June 28, 2012

"Curry Rice" in Sibu

In the 1960's and  early 70's Sibu was in some kind of political turmoil so to speak. The Chinese Communist Organisation had gone underground and gunshots were often heard....this frightened many people of Sibu. In fact when curfew was em-placed most  people were terrified.

What were those days like?

If I remember correctly....

"Don't listen to rumours" became the catch phrase of the day...Of course there were lots of stories...from the Government side..and from the people's side. The newspapers published the views of the day..and rumours spread...The Rascom (The Rajang Security Command) was set up to fight a psychological war against the communists besides maintaining peace and security.  AND We were told NOT to listen to rumours.

"Are you not scared to eat curry rice?"  What a strange question but it was a real situation. We were "threatened" by statements from certain quarters "ai ya..don't say this...you afraid of eating curry rice or not?" Alright..to eat curry rice in those  days meant that we would go to prison..and eat the prison food which was mainly curry and rice...hence the term of the time "curry rice"...It was true not many people in those days really liked the spicy curry and rice. It was "rumoured" that the spice came from India and would harm the intestines of the Chinese. And the rice used was all full of beetles and had become sour.. But we actually never met any prisoner coming out to tell us the TRUTH. Indeed as children we were as terrified as our adults!!

"Free stay at Hotel"....people were arrested and re-arrested. Some notorious gangsters were even "buang " or thrown away to another district. Police and soldiers were every where. the Swimming Pool in Bukit Lima was full of white soldiers sunbathing around. We dared not look at them when we were taken there for swimming lessons. Soldiers and police walked along the streets of Sibu..and we the civilians were scared. It was like another world altogether. We were petrified of people in uniforms as a result for years. At one time I saw some police at a traffic light which was GREEN. I stepped on my brakes and my children had to get me going shouting GREEN GREEN at my ears..I have not lost that fear from the curfew days. Hence another interesting term also cropped up..." Free Hotel"...which referred to the Sibu prison...As an extra note in Sibu today  a drunk man may come home from a night's stay at a police station...and he would sheepishly tell his wife..."I had a free hotel stay last night..." that explains a lot..



Sibu Prison (PHoto by Borneo Tip)
Photo from Google

"Missing children". Many parents were worried about the behaviour of their children in those days. Mothers often screamed at their children. Fathers would even beat up their children in public!! These were tell tale signs of frustration. Many kids were locked up in their homes...Luckily their wooden houses were not burnt down. But in spite of all the cautious steps these parents took many "escaped" into the jungle and  alas not many survived to tell their tales. Their parents mourned their disappearance until today. It is like a shroud hanging over them and they will bring this "uncertainty" to their graves. But perhaps these children had their ideals to live for. It is something many cannot understand..even today. I am glad that my cousins and I were all too young then to make the choice of either to go underground or to wait at tables in the coffee shops. Besides my mother did not have to lock my siblings and I up. But I did wonder then and even now why were there no school counsellors then?

"Eat the Bullet". But then whatever worries parents had  theirs could not be compared to the worries some teachers and headmasters had...Very often teachers and headmasters were threatened by night messages from some quarters "Bite  or eat the Bullet"..a paper message with a bullet wrapped in it could be sent to a Head master...and that was meant as a death threat. One of the local headmasters suffered so much that he actually had to hide for sometime. But he died an early death because his heart could not hold it any more. ..he was such a brilliant scholar. If only he had left some documents behind.He was doing his best to teach his students well...

"I don't know"...It was the safest thing to say. And every one was cautioned to say that whenever a stranger asked questions. .In those days...most adults would just cycle and do their daily work. If asked about anything they would just say..."I don't know"...I think those were the years when rural and urban school teachers also did not teach very much..they just read from the books for fear if they said more they would be arrested. When the students asked them questions they often answered "I don't know."  There were "ears" every where.

"Interrupted education and crashed dreams"...The interrupted years of education then led to repercussions of course which only anthropologists and sociologists would fathom.Many of my cousins had only Form Two education and no certificates in their life. Some had wanted to be nurses but never qualified. So they married young and of course some had terrible marriages while others prospered beyond any one's imagination.  A generation has passed on and we can only sigh..and many would just say..WHAT TO DO? that's the politics of the day. We had sacrifical lambs..we had heroes...and we had the bad guys of course. Perhaps that was the "I don't know generation"....now we are in the "Generation Why?" Times have really changed.

