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Kuching Trip  25th May to 5th June 2008

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25th May 2006  Sunday
By 8:30 am we already reached Tawau Airport by taxi.

Flight AK5834 depart as scheduled at 10:45 AM to Kota Kinabalu.

We have only 4 check in luggage total 34 Kilograms. (By the time we return the same 4 luggage totaled 43 Kilograms - not too much)

Below the white cloud one could see recent development by  the joint effort of Sabah Government and Federal Government.

On the left hand side (see above photo) is a huge orange color building group. This is the largest and newest teaching training college in Sabah - the MAKTAB PERGURUAN TAWAU [ Tawau Teacher's Training College ]. This college was completed in 2005 and first batch of trainee teachers arrived in 2006.

On the right side of above photo is a group of flats with red roof tops. This is the Taman Sri Balung, an  apartment-style low-cost housing units of the Government declared opened in 2005. According to news report Taman Sri Balung is part of the People's Housing Programme  which cost the Governments RM54.18 million for these 17 blocks of 972 house units.  The main aim of People's Housing Programme is to achieve the "zero squatter in 2010"

Our connection flight to Kuching is at 2:30 PM. We have plenty of time in Terminal 2 of Kota Kinabalu International Airport. After lunch we explored each corner of this new terminal which was opened only in January last year. The small aquarium is interesting with many species of ocean  fishes we never seen before.


 

 

 

3: 40 PM the plan started ascending.  The sky is clear and the landscape could be seen clearly. We are some where above Semarahan division. There is a small town beside a small river. This could be Asajaya Town.  A town not too far from the sea cost.  Asajaya formally was called Nonok.

The area surrounding this town are coconut plantation. 

 

The basin of Samarahan River and Sadong River covers an area of about 900 sq km (352 sq miles). The area at Kuala Samarahan (river mouth) is low lying and is constantly subjected to 1m to 1.5m of tidal flooding.

Because of the fertile Samarahan River Basin and Delta, Samarahan Division is the main agriculture area in Sarawak famous for production of  coconut, sweet oranges, cocoa and  pepper. Recent years, Samarahan is also a preferred tiger-prawn rearing zone among aquaculture entrepreneurs. As the plane decent lower and lower we could see clearly the tiger-prawn ponds below us (see photo above). A closer look at the green vegetations surrounding the prawn ponds review the huge area of coconut trees.  

3:46 PM we are now above lower Samarahan River. Kuching International Airport will be in sight within minute. My seat was at the left window and from the air I could see a new road already completed linking the river mouth to Kuching City (see photo below).

Harmony Arch

Harmony Arch at Carpenter Street

唐人街 是"拉者"時期著名的老城區. 海唇街、中國街、亞答街、大井街等都是昔日華人到古晉拓荒時的落腳地。

亞答街也稱木匠街，這條街擁有三座百年古廟，鳳山寺、天后宮和上帝廟. 供奉著不同神明的三座古廟由華族三個不同籍貫人士興建。

From our hotel in Jalan Green Hill we walked to Open Market via the Ewe Hai Street+Carpenter Street.

Harmony Arch beside the Post Office building is new to us. It was completed only last year in February 2007.  The last time we came to Kuching in November 2005 this arch was not built yet.

Beside the golden arch is the General Post Office, a building built in 1931 reminding Kuching's colonial pass. A colonial era when my grandfather, together with thousands other Chinese, came from China.

Electra House the earliest shopping mall in Kuching in the 1960s.  Adjacent to the mall is an interesting 'open air market' with a watch tower. (right of above picture)

That is the view tower of the old fire-station during the WW2. That view tower of the fire station was once the highest point in the town  to watch out for fire in Kuching. That was 50 years ago. Today the tower remain as a remembrance. The fire station has been since converted into an ‘open air’ market of  food and drinks stalls.

