Continue from My Memoirs (Part 6)
Today is 14 May 2008. 39 years ago (yesterday), my memory lingers on.... especially for the following episode.
May 13th, Year 1969, the unrest came. It was the state of emergency and the darkest part in the history of Malaysia where many Malaysian would like to forget. I could still remember that Mom and Dad, whom had earlier went to an outstation trips to Kuala Lumpur had just managed to reach home a day earlier at Sungai Ujong Road,. They were in a state of panic and went into action buying up provisions and foodstuffs.
I was 12 years old then, and without a care in the world affair, when the radio announced that curfew would be enforced and school will be closed for a definite period. For the first time ever, everyone,(5 families and more than 32 tenants) stays in the house at Sungai Ujong Road, with the iron rail at front gate and windows pulled shut during the weekdays. The roads were deserted for a couple of days and nights and the Gurkhas were patrolling the streets. Those who defy the rules and ‘peep’ out onto the streets were responded with tear-gas fired by the Gurkhas. Our opposite neighbour was actually fired at with tear-gas, when they mischievously went onto the balcony.
I vividly remembered between one nights; our whole neighbor hood had a bad scare. Everybody is shouting ‘they are coming’. All able men in the household are ready on stand by for any eventualities. Dad armed with a thick bamboo stick together with Ah Hor’s father and many others stood guard outside the house on the five foot way. Many others men folks from the neighboring houses also came out in full force and stood guard. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened that night.
In between the non-curfew hours, the elders would run out to near by sundries shop to stock up the food stuffs while brother and I would seek over to Woh Hup Motor to enjoy our ‘swim’ in the bathtub. The curfew went on for a couple of days until the situation return back to normal and thus resuming school
To continue....
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
My Memoirs (Part 6)
Continue from My Memoirs (Part 5)
Another popular past time for us boys, is to cycle all the way to Macalister Road to buy comics at the many second hand book dealers, found scattered just in front of the present day Red Crescent Building. Of course favorites comics are the Beano and Dandy, DC & Marvel comics; Superman, man of steel and of course, Batman & Robin.
Reading comics those days helps improving our oral and written English. No, we do not have pre-school then. Those days, only the well-to-do families can afford. Elder brother and I only get to learn our ABC alphabet at Primary One
We teens have our fair of mischievous adventure altogether and it takes us one step further – disturbing girls, Yes, to the sweet young things (SYT) lived in the next door , unheard of in those conservative days. How? By singing the blues (one of Beatles famed song) in Cantonese version, to Mei Chan* and her siblings. Remember the lyrics; matchmaker, Sam-ku reports that ‘Ah Chan is already married to someone else’.
Come Chinese New Year, we would help the workshop gang workers (staying opposite at Woh Hup Motor) to build giant fire cracker or Looi Kong Pau, twice the size of the present day shuttle cork holder. The workshop gang worker would supply the normal size fire crackers in bundle, and we start to peel them off to recover the gun powder. Usually, two giant fire crackers would be made. One fire cracker is to light up for the 1st day of the Chinese New Year (Nien chor-yat), and another for the chap ghor-mei. Families with small babies are advised to cover their ears at specific time in the evening. The time is set. The main producer is usually given the honor to light the fuse. Well, if you ask me. Yes, the ground did really shake and the lemonade glass on the table did actually vibrate. This scenario lasted for a few years till our Government banned the fire cracker.
To continue.....
Another popular past time for us boys, is to cycle all the way to Macalister Road to buy comics at the many second hand book dealers, found scattered just in front of the present day Red Crescent Building. Of course favorites comics are the Beano and Dandy, DC & Marvel comics; Superman, man of steel and of course, Batman & Robin.
Reading comics those days helps improving our oral and written English. No, we do not have pre-school then. Those days, only the well-to-do families can afford. Elder brother and I only get to learn our ABC alphabet at Primary One
We teens have our fair of mischievous adventure altogether and it takes us one step further – disturbing girls, Yes, to the sweet young things (SYT) lived in the next door , unheard of in those conservative days. How? By singing the blues (one of Beatles famed song) in Cantonese version, to Mei Chan* and her siblings. Remember the lyrics; matchmaker, Sam-ku reports that ‘Ah Chan is already married to someone else’.
