A story of how Dessert changed one man’s destiny

漂海过南洋 亲情深似海

Our children and grandchildren have been asking for the story of our parents. They are curious about the story of their Grandparents and great grandparents. They want to know how they bravely left their families, home, and hometown in China. They took the most adventurous journey, crossing the China Seas to end up in Brunei.  They want to hear how our parents guided us through the most challenging storms of World War 2. It was when the Japanese army invaded and occupied Brunei. The struggles, successes, and journey of our parents have inadvertently shaped and guided us and our family values. 

So now I write the story of my parents, starting with my Father.This story is what I remember, I invite my Brothers and Sisters and family to add their own recollection. I may not be always right, but it is what I remember and I would love your input.

Father Chong Wan Thiam 1899 -1962

Father came from 廣東省(GUANDONG)丰順縣 (FUNSOON province)潘田鎮 (PAN TIAN district). There was a county by the name 李和墩 (LI FO TUN). The location is difficult to find in the modern Chinese map.

Our Father was the youngest son of a large and rich family. He was the youngest son. He grew up being very loving. He was also accustomed to the Chinese tradition of being “spoil” by his parents. He grew up being treated like a prince under the guidance and care of his mother surrounded by the housemaids. The rest of his older siblings faced different roles. The boys had to work in the family business. The girls most likely stayed home learning traditional skills like sewing, tapestries, and handicraft.

From what I recall from my father’s stories, his father, my paternal grandfather, was out most of the time. He was a business owner engaged in dealings with the Europeans. I do not know the exact nature of the business. As a child, my father was lucky. He always accompanies his Father on some home social business. At these gatherings, they entertained their European business associates at home. It was there that he developed a taste for Western dishes. I also recall being told that at home, the family chef made some Western food. He also prepared desserts like cakes and ice cream. This was for occasions when his father needed to entertain European entrepreneurs.  Being the child, he visited the kitchen daily. He was there to watch and sample Western food being prepared. He paid close attention to how his favorite desserts and cakes were made. His sharp observation greatly influenced his future.

The Second Opium War in China highlights one of the British strategic objectives. These objectives included legalizing the opium trade and expanding trade. Additionally, they aimed to open all the Chinese port cities Guangzhou and Tianjin, from 1856 to 1860. This was done to import drugs of addiction, including opium. What started as recreation soon became a punishing addiction for hundreds of thousands of the Chinese population.   Those opium addicts spent all their income to feed their opium addiction. They got sick and weak and soon became jobless. They could not feed their hungry families. This was devastating for the economy of the country.  In desperation, many of these addicts became robbers/bandits to feed their addiction. 

My grandfather kept my father at home – preventing him from socializing with those of his age.  His father got him married quickly so he would be happy to stay home. Drug addicts and beggars were expanding fast in the neighborhood. He began to plan an escape route for his youngest son.

Through his regular social business contact with the British merchants, his father learned about a regular steamship. It carried cargo and passengers to a port within the British Colony in Borneo Island. His British business counterpart helped him. They pre-booked a 2nd class cabin ticket. First-class cabin tickets were only available to Europeans. They used the ruse of a field trip with 20 other people. These people were actually security and bodyguards. They got him on a military truck quickly. It took him safely to the port. There, a British cargo ship was waiting to sail. That was how he came to be sailing on a cargo steamship to Sandakan (now Sabah port of East Malaysia).

In those days, the steamship journey takes 10-12 days to reach Sandakan. First-class European passengers on the steamship had access to the open deck. There, they could walk, socialize, smoke cigarettes, and chat over a glass of wine. This deck level happened to be just outside the cabin of my father.  

He gets bored easily. To pass the time, he listens to the conversations of the first-class passengers on the open deck. One of their daily topics was the quality of the meals. They also complained about the lack of desserts. The only exception was some strange Chinese fresh fruits.

My father made a strategic decision. He went to the kitchen to volunteer to bake a fruit cake. He wanted to share it among the kitchen staff. The cake was a success. It was so good that the Chef sent slices of cake to the Captain and his staff. Everyone was very much delighted after sampling his creation. The next day, the Captain ordered the Chef to bake the same fruit cake to serve to the first-class passengers. There was a big panic about finding the mysterious passenger who volunteered to bake this cake? Luckily, one of the cabin staff said he served him in the 2nd class cabin and his name was Chong”.

