QUEENY CHANG QUEENY For Review only Memories of a Memories The late Queeny Chang led an extraordinary life. Her NONYA autobiography, fi rst rst published published in 1981, introduces readers to a time when ladies led a gegenteel way of life. In this book, QueeQueeny Chang presents a vision of a way of life that has long since vanished. Her tender memoir opopens the windows of time and allows the images of the old world charm of the of a early 1900s to be sseen again. She paints ccolourful portraits of her family, NONYA relativesrelatives, and many friends, particularly of her strong-minded but fastidious and fl amb amboyant mother. What she had to say about her life with her famous fathfather, the late Mr. Tjong A Fie (a pprominent businessman and leadleader of the Chinese community in MMedan, Indonesia) is both fascifascinating and touching. Here is a story of a gentle woman, very real, warm and sincere. Marshall Cavendish BIOGRAPHY Editions ISBN 978-981-4751-57-51-57-5 ,!7IJ8B4-hfbfhf! QUEENY CHANG memories of a nonya cover options final.indd 1 30/5/16 8:53 am For Review only Memories of a NOA NY For Review only Memories of a NONYA Queeny Chang For Review only Cover design by Adithi Khandadai Shankar On the cover: Miniature portrait of the author painted in 1917 by Eva Ward. © 2016 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited Text © Queeny Chang This book was first published in 1981. This edition is based on the 1982 edition published by Eastern Universites Press. This edition published by Marshall Cavendish Editions An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International To the memory of my father 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: (65) 6213 9300. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.marshallcavendish.com/genref The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Other Marshall Cavendish Offices: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591- 9001, USA • Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand • Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Name(s): Chang, Queeny, 1896- | Marshall Cavendish Editions, publisher. Title: Memories of a Nonya / Queeny Chang. Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, [2016] | “This book was first published in 1981. This edition is based on the 1982 edition published by Eastern Universities Press.” Identifier(s): OCN 944464978 | ISBN 978-981-47-5157-5 (paperback) Subject(s): LCSH: Chang, Queeny, 1896- | Malaysia--Biography. | China--Biography. Classification: LCC CT1568.C48 | DDC 959.505092--dc23 Printed in Singapore by Markono Print Media Pte Ltd For Review only12 King and Queeny 134 Contents 13 My first taste of misery 137 14 Queeny’s little prince 141 Publisher’s Note 9 15 The celebration 144 Foreword 11 Preface 13 PART III 1 Queeny meets a realist — Mr. Lee Kong Chian 148 Part 1 2 Urine saves little sister Nonie’s life 152 1 Kwan Yin, Goddess of Mercy and Complaisance 3 Bandar Baroe — serenity’s abode 154 saves the Ugly Duckling 15 4 ‘Our poor friend’— the rubber magnate 156 2 Country maiden becomes lady of good fortune 19 5 ‘You see, Brother Lee, the King of Hades 3 The youth with the ruddy complexion 23 doesn’t need me yet’ 159 4 Tjong A Fie’s magnificent mansion 28 6 Queeny meets ‘the other woman’ 162 5 Mother runs away from home 33 7 Big Brother’s miraculous ‘rebirth’ is 6 Mother returns in triumph 37 applauded; a beautiful surprise 165 7 The miracles of life 40 8 Papa’s moment of triumph 167 8 Mother learns to read and write 43 9 Aunt Liu lectures on feminine virtues 48 PART IV 10 The most welcome male descendant 53 1 Great-uncle Tio Tiauw-set 172 11 Tragedy at Poeloe 56 2 Queeny — propitious wife 175 12 Father meets the black sheep 60 3 Little Tong and his grandmother 178 13 Aunt Cheah tells her story 63 4 The catastrophe 181 14 The elite of Penang 66 5 Discipline and Tjong A Fie 183 15 The brothers become a legend 72 6 A tyranous mother-in-law 186 16 Tjong A Fie takes over 76 7 Baby Adek’s hazardous introduction into 17 Queeny meets her fate 80 the world 190 18 Queeny grows up 85 8 The ominous die of Fate is cast 192 PART II PART V 1 The