A friend of mine lent me the book “1963 A Slice of Bread and Jam” by Tommy Rhattigan a couple of months ago but because I have so many books on my TBR list, I did not get around to reading it until a couple of days ago. I thought it is a gloomy type of book about abject poverty ...

Land of the Hornbills These protected birds we must not kill Land of the headhunters But that was in the days of our long-gone ancestors   Sarawak is the largest state of Malaysia The country that prides itself as truly Asia Situated on the island of Borneo Sarawak possesses charm and incredible allure.   Famed for its cultural diversity Natural ...

I was born in a very small town but for the past 35 years, I have called Miri my home. The small-town boy in me never truly goes away. Time and again, I am caught up in nostalgia whenever I recall my childhood days in Binatang (now known as Bintangor). The recent sale of my dad’s shophouse in Bintangor has ...

Thou Rejang River, long and mighty, Deforestation and human abuses have made you so filthy, Your water the colour of milk coffee, Not a pretty sight to see.   Famed for being the longest river in Malaysia, The country that prides itself as truly Asia, For centuries a major route into the heart of Borneo, You were famed for your ...

Small and laid back, Conjuring images of the outback, Along the lower reaches of the mighty Rejang it sits, Capital of Meradong District it is.   Inhabitants predominantly Foochows, Industrious like hardworking cows, Binatang is its old name, Green tangerines bring it fame.   Vibrant and lively in the old days, The town deteriorated in many ways, Riverine life quietened, ...

I stopped by a little stream near Lutong Beach this morning intending to photograph egrets that seem to hang out in that area. Luck was against me for as soon as I got down from my car, the egrets took flight. Since photographing egrets was out of the question, I just looked around. Standing on the small bridge, I diverted ...

I am a lucky guy! Lucky to have been born in Sarawak, the Land of the Hornbills where there had never been a need for 1Malaysia to instill racial harmony among the people. Laidback, peaceful and beautiful. Lucky to have spent the first seventeen years of my life in Binatang (now Bintangor). Yes, the Animal Town where everybody seemed to ...

June 6, 2015 After taking our complimentary breakfast at Bamboo House in Premier Hotel, my wife and I waited for my mother-in-law and our niece Wan Ying who were staying with my wife’s cousin. We left Sibu by taxi at about 8.40 am and arrived in Bintangor at 9.30 am. Before this trip, I had googled to see if there ...

July 7 was D-Day for the Bintangkian Lau Peng Yu Reunion. Though I went to bed at almost 1.30 am, I was wide awake by about 6.30 am, after about 5 hours of sleep. As it was still early, I read “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest” for about 15 minutes before taking a quick shower. At about 7.15 ...

It has been said that the best antiques to collect are old friends. The trap of busyness causes us to move with such mindless speed that we’re like the proverbial chicken running around with his head cut off. And as we get caught up in our busyness, we often slowly lose contact with old friends. Time endears but cannot fade ...