"Be like the lalang"...I like the moral lesson given by one pastor from those days..."Be like the lalang..let yourself be trampled..cut...burnt...but your roots would still be strong..and grow again...Do not allow any one  kill your spirit ... continue to believe in the truth..never sell your soul for pieces of silver. God is omnipresent. He is there if you look for Him...." He passed away some time ago..surrounded by  lots of books which he read and re-read in his elderly years.

40 years later people have forgotten many events and stories....and times have changed...but are there still hidden dangers which may threaten the delicate milieu of our new society?

Whenever I cook curry and rice...I would smile that knowing smile...If I had been born slightly earlier and had been in a rural Chinese school ..I might have be arrested too for asking WHY?

Why?......must I eat the apple? (Adam)
Why did the apple fall? (Newton)
Apple. Why not? (Steve Jobs)







June 26, 2012

Mrs. Hoover's Gift of Education

In 1903 Mrs. Mary Hoover and her husband Rev James Hoover had a very good plan to develop the little Methodist Foochow enclave of Sibu.




this photo shows a 1956 kindergarten graduation class. My little cousin Chiong Whye is standing next to my Goo Poh (left)

One of the principal objectives of the couple was to build schools and especially a girls' school which would help bring about Christian mothers for the new society.

Indeed their objectives were full filled. But one of the most most remarkable schools they established was undoubtedly the Kindergarten which was then a new concept. By 1950 (Rev. Hoover died in 1935) and Mrs. Hoover left Sarawak in 1946 the Mary Hoover Kindergarten was the best known kindergarten in Sarawak!! Two angelic teachers were in charge Madam Chang Yuk Ging and Madam Tiong Ai Lan (the Principal). And every year a small batch of cute little children would "graudate" from kindergarten.


Children from the kindergarten would study in the Methodist Primary School and then later at the Methodist Secondary School. The early childhood education provided focussed especially on socialisation and wholesome growth.

I especially appreciated how my aunts helped my own children learn how to eat together with other children in the kindergarten. How they learned to share food and be courteous to others when sitting down at a table. I remember my daughter coming home and explaining to me how she had learn to drink from her cup slowly and not spill. She also told me that little children should not fight over food. She was only 4 1/2 years old then. From that day on she would want to wash her own cup and place it on the rack. Probably she cannot remember that any more now that she is so busy with her career.

Children were really trained to sing and become musical. One of the requirements of staff was that they must be able to play the piano in those days. My aunt Madam Tiong Ing Lang was a piano teacher of good repute . Besides she was a great disciplinarian - a style she learned from Mrs. Mary Hoover who was a very strict and stern person who insisted that every Foochow should pay great attention to punctuality and speaking of the truth.


1963 Former Principal of Methodist Secondary School Mr. William Hsu visited Mrs. Mary Hoover in Perth (Australia) The education provided by the Methodist Church and School impacted many Sibu Foochows. Apart from gaining a basic education in the local schools the missionaries sourced for help from America and Australia to help intelligent students to futher their studies. One of the smartest students is Dr. Fan Siao Wen who topped his Australian class in his first year thus gaining a very respected place in medical school. Mr. William Hsu was not only a top student in school and at university he was a literary genius in Chinese. He was also extremely fluent in English and Bahasa Malaysia.  Former students of Mrs. Hoover continued to visit her until she passed away in Perth. This photo was taken by the late Peter Chong Chung Ping and is one of the last photos taken of Mrs. Hoover.

Although Mrs. Hoover did not have children of her own she had some adopted children. In fact she loved all her students tremendously and they loved her back. After they had set up homes of their own the Yuk Ing girls (as they were called) would pay respects to her and send her gifts . And they would even ask their own children to visit Hoo Shu Moo (Mrs. Hoover) they felt that they really owed their good life to her and her gift of education.

Today many of these ladies have grandchildren and great grandchildren but they would still tell stories about Mrs. Hoover.

What  an education from Mrs. Mary Hoover!!

June 22, 2012

Hand Carried Gifts e.g. Corica's Apple Strudels

What is the Foochow or Asian way of showing love? Hand carry a most precious package of cakes or baos home to the children. My father once did that when he came back from Singapore and that memory left a deep imprint in my soul

Father's love or mother's love often comes in the form of a "Hand carried gift".

And I think that is why many many Malaysian and Singaporean tourists visiting Perth would put Apple Strudels on top of their must buy list and it must be Corica's Apple Strudels. ...and hand carry sometimes THREE "back home".

But do not be overwrought if you cannot get to buy them in Perth..

