Bee Farming in Kudat

Ever since we were introduced to stingless bee farming at Hotel Shangri-lah Rasa Ria on 12.03.2024 (Read here), this exposure has led us to start our own stingless bee farming at our backyard (Read here). And before our latest trip to Kudat, we visited another stingless bee farm at Kokol Hill with our CG friends at the end of August recently (Read here).

It is therefore natural that we would search out for bee farms in our trip to Kudat. Our first visit was to Borneo Honeybee Centre at Jalan Sikuati Marabau after lunch on 25.09.2024. Unfortunately, though the Centre was "opened" and accessible, there was no one available at the Centre at the time of our visit because it's "closed" during lunch break from 1.00pm to 2.00pm. 

Borneo Honeybee Centre.

Even in the absence of any staff at the Centre, we did spend some time browsing through the extensive items and information on display. This is a good place to visit and to gain knowledge about the great variety of bees in Sabah!

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The next day on the way back to KK, we made a detour to DMA Gombizau Honey Bee Farm at Kampong Gombizau. The sign, "Gombizau Kampung Madu" we saw just before DMA Bee Farm reminded me that we had in fact been here way back in 2015. The owner of DMA told us later on that the original operator of Gombizau Kampung Madu no longer runs the outlet. 

One key lesson we learnt from the lady manning the counter of DMA Bee Farm is that harvested honey should not be refrigerated but kept in the open at room temperature. I did an instant internet search and found that her assertion was indeed correct!

The Farm sells a variety of wide honey and the lady operator contended that honey of stingless bees is the best! That assertion reassured us that we made the right decision in keeping stingless bees!

Kudat, the Hakka Town

Kudat is recognized as a Hakka town because her founding migrants were mostly Chinese Hakka who came from the Guangdong Province of China in the late 1800's.

For our breakfast on 26.09.2024, I decided to look for one old traditional Chinese coffee shop. An internet search led us to Kedai Kopi Lok Kheng Lim. As I have expected based on the word "Kheng" in the name of the shop, the coffee shop is run by Hainanese as confirmed by the proprietor lady who manned the counter. She told me she is Hakka and her husband is Hainanese. The coffee shop is more than 70 years old. It first started operating in the old Kudat town for over 40 years and then moved to its current premise more than 20 years ago. 

Teresa loves graffiti and she was happy to pose beside this painting of traditional old coffee shop setting painted on the exterior of the coffee shop.

Typical of traditional coffee shop, this outlet serves dim sum, roti kahwin (toast bread), boiled eggs and and a variety of mee. I noticed that it is mee kosong (mee ekonomi) which is the most popular among the patrons.

Mee Kosong and Meehon Kosong.

We too ordered both mee kosong and meehon kosong to reminiscence the old days of eating this economic mee (經濟麵). I recall eating this mee wrapped in Simpoh Air leaf sold in the school canteen of my primary school in the 1950's. It costed 10 cents per pack then compared to RM3 per plate now! That's 300 times increase after 60 years!

Mee wrapped in Simpoh Air leave.

Simpoh Air leaves.

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Before leaving Kudat, we stopped at the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia (BCCM) at Lau San. This is the oldest Church of BCCM. The original attap church building was built in 1886 by the first 10 families of migrants from China.  

Chinese migrants left their home country for a new country in Southeast Asia because of two reasons. Soon after the failed Taiping Rebellion, the Hakka speaking Christians affiliated with the Basel Mission were viewed with suspicion by the Qing government as the leader of the rebellion, Hong Xiuquan was himself a Hakka. This resulted many Hakka speaking Chinese leaving China for Southeast Asia. Secondly, many hoped to seek new economic opportunity in a new country with the hope of reversing their hard lives in China.

3rd Trip to the Tip of Borneo

On 25.09.2024, we visited the Tip of Borneo for the third time. The first was on 30.05.2006 (Read here) and the second on 05.06.2015 (Read here). Coincidentally, the second trip happened to be the very day Sabah suffered the worst earthquake she had ever experienced. On that fateful day, sixteen people were confirmed dead (Read here).

Since that disaster, we did have plans to re-visit the Tip of Borneo again but somehow the plan has not been activated. The plan to re-visit was finally activated when my SIL (my wife's oldest sister, Yong Kiow) came with a group of friends to tour the surrounding of KK. When the tour ended and she and another of her friend decided to spend another three extra days in KK. With them as company, we decided to take them to the Tip of Borneo - one of the places she has yet to visit.

Yong Kiow (Right) and her friend, Teresa.

Since our last trip in 2015, significant improvement has been made at the site. This includes providing more directional signs and information at the Tip of Borneo. 

But sadly, the final stretch of the sealed road leading to the Tip of Borneo is in very deplorable condition as we have experienced first-hand in this trip. If a concert is to be held this year, the top priority will be a major road repair exercise before the event!

