January 29, 2013

Puffer Fish

Ikan Buntal is well known in Sarawak as a fish you love to catch for its eggs even though an accidental tasting of the flesh might end up in death .

Only the very skilled cook knows how to prepare fresh buntal for the pot. I must say I won't want to do any of this kitchen work.
The dried puff up skin of a buntal is used to make a lamp shade to the delight of both adults and children.



Its eggs are beautiful, whether salted or fresh. In Saratok and Betong of Sarawak buntal eggs are sold in packets of RM10.00. Tourists and locals look anxiously for them in the market. Salted buntal eggs are good with porridge especially. They also form a nice ingredient for omelettes.

But one use of the buntal skin is for the making of lanterns and this calls for a special skill to take out all the flesh and puff up the skin for drying.



January 28, 2013

Helicopters in Sibu

Helicopters are nothing new to Sibu.

During the Confrontation, Sibu saw a lot of action and the King George V1 Grounds was used as a landing pad.

At the height of the timber boom, some companies even used helicopters to harvest good timber from Kapit and other hillier regions of Sarawak.

The Rascom in later years continued to use helicopters for their exercises.

The Hornbill Skyways had a few helicopters for commercial uses and the local politicians, especially the Chief Minister, love to fly with helicopters.

Helicopter harvesting of TimberRelated image

In Sarawak this method of harvesting is not intended to replace the existing ground-based crawler tractor system completely. The volume of logs lifted out by helicopters is very small.

 The gentle and undulating forest areas will still be worked by tractors incorporating reduced impact logging (RIL) procedures. However, harvesting of the hill mixed dipterocarp forests in Sarawak is progressing towards the interior regions where the terrain is steep and more difficult.

The potential or opportunity for helicopter harvesting lies in these areas. In such terrain, tractor harvesting with RIL procedures is less effective (particularly in reducing stream sedimentation) and is presently difficult to implement for the following reasons:
(a) Effective area for harvesting is reduced considerably.
(b) Lack of trained and committed manpower in the timber industry.
(c) Capacity building of Forest Department staff to carry out supervision of RIL for sustainable forest management has not been completed yet.
Notwithstanding the high cost of operation, the use of helicopters will definitely improve the sustainability of the forest and at the same time preserve its environmental values.

In 1993, WTK invested in helicopters.

It is a very expensive venture and method of harvesting timber.





January 25, 2013

Sempidan - Wild Pheasants from Sarawak

(Photos from Ian Kody - a nephew)


the male sempidan with his splendid enviable coloured feathers.







The sempidan hen is rather plain, like the peahen and is generally brown in colour with a slightly bluish face. White streaks can be seen on her breast.

 The sempidan, or Crested Fireback pheasants are threatened species found in Thailand,Malaya, Sumatra , Kalimantan and Sarawak. However they are sometimes found by boatmen and jungle travellers who keep them as pets.

The males have cobalt blue faces and have dark meallic blue plumage with some streaks of reddish brown on the back. They have a wide curved tail which is cream at the top with the contrasting bottom feathers which are bluish as the main body. The face has bright blue wattels which expand to twice the size when the bird is displaying its features and trying to attract attention.

( ophura ignita nobilis)
Crested - Fireback Pheasant

Chinese Cards

Add caption
Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling
Add caption
Related imageImage may contain: 3 people, people smiling
Photo of Chinese women playing cards. Courtesy of Steve Ling.


A group of Chinese women playing Chinese cards is quite a common sight in the park in China. They will gather in the summer especially to pass time.

Chinese love to play cards especially when they are retired.  These cards are based on Chinese chess and the cards are usually divided into four different colours. The game is also called Four Colour Card Game.

The game is so popular that bot

Castor Oil Plant

It has another common name, Palm of Christ, or Palma Christi, that derives from castor oil's reputed ability to heal wounds and cure ailments.

After it was introduced to Sarawak , this plant, which is invasive, has spread all over the state especially along the coastal sandy stretches.



Image result for castor oil plantsImage result for castor oil plants


Plenty of this plant in Sibuti, Lambir, Niah and various parts of Miri

It has many uses in medicine and other applications.

