Saturday, July 1, 2017

My Kai Ma/ God mother



No automatic alt text available.
This is Mrs Chew Tien Kui, aka Connie Ang. She is my God Mother in a Chinese social sense, not a religious sense. I went to visit her in Christchurch. I asked her if she would be my Kai Ma, and she said yes.
Many people asked, if she is my mum. I chose her to be my mum. Not many people knew that she did a special thing for me.
In 1974, I was going to teach in Kai Chung School in Binatang, now known as Bintangnor. I caught an expressed boat from Sarikei where my parents were living. The principal Mr Tang met me at the wharf and brought me to the Chews. I had assumed he had found accommodation for me. We made polite conversation. I think it was Mr Tang's intention for me to stay with the Chews, but he didn't know what to say.
Mrs Chew asked if I like to stay with them for the night, and Mr Tang quickly said a relieved "Yes".
That's how I got to know them, I frequented them. When I was going to Canada, I stayed with them.
I didn't see them for a long time. Then I found she had lost a son Ah Kok, whom I taught. We two have some thing in common. We are both bereaved mothers.



No comments: