Grandma was born at a wrong place and wrong time as were most of the Chinese women of her era.
I almost forgot this important part of Grandma's story until I got connected with my Hee Kung and Hee Po's grand daughter.
In the past when a woman came from China to Borneo without a relatives, she would find a family ,however distance related, to be their foster daughter. This family will "socially" take her in.
Grandma, a Lee found a Lee family. (The daughter married the Liong family). Dad called the mum Bodai, and we called her Bodai Tai. The daughter, we called Hee Po and her husband Hee Kung. We were very close and we visited them often. Hee Kung worked in town, and is the most knowledgeable of the Kwong Liang people.
He is a man of great inspiration. When we passed our public examination, he had a prize for us, usually in the form of a parker pen. When I was going to New Zealand for my Masters, the family gave me a dinner. He asked me what kind of Economics I was going to do. I was shocked, most people did not even know what Economics was.
In the past when a woman came from China to Borneo without a relatives, she would find a family ,however distance related, to be their foster daughter. This family will "socially" take her in.
Grandma, a Lee found a Lee family. (The daughter married the Liong family). Dad called the mum Bodai, and we called her Bodai Tai. The daughter, we called Hee Po and her husband Hee Kung. We were very close and we visited them often. Hee Kung worked in town, and is the most knowledgeable of the Kwong Liang people.
He is a man of great inspiration. When we passed our public examination, he had a prize for us, usually in the form of a parker pen. When I was going to New Zealand for my Masters, the family gave me a dinner. He asked me what kind of Economics I was going to do. I was shocked, most people did not even know what Economics was.
No comments:
Post a Comment