Check with their operating times.....if you can get to buy..buy and eat and it's Aus $19.00 and above each. If you  cannot hand carry it...well don't have to buy . It is really too much trouble to bring back to Malaysia or Singapore.

So what's that? What's a strudel? It's just some pastry baked with nice custard

This is the logo of Corica of Perth - good pastry shop to visit if you enjoy pastries etc.
apple strudels on their way out of Perth!!


I got this recipe from a friend and perhaps you can make it at home (note: the recipe is not Corica's and many   people really can make their strudels at home)


Apple Filling

4 Granny Smith or Fuji Apples

35g butter

90g castor sugar

1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder

50g raisins

Juice and zest from half a lemon

7g corn flour



Slice the apples in thin wedges or cubes to your preference

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the apples and stir such that all the apples are coated with the butter. Allow the apples to be cooked thoroughly , this will take about - 10 minutes. Sir the apples occasionally to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, mix the corn flour, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl and save for use later.

Once the apples are cooked, stir in the sugar and continue stirring till all the sugar has melted.

Add in the raisins and cinnamon and continue stirring for a few minutes.

Add in the corn flour and juice mixture and stir. Allow the sauce to thicken and remove from heat. Allow the apple filling to cool.





Custard Cream



2 egg yolk

1/3 cup + 1/2 tbsp castor sugar

2 tbsp plain flour

1 cup milk or 1/2 cup milk+ 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean pod or 1/2 teasp vanilla

1 tbsp melted butter



Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a pot till it becomes creamy

Sift in the flour and mix well.

Add warm milk into the mixture slowly and mix well.

Now place the pot on low heat and stir the mixture constantly. Add in vanilla and continue stirring until it thickens.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the melted butter.

Cool the custard cream in the refrigerator to let it thicken somemore.



Puff Pastry



1 package Butter Puff Pastry(or make your own from scratch)

70g castor sugar

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tbsp butter (melted)



Combine castor sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C

Cut the puff pastry according to how big you want it. I made rather small ones, 2 layers with each sheet of puff pastry cut into 3. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 3 equal rectangles. Place it on a well greased baking tray, apply melted butter on the puff pastry. Sprinkle the mixture of sugar and cinnamon over the puff pastry. Repeat this step with the other 2 sheets of puff pastry.

Bake in the oven at 180 deg C for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.



How do you assemble it?

Lay one puff pastry baked on your work surface.

Spread the chilled custard cream over the layer of puff pastry.

Spread a portion of apple filling on top of the custard cream and puff pastry.

Place another layer of puff pastry on top.

Make sure you divide your apple filling and custard cream well to ensure that there is enough for all your strudels.

Repeat for the rest of your strudels.

Enjoy!!

You can make mini ones if you like. These Corica apple strudels are  about 16 inches long!!


Carrying strudels from Perth and other gift boxes reminded me of the paper boxes we used to carry when we left home to study. Mothers would pack fried salted fish and home made cookies for us to bring to our hostels away from home. And indeed one MAS airline personnel even said..."Ha..you must be from Sibu" when I picked up my luggage at the airport...

If you have not experienced carrying a hand gift...you should try doing it one day....It could be a very bad experience mind you...but may be it could be an extra-ordinary act of love!!

Scholars' Street and Feng Ting Gou

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The Teng Ting Gou of the Hin Hua people is a great delicacy. In fact if you visit the Scholars' Street in Xianyou you can find many different kinds of food,and delicacies. Tourists would swarm the Scholars' Street and enjoy themselves watching the slow life style of the people here. While many are still having 60's life style, the younger ones are already gaining higher education and moving to larger cities and even overseas to make a living.

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Along the Scholars' Street we saw a elderly lady selling vegetables with bian dang and a traditional weighing scale (chen). Her basekts are made of split bamboo.

June 20, 2012

Flower Lane Church, Fuzhou City.

Image result for Xian You, Putien churches
An Amazing Foochow Church at Flower Lane.

The Church is located at Flower Lane, No. 7, East Stree Crossroads or Dongjiekou, the most prosperous commercial area of Gulou District, Fuzhou. It is the first Methodist Church building within the walled city of Fuzhou.

Built in 1863 by the American Methodist Episcopal Mission in Fuzhou.

The chapel was deomolished by a mob in 1864.

60 years later, the MEM decided to build another church.

In 1915, Rev. John Gowdy (then superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Mission) and Rev. Yu Xingli (余兴礼, a Chinese Methodist pastor) purchased on East Street what used to be the mansion of a Ryukyuan king in Qing Dynasty and rebuilt it into a city institutional church named Central Institutional Church or Siong Iu Dong (尚友堂, Foochow Romanized: Siông-iū-dòng, lit. "church for social intercourse"). The first baptism was held on September 5 of the same year.

