Ngie Mah and Kee Biang

 In the late 1950's my Ngie mah, maternal grandmother, would visit us. She would take the early morning motor launch from Nang Chong Village. After an hour or so of slow ride she would reach Sibu. If no message reached us about her coming, she would take a trishaw right to our wooden house.

If she managed to send us a message I would be there with my father to pick her up. My father would take half day off from work . We would definitely have soh mien with the fresh chicken she brought. My mother would have the chicken defeathered and dressed in no time. And lunch of a beautiful chicken soup would be on the way. We looked forward to Ngie mah's visit all the time..

A persimmon tree with fruits by Ngee Cheng.

Although one of the reasons we loved her visit because she would bring us a live chicken from the farm, and fresh eggs too which she saved for my father, we actually loved her story telling, ancient moral stories, or a revelation of all the happenings in the village. She was a really good story teller and she would have us in stitches because she could be so funny.

When she visited us, our Third Uncle would also visit, after his work at the wharf (and later from his road construction work).

Another reason why we loved her visit. She would buy dried persimmons or kee biang from the Chinese Medicine shop (Ting Ung Kee) She needed her sugar fix. But more importantly,she would like to reminisce her Fujian days and her childhood with us as she chewed her kee biang.

In those days we never realised that people would have low sugar count. My late mother, though not a diabetic, often had low sugar count and she would pop a mint into her mouth at about 11 am in the morning. She did not have sugar cravings though. Now I do understand these physical conditions as I have from time to time get the cravings. I have been on low salt and sugar diet for many years now and I have my sugar level reading under very good control.

We kids would enjoy sharing the pieces of persimmons. We never had the fresh persimmons until we went overseas.

My greatest and memorable visit to Fujian was the accidental meet up with a vendor selling newly dried persimmons. When I saw them I immediately needed a sugar fix. So I persuaded him to sell them to me, to share with my cousins in the coach. It was an 11 oclock snack...just the right time to boost our sugar level....Lunch was very late that day because our coach broke down. 

It was persimmon heaven for me. And there was enough for every one. 

God is always provident. So later on I felt that it was not an impulsive buy. God must have given me a nudge.

Thanks to the box of persimmons we were all not hungry. God's blessings.