My father baked another successful western fruit cake. The first-class passengers were delighted with a freshly baked western fruit cake for dessert. They all wanted to meet the chef responsible. Neither the captain nor the head chef could admit it was a second-class passenger. They put him into a Chef’s uniform. He was given the job title of deputy Chef. For the rest of the journey, he had a part time paid job baking for the guests. He was thrilled with his first paycheck. My father was a man of few words – he was quiet but very observant. While he did not speak English, he could understand  the spoken language very well. When a first-class passenger asked him if he could make a birthday cake with icing? He picked the keywords “cake & icing” He just nodded his head to signify yes.

Somehow, with whatever provisions available on board, he managed to bake a birthday cake decorated with icing. The English Captain wrote the wordings “Happy Birthday” on the cake. My Father immediately became famous overnight!. In appreciation of his extra help, they served my Father with first class food in his cabin. This experience was very memorable to him. 

Whenever he had finished baking, he spent his time observing how the chef cooked beef steaks. He watched the preparation of sausages and ham with various sauces and seasonings. He also had the chance to sample them. Occasionally, the Chef is busy. He would ask Father to take over and finish cooking some of the simple dishes.

During the 10-12 day journey to Sandakan, my father faced the reality of his future actions. He had to decide what he would do once he arrived in Sandakan. His father and brothers ran the family business. My father was the youngest son and was treated like a pampered prince. They supported him financially at home, so he did not have any real skills. For the first time in his life, my father had no one to depend on. Once the ship arrived in Sandakan, he would need to create his own livelihood. He wanted a roof over his head. He also needed food to eat. He did not have any contact in Sandakan to turn to.   

Towards the end of the journey, one of the European passengers offered him a job. The job was to work in his residence in Sandakan. They assigned him the task of carrying all the luggage from the ship to the pier. Then he transported them to the car and finally to the house. It was the first time he ever rode in a motor car. It was also his first time sleeping in such a modern, large building! He was thrilled. Although he missed his family, he is thankful to them for giving him an opportunity to turn his life around.

As his new employer already had a Chef, they assigned my father as a helper to the gardener. He worked hard over time. Eventually, he became the kitchen-hand. He was thrilled to be involved in cooking and baking once more. He learned more about cooking European food and always serves food with a smile. It is not long before my father’s culinary skills is talked about at social clubs.  This is how my father was poached by his employer’s boss. His employer had no choice but to transfer my father to his boss. This is unfortunate for his employer, but for my father that was another great stepping stone to his destiny.  

Throughout the years, this happened several times as the rule of “seniority wins”. My father moved from one employer to another. Each new employer was more senior. Eventually, he ended up in Labuan. There, he worked for the General Manager of the Dutch Shell group.

Here is a little background and news of the Dutch-Shell Group at that era:-

The Head Quarter Office of Dutch Shell was in Labuan because the oil production in Brunei was low and not commercially viable for export. They wrongly concentrated the exploration for oil in Labi, a hilly, remote area.

One of the oil explorers found that a shallow river (now known as Seria River) , near Panaga, the river water flowing out to the sea, was in dark colour. As the water flowing out to the sea, there was some sort of oil floating on the surface of the seawater. Further seismic surveys encourage drilling near the beach. This was the location where the first oil deposit with large oil reserve for a commercial venture. Oil was found in Brunei 1929 then the Dutch Shell HQ moved from Labuan to Panaga in Seria.

To be continued:—————-

PERSONAL REFLECTION: As I wrote and remembering, I take a long walk down memory lane. I have struggled to remember what my father told me about his life. I regret not being capable of asking him more questions. What were your parents’ names? How many siblings did you have? Who was your first wife? How old were you when you got married? This story is what I can remember. I hope their children and grandchildren will prompt my siblings. They can expand this writing in more details.

I remember my Father as charming and gentle. He had a “magic” effect. His smile made people like him. My youngest brother, Johnny, looks very much like my father with the same smile. His advice still echoes in my mind to be humble. He advised to make friends. He also urged not to make one enemy. Otherwise, we will be wasting time looking back to see our enemy while planning for our future. My father had the patience to accept difficult situations without getting angry. Father was bright, intelligent, and could think creatively. Most importantly, he turned life difficulties and challenges into opportunities. I adore and am proud of my father; he was my most outstanding mentor.

FOOTNOTE:

The Team leaders wish to thank the following members of the team for their continued support in building this family legacy:

DISCLAIMER:

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We dedicate this song to our dearest father who we miss very much.

From the Desk of Editor:

1 – We have published two of the four episodes of the Journey of Destiny of our parents. These are available in Chinese and English. The Chinese version is mainly for the benefits to our elderly readers. This includes the Grandparents and some of the Chinese-educated younger generations.

2 – I invite my Brothers and Sisters and their children to share their expressions of love. They should add rich memories to our parents. Just write your comment at the end of the post rather than email or WhatsApp