Sarawak People : Ling Siu Ing

Uncle Ling Siu Ing, a photo by my father, Chang Ta Kang

Sarawak People : A Foochow Man in the Rajah's Court

I was told by many that Uncle Ling Siu Ing did not like to have his photos taken. probably my father was the only one who took a few good shots of him, both official and unofficial.

Both of t hem passed away in 1965, he of old age, while my father was still in his prime, at age 56. Uncle Ling was born in 1881 in Gutien and was 20 years older than my father. According to my mother, t hey two got along very well. Both of them were scholarly and did not look at money making as the most important thing in life.

In 1912, Uncle Ling left China to teach in Java, where there were many Fuqing and Minhou people who have established themselves in Java. He probably thought he could open a school or do mission work. But Sarawak called him and he arrived in Kuching the following year after gaining a job as a school teacher in the government school. He also doubled as tutor to the Rajah;s family and that probably was an added attraction. His English was impeccable, having been taught by foreign missionaries in Fuzhou. He could have been a degree holder but he never let any one know about that. May he had at least a college diploma.

The Foochow headman, Lau Kah Tii found him a good partner in many endeavours. They set up schools in Sibu and with his close contact with the Rajah, he was a good intermediary. The Reverend James Hoover also was friendly with him. In fact, Uncle Ling also lived in Ah Poh during the Japanese War, and was head of the church there. He was a confidant of Headman Lau Kah Tii. In fact the two of them set up the Chinese Chambers of Commerce together.

He was officially a court interpreter for many years, hence he travelled a bit throughout Sarawak.

But by all accounts, he was a government servant. He was awarded an MBE for his loyal services in 1952.

He helped establish the Sibu Foochow Association and was its chairman for two terms, 1950-54. He was known as a Foochow man who wore the front buttoned Chinese suit for all formal and informal occasions, a tradition he brought from Fujian. It was also rumoured that he never made a western suit.

He wrote two books, "The Chronicles of Sarawak" ( aka A Brief History of Sarawak) and "Foochow Colloquial Phrases in Sibu".

He passed away in 1965. He was well loved, well respected and was an extremely humble person who spoke well and was very eloquent in two languages, Chinese and English. He was also a well know calligrapher and had a great mastery of the Chinese language.

 

People You Meet Enrich Your Lives

We were having a quiet breakfast with two lovely sisters from Sarawak, at a Perth Market when an old friend and his wife walked in

My husband gave him loud hello and he was happy to reciprocate,though pleasantly surprised. Then they were happily exchanging casual talks and filling in gaps from where they said good bye before in Kuching.

Then the impatient aide tried to put a word in.

His aide remarked, "Do you know he is a Tan Sri Now?"

The Tan Sri, casually said, "Never mind, we are old friends..."

So we continued...and and every now and then, my husband addressed him as " Tan Sri......"loud enough for the aide to hear!!

I suppose we have to stick to our protocols even when we are in a foreign country.

Note : He was to become a Chief Minister of Sarawak. He was one of the most loved Chief Minister of Sarawak but he untimely died in office. 

We were glad to meet up with him in Perth, where he could be so human and so friendly, telling old stories and laughing.

 May he rest in peace.

Naming of a Child in Sarawak

Many Ibans today tell the story of how they were named by their father or grandfather when they were born.

One of my relatives who came to stay with me was named Lahman or Rahman. His father named him Rahman because he was born on the day Datuk Rahman Yakob came to visit Limbang on the day he was born. Usually Ibans will choose a good name for their new born children so that these babies will grow up to be like the people they are named after. Perhaps that is very true for Laman.

(His name was wronglyh spelt by the Registrar of Birth in Limbang.)

In Kapit area many children have been named Crisologo, Baughman (Boffman), Harris,Dennis, and Ernest, after Methodist missionaries who served there.

