A Sandakan Childhood

Abstract

This narrative is on recalling foods enjoyed in my childhood in Sandakan, a town in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island. It is more stream of consciousness than reflective, more descriptive than analytical. In recollecting my memories of foods eaten in years gone I realise it is not an exercise in isolation. When we consume food it is not merely for sustenance as our food practises are invariably intertwined with a whole lot of experiences, rituals and habits of old. The act of remembering favourite or comfort foods can set off triggers of feelings and emotions long past. My family, like most Chinese families of the time, express their love for each other through food. It is through food that I acknowledge the caring family environment that our parents created for us.