Saturday, December 24, 2011

"Tonight, Father Christmas will come.."

27th November 2005


"Tonight, Father Christmas will come...and give Christmas gifts to the children......."  Aunty Nyuk Lan said to me on Christmas eve. It was 50 over years ago. I found a present by bed side the next morning.

Today, Father Christmas came again......and give a gift from Australia to my daughter.


Wong Nyuk Lan (23rd October 1915 - April 2011 Age 96)
Wong Mei Yin (25th April 2002)
The eldest and the youngest
in the Wong family in above photograph taken on 27th November 2005 in Kuching.
Wong Mei Yin remain as the youngest member in the Wong family till today.



 It was Christmas Eve in 1960 or 1961:

"Tonight, Father Christmas will come...and give Christmas gifts to the children......." Aunty Nyuk Lan said to me while preparing meal for the family.

"How does Father Christmas comes into the house ?......"        I asked.

"Climb through the chimney....." Aunty Nyuk Lan answered.

There was no chimney on the roof, houses do not build chimney in Malaysia. I looked up and scan the zinc roof of the kitchen (there was also no ceiling for wooden house in those days in Kuching)...

But I knew Father Christmas some how could find a hole in the roof top to climb in during the night.

Sure enough, awoke the next morning I found a Christmas Gift by my bed side.
Wan Tet Fong, the cousin whom I share the big wooden bed with, he also has a gift too. Each children in the house        has one.

This was in 1960 or 1961 when I was a kid boarding temporary in her house for a year because my father (her        brother) was transferred to work in Simanggang Town.

I later learned whom that Father Christmas was who placed gifts on the bed side while children were sound asleep.

Aunty Wong Nyuk Lan RIP in April 2011, but she remains in our heart for ever like Christmas Father does.


Here are links to more information on Kuching Town in the 1960's:
Link : Old Kuching in Black and White pictures











Sunday, December 11, 2011

Leopard Cat

10 December 2011



After dropping off my son at the Tawau Hills Park front gate for his holiday nature study project, I proceed  to office in Merotai Town to be in time for work.  While rushing down the slop curve after the Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve, I spotted at right hand road side a dead cat ran down by vehicles. This is not an ordinary house car. Its bright orange body color and black spots reminded me of a Leopard Cat I saw 4 years ago.  After a few seconds of hesitation I decided to turn the car back to the spot and took several snap shots. Not contended with my identification, I carried the cat into my car to the office for a closer look.

Its a Leopard Cat.


The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. 

Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range.

Leopard Cat is not a near relative to Leopard. Leopard cat's name is derived from the leopard-like spots appearance.

There are twelve leopard cat subspecies.

This wild cat found by the side of Merotai Road is 54cm from head to tip of tail. A young female. By pressing the stomach, I can feel the cat stomach is empty. Likely hunger forced her to wonder out her field into the road where met her ill fate.

A kilometer away the road is Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve.  Between the road and the Reserve are oil palm plantations. Endless stretch of oil palm plantations along Merotai Road continued by Kalabakan Road. 

Leopard Cat is common seen in oil palm plantations. 







Scientific name:Prionailurus bengalensis
Common name:Leopard cat

Distribution: Ussuri region of southeastern Siberia, Manchuria, Korea, Quelpart and Tsushima islands (between Korea and Japan) most of China, east of Tibet, Pakistan to Indochina, Taiwan, Hainan, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, Borneo, Malay Peninsula, several islands in the western and central Philippines.

Leopard Cat is adaptable to deforestation compared to other wild cats and is often found near villages.



The tropical rainforests of Borneo Island have five species of wild cat:
1) Bornean Bay Cat - endangered species
2) Clouded leopard
3) Flat-headed cat
4) Marbled cat
5) Leopard cat

Bornean Wild Cat Project : http://www.wildaboutcats.org/borneo.htm