I believe that is the reason why in Sarawak, many Ibans have European names are Jansen, Pritler, Morrison, Hedda, Archer, Robertson, Crocket, Charles, James, Anthony, Howell, Howes, etc





Many baby girls were named after the midwives who delivered them by the mothers. So names like Missi (for nurse), Mina, Bulan (there are many Bulans in the Baram), Baun, Asong, Helen, Alice, etc. If you ask the bearers of some unusual European names, you will find some very delightful naming stories.

And this is how Alice Daring (Mrs. Nelson Janting) was named.

During the Japanese Occupation, Alice's mother who was heavily pregnant with her helped two missionaries to move up the Trusan river and gave them refuge from the Japanese. It was a very difficult escape route by boat and by foot . When the beautiful baby girl was born, the wife of the missionary told her mother, "You must name your baby after my home town, Alice Spring."

According to Alice, the missionaries also tore their mosquito net to make swaddling cloth and napkins for the new born. 

In a way, there is a strong connection between Sarawak and Alice Springs.

NB The missionaries were saved and continued to work in Sarawak for many years.

Kuching : Remembering the Hawkers of Satok Market

The Satok Market was a kind of must visit venue for years in Kuching. It was a sprawling market place where people could find the best of bargains. To many it was a good place to make a living. Different races came together to provide colours and diverse traditions to this spot in Kuching. In fact for many it was a part of Kuching which "made Kuching". With the Satok Market many felt that a part of their life was gone.

And so the Satok Market was moved to Kubah Ria. And an era of "marketing" for many Kuching people was removed from the social history and map of the city.

These are some photos I took many years ago....

Christmas is a time for nostalgia, a time for memories to be taken out to shared.

Wonder if all these friendly and helpful vendors are still around and enjoying their business.

The Indigenous Sirat - How to wear it with style

The sirat is the word for loin cloth in the Iban language.

But before the modern wear became global in the 1950's and appeared in every high street shop men were wearing some unique traditional underwear or none at all.

In the 1930's for example all Ibans from young to old would be wearing the sirat - a loin cloth of 3 yards wound around the groin to protect the family jewels so to speak. So do the Japanese! Today
the Sumo wrestlers continue to wear their loin cloth during and beyond their fights.

Many Ibans continue to admire the sirat and even wear it on certain occasions.

the Incident of Greek Seasoning

Pecking Order.

In any society, there is a pecking order. There are always HENS who make a lot of noise and they peck to their hearts' delight.

This brings to mind one incident in my life not long ago. I am not a person who enjoys pecking ...and light hearted small talk even.

but I was really amused when the women started talking about a bottle of Greek Seasoning some one brought along to the BBQ.

It is not every day we could have Greek seasoning. And it is also not every day we can easily find a bottle of Greek Seasoning in a supermarket.

But the gossip during the part made every woman, or at least a few to make a bee line to the supermarket the next day  to buy a bottle of the awesome seasoning? 

Their husbands were pushed to get them even from Brunei.

But no to worry. Google will save many of us...and we can save our money too.

Making our own Greek Seasoning. 

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.
2. Serve with steaks, pork chops, chicken, or fish.
3. Add to red and white sauces. 

NOTE : Not long after the Greek Seasoning Incident, another Incident occured and the group fell apart. 

I still make my own Greek Seasoning, whenever I need it.

Sarawakian Local Delights : The Iban Woman Oil Palm Smallholder

This is my friend's mother, Indai Patrick. She has inherited a plot of land from her grandmother in Niah and has been cultivating oil palms for more than 5 years. Her husband is a Chinese civil servant from Kuching. Both have been working hard in the small holding at their spare time.

today, the family is enjoying the fruits of their labour.

A staunch Roman Catholic, she makes sure that her children and grand children come together to say their prayers and attend MASS whenever they can. One day they will get their own vehicle. At the moment she is strong enough to carry all these to a small Ford f-wheel, which she pays 50 ringgit per load.

"In the past she and her parents depended on padi, rubber and jungle products. Today, oil palm is No.1 Cash Crop," she told me.

May God bless you and your honest labour!!

Sarawak : Home rolled cigars and guns

These two ladies are friends of my friend Sonia Lahung. They are cigar smoking and gun carrying.

