tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post7789433018326917792..comments2023-09-13T00:30:57.295+08:00Comments on Malaysia Asia: Agnes Keith House Sandakan BorneoMalaysia Asiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-14048731275798789472015-05-07T15:17:56.446+08:002015-05-07T15:17:56.446+08:00Kathy said... Richard's comments are fascinati...Kathy said... Richard's comments are fascinating. Have you read Agnes Keith's 1972 book "Beloved Exiles"? It is described as "semi-autobiographical" and tells about Sarah, an American woman married to a British gov't officer in Sandakan in the 1930's (the only American among all the British there). Her husband has a little son born of a Japanese-Chinese mistress before Sarah ever arrived there, then goes on to describe their relationships, their internment by the Japanese and her fascinating relationship with the Japanese commandant (who in the book becomes her lover, and for whom she grieves when he commits suicide at the end of the war). Are there any photos of Colonel Suga (the commandant), whom Ms. Keith credited with saving her husband's life in March 1944?<br />She would have been over 40 and the colonel nearly 60 when this was going on, but in Beloved Exiles she is 30 and he is probably around 40-45 as he has young children, whereas in real life his children were grown.<br />From your information in this blog, it seems that Beloved Exiles was spot-on with the facts, albeit discreet in changing names and minor details.<br />I look forward very much to seeing your take on all this. <br />Did George ever talk about the Colonel at school? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-91923122113642177132015-04-20T01:24:04.517+08:002015-04-20T01:24:04.517+08:00Since my last post I have received reliable inform...Since my last post I have received reliable information regarding George Keith. George joined the U.S. Marines in 1965 and was also married that year in San Francisco. In 1993 he was living in Petaluma CA and sadly died there on December 26th, 2001. Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-73614526875879373702015-04-17T13:04:45.103+08:002015-04-17T13:04:45.103+08:00I went to school in Victoria B.C. with George in 1...I went to school in Victoria B.C. with George in 1950-51. I believe he was a boarder at the school. Anyway I remember him well and he told stories about his time as a prisoner. One thing I noted was that he had Asian features and I always wondered why. I met his parents and did not see any in them. Unconfirmed information that I received years ago was that George had joined the U.S. Marines and may have seen two tours of Viet Nam. This is totally unconfirmed heresay but I would like to know if this is facet and if he is still alive.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-33751175794874868552015-01-25T12:13:06.793+08:002015-01-25T12:13:06.793+08:00Hi CL, from what I saw in Dec 2014 after I revisit...Hi CL, from what I saw in Dec 2014 after I revisited the home, there are actually more photos of her and her family in the house on display. However, there is a no photography inside the house. So I believe, the archives in there hold quite a lot. <br /><br />As for Grorge, there seems to be no record of him after his return here in 1950 with his mother. I did some digging, but nothing came up on the internet too. Malaysia Asiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-54229203801777434782015-01-25T08:16:10.839+08:002015-01-25T08:16:10.839+08:00There are so few real photos of Agnes and her chil...There are so few real photos of Agnes and her children. Can you post any? Also, what happened to George after the war? Is he still alive?CLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18259507994892746647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-33660310789045297922010-10-12T23:08:50.695+08:002010-10-12T23:08:50.695+08:00Yep if you do the math on her birth date it doesn&...Yep if you do the math on her birth date it doesn't work. Either 1928 or 1930 are too early as Agnes re-met her childhood friend Harry in 1934 when he was on leave in the US and married him there shortly after. She then came out to North Borneo/Sabah for the first time. Jean says she was born in Sandakan so she's not a daughter of Agnes by another man. <br /><br />Professor Danny Wong Tze Ken says in his book Historical Sabah Community and Society "Even the husband of the celebrated author Agnes Keith is known to have had a local girl before he married Agnes.....Most, if not all, of these relationships (between bachelor European men and local women) ended the moment the officer returned from leave with a European wife, as in the cases of Keith and Dunlop" Also Jean looks nothing like Agnes. But kudos to Agnes for treating her as her own kid.Mike Hartnellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-37962065718707467572010-10-08T00:05:34.747+08:002010-10-08T00:05:34.747+08:00Hello Mike, thank you for your comment and wow, th...Hello Mike, thank you for your comment and wow, there's something I did not know about and a huge thanks for highlighting this here. I am sure many people do not know about this fact. <br /><br />Regards,<br />DavidMalaysia Asiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-2929584343843145692010-10-07T17:43:35.628+08:002010-10-07T17:43:35.628+08:00Great blog, and fantastic photos. One thing thoug...Great blog, and fantastic photos. One thing though - Jean Allison isn't Agnes's daughter. She was born to Harry and a local lady in Sandakan before Agnes had even married Harry or come out to North Borneo/Sabah. Agnes treated Jean as a daughter but there is no blood relationship. That's why Agnes doesn't mention Jean once in Three Came Home.Mike Hartnellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-10381772293573418772010-07-02T02:27:48.931+08:002010-07-02T02:27:48.931+08:00Hello Dawn, thank you so much and I am very happy ...Hello Dawn, thank you so much and I am very happy that you found my article and pictures useful. I hope you will continue to share it with your friends. Also, I hope you make it to Sabah one day to visit the actual home of Agnes Keith. <br /><br />Regards,<br />DavidMalaysia Asiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-25881429845571882762010-07-01T22:56:30.591+08:002010-07-01T22:56:30.591+08:00I am not a reader at all! but I found 3CameHome at...I am not a reader at all! but I found 3CameHome at a thrift store and read it in 3 days! i've ordered WhiteManreturns. I'm also sharing her story with everyone and passing the book around! Thankyou for this page so I could see her beautiful son and husband! Wow,I needed those faces! And also to see how they lived before captivity. Thankyou! -Dawn RAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-63014823924591114242010-02-09T16:33:38.089+08:002010-02-09T16:33:38.089+08:00Jipp - Wow, time you went and paid a visit. There&...Jipp - Wow, time you went and paid a visit. There's much to read up and learn about them. <br /><br />DavidMalaysia Asiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-75019542095185493622010-01-22T07:27:49.348+08:002010-01-22T07:27:49.348+08:00Oh wow. You are lucky you were allowed to take pho...Oh wow. You are lucky you were allowed to take photos inside Agnes Keith's house. I've never been there even though I've been residing in Sdkn for 3 years now. I even have The Land Below The Wind book with me but I'm still struggling to finish it. :-)gbeejipphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06355421518452713617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-83243264544998157992010-01-17T18:16:42.469+08:002010-01-17T18:16:42.469+08:00Eunice, they were very well maintained from my obs...Eunice, they were very well maintained from my observation and yes, I do travel often to Sabah when time permits. Anyway, I will be going again next week :)<br /><br />Mylo, RM2 is a steal if you ask me. <br /><br />Carmen, thank you. Yes, next trip, try Sabah East Coast as there is much to see and do there. Watch for my following articles on Sandakan too. <br /><br />Ben, wow - You've been away for a long long time. Thanks for dropping by and for your kind words. <br /><br />Regards,<br />David<br /><br />Ps. I was away in Koh Lipe, Thialand since last week hence the absence here.Malaysia Asiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-81406251176536231472010-01-16T15:11:31.745+08:002010-01-16T15:11:31.745+08:00David, Happy New Year to you & family! Gonna r...David, Happy New Year to you & family! Gonna read your posts on the Sandakan trip is backward order as I've been cutting offline for sometime. Good write-up on Agnes Keith House!!!Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15019243985473524435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-51276302645383751202010-01-14T12:33:57.860+08:002010-01-14T12:33:57.860+08:00wow, nice place...
eventhough i have been to Saba...wow, nice place...<br /><br />eventhough i have been to Sabah but i only went to Kota Kinabalu..<br /><br />guess i shall make a second visit to Sandakan now..<br /><br />thanks for the info david.. aprreciate it much...Carmenhttp://travel.701panduan.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-69887038872284021292010-01-12T21:38:12.812+08:002010-01-12T21:38:12.812+08:00Ooops...missed that part about MyKad holder. RM2 f...Ooops...missed that part about MyKad holder. RM2 for Malaysians. OK.. that's cheap and affordable :) <br /><br />Cheers!<br />myloshlokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06200697246502757978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-57748737158483597212010-01-12T09:52:06.154+08:002010-01-12T09:52:06.154+08:00Hi David!