Quite a number of visitors came hoping to see the sunset view. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day and the western shoreline was only splattered with patches of mild orange!

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On the way back to the car park, we detoured to the site where the annual sunset concerts are held. Quite to my surprise, other than the mildly overgrown grass, the stage and the terraced seats are still intact and reasonably well maintained. Trees behind the stage have grown much taller blocking off significant sunset views!

The Sunset Music Festival also known as the Sunset Concert, has been held annually at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau or the Tip of Borneo. It was first held in 2006. The one we attended in 2015 is the 10th. 

However, there was no music festival or concert from 2017 to 2022. This was only revived in 2023 after a gap due to the pandemic and other interruptions. The festival offers a unique open-air experience featuring local, regional, and international performances with breathtaking views of the sunset over the South China Sea and Sulu Sea. 

The concert is normally held in June. So far with three months left in 2024, there is still no sign or news to confirm whether it will be held this year.

A beautiful bay next to the open concert site.

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A piece of new information in the form of a signboard about the highest point of the Tip of Borneo has been added after our last trip in 2015.

The highest point, called Tomanggong Kurantud is named after a renowned warrior and chief of the Rungus people. Rungus is the dominant indigenous people residing in the northern region of Sabah. 

Story has it that Tomanggong Kurantud led a fight in a battle against invading pirates in the area around Tanjung Simpang Mengayau. In 1881, he signed an agreement of cooperation with the British representative of North Borneo Chartered Company to maintain peace in return for the promise of development and prosperity in this region.

A Short Visit of Ex-MU Fifian from Melaka

Ever since my graduation in early 1978, our family and Jenny's families met up whenever opportunity arose. Our most recent gathering was in September 2023 when we flew to Seremban to join the health retreat in Aenon (Read here).

My wife, Jenny and I got to know each other when we entered MU in 1973 for our tertiary education. We all stayed in the 5th Residential college. Later on during their post-graduate study for the Diploma in Education in MU, they were roommates staying in a house in Section 17, PJ.

This is the earlier photo taken in 1981 when my wife was holding our first child Serene and Jenny her first child Timothy. Both were pregnant then with their second child. Unfortunately, Jenny's second child, Nicholas died of sickness when he was just seven years old. Jenny has three more sons after Nicholas' death - Isaac, Daniel and Mathew. 

Another more recent old photo of the our three children taken together with Jenny's three sons. Jenny's three sons are Timothy (left), Isaac (standing at right) and Daniel (seated at right). Our three children: Serene (3rd from left), Samuel (2nd from left) and Paul (4th from left).

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Lunch at Akiborneo
Jenny and her husband, Patrick at right.

In our latest meet-up, I had wanted to take a group photo in our sofa which we did in 2005 and again in 2018 (Read here). Unfortunately, we were in a hurry to leave for the airport that we forgot about it!

Breakfast at the patio in our home.

Still, this is the next best shot which we took at our patio during our breakfast on 21.09.2024.

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Taking advantage of their latest trip to KK, Jenny was keen to meet up with another ex uni-mate, Lam Kee Hing whom we got to know in 1973 when we entered MU for tertiary education. We managed to find just over an hour to have yamcha on 20.09.2024 with Kee Hing just before he went for his pre-booked birthday celebration dinner with his wife. Coincidentally, 20 September happened to be Kee Hing's birthday!

Yamcha at Phoenix Star Cafe.

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There is another coincidence - Jenny and my SIL flew in the same flight to KK on 20.09.2024. My SIL came to KK for a short tour with her friends. We picked all of them from KK Airport and brought them back to our home for a short break before we sent my SIL and her friend to their hotel in KK.

With Jenny in the company, there would not be a dull moment. She would churn out story after story or more precisely miracle after miracle which happened in her life!

All ears listening to Jenny telling her stories!

We all agreed that at this stage of our lives, meeting old friends is a key activity that brings joy and happy moment!

Family Reunion Dinners

After my younger brother Tak Vui came back to KK from KL in July 2024 and later on decided to relocate back to KK, he initiated a family reunion dinner in conjunction withe the Mid-Autumn or Moon Cake Festival. This reunion dinner was attended by seven members.

The most recent family reunion dinner on 17.09.2024 (Lunar 15 August) was attended by seven mebers.

As far as I can remember, family reunion dinners were held in major Chinese festivals every year. Of our past family tradition, at least five family meals at my parents' home were organized each year in conjunction with five annual events. They are:

• The CNY Eve.
• Yuanxiaojie or Chap Goh Mei (Lunar 15 January) signifying the end of CNY.
• Zhongzi Festival or Dragon Boat Festival (Lunar 5 May).
• Mid-Autumn or Moon Cake Festival (Lunar 15 August).
• Winter Solstice (Dongzhi Festival) either on 21 or 22 December.

