Top 10 reasons that you were/are from Sarikei

This post was written by Daniel, my cousin : Top 10 reasons that you were/are from Sarikei. Quite accurate in a way, and it really brings me back to the old days. My answer is written in the bracket (italic and blue colour). To those who have no idea where is Sarikei, it's a small town in the Sarikei Division (previously the 6th division), near Sibu town.

* You like Kam Pua, Kompia & Yu Hu Eng Chai. (yeah yeah... I do like kampua and kompia) You think Sarikei pineapples are the best in the world. (Yes... Sarikei pineapples is very sweet and juicy, right? However, these pineapples cannot be consumed in large quantities cos it can "cut" your tongue or the oral cavity mucous membrane..) Who cares about KFC & Sugar Bun? (I don't actually fancy fastfood except french fries :D, but I don't think is applicable to the modern societies in Sarikei. )

* You can speak 4-7 dialects and languages: FooChow, Hokkien, Cantonese, Malay, Iban, English & Chinese. (Quite true ~ I can speak foochow, hokkien, cantonese, malay, english and chinese and little little bit of Iban). You know the Foochow & Hokkien "dirty words". "Hey, Lu capak apa?"(This one ah.. not really lah...)

* You wonder what the black pepper & rubber farmers are doing now to make a living. (I guess they are still planting black pepper ??? ) You don't bat an eyelid at the swarms of swallows. (Get to see a huge swarm of swallow every evening, who cares cos it's like bread and butter to Sarikeian? Just for your info, Sarikei = Town of Swallow). You have savoured wild game like bats, snakes, turtles and pangolin. (This one is ~ absolutely true !!!!! 101% agree)

* You have watched a movie at Lido & Cathay but now watch pirated VCD/DVDs. (Watching movie at Lido & Cathay? That was ages ago... ) You can not find the new Sarikei library & the new hospital. (Yeah lah.. the new Sarikei library and the new hospital is so far away from town.. Damn troublesome to go to those places..) What happened to the padang and basketball court? (Mmmmmm... I have no idea :D ) You wonder whether the brothel ("Lok Kee") is still around.

* You thought Sibu's Sarawak House was darn cool and Kuching's Holiday Inn was hip (so "atas") when you were young. (Hahhaha.. how true.. During my childhood time, Sarawak House in Sibu was damn cool.. Now? errr... it's just another old building, nothing special :D )Your best memories of the Sarikei-Bintangor-Sibu express boat ride is the Bintangor vendors jumping on board to sell green oranges. (Wow... those really were the days.. And I remember jumping fast from the boat to the jetty cos the express boat stopped at the jetty for just a brief duration !) Jakar bridge ride was the scariest 5 seconds of your childhood days. ( I can't remember anything about Jakar bridge, sorry...) You think the Mosque is still the most beautiful building in Sarikei. (Hehehe.. is it? However, there's no unique building in Sarikei lah) You have hardly used the Sarikei Swimming Pool despite yearning for one when you were young.(I guess... I don't go there cos I dunno how to swim :P) And the Sarikei airport is still a mirage. When will Air Asia fly there? (This one.. I agree 100%. Waiting for the Sarikei airport till my neck also become long... I guess it won't happen )

* You think Sebangkoi is the romantic place for a cuddle, (Hahaha... Sebangkoi is the best !!! I guess all Sarikeian been to Sebangkoi before, and this is the one and only recreational place in the early days...) Rejang River Esplanade is the place for a breezy walk (true.. I enjoy strolling there, and in fact, each time I go back to Sarikei, I will visit that place) and Ngiu Kee store is the place for a free air con stroll. (During those days, Ngiu Kee Supermarket really rocks !!!)

* There's a 70% probability that you have studied at St. Anthony's (Yeah, I'm proud to be student of SMB St Anthony, or the so called Anthonian !!) and 100% chance that you have bought something from the Anthonian (yeah yeah.. I bought ALL my reference books from Anthonian since that's the one and only reference book supplier bookstore available in town during my time) , Culture or Shanghai bookstores. You have cringed at your geeky look at high school. (No comment :P ) You still cannot sing the whole Negara Ku but knows all the lyrics to Liu Wen Zheng's songs. (Err.. this one I think not true lah.. I can still memorise Negaraku although I haven't sing the song for ages already, since I left Form 6)

* You have wondered why the muddy Rejang River could not be as clear as those Alpine streams in the cigarette ads but now you feel proud of the river & its heritage. (I never wonder about the earlier question, but I do feel proud of the rive and its heritage) You have probably swum in the Nyelong River because all the buaya's have been eaten by man. (This one... nope, cos I can't swim) You have likely caught sewage eating guppies (fish) and tadpoles from the streams. (I caught fish & tadpoles from the drains or longkang before. Does this count?) There's a 90% chance that you have never entered a long house or tried the Iban tuak (rice wine). (Then, I'm in the other 10% category. I have entered long house before, few times ~ during my Form 6 time while camping and also in the early days in my career as a doctor ~ cos we have to give talk to the community in one of the long house etc etc... Yeah.. I have tasted Iban tuak before as well during visitation to Iban friends' place during Gawai Festival )

* Ah Kow's is still the best restaurant in town.
(Hahahha.. Ah Kow, Ah Kow.... always attend wedding dinner or some other function in that restaurant. But now, the popularity has dropped already, compare to the early days).

And, last but not least, when we talk about Sarikei ~ sure the huge pineapple near the Sarikei wharf will come into the Sarikei folk's mind :)