Come Chinese New Year, we would help the workshop gang workers (staying opposite at Woh Hup Motor) to build giant fire cracker or Looi Kong Pau, twice the size of the present day shuttle cork holder. The workshop gang worker would supply the normal size fire crackers in bundle, and we start to peel them off to recover the gun powder. Usually, two giant fire crackers would be made. One fire cracker is to light up for the 1st day of the Chinese New Year (Nien chor-yat), and another for the chap ghor-mei. Families with small babies are advised to cover their ears at specific time in the evening. The time is set. The main producer is usually given the honor to light the fuse. Well, if you ask me. Yes, the ground did really shake and the lemonade glass on the table did actually vibrate. This scenario lasted for a few years till our Government banned the fire cracker.
To continue.....
Sunday, February 24, 2008
My Memoirs (Part 5)
Continue from My Memoirs (Part 4)
After a year, Dad had shifted the family to Sungei Ujong Road, just opposite to his working place. Together with some uncles, they had formed a Motor repair shop called Woh Hup Motor. During the school holidays, elder brother & I used to learn the trick of trade from father, He also give us joy ride when ever he test drive the Fraser & Neave (F & N) lorries, which was contracted to him for repairs. After repairs, Dad would ask elder brother to ‘hoi tan’ (invoice for billing) to F & N for the services rendered
A stone throw away from Dad’s workshop is the framed Great World Park (This is where the Komtar stand now).
We had to pay 25 cents each for entrance into the Great World Park, which housed an opened air theater, brightly lid carrousel and an entertainment park (a sort of a Disney land in small scale in those days). Elder brother would piggy-back me to catch glimpses of the show shown at the open air cinema. The Royal Theater is also housed here. I still remembered at one time, an Indian movie titled “Elephants my Friends” had a more than hundred days running (a feat & a box office hits in those days) Take note, that there is another New World Park, near the Swatow Lane.
The New World Park then housed the annual carnivals affair for many years to come, for which later, these carnivals affair shifted over to a bigger site, now stand the Pesta Ground at the Bayan Baru
We stayed for a good number of years in that house at Sungai Ujong Road. There are all together 4 tenanted families in the house. We, elder brother, I and Ah Hor, an old childhood friend (also school mates & house tenant), have had our fair share of mischievous adventure.
We called ourselves the 3 musketeers. The three of us would run from one junction to another (kai-tau / kai mei) to seek out the best view on the black & white television owned by neighbors. Best running series in those days are episode on ‘Batman & Robin’. No, we don’t have a TV then, not even a radio. For entertainment, folks used to listen to rediffusion (a paid cable radio on monthly rental basis). Story teller likes, Lei Tai-soh telling novel stories on a daily basis.
It was only many years later, that Dad bought home a TV, a 21 inches black & white National (a marvel in those days).
To continue......
After a year, Dad had shifted the family to Sungei Ujong Road, just opposite to his working place. Together with some uncles, they had formed a Motor repair shop called Woh Hup Motor. During the school holidays, elder brother & I used to learn the trick of trade from father, He also give us joy ride when ever he test drive the Fraser & Neave (F & N) lorries, which was contracted to him for repairs. After repairs, Dad would ask elder brother to ‘hoi tan’ (invoice for billing) to F & N for the services rendered
A stone throw away from Dad’s workshop is the framed Great World Park (This is where the Komtar stand now).
We had to pay 25 cents each for entrance into the Great World Park, which housed an opened air theater, brightly lid carrousel and an entertainment park (a sort of a Disney land in small scale in those days). Elder brother would piggy-back me to catch glimpses of the show shown at the open air cinema. The Royal Theater is also housed here. I still remembered at one time, an Indian movie titled “Elephants my Friends” had a more than hundred days running (a feat & a box office hits in those days) Take note, that there is another New World Park, near the Swatow Lane.
