The Deaf Aunty and Her Pickled Snails

 When visiting our grandmother down river we would often meet a lady whom we just called Boh Boh (grand aunty) who was very hard of hearing. In those days no one had the benefit of wearing hearing aids. She must have lost her hearing abilities when she was very young. However she was articulate and was a very wise woman who spoke her mind. She was never offensive though.

There was also an uncle not related to her who was a deaf mute (speech and hearing impaired from birth). He was a very strong man who was often asked to carry heavy stuff for the villagers. He was most helpful during the smoking of rubber sheets and loading of the rubber sheets into the motor launches.

These two personalities left very deep impressions on my mind which enabled me to develop empathies for the disadvantaged when I started my teaching career. I developed great patience in teaching the less abled.

The Bang Nga (mute) uncle was a wharf labourer when he was younger. And when he retired he was a general helpful for various shops in town. My youngest maternal aunt married into his family.

For some reasons, this hard of hearing aunty  was hearing impaired and every where she went people would call her Ngi Lerng Boh (Deaf Aunty). As a very happy person she was never offended (we already understood she could not hear all those name calling). In those days, our Foochow dialect did not consider anything unPolitically Correct. Say it the way you want was the social level. We had all sorts of names, some were not flattering at all.

Ngi  Lerng Boh Boh's life was simple, straightforward, happy and cheerful. She was friendly and very capable  She was ever  ready to help in all ways possible especially when neighbours called for help. She definitely loved her neighbours as herself. She was the best aunty around.

Today with her capabilities she could have been nominated as a village chief or even penghulu.

We most remember her for two things.

The Making of Hui Bah. 

The crunchy Foochow biscuits were actually a hard dough deep fried in hot oil and then rolled in sugar syrup. When she was free, fellow villagers would call her to make hui bah in the afternoons and every one would enjoy the snack. Many people did learn from her but her hui bah were the best. However she never sold any. She just made plenty and gave to children to eat.

Hui bah was a typical Foochow snack, sold in town commercially and often made in the village whenever housewives had extra sugar and flour.

The Pickling of Snails

Ngi Lerng Boh Boh (Hard of Hearing Grand Aunty) was best when she picked the round snails early in the morning or on bright moon lit nights. She was famous for collecting many pails or buckets of snails very quickly. She was known as the village Champion Snail Picker.

Most people would remember her special dish of pickled snails. She would cook the snails in ginger and soy sauce and slowly she would remove the snail flesh. After collecting all the snail flesh she would add more ginger and wine and place them in bottles or jars. This preservation of snails flesh would keep well and her family would have plenty of snails to eat for a few weeks if not months!!

She was truly a well loved Grand Aunty.

She lived in the house furthest from the river side. Sometimes she would stay over night with my grandmother if it was too late for her to go home. We enjoyed her lovely humour and great stories.

(Does any one remember her as Ping Choon's Mother ?)