My Kelabit family

Wayne Akup, Son of Kallang Akup, my sister Elizabeth's older son

 Kallang's Father fought against the Japanese during the second world war. The late Akup received the Pacific medal and King George Medal.

Later the Kelabits used the parachutes to make into mosquito net. I could not breathe sleeping inside; I had to put my head outside when I first went to Bario for holidays.

***Sister Elizabeth, wife of Kallang Akup.

Elley Lina, my brother Dr Henry Chan's wife

The late Raja Bala, Elley's uncle

Tapioca

Manihot esculenta, with common names cassava (/kəˈsɑːvə/), Brazilian arrowroot, ... Like other roots and tubers, both bitter and sweet varieties of cassava ...

It must be properly prepared before consumption. Improper preparation of cassava can leave enough residual cyanide to cause acute cyanide intoxication and goiters, and may even cause ataxia or partial paralysis.^[8]  wiki 

 I am keen in zero waste, and my first encounter with using a plant based raw material was the potato plates and cutlery. My friend Ngarimu brought them in one of the Waitangi day festivals.

I am also interested in the tapioca plant where I heard could killed if planted upside down, for my research for my pending book. So glad that recently I made the friendship of James Chew and Lim Kok Keong who have scientific knowledge to debunk the myth of this upside down tapioca.

There is no scientific evidence about the up side down tapioca tree causing death. I wrote a chapter of the book on it.

Raja Bala, Kelabit Chief from the Highlands.

Here's Elley relative Raja Bala. I had to take a photo with this chieftain. The girls were Elley's flower girls.


 This is Elley's relative dancing at Elley's wedding. He had a traditional head gear and long pierced ears.

Our first encounter with the Kelabits from Bario Highlands of Borneo, was in the early 1970s. My Sister Elizabeth  met and married Kallang Akup. If Kallang was a big man, wait till you meet Raja Bala.

My Brother Henry and Elley was getting married. The whole Chan went to Miri for the wedding. I met Raja Bala when I went to meet Elley Lina's people from the Bario Highlands in the 1990s. I was awed by his towering physique of 6  ft 3 in, and yet his gentleness. I asked him if I could have a photo with him. You can tell his affection by the way he held my girls' hand.

I had left for New Zealand and Elley told me he was very sick and later died. This towering belian tree left a mark on my life. He was not just Elley's uncle, but the man who obliged my request for this photo. I never got to ask him if he fought against the Japanese.

Kallang's Father fought against the Japanese during the second world war. The late Akup received the Pacific medal and King George Medal.

Later the Kelabits used the parachutes to make into mosquito net. I could not breathe sleeping inside; I had to put my head outside when I first went to Bario for holidays.

***Sister Elizabeth, wife of Kallang Akup.

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/

ABC Wednesday: Mail Order Bride Kindle Edition

This book is about bought brides from the internet.The bride wasn't bashful and was all out to cheat their husbands. Concealing the birth of her daughter, she pretends to adopt the girl and bring her up.  Her daughter got into trouble with boy gangs and she got involved with a toy boy. The story ends with a blood donation revealing that she is the mother of her daughter.

I put this book on Amazon Kindle.





http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AV5T5EA?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660
by Ann Kit Suet Chin Chan

My book is available on Kindle

Mail Order Bride Kindle Edition 

 

by Samuel Chin (Illustrator), Gabrielle Chin (Editor)

Be the first to review this item

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Kindle, Kindle eBook, January 19, 2016

$3.99

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Susan Zhu :Elected Member of Whau Local Board

I first encountered Susan when I was talking to the Consul General Mr Nui about my book. She was interested in a copy too. Then I found she was very involved in the proposal of establishing a Chinese Garden. We met again when there was a meeting.

Yesterday, I got an invite on my Linkedin and I remember her. I admire and appreciate a successful woman. I looked up her credential.

• Associate lawyer at Kirkland Morrison O'Callahan & Ho and Elected Member of Whau Local Board at Auckland Council

  Past: Presland & Co and Ethnic People's Advisory Panellist at Auckland Council
• Studied Law at The University of Auckland

  Graduated in 2004

Chans, 3 generations.

This is a historical photo. in 1960s, my grandfather wanted to take his traditional photo of the oldest son and oldest grandson. My oldest uncle was banished by the Communist to Manchuria, my Dad the number 2 became a substitute. My bro Charles Chan was the number 1 grandson. When ever people see this photo, they think it is in the movies.

My Grandpa Luke Kee Seng and my dad survived the war. They had to do their rumushu.

My Grandpa was  in his mid sixties. He wore the attire of the official Ming Dynasty court officers. His Dad Chan Kwong Kouk was a Siew Cai, equivalent of a degree holder. I am not sure why he didn't receive a high education. His older brother did.

This exquisite attire is like a Cheong Sum gown underneath the jacket. It was very grand and not many people had one like this. This was paid for his male children, and he wore it on his 71 first birthday. Every decade, people usually have a big party. This attire was for him to wear to meet his maker.

I had gone to Canada when he died in 1976.

WWII Memorial Park has great significance — Lai

A group photo with the family members of the victims before the blessing ceremony.

Lai pays his last respects to the victims after laying a wreath on the tomb.

MIRI: The Second World War (WWII) Memorial Park should serve as a reminder to everyone on the importance of forgiveness and compassion and that nothing is more important than living in peace and harmony.
Mayor Lawrence Lai said this on Sunday during the blessing ceremony of the recently restored memorial park.
“The reason why Miri City Council supported the restoration project was, firstly, to remind our people on the sufferings caused by war. The restoration of Second World War Memorial Park is an effort in remembrance of the 28 victims who, according to history, were brutally executed in a self dug common grave.
“Their remains were exhumed and buried in this tomb some 70 years ago. This is the message we must send to the whole world, that we must value and treasure peace at all cost.”
The blessing ceremony was led by Right Reverend Bishop Solomon Cheong with prayers, followed by the ‘Amazing Grace’ hymn by a choir.
Also present were Datuk Sri Temenggong Lee Sie Tong, Golden Hill Memorial Park Miri managing director Albert Chan and family members and relatives of the victims.
The restoration work started in middle of August this year and was completed towards the end of October. The cost of RM150,000 was borne by Miri City Council, Golden Hill Memorial Park Bhd and an anonymous donor.
Lai revealed that the memorial park would be managed and maintained by Golden Hill for a year, before it is officially handed over to MCC on Nov 1, 2016.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/11/03/wwii-memorial-park-has-great-significance-lai/#ixzz3w9f4xuQK

http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/11/03/wwii-memorial-park-has-great-significance-lai/

Cindy Lai, reporters@theborneopost.com