Aunty Pick and Mrs. Hoover

 

My grandfather Tiong Kung Ping was very adamant to have all his children and especially the daughters well educated.

From a very young age the daughters were sent to board with Mrs. Hoover who ran a good Methodist Yuk Ing Girls' School in Sibu. 

According to my Aunt Pick who was No. 8 daughter grandfather had made sure that Mrs. Hoover would take his daughters . So Aunt Lily (no 1) to Aunt Carrie (no. 11) all were boarders while Grandfather moved the family from Sg Merah to Bukit Lan, from the rubber mill of Bukit Lan he moved his family to Binatang where he co founded Binatang Foochow Settlement with Rev Yao shiao Khing and Ling Ming Lok. From Binatang he moved his family to Pulau Kerto and then back to Sungei Merah. through out all those years he made sure that his children did not interrupt their educational pursuits.

Out of his 11 daughters 6 became teachers like Mrs. Hoover!!

Aunt Pick remembers Mrs. Hoover as a very strict disciplinarian.

One day when she was just 11 years old Mrs. Hoover asked her to get something from the shop. But after running to the shop Aunt Pick forgot what she had to buy because she was so scared! So she sat at the steps of the Masland Church trying to recover herself and calm down her fears of Mrs. Hoover.

Luckily 7th aunt came along who remembered what she had to get and the two sisters went to the shop to complete their mission.

Aunt Pick said that her fear of Mrs. Hoover never lessened but as she grew older she started to appreciate what a wonderful mother like figure Mrs. Hoover was. In later years Mrs. Hoover lived in Perth and my aunt Pick went to visit her often when she furthered her studies in Australia.

Love must be tough.

My mother Lau Hung Chuo

 

Well known proflific Chinese writer Yong Gien Huong of Sibu wrote a book, "Their 3 Years and 8 Months" depicting oral stories of women who suffered and lived through the Japanese Occupation.

It was written in Chinese and funded by the Sarawak Chinese Cultural Association. I was proud to be a part of the publication in some small ways.

My mother's story covered her growing of rice for 3 years, her great harvests as a single young lady planting disguised as a boy. She was able to put rice on the table for her father, brothers and sisters while she and her young sister also subsisted partially on sweet potatoes and sasgo. She feared the arrival of the Japanese soldiers who came and took away precious chickens and ducks. She had to hide her pigs in a pigsty away from the river banks and away from the eyes of the Japanese soldiers.

While making sure that they had food on the table she also saw how her ffather, my grandfather, suffered from a herniated intestine and slowly succumbed to the great pain and died in 1944 just months before the Japanese surrender. He was unable to receive any surgery due of the difficulties of those days. It must have been a very painful slow death for him.

Born in 1926 my mother was the breadwinner so to speak for the family during the Japanese Period. She was 15 years old but she was according to her as strong as an ox and working like a man. She was never scared of hardwork. She looked after  3 younger siblings, her own father, and the family of her oldest brother, Pang Ping.

My grandmother was stranded in China from 1938 to 1945 with my second Uncle and 3rd Aunt.

My second Aunt, was married and living in Sarikei, while my eldest aunt was in Sarikei. Both were married and having family and children during those difficult days.

Building Bridges - Hawaii Beach, Bakam.

 

“Learn to when to build bridges

When people or life disappoints you it's normal to build a wall and not allow anyone to climb it.
When people get hurt they need to Learn how to build a bridge and not walls.
In reality you should be building new bridges when life disappoints you build bridges to connect with like-minded others to connect with you.
If you but a wall you do not allow yourself to connect with others.”
― Charles E Hudson

we often visited Hawaii Beach along Bakam Road over the years. I was impressed by the Goh family who has been living her for more than 100 years.

Their  grandfather came as a trader but later decided to set up shop on a piece of land he acquired on the sand spit. He then built a good Malay house with the help of Malay builders. This was the Goh family house as well as shop which served the community of Kedayan, Melanau and Malay fishermen well. Later a few Chinese families moved here to avoid the Japanese onslought.

Today there are 6 kampongs in this area each with their own head man.

The Grandfather Goh beuilt the first wooden bridge across the River Naan. Here is a photo from the bank of the spit.

