Sooner than You Think

Elder Peter Lee was supposed to chair the STS Board meeting on 3 March 2019. Unfortunately, he had to forego this because of his fast deteriorating health. I had planned with a friend on 3 March to visit him early the following week. That visit never materialized because he passed away in early morning of 4 March.

I have lost count of the number of years we had known each other. At one time, we were badminton buddies. In the business realm, he had acted as contractor for construction project and I was the supervising engineer. We had traveled together to see places and we were partners in the ministry of STS for many years. 

He was a man of few words and he had dedicated much of his time to charitable services in the Church, schools, the Lee Clan Association and the Hakka Association.

Judging from his enthusiasm to chair the recent STS board meeting, his "parting" was something he didn't expect to happen so soon. In the end, many things may happen sooner than you think. That's the fact of life!

He will be missed!

Happy moment in Taipei when we did a cruise together to
Okinawa and Ishigaki in May 2017.

Lunch after the STS Board of Governors Meeting
on 30 June 2018.

Coffee Town - Tenom

Tenom, an interior town gained its prominence when the British Chartered North Borneo Company introduced coffee planting in the late 19th century. In the old days, KK and Tenom was linked by the only railway operated by Sabah State Railway. 

Tenom to many people is synonymous with coffee. Many coffee lovers still find Tenom coffee to be of superior quality compared to its competitors in other parts of Malaysia. Food lovers too are constantly drawn to Tenom to savor the much publicized corn chicken, yong tau foo and chun ken or meat egg rolls. 

Before this recent trip, I was not aware that Ah Miau's mom had at one time operated a sundry shop in Tenom town. In those yester-years, a single mom with a strong will and tremendous tenacity chose Tenom, a remote place to earn a living for herself and the family. She reminded me of the typical China Chinese who in spite of all odds and challenges decided to leave their home in China and move to one of the Southeast Asian countries to seek a better life.

It is no wonder that Ah Miau always makes it a point to visit Tenom whenever she returns to Sabah. It's her second home after KK in Sabah.

In Tenom, one can still find benches placed in front of 

shops for the convenience and comfort of pedestrians 

and customers.

Shophouses once purchased by her mother.

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Yit Foh and Fatt Choi are two established coffee producers in Tenom. Yit Foh which started since 1960 is generally recognized as a more well known brand. In addition to the sale of coffee, both have now diversified and offer customers a chance to savor their coffee in their cafe and restaurant. For those who like to spend longer time, they are welcome to stay in the chalets built in their premises..

While Yit Foh's chalet-typed accommodation appears to be of better quality, Fatt Choi or tfc in short may have customer's preference by virtue of its strategic location which has a commanding bird eye view of Tenom town, Padas River and its surrounding.  

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Anyone familiar with Tenom food and who come to spend a night there will not leave without eating some of the popular food at the local market. The "economic mee", yong tau foo and chun ken are some of the must eat items. We faithfully completed the ritual and did not miss savoring any of these food items.

Corn chicken or commonly being referred to as Pau Suk Kai is another favorite item. On Sunday evening, we drove across Padas bridge towards Sapong to look for food outlet that serves Terrapin and corn chicken. We finally ended at Sungai Wang Restaurant.

Sungai Wang has dedicated one side of the wall to display photos of old Tenom. This restaurant serves both Terrapin and corn chicken. But we decided to forgo Terrapin after being warned by the proprietor of the fairly long waiting time for this dish.

In Sungai Wang, we bumped into the local Kapitan,  Wong Tet Yeun who was having dinner with his wife. Wong, a friend of mine and to my surprise also an acquaintance of Ah Miau.

Photos of old Tenom

Train Station - Then.

Train Station - Now.

Before the existing steel girdle bridge was built across Padas River, the only mean for vehicles to cross the river was via the simple ferry. The service was normally suspended when the river was swollen after heavy downpour.

Existing steel girdle bridge.

Down Memory Lane - Keningau

Ah Miau had earlier expressed her keenness to revisit her second home town in Sabah, Tenom during her recent trip back to KK from Hong Kong. Since my wife had worked in Keningau for more than three years, we thought it would be a good idea to do a down memory lane tour to both Keningau and Tenom. So we volunteered to drive them there and to spend a night in Tenom.

For our driving trip to Keningau, we chose to drive along the Papar-Kimanis-Keningau Highway, a steep road I first used in September 2008 (Read here). As first timers to this highway, both Ah Miau and Jeanie were awestruck to see this seemingly endless stretches of steep road in their very first experience along this road.

At the starting point of the ascend to cross the Crocker 
Range.

A prominent change noticed along the Highway is the houses built precariously on hill slope just beside the road. The occupants probably thought the risks are justified by the awesome views they enjoy everyday!

A favorite spot for brief stopover for travelers to enjoy the 

awesome views and to have a cup of coffee or food 
at the nearby eatery.

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The campus of Keningau Teachers Training Institute (IPK) looked deserted when we dropped by in the Sunday afternoon. Our first destination was the Director's residence. It's a place I had spent many weekends between 2008 and 2011 when my wife could not make it home and had to stay on for official duties. The house looked almost exactly as I last saw it just over seven years ago.

The compound of the Director's residence has a 

commanding view of the steel bridge spanning across 

Pegalan River and part of Keningau town.

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The indoor garden at the Admin. Building initiated by my wife still looks fabulous. I was instantly reminded of the Chinese saying, "前人栽树后人乘凉" which literally means "One generation plants the trees and another generation enjoys the shades" Though there is no huge trees to create the shade, the beauty of the garden has become a lasting legacy of the Institute. Anyone who works in this building or anyone who steps into the premise would feel refreshed. For those staff members who manage and continue to prune, plant, sow, mow, rake, water and dig to keep the garden intact, you have my admiration!

50 Years & Counting.......

It has been over five years since Ah Miau, a classmate of Class 1967/1969 of Lok Yuk School came back to KK from Hong Kong for holidays. During her last visit in November 2013, I took the opportunity to gather some of the classmates for a reunion in my house (Read here).

Fast forward, she flew back recently from Hong Kong just after Chap Goh Mei for another visit to KK. This time, attempt to organize any gathering or reunion event in the evening or at night is out of question because many of them no longer drive at night. This is an indication that age is indeed fast catching up.

Three of us had the first catch-up session at a local coffee shop. It turned out to be a lengthy one. From the coffee shop, we adjourned to my residence to continue the exchanges into late afternoon!

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The major reunion lunch was held at a local restaurant. Even this event proved "problematic" to some because they had difficulty finding the venue of the restaurant. This reunion proved significant because we managed to locate another ex-classmate whom we have not seen since 1969 and to get her to join the event.

Reunion lunch at Hee Yuan Restaurant. Ho Nyuk En 
whom we have not seen since 1969 is seated left.

Right after the lunch, we decided to visit another ex-classmate, Chua LK who is now wheelchair-bound after suffering a stroke quite some time ago. Though unable to speak clearly, he still made great effort to identify his former classmates. His charged up emotion after seeing so many of his old classmates was clearly visible in his teary eyes!

26 February 2019.

Back in 1965, we were innocent young lads unaware

 of what the future would hold for us. Chua LK is third from left!

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Someone said that Facebook or WhatsApp chat is not a reunion. Food, drinks and real conversations are a class reunion. Unquote.

Not satisfied with the first reunion lunch, another breakfast gathering was organised on 1 March. This breakfast eventually extended to become brunch. One thing is certain, they didn't seem tired of talking on and on....... As one exclaimed : "Chat until the cows come home!".