In fact they are Iban women who are married into the Kayan coimmunity of Uma Bawang in Upper Baram. Here they are seen getting ready to walk 1 and 1.2 hours to a river side, from where they will drive their boat to their longhouse.

this is a temporary farm longhouse erected by their families from Uma Bawang, for their farming throughout the year.

These ladies are ready to shoot any game which come their way. As good if not better then their menfolks!!

Well done!!

Anthony Bourdain in Sarawak

Two delightful photos from Anthony Bourdain, one of my favourite celebrity chefs. This is something to blog about for SARAWAK.




His love for laksa is a known fact that has gone "viral" on the net.


Can you name all the food in this photo?

And celebrating Gawai with an Iban Family. He is happy here with new friends and sitting cross legged with these Iban ladies. (oops) should crop the man off the good photo..you know what I mean...)

Hedda Morrison

 Today 13.12.2014 is 106th Annivesary of Hedda Morrison's birth.

How many of you have read books on Sarawak and enjoyed some nice photos?

I have a photographic memory of a different kind. If I see an exceptional photo, I can remember it and most probably can also remember who had taken it if the credit has been given. thus since my primary school I remember the name Hedda Morrison and naturally I remember her exceptional photos of Sarawak.

There were also not many photos floating around in the 1960's about Sarawak! I was thus bitten by the shutter bug since then. Her photography has inspired me all these years.

Hedda Morrison was born in 1908, in Stuttgard, on Dec 13. She was a graduate of the State Institute for Photography in Munich. In order to leave German politics behind she chose to work in Peiping (later Bejing) in 1933. " She soon took many photographs of the old city and its people, temples and markets,mostlyusing a Rolleiflex, medium-fornat camera.

IN 1940, she met Alastair Morrison, son of the famous George Ernest Morrison, the influential London Timews correspondent in Peking. They were married in 1946 in China and left for Hong Kong.

However fate took her and Alastair to Sarawak. Alastair Morrison was recruited and assigned as District Officer, a big position in those days. They stayed in Sarawak for over 20 years. She took the opportunity to travel with Alastair on official journeys into the ulu. She herself also made many personal photographic tours, visiting farming settlements of the Chinese with whom she was very close (e.g. Sarikei and Lawas)

She wrote two very significant books on Sarawak, SARAWAK (1957) and LIFE IN A LONGHOUSE(1962). In 1967, she and Alastair moved to Australia and settled in Canberra.

Hedda died in Canberra in 2003, age 82.



Note : Exhibitions of her works have been mounted by the Australian National University, Canberra, the Canberra Photographic Society, the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, and the National Library of Australia. Many of her images are archived in the Harvard-Yenching Library, Harvard University and at Cornell University, NY. There is a large collection of her German, Asian and Australian work in the Powerhouse Museum.

Further reading

• Edward Stokes, Hedda Morrison's Hong Kong: Photographs & Impressions 1946-47 - (Hong Kong University Press, 2005).
• George N. Kates, The Years That Were Fat: Peking, 1933-1940 - (Oxford in Asia Paperbacks, 1989).
• Hedda Morrison, Travels of a Photographer in China, 1933-1946 - (Oxford University Press USA, 1987).
• Hedda Morrison, A Photographer in Old Peking - (Oxford University Press USA, 1986).
• Alastair Morrison, Fair Land Sarawak: Some Recollections of an Expatriate Official - (Cornell University Southeast Asia Program Publications, 1993).

References

1. "Hedda Morrison: photographic collection", Powerhouse Museum. Retrieved 27 February 2013.

• Hedda Morrison's images of Hong Kong
• Hedda Morrison Photographs of China, 1933-1946 (Harvard digital archive)
• Hedda Morrison photographic collections, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

(Source : Wikipedia)

Sarawak : Where can you find Penans in Sarawak?

The Penans are nomadic people of Sarawak until they find themselves permanent homes. Today they have some fairly permanent homes but perhaps they do face legal cases if they cannot have documents to prove their ownership.