The New World Park then housed the annual carnivals affair for many years to come, for which later, these carnivals affair shifted over to a bigger site, now stand the Pesta Ground at the Bayan Baru
We stayed for a good number of years in that house at Sungai Ujong Road. There are all together 4 tenanted families in the house. We, elder brother, I and Ah Hor, an old childhood friend (also school mates & house tenant), have had our fair share of mischievous adventure.
We called ourselves the 3 musketeers. The three of us would run from one junction to another (kai-tau / kai mei) to seek out the best view on the black & white television owned by neighbors. Best running series in those days are episode on ‘Batman & Robin’. No, we don’t have a TV then, not even a radio. For entertainment, folks used to listen to rediffusion (a paid cable radio on monthly rental basis). Story teller likes, Lei Tai-soh telling novel stories on a daily basis.
It was only many years later, that Dad bought home a TV, a 21 inches black & white National (a marvel in those days).
To continue......
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
My Memoirs (Part 4)
Continue from My Memoirs (Part 3)
Those days, my siblings and I like to enjoy our ride in Dad’s Hillman. I can still recall the smell of heated leather from the seat cushion. In the sixties, Cars were not installed with air conditioning then. The best comfort we have to make do is with a blowing fan – fitted onto the middle of the dash panel. And as time progressed, these seat materials would slowly evolves to other fabrics, such as vinyl and synthetic leather which do not usually emits the kind of aroma smell of the seasoned leather of the yesteryears.
Speaking of the aroma of smell, I could still vividly remember the smell of complete freshly fried chicken, which elder brother had won as a consolation prize at the fun fair. The fun fair was an annual affair held at the Pesta Stadium along the Perak Road at that time. Our whole family has had a fantastic meal that evening. At today standard, these meals are nothing to shout about. But during those days, having a whole fried chicken for meal is a rarity, which is only served on special occasion.
The shout of ‘koay ta lum’ (dessert made from pandan leaves, coconut milk and flour) and smell of ‘assam laksa’ always linger in memory during my younger days. These are the two signature desserts, that vendors carry and balance their wares on a long bamboo stick, who ply their trades on the five foot ways. They ply their trade by wearing a sort of ‘turban’ (head cloth) and use it to balance a big basket over their head and with a long bamboo stick over their shoulder to carry one pot of ‘laksa’ soup burning over a small stove at one end while the other end carries 3-4 layers of bamboo basket containing varieties of dessert. You cannot miss them for one can smell the appetizing aroma blocks away.
In the sixties, ten cents (10cts) can still buy you a big chunk of ‘koay ta lum’ and a bowl of ‘assam laksa’. As time progressed into the present age, that piece of one ‘koay ta lum’ and a bowl of ‘assam laksa’ takes approximately sixty cents (60cts) and three dollars (RM3.00) respectively. Nowadays, these vendors peddles their wares on a three wheel scooter and instead of shouting the traditional way, they would honk out their sales. However, one could hardly had a chance to enjoy these desserts nowadays as you would probably missed these vendors as they would be miles away by the time you come out of the five foot way. Sadly, this is the disadvantage of evolution. Nowadays, these desserts are sold under their actual names as ‘char-koa’ and can be found selling at ‘pasar malam’ or the night market.
Other vendors, like the ‘hum-chin peng’ (fried flour dumpling) man together with his ‘hong-tau sar’ (signature red bean dessert) is a must try in those days. He used to sell his stuff as he pushes his four wheel wooden cart all along the narrow streets of Georgetown. Those who are now in their 50’s and 60’s could still remember him. We actually miss his ‘hum-chin peng’ when we shift away from Chulia Lane.
