The acronym, SRC, brings back such lovely memories of those carefree days when we would go and dance the night away at dances at the Sibu Recreation Club. Of course it is no longer where the building was – they have demolished it a long time ago and the club has been relocated here…
…but no, I don’t think they have a ballroom anymore like the one on the upper floor of the old building.
The food court beside it has been in operation for a long time but I never went to check it out. The back of the stalls was facing the road so one could not see what they had there. Now they have moved the stalls to the other side and they are all facing the road…
We used to drive past every Saturday evening on our way to the sunset service at the church not too far from there but we did not stop by to see what they had in store until just the other day.
Many of the stalls were still vacant but I saw that they had this (RM10.00)…
…at this stall…
…so of course, I wanted to give it a try.
This is the way they do the oyster omelette or or chian in Kuching and we used to have a really good one here but that place had since closed down.
Yes, it was very good, paper thin and really crispy – something like rempeyek or papadum but unfortunately, the oysters were barely visible to the naked eye and we could not really get to enjoy the taste. I would love to go for it again but the next time, I would ask the guy to add a lot more oysters and I would pay for the extra so that we would enjoy it a whole lot more.
The char koay kak or fried chai thow koi or white radish/carrot cake (RM5.00)…
…was very nice too but the cake was a little on the firm and chewy side. I wouldn’t mind it a little softer, just a little.
I sure enjoyed the fried kway teow (RM5.00)…
…that had some tiny prawns and squid in it.
I did hear someone say that they went on a very busy night and some beer company was having a show or something so the place was so very crowded and what they ordered from this same stall turned out rather disappointing. Well, I was lucky – there weren’t a lot of people when we went there that day and what we had was very much to our satisfaction.
As I approached the stall that evening, the guy greeted me and said that I was his teacher way back in the 80’s – I taught him English and I asked him if his surname was “Lu“. I could see the gleam in his eyes as he said yes and then I asked him if his name was so and so. I did not get it exactly on the dot but it was pretty close. It was obvious that he was so very surprised that I could remember his name after all these years especially when I had had thousands of students over the years and to be honest, sometimes I do surprise myself! Amazing but true! LOL!!!
THE SIBU RECREATION CLUB (SRC) FOOD COURT (2.304611, 111.821043) is located along Jalan Perpaduan, formerly called Robin Way, on your right if you are turning in from Jalan Awang Ramli Amit at its junction, with the Red Crescent Headquarters Building to your right on the other side of the road.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Wow, you can remember your student’s name. I taught little children before I had Ethan. They are all young adults now. I can hardly recall their names. They do greet me when they see me at the playground but I don’t know their names.
Little children…and girls too are harder to remember but I do know of many teachers who never bother to get to know their students’ names and they never tell them theirs either so when I asked who the teacher was, they would say the thin one, the long hair one, the one wearing spectacles. Once, at a Teachers’ Day function, an ex-student working as the captain at the restaurant said to me that he could remember all his teacher but not their names…except mine. So flattering!
I have said many times before, you do have a good memory. After so many years and with thousands of students you taught, you still recognise his face and what not his surname also, I really salute you. There are 2 version of or chien, either the wet or cripsy type. I prefer the crispy type too.
The crispy type is found only in Kuching, not elsewhere. This one here is an odd one out, nice but too few oysters, not so much of the oyster taste.
I got quite close with his name too – I said something like Ing Tien…and it was Ding Hien or something like that. Chinese names are a real challenge to learn and remember. I sure am glad that though I am getting older, I am not suffering from memory loss or one of those.
He must be one that stand out among the students for you to remember his name. Haha.
Love the o chien. Super thin and not stingy with the oysters. Slurp.
Not really. I don’t think he was outstanding but somehow, I can remember him – quiet, a very thin and small boy at the time.
We used to go to Buntal for their very nice Kuching-style or chien there. Have not gone for a long time. The last time I had it like this was at Batu Lintang.
I ever bump into my primary school teacher, he stays not very far from where I stay, he can still recognize me, but not sure if he still remember my name…
You can stop him one day and ask.
One of my ex-colleagues, also retired like me, was teaching me in Primary 5, in the early 60’s when he was posted to my school for teaching practice/practicum. That night at the alumni dinner, he was invited too and I mentioned it to him. He was so very surprised that I could remember and yes, he confirmed that he was sent to my primary school to teach then. Of course, he could not remember me as being one of his pupils then.
wow…I’m sure you are very proud when random students greeting you as teacher.
I guessed your students is even happier when you could still remember at least their surname. 🙂
I remember one boy from my years in Kanowit, around 1980. I met him in church and I called out his name, “Gerald!” His eyes widened, his mouth fell wide open. “You can remember!” he exclaimed. It probably was more of a shock than a surprise. So hilarious!!!
The SRC has a big and beautiful building. The chai thow koi looks good too. Can’t say I’ve ever had crispy or chien, though.
We always had it that way in Kuching, not sure if they have the omelette/egg style there or not like the ones I had in Penang and elsewhere, even Singapore.
I tried that kinda orh chien before, not bad for a change but it can get quite greasy sometimes
Yes, there are good ones and there are not so good ones. Same with the egg/omelette type in Penang – some can be swimming in oil, not nice. I’m glad this one was nicely done – like I said, paper thin & crispy like papadum, not greasy.
I only know SRJKC, not SRC. hahaa.
Do they still use that? Seems they have done away with it to standardise all of them?
Such a sharp memory you have. I wish I could have that powers of your. 🙂 I have the tendency to forget the names of people who was introduced to me fairly recently. You’re memory and analytical talent is very good because you managed to connect your memory to the adult version of your student. I am sure that the physical feature of your former student changed but you still remembered him.
The facial features are still there – he has grown from the thin scrawny little boy he used to be, not so thin now and of course, he’s older now too.
Teachers are taught STM and LTM, short or long-term memory. Things on short term, we will forget real soon so the teacher’s challenge is to get things taught into their students’ LTM so they will not forget almost instantly.
SRC, my dad used to play tennis at the old place (near Wisma Sanyan). Can’t remember the exact location. We liked to have satay there.
My mum and dad have moved to Kuching 2-3 years ago to stay with my brother since he and his wife had a baby girl. So I no longer go to Sibu during year end school holidays like before, only stay in Kuching. Hence, not able to meet up with you these few years. Hope we can arrange to go to Sibu from Kuching next holidays.
Yes, it has been a long long time.
The road leading to Sanyan, Chung Hua Primary on the left, the rows of shops on the right, used to go straight to the entrance of the padang sukan – the SRC building was to the right of the entrance so I guess it was where Parkson is now. Yes. the satay was good but the guy moved to Taman Harmoni – they say the son is doing it now, not nice anymore. If I remember correctly. A-Plus had its humble beginnings there, so very long ago.