January 24, 2013

Gods of Door

Some Gods of Door look terrifying. When I was a child visitng some of my relatives in the villages I was literally frightened and could not go to sleep at night. I had to sleep with my grandmother in her small bed. If I could not smell her pillow or her blanket I would be most upset. Her pillow was a lacquer Fujian pillow, which exuded a special fragrance. And her blanket which would often be sun dried had a warm welcoming fragrance.

doors


If you know what I mean, my Ngie mah did not have the old ladies' smell. She always smelled so good.

Back to the Door Gods.

Menshen or door gods are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions. As my relatives were all Methodists they did not have the menshen to guard their doors.

The door gods were originally Shenshu (Chinese神荼) and Yulü (Chinese鬱壘) under the Han.

Later the deified generals Qin Shubao (Chinese秦叔寶) and Yuchi Gong (Chinese尉迟恭) became door gods from the Tang Dynasty onwards.

If there is only one door,Wei Zheng or Zhong Kui is commonly used.

When I visited Fujian where most village homes had two panels of doors, the door gods were well affixed. Some are horrifying figures. But some are lovely ones, like the photo above. I have taken quite a lot of photos of door gods. But unfortunately I cannot share them with my grandmother any more. She would have loved to see them

My fears come back to visit me again.


Noren or Buoh Lian as Room Partition



In my friend's home, is a lovely Noren which divides her small kitchen from her washroom area. It is blue in colour because she loves blue. Her family, especially her mother, loves embroidery and sewing. So they own many beautiful crafts made from textiles. All hand sewn. She has many other norens in her house too.




Noren (暖簾) are traditional Japanese fabric dividers, hung between rooms, on walls, in doorways, or in windows. They usually have one or more vertical slits cut from the bottom to nearly the top of the fabric, allowing for easier passage or viewing. Noren are rectangular and come in many different materials, sizes, colors, and patterns.

The Escapade outlets in Brunei exhibits beautiful Norens. Today many restaurants throughou Malaysia also sue norens as room dividers. Most popularly, norens help to divide washroom spaces from the main shop room. And tastefully designed norens are actually pieces of art themselves.

They can also be used by shops and restaurants as sun, wind and dust shades. Some norens are used as advertisig space. From a distance, for example, in Japan one can see that a red Noren advertises bath houses for women. I often wonder here what colour would be used for transexual bathhouses in Japan or any other country. In China transexuals are referred to as Middle Sex (Gender), so may be a noren with half red and half blue can be displayed. Norens for bathhouses are taken down at the end of the business day and put up for business the next day.

Japanese Bath House with Noren in Red for women.











This is a bathhouse for men (blue noren) in Japan. Business is as usual!!

this is a handprinted Noren manufactured by a Kyoto Manufacturer.

If you watch some of the older TV dramas , you will be able to see these textile dividers used during he 1940's and 1950's when Chinese familis shared houses. Each family would rent one room only and share the common kitchen. Instead of opening and closing doors (which was considered rude), a cloth door curtain was used. Prying eyes would not be able to see the goings on in the room. But Chinese use only one whole piece of cloth.

this is a special Wedding "door curtain" to signify the newly wed's bedroom. Very auspicious and a must have in Taiwan and Mainland China. But in Malaysia it is no longer trendy. However I do remember my cousins had them specially made for their weddings in the 1950's. All specially embroidered by hand or by machine.

chinese red door curtain



 I wish a textile museum could be established in Sarawak and there can be so much to see!! It would inspire the next generation in more ways than you can imagine!!


Ikabena : Fashion in Sibu

It was quite fashionable to have floral arrangements in an office in Sibu.

And there was a lady who could do ikabena in Sibu.  And every woman wanted to the learn the art of floral arrangements.

The Methodist Church women also held classes to teach women to arrange flowers for special occasions.




There was only one good orchid grower who sold orchids. Madam Tang had a beautiful garden which she developed well.

Her orchid garden was just opposite the Methodist School. So it was very convenient for Madam Tang to deliver well arranged flowers to the school for special functions. The various Methodist churches also ordered special floral arrangements from her.

Soon orchid and flower growing became popular in Sibu. At the same time, florists also opened up their businesses.

