Travel Gears

January 27, 2009

THEY CAME BACK: THE CANADIAN

If you work in a museum, you never know who will come and bring something old, including memories.  In the last few days of 2008 a big and tall man simply walked into my office and introduced himself as Lloyd Jones who hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.  I stood there shaking his hands as if struck by lightning and went blank.

This guy brought his memories to my museum.  He and a group of Canadian volunteers came to teach in several newly built secondary schools all over Sarawak at the height of the undeclared war with neighboring Indonesia in 1963.  He taught until 1965 and came back to teach for a short period in Binatang, now Bintangor.

After an hour or so listening to Mr. Jones and looking at copies of old photographs, I sensed that he felt in love with Sarawak and its people.  Like my own Peace Corps teacher, this guy was once a fine teacher who loved the kids and really wanted the kids to succeed in their studies and lives.  Mr. Jones was so proud to tell me that some of his students went to universities around the world and some became lawyers, engineers and priest too.

3 comments:

Robert Rizal Abdullah said...

DSS,

So this the guy you were talking about. Yes, he must be very fond of Sarawak as he seemed to be coming back again and again. He came alone?

RM

DanauAlai said...

Dear SS,
Yes. He is Mr. Llloyd Jones.

I can't spot where I was among the "sand of students" of G.S.Simanggang as the school was called then. Iwas somewhere among the "sand".

The write ups and photos of the American Professor including your trip to find the lost Kingdom are very refreshing and interesting.

Thank you very much.
Anthony Belon

Sanib said...

RM and Tony,
Thanks for surfing in. I try to post a few more pics that may have you in.