 In 1938 the building was subsequently reconstructed under charge of Rev. Xu Rongfan (许荣藩) into a large granite chapel capable of holding a congregation of some 1000 people. (Source : Wikipedia)

this church was renovated in 2005.


Malakilin and Mani bian

I wonder if many of the Foochow relatives and friends still remember one kind of biscuits we used to eat in Sibu - Malakilin...

Of course we were not enlightened until many years later what we ate were actually BUTTER CREAM biscuits. If you check some of the biscuits now sold as assorted biscuits by Thye Hong or Danone..you could still see the words on the biscuits. Two layers of biscuit with a butter cream sandwich. Having a sweet tooth my siblings and I would always lick the cream off first and then pretend to drop the biscuits..and let the cats eat them up!!

Another favorite biscuit is the gem biscuits which we called BU SAI Bian or belly button biscuits.

The tin below is the genuine product...we bought the Made in Sibu ones by the katis. These biscuits went with us to the school as we did not have any pocket money. We brought along water in a bottle (usually a tomato sauce bottle and later when we were older we brought a Sun Valley bottle in our baskets). We had 15 cents if we had afternoon classes.



.

In those days we heard of Jacob and Co...and looked at the tins of biscuits in the shops like Kim Guan Siang....
These were contemporary biscuits of the day but the Foochows of Sibu had their own  "imitation" biscuits made by the Sibu bakeries...

Another biscuit we could buy by the katis was the MARIE biscuits...and indeed they were sold in this way....from a tin which had a glass "window"......we Foochows call them Mani Bian...

One of my future photo hunts would be to discover this kind of tins in some old style sundry shops in Miri.

Hope I can still find them and photograph them....my mother would be happy to see the photos..and say...yes..that's what childhood is all about...buying biscuits with hard earned and hard saved money...to live one day at a time..and not worry too much that money would not go beyond the 23rd of each month....God has indeed kept a good watchful eye over  the fatherless children of Brooke Drive and kept the spirit of the widow strong. Mum would always have a few biscuits at the bottom of the tin .....

23rd of every month? Now that is the Pension Collection day ...and bills must be paid between 23rd and 30th of each month in Malaysia.

This morning I am going to buy some Mani bian..some malakilin bian and some busai bian....I think we can get them by the 100 grams now in some outlets....

June 19, 2012

Sibu Tales : The Little Nyonya (小娘惹)

The Little Nyonya
(小娘惹)


 The drama ended its run on 5 January 2009.Image result for little nyonya

This drama was produced by MediaCorp in celebration of the channel's 45 years anniversary (45载光芒·8方贺台庆). This drama required 1 year of research, and took four months to film[1]. More than 150 behind the scenes staff were involved in the production, and the cast also went to Penang and Malacca to film part of the series. The series' production cost was also the highest ever for MediaCorp, with a pair of beaded shoes costing S$1,200, while a dining table costs S$15,000.

Although MediaCorp's series normally have episode counts that ends in multiples of 5 (20, 25, 30 etc.), The Little Nyonya was, however, extended from the initial 30 episodes to 34 episodes due to over-runs in filming, in order to allow the story to be told completely. Possibly as a result, two episodes were aired on Mondays, starting from 15 December 2008.

It created quite a stir in SArawak in general. More women started to wear sarong kebaya and many became very interested in Nyonya cuisine.

This is how much TV can impact social and cultural development. I would say, very positively.

And I even bought the whole box set to share with friends.

Wooden Houses of Sibu

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When the population of Sibu grew faster during the last few years of the Colonial Era (1950's) many wooden houses were built at Tong Sang Road, Bukit Assek, Hokkien Road (Amoy Road)etc. These were branch roads from Lanang Road which existed even before the Japanese Occupation.

People who lived along these roads had moved from the rubber gardens which became almost obsolete because of the low international rubber prices. Many had moved also because they wanted better education for their children. Besides, the political situation was not secure for those living in the rural areas.

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The Methodist School compound had a few good wooden houses for teachers' quarters and they remained sturdy homes from 1949 to the early 80's. I remember them very fondly.

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Many of the kampong houses were wooden and they remained pretty on their stilts. They were the prettiest during the fasting month when lights were lit at night. The reflections on the water, during high tide , were memorable.

