is true. Her inner beauty shone and brightened up the whole street!
Some mornings, during our school holidays, I would drop by to help her carry her baby daughter or have a lively chat. She had all the time for me, over her washing and ironing. She was good at ironing Mr. Lau's white uniform of a bus driver. And I liked the way she starched the clothes. (Starching clothes is now out of fashion.) She would boil water with some tapioca flour in the basin over a wood fire and then pour into a huge aluminium laundry basin (sali turn which is still availalbe nowadays). Then she would throw the selected pieces into the basin and soak them for a while. These starched clothes would look like parchment in the hot sun!!
As a very frugal housewife she grew her own vegetables on every available piece of empty land outside the house. She would spread her blessings to all her neigbhours. A visit from her would always mean that my mother would get a bundle of long beans or changkok manis. No, she would never sell anything to her neighbours. Her vegetables were all free for all to share.
As children we also witnessed that Ah Hang's Ma never argued with Mr. Lau. She was always cheerful whenever he was around, although we knew that he had to work shifts. But her wooden dinner table was always ready with some meat, vegetables and a pot of hot rice was on the stove. Her Chinese tea was free flow and Mr. Lau would bring a flask to work. And when his bicycle was seen at the beginning of the road (duo tau) her sons would run up to their dad, with a whoop of greeting to make a father's heart burst with pride. And Ah Hang's ma would be waiting with a beautiful smile for her dearly beloved to step into the wooden house. Such was a beautiful evening along our road.
Ah Hang's mother had a heart of gold. When my father suddenly passed away,she came beating her chest and cried out loud. She was always beside my mother to give her the best of comforting words. And she shed buckets of tears for my father, always calling out loud,"the good towkay, the good teacher" until her voice became hoarse. Her empathetic grief helped my mother in so many ways. Neighours were really rallying around and helping out in our moments of need and loss.Most were inconsolable by the shocking pre mature death of a good and unassuming man. That we would always treasure until today.
In so many ways we were blessed by wonderful neighbours. And as we grew to adulthood, we also witnessed that these good people like Ah Hang's ma became blessed by God. They all became wealthy and bought good houses. (Our community was known to have very good Feng Shui). As the shophouses took over the simple wooden houses of our road, my neighbours too moved into better housing areas.
A good wooden non-gated community disappeared forever with the spread of urban development and a childhood is placed in the sacred storage of memory, to be taken out for a savoury treat in old age every now and then.
I am writing this as a token of a simple thanks to a great woman who coloured my childhood with lots of laughter, gentle words and stories,love and simple household wisdom.
What can one write about a dear neighbour,whom you saw as a young child, whom you grew to love because your family grew familiar with her and there was so much love nurtured between the two families, one Foochow and one Heng Hua? We could have experienced polarisation.
She had boys about my age which grew lanky and naughty. My late brother, a little younger was amongst them, growing up and taking in youth and pranks. They played with sticks.They played with marbles and ran after kites, apart from making their own kites from scratch because we did not have much money to buy any other toys like what children can today. And in the evenings we ran up and down the newly constructed Brooke Drive which was only a collection of rough granite rubble. But never mind the dust and the roughness. We had energy to play away our innocent childhood. We played games of Jui Ing, Jui Ko (High tide, low tide), Eagle catching Chickens, and even rounders (just sticks and a ball).
To her evening calls, " Children!! Come back for your porridge! Chiak Mui!" the boys would rush home to her, eager for the lonely bowls of porridge, coloured only by cikap (soy sauce, mixed with sugar and a bit of Bovril) and perhaps one salted egg or just a plain boiled egg when she felt a little more than generous. This was dinner for the children, washed down by thin Chinese tea (which she had boiled in a huge kettle). Mrs and Mrs. Lau were our Heng Hua tenants. All her children spoke Hokkien and Foochow so that they could be assimilated into our community. Mrs. Lau stretched her dollar like any thrifty Chinese woman then. She spoke Foochow with a very strong Heng Hua accent, which we loved, and sometimes imitated humourously.