Building a kindergarten for the Penans in Pa Adang

Meeting up with Penan friends

and now that can be a real headache. How does one prove one's ancestral homeland if one is from a nomadic race?

Sarawak : Indigneous Ladder made from Bamboo

We have definitely seen many Chinese movies and their war scenes. Bamboo ladders were put against the walls of forts and soldiers climb up only to be killed!!

Well in Sarawak I have seen many ladders made from bamoo.


Here is one style. Mainly made by Bidayuhs of Sarawak:







And the ladder is meant for agile fruit hunters and farmers.

Have you seen something similar?

Matthew Ngau Jau - Sape Player of Sarawak

I hope one day you will be able to visit the Tuyang Longhouse homestay in Kuching. It is an exclusive Sarawakian concepts which allows you to live in comfort in the heart of the Sarawak rainforest...surrounding by wildlife and immersed in the Orang Ulu and Bidayuh Culture.

the owner is Matthew Ngau Jau, one of the master sape players of Sarawak.

Come under the magic of the Rainforest musical instrument - the Sape....the music will bring to to a new spiritual level...it will make you feel the vibrancy of the trees and the leaves which have been in Sarawak for thousands of years....the Matthew Ngau Jau's sape strings will tell you stories from the magical legacy of the forest.....

Kapit Friends

Wheel Chair from the Heart

Sometime ago a very kind hearted lady donated five wheel chairs to Grace Methodist Church for its many ministries. One has been approved to be given to Rh Aling where there are several invalid great grand fathers and mothers. Thus I delivered personally one wheel chair to the longhouse on lst June. Another wheel chair would go to Selangau at the request of Rev Johnathan Nora on 12th June.

Three others would be given away whenever a request is entertained by Grace Methodist Church.

I was able to bring the wheel chair to the longhouse . The Headman TR Aling and the Penghulu Robert Kunyut expressed their gratitude. Usually a donated wheelchair would go to one patient. But for Rh Aling the wheel chair will be taken care of by the JKK (the men in blue) and whoever needs to use the wheel chair they can ask the Tuai Rumah. After much discussion this was the decision made. Whenever Grandfather Biden needs to go to the hospital in Limbang he can use the wheelchair. Thus his daughter in law and his grandson need not carry him on the back. Indai Tajak (Or Enek Leedon) would also need the usage of the wheel chair each time she goes to the Limbang Hospital. These are two of the less able bodied longhouse residents.

The T-shirt these guys are wearing are JKK uniform of the longhouse. Whenever VIPS visit they wear the uniform. This is the first time the long house has a wheel chair.


The happy JKK. Tuai Rumah Aling is the second man from the left. Man in the middle is the Penghulu.


Great Grandfather Biden. (He happens to have the same name as the Vice President of the USA) He has very very swollen legs now. But he still has a very good memory. He says that the weather is always too hot for him to wear any shirt. He remembers the days when it was cold at night he had to wear a soldier's jacket. He is referring to global warming.


Grandmother of Leedon here cannot walk very well. She is extremely light weight. She sits by the door every day and watch life going on. A wheel chair can help her go to the hospital more easily and she does not need any one to piggy back her any more. Her dignity will be intact according to her daughter who is a padi farmer.

The kindness of this lady who wishes to remain anonymous will be remembered by many people throughout Sarawak. Bless her heart. And I am sure she and her family would reap great blessings. And May God bless her always.

Disappearing Way of Life : Hunting

A government officer travelling in the ulu once told me this story

"We were actually just trekking (to spend half a Saturday afternoon while travelling in the ulu) to find a good place for fishing. But suddenly all the dogs went to the left. Our hunter friends who were of Iban descent suddenly became quiet and looked for tracks and trails. The senior one told us to go to the left and he got his gun ready. He then did a surprising thing. He threw a heavy piece of wood into the clump of trees and out came a slithering sound. I had never seen a twenty foot snake.

Quick as lightning he shot the serpent while we held our breath. I am sure my colleague almost fainted.

If we did not have these two guys with us probably we would not live to tell the tale. Thank God for the gun!! Thank God for the Iban trekkers!


