An Amazing Story About a Selfless Man

This morning, I was in Tawau for a meeting. After it ended, I asked my Site Supervisor to take me for a quick visit to an old project site - a massive storm drain which we had designed and supervised way back in 1989. I wanted to snap a few photographs for memory’s sake.

After taking the photos, I jumped down from the edge of the drain to the roadside verge. In that very moment, disaster struck - my handphone slipped out of its casing and plunged straight into the murky, rubbish-filled, foul-smelling water below.

It was horror of horrors. The thought of losing the phone itself wasn’t as painful as the idea of losing hundreds of precious contact numbers stored inside. Looking at the water’s condition - the depth, the stench, and the trash floating about - I knew there was no way I could retrieve it.

Then came an incredible moment. Without a second’s hesitation, my Supervisor removed his shoes and climbed into the waist-deep water to try to recover it for me. At first, he tried to feel for the phone with his feet. When that didn’t work, he climbed back up - only to discover that his own phone, forgotten in his pocket, had been completely soaked and was now lifeless. I felt terrible.

Still, he didn’t give up. He stripped off his shirt and went back into the drain, this time using his hands to search. After nearly 15 minutes of determined effort, he suddenly yelled, “Got it!” To my amazement, he had found my phone at the bottom of the drain.

Of course, my phone was waterlogged and dead on arrival. But there was one silver lining - I managed to retrieve the SIM card, sparing me the nightmare of rebuilding my contacts list from scratch.

Back home, I remembered a tip someone once gave me: dry a soaked phone with a hair dryer. I tried it, and to my utter relief, the phone powered back on. Everything was intact - contacts, messages, photos - praise the Lord!

I immediately tried to call my Supervisor to share the good news, but naturally, his phone wasn’t working. So I sent him an SMS through one of his friends, asking him to try the same drying trick. An hour later, he texted back with equally wonderful news - his phone had revived too!

What an unbelievable twist to an almost tragic story. Both phones, back to life.

And for the record, the true hero of the day - the “saviour” of my phone - is none other than Maznan Madun.

Lok Kawi Widlife Park

We are expecting some family members of our China Chinese cell member coming from China to KK in mid-August for a week or so. One of the items in the itinerary is to visit a local zoo in KK area.

Somehow, we knew there is a zoo somewhere near KK but not very sure of its exact location. Then on Saturday, 11 August, a group of students and lecturers from Gaya Teacher Training College had an excursion to the Zoo. We finally got the chance to explore this place.

As it turned out, this is quite a well-stocked zoo. For the first time, we had a close look at the Probosis monkey. In the past, we could only have glimpses of these monkeys on tree top along Sukau River or Klias River at long distance from us.

Other attractions are elephants, bears, tigers, rhinosaur just to name a few.

Our next visit will be on 23 August 2007.

Computer Laboratory at SK Bahang

Finally, the lab. is completed. For Paul, this is one of the first projects that can be included in his CV. Not bad after all considering the hoo-ha: such as honeycombs n the concrete pour we had in the beginning of the project.

The Ex-Fifians Met Up Again

Patrick Tan and his wife, Jenny were in Sabah with a delegation of oil palm growers for a study visit to the estates in Lahad Datu. After wrapping up their official program, they decided to extend their stay by another day and a half to catch up with old friends in Kota Kinabalu. Instead of flying directly from Sandakan back to Kuala Lumpur, they made a short detour to KK.

As always, our reunion was filled with warm conversations and laughter. This time, however, our talks went a little deeper as we reflected on the theme of “living a significant second half of our lives.” After all, most of us are already in our fifties - an age where such thoughts naturally come to the forefront.

Before their evening flight, we gathered for lunch at the Salut Seafood Restaurant. The choice wasn’t mine - Patrick had heard from friends about the supposedly “good and cheap seafood” there and was eager to try it. Unfortunately, the food and ambience turned out to be rather underwhelming - neither particularly good nor memorable. Still, with old friends around, the experience was less about the food and more about the company, which made it all worthwhile.

We were also delighted to be joined by another pair of ex-MU 5th Collegians, Peter and Joyce Lai, which added even more warmth and laughter to our brief but meaningful reunion.

From left: Joyce, my wife and Jenny.

From left: Patrick, me and Peter Lai.

Translation Work

For the past couple of months, I have been assisting with the translation of a book from Chinese to English, prepared in memory of an elderly couple who passed away in Australia. The wife passed on in 2005, followed by her husband in 2006. They had migrated to Sydney to join their unmarried daughter, who had settled there earlier.

One of the couple’s other daughters, Ms. Wong Won Ying, who was once my Chinese teacher in primary school, still lives with her husband in Sabah. However, she often travels to Singapore to visit her son, who is now married to a Singaporean and has made his home there.