Another must try street hawking stall in those days is the ‘lor-bak’ and ‘hei-si’ (minced meat in roll and fried prawn cracker in mixture with flour). This man is more up to-date, as he plies his stuff on a tricycle stall. So as he fried the prawn cracker, the aroma from this prawn mixture flour will sure entice your appetizer. And also with the sleight of his hand, he can cleanly cut a century year egg (fermented egg) into six equal pieces. Being young and native, we were curious as to how he could perform this magic. Later we found out that this vendor had hidden a tough thread (cloth string for slicing through the eggs) in between the utensils for this purposes.
As for ‘junk’ food, we have had our fair shared of ‘ting-ting dong’ (hard rock candies), where the vendor would chip away with his small hammer and chisel like tool to ‘cut’ away your cents worth of candies. Usually, this same vendor also sells the ‘mug-ah tong’ (maltose honey slurps) where a thick bamboo stick is dipped into a clayed jar of honey slurp and twirled around to scoop up your five cents worth of portion. So as brother and I had a total of ten cents (10 cents) between us, we would buy both and shared the items altogether. And yes, we sometimes fought over on who will get a bigger portion.
As much as our mouth water and yearn for all the above simple savory food at that young ages, we could not bring ourselves to sample these food often, as our budgets or so called allowances were limited to five cents (5 cents) on a well behaved day and nil when we play taunt.
To continue.......
Those days, my siblings and I like to enjoy our ride in Dad’s Hillman. I can still recall the smell of heated leather from the seat cushion. In the sixties, Cars were not installed with air conditioning then. The best comfort we have to make do is with a blowing fan – fitted onto the middle of the dash panel. And as time progressed, these seat materials would slowly evolves to other fabrics, such as vinyl and synthetic leather which do not usually emits the kind of aroma smell of the seasoned leather of the yesteryears.
Speaking of the aroma of smell, I could still vividly remember the smell of complete freshly fried chicken, which elder brother had won as a consolation prize at the fun fair. The fun fair was an annual affair held at the Pesta Stadium along the Perak Road at that time. Our whole family has had a fantastic meal that evening. At today standard, these meals are nothing to shout about. But during those days, having a whole fried chicken for meal is a rarity, which is only served on special occasion.
The shout of ‘koay ta lum’ (dessert made from pandan leaves, coconut milk and flour) and smell of ‘assam laksa’ always linger in memory during my younger days. These are the two signature desserts, that vendors carry and balance their wares on a long bamboo stick, who ply their trades on the five foot ways. They ply their trade by wearing a sort of ‘turban’ (head cloth) and use it to balance a big basket over their head and with a long bamboo stick over their shoulder to carry one pot of ‘laksa’ soup burning over a small stove at one end while the other end carries 3-4 layers of bamboo basket containing varieties of dessert. You cannot miss them for one can smell the appetizing aroma blocks away.
In the sixties, ten cents (10cts) can still buy you a big chunk of ‘koay ta lum’ and a bowl of ‘assam laksa’. As time progressed into the present age, that piece of one ‘koay ta lum’ and a bowl of ‘assam laksa’ takes approximately sixty cents (60cts) and three dollars (RM3.00) respectively. Nowadays, these vendors peddles their wares on a three wheel scooter and instead of shouting the traditional way, they would honk out their sales. However, one could hardly had a chance to enjoy these desserts nowadays as you would probably missed these vendors as they would be miles away by the time you come out of the five foot way. Sadly, this is the disadvantage of evolution. Nowadays, these desserts are sold under their actual names as ‘char-koa’ and can be found selling at ‘pasar malam’ or the night market.
Other vendors, like the ‘hum-chin peng’ (fried flour dumpling) man together with his ‘hong-tau sar’ (signature red bean dessert) is a must try in those days. He used to sell his stuff as he pushes his four wheel wooden cart all along the narrow streets of Georgetown. Those who are now in their 50’s and 60’s could still remember him. We actually miss his ‘hum-chin peng’ when we shift away from Chulia Lane.