She was the first Chinese woman I knew personally who breastfed her babies in public, without embarrassment. While feeding porridge to her older child, a baby , another baby boy would be suckling at her breast. As a young girl of six, (now I am ashamed to tell you this), I stared at her mammary glands and the hungry baby. (She grew into a great beauty later). She taught me in her simple ways that breastfeeding was a joy and a natural way of saving money and she did not have to sterilize milk bottles which was a waste of time. I did not fortunately learn that lesson. When I have stopped having my own babies and was in my forties, the local hospitals starting having their Breast Milk is Best Campaign.
Ah Hang's Ma, as we all called her lovingly, was a mean disciplinarian. She would take out her rottan cane any time to beat her two older boys, Ah Hang and Ah Tee (both are reputable businessmen now, so I just use their pet names). They used to play Tarzan in the little forest behind the houses (as Sibu was not so developed then), or fished in the hot sun in the stream next to the kampong. When boys played, they lost count of time. And mum had to beat them when they returuned all dirty and hungry. She beat them more because her boys did not have good grades. But she was making a statement to show that she was "boss". I am glad that her message got through and her boys grew up to be real gentlement and "filial sons" to the ends of her days.
As very close neighbours, I like to see her getting ready to attend a feast. I would sit by the door and watch her put on powder and her little pale lipstick. She would apply some hair oil to her very well permed hair. In between she would pass on worldly wisdom for women to my ears and I would hang on to them. She had such a way of telling me things that I can still remember to this day. "You might not be rich,but you have to be really clean, inside and outside. And a little fragrance is all you need to enhance the clear beauty that you have inside you. Never mind you are not rich. We all become rich when we are older. When young, you must work hard and save money. Build your wealth with your two hands and you will have a good old age."
After she had finished dressing up, other neighbours would come up to her and ask, " Go eat dinner? Siak Jiu?" The simple outfit of floral homemade samfoo and the little powder she put on her face with a little lipstick, changed her entire demeanour, from a frumpy housewife to a lovely lady, proud to be by her loving husband's side. Indeed the Chinese saying, " A woman's good looks depend on 30% dressing and 70% natural beauty" is true. Her inner beauty shone and brightened up the whole street!
Some mornings, during our school holidays, I would drop by to help her carry her baby daughter or have a lively chat. She had all the time for me, over her washing and ironing. She was good at ironing Mr. Lau's white uniform of a bus driver. And I liked the way she starched the clothes. (Starching clothes is now out of fashion.) She would boil water with some tapioca flour in the basin over a wood fire and then pour into a huge aluminium laundry basin (sali turn which is still availalbe nowadays). Then she would throw the selected pieces into the basin and soak them for a while. These starched clothes would look like parchment in the hot sun!!
As a very frugal housewife she grew her own vegetables on every available piece of empty land outside the house. She would spread her blessings to all her neigbhours. A visit from her would always mean that my mother would get a bundle of long beans or changkok manis. No, she would never sell anything to her neighbours. Her vegetables were all free for all to share.
As children we also witnessed that Ah Hang's Ma never argued with Mr. Lau. She was always cheerful whenever he was around, although we knew that he had to work shifts. But her wooden dinner table was always ready with some meat, vegetables and a pot of hot rice was on the stove. Her Chinese tea was free flow and Mr. Lau would bring a flask to work. And when his bicycle was seen at the beginning of the road (duo tau) her sons would run up to their dad, with a whoop of greeting to make a father's heart burst with pride. And Ah Hang's ma would be waiting with a beautiful smile for her dearly beloved to step into the wooden house. Such was a beautiful evening along our road.
Ah Hang's mother had a heart of gold. When my father suddenly passed away,she came beating her chest and cried out loud. She was always beside my mother to give her the best of comforting words. And she shed buckets of tears for my father, always calling out loud,"the good towkay, the good teacher" until her voice became hoarse. Her empathetic grief helped my mother in so many ways. Neighours were really rallying around and helping out in our moments of need and loss.Most were inconsolable by the shocking pre mature death of a good and unassuming man. That we would always treasure until today.