Practically in all the family reunion dinners, three dishes are always served : Yong Tau Foo (釀豆腐), Pork Belly with Taro  (芋頭扣肉) and steamed chicken (白斬雞).

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CNY Eve Reunion Dinner held earlier this year on 09.02.2024 was joined by Paul and Junshi who came back for a short CNY holidays.

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Before some of the old photos taken during these past reunion dinners are misplaced or lost, I think it would be good to keep them in blog for record.

2023

Because of mobility problem of my older brother Tet Fui, CNY Eve 2023 reunion dinner was held instead at his home in Taman Layang-layang on 21.01.2023. That was also the last dinner my brother joined with the rest of the family members for a family meal. It was a very sumptuous meal!

Two weeks later on 05.02.2023 (Lunar 15.01.2023), we had another family meal in conjunction with Yuanxiaojie or Chap Goh Mei in Hokkiens. The crowd was significantly smaller. Only six members attended.

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2022

My niece, Easter, the eldest daughter of my youngest brother Teck Yin was still in KK and she was able to join in the CNY Eve Reunion Dinner on 31.01.2022. She later left KK and moved to work in West Malaysia. Only six members attended the dinner that evening.

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2021

Covid 19 pandemic struck in 2021 soon after we returned from a cruise holiday to South America. No family reunion dinner was held in that year.

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2020

The CNY Eve Reunion Dinner on 24.01.2020 was attended by all the siblings except Tak Vui and his wife Kui Moi. My older brother Tet Fui was still mobile and was able to come for the meal together with his wife, Lisa, his son Ah Ted and his DIL, Winnie.

The end of the CNY for year 2020 was celebrated with Chap Goh Mei Family Reunion Dinner on 08.02.2020.

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2019

Unlike previous years, many family members from overseas came back for the CNY in 2019. Paul & Junshi from Singapore, Caleb and family from KL, Calvin and Stephenie from KL and Cathy from the US. In view of the huge crowd, CNY Eve Family Reunion Dinner on 05.02.2019 was held at my home.

Taking advantage of the presence of the overseas returnees, we took many photos of that reunion (Read here).

All the overseas returnees had left by the time of the hosting of the Chap Goh Mei Family Dinner. My niece, Erica, the second daughter of Tet Yin was still in KK and she was an attendee of the Chap Goh Mei Family Dinner held on 19.02.2019. Later on, she left for UK to study music.

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2018

In addition to celebrating Winter Solstice (Dongzhi Festival), my sister also celebrated her 55th birthday during the family reunion dinner on 22.12.2018. We were unable to attend this traditional family dinner because we were away in Singapore spending Christmas  with the families of Sam and Paul (Read here).

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2017

As in past tradition, CNY Eve family reunion dinner was held on 27.01.2017. That year, we however did not join the traditional family reunion dinner because we were away spending our CNY in Singapore.

We celebrated CNY Eve Dinner in Sam's house in Singapore.

Lou Sang or Prosperity Toss in Sam's home during CNY Eve on 27.01.2017.

Two weeks later, we joined the rest of the family to have another family reunion dinner to celebrate the Chap Goh Mei on 11.02.2017 in KK.

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2016

Cathy was back for holidays from the States. A pre-Mid Autumn Family Reunion Dinner was held on Sunday evening on 05.09.2016. The actual day of Moon Cake Festival is 15.09.2016. A separate smaller table was needed to accommodate the bigger crowd!

Cathy and Erica had a joint birthday celebration after the meal.

Three and a half months later, the family gathered again on 21.12.2016 to celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival. While Cathy had gone back to the US, her brother Calvin and wife Stephanie joined in the celebration.

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2015

As per tradition, family reunion for the CNY was held in my parents house in Taman Public on 30.02.2015 (CNY Eve) (Read here). The other siblings had another Chap Goh Mei family dinner on 05.03.2015. We did not participate this Chap Goh Mei dinner because we had a separate small scale family barbeque in our own home.

Chap Goh Mei Family Dinner on 05.03.2015.

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2014

Unlike previous tradition, family reunion dinner for Winter Solstice was held at my bro Tak Vui's home on 22.12.2014 (Read here). That year, all the children and their family members of Tak Vui and Teck Fui were back, Caleb's family from West Malaysia, Ken's family from Perth and Cathy from USA.

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Family meals are also organized for special events. When Cathy, the daughter of my brother Tak Vui came back from USA with her husband-to-be in May 2022, a family dinner was held at Kampung Nelayan Floating Seafood Market Restaurant 0n 30.05.2022. My older brother was unable to attend and the family was represented by Lisa and her son Ah Ted.

When Erica and her husband Dan came from for holidays from UK in July this year, my brother Tet Yin too organized a family dinner at a local restaurant (Read here).

Earlier in March this year when my son Samuel and his family came back from Singapore for holidays, we too organized a family dinner at a local restaurant, Hee Yan Restaurant in Taman Sri Kapayan (Read here).