Bau.石。隆。門。

it's a strange feeling to be the tourist in your home country, at your birth place. with the medical check up line up on every other days, you kinda have some free days in between, so you went to the hometown of your grandpa, a very small (still a sleepy town) town called bau (石隆門) about 30 min drive from kuching.

the name "bau" as those who understand malay would know it mean "stink' or "bad smell" whilst its chinese hakka name "石隆門" (pronouced as "shak lo moun") has the meaning of "rock entrance" or "cave door", probably got the name because the area is very rich of limestone like fairy cave and mineral resources.

you wanted to trace down the past of your grandpa but that's not easy at all. you remember a street named after your grandpa and his high rise malay style house on top of an elevated hill situated not very far from the town center.

today, that piece of land is flat and houses have been demolished. you try to locate a street that named after your grandpa "jalan chia kui chai" but without success. you really wasn't sure if the location is right but you sister assumed so.

at the town center, you found the kopitiam (local cafe) that you remembered your dad brought you there when you last visited bau and belonged to your cousins. you asked your sis to speak to the owner of the stalls and see if you can find more information about grandpa, but much to your disappointment, she doesn't recognize any of the stall owners. it appears to you that cafe retains the same name but the ownership has changed.

so without any progress and success, you stop by the famous lake in bau - tasik biru (碧池). it's a man made lake as a result of gold mining.

the "lake" was rich in minerals and gold, thus made bau a prosperous and vibrant town in the past. today, this lake is just a recreational area.

there is also a small daily tamu (fresh produce market) nearby and as usually browsing the local market is your favorite past time. 

you learned how petai look like in its bean pod...

and saw some interesting veg/fruit that is uniquely sarawak or  borneo. you don't even know what it's called but you know your dad used to eat them. they are fleshy and soft but bland...

it's really a pity that you don't know any more people or relative of your father's side that you can trace down the history.  your elder sisters and brother know more about bau and the happening as they spent much of their childhood here at your grandpa's house with your cousins.  some old photos could tell the story but no more than any memory recollections and certainly not from you as never met your grandpa in person... so, this will remain an untold story.