Sibu Trip - Hair Salon at Sg. Merah

We proceeded to Sibu's arguably most famous hair salon at Sungei Merah on the day 0f arrival. My wife wanted to trim her hair a bit but in the end the enterprising towkayneo convinced her to trim and perm.

While waiting I also took the opportunity to have a haircut by a hearing-impaired barber. I was pleased with the good job he did. And cost only RM6.00!

I really appreciate this salon for keeping inflation under control!

Memory lane

My dear wife was away during Raya last week. It was a double bonus trip when she went to Sibu, visiting her parents as well as meeting up with her siblings from Sydney, Brunei and Kota Kinabalu.

The festive holidays provided an additional window for the Lees to strengthen their already closely-knitted family ties as they drove to Bintangor and Sarikei for a day trip. Along the journey - Elizabeth, Roseline's sister from Sydney took the following pictures using a Nikon D60 camera.
From 1971 to 1973 my parents-in-law resided in Bakong (a zone outskirts of Bintangor) where they had a small pepper farm. They also reared fish. This is the house that the Lees owned. According to Roseline, the original structure stood on stilts without any enclosures on the ground level. Roseline has such happy memories on Bakong that her eyes will sparkle whenever she recites her years there. Strangely I don't get bored hearing her story a thousand times for the past 24 years - maybe it's because I too have experienced a wonderful childhood with many outdoor activities. I can smell fresh air by just looking at the picture - what a wonderful place to enjoy longevity! I can live anywhere in the world as long as there is broadband and kampua. Roseline and her sister-in-law Mary at a relative's house. Roseline with her younger brother and mom. Hang Kwong Methodist Church, Bintangor - where Roseline received her baptism.
Like many typical trunk roads connecting towns, one can find roadside stalls at various points. The dry shrimps (hay bee) from Sarikei are the best in the world. Pineapples too.

Mother, daughter and daughter-in-law together - what bliss! Lastly this photo was taken at the hawker stalls at a wet and dry market near the Sibu Civic centre. Roseline's sister Elizabeth is the lady in white blouse. I don't recognize the other lady; Roseline tells me she is Letty, a former classmate her of brother's at SMK Tung Hua in 1978.

Lost and found

Guess what? It pays to be chatty!

I found my "lost" cousin when I chatted with Chang Yi yesterday. My church member and I exchanged some updates as we have been out of touch for the past few weeks. Out of nowhere the topic of a certain retired teacher turned blogger from Sibu cropped up! After a few qualifying questions I was delighted to know that this bugger blogger was indeed my cousin!

Actually my cousin is more like a friend to me. I can still remember the days when we patronized Royal Flush (the nondescript cafe @ the petrol station, junction of Oya Road/Brooke Drive) during my secondary school years. Being the senior (and working adult), my cousin was always generous in treating/subsidizing us (i.e., me and the gang) to meals. His indomitable sister was my classmate from 1979-80. Somehow through the years we lost contact after I went to work in Brunei in 1986.

I once read a heartwarming article "Too old to make new friends" by Sumiko Tan. The prolific Singaporean columnist wrote of the kinds of friendship and "friendships that die because they have simply run their course". My heart sighs at this inexplicable truth as I reflect upon how many friends and classmates I have lost contact over the past years. Hey, if you are "lost" friend of mine out there reading this now, please email me! xD

Back to my cousin.

I left a message on his blog yesterday afternoon asking for his mobile number. He responded this morning and I immediately called to say hello. When and where was the last time we met? I asked. Six, seven years ago - maybe at Bintulu or Miri airport, my cousin replied confidently. How come you can't remember? You're younger than me, he jabbed. Aha, I see he still has his sense of humour!

We agreed to meet up this early October - yes, in Sibu! This time round I won't lose keeping in touch anymore.

Christmas in Sibu

My family and I were in Sibu from Dec 22 - 25 to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday. Roseline's siblings and their families from Brunei and Kota Kinabalu were there too. It was a beautiful family reunion. My parents-in-law were beaming from ear to ear when four of their six children were home to honor them. Though they did not openly express their joy, I could sense their happiness and pride.

The mee suah is a traditonal Foochow dish that is a must-have during birthdays to ensure longevity and vibrant health. The white noodles are served in chicken soup with bite-size chicken pieces, shitake mushrooms and boiled eggs. Foochow red wine is added for those who like a stronger soup base. This dish looks simple to prepare but I've yet to taste a perfect mee suah other than the ones cooked by my mother-in-law. As her favorite son-in-law (I think), my mother-in-law has given me her secret recipe; showed me how-to-do-it, yet I can't master cooking the favorite noodles of every Foochow!
For the first time it dawned on me that Christmas in Sibu was so special! I really salute the people of Sibu. They are overcomers! A week earlier Sibu was overwhelmed by a massive flood. When faced with another potential 'mother-of-all-floods', Sibu people were like a rock and carried on to hold three consecutive nights of Christmas celebrations. Someone I met at the padang told me it was a combined effort of all Christian denominations to make the project a reality. There was a stage where performances were held. My wife was excited to know that there were 100 participants for Praise Dance. Beautifully decorated Christmas trees and floats, and stalls of various kinds were erected on site. The presence of Jesus was warmly felt. God bless Sibu always!

Here's a clip at the padang on the night of Dec 23, 2007:
On Christmas eve, we attended a cantata in a very packed church. The Christmas musical by the Wesley Methodist Church ensemble was awesome! Dr. Rev. Tie King Tai delivered a very meaningful Christmas message of 'Amazing Gift'. He spoke on the challenges that Sibu people faced from beginning to the end of the year, and encouraged all to pray collectively for a better 2008. I was pleasantly surprised to meet my ex-athletics contingent manager Stephen Yeo whom I've lost touch since 1977! Stephen and his wife are now serving full-time in Cambodia. What a pity we missed taking a pic together.

Here's a clip of the Wesley Methodist Church ensemble doing the AMEN medley.

No visit to Sibu is complete without savoring the famous kam pua! This delicious dried-tossed yellow noodles is the envy of many, including the Kuching kolo mee that tries to claim to be Sarawak's signature noodle dish. It's a subjective topic that could be argued for a whole week without any resolve! I only know that my sons and I love it! Even my wife who is so disciplined on food choices caves in when it comes to kam pua! Don't be fooled by preposterous claims from eateries all over Sarawak or even in Singapore - yes, the authentic kam pua can be found in Sibu only. RM2.30 per plate now. Two thumbs up!

Last and certainly not the least - kom pia! We will never miss this guang bing whenever we visit Sibu. It's like French bread except that this bun tastes better with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. According to legend, the kom pia was the brainchild of the Foochow General Qi Ji Guang who strung a row of kom pia through a string that was worn across the chests of his soldiers. The intent was two-fold; 1) to replenish energy from the high carbohydrate content during long battles and 2) easy-to-carry convenient food. Wow, it's amazing they also thought about fast and convenient food back then. Nothing has changed on how's it been baked. The kom pia can be deep fried and stuffed with stewed soy minced meat. However the fried version is too oily for me. I prefer it plain served with stewed sauce or sardines added with sliced big onions. The kom pia is best eaten freshly baked. RM1.00 for 4 pieces. Last year? 7 pieces!

Can't wait for our next trip to Sibu!