SAMIKH NAREMANG

Once we have to relax and spend times for ourselves....Holiday

2011-11-09T00:29:00.000+08:00

What a holiday...its really tired though, 3 days trips around Kuala Lumpur and Malacca

At Kuching International Airport prior to our journey

Night Life at Bulit Bintang, KL Primier tourist attraction

Nice Hotel where we stay (Capitol Hotel) right at the heart of Bukit Bintang

History (Building Left by the Dutch Colonies) in Malacca

Wanna try the "Beca"....

One of the Famous Portuguese remainder

Right now it is the third highest building in the world

Journey Home at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Family Trip (Holiday) in Kuala Lumpur

2011-11-09T00:00:00.001+08:00

Aero Bridge at Petronas Twin Tower Kuala Lumpur

Putra Jaya Lake

Inside the ferry ride around Putra Jaya Lake

Putra Jaya Trade Marks

At View Point KL Tower

My Kids at the National Monument

Some Salako Translations to English

2010-08-30T01:11:00.000+08:00

A foreigner meet his local friend in Lundu town, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Traveller : Hello, nice to meet you. ( Halo, repo dapat batamu ngan kau. )
Local     : Sabaya ugak ( Same with you)
Traveller : It's a wonderful place here. ( Bato unang tampat di sia. )
Local     : Auklah, angat kahe. ( Yes it is, but its quite warm here. )
Traveller : Well, it is a tropic country and it is as expected. ( Auk Jamai'a' bah, memang jai'a bah
                 nagari tropika.)
local       : Jama'e gak paja'anan tae? ( How is your journey just now? )
Traveller : Oh. okey. It's take around one hour. ( Oh, ok. Samak sajam. )
Local     : Samadi diri' bakalakar badiri jai'a, jek diri' duduk di kade sambil nyocok aik. ( Rather then us
                talking here, come lets us find some place in the coffee shop and have some drinks. )
Traveller : It's a good idea. ( Koa buah pikir ang bato.)

In the Coffee shop.

A waiter : Mia chocokak kitak? ( What drinks are you going order? )
Local      : Aik mia ang maok kau chocokak? ( What drink do you want? )
Traveller : Give me a cool and refreshing "ice lemon tea". ( Barek aku aik dingin ngan nyaman, "teh ais
                 imo nepes" )
Local      : Ia minta' teh ais imo nepes, aku barek cola ais campuri' garek dikit boh. ( My friends here ask for
                 ice lemon tea, and give me a coke mix with a little bit of salt, okey. )
A waiter : Dibare'a aislah cola kitak koa? ( Your coke need an ice, sir? )
Local      : Auk.... ( Yes..)
Traveller : Is there any cheap place to stay here, like a hotel or a chalet? ( Ada kek tampat diamp ang murah
                di sia, aya hotel ato chalet? )
Local      : Oh, ada, ka tapi pante manyak, tapi di pasar nyian kahe sabuah, ba air-con gaunange. ( Oh, yes
                there is, especially at the sea side, but in town only one and it is air-condition. )
Local      : Jek nang nyocok, aus nyian. ( Come let have our drinks, I'm thirsty. )
Traveller : Come, ummmm....it's nice. ( Auk jek, ummmm ...nyaman. )
Traveller : I'm going to stay for a few days, maybe around three days. ( Aku maok di sia damp dua ato talu
                ari, mungkin damp talu ari.)
Local       : Auklah, dapat ugak kau baja'atn-baja'atn nanang tampat di sia. ( Oh, yes that good, and you can
                walk around to see the places here. )
Traveller ; I hope I can used what ever time I have here to walks around. ( Aku arap aku dapat makhe
                 masa ang ku ada di sia sak baja'atn-baja'atn nanang utatn. )
Local       ; Ame gobar, dapat sabab tampat kami nyian ana' kaya'. ( Don't worry, you can because our
                 places here is not big. )
Traveller : How about transport, is it easy to get? ( Jamae ngan pangangkutan, sanang kek? )
Local       : Oh, hal koa ame digobaratn, aku ada. Kalo ngagoak pangangkutan makhe urakng rami di sia
                susah dikit. Kahe van ang ada, ana' tatap masa'e. ( Oh, about that don't worry, I'll provide it. If
                 you want to find public transport here it's quite difficult. We only a few van and the time is not
                fixed. )
Traveller   ; Oh, I see. Thank you then. ( Oh, jakoalah. Tarima' kasehlah boh. )