These stalls in this outdoor dining place offering various local dishes. The food and drink stalls are divided into two wings : the right wing is Chinese food and drink stalls. Those day the foods stall here housed the best beef noodle and 'Pau' (Bun) in town.  The left wing is where you find the best (in those days) Malay cakes 'Kuei' and fried banana.  Here is the place for Halah foods for an afternoon tea break with your Muslim friends for a nice cup of pure local coffee.

In between separating the 2 wings of food and drink stalls is now the mini bus stations.  But in 1960s was the Chin Lien Loong city bus station where I took bus no: 8  between school and home in Batu Lintang almost every day.  So this location in the heart of Kuching Town (now a city)  is very familiar to me.

On the left hand side of the above photo you see beneath  the commercial advertisement 'GO FURTHER!'  are two windows. These are windows of a dentist clinic many years ago. The entrance to the clinic is below and in the photo we can see is grilled locked and with no sign board now.

Both Electra House and Open-air market were popular hang out for young people during my secondary school days in the 1960s.  The glory of these area in the 1960s is now fading. Yet the open air market and Electra House still attract patrons as they are located in the heart of the city. The Petrajaya bus stop nearby and mini bus  station the vicinity make this area lively during the day.

 

Gambier Street Market was built during the Rajah Brooke era, the Gambier Street Market actually comprises the Vegetable and Fish Market (1924), Pork Market (since destroyed by fire in 2002) Poultry Market (1959), Long Jetty Hawker Centre, and Fixed Stall Hawker Centre.

In the early days, the markets were of rudimentary timber and ‘atap’ which faithfully supplied daily provisions to town folk till this day.

Over the years, these have been upgraded to what they are to this day.
   

Editing remark :  At that time on 25th May 2008 while we stroll pass Gambier Street.  I did not realize the scene of Gambier Street we saw then would soon become a part of history.

Months later in August, I came to know that the markets in this street were closed for ever and moved to a new market complex.

As I carefully browse through the photo (at left)  taken that day I discovered the image captures a blue notice which complete skipped my attention that time........

Farewell ! Gambier Street !

The old court house built in 1874. Now the Sarawak Tourism Board building.

6:10 PM We arrived at the Old Court House. An edifice with the ornate engravings on the roof that are based on traditional tribal motives. Within this old court house behind this white concrete clock tower is the Sarawak Tourist Office where tourist make accommodation booking the various national parks of Sarawak. That is the office I came back the next morning when office open to confirm my booking for the 2 night stay at Bako National Park.

In front of the Court House is the Brooke Memorial, a tribute to the White Rajah James Brooke and his nephew, Charles Brooke. Brooke Memorial is a 6-metre tall granite obelisk in front of the Court House in Kuching. The Brooke Memorial was put up in honor of one of Sarawak's white rajahs, in this case, Charles Brooke, the second rajah. It was commissioned in 1924. At each corner of the four corners of the Brooke Memorial is a bronze figure representing the Sarawakian community: Dayak, Kayan, Malay and Chinese.

At each side of the four sides of the Brooke Memorial is a bronze figure representing the Sarawakian community: Dayak, Kayan, Malay and Chinese.

These bronze figures were the work of J. Wilcoxson of London in 1924

 

 

 

The 6-metre tall granite obelisk Brooke Memorial is  put up in honor of Charles Brooke.

I stare at this marble figures for in a long deep thought. It was him that I am today standing here..... without him, I would be a completely a different person of different nationality, different personality, different cultural background from a different education system.......and at a different land.

He shaped the Wong family history.........
"........After the 1st Rajar, the administration was handed down to Charles Brook. Charles is a great reformer bringing big construction and development to Sarawak. One of his plan was the agricultural development of this land. Huge number of skilled farmers and labors were needed for the plan. Charles Brook's administration made arrangement with China and had a continued flow of young Chinese pioneers from Southern China landed at the Kuching Sarawak River Warf just 100 meters in front this Old court house....."

