Cheong Ooi Chee
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Title: My Breakfast
Title (Original Language): 我的早餐
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “This is my breakfast, a cup of coffee and a plate of Chee Cheong Fun. A piece of Chee Cheong Fun costs RM1 and I can eat two pieces every time. Every Sunday, Ah Lye sells Chee Cheong Fun at Ah Choo’s coffee shop at Central Section. I definitely go to buy. During week days, she sells noodle soup and I always eat too. I only cook once a day. I usually cook a fish and one vegetable. I eat for two meals. I have a pet cat called Mao Zai. I feed it with bread for breakfast and during lunch time, I feed it with fish rice. I give it bread again at night for dinner. After breakfast, I usually ride my motorcycle and bring along the food to the Council Hall to feed 4 stray dogs. I also go to Sister Tao’s house at Central Section to feed Ah Tam (Si Hitam). Ah Tam is a dog left by Sister Tao. Nobody wants to keep it after Sister Tao passed away. So I help to take care of it. After feeding Ah Tam, I also go out to the main road to feed some stray dogs. So I usually cook a large pot of rice for the dogs and keep it in the refrigerator. During noon time, around 12 o’clock, I usually ride my motorcycle to the Female ward to collect some leftover from the patients and then go along the way to feed the dogs. I am happy to see those dogs having food to eat. If they go missing or are poisoned by someone, I am sad for few days. ”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: Fruits
Title (Original Language):生果
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “I drew durian, mango, papaya, rambutan and langsat. Nowadays the price of durian is super high. I can’t afford to eat. Last year, during the durian season, I drooled over whenever I saw people selling durians at the road side. I wanted it badly. Hence, I told me friend, Ah Nya to purchase one Musang King for me. But after eating one, I was addicted to it and wished to eat every day. So I decided not to eat anymore this year. Our rambutans are very well-known. They are very sweet, fleshy and crunchy. Last time, I planted one rambutan tree at the back of my house but it was blown down by the hurricane. Now I am old and toothless and furthermore, I have gastric problem. I can’t eat rambutan anymore because I am afraid it is too hard for me to digest.”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: Christmas House
Title (Original Language):圣诞屋
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “When I was admitted to the settlement at the age of 15, I stayed at Children Ward, No. 77. During Christmas every year, we had ceremony at the church here. I had also been to St Francis Church to act as angel and perform on stage during Christmas Eve. After the performance, we were rewarded with a big Pao, we were so happy. Every Friday, all the children usually went to Travors School to listen to Madam Kim. Sometimes, we sang Chinese or English hymns. All those hymns were sung to praise Jesus Christ. Although Madam Kim was a foreign nun, she could speak Cantonese. She was about 40 years old that time. She taught us how to pray to the God. As a result, a few of my friends were baptised. However, I was not able to accept. I guess I didn’t have faith in Jesus Christ. I came from Teluk Intan and my parents were Taoist. We had many god statues at home and we got to worship them. I had phobia doing this because I had no idea which statue to start from. My grandmother was very angry and hit my head. So I was so scared. When I was in my 20s, I went to Buddhist temple with my friends to pray. I know how to recite namo amitabha and I go to temple on Wesak Day. However, I seldom pray with joss sticks. I am too busy and I don’t even have sufficient time to take care of the dogs. I think as long as we have Buddha in our heart and always do good things in life will be sufficient. ”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: The Crow
Title (Original Language):乌鸦
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “I always see crows. People always say that crows bring bad luck. In fact, I don’t really mind because I have Buddha in my heart. When I was young, I had a boyfriend who worked as hospital attendant. He brought me along to Kuala Lumpur when he was free to see other people’s cemetery. I found that the cemetery was nice. Now I am staying at chalet at the central section, unit no. 564. The chalet is facing the cemetery but I am not afraid at all. When the weather is hot, I usually go to the cemetery and sit under the big tree. It is so cooling. Someone said that they heard the ghosts crying at midnight. Actually it was cat crying. They think too much! As long as we have Buddha in our heart, we are not scared of anything. If I walk around at night and I feel uneasy, I recite namo amitabha immediately and I am no longer afraid. ”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: Tilapia
Title (Original Language): 非洲鱼
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “I don’t really like Tilapia because of its muddy taste. I prefer butterfish, threadfin and red snapper. I usually steam or fry those fish. Long ago, I drooled over whenever I saw the fish in the pond because I loved fish very much. I seldom buy pork or chicken when I go to the wet market but I definitely buy fish because I can’t live without fish! ”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: Sunflower
Title (Original Language): 太阳花
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “I see people planting sunflower at the road side and I find that this flower is very beautiful. But I have never planted sunflower before. Previous I planted butterfly peas before. They are purple, red and yellow in colour. They are beautiful too. The purple butterfly pea is my favourite. It is my lucky colour. Although the government provides free ration to us, they also encourage us to plant and sell our own flowers. Many people choose to plant roses and I only focus in planting butterfly pea. I am single and I am living alone. I love dogs since I was young. Last time, I had kept 5 dogs at home. They were called Ah Wong, Anna, Ah Mao, Ah Shou and Lok Zai. I was so sad when I saw them dying one by one. I missed them and I cried badly. I buried them at the compound beside my house. Then I swear that I never want to keep dogs anymore. Let me be alone. Since then I never keep any dog. Now I am old and retired. I can’t stand to see those stray dogs. I still love dogs. But at least they are not kept at my home. No matter how, I think I still owe dogs a favour.”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: Big Goose
Title (Original Language): 大鹅
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “I have kept a big goose before as pet. Long ago, someone from outside usually came to the settlement on our pay day every month. They sold chicks, ducklings and goslings to us. When I saw the goslings, I bought one home because it was so cute. I fed it with my leftover every day and I have kept it for more than 10 years until it died. When the goose died, I was still young and I didn’t cry at all. But now when my dogs died, I cried badly!”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: Chicks
Title (Original Language): 鸡仔
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “When I was young, I didn’t work with the government in the settlement because everyone was fighting to be the staff. I had not been selected whenever there was vacancy. So I had no choice but to help people to do laundry jobs. There was a dresser here who paid me RM3 monthly for washing his clothes. Can you imagine how I could survive with only RM3 monthly by washing 3-4 pieces of clothes a day? What a pity! Then I decided to rear chickens and ducks and sold them out. In fact, we have a lot of freedom staying in this settlement. We have sufficient space to plant flowers around our chalets and we are able to make ends meet.”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee
Title: Red Tilapia
Title (Original Language): 红非洲
Year: 2017
Words in the Drawing: “It is easier to draw tilapia. So I drew tilapia again but I don’t like to eat tilapia and also dislike keeping fish as pet. Currently I only keep a pet cat, called Mao Zai only. Recently, my pet cat is having cough and flu. I feed it with vitamin C every day. After taking for 2 months, it has not recovered yet. In fact, this cat didn’t belong to me. It was kept by the Malay guy next door. It came to my house and I fed it. Since then it always comes to look for me. End up it didn’t want to stay with the Malay guy and didn’t want to go back anymore. Now it is pregnant and it is really a headache for me!”
Size: 17.5cm X 15.2cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Story Gallery
Owner: Cheong Ooi Chee
Copyright: Cheong Ooi Chee