Dears readers, above is some example of a Salako talking with his foriegn friend. Some words in Salako brings two meaning, depend on the situation the words is used. Example:

1. utatn = places, or jungle
I have been in the jungle for two days. ( Aku di damp utatn udah dua ari. )

Beside that, translating English to Salako is not easy, because we have to see the situation how the words is used in the sentences, example:

1. I hope I used what ever time I have here to walks around. ( Aku arap aku dapat makhe masa ang ku
ada di sia sak baja'atn-baja'atn nanang utatn. )

* around = kaliling , but because the words walks around, so the best expression to translate is baja'atn-baja'atn nanang utatn.

* Baja'atn = walk
* Baja'atn-baja'atn = walks.
* Nanang utatn = see places

Dear readers, to translate a Salako text or an English text to a Salako text and vice verse, is not easy. If not, the meaning intended for will differ from the original meaning. Any indigenous language that is seldom been used in writing will face similar problem. I hope in near future, lots of Salako will try our best to write some text with our own language so that we won't loose our original language.

My Crazy Idea for Solving Malaysian Crowded School Problem

2010-08-07T14:13:00.000+08:00

Malaysia now is a country fast moving forward and most of the basic public amenities are fully stretch until the limits. The like of roads, schools, hospital and etc. School is the one hard hit by this situations. Just imagine in one classroom that have to accommodate up to 40 to 45 pupils and the school populations can reach up to 2000 over. The best school authority can do is divide the school sessions in two, that is the morning and afternoon session because of the limited space to accommodate the whole populations into one session. This situation is getting worst by year because not many schools are build to cater for the increased intake of the pupils. Beside that, the housing development project that is mushrooming also aggravates the situation.
As a naive person, the crazy idea that I think can and will solved this problem is simple. The Malaysian Government should asked all the housing developer to share this responsibilities together. The Government should in some way prepare a plot of land to build schools in any housing project. Rather then getting taxes from the housing projects, the Government should make a priority for the housing project developer to build a school in the housing project vicinity and this responsibilities can be share by a few developers who develop the housing project concern. And so when the area is develop, a school is also ready to cater for the populations for the area concern. Surely a ratio of one class to 25 pupils is achievable. Beside that, any public utilities that is paramount for the people well being, the likes of Government Health Clinic should also be given the priority to be build in the vicinity of the housing projects.
This idea maybe seem crazy and will create a bit of uneasiness among property developers, what's wrong to share a slice of the cake for the benefit of the community as a whole.

A Malaysian Road Block?

2010-07-04T21:09:00.000+08:00

It is good to have a regular "road block" on our roads, but sometimes road block can create "nuisance" because of a long traffic jams. From what I have experience's today ( 4.7.2010 ), the road block causes a very long traffic jams and I have to skip my Sunday activities because I loose my time to reach my destination.

Why don't the authorities concerns think of a way to minimise the jams so that the road user doesn't have to loose their precious time to reach their destination. Why should road block be done in such a way where road user have to squeeze into one miserable lane out of two lane. Why don't do both side of the road and a warning sign been put 1km before the real road block is done. At least this will minimize the traffic jams.....

What we learned from this World Cup of 2010?

2010-07-04T01:36:00.002+08:00

Talks about football, all over this globe people will know, although every nations will have their own terms of pronouncing it. To some, it is only a game, but in reality of today's version, football is a pride and dignity either to a persons or a country. Football can bring magic to a nation and can turn somebody fortune in their life. Different races and believers will come together and holds hands.....just because of football. The questions is, what do we learned and see in football?

In this year 2010 world cup editions ( which is still going on ), we can learned a lot from it. As we know, South America is a great nation of football. Why so? My point of view is that the people love football as their way of life. Football can change their life. Football is everything to them. But, sometimes...love just can't bring that nations to be a world champion, as we can see Brazil against Holland, and Argentina against the Germans.

