Friday, February 23, 2018

my grand uncle

My Grand Uncle Leong Hiang Kim aka Hee Kung and Grand Aunty aka Hee Po are war heros of a different kind.
In 1941-1945 they were living at upper Lanang Road. They were living in a long wooden house with many rooms. I had been there in the sixties. Little did I know they opened their house to the town people . My friend RC , a famous historian remembers as a child, his family had to evacuate from the town and they stayed with my Hee Kung. RC told me other people from the town came too.
In the town, they had nothing. At Hee Kung's , they could plant crops like sweet potatoes, tapioca and pumpkins and they didn't starve, there was plenty of Rejang River water thanks to Hee Kung's kind hospitality.
I am going to add this to my next edition of my World War II book.

Susie Pang My mum told me that story too. I’ve to get fr my mum.
Susie Pang Ann Chin I knew that big wooden house on high stilts I was still very young that time.
Susie Pang The front portion of the house was where JKR office was along Lanang Rd.
Susie Pang Ann Chin I knew that big wooden house on high stilts I was still very young that time.
Susie Pang The front portion of the house was where JKR office was along Lanang Rd.

the above conversation is by Susie Pang. Susie is the grand daughter by Hung Hang, the second child/ oldest daughter.


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Thursday, February 22, 2018

Grandma Lee and her foster family

Grandmother Chan Fung Dai nee Lee
Grandma was born at a wrong place and wrong time as were most of the Chinese women of her era.
I almost forgot this important part of Grandma's story until I got connected with my Hee Kung and Hee Po's grand daughter.
In the past when a woman came from China to Borneo without a relatives, she would find a family ,however distance related, to be their foster daughter. This family will "socially" take her in.
Grandma, a Lee found a Lee family. (The daughter married the Liong family). Dad called the mum Bodai, and we called her Bodai Tai. The daughter, we called Hee Po and her husband Hee Kung. We were very close and we visited them often. Hee Kung worked in town, and is the most knowledgeable of the Kwong Liang people.
He is a man of great inspiration. When we passed our public examination, he had a prize for us, usually in the form of a parker pen. When I was going to New Zealand for my Masters, the family gave me a dinner. He asked me what kind of Economics I was going to do. I was shocked, most people did not even know what Economics was.