According to him he and his friends had a good fishing trip. The following Monday they did what they had to do and then sailed downriver to the main town. They wrote a good report about the progress of government projects and nothing about their frightening experience. "

This gun has been with the Iban family for three generations. Still in very good condition it was made in England. One thing good about owning guns like this is that the cartridges will always remain the same. This gun is made to last for eternity it seems. Not like handphones...spare parts cannot be found after six months according to Mr. Ingan. Nice thought.

Four good deer antlers from ancient days. Today in this generation we do not get them any more. These are all probably 1930's to 1950's.


They caught a wildboar two months ago. They salted the meat for guests purposely. They had some left for the coming Gawai. Kasam Babi or salted wild boar meat is a delicacy reserved for guests and children who are working in towns.


This is kidjang which is more populous in the jungle but it is not every day they need to hunt. They hunt only when they have no more money left to buy pork in the town or when they need to entertain special guests. Sometimes they are given some angpows to look for wild animals by camp managers or good friends from town. This usually takes them away from their padi farming and also oil palm growing.

These folks have never over hunted because they do not have a commercial need to sell what they hunt and it is also against the law they said. They got a few snakes in the last few months because friends ask them to help them rid of the snakes. Wild boars can be a menace to padi farms and tapioca plots. But wild animals are getting rarer now because people from outside kill faster with semi automatic guns and fast four wheels. The deforestation and frequent forest fires have also reduced the proper and natural habitat of the Sarawakian fauna to regenerate quickly.

A gun is always a good property to own : it protects as well as provides food when occasion calls for extra food.

The Gawai Dayak around the World 2010

 Nearer to Gawai as I see many of my friends and relatives leaving for their kampongs I get a little misty in the eyes. How are  friends celebrating theirs in Saudi or Qatar? Some are even as far away as Florida...may be Gawai will just pass by like any other day or may be Gawai would be a nice reunion for some. I heard one family in England had a street party and the neighbours had a great time one year some time ago..

I was talking to my colleagues that it would be nice to see how  the Ibans and other indigenous Sarawakian communities have spread around the world. And it would be even nicer to see how they keep their traditions alive!! But they all think that the community is too small to have a big do...may be a small bbq would suffice ... But again my colleagues say that when people are overseas traditional celebrations may be set aside because people would be too busy working!

Having studied some statistics and having searched for  photographs of Gawai  and news available both on the Net and elsewhere I must say that I did not get much. info at all to show signs of Gawai around the world.

Very well designed (See the Terong) ticket.


Ted worked in Sibu Old Airport in the 1960's and has been blissfully married to Menai for more than 30 years! He has a large collection of antique and new Sarawakian books.



However from Perth my friend May Dan has done us PROUD!! Perth has a thriving and very healthy Sarawakian (Malaysian) community. And to let you in the Malaysian community has been holding a Gawai bash for several years now.

This year they have celebrated Gawai with a gusto again at the Willeton Community Hall.. Thanks to their chairperson Mrs. May Dan Lingoh!! Well done! I have her permission to use her photos (as I was not available for the celebration over there). So many cross-cultural married couples turned up for the makai and the entertaining programmes. The costumes every one  and even the guests wore were colourful and vibrant.

Tourist(?) Joseph Jinggut - elegant with his Sarawak scarf and camera ready to shoot!

May - the organising chair and her daughter Kirsten -one of the two MCs of the evening.

Great food!! All Sarawakian fare

Lovely ladies from Sarawak....


OOOOOOOhaaaaaaaaa Toasting the Sarawakians and guests and wishing them success and great harvest.



The organising committee with our favourite aunty Menai (Advisor) from Aup of Sibu.

And so the next Gawai will be again in May and in  2011.....Be there

And with this post I wish all my Sarawak friends Happy and Blessed Gawai.....

besampi ka nuan enggau kita sebilik gayu guru gerai nyamai lantang senang nguan menua. Ngarap ka Tuhan majak meri berkat ia ngagai kita seblik.


