MY CHILDHOOD: (as I was told)

I was born the 7^th day of August 1929 in the remote village of Miri, Sarawak.

Mother does nothing but indulged in home gambling and drinking with other housewife.

I had vision problem at birth this was the result of Mom’s heavy drinking, a bottle of brandy daily. I was sent to Labuan for medical attention. I had to stay at the Labuan Convent. It was the Catholic Priest who had me registered at the Registry-of-Birth when my parents were not around, my name Louis was given by him. My BC shows that I was the 564 child registered at that time. The last White Raja, Sir James Brooke was responsible in setting up the very first Registrar in Sarawak his signature appears on my BC.

I have no recollection of my stay at the Convent until age three my parents took me back to Miri. They nicknamed me Dayak (all natives are Dayaks).Father was away most of the time. Our wooden/atap house on stilt was one of many built by Shell Oil for company staffs located in Kuala Beliat/Miri. Kuala Beliat is part of Brunei. To pass the time housewife does nothing but indulge in home gambling, drinking, and smoking.

 With no paved roads, dirt tracks and rivers are the only way to move around on bicycles, pony/horse or river boats. Punans/Ibans the major tribal population will mingle with outsiders, they bring in their catch/produce to trade etc. Men has tattoos from fingers and neck down to their feet wearing only lion cloth, women had their ears weighted down to waist level. These symbolize power and beauty women are mostly topless. The Punans/Ibans live in ‘longhouses’ as many as 15/25 families would live together, they are land/sea Dayak nomads, move to different locations each year. The next accessible tribe is the Kayans, this fierce and unfriendly river tribes live in small boats on the river barely come to shore only wore black and are elusive.