Weekend in Kuching – Food & Reunions

I just got back to Miri this afternoon after spending the last two days in Kuching, savouring Kuching’s good food and meeting up with a few old friends whom I have not seen for decades.

My eldest brother Tian and I flew to Kuching on Friday afternoon by Air Asia and we put up at the house of my second brother Kiong. My third brother Sien flew in to Kuching two days earlier. That night my second eldest brother treated us to a sumptuous dinner at Fu Bin Seafood Garden. At the dinner, we met up with my sister Kim and my brother-in-law as well as my niece Angel Lim, her hubby Bernard, and their lovely kids Derek and Delilah.

Fu Bin Seafood Garden

My brother-in-law, my sister Kim, my mum and my brother Tian

Derek, Delilah and my niece Angel Lim

My nephew Leroy Lim, my brother Kiong, my sister-in-law Lisa, Derek, my niece Angel Lim, Delilah and Bernard Cheu

My brother Sien, my brother-in-law, my sister Kim, my mum and my brother Tian

 

Saturday morning was spent at my late dad’s tomb where we did the usual Ching Ming Festival routine of getting rid of grass growing on the tomb, cleaning the gravestone and the like.

My Form Six schoolmate John Wong came to my brother’s house to pick me up and we went to the Giant mall at Stutong where I met up with Daniel Kueh, a classmate of mine from Form One to Form Five at Kai Chung Middle School in Bintangor. I have not seen Daniel for about 30 years but I can still recognize him though he has put on a little bit of weight. We were chatting away at the Sugar Bun outlet when Daniel suddenly saw Ah Tiong walking past the outlet. Daniel hurried out to ask Ah Tiong to join us. Ah Tiong was one year my senior at Kai Chung and he stayed in the same house as Daniel in Bintangor’s “Aw Kay.” I have not seen Ah Tiong for about over 37 years but he too is still recognizable.

Left to right : me, Daniel Kueh, Ah Tiong and John Wong

My sister and my brother-in-law treated us to a steamboat dinner at Swan Teem Restaurant on Saturday night. Their youngest daughter Roxanne Sim was there too. We spent a couple of hours there, enjoying the steamboat and barbecue.

Swan Teem Barbecue Steamboat

My sister Kim, my niece Roxanne and my brother-in-law

My nephew Leroy, my sister-in-law Lisa and my brother Kiong

My brother Tian, my brother Sien and my mum

When we got home, I suddenly received a call on my mobile phone. When I answered the phone, I immediately recognized the voice of the caller. It was Dominic Ha, a good friend of mine from my days in Montreal. I shared an apartment with Dominic and his wife Lo Ping in Montreal. They are a lovely couple and I feel indebted to Lo Ping for her cooking in those days.

Photo taken at Dominic Ha's graduation at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada: Me, Augustine, Lo Ping and Dominic Ha

Dominic was surprised that I could still recognize his voice though I have not seen him since 1981. We made an appointment to meet for breakfast so this morning we met up at Garden Café & Restaurant to savour the famous Sarawak laksa there. Dominic and my brother Sien were classmates at Kai Ching Middle School in Bintangor.

It was a brief reunion but I really enjoyed it. As we reminisced about our days in Montreal, a wave of nostalgia swept over me as I recalled those happy unforgettable days.

From left to right : My brother Sien, Dominic Ha, Lo Ping and me

Our reunion came to an end after about 2 hours as I need to catch my flight back to Miri.  But I will be meeting them again at the Reunion of the Bintangkian “Lau Peng Yu” in Bintangor on July 7. Both Dominic and Lo Ping are originally from Bintangor like me.

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