In so many ways we were blessed by wonderful neighbours. And as we grew to adulthood, we also witnessed that these good people like Ah Hang's ma became blessed by God. They all became wealthy and bought good houses. (Our community was known to have very good Feng Shui). As the shophouses took over the simple wooden houses of our road, my neighbours too moved into better housing areas.
A good wooden non-gated community disappeared forever with the spread of urban development and a childhood is placed in the sacred storage of memory, to be taken out for a savoury treat in old age every now and then.
I am writing this as a token of a simple thanks to a great woman who coloured my childhood with lots of laughter, gentle words and stories,love and simple household wisdom.
H&M's Tribute to Marimekko
If you've been up-to-date with your online fashion news, you would have read that various blogs and sites are anticipating H&M's 'Tribute to Marimekko'. You may have wondered what the heck is Marimekko. Well, at least I did. According to H&M's press release, Merimekko is "the Finnish textile company that has thrilled since the 50s with its bold, bright colour." It's apparently "well known for vibrant bold simple prints," and oh, get this: "It was fashion icon Jackie Kennedy that put Marimekko on the international map when she wore their dresses during her husbrand's 1960 presidential campaign."
When I got home, I checked it out properly online and let's just say it didn't look any better online. Now I admit I am not a particularly creative or crazy dresser, but I'm usually pretty open to old and new designs out there (as long as I'm not buying it.) But all the clashing colours and the prints were just too much for me.
These pants are just crazy! They look more costume-perfect for a music video or Halloween. I hope I actually see someone wearing them on the streets just so I can see how they look in action!
And the designers seemed to really like the maxi-dress -a silhouette that I'm not too fond of, and the maxi-skirt. I just think the manequinns look like they have bedsheets or curtains wrapped around them! Plus, I'm really not a fan of the combinations -I can't stand that shade of army orange and green together!
I did find this pink and blue blouse, and black and white dress to be ok. (Although certainly not ok enough for me to buy them.)
I thought the best items out of the collection were the swimsuits, although that doesn't say much for the collection since I don't even have much of an opinion on swimsuits to begin with.
And if you were anywhere near an H&M store over the weekend, you would probably have noticed that the collection is out. Actually I don't think anyone could have walked by an H&M store and not notice the collection -the collection basically consists of a bunch of crazy, colourful prints. My friend and I went into the Reagent Street store on Friday night and all I thought was, as if H&M wasn't hard enough to navigate -now these crazy garments are making the store layout even more confusing! You can obviously tell that I was not impressed by the window display or the clothes inside the store.
When I got home, I checked it out properly online and let's just say it didn't look any better online. Now I admit I am not a particularly creative or crazy dresser, but I'm usually pretty open to old and new designs out there (as long as I'm not buying it.) But all the clashing colours and the prints were just too much for me. These pants are just crazy! They look more costume-perfect for a music video or Halloween. I hope I actually see someone wearing them on the streets just so I can see how they look in action!And the designers seemed to really like the maxi-dress -a silhouette that I'm not too fond of, and the maxi-skirt. I just think the manequinns look like they have bedsheets or curtains wrapped around them! Plus, I'm really not a fan of the combinations -I can't stand that shade of army orange and green together!I did find this pink and blue blouse, and black and white dress to be ok. (Although certainly not ok enough for me to buy them.) I thought the best items out of the collection were the swimsuits, although that doesn't say much for the collection since I don't even have much of an opinion on swimsuits to begin with.This collection is meant to "take you all the way from the city street to the heat of the beach." I can only picture myself on city streets and possibly small cities in the EU, so obviously I am not this collection's target customer. Maybe that's why I don't like this collection. I just don't understand why some of the blogs and sites out there were so excited about it. Am I the only one who isn't impressed with the collection, or do I simply not know how to appreciate it?
Image Credits: http://www.hm.com/
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