I attended a few classes of ikabena and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Here is a quote from Kasen Yoshimura, grandmaster of the Ryusai School of Ikebana:
The art of ikebana is to listen to the spirits of flowers and plants. It is how to make the voice or sentiment of the flower a visual combination with your feelings. Ikebana allows the heart of the arranger to touch the heart of the viewer.
In those long ago days I often wondered did I ever touch the heart of viewer with my floral arrangement? Could there really have been a kindred spirit who also enjoyed well arranged flowers?

I do remember Lien Tee as one of the earliest florists of Sibu and on several occasions my friends and I ordered floral arrangements from the shop.

The art of ikabena would always be part of my memory of Sibu.


Sibu Food. Manjiu Gor and weddings

Image may contain: dessert and food


\
A cousin of mine told me not too long ago, Foochow men were really good in making these caskes. 40 or more years ago, wedding banquets for Foochow families were mainly catered at home and a team of cooks and helping hands would come to the house to prepare the wedding feast.

So when a family was invited to the wedding, the whole family would get ready to go to the house to SIAK JIU, or eat WINE.

It was really a happy occasion for every one, old and young, big and small.

Some families even chartered a motor launch for relatives to attend the feast.

There was no wedding card I remember, just by word of mouth.

At the end of the wedding feast because every one was very full, the host and the hostess would wrap up the extra manjiu gor for the guests to take home.

Well made manjiu gor can last a few days without refrigeration. But poorly made ones would have moulds very quickly.

I did not like to see moulds on food and I usually made this comment, "Why not enjoy the gor as soon as we get them. Now you see all the tii sai moh and you have to throw it away. What a pity."

January 23, 2013

Kiin Chai (Chinese Celery)



The Chinese celery or kiin chai is a very valuable vegetable to the Foochows.

We can use it in fried rice, fried mee hoon and in  soups. It helps to dispel colds too and many people believe today that drinking its juice will help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol.

It is pungent and peppery and tastes similar to regular celery.No photo description available.

Any good Foochow backyard gardener would grow a few of these lovely plants.

they are best to use as garnishes with ham and salads.

One stalk is enough to make a lovely egg soup on a cold day. When cooking tofu soup, this is one ingredient which cannot be missed out.

When I make a cold tofu salad, I have a big topping of Chinese celery. It really makes the dish awesome and pretty.

This is one ingredient that we will not miss out when we buy our food in the market for our festivals and especially Chinese New Year.

January 19, 2013

Keruing or Asian Mahogany

A day out with children and learn about nature is a good day. There are so many trees they can learn about and grow to love. This is a good way to continue our conservation of our environment.

What about a short lesson about the keruing? The Keruing is decreasing in number and we should actually  start  replanting them.

Keruing is a special species of tropical hardwood found in Malaysia (especially in Sarawak twenty years ago) and Indonesia.

Some of the best home furniture and flooring are made from this timber.

And I remembered a friend who once took us for some jungle trekking pointed out the trees for us to photograph. He quipped, "Take photos if you like. Not many people care about these trees nowadays. In this patch, only a few are left, the rest have been logged by probably illegal timber people who know that one tree this size can build a small house in fact." That was many years ago.

Today, indeed, very few Keruings are left in the jungles of Sarawak. Some timber concessionaires have already logged all of them.

But if you drive to Long Lama or any where in the Baram you can still see the tall beautiful silhouette of the Keruing trees, beckoning to you. But unlike the tapang tree, bees do not build their nest on them.

No photo description available.




This beautiful tree is found both on lowland and hilly terrain. It is quite  easy to recognise.


Asian Mahogany, or Keruing, is made up of about 70 species of the Dipterocarpus genus. These large hardwoods can grow to heights of 230 feet. The various species are found throughout the eastern hemisphere in areas such as the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Asian mahogany trees can reach heights of up to 200 feet when fully mature with diameters of up to six feet.
of Malaysian origin. It is found mostly in lowland forest but may also be found in some hilltop forests.

It is more often used as a flooring material. But it should not be exposed to excessive moisture or
standing water.

It is a pity that many Malaysians cannot easily tell the names of the trees which are found around them.