The commemorative book is a heartfelt collection of articles written by the couple’s daughters and grandchildren. Through their stories, I came to see the lives of simple migrants from China who worked tirelessly to build a livelihood and raise a family in Sabah. There was nothing glamorous or extraordinary - just the quiet dignity of ordinary people living ordinary lives.

From the writings, it became clear that the spinster daughter, who had lived with her parents until their passing, took their loss very deeply. This book was largely her way of paying tribute - a personal labor of love to honor the memory of her beloved parents.

Another West Malaysian has Left Us

Last week, our UMS-graduated engineer resigned and returned to West Malaysia, leaving our office a little short-handed just as several project deadlines were looming.

I had initially resolved not to employ another West Malaysian after our previous UMS graduate left for Singapore. His reason then was personal - he wanted to be closer to his girlfriend who was working in Johor Bahru. However, given the difficulty of finding competent graduate engineers locally, we eventually had little choice but to hire another West Malaysian, fully aware of the risk that he too might one day leave.

Still, his departure came as a surprise. He explained that his elderly father, who together with his mother runs a small roadside noodle stall, had recently broken his arm. Out of concern, he felt compelled to return home to persuade his parents to retire and close the business once and for all. When I asked what would happen if his parents insisted on continuing, he said he believed it was simply too dangerous for them to carry on at their age. He had long been uneasy about them having to rise at dawn every morning, riding a motorbike at 5 a.m. just to set up the stall.

I must admit, he was one of the most driven and reliable people we have had on our team - hardworking, dependable, and rare in today’s workforce. Paul would certainly agree with me that he is truly one of a kind and will not be easy to replace.

Duan Wu Jie

For those who may not be aware of this historical background, the story goes like this.........

This festival honours a patriotic poet and loyal official named Qu Yuan. His death is commemorated each year on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Lunar calendar, usually in June by the Dragon boat and Dumpling Festival.

According to ancient legend, Qu Yuan was a loyal court official in the court of the Chu Kingdom in old China, he was extremely capable and many of the other court officials were jealous of him, they plotted against him and he was dismissed from court.

Over the next 20 years, the Chu kingdom got weaker, he was very sad that his beloved country was invaded by another country, the Qin Kingdom and that the people were suffering a lot of hardships.

Feeling depressed that his country had come to such a state of destruction, the wise and honest Qu Yuan threw himself into the Ni Luo River and drowned in protest against corruption and injustice.

Qu Yuan was greatly respected by the people because of his love for his country and its people.

 

When they learnt of his death, they set out boats to look for his body. The fishermen furiously beat drums, gongs and cymbals in their desperate attempt to scare away the fishes. They beat the waters furiously with their paddles and threw rice wrapped in bamboo leaves (rice dumplings) into the river for the fishes and other sea creatures to feed on instead of devouring their hero's body.

Thus the Pyramid shaped dumplings made of glutinous rice known as Rice Dumplings (Zong Zi) are eaten to mark the festival and the legend of local fishermen racing out to save Qu Yuan is re-enacted in the form of Dragon Boat Races along the rivers and coasts as what we see today.

Zongzi

Today, 19 June 2007 (5th day of the 5th lunar month), is the Dumpling Festival - also known as Duan Wu Jie. Some call it the Zongzi Festival, and others the Dragon Boat Festival.

For the first time, I even received an SMS greeting from a friend in KL specially for this occasion. Later in the afternoon, around 3 p.m., another friend called to ask if I was working only half a day in view of the festival. As it turned out, our office carried on as usual. Still, I can’t help but feel that the Zongzi Festival is becoming increasingly “celebrated” - or perhaps more accurately, commercialized - compared to the past.

When I was younger, my parents would mark four festivals each year with a family reunion dinner: Chinese New Year, the Dumpling Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Winter Solstice. These days, the tradition has been reduced to three, with the Mid-Autumn Festival quietly falling off the list.

I often wonder what great or exemplary deeds Qu Yuan must have accomplished in ancient China to be remembered so fervently by Chinese communities all over the world, especially in regions where Chinese are the majority. Surely, one might think, Confucius contributed more to Chinese civilisation and deserved a similar degree of commemoration?

But as I reflect, the difference seems obvious: no special food was ever created in memory of Confucius, whereas Zongzi immortalised Qu Yuan, and mooncakes came to symbolise resistance against the Yuan dynasty.

As always with the Chinese - and indeed with most people - food often carries more lasting power than the greatest of deeds!

Of course, there are exceptions. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ, for instance, left an immeasurable and lasting impact on humanity - and yet his remembrance is not tied to any single food.

