A Visit To Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan,... After 50 Years

On the E1 Highway to Sitiawan

Soon after my retirement more than 12 years ago, I had frequently talked about visiting my hometown, Sitiawan, one more time. I was born there 57 years ago and had spent the first 8 years of my childhood there.

Even though more than 49 years have passed, I still have very clear memories of the house where I was brought up. I remember there was a huge prayer and ancestral altar facing the main door; there was a chicken coop behind the house; the arrangement of the rooms in the house; and the room where I was once locked up by my Ma for being naughty. I can also remember clearly where I used to play, and the neighbours whom I played with.

I can also remember my Primary School, Methodist English School. I attended Standard 1 and 2 there. My classroom then was on the ground floor of a 2 or 3-storey building. It was the first classroom near to the school gate. I can still recall the scene during my first day of school there – constantly looking out of the louvre windows to see whether my Ma is still there or not. I can remember the school playground and the tuckshop. Even the image of the road where I walked along to school everyday then is still clearly etched in my mind.

Then, I was only a little boy, and everything had appeared very huge. My house, my school, the school playground, and most things, had all appeared very big to me. Along the road where I had walked to school, I remember there was a coffin shop among a row of shops. The coffins appeared huge and frightening to me then. And, each time when I walked past the shop, I would keep a wide berth from the shop front, and kept my eyes away from the frightening huge brown wooden coffins.

I often tell Sue and Deb about this old hometown of mine that I still have fond memories of. I had wanted to bring them to see this little old hometown of mine. It was something that I had hoped to do. Somehow, for many years, I never get to do it for one reason or another. One of the main reasons was – the address as indicated on my birth certificate, cannot be located by Google Maps. Even my primary school, Methodist English School, also cannot be found. Another reason was my fear of getting lost. I was not prepared to drive around in a small town in Malaysia without knowing exactly where I was heading.

The opportunity came unexpectedly. I was planning to bring Sue and Deb to see Ma in Klang. But Sue persuaded me to take the opportunity to drive up to Sitiawan, as Deb would be with us on this particular drive trip. I was initially reluctant to do so because I was not confident that my problematic leg condition could take the long distance drive. On further thought, I realised that Sue's suggestion on extending my drive up North to Sitiawan was actually a great idea. The opportunity presented itself  to be  the best – all 3 of us will be together on the driving trip; Deb can take over the wheel when my leg cannot take it; with Deb as my pilot, there is no way we can get lost in Malaysia.

So, after almost 50 years, I am going to see Sitiawan again! And, it was with Sue and Deb!

That important date was 24 July 2013. We started our journey from Klang (Premiere Hotel) to Sitiawan. I decided to take the longest route – from Klang to the North-South Highway (E1), and exit at Gopeng to Sitiawan, instead of the much shorter coastal route. The reasons being that – it is the highway, and so, a lot easier to drive, as well as to estimate my driving time, especially, since it is my first drive to Sitiawan; we could stop by Kellie's Castle along the way; catch a glimpse of the one and only waterfall that is visible from the E1 Highway; take a look at my Primary School – Methodist English School, along the way; and, do a recce of New Village Ayer Tawar, my hometown, which I had left 50 years ago.

After leaving the state of Selangor, the North- South Highway in Perak is generally more hilly and picturesque, with distance mountains on the far horizon. Despite the slight haze, we managed to catch a pretty good view of the waterfall from the highway. It was a lovely, scenic and relaxing drive.

Along the way, as planned, we stopped at Kellie's Castle, or as it is, an unfinished ruin, for some photos. The castle seems much smaller than I had imagined. Perched majestically on a low hill, with a meandering stream flowing through the front of the Castle, it is accessible through a bridge running across the stream. As I walked through the rooms and the corridors of the ruins, I could not help, but felt the goose bumps. Maybe, because I had read a little too much about this castle being a dedication of love for Kellie's sweetheart, Agnes and their newborn son, Anthony. That dedication was never realised, because of Kellie's sudden death in 1926. Maybe, it was the light breeze along the corridors that cause a little chill on my wet humid skin. Or, maybe, as rumoured, the spirit of William Kellie Smith still wander in the castle, guarding the uncompleted mansion.

View of Kellie's Castle from the Bridge

Kellie's Castle

As I Walked Along The Corridors of the Castle, I Could Feel...

It was a good visit. I prayed for Kellie's spirit to rest in peace if indeed he is still wandering around the castle and its corridors, guarding it.

We moved on to Ayer Tawar. Found my primary school – Methodist English School, easily. The school is still there, and my classroom is still where it was, on the ground floor. But, the school looked a lot smaller now, with a new 2-storey addition at where the playground was supposed to be. It faintly looked like the school that I had remembered.

Methodist English School, Ayer Tawar

Walking Along The Corridors of Methodist English School

I wonder what is this desire of mine to see my old primary school about? Am I still living in the past?

After a good lunch at Red Ruby, a Foochow restaurant in Ayer Tawar, we set off in search of my childhood home – at New village, Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan. Even though I had not visited the house in the last 50 years, I still have clear memories of the house and the spaces. In my mind, I was already expecting a hard time finding the house during, because the address did not show up in Google Maps.

Sitiawan - Here We Come!

