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When my maternal and paternal grandparents migrated to Sarwak in 1901 they were allocated almost pristine agricultural land with the blessings of the Second Rajah (Brooke). Women from temperate Fujian province started to eek out a living from a hot tropical clime. Food went stale quickly and insects both big and small frightened them. But these women folk were not deterred from helping their men folk gain a foot hold in the new land which would give them food and a new future.
They worked hard and made do with water from small streams - water which was then generally quite red (coloured by decaying plant matter). Good water also came from the rain and any container they could find would be used to hold the precious rainwater.
All water in those days was to be boiled (100 bubbles or 100 seconds ) to ensure that all germs were killed. That is why we Foochows call our warm water Bah Gung Tong. 100 boiled water. Water is life.
Water is for cleansing.
Water is for cooking.
Water is for transporting essentials.
Water is for washing.
Water is for farming.
Water is for helping animals to live and grow.
Water is for rearing of fish.
A glass of drinking water when offered to friend is a blessing.
Precious water.
<Life gets easier but are we getting better quality of water? Are all women enjoying the same quality of water?
Water means life. It is of utmost importance to mankind.
2 comments:
I remember those days, my aunties doing their laundry.
I was lucky, both my grand parents on both sides lives along the Rejang River. My mum's side still do in the Durin area. They had their private jetties. I was reading that the authorities were checking to see if these jetties were damaged.
Hi Ann
Yes many jetties have been destroyed by the recent log jam...(log tsunami)...it seems government is not compensating.....My grandmother's house was "washed" away in 1981.
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