1956 The Resident's Christmas Party for Children

Vague memories of Christmas Gifts...... Memories are fading actually.

 In 1956 my father moved the family to Sibu from Pulau Kerto because my grandfather had bought shares in the Hock Bank and wanted my father to work in the bank.

We left a river bank factory quarters to live in a big white wooden house not too far from the present Art Friends at the beginning of Brooke Drive. It was a quiet lane off the Kampong Nyabor Road and we settled down into our "town life". My parents were quite happy to mingle with Chinese neighbours who were actually my grandfather's tenants, and the Malay neigbhours in the Kampong Nyabor. four or five Malay houses were ahead of our house along the lane which went to the large Kampong Nyabor Road.

That year was special as the three of us older children (No. 4 was not born yet), were taken to a children's party given by the Resident, and his wife. My father had contributed some cash for the children's gift exchange. We did not know what Christmas gift exchange was all about. But my father was sporting and he took us to the Residency.

The kids were all very awkward and  I remember the party was over as soon as we were given gifts by the Resident's wife. Some of the parents were having a good time I suppose as they were standing around with tea cups in hand.

I remember vaguely now we had some sweets and some drinks.

 I don't even remember if we sang any Christmas carols. That Christmas I did not know much English as I had just completed my Primary One.

Each child took a gift home. We all walked to our respective homes as most families did not own cars in those days.

Now I cannot remember what my brother and sister  received. Probably they were  small toys. I can vaguely remember that the gifts were in boxes wrapped in some nice paper.  One of the gifts could be  the toy tea set we played with for a long time in our wooden house.

However, I remember that my father had to  go up to the front to collect three gifts. We loved watching our handsome looking, well built father. He was the nicest looking father in the whole big crowd.

I do remember that we were nicely dressed up and my father walked with us to the big house and then back to our own home .

Some how until today I have a liking for children's tea sets.