Another must try street hawking stall in those days is the ‘lor-bak’ and ‘hei-si’ (minced meat in roll and fried prawn cracker in mixture with flour). This man is more up to-date, as he plies his stuff on a tricycle stall. So as he fried the prawn cracker, the aroma from this prawn mixture flour will sure entice your appetizer. And also with the sleight of his hand, he can cleanly cut a century year egg (fermented egg) into six equal pieces. Being young and native, we were curious as to how he could perform this magic. Later we found out that this vendor had hidden a tough thread (cloth string for slicing through the eggs) in between the utensils for this purposes.
As for ‘junk’ food, we have had our fair shared of ‘ting-ting dong’ (hard rock candies), where the vendor would chip away with his small hammer and chisel like tool to ‘cut’ away your cents worth of candies. Usually, this same vendor also sells the ‘mug-ah tong’ (maltose honey slurps) where a thick bamboo stick is dipped into a clayed jar of honey slurp and twirled around to scoop up your five cents worth of portion. So as brother and I had a total of ten cents (10 cents) between us, we would buy both and shared the items altogether. And yes, we sometimes fought over on who will get a bigger portion.
As much as our mouth water and yearn for all the above simple savory food at that young ages, we could not bring ourselves to sample these food often, as our budgets or so called allowances were limited to five cents (5 cents) on a well behaved day and nil when we play taunt.
To continue.......
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
My Memoirs (Part 3)
Continue from My Memoirs (Part 2)
Grandma’s two daughters, where the elder one, whom I called Ku-cheh (elder aunty) had a string of failed courtship which left her a very depressed person. As she always keeps to herself, communication breakdown was the norm, especially towards her immediate families. However, she was kind and helpful to most strangers who drop by to chat with her. She spent the later part of her life at the family house along Chulia Lane.
The younger daughter, Lai-ku (younger aunty) marries her sweetheart who lives next door. Lai-ku has 3 off spring of her own. While her children, lou-piu, (my cousins) are in constant contact with us now, lou-piu’s children could now hardly recognize us or vice-versa. And this is so-called generation gaps.
Dad, being a young mechanic in those days, used to repair and trade used cars for a living and he would sometimes drive a Hillman or a Chevrolet home, the ones that has protruding tail lights. Being young and native, my brother and I called them the ‘Fei kei’ car
Dad used to drive the family to the ‘kow-mar tou’ the Esplanade, at the Fort Cornwallis and the ‘san-mar tou’ at the Gurney Drive, where we used to enjoy the ride on the ‘merry-go-round’ carrousel, the swing and the ‘ king-kong pan’ (see-saw)
A type of horizontal platform with centre pivoted and balanced, where each person sits at both end, with own legs to push up and down, making ‘king kong’ noises when platform’s end touches the ground
Mind you, I believe this is the only place where you can find such a playground in those days.
At the age of five, I remembered shifting house, away from Chulia Lane, away from Grandma, away from the neighbor hood buddies where we had our fair share of playing games together. Brother and I missed our favorite games of glass marbles, top spinning, water gun battles, green unripe berry (for bullet projectile by elastic band) on wooden gun battles, hide and seek (where you can even hide blocks away) and yes, flying kites.
We stayed put for a year at the corner house situated at the end at Counter Hall which connected the Terengganu Road (just a stone throw away from the now framed P. Ramlees’ house). In front of the house is a small little steam where the children from the neighbor hood spend their time catching ‘peacork fish’ (guppy fish) with their bare hands.
Of course, there are a lot of greenies in the ‘san deng’ area, which gives us another pastime – catching fighting spider. We would carefully ‘scan’ through the wild berry hedges that usually grown along the fences surrounding the house. We would pick up and consume those wild but red ripen berries! How native we will then, without considering the facts that these wild fruits could be poisonous. But we lived through.
Those days, as Counter Hall is consider ‘out-of–town ‘area or ‘san deng’ (small village), was also a flood prone area.. Coming down town from the ‘san deng’ in those days, one must always drive through the big hump along the Perak Road which is just in front of the Penang Stadium. Only then after the big hump, the area would only consider as down town. (At least, this is what dad told us).
To continue......
