<b>Kuching</b> for me is a bowl of Lui Char | <b>Kuching</b> For Me |
| <b>Kuching</b> for me is a bowl of Lui Char | <b>Kuching</b> For Me Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:50 AM PDT
Kuching for me is a bowl of Lui Char; it is made up of an assortment of characters from the buildings that maketh the landscape to the people that walk the streets, all heavily influenced by cultures, traditions and history. No one aspect can stand individually and claim that it is what Kuching is all about. Like a bowl of different ingredients that make a good bowl of Lui Char, Kuching is a kaleidoscope of colours waiting to be traversed and explored. To me, a soul born and bred in Kuching, Kuching is home. No matter how far I have gone, Kuching is where the heart is. Cliché this may sound, but this is where my roots are. It is where I returned to every holiday when I was away. Here lies a bond so strong that it is difficult to sever. My parents, my siblings and my doggies… these are beings closest to me, and they are here in Kuching. My colleagues, my friends, my students and my books… they are also a huge part of me, and they are here in Kuching. For a plain Jane like me who yearns for simplicity, Kuching is rich beyond description with life's simple pleasures strewn at every nook and cranny. You can take a stroll along the scenic Kuching Waterfront while letting the gentle breeze caresses your face, drink Kopi-O and have loti kiap (roti kahwin to most) in a simple little kopitiam, take a touristy walk along the Main Bazaar, sipping kantong… the list goes on.
Kuching, to me, is a treasure trove with many little treasures hidden everywhere –- you just have to have the keen eyes for these little beauties; they can be found in the most unlikely of places, just like that quaint little hide-out tucked away in the hustle-bustle of a street, those wall murals and street art… all these bring to mind Carpenter Street. Kuching is also where the old and the new come together to offer everyone moments of indulgence and nostalgia amidst modernisation and globalisation. When drinking from a saucer cup set which was commonly used in kopitiams in the olden days, I am often transported momentarily to the time when Grandpa used to take me for breakfast; Grandpa used to pour the hot tea into the saucer for it to cool before I sipped it. When I step into a Starbucks outlet which is very rarely, I never fail to think about what Grandpa's reaction would be if he knew I could buy many, many cups of Kopi-O kaw with the amount of money I spend on a Starbucks coffee. Next on my list is something that everyone will have notice without fail. Kuching is where many statues of kucing can be seen, each unique to the eyes of the beholder. There is even a Cat Museum here, isn't that cool? Meow! Kuching is also where polyglots are made! It is not uncommon to find Kuchingites who are conversant in languages/dialects other than their own. I often listen in wonderment when my Indian neighbours speak in Hokkien; they are so fluent that I am ashamed of myself. Even my mother who is pure Chinese, speaks Iban rather effortlessly so much so that she can be mistaken for an Iban lady. Now, people often say familiarity breeds contempt, but to me, it gives me a sense of belonging and acceptance where food is concerned, that is. Imagine walking into your favourite kopitiam only to have your orders been recited to you even before you warm your seat! This is Kuching to me. I remember the Auntie selling laksa, asking me in Hokkien in her cheery voice, "Don't want smelly leaves, right?" She was referring to what we know as Coriander. Don't you agree that Auntie's little gesture exudes such warmth that is so heart-warming? Kuching is not named City of Unity for nothing, I must say. Here is where you can find Aminah, John and Mei Ling sitting in a kopitiam, sometimes sharing a table, enjoying a meal together, laughing and chattering away. You will find Ahmad and Fatimah in a shop selling cucur udang, etc. managed by a Chinese, and Ah Meng and Li Li savouring nasi lemak in a shop managed by a Muslim… you get the gist, don't you? Here, the pace is slower although development can be witnessed here and there. To me, this slow pace enables me to take time to take note of what otherwise would escape me, such as the clouds in the sky, the little blossoms, those little insects and a lot more. Kuching, to me, is where good Samaritans are found in abundance. The old adage 'A friend in need is a friend indeed' is worthy of mention here. When I needed used pots and pans for a recycling project or second-hand books for my reading programme, these good Samaritans were just a message away and they had no qualms about delivering them to me. Again, this also goes to show how close we are geographically; I remember how one friend remarked that it seemed that anywhere and everywhere in Kuching was less than 20 minutes away. Remember earlier when I said Kuching is where my roots are? Well, for now, it is where my rice bowl is too. I am a teacher. I am proud without being arrogant, to be one. A Kuchingite, through and through, I believe I am what I am today partly because of the environment that I was born into and grew up in. Kuching has indeed been good to me. No doubt like a good bowl of Lui Char where bitterness and sweetness go hand in hand, Kuching has given me endless memories, good and bad. However, there is not another place that I want to trade Kuching with… at least not for now. Kuching and I will continue to embroider many more memories for many more years to come.  |