To love football and like football is not enough. second to none, discipline is also important. To me, the Koreans and the Japanese is the best example of the well discipline teams. Although their standards of play is not on par with the best team in the world, but their well organize teams bring them to the last 16 team of the best among the best.

To Africa, they have to change. Ghana is a good teams, but most African teams have one weakness, that is their individualistic character of their player. Sometimes, the riches league doesn't guaranteed a good football team for a nation, a good example is England. What make England a popular team because of an image played down by the great media exposure, but where are they now in the world cup? We will wait for Spain...are they able to stands up to be the world best teams?

A teams that worth to be a world champions now, especially in this new millennium's is a teams of having a good working ethic, well organize, a well culture team spirit and top of it is the approach of "sports science". One teams that manage to show this quality is the Germans. They are the class above all. The way they play and their attitude during the game itself. Holland is also a team which has a bit of this approach, especially their hard works in the field.

Well, what we can say about Malaysia football now? In the 70's and early 80's, Malaysia is above the Koreans and the Japanese, but now we are 20 years behind this two teams. Love and like football is not enough. We have to be a well discipline, well organize, a good culture spirit, a deep pride and dignity towards our country and ourselves. Last but not least, a good sports science approach also played a very important role. No matter who we hire or how professional they are, if we ourselves is not ready to change, it is not worth to spend the money for.

I Spoke My Mind Out: Oh Salako, what is happening?

2010-07-03T14:43:00.001+08:00

Gawai, Jun 1, is a date with a prolong celebrations among all Salako people. During this Gawai Festival celebrations, there is a lot other celebrations coming too, because of the long mid-term schools holidays. So every Salako is taking advantages of the long school holiday to make celebrations such as arranging a marriage ceremony, batenek, basunat, bata'ah and so on. Almost everyday, from the day of the first week of gawai festival there will be invitations cards, and also the "pangaap" ( person or persons entrusted to invite from house to house) coming to your house. All I can say its a weeks of free meal, lots of foods and drinks.

Gawai, itself is a festival of celebrations for the end of paddy harvesting seasons. It is celebrated to give thanks to the "Sumangat Padi" because Paddy is the main staple foods of the Dayaks and we can say that paddy is the most respected "Foods" in the Dayaks community.

So, Gawai is a festival and a celebrations, and it is one of the Dayaks identity in Malaysia. From every corner of Malaysia, every Dayaks community is flocking home to celebrate the Gawai Festival. Most major town in Sarawak will be crowed with people returning home, and as to say, a shopping spree is happening too. From the poor to the wealthy, all will spend to buy foods such as chickens, porks, tid-bits, soft drinks and yeep...surely the beers and liquor.

What make me think about my own people attitude towards modernization in making their celebrations. It is not a traditions of a Salako customary, but it is creeping very fast into our society and it really making a very "scary" and drastic changes towards our people mentality. As to say, during gawai holidays there will lots of other celebrations taking place too, and one of it is the marriage ceremony. During this celebrations, lots of unwanted activities is taking places too. Two major event that never missed are the gambling, especially the "Holo game" and the "fun fair". What a shame all this activities is making it grip towards our small communities.

It is sad to know that our own colourful culture are being left behind because of the so called "Modernization". What will happened to our colourful culture? Why we need to change the source of our pride?

Who cares and What Matter Most

2010-05-17T22:43:00.000+08:00

You Live or Die
Who cares
You are Rich or Poor
Who Cares
You are Great or Not
Who Cares
Because by the End When You are Gone
Its Gone Friends

What Matter Most
The Sign that You Had Left
What Matter Most
Your Soul is Fine
What Matter Most
The Legacy that You have Made

Who Cares
When You Cry
Who Cares
What Made You Cry
Who Cares
When You Smile
Who Cares
What had Made You Smile

What Matter Most
Is the feeling That You Feel
What Matter Most
Is the Sincerity that You Give
What Matter Most
Is the Burning Desire that You Had

Dear Friends
If You Have Had Any Friends
If They Really Care for You
If They Really Mean To Be Your Friends
At the End "Who Cares?"