Meal in Paragon, Singapore

Vivo City Singapore

E-Tickets: My Bus Trip to Singapore

The last time I was in Singapore was way back in December 2004: giving my only daughter away :). Now, after almost a lapse of two and half years, it's time to revisit this place once again.

I will be going to Singapore on 30 May 2007 for a couple of days to see how Sam is doing there and to see what changes Singapore has undergone.

I will also be taking this Aeroline shuttle double-deck bus from KL to Singapore. From the information in the internet, it will be like travelling by plane with meals provided.

The amazing thing about this shuttle service is the online booking of the tickets. It's like buying tickets to see a movie in cinema. You can pinpoint the exact seats that you like to occupy and do not have to worry about some uncultured homo sapien jostling for seats. This is truly another great benefits of the e-things associated with internet.

Gone are the days when you have to endure the pain and agony of typical Malaysian counter service. Just to name a few :

*Getting up early to the bus station to cue up for the tickets.
*Fuming inside to see inconsiderate nuts jumping cue and some late-comers shamelessly going straight to the front and enticing the people with a couple of dollars to buy the tickets on his behalf.
*Just about reaching the counter, the sign "Counter Closed" is put up. A check with other staff and you are told that he has gone for tea break or to sambayang leaving the rest high and dry.
* Or when you reach the counter, the staff just coldly says without any sign of emotion, "Sold out". But then he whispers to you in a low voice, "I can try to get you "reserved" tickets if you are prepared to pay more".

For those who have not gone through what we went through because you live in the e-era, don't hesitate to say "Praise the Lord !"

Irony

A friend of mine sent me these few photo's. You find these bags aplenty in our markets, pasar malam, street corners. A bag that may cost probably RM2.00 can be sold for RM800 to RM1,000 if it is marketed under branded name like Louis Vuitton.

What an irony!

Meeting a Star

In our cell meeting last night, it came as a surprise to discover that one of our new cell members is an ex-Hong Kong movie star. She used to act with actresses like Lin Dai, Ling Poh, Wong Yi etc.

Lilian was a sharp lady in our cell. She kept on saying that this lady's name looked familiar and she had seen it somewhere. Finally, she revealed her identity. She was indeed an actress in the late sixties and early seventies. She told us she started acting at the age of 18 and carried on for 8 years until she got married. Later on, her family moved to San Francisco. Now, at the age of 59, she is here in Sabah doing theological study in STS. The truth is: she doesn't look 59. That's probably because of some secret formula in beauty preservation she found as an actress. Looking at her, it's hard to believe that she was once an actress acting together with the like of Ling Poh. But then as she told us, she had totally put that part of her life behind and has since moved on.

It is amazing to know of her current dedication and commitment to the Gospel: coming all the way from the US to Sabah to study, at age 59!

Well, that's a great piece of news and encounter in the Good Friday 2007.

On Puppies & Cats

This morning in church, I happened to sit next to Rev. Thomas Tsen Lip Tet (Irene Tsen’s father). After the service, we had a good chat, mostly catching up about the children.

Irene and her husband are currently serving in ministry in Chicago, and I was told she should be receiving her green card soon. Their second daughter, Jean, has just completed her university studies and will be helping in the church, particularly in the area of counselling. The youngest daughter - if I remember correctly, her name is Catherine - has already completed two years of university since the age of 16 and is now likely to pursue a course in nursing.

Rev. Tsen himself will be returning to the U.S. for his doctoral graduation, and apparently his wife will also be graduating, though I am not entirely sure in which field.

After that, the “old couple,” as he put it with a smile, plan to settle back in Sabah for good. Another family returning home - though without puppies or cats this time!

Judas Iscariot

Today, I bought a CD movie on Judas Iscariot. The story portrays him as a revolutionary fiercely opposed to the rule of Romans over the Jews. His whole live goal was to have a saviour who would redeem the Jews away from the rule of Rome.

 

The tendency for most us is to condemn him as an evil ungrateful man. The man who was closely associated with the death of Jesus Christ. That's a fact. Then, it was also said that he was "destined" to be part of the grand plan of God to complete the salvation of mankind. Unfortunately, it had to be Judas Iscariot.

After seeing the movie, you feel the human side of him. Though it's only a movie, his ending does make you feeling sorry for him. You really wish that his ultimate deep regret for his part in the death of Christ may somehow move the heart of God to do otherwise.

