‘Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.’
– Dr. Seuss, American author.
RECENTLY, I paid a short visit to Sibu, a place that holds memories of a lifetime for me.
It was where I spent the first 20 years of my life before I moved to Kuching to work.
I have not gone back there for maybe a decade or so. The last time I was there was when my maternal uncle died; my sisters, niece and I accompanied my mother as she paid her last respects to her beloved brother. At that time, the old lady was beginning to show early signs of dementia.
That trip, though sad, was a golden opportunity for my sisters, niece and I to get to know better my mother’s family from Bintangor.
My recent Sibu trip was a happy gathering of the Liong family from Kuching who wanted to get reacquainted with their roots. It was also an early birthday present from my son and daughter-in-law to me.
Not wanting to miss the fun, my niece, Ah Hong, took a few days’ annual leave to join us. My elder sister, Moi, from Bintulu also joined us; she boarded a bus to Sibu while the rest of us boarded a plane from Kuching.
I was surprised to discover that the new hotel my daughter-in-law had booked was at Jalan Lau King Howe.
To older folk like me, the name “Lau King Howe” is synonymous with the old famous Lau King Howe Hospital in the town. When I was young, it was the government hospital where most Sibu people sought treatment for ailments affecting them. There were no private hospitals in the town then.
It was also the hospital where most mothers gave birth. The hospital also had a mortuary where bodies of those who died in the wards or elsewhere were kept before they were buried. When we were young, we used to walk quickly past the mortuary out of sheer fear fuelled by wild imaginations.
Lau King Howe Hospital, the only hospital in Sibu then, was built in 1936 by Mr Lau King Howe after an approval of funds and land from the Brooke government.
Lau was the second son of Pastor Lau Meng Shy and Mdm Hii, originally from the Nan Yu Village of the Hou Guan District of the Hokkien Province in China.
After the Sibu Hospital opened at 5 ½ Mile, Jalan Ulu Oya on September 1, 1994, fewer patients visited Lau King Howe Hospital. The hospital buildings were eventually demolished in 1994 and the site converted into a commercial lot.
A small museum named after the hospital was built near the original “entrance” to the hospital. at a cost of RM450,000. It was officially opened on August 3,1996.
Younger Sarawakians like my son, daughter-in-law and niece are unaware of the history of Jalan Lau King Howe.
They were pleased with the new hotel they had booked. It was indeed clean and looks very new. On the first and second days of our three-day trip, workers were busy sprucing up the entrance of the hotel with Hari Raya decorations.
The relevant authorities in Sibu have indeed done a good job of converting the formal site of the Lau King Howe Hospital into a lively commercial lot.
The eateries and shops with foreign sounding names in the commercial lot reminded me of certain fashionable sections of Kuching City.
Our trip to Sibu was a foodie tour. Before the trip, my son, daughter-in-law and niece read a lot of food reviews by foodies on the social media.
Among the food we tried were “Chao Zhu Mien”, stir-fried noodles in dark soy sauce broth, Kampua Noodles, a noodle dish flavoured with pork lard, fried shallots, fresh green onions and soy sauce, “Bien Nuk”, which resembles wantan but is filled with wholly minced pork or chicken and “Zao Cai Hong Nga” (Fermented Mustard Rice Noodles).
We loved the Kampua Noodles, “Bien Nuk” and “Zao Cai Hong Nga” at the Rejang Park Shopping Centre, the “Chao Zhu Mien” with big prawns at Taman Selera Muhibbah and at Khoo Peng Loong Food Garden as well as the baked fish and fried cockles at Taman Selera Muhibbah.
Taman Selera Muhibbah reminded me of the 101 Food Court in Kuching; it is, however, newer, better built and cleaner.
In Sibu, we also wanted to try “Ding Bian Hu”, a soupy dish loaded with seafood, meat and carbs but the most famous shop selling it near the Sibu Night Market was taking a break.
We also loved the food, especially the barbecued meat and the soya bean pudding and drinks, at the Sibu Night Market at Jalan Market.
My son and daughter-in-law spent a lot on transport because we used Grab rides from the day we arrived until the day we departed.
In retrospect, three days in Sibu are not enough. If we had more time, I would love to visit Sarikei, Kanowit and even Kapit.
Maybe we will — on our next trip.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
