Sibu Tales : 10 slices of Oranges

 Whenever I eat oranges several memories would come to mind.

Sibu in the 60's had good imported navel oranges, especially the Sunkist.

Often we just call orange Sunkist, instead of orange, because an orange can be anything. But Sunkist is that orange with the orange skin which is juicy and sweet. (sometimes very sour). The original sunkist comes from Califrornia. It is important to see the label Sunkist on the skin of the orange.

A sunkist orange was sliced into 10 and displayed on every table for weddings, and even normal restaurant meals in Hock Chu Leu for exaple in Sibu.

I remember attending wedding feasts were held in the restaurants a long time ago inn Sibu. Besides 10 slices of organges on the table, the host would prepare cigarettes, drinks including Brandy and Whisky, peanuts and kua chi to be placed on the table.

Guests would be seated and not of the items on the table would be touched according to the Foochow table manners until the table had all 10 guests and the host and or hostess came around to help open the bottles of drinks,etc. Very polite women would ask the host to take away the brandy and whiskey, saying that they did not drink.

Later the host, with the bride and groom would come around to pour drinks and to give toasts.

However some male relatives would start opening the strong drinks and perhaps get drunk.

Sometimes parents would bring a child or two and extra chairs would be pulled to the table for them. Whenever my mother and grandmother sat down at a table, and there were two kids with the adults, mum would make sure that she would take one slice (her share) for one of the children and grandma would take her share for the other child.

No well mannered Foochow guest would eat all the slices of the orange, or pull the plate and ask her accompanying child to eat all the sliced orange.

This gesture would remain in my mind and heart forever.

Nowadays, I would make 10 slices of an orange and think of my mother and grandmother.

As children at home, we never ate one sunkist all by ourselves. We would slice and share two oranges or at the most 3 oranges. Only my father would have the honour of eating one whole orange by himself.

Sharing of food is LOVE. Mum's philosophy of life includes gifts of food, which is her language for love.

(See if you have 10 slices of Oranges on a banquet table in Sibu)