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. 

To many people, Tenom 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 kian 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 moved 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. The site 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 kian 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 restaurant 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 Yun who was having dinner with his wife. Wong, a friend of mine and to my surprise is also an acquaintance of Ah Miau.

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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. That service was usually 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 hillslope 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 view 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 that 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 normally during weekends. The house looked almost exactly as I last saw it just over seven years ago.

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Lecturers quarters at the background.

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 Administration Building, initiated by my wife, still looks as splendid as ever. Standing there, I was reminded of the Chinese proverb, “前人栽树, 后人乘凉” - literally, “One generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade.”

Although there are no towering trees here to cast a canopy, the garden’s charm has become a lasting legacy of the Institute. Its lush greenery and vibrant blooms bring a sense of calm and refreshment to anyone who works in the building or steps onto the premises.

To the dedicated staff who faithfully prune, plant, sow, mow, rake, water, and dig to keep this haven thriving - you have my heartfelt salute and deepest admiration. Your quiet labour keeps this living legacy alive for all to enjoy.

50 Years of Friendship since Lok Yuk KK Days and 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 (Ah Miau, Jeannie Teo and I) 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 3rd from left.

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Right after the lunch, we decided to visit another ex-classmate, Richard Chua Len Khiong 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. 

Richard Chua Lin Kiong is third from right 

and I am at right.

After visiting Richard Chua, we were not ready to part way and continued another round of more chit-chat at Ho Ciak Kopitiam at Damai Point.

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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 at the BSA Food Court. 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!".

Ushering the Year of the Boar

CNY eve reunion dinner by tradition is usually held at my parents home. However, this year, the crowd has grown much bigger due to the return from overseas of the family members of my two younger siblings. It was decided that the venue for the dinner be held at my home. This was also to accommodate the request for a family photo to be taken which would include all attendees that evening.

CNY Eve: 5 Feb 2019 - The Lee's family photo.

The last reunion family photo of the Lee's was taken in Christmas 2004, just over fourteen years ago. So much has changed and my parents had also passed away.

The Lee's taken in Christmas: 25 Dec 2004

Our family is represented by four members only.

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These are the 4th generation attendees if we consider my grandparents who came from China as the 1st generation.

Prosperity Toss 

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Reunion is also about eating and food hunting. For aging couples who do not have the luxury of having a bigger gang to simultaneously sample a variety of dishes at home, reunion meal at a restaurant is probably the next best solution. 

Poon Choi or Pen Chai

KK Sunset from Sutera Harbour.

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Steamboat Dinner.

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Satay Night.

Trauma

I have read news of disaster centres setting up counselling units or trauma centres to deal with horde of survivors after a major natural disasters and even fatal airplane crashes or railway accidents. However, as a reader of such news and not a direct affected party, I can only try to feel and empathize. But my perspective about trauma changed forever since the morning of 9 January 2019.

I and my wife were doing our usual morning cycling at UMS on 8 January. By 6.50am, we were on our way down the fairly steep tarmac road leading towards the jetty. There are two road bumps we have to ride over before reaching the coast. These bumps are installed to prevent car speeding. A short distance beyond the second bump, there is a fairly sharp bend turning to the right before the bikers reach the coastline. I was the first to reach the jetty. Usually, my wife would follow behind at most with five to ten seconds gap. That morning, it was unusually long and I quickly made a dash back to see what happened. 

Immediately after the bend, I could see a motionless body lying in the middle of the road just beyond the second bump and a bicycle thrown not far from the body. Instantly, I knew what had happened. She has hit the bump and lost control. The sight sent a shock wave through my body and immediately, my legs lost the rhythm to cycle. I was in fact trying to run while still on the bicycle. Instantly, I collapsed and my left knee hit the pavement but I felt no pain. Dropping my bicycle, I ran towards the body which was contorted. I couldn't see her face because it was resting on the road pavement. Streak of blood emanating from the head has already started flowing down the slope. I yelled at the top of my voice and she remained motionless. That instance, endless questions crossed my mind: "Is she alive?", "Is her skull cracked?", "Is her neck broken?", "Why is there so much blood?"...................... I caught a glimpse of one of the the university guards holding his phone apparently talking to someone else. Instinctively, I yelled at the top of my voice: "Ambulance, ambulance...".

I dared not turn her body or shake her too vigorously fearing such movement might aggravate any broken bone or neck. I just nudged her body mildly hoping she would respond to this gesture. Seconds passed like years and she remained motionless. Finally, after may be a minute or two, incomprehensible groan came out from her month. She started to move and then opened her eyes. They looked dazed and lost. It was enough to prove she's alive! Another minutes or so, I held her up and moved her to sit at the road side kerb to wait for the arrival of the ambulance.

Streak of blood stain left on road surface. This was taken 
after I went back to pick up the bicycles.

The ambulance finally arrived after about twenty minutes. With the help of the two paramedics, she was helped to lie on the stretcher inside the ambulance. One paramedic started with questioning while the other checked her blood pressure and her eyes. Inside the speeding ambulance which was my very first experience, I was caught in another round of tense moment when she started to vomit from the stretcher. Soon after she stopped vomiting, we arrived at Hospital QE2 Emergency. She was immediately wheeled in for examination, X-ray and MRI. I was told to go back and I would be notified if my presence was needed.

I was finally called at 2.30pm to pick her up. We went straight to the Eye Clinic at Hospital QE1 for examination by the eye doctors and specialist. Immediately after that, we returned to QE2 to pick up the prescribed drugs and medicine. We were finally back home at almost 6.30pm.

What a traumatic day of my life! It was a day I wish I never have to go through! 

I did a bit of survey of the accident site when I went back to collect the bicycles. She landed 40 feet beyond the road bump. As a result of the fall, she suffered fairly serious laceration to her left eye, broke three teeth, endured a punctured lip and many bruises over her body. By God's intervention, she suffered no broken bone and no serious internal injury.

Miracle still happens!