Nowadays we may have to consider what we are teaching our kids . It is a pity that many parents take the easy way out - give them an iPad.


January 18, 2013

Sarawak : Indigneous Ladder made from Bamboo

We have definitely seen many Chinese movies and their war scenes. Bamboo ladders were put against the walls of forts and soldiers climb up only to be killed!!

Well in Sarawak I have seen many ladders made from bamoo.


Here is one style. Mainly made by Bidayuhs of Sarawak:


No photo description available.




And the ladder is meant for agile fruit hunters and farmers.

Have you seen something similar?





January 17, 2013

Durin : Curfew Days

Years ago, Durin was reachable only by long boats, express boats and bicycles through jungle paths and helicopters (During the Emergency).
Image result for Chinese schools in Durin Sibu area
In the 1960's the Durin bazaar was mainly wooden with few urban utilities.

Durin is actually only 50 KM from Sibu by road.

The Chinese and Ibans traded in Durin, mainly in engkabang, rice and pepper. Many Foochows ventured there and invested on the land to grow rambutans, pepper and fruits. A few Chinese schools were set up in the area for the Chinese settlers' children.

It was said that Communist activities were started in the 1950's in Sibu and they were especially active after the formation of Malaysia in 1963, when the attention of the communits turned against the formation of Malaysia.

The Rajang Security Command (RASCOM) was  established in 1973 to curb Communist activities in the the Rajang Mid Valley. 

Communist insurgency in Sarawak was significantly impaired in 1973 and later ended in 1990.

Curfew was a hated word. The economy of the people came to a standstill and fear spread every where. Neighbours started not to trust each other and there was a lot of infighting.

The curfew hours were bad, mainly to curb the food and medical supplies. The hours were 6 to 6, others 24 hours. These curfews were emplaced to weed out communists in the jungle.

Accidentally,many able men and women were killed in the jungle when they tried to do a bit of farming. Many communists were also killed. Soldiers, namely Gurkhas, some British soldiers, Malay REgiment, Sarawak Border Scouts were wounded or killed.

Durin was quite a bad spot, so much so that many people migrated from Durin and set up homes in Sibu and else where. Many Iban longhouses were forced to help the Communists as they were threatened. But the soldiers did their rounds and protected several longhouses.

How many Ibans were killed by both sides no one would know.Image result for durin bridge


Rural Health Clinic Related image



Image result for Chinese schools in Durin Sibu area
Longhouses in Durin


Today, progress has come to Durin, schools have been set up, roads are pretty good. The Durin Bridge is one iconic bridge which brought much progress to the people of Durin.





Bamboo Flowers in Miri

I picked up a piece of intriguing information from my former colleague Mr. Sapen. He pointed out to me that when the bamboo flowers, the rodent population in his farm will increase thus causing a lot of damage.

It was the first time I was able to photograph bamboo flowers, although I had seen them many times in different parts of Sarawak. I did not know that bamboo only flowers infrequently , like once in 50 years!! or 65 years. And then after that the cluster would die. I will go back to this bamboo grove in a few months time to photograph it again.No photo description available.

The relationship between rat populations and bamboo flowering was examined in a 2009 Nova documentary Rat Attack.







this is a cluster of bamboo flowers.

Joi Ito from Inbamura, Japan - Flickr



 


It was an eye opening visit to a rural farm owned by Mr. Sapen which was initiated by his late father in 1984.

(Wikipedia says : Bamboo's long life makes it a Chinese symbol of longevity, while in India it is a symbol of friendship. The rarity of its blossoming has led to the flowers' being regarded as a sign of impending famine. This may be due to rats feeding upon the profusion of flowers, then multiplying and destroying a large part of the local food supply. The most recent flowering began in May 2006 (see Mautam). Bamboo is said to bloom in this manner only about every 50 years (see 28–60 year examples in FAO: 'gregarious' species table).
In Chinese culture, the bamboo, plum blossom, orchid, and chrysanthemum (often known as méi lán zhú jú 梅兰竹菊) are collectively referred to as the Four Gentlemen. These four plants also represent the four seasons and, in Confucian ideology, four aspects of the junzi ("prince" or "noble one"). The pine (sōng 松), the bamboo (zhú 竹), and the plum blossom (méi 梅) are also admired for their perseverance under harsh conditions, and are together known as the "Three Friends of Winter" (岁寒三友 suìhán sānyǒu) in Chinese culture. The "Three Friends of Winter" is traditionally used as a system of ranking in Japan, for example in sushi sets or accommodations at a traditional ryokan. Pine (matsu 松) is of the first rank, bamboo (také 竹) is of second rank, and plum (ume 梅) is of the third.)