| <b>Kuching</b> for me is about origins, roots and the diversity of peoples <b>...</b> Posted: 19 Oct 2015 03:26 AM PDT
Kuching For Me Is… Kuching for me is about origins, roots and the diversity of peoples who make it the melting pot that it is today. Where else is the world has there ever been a British rajah distinct from the British monarch? Who else in the world can say that they are Malay, Iban, Chinese, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Indian and still declare themselves true blue Sarawakian? Kuching for me is the story of family. Of how my ancestor arrived from Singapore, a young established businessman looking to expand his reach. The year was 1846. The first Rajah had just been in power five years. Kuching for me is about the roots that he established for the generations to come, for me, so that I will never doubt who I am and the diversity of this place where I come from. If I stood on any sandy shore on any beach off the coast of Kuching, I would feel those roots anchoring themselves firm on Kuching soil. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time in the old quarter, where Electra House is situated. Grandad owned a retail business smack bang in the middle of town. There used to be a little fountain on the external wall of Electra House. Every Saturday, I would see people from the rural areas traipsing out of the buses, milling about the fountain waiting for friends or just taking in the sights of the 'big city'. Many of them would be wearing traditional garb. Many were tattooed and some had elongated ears weighed down by heavy brass rings. I was captivated, fascinated and hooked. They were so cool. Best of all, I grew up accepting that I was part of their society, even though we were from different cultures. I went to a Chinese language school where my Malay and Iban classmates could speak Mandarin to me, or I could speak Malay or English to them. Race did not define us. Childhood and friendship did. And so, Kuching to me is about harmony and tolerance. Being different from one another was normal. Nobody passed judgement about each other's culture. Kuching for me is about the kindness of stranger and the strong fabric of society its community built. I have travelled the interior of Sarawak and have gone from Green Road to Germany, Kanowit to New York, Ulu Baram to the land Down Under. When it comes to the kindness of strangers and the spirit of giving, I would still come back to Kuching to see it in action at its best. Kuching for me is about keeping the best of the old and finding the nicest in the new. I can sit in an old school kopitiam and watch old men talk kopitiam politics, sipping at their coffee with one leg raised, knee almost to chin. I can walk into the latest hip coffee joint and drink my double macchiato, skinny, no syrup and watch the watch the barista dance around the imported coffee machine and steamer. Or I could do both and sip a cup of local kopi in a refurbished cafe made to look like an old style kopitiam, upscaled and vamped up, of course.
Over the years, this little old town has spread out quite a bit. We have suburbs now – . We have satellite areas with new fandangled shopping malls, imported brands, supermarkets, hypermarkets and 24-hour shops. That's a great convenience to the 21st Century Kuchingite. But I am so glad that the old mom-and-pop grocery stores and what I call 'magic everything-in-one' stores still exist. I hope they will continue to exist in one form or another, for these are the elements that make up the building blocks of what makes Kuching unique. Walk into any town in Malaysia. It will not be a duplicate of Kuching. It can't be, because they lack the elements of soul that came together just right to form the spirit of Kuching. I have a great fear, though,…that Kuching might one day lose its character, its soul, because we are not careful enough to preserve the unique elements. New development in commercial construction is often dull, plain, repetitive and boring. Modernisation does not need to be stark and soulless. There is redemption, and salvation for this place, in the creating of new things while standing on the shoulders of old giants. And so I can say with great finality, that Kuching for me is so many things, such a plethora of emotions, memory, family roots, friendships old and new, joy in all its form, so much so that I can only say Kuching to is a great big love – love I have for my life, for people around me, for the place I live in, for the very core of who I am. I love this place fiercely. I want it to thrive and grow into its own, an original masterpiece and not a poor imitation of some other monster metropolis in other lands. It shouldn't be like any other big city in the world. There are too many places that have lost their identities because they could be any big city in any country. Kuching needs to be Kuching. A better version? Assuredly. A bigger version? Not necessarily. Who says bigger is better? A version that retains its history and essence? Definitely. Ask anybody born and bred in Kuching. I'd wager they would not disagree much on the way Kuching makes them feel. It is a big town with identity. It is a little city with soul. It is old meets new in the best of ways. It is where all who live here call home. |
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