Hazard of Employing People

Last couples of weeks, I have been busy interviewing candidates for Inspector-of-Works and Resident Engineers. One obvious fact is that there are not many non-bumi to choose from particularly those applying for the post of engineer. That is not surprising because very few of them are coming back these days. In fact, the other day at the Seri Bagawan Airport on my way to Shanghai, I met a young man who is a son of a church friend whom I knew since youth days. He told me he just graduated from a uni in Brisbane in electrical engineering. He told me at the airport that he was on his way back to Brisbane to look for a job there. The other Sunday after church, Yi Jeh also confirmed that he would be going to Singapore to work by May. In fact Sam has told me about this earlier already.

Well, back to my original subject of employing new staff members. Sadly, it turns out that I sort of have been "played out" by two candidates. One IOW whom I offered the job and who has confirmed in the interview that he would leave his company because there was no new job coming in. He accepted our offer and signed the acceptance in front of me. Two days later, he called to inform that he could not join us as his boss refused to let him go. He said that his company has a new project in Ranau and wanted to send him there. Of course with a pay rise as he revealed to me !

Then another engineer whom I was not very keen to take in, but he called almost everyday and sounded very keen to join. Finally, we offered the job to him and he signed the acceptance this Thursday morning. By the afternoon, he called back and informed me that he could not take the job as he has been offered another job. I was quite agitated and said to him, "Did you use our offer to bargain for a better deal?". Of course the answer was negative. But then the timing just made you believe that you have been "played out".

That's the hazard of employing people !

Golf Again

Yesterday, I was invited to join a company-organised golf at Nexus which was supposed to be played this afternoon. I was quite keen to join and accepted the invitation even though I have not played for more than 2 years.

This morning, in preparation for the golf, I tried doing a few swings of the club at the back of our house. Well, not good. I felt pain in the muscle around the elbow. Probably too many smashes during the badminton session. So I have to call and politely declined.

I am tempted to consider golf again. May be starting with going to the driving range! well, just a thought.

Home Alone

I am home alone again. Maid is also away back to Indonesia. She left the early following morning after I came back from Shanghai.

For dinner just now, I was thinking of going out to look for a meal. But then, I decided to look into the fridge to see what I could make out for dinner. Well, some left-over stewed mushroom chicken. So what the hack, got it warmed up and cooked a bit of rice. It was umpteen years since I last cooked a pot of rice! As it turned out, a bit wet - border line between rice and porridge. Mixed it up with the stew and there goes a meal! Think about it, the other two Lee's of the family, one in Newcastle, another in Singapore probably do better than me.

I called Sam last night well past nine. Believe it, he was still in the office working! The look of it, he has set such high standard that is unheard of in Sabah :) As a boss, I wish I have a staff like that!

Peking Duck

Just back from Shanghai. Away from the cold and back to the hot and humid weather. Now, you kind of miss the coldness when you are finally back to this hot and humid land!

For the first time, I saw snow flaks falling from the sky just as we left the bus and going into the aircraft at the tarmac at Pudung Airport. You can imagine how cold it was! We were told this kind of cold weather which was caused by cold wave from the north is a rare event. Many parts of China were in a standstill due to heavy snowfall and cold wave.

Last night, we had Peking Duck at the "Old Peking", an old restaurant established during the Qing Dynasty. We were told that it is still state-run. I was really impressed of such standard and quality that could still be maintained even operating as a state-own company. Every duck is still roasted by firewood. We were told that this restaurant is one the remnant outlets still permitted to use firewood by the authority. This is rare considering China is so depleted of green. The Peking Duck is really gooooood.

Before flying off this afternoon from Shanghai, we had lunch at the 5,000-seat capacity restaurant. Again, we tasted the tian sia di ik pau - the world no. 1 bun. We were also treated with the sturgeon. We were given to understand that this is recognised as a fossil fish, a kind of prehistoric fish. Literally, the whole fish is edible  because the bone is soft - cartilage-like soft bones.

Just to correct any misconception, it was not all eating alone in Shanghai. We did work as well.

At Work in Chap Goh Mei

House is quiet again. Sam has just left for Singapore yesterday to begin his new phase of working life. A little rat in the rat race :) Glad to know that he has found a place to stay in such a short time. With that, we have no worry to visit him in Singapore.

This year, I won't be spending Chap Goh Mei in Sabah this Sunday. I will be away in Shanghai working, mind you, not holidaying. The Client has told us that he has already instructed his staff to work full day on Sunday-Chap Goh Mei. I just couldn't understand why the urgency. But then, some clients just like to look busy at the most unexpected time. By Tuesday, I will be flying back to Sabah. Just imagine you get stuck in one Shanghai office for 2 days and then to the Airport without seeing much of Shanghai.

By the time I am back at home sweet home, my dear wife will not be around because she will be again away on duty in West Malaysia. Home is really getting quiet........