January 16, 2013

On the Road to Marudi from Miri










These days we need not take the Express Boats from Kuala Baram to Marudi or Long Lama. Off road vehicles can take us door to door from Miri to Marudi. Our family friend Cikgu Zaharah Omar and her siblings go home to Marudi for their festivals like Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and they find the "taxis" most convenient.

The signages in Sarawak are rather poor. Here is one example - It is small and rather shabby. You cannot find one at the main junction. Luckily there is one here or the driver could drive into a huge plantation and be lost for a few hours  until he meets another vehicle.




Some parts of the road are still bad. Just mud and gravel. Other parts are already paved. In fact a teacher friend of mine said that even his Kancil can reach Marudi!

But Toyota Hi lux is the most popular vehicle in Sarawak. Every other family seems to own one!!

No photo description available.


 Poor road conditions and vehicles get call caked in mud after the journey.


A Bailey Bridge still helps the people to cross small rivers. What an innovation!!




 A young girl is driving this old bomb together with her father. But the car  is really sturdy and road worthy.

















The road cut through sedimentary rocks but sometimes when hills are cut through landslides may occur and thus blocking transportation and communication. 

January 14, 2013

Yiu Char Kui and half shops of Sibu

This is an excellent Chinese breakfast item. Eating with soy bean milk, it is both filling and satisfying. When we were growing up in Sibu, it was the cheapest food our grandparents and parents could bring home from the market. 


The Sibu Shops in the 50's and 60's were rather unusual . Some shops were rented by one business only. However many were rented by two businesses, hence the term, half shop. These half shops were run every day but there is no dividing wall. However when things got bad between the two businesses, a wall would go up.

Now there were some shops there were divided into three, especially those facing the alleys, ie the end shops. Our favourite Tian Bian Hoo shop in Sibu is one example of a shop lot which has three businesses going. In front is the tailor shop and the other half is owned by a goldsmith.

All these partitioning of shops in Sibu was due to the Second Landlord problem in the 1950's. But then it became a very acceptable way of doing business.

Many years ago,several hawkers and shops in Market Road of Sibu made YCK (or yiu tiau) and people had to queue up for them. These would be the biscuit making shops. The big kuali at the front part of their half shop would be heat up to deep fry the YCK as early as 6 a.m. I can still remember the skilled chef using just a piece of small wood to divide the dough into two portions. And when the dough is risen enough the chef would lower the dough into the hot oil. The same method of making continues until today!! Pasar Malam also have hawkers who sell YCK. Many Malays are beginning to sell Cakoi in kampongs and in their shops.

A long time ago each yiu char kui or oil stick was about 10 cents and cut into pieces with a pair of scissors siblings can have lots of share. Today you get 3 for a ringgit depending on the size. The bigger ones are 2 for a ringgit in Miri. Some YCK are harder, some are rather soft. Some have too much bi-carbonate. So one really has to choose your chef carefully. Or you need to ask around for the best YCK in town!!



Today I continue to dip my share into hot sweet kopi-0. Heavenly. And on a rainy day, nothing quite beat this kind of breakfast.





Sourced from Wikipedia is this

"Folk etymology

The Cantonese name yàuhjagwái literally means "oil-fried devil" and, according to folklore, is an act of protest against Song Dynasty official Qin Hui, who is said to have orchestrated the plot to frame the general Yue Fei, an icon of patriotism in Chinese culture. It is said that the food, originally in the shape of two human-shaped pieces of dough but later evolved into two pieces joined in the middle, represents Qin Hui and his wife, both having a hand in collaborating with the enemy to bring about the great general's demise. Thus the youtiao is deep fried and eaten as if done to the traitorous couple. In keeping with the legend, youtiao are often made as two foot-long rolls of dough joined along the middle, with one roll representing the husband and the other the wife."