We drove around, whatever the road names, looking for the #481. We were confused by the haphazard system of numbering the houses there. For, when we saw #472, we thought #481 should be nearby, but, the nearby houses were in the #700 series! Further on, we were met with houses of the #100 series, and then abruptly, the #1000 series houses suddenly appeared. So, searching for house #481, was like searching for a needle in a haystack, or rather, more like 'Ti-Kum'.

Finding #481 was tedious. We tried to comb through every road systematically. Throughout the search, Deb had always been most encouraging. Always urging me on whenever I was on the verge of giving up.

In this Vast Land of Ayer Tawar, Where is #481?

But, Where is #481?

As I drove on, we passed a house #751. We saw a kindly old gentleman, who was without his shirt, on his front porch. Sue and Deb instinctively asked me to stop the car and to ask the man whether he knew where #481 is. To our surprise, he offered to help us to locate the house. He told us that his sister is staying at #490 (his previous home), and he thought #481 should be somewhere near there. He rode his scooter led the way, and we drove our car behind him, turning from one road to another, and another to another. When we were all about to give up,... suddenly, the old gentleman found house #481. Wait. #481 is directly opposite #490, his parents' house, where he had previously stayed, but now occupied by his sister. Despite having stayed there all his lifetime, the old gentleman had actually forgotten that #481 is actually directly opposite his old house!

This Gentleman Led Us to #481!

We stopped in front of #481. As I shook the hands of the old gentleman excitedly and thanking him for his help, he curiously turned his gaze at me. He said he thought I looked like Ah Hua, my elder brother. He asked about Teck Aun, my late father. I told him that my father had passed away in 2004. He asked about Lea Ting, my mother; Hee Boon, my 1st Uncle, and the other 3 uncles. My! He actually knows my whole family and every member of my Grandma's family.

This Kind Gentleman Brought Us to #481 - He Knows Everyone in #481!!!

From among ten of a thousand of houses in Ayer Tawar, I had chosen to stop my car only in front of this gentleman house to ask him for help, and to find out that he was my old neighbour, and he knows all my family members and everyone who had stayed in #481. It was such an amazing coincident. Much like hitting the Toto jackpot.

After 50 years, I could see that the house that I spent my first 8 years of life had changed completely, structurally. The physical layout of the nearby houses is still the same, the drain that I remembered, is still there. But some of the nearby houses and lands had gone through major structural changes. Several houses nearby remained the same as I remembered them. My next door neighbour, the Ross' family - their house, #482, is still there, and still in the most original condition.

481, New Village, Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan

#482, My Next Door Neighbour's House, Still in its Original Condition, after 50 Years!

With the permission of the tenant, I went into the compound of house #481. I wanted to take a look and feel the land space. I walked to the backyard, and there, covered in dust and cobwebs was a broken old larder, which I believed, belongs to my late Grandmother.

The Broken Larder Covered in Dust and Cobwebs at the Back of #481

I am very happy to be able to see my childhood home one more time. The sights and images seemed to have jolted my old memory, and patches of it that I have long put to rest had begun to surface again. I remembered running around the front of the house, playing at the nearby drain, and hearing familiar voices and sounds. It was surreal.

On the whole, despite the changes brought by new developments, Ayer Tawar remains very much as it was, 50 years ago. I am glad that I can still see some part of my memories appearing physically. For, if Ayer Tawar is to be in Singapore, it would have been completely wiped clean, and transformed into something completely new, with no hint of what was there before.

The next morning, 25 July, we drove back to #481 again. We wanted to retrace the road leading to the house and to take one more last farewell glance of the house and the surrounding and said my final goodbye to Ayer Tawar. And, also, have the chance to show my respect, at the very least, by doing a Drive Pass at the Gutien Cemetry, where my late Grandmother was buried.

(Afternote: A video documentation of my Search for 481 New Village can be found in the following youtube address - http://youtu.be/PtUrkhfjlCU )

While here, we took the opportunity to visit the Sitiawan Settlement Musuem, to find out more about my ancestors, and the reason why they had landed in Ayer Tawar in 1905. At least, now I know more about myself. Deb & Sue have also learnt a little about my past and the Gutien people in Sitiawan, and my ancestry.

Sitiawan Settlement Musuem

I am extremely happy that Sue and Deb were with me in retracing my childhood memories, as well as  sharing my roots and Foochow heritage, in particular, Foochow food. I have now seen almost the whole of Sitiawan – from Ayer Tawar to Kampong Koh, and all the way to Lumut. Savoured all the Foochow food from the best restaurants there - Hong Zhao Mee Suah, Kampua Noodles, Lor Mee, Kon Lou Mian, Fish Maw Soup, Oyster Omelette, Kon Pian, and all. With Deb's help, we even managed to find Jia Fatt, the best Hong Zhao maker and handmade Mee Suah. And I had brought back with me a whole boxful of Hong Zhao and handmade Mee Suah to Singapore. Not in my wildest dream, did I ever thought that I could achieve all these in 2 days!

 A Tasty Plate of Kon Lou Mian From Kampong Koh Wet Market

The Best Handmade Mee Suah In Sitiawan

Now I can tick off another item from my “Wish List” - which is - to visit my hometown. Without Deb and Sue's help, I could not have done it.