All photos courtesy of May Dan Lingoh. Thanks May.....

Pre-Gawai Reflections

Today I am delighted to share an old Kodak box camera photo belonging to my friend Robert M.. Retired Colonel Rizal Abdullah (Robert Madang) came from Lachau of Sarawak and is now part of the Kedah society..He continues to take great photos (with upgraded cameras of course) and write.

He had this one  brilliant opportunity to take a photo of his brother Linggir who was making parang in the traditional style sometime in the 1960's..He wrote

Mr younger brother Linggir doing the "Ngambuh" (making parang, duku etc). Is "ngambuh" still practised in long houses? In my long house Lachau, the practise is gone. People buy their parang/duku at the nearby bazaar. The quality? Questionable!!

May be many people say that a picture is worth a thousand words (quoting from Confucius ). I would say this picture is worth a fortune to an archivist or a beloved sibling. I would like to thank my good friend for allowing me to use this in my blog. With a grateful heart Sir!

Just before Gawai I am sure one would become nostalgic and think of the past and how far the indigenous people have come. In 1958 my grandfather (TPK) carved out a little bit of Bukit Aup to manufacture the first machine made bricks in Sarawak and provided jobs for the Ibans in the vicinity. My Foochow clansmen and women lived alongside the Ibans in peace and harmony. When three of his sons passed away the brick factory went into disuse as no one wanted to take over. Only the land was left after a decade or two. It was only very recently that my large extended family sold off the property and as the saying goes  our last roots have now been pulled out of Sibu. None of my immediate male relatives reside in Sibu now.

Today Aup has indeed produced Iban lawyers and engineers and several teachers and other professionals. The padi fields are still there. Many of the rubber trees are still standing. The Chinese used to rent the rubber land from the Ibans and tapped the trees. In less than one generation they made enough money to send their children overseas or move to Sibu or Miri. They perhaps also used their savings to buy a piece of mixed zone land. One of my cousins even rented  a few  acres of padi land from an Iban landowner in the 1950's. Now this family is in Kuching.

Today cars can reach the various longhouses right under the ruai. The community spirit is still intact. But needless to say progress is still not complete. A quantum leap must still be made.

In many ways many Linggirs of modern day Sarawak have a lot to catch up as good education and fair opportunities and even having a chance to become modern farmers might be still illusive. If it is survival of the fittest than many of our brethrens are not able to run to first base to a certain degree. The goal posts of modern days have been changed (or as I often say - they keep changing) and survival in the jungle and survival in the concrete jungle are totally two different things. But I am glad that several are now overseas earning a decent income to provide for their children's tertiary education.

There are so many challenges ahead of every one. The vicious cycle of poverty must be broken first.

I support  "No Child Left Behind" campaign!!

My Gawai wishes to all my Iban friends who grew up with me in Aup and Sibu - Jugah - Yat - Bulla - Peter - Catherine and others...oh yes.. don't forget :  Agi idup agi ngelaban!

Photo courtesy of Rtd Colonel Robert Rizal Abdullah

Mr. Dublin - a modern Iban

Dublin Sait is a good friend. He is articulare and very fluent in English. He is very dedicated to his young family and tries his best to be professional at work.


He has a very good friend, Angking Embah who is a lawyer. They are good buddies.


Dublin has a very good sense of balance. He works hard, and is a good counsellor. He has been quite a good leader in many different kinds of businesses especially in oil and gas.

Blue Nun in Miri

The Gymkhana Club in Miri had a great melt down. A group of lawyers were having a good down time in the club after office hours when a rich man came in to question the integrity of men .

Could he put any of the lawyers in his pocket? He wanted to have an open  debate with the lawyers and he would not mind to bet on drinks.

According to the gossip he would bet  with the bottles of Blue Nun available.

The debate was hot and finally the business man lost. The lawyers and their friends drank 28 bottles of Blue Nun that night.

Well the story might not be too accurate because it was told by a few lawyers who were really intoxicated that night..but they lived to tell a rather blurry story. But I love the story.