Nowadays if we buy a packet of this cakoi (Malay word), our children would be most happy. Somehow this simple item can still top KFC or Pizza.

Sharing food at home is still the best way of communicating love and care in the family.

January 13, 2013

Miri - Ikan Buntal

Want lanterns for the Chinese New Year?

A Mirian  fisherman has come up with a fantastic idea of a lantern made from the dried body of a local puffer fish known as Ikan Buntal.  From the village of Bakam this nice gentleman, however is not selling his creative work. He has made several lanterns and he uses two of them for his foodstall at the Saberkas Pasar Tani or Open Air Weekend Market.









Pufferfish are poor swimmers, but can quickly ingest huge amounts of water to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size.


Also known as blowfish, they develop their famous “inflatability” because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators. In lieu of escape, pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water (and even air when necessary) to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size. Some species also have spines on their skin to make them even less palatable.

A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky for long. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide.(source : http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/pufferfish/)

Fugu is a famous Japanese delicacy prepared from the delicate flesh of the ikan buntal, using very careful techniques. Only certified chefs in Japan are allowed to prepare Fugu.

All photos were taken at Pasar Tani, Miri.

January 12, 2013

Mini Tampoi - a wild Sarawak fruit

The sweet mini tampoi is a wild fruit found in Sarawak. It is always
 a blessing from God when you find a tree in the jungle. This weekend during a walkabout in the Miri/Bintulu jungles I found to my delight this beauty of a tree.  Fruiting furiously!!

The fruit is very very sweet and juicy. You cannot ask for more!!

The flesh is red in colour and although the seed is rather big each section is very sweet in mouth. So as I eat slowly, I think it is quite a cross between good rambutan and longan. But the redness of the flesh is really something new to an urbanite like me.

The tree is rather small but a grown man can climb up easily without breaking the branches and pluck small bunches of the fruit off the branches. Like most tropical fruits, the tampoi grows right from the branches, not at the end of twigs like apples or olives.



Its scientific name is Baccaurea macrocarpa and belongs to Phyllanthaceae family. Locals also name it as Larah, Terai, Rambai Hutan, Setei.

 Image may contain: fruit and food



Beautifully red and sweet mini tampoi.  The fruit here is the size of a chicken egg.

 BeautifulImage may contain: food


The fruit is easy to open and very very pleasant afternoon can be passed sitting under the tree and eating the them , if you don't mind the mosquitoes.

Photos are from Bean's, Sibu.

January 10, 2013

Chung Cheng School Graduation Photo

My mother and her siblings were fortunate enough to be able to go to school in the 1930's when Tiing Nang Primary school was established because their father, Lau Kah Jui donated a 2 acre piece of land to the Methodist Church to build a primary school and a church (Hook Ming Church).

The first Headmaster was my mother's first cousin, Lau Yung Chiong, who was brought out from China by Grand Uncle Lau Kah Tii, while his father remained in China to look after the Lau family's home.

In those days, children of brothers were all called brothers and sisters, not cousins. So Lau Yung Chiong was 2nd brother because he was slightly younger than my mother's own brother Pang Ping who was called Tui Goh or eldest brother.

All the siblings went to school without shoes. They did not have uniforms and very often only the teachers had a book.

They were taught History of China, they had to sing the Republic Anthem every morning and bow to Sun Yat Sen. Today at age 88 my mother can still sing the anthem very well.

Learning was very minimal according to my mother but a lot of discipline was taught. They also memorized a lot of Confucian sayings. Chinese literature was an important subject although Arithmetic was also taught every day.National anthem of ROC score.gif

My own Ngie Mah considered him a dear son. My grandma was the youngest of the sisters in law so she was Muiring to the nephews and nieces. She played her role well, as the youngest, the humble and quite sister in law. Whatever she wanted to do, she had to seek advice from the others, especially the educated nephews and relatives.