Construction of low cost concrete houses began in the 60's in the Rajang Park and slowly the wooden houses were placed, but it took a long time as the owners were reluctant to sell or move out for redevelopment.

I am glad we still have many photographs of these wooden houses in our albums.


Pulau Babi and Sungei Lembangan

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Sibu Town is actually built on two islands, Pulau Sibu and Pulau Babi. Pulau Sibu was probably named before James Brooke came to Sarawak by the local people because there were many Sibau fruits growing on the island. Another theory is that Pulau Sibu was inhabited by Orang Sibu.
Pulau Babi (now Khoo Peng Loong Road) was given the name because the first abbatoir (pigs slaughtgerhouse) was situated there.
Today these two islands are not obviously seen because the Limbangan River is almost completely covered by urban development and the small stream which set Pulau Babi apart from the mainland has also been covered up.

Photo shows Pulau Babi which is now known a Khoo Peng Loong Area. In the future the next generation will not remember the name any more. During my childhood the jetties at Pulau Babi was a famous place.
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Old photo of Pulau Babi wharf

I used to wait here to get my boat ride to Kanowit where I taught for a year. 1975.

The Lembangan river begins here and ends up at the other end of Sibu Island.

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At the end of the Sibu Island, the Sg. Lembangan joins Sg. Igan. The Kampong Datu can be seen on the left. Almost all of the Sg. Lembangan has been filled up by the development of Sibu town in the last 30 years.

In 1958, when cholera spread through Sibu, the Lembangan was still the most important source of water for transport, washing, drikking and cleaning. River boat homes were berthed at the other end. Pineapple boats entered from here and berthed at the bridge near the Sibu Mosque. 




June 18, 2012

Pumpkin Pudding Made in Sarawak

  • It is actually quite hard to get a good recipe from any one when you taste a good dish. You would be green with envy and might be even too shy to ask for the secret recipe.

  • Most women like to keep their recipes to themselves and say that their grandmother would not want to share. But here I have quie a good recipe from an aunty, although it is in Bahasa Malaysia.
Some local dishes are made by local ladies using recipes from their ancestresses. Give it a try, plus or minus some bits.

  • Image result for pumpkin bingka
  • 1 biji telur Gred A
  • 200 ml air
  • 300 ml pati santan (mat guna santan kotak)
  • 200 g tepung gandum
  • 180 g gula halus
  • 1/2 camca teh garam
  • 1 camca teh esen vanilla
  • 450 g labu manis, dikukus hingga lembut dan dilecek halus

Cara-cara

  1.  Satukan kesemua bahan dalam satu bekas kecuali labu lecek. Kacau menggunakan wisk hingga sebati dan gula hancur. Tapis adunan.
  2.  Masukkan labu manis yg telah dilecek halus tadi. Gaul hingga rata.
  3.  Tuang adunan tadi ke dalam tin bulat berlubang tengah yg telah di sapu mentega dan dialas dasarnya dgn kertas. Sapu juga mentega pada permukaan kertas tadi.
  4.  Bakar dalam oven yang telah dipanaskan pada suhu 200C selama 40 minit. Biarkan sejuk sebelum dipotong.

China Series : 蒲公英 Dandelion

Image result for dandelion capsules

For centuries the Chinese have used dandelion in their herbal brews.

The leaf is good at improving eczema, relieve dermatitis and getting ride of joint discomfort. Young mothers who take tea made from the leaves would unblock the mammary glands and encourage milk flow!!

The root is brewed to treat gallstones and rheumatism because it has anti inflammatory effect.

And for many the flower juice can even remove freckles!!

Some new findings too : it can promote the flow of bile from gall bladder into the duodenum, protects liver and increases the flow of urine (diuretic) It is also a laxative.

It can improve the immune system.

The Chinese Meteria Medica says that the dandelion is bitter and sweet in flavour and neither hot nor cold in properties. It covers meridians of liver and stomach.

A Chinese Legend goes that a young girl suffered a breast abscess. Her mother wrongly accused her of losing her virginity before marriage and the distressed girl left home to drown herself. However, she was rescued by a man and his daughter, Pu Gongying, who were fishing. Hearing the girl's plight, the father asked his daughter to pick a dandelion seed head. The daughter made a paste, applied it to the girl's breast and soon the abscess disappeared. The grateful girl learned to grow the herb and named it after Pu Gongying.

Soh Mien on First Day of Lunar New Year

 Today 10.2.2024 is the first day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon. Yes I have cooked the chicken and made the soh mien. Happy New Year!!...