matrimonial alliance 91 1 The broken lamp 198 2 Wedding presents 95 2 Mama’s loyalty 201 3 Mother and Father meet their future son-in-law 99 3 The nocturnal visitor 203 4 ‘You are grown up now’ 102 4 The graveyard 206 5 The most beautiful bride of the year 106 5 The fallen tree 209 6 The unknown bridegroom 109 6 The scattering leaves 211 7 Prince Charming and his princess 113 7 The farewell 214 8 Apprehensions of a tyrant mother-in-law 117 9 Queeny leaves her home 121 Epilogue 218 10 Here comes the ‘barbarian bride’ 124 Family Tree 222 11 ‘Barbarian bride’ becomes dutiful daughter-in-law 128 For Review only Publisher’s Note QUEENY CHANg (1896–1986) was the daughter of Tjong A Fie, a prominent businessman and leader of the Chinese community in Medan, Indonesia. She was born into a life of luxury and married into a prominent Chinese family from Amoy, China. From a young age, she was exposed to different ‘Though nothing can bring back the hour cultures and people, and she was fluent in german, Dutch, Of splendour in the grass French, Malay, Chinese as well as several dialects. And glory in the flower A pioneer in many ways, Queeny’s biography gives readers We will grieve not: a realisic idea of what life was like in the early 20th century. rather find strength in what remains behind.’ She also shares interesting portraits of the relationship with her immediate family as well as friends. —Wordsworth The late Queeny Chang with the 1982 edition of her book. For Review only Queeny Chang wrote her biography in Medan. Entitled Memories of a Nonya, it was first published byThe Star in 1981. It was re-published by Eastern Universities Press in 1982. After Memories of a Nonya was published, Queeny spent most of her time in Medan. She suffered a mild stroke in 1983 Foreword and relocated to Singapore where her grandson, Lam Seng (Tong’s son), and her grand daughter-in-law, Poo Ten, took NONYAS ARE A vanishing breed. A gracious but increasingly care of her until her death on 28 August 1986. rare species of the old-world charm about whom too little is In early 2016, Poo Ten approached Marshall Cavendish to known. consider a re-issue of Memories of a Nonya. In this edition of the So, when one of them dares to commit her memories to book, we have retained the spelling of words as per the original paper, it is something to look forward to. A publishing event, edition. As an example, nonya is used instead of nyonya which no less. is the spelling of the word today. Queeny Chang’s memories are all the more remarkable because she is a remarkable woman, and also because she has a fascinating story to tell. She tells it warmly, enthusiastically and authentically. Queeny is a nonya who went to a Dutch school and became ‘foreignised’. However, she never forgot her nonya origin. She spoke Malay as well as her Chinese dialect, Khek; and during her school vacations in Penang, picked up a smattering of nonya Hokkien. I first met Queeny shortly after I had joinedThe Star, under its new management, towards the end of 1977. The Star had published the first part of her memoir earlier that year and she brought the second part to show me. We duly published them in February 1980 and the tremendous interest they created among the readers in Malaysia and the neighbouring countries prompted her to have her writings reproduced in a more permanent form. This book is the happy outcome. Khor Cheang Kee Editorial Adviser The Star, Malaysia Queeny Chang at home in Medan. For Review only Preface AT THE rISK of being refused entry on account of my passport’s expiration in twelve days, I had travelled from Jakarta to be in Penang in time for my brother Kian-liong’s birthday in December 1976. Our niece and her family had motored up from Singapore besides several relatives who had arrived from Medan. In spite of all the fuss we had made expecting a celebration, Kian-liong wanted instead to make a pilgrimage to Kek Lok Si, a Buddhist temple in Ayer Itam, Penang, to take offerings to our father whose memorial image (statue) is kept, together with those of other prominent people, in a gilded shrine encased in glass in the Tower for Sacred Books.