Grandma’s two daughters, where the elder one, whom I called Ku-cheh (elder aunty) had a string of failed courtship which left her a very depressed person. As she always keeps to herself, communication breakdown was the norm, especially towards her immediate families. However, she was kind and helpful to most strangers who drop by to chat with her. She spent the later part of her life at the family house along Chulia Lane.
The younger daughter, Lai-ku (younger aunty) marries her sweetheart who lives next door. Lai-ku has 3 off spring of her own. While her children, lou-piu, (my cousins) are in constant contact with us now, lou-piu’s children could now hardly recognize us or vice-versa. And this is so-called generation gaps.
Dad, being a young mechanic in those days, used to repair and trade used cars for a living and he would sometimes drive a Hillman or a Chevrolet home, the ones that has protruding tail lights. Being young and native, my brother and I called them the ‘Fei kei’ car
Dad used to drive the family to the ‘kow-mar tou’ the Esplanade, at the Fort Cornwallis and the ‘san-mar tou’ at the Gurney Drive, where we used to enjoy the ride on the ‘merry-go-round’ carrousel, the swing and the ‘ king-kong pan’ (see-saw)
A type of horizontal platform with centre pivoted and balanced, where each person sits at both end, with own legs to push up and down, making ‘king kong’ noises when platform’s end touches the ground
Mind you, I believe this is the only place where you can find such a playground in those days.
At the age of five, I remembered shifting house, away from Chulia Lane, away from Grandma, away from the neighbor hood buddies where we had our fair share of playing games together. Brother and I missed our favorite games of glass marbles, top spinning, water gun battles, green unripe berry (for bullet projectile by elastic band) on wooden gun battles, hide and seek (where you can even hide blocks away) and yes, flying kites.
We stayed put for a year at the corner house situated at the end at Counter Hall which connected the Terengganu Road (just a stone throw away from the now framed P. Ramlees’ house). In front of the house is a small little steam where the children from the neighbor hood spend their time catching ‘peacork fish’ (guppy fish) with their bare hands.
Of course, there are a lot of greenies in the ‘san deng’ area, which gives us another pastime – catching fighting spider. We would carefully ‘scan’ through the wild berry hedges that usually grown along the fences surrounding the house. We would pick up and consume those wild but red ripen berries! How native we will then, without considering the facts that these wild fruits could be poisonous. But we lived through.
Those days, as Counter Hall is consider ‘out-of–town ‘area or ‘san deng’ (small village), was also a flood prone area.. Coming down town from the ‘san deng’ in those days, one must always drive through the big hump along the Perak Road which is just in front of the Penang Stadium. Only then after the big hump, the area would only consider as down town. (At least, this is what dad told us).
To continue......
Friday, December 14, 2007
My Memoirs (Part 2)
Continue from My Memoirs (Part 1)
I used to remember Grandma telling us that she had four sons and two daughters. Two eldest sons were taken away during the Japanese occupations to work on the ‘Death Railway’ of the infamous ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’.
Forced labour was used in its construction. About 200,000 Asian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) worked on the railway. Of these, around 100,000 Asian labourers and 16,000 Allied POWs died as a direct result of the project. As history goes, my two ‘Ah Pak’ are two of the many Asian labourers perished during that period. (Later, some young man came back alive to report to Grandma – that they had seen her two sons being held at the death railway)
The third son dies of malaria – due to lack of health care between these periods. During the occupation, the Japanese solders came for the ‘chok ching’ (to capture) young men at various part of George Town, and along the Market Lane / Chulia Lane. And at that fortunate time, his fourth son (my dad) was having diarrhea in the toilet and thus ‘miss’ him. Fate or miraculous escape, as you would call it. My dad grew up to become a handsome young man, whom the neighborhood addresses him as ‘Sie Khor’ or the fourth brother.
This fourth brother met up with my mom one fine day – through the introduction of his colleague (an uncle, I now called ‘ah Jeong’). Mom is the younger sister of uncle’s wife (now whom I called ‘tye yee’). And after a whirlwind courtship, both Mom and Dad were married.