Mr Stephen Goh said people don't realize how convenient it is to have a bridge. However to him this social contribution is from the heart of the Goh family. It is for everyone's convenience. Happy to think like that.

May God bless the Goh family.

Foochow Midwife Lau Fong Fei

 

My mum and I would always be grateful to my aunt Lau Fong Fei who looked after my four precious pregnancies. She gave good advice and counselling and mum was well rest assured.

Mum lost a sister due to poor medical support and as a result of that trauma my mother would not, if possible be hospitalized., She was only once warded in a hospital and that was three days before she passed away. She asked to return home where she passed away very peacefully on 31 August 2020.

Mum always reminded me to pay tribute to Aunt Fong Fei.

During National Nurses' Week I would like to thank my aunt Lau Fong Fei for delivering two of my babies in Sibu.

It is with great sadness when I read the announcement of my aunt Lau Fong Fei's passing. She was the beloved cousin of my late mum Lau Hung chuo, Lau Hung Hee (almost the same name), Lau Hung Ding, Lau Hung Toh, and Lau Hung Yung (all daughters of Lau Kah Jui). Aunt Fong Fei's sisters have Phoenix as their middle name whereas my mother and her siblings and cousins have Hung or Rainbow as their middle name. Same sound but different Chinese character.

Aunt Fong fei was a young girl during the Japanese Occupation and she was a lively girl who was determined to educate herself. She became one of the first western trained midwives in Sibu. She was also one of the first Foochow girls in those days to marry a Hokkien man, Wee Ho Soon. (In those days it was not the thing to do according to our elders) But Uncle Wee was a capable man. I do stand corrected if I am wrong about this.

In the early days when we moved to Sibu, I was always happy to meet her. I enjoyed listening to her talking with my mum,exchanging news and normal concerns and a few humurous stories. They loved a chuckle or two even though I knew already at that age how much the two ladies had suffered during the Japanese Occupation. Both had gone without much food so that the uounger siblings could have more. The two ladies had plenty to talk about .

In those days cousins were as good as siblings. they shared common stories and news and got along as if they were all in one household. there was so much brotherly and sisterly love among them.

She was never too busy to have a conversation with relatives. That was my impression of her. She was the kind of person I would later use as an example of a lady with good PR and empathies.

She started her Lau Fong Fei Maternity Clinic in Hardin Walk and delivered many babies. The Lau King Howe Hospital had less than 100 beds and probably less then 15 beds for its maternity ward. In the 1960's there was a baby boom and maternity clinics sprang up. Her investment was not only financially timely but socially suitable. She was known as a midwife who saved many mothers and babies because of her skills.

Aunt Fong Fei was a caring woman, who listened to young mothers and even gave counselling to women who had too many children or no children.

I remember my first baby was delivered by her and she said such comforting words because my baby was 25 days over due. It was a safe delivery after a 2 day labour and 4 false alarms in May. She was born on May 25th. But my late mother trusted her and would not have me admitted into any hospital.

She also delivered my 3rd daughter with such skill that I hardly felt any pain. My two other babies were born in Lau King Howe Hospital because I was admitted by the doctors checking my pre -natal conditions.

I end up having all children born in Sibu but I must say Aunt Fong Fei was truly the kind of midwife you would like to have when your child wanted to see the world for the first time.

She would always be by your side in the labour room and her predictions were so accurate!! All mothers who had their babies delivered at her clinic would never find themselves in dire straits as she was so kind in collecting their fees. At times I heard she even gave some poor mothers minimum charges. (to day deliveries cost a leg and an arm.)

She was truly my 5 star midwife! She made delivery of a baby a festive episode of a new mother's life. It was a moment to treasure, new baby, new mother and midwife who saw that all was fine.

Deepest condolences to the family members.

We have gone through an era where women like Aunt Fong Fei had given their utmost to serve the people regardless of race, religion and creed. She was a gentle angel for women in their greatest need - the birth of a new life.

May her soul rest in peace. Till we meet again at Jesus' feet.

Great Grandfather Tiong King Kee

 I am slowly building a time line on my Great Grandfather's life.

1863 - born in Wun Chieh Minqing.