After passing their primary six my mother and her sister continued to study in  Kwong Nang (later Chung Cheng Secondary)  School. Mum passed Jr.3 before the war but she did not have a graduation photo. She taught in Kai Nang Primary school for a few years after the war. Her China born sister in law came from China after the war, my grandmother asked my mum to vacate the post so that Aunty, who was a college graduate, and would have a few children in the years to come, could take over the job and earn a salary. Teaching posts were so limited.

My younger aunt Hung Yung had this beautiful graduation photo.





January 9, 2013

Buah Nangka or Jackfruit

Image may contain: food
the nangka is a native fruit of South East Asia and is a particularly well loved fruit in Sarawak. The young nangka fruit is often cooked with coconut milk to make a delicious soup.

Ripe nangka which may reach the weight of 5 kg. is a delectable fruit, often served in banquets. Cut into small slices and added to cold coconut milk it becomes a lovely dessert.


Image may contain: fruit and food

Nangka is also eaten with chendol, icecream and other sweet and cold deserts.



the nangka fruitlets are juicy and very pretty to look at.


paku

No photo description available.

Paku is a wild fern of Sarawak and it makes a good vegetable dish for the local indigenous people especially.



It is best cooked with sambal belacan with lots of chillies. This dish is actually part of the menu of most local restaurants.

In Yunan paku (fiddleheads) is also salted or preserved in jars and it is sold in the market at a good price. Preserved paku is usually cooked as a soup.

Nang Chong Stories : Wooden Plankwalks, Bridges,and Pontoons

The Rajang River had more than 40 Foochow villages from 1903 until 1970's . Today the villages seem to come alive again. Associated with old villages are bridges, plankwalks and pontoons made from wood.

As we revisit some of the Foochow Riverine villages like Nang Chong (three sections) Ensurai, 24 acres, Tanjong Kunyit, we are remind of how much the Foochows have used timber in their daily lives in the past.

No automatic alt text available.
A small pontoon.







to link one house to another house along the river bank, and across small streams. (Photo by Steve Ling)




Many plank walks can still be found even in Sibu town itself (This is at the back of Amoy Road, Sibu - Photo by Steve Ling)




This is the old Mosque of Sibu. See how Kampong Nyabor was linked to Kampong Datu by

 a belian bridge.

It must have been a labour of love from our ancestors who built these structures. How they slowly fell  the trees, saw the wood and planed them into planks...and slowly piece by piece they fashioned the bridges, the plankwalks and the pontoons.

January 8, 2013

Fortune Tellers

My grandmother Siew believed in fortune tellers like any China born Fujianese. And so did many Foochow women who were not committed Methodists.

Whenever these women had some problems in their lives they would consult the local fortune teller. Others would like to know their fortunes and their children's fortunes.No photo description available.

I also believe that many women who had some family problems like disagreement, bad relationships, lack of a male offspring would also consult the spirits to find out what the future would hold for them.

One of the most popular fortune tellers in Sibu was the man who told fortunes with the help of a bird. However he only operated after 7 pm. For he said, the bird would only be most able after that time. It was therefore quite eerie to visit this fortune teller who was located most of the time along the Bank Road.

I think many people of my age had their fortunes told by that particular bird.

My fortune? I could shoot a bird flying high...may be that is true..because now I take photos of birds.



January 7, 2013

Oldest Prison in Miri


I reproduced a brief history of the old prison of Miri below, and its link:-
Penjara Pusat Miri dibuka pada 08 Disember 1962 di Jalan Brighton, Miri untuk menempatkan seramai 62 orang pesalah yang mencetuskan pemberontakan di Bekenu, Miri pada tarikh tersebut. Ia telah diwartakan sebagai sebuah penjara pada 26 April 1962 dalam volume XVIII N0. 24 No. S66. Pada permulaan penubuhannya, Pegawai Daerah Miri telah bertindak sebagai Timbalan Penguasa Penjara dan Pegawai Yang Menjaga ialah Ketua Pegawai Penjara (KPP) Sumarja. Jumlah pegawai pada masa itu seramai 12 orang.
The oldest prison in Miri was opened in 1962 December at Brighton Road.

Image result for Miri Prison

This is the new prison in Miri.

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!!...