I can still vividly remember Mom telling us siblings that on her wedding day during the tea ceremony, one of the ‘ah mah cheh’ suddenly went into trance and started to speak in some strange Cantonese, which later interpreted as one of the ‘Ah Pak’s spirit (Grandma’s other lost sons) desired to adopt the newly wed couples’ offspring as ‘their’ children. ‘They’ even presented her with 3 Russian diamond rings for the tea ceremony. These rings were later found (interpretation from the trance) in one of the hidden drawer at one of the many ancient cupboards. Strange as it may sound but till to this day, I have one of this Russian diamond ring in my possessions. Myths or Facts?
Hence, with the above strange incidents and in the memory of Grandma three lost sons, I and my siblings are taught to call both Mom and Dad as “Ah Sum’ and Ah Shok”. But as time progressed well into our adulthood, we fine tuned into calling Mom and Dad as ‘Lou Mou’ and ‘Lou Tau’ in Cantonese, which literally means Mother and Father in plain language
To continue.....
I used to remember Grandma telling us that she had four sons and two daughters. Two eldest sons were taken away during the Japanese occupations to work on the ‘Death Railway’ of the infamous ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’.
Forced labour was used in its construction. About 200,000 Asian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) worked on the railway. Of these, around 100,000 Asian labourers and 16,000 Allied POWs died as a direct result of the project. As history goes, my two ‘Ah Pak’ are two of the many Asian labourers perished during that period. (Later, some young man came back alive to report to Grandma – that they had seen her two sons being held at the death railway)
The third son dies of malaria – due to lack of health care between these periods. During the occupation, the Japanese solders came for the ‘chok ching’ (to capture) young men at various part of George Town, and along the Market Lane / Chulia Lane. And at that fortunate time, his fourth son (my dad) was having diarrhea in the toilet and thus ‘miss’ him. Fate or miraculous escape, as you would call it. My dad grew up to become a handsome young man, whom the neighborhood addresses him as ‘Sie Khor’ or the fourth brother.
This fourth brother met up with my mom one fine day – through the introduction of his colleague (an uncle, I now called ‘ah Jeong’). Mom is the younger sister of uncle’s wife (now whom I called ‘tye yee’). And after a whirlwind courtship, both Mom and Dad were married.
I can still vividly remember Mom telling us siblings that on her wedding day during the tea ceremony, one of the ‘ah mah cheh’ suddenly went into trance and started to speak in some strange Cantonese, which later interpreted as one of the ‘Ah Pak’s spirit (Grandma’s other lost sons) desired to adopt the newly wed couples’ offspring as ‘their’ children. ‘They’ even presented her with 3 Russian diamond rings for the tea ceremony. These rings were later found (interpretation from the trance) in one of the hidden drawer at one of the many ancient cupboards. Strange as it may sound but till to this day, I have one of this Russian diamond ring in my possessions. Myths or Facts?
Hence, with the above strange incidents and in the memory of Grandma three lost sons, I and my siblings are taught to call both Mom and Dad as “Ah Sum’ and Ah Shok”. But as time progressed well into our adulthood, we fine tuned into calling Mom and Dad as ‘Lou Mou’ and ‘Lou Tau’ in Cantonese, which literally means Mother and Father in plain language
To continue.....
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
My Memoirs (Part 1)
How times flies!
My memory flashes through just like yesterday. It was in the late 1950’s, in my earliest childhood, then staying along Chulia Lane, a row of pre-war houses – sandwiched between Tong Kong coffee shop and the Sin Keng Onn , a Hainanese restaurant. I still remembered pedaling the tin made 4 wheel toy sedan through the corridors on the upper 5-foot way pavement and hooting away the rubber stud horn to all those who stands in my way. It was also during this period, this ‘lang ting tang’ man comes around singing your fortune for a few cents. (Many also known him as Tan Tong Tong)
I guess, I was then 4-5 years of age enjoying my childhood and without a care and worries in this much materialist world. Born in the Independence year, it was during the curfew period where my dad had to bring mama to the maternity hospital for her delivery. I had 3 other siblings. Being second in the family, I had an elder brother and two younger sisters
During this time, Piu Pak (Grandma’s brother-in-law) used to buy toys for brother & 1 almost every other night. Always buy two toys at one go, for if not, brother and I would always fight over for it. Be it a toy wooden sword or a mechanical wind up toy car. To this day, my brother can still vividly remember me crying over the broken toys murmuring ‘mou nan mou need’ (in Cantonese) which virtually translated like ‘not cracked, not broken’.