"......Among these young men was one short and skinny Hakka from Bao- On district (today the Shenzhen City) in Canton Province (today  Kwang Zhao). He was to develop a pepper farm beside the still existing big rock beside the Hindu Temple in Rock Road. But unable to bear the hardship, this young man escape to North Borneo (today Sabah) and found a batter life as a employee of the North Borneo Railway Company in Jesselton (today Kota Kinabalu) and few years later through arrange marriage of a friend, a young girl arrive from China to become his wife....."

".....One day the couple stumble  upon a  water source of spring water in a hill slop walking distance from Jesselton town.  With water as a source of life it is an ideal piece of land for starting a homeland, They cleared the surrounding jungle and build a wooden hut (latter a high stilted legs wooden house) and started a new family life of continuous coming of offsprings......The British North Borneo Government granted them land title to this 2 acres of sloppy hill side for annual tax of One British Dollar....... "

The above quoted from Wong Family History by George Wong. In 1953 I was born in the wooden hut mentioned above.

The Old Court House was the administrative and ceremonial centre of the White Rajahs. Constructed from ironwood 100 over years ago, it is an impressive edifice
On the other side of the river is the new Sarawak Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) complex that has reach it final construction height. When we came in 2005, that site was still an enpty ground under foundation preparation.

The New Dewan Undangan Negeri, Sarawak would be an icon of  Kuching. .Standing tall overlooking Kuching's main City, the DUN is sign of unity and progress of  Sarawak's new era.

"Baba, I want to go over there !" said Mei Yin. 

"Why not ?" I replied, "Lets go."
 

 

We took a boat and together with few other passenger we went across the river to the other side of the river.  The last time we went over was in November 2005.  It already well over 6:00 PM. Oh! Its another beautiful sunset in Kuching. Beautiful colors and tranquil scenes. We enjoy a beautiful sunset passing  from daylight into darkness with beautiful glow of the after sunset light.

Watching sunset with entire family is a precious moment though such moment last a mere minute.

When the sun sets, it leaves behind it streaks of colors on the clouds while the blue sky lingers at the other direction.

We stroll around near the boat jetty watching the setting sun, the boats and the lights in the distance. The sky and the horizon were full of intense colors: orange, magenta, dark blue… What a fantastic way for the sun to end the day.

We feel the cooling evening breeze while watching the sunset.


I looked at the magnificent view, trying to seize the moment with my camera to capture it knowing that it would never be the same again.  Yesterday is just a collection of experiences. Tomorrow is about discovery and new development. I suddenly realize that our time is not limitless, to recognize how precious it is and to live every moment to the fullest.

I am glade God gave us this wonderful sunset for this first day we came to Kuching. Perhaps God want us to understand the real meaning of our purpose of coming  to Kuching for this trip. We did actually come for a 'Sunset', the 'sunset' of the life of 80 over years old man whom doctors in General Hospital told to have about 1 month to live......................

As we watched the sunset from Kuching someone was watching the sunrise on the other side of the world. The same sun but with a complete sight and color and feeling.

Our first evening in Kuching was an eventful evening.

Monthly Traditional Dance Showcase

25 May 2008 Time 8.00pm-9.00pm Kuching Waterfront  Godown Amphitheatre

Event Organizer is Kuching Waterfront Management

After the Traditional Dance Showcase at the Kuching Water Front we walked a 5 minutes toward Wayang Street for another stage show at Feng Shan Temple

At the left of the photo is the 凤山寺 Feng Shan Shi (Hokkien Temple)This is the temple dedicated to the Chinese god, Guang Ze Tian Wang (广泽天王). It was built in the year 1848. It was first renovated in the year 1897.Hong San Temple has beautiful Ceramic Artwork, ceramic Carp Fish, and other Creatures decorated the rooftop

At the right of the photo is the temple hall where we watched the stage show. The stage show is an annual event as a thank giving to the God.

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:16:40 AM