This historic house is still so well m...Hi David! <br /><br />This historic house is still so well maintained! <br /><br />So you always go Sabah? <br /><br />Hey quickly post ur Singapore photos! loleunicehttp://travelerfolio.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-70001641499587005442010-01-11T22:42:05.996+08:002010-01-11T22:42:05.996+08:00Petersons, thank you so much and I will do so.
L...Petersons, thank you so much and I will do so. <br /><br />Luray, to my surprise, I was in fact amazed on how well they preserved the house. Very well done too. Yes, when you do visit, let me know so I can see pictures. <br /><br />Regards,<br />DavidMalaysia Asiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-48064642098333385172010-01-11T20:31:49.019+08:002010-01-11T20:31:49.019+08:00It is really impressive museum and Sabah place are...It is really impressive museum and Sabah place are also very nice. Heard the seafood is nice as well. I like the ambient of the place in the photos you posted. I love the nature. I am sure I will visit Sandakan now. Not many places can pull off an English Tea House. Thanks for the great info!<br /><br />Best Regards,Luray va accommodationshttp://www.woodruffinns.com/luray-va-bed-and-breakfast-accommodation.htmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-19205859982405340202010-01-11T09:49:06.216+08:002010-01-11T09:49:06.216+08:00Hey David,
Thanks for joining us on bloggers in As...Hey David,<br />Thanks for joining us on bloggers in Asia. Love your blog and I love Asia. Let's follow each other! My blog is about my family in China.<br />http://middleofchina.blogspot.com<br />http://petersonchina.blogspot.comHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06673749343147449792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-21982066177542758792010-01-10T20:10:54.700+08:002010-01-10T20:10:54.700+08:00Borneo Falcon, wow, I didn't know Agnes Keith ...Borneo Falcon, wow, I didn't know Agnes Keith was featured on TV. Glad to know that the Sandakan Heritage is being promoted. Was it a local program? <br /><br />Wilson, Sabah is simply Awesome! So much to see and do there and yes, Bali this year. I'm so looking forward to it. <br /><br />Mylo, thank you. Yes the floor was immaculately taken care of now that you reminded me. Super polished and shiny too. I guess taking off your shoes does have an effect. Anyway, the RM15 is for non-Malaysians. And strangely they do not allow photography inside. <br /><br />Yan, thank you very much and I also read about your RDC-Sepilok postings. Very nice. <br /><br />Mei, Yes I sure did but I had the approval of the person in charge there. I had to wait 20 minutes for him to come and see what I wanted to do and after meeting him, he allowed me with the supervision of one of the staff there.Malaysia Asiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00891446281572407445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-57003510821140858832010-01-10T18:28:32.390+08:002010-01-10T18:28:32.390+08:00I visited this place last year when I was in Sanda...I visited this place last year when I was in Sandakan. You took photos of the place? I wasn't allowed to take photos of the interior of the house.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-61301710204077696142010-01-10T16:31:56.895+08:002010-01-10T16:31:56.895+08:00Hi, David,
Very nicely written articles here! Inc...Hi, David,<br /><br />Very nicely written articles here! Incidentally, I have also written about Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, Sepilok Wildlife! You might like my Korean story just posted!Yanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01469410555556500811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-41289008944815872472010-01-10T12:48:00.035+08:002010-01-10T12:48:00.035+08:00Hi David!
This is a nice detailed write-up! I LOV...Hi David!<br /><br />This is a nice detailed write-up! I LOVE your factual research in this article. The house looks squeaky clean and 'grand'. I believe this house has traditional settings with basic amenities. The polished flooring caught my attention - it created a false modern day interior :)<br /><br />I guess the bathroom reflects the original setting of this house - especially the mosaic tiles and bathtub. <br /><br />Anyway, kudo to Sabah Tourism for a job well done in keeping this heritage building ALIVE. But, I think the entrance fee (RM15) is way too expensive. No photography? Sorry...<br /><br />Cheers!<br />myloshlokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06200697246502757978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9197563430820577837.post-36901697424996709222010-01-10T12:05:38.185+08:002010-01-10T12:05:38.185+08:00Amazing stuff, will plan a trip to Sabah this year...Amazing stuff, will plan a trip to Sabah this year, if possible. After my Argentina trip and our Bali trip. :)superwilsonhttp://www.placesandfoods.comnoreply@blogger.com