1870's baptised by foreign Methodist missionary (Rev Nathan Sites)

1886 - eldest son Tiong Kung Ping born

1901 - Wong Nai Siong campaigned for Foochow transmigration to Sarawak.

1902 Tiong.Kung Ping sailed for Sarawak.

1905? Great grandfather came to Sibu

1909 - Eldest son Tiong kung Ping married Chong Ching Soon

1910 - first grandson.chang ta kang born.

1912 ‐ 2nd grandson Tiong Siu.King born

1914- lst granddaughter born

Lily Chang Lee Sieng

1916‐ 3rd grandson Tiong Tai King born

1917 - daughter Yuk Ging born in Sibu.

1918 - Phyllis Chang Nguk Sieng born

2nd grand daughter

1919- returned to Fujian to add names of 2 grandsons to the family genealogy book.

1920 - Chang Chuo Sieng,third grand daughter born

1922 - opening of Binatang.

1922- Maggie Chang Ing Sieng born

4th grand daughter

1923 - Grace Chang Ging Sieng born. 5th grand daughter.

Est Mee Ann Rice and Sawmill

1926 - 4th grandson Chang Pan King born.

1928 - sibu big fire. Great grandfather was one of the work supervisors appointed to rebuild Sibu.

1930 7th grand daughter Tiong Chiew Sieng born.

1932 - 5th grandson Tiong Tai Sui born.

1932- 2 Grandsons went to Shanghai to study

1936 - family saddened by Rev Hoover's death.

- daughter yuk ging married Chiu Chuang Song , nephew of Dr Chiu Nai Ding

1937 - Ta kang graduated from Yenching University.

1938 - grandson Chiu koh Siong born . From yuk ging.

1939 ‐ Yuk Ging and family left for China.

1941 - Japanese invaded Sarawak

1942 - Ta kang arrested and remanded by Kempetai for 10 days in Sibu. Mr Lu Kie Choon wrote a letter of petition in Japanese to help release him. Grandfather was hit in the head by a Japanese soldier.

1944 - died

DISAPPEARING SOCIAL FEATURE : ULU DRESSERS

 

Treatment in longhouses given by a trained dresser.

 Since 1956 the Baram was served by quite a number of specially trained Ulu Dressers, men who were sent to Kuching General Hospital to be trained to dress wounds, treat simple ailments and travel in the Ulu to provide medicines. they were quite indispensible in the Medical Service of that time.

However after more than 20 years many of the old dressers had passed away and the Federal Government of Malaysia changed the delivery system. Hospital Assistants were trained up with better qualifications.

Today  we only have some stories of these helpful dressers of olden days. Hopefully some documentation can be done.

A snippet : My Father's Kindness

 A Snippet: God's Grace and Father's Kindness Repaid.

My father employed several Kayan and Iban men in his quarry. The men had to be strong to manually break some of the rocks using a heavy hammer

One of the Iban men was an ex TB patient but he really needed the job. My father was very understanding and made him the man in charge of the rock "breaking" machinery. A lorry would tip the blasted rocks into the machinery and he would operate the machine to break them into smaller pieces

Most of the rocks were sold to the government for road construction. The men who worked in the quarry were paid decent salaries and "Suin" was happy to collect his every fortnight. After pay day he would cycle home to Sg. TEKU.

MY FATHER LET him sleep in the office and use his kitchen whereas the other workers had their own quarters. Suin always felt good working for.my father. Very often my father would give him extra when he brought bamboo shoots and fruits to sell to the other workers.

Not long after my father passed away my.mother met him in Sg. MERAH. AND HE ASKED my mother if she needed anything.

We did need bamboo poles for drying clothes.mum did not think.much of her request. She had said she would pick up the bamboo poles from Sg. MERAH

She also thought Suin would just not remember THE REQUEST.

a month later Suin came with 4 bamboo poles tied together to our house on a bicycle. He was like an acrobat with 4 long.bamboo poles on his shoulders.

He had cycled all the way from Sg. TEKU WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN LIKE 8 MILES

We will never forget his kindness

MUM GAVE HIM rm 20 which he refused to accept

Mum used the 4 bamboo poles to dry our clothes for more than 15 years. They really lasted a long time.

(Ching Ming - remembering kindness of loved ones who have passed on..)