Jeremiah was in Singkawang (山口羊） in West Kalimantan earlier this week. Situated about 150km away from the provincial capital Pontianak, Singkawang is a rustic small town with a population of about 200,000.
Also known as the Chinatown of Indonesia, Singkawang is the only town/city in Indonesia with a majority Chinese population. Colourful Chinese temples honouring Ma Zu, Guan Gong, Ji Gong etc are a common feature in Singkawang, as were lunar new year decorations when we visited.
During the 1990s, Singkawang was a popular destination for Taiwanese men searching for brides. When told about this, one of Jeremiah's acquaintances observed that his travelling party did not seem to have come across too many good-looking ladies in Singkawang and thought that the better-looking ones were probably in Taiwan now. This is in turn prompted a tongue-in-cheek remark that women were like trees in Kalimantan; once taken away, they could not be readily replaced (illegal logging is a serious problem in Kalimantan).
There are many things in life that are irreplaceable, though being the human beings we are, we tend to take them for granted until it is too late. During this festive season, Jeremiah hopes that we would all go the extra mile to honour and treasure the things in life that are precious to us.
In that spirit, Jeremiah thanks you, the reader, for your continued support and wishes all Chinese readers a happy lunar new year!
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