KEE FAMILY REUNION

My son(ll years old) was rather excited to leave for Tawau to attend the Kee Family Reunion, to be held on 4 October 2008 at the Tawau Community Hall. We (husband, youngest son & I) left KK (Kota Kinabalu Terminal 2) airport at 4.00 pm on 3 October 2008 bound for Tawau. While searching for seats for the three of us - AirAsia do not allocate seat numbers to passangers, thus we had to help ourselves to wherever we want to be seated, usually grouped together amongst family members - I came across a Kee Family member (Guling) seated two rows from the back of the Air Bus aircraft. He too was on his way to the Kee Family Reunion. He was travelling alone. His children did not accompany him. We are amongst the many Kee Family members, who had left Tawau in search of greener pastures, but today many returned to reestablish family ties. My father Kee Abdul Jalil, who is the youngest son of Kee Kim Swee @ Kee Abdullah, for example, left Tawau in 1937. That's before the 2nd World War, mind you!

After about 20 minutes airborne we landed Tawau Airport - the new airport which is rather a distance from Tawau Town. We took a taxi - 'Guling' included. He disembarked at Batu 2 Apas. We stayed the night at Grace Hotel, a hotel just a stone throw from the Tawau Community Hall, where the gathering will take place the next day starting as early as 7.00 am. We went to the Hall to have a look, later that night. It was already nearly 1.00 o'clock after midnight but I saw the Committee Members and Volunteers still busy making last minute preparations for the memorable gathering.

Early next morning I woke up early and wake everybody up to get ready for the once a lifetime gathering - hopefully there will be more to come though. We had breakfast at a nearby Coffeeshop. At exactly 8.00 am, we are already at the Registration Counter especially set up for the Kee Abdul Jalil clan. My niece, Kee Ismail's youngest daughter manned the counter. As we signed the registration book, we were given a lucky draw coupon. I too had brought along with me a present for the lucky draw. I can see a long queue at the far end of the Registration Counter which was set up especially for the Kee Sulaiman Clan. Kee Sulaiman is the eldest son of Kee Kim Swee.

Boy o boy...........what a gathering..........., Was I exhausted ....Tried to update myself with the family members whom I haven't seen for ages ...........like I was with my nephews and niceses (is that how u spell it ? oops sorry am poor speller, surely will fail my english test) during our early primary school days in Holy Trinity School, Tawau way back in the sixties. Imagine what it's like to meet them now that we are all grandmom and granddad .......he he he. Actually, we hardly recognise one another. I had to ask my way around.... asking whoever I came across.......like " where is Pok? where is Musa?.....Where's Basir.......anybody seen them ...? They are my childhood friends who had stayed in Tawau and therefore I haven't seen them ....like ages. Other childhood friends like Chama, Tapang, Bul, Zaleha and many many ...the list is endless ...I used to meet them in KK.

Some older cousins remarked that I had put on a little weight..........of course, when did they last saw me? 10 years ago? 20 years ago? I believe, what they meant was I have aged and so did they. Like my cousin sister Fatima, ....she is already in the list of ....."Warga Emas" who will be receiving 'the token of appreciation', another agenda of the day. I remember I used to 'lepak' in her house during my Secondary School Days. She was a young mother then. Sometimes I am asked to help in making Hari Raya goodies like the Kueh Makmur. Memories, memories, memories ..........like the colours of the rainbow. To those, whom I didnt have the opportunity to 'salam' - I extend my greetings and Salam Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir and Bathin.

Adinda/Makchik/Nenek Liau

Ps: Help! I new in this bloging game.