Our toys buying day’s ends abruptly when Piu Pak announced that he wanted to go over to ‘Park Hoi’ (Butterworth) to look for work and that is the last we heard of him.
Grandma (Dad’s mom) used to sell bananas to vend away her time, pushing her 4 wheel wooden cart to the near by Central Market at the Carnarvon Street and Campbell Street junctions. Her favorite site is in front of Ghee Heong, the dim sum shop, by the road side (Campbell Street) just opposite the Market. As a kid, I like to trot along together with her to the Market. And many a times we used to ‘chow kwei’ to get away from the council officers who came running after the traders and Grandma, being considered an obstruction traders along the ever busy market place.. In the afternoon, Grandma would shift to another site down the road near the Boon Wah textile shop. At night, she would sell her fruits along Chulia Street, which is the main road. Those days, I can still remember, the City Council bus (Tram) still run on rail by Double Decker which later evolves to free driving by single Decker bus.
Grandma, being illiterates would show the same exact amount of coins to the passing sailors, who asked ‘how much’ when pointing to the bunch of bananas they wish to buy.
To continue.....
My memory flashes through just like yesterday. It was in the late 1950’s, in my earliest childhood, then staying along Chulia Lane, a row of pre-war houses – sandwiched between Tong Kong coffee shop and the Sin Keng Onn , a Hainanese restaurant. I still remembered pedaling the tin made 4 wheel toy sedan through the corridors on the upper 5-foot way pavement and hooting away the rubber stud horn to all those who stands in my way. It was also during this period, this ‘lang ting tang’ man comes around singing your fortune for a few cents. (Many also known him as Tan Tong Tong)
I guess, I was then 4-5 years of age enjoying my childhood and without a care and worries in this much materialist world. Born in the Independence year, it was during the curfew period where my dad had to bring mama to the maternity hospital for her delivery. I had 3 other siblings. Being second in the family, I had an elder brother and two younger sisters
During this time, Piu Pak (Grandma’s brother-in-law) used to buy toys for brother & 1 almost every other night. Always buy two toys at one go, for if not, brother and I would always fight over for it. Be it a toy wooden sword or a mechanical wind up toy car. To this day, my brother can still vividly remember me crying over the broken toys murmuring ‘mou nan mou need’ (in Cantonese) which virtually translated like ‘not cracked, not broken’.
Our toys buying day’s ends abruptly when Piu Pak announced that he wanted to go over to ‘Park Hoi’ (Butterworth) to look for work and that is the last we heard of him.
Grandma (Dad’s mom) used to sell bananas to vend away her time, pushing her 4 wheel wooden cart to the near by Central Market at the Carnarvon Street and Campbell Street junctions. Her favorite site is in front of Ghee Heong, the dim sum shop, by the road side (Campbell Street) just opposite the Market. As a kid, I like to trot along together with her to the Market. And many a times we used to ‘chow kwei’ to get away from the council officers who came running after the traders and Grandma, being considered an obstruction traders along the ever busy market place.. In the afternoon, Grandma would shift to another site down the road near the Boon Wah textile shop. At night, she would sell her fruits along Chulia Street, which is the main road. Those days, I can still remember, the City Council bus (Tram) still run on rail by Double Decker which later evolves to free driving by single Decker bus.
Grandma, being illiterates would show the same exact amount of coins to the passing sailors, who asked ‘how much’ when pointing to the bunch of bananas they wish to buy.
To continue.....
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