Dear People
If They Really Want to Hear You
If They Really Want to Listen To You
If They Really Want to Accomendate You
At The End "What Matter Most" is You Yourself

Be Youself
If You Want To Be Yourself
If You Want To Be Known
If You Want What Ever You Dreams Of
Just Be Yourself
Because By The End
WE WON"T HAVE ANY FRIENDS........

Why Me and Not Them...

2010-05-16T02:15:00.000+08:00

I dream of touching a star
but it is too far away
I dream of flying like a birds
but I have no wings
I dream of walking around the globe
but I can't cross the seven seas with a pair of legs

A dream is only a dream to them
For me a dreams is a sense of virtually a realistic adventure
I can imagine all the impossible is a possible
It can all come alive through my imagination

Why me and not them.....
Maybe I'm powerless and they are powerfull
Or maybe I'm poor and they are mega rich
And maybe I'm unlucky and they are lucky
But.....
I'm proud because I still can dream like them

Why me, not them....
That live with dreams
That live with imagination
That smile empty alone
That see impossible
And yet it can be possible

Why me and not them.....
Born to be what I am
Suffer as what I am
Poor as what I am
Dream as what I am

Why me and not them.....
Seen as a candle
Burning
Giving light to darkness
Showing the path and directions
Till they reach the bright end of the tunnel

Why me...
Because I want me to be what I am
And not them....
Because they don't want to be like me
When my time comes
And my entity never ends
There will always be me
Being love, being hated and being seek
That's me....TEACHER

An Inside View: Indigenous Salako Swidden Agriculture Practise and Forest Management in Lundu.

2010-05-07T23:27:00.002+08:00

The Salako are one of indigenous Bidayuh community in Sarawak. The Bidayuh were collectively called Land Dayak in the past but were officially named Bidayuh by the Malaysian government in 2002. Salako population in the 2000 census was 14,000 living in almost 22 villages. Our traditional homeland was in the southwestern tip of Sarawak, precisely in Lundu and Sematan District. More recently there has been increasing movement of the young, especially those with vocational or professional skills, to other parts of Malaysia.

Long time ago, the Salako were traditionally longhouse dwellers who made their living by subsistence farming. In recent years many have abandoned longhouses for single houses within villages, but many aspects of their traditional culture and social organization have been retained. Rice farming is still an important part of their culture and economy. The agricultural cycle is marked by important festivals called Gawai. Their way of life is structured by their adat (customary law) and rukun (a way of organizing their life). There is a strong sense of cooperation and communal sharing that goes back to the longhouse culture. Economic development and education have brought many of the Salako into the mainstream of modern Malaysian society, but they have managed to maintain many distinct aspects of their culture.

Traditionally, the Salako were animists with some influence from Hinduism and Buddhism. While they attribute spirits to many things in nature such as birds, animals, and plants, many who hold to the traditional religion today believe in a supreme god who comes to their assistance in the cycle of rice cultivation as well as major events in the cycle of life. About 45% of the Salako have become Christians. Although many Salako have come to sincerely believe in the existence of God Al-Mighty, and do attend church, some remain nominal Christians.

While many of the Salako have experienced the benefits of an improved educational system and the modern economy, the rural Salako in particular are not experiencing the same level of progress. For those in the mainstream of modernization, there is a challenge to maintain their cultural heritage and identity.

Salako Land Usage and Management:

In many parts of the world, forests, trees and their products provide the critical components of household, village, regional and national economies. This view are to see how the dependence of Salako swidden cultivators on forest resources in Lundu base on their historical perspective, detailing how Salako traditional swidden cultivators have adapted to political, economic, cultural and environmental changes. Interactions between the Salako socio-cultural heritage and the profound development in social and environmental are affecting changes access to the forest and changes in traditional management practices and concepts of ownership, as well as the very ability of the Salako people to continue to live as swidden cultivators.

Traditional Salako swidden agriculture dweller systems in Lundu range from wet-field (swamp or irrigated paddy rice) and dry-field production of annual crops, to various agro forestry regimes. The agro forestry practices include planting trees and crops in home gardens, and other forest enrichment planting practices, such as planting fruits trees.

The Salako village people give estimations the size of their land not by acreage, but by the amount of rice cultivated and produced. People know exactly how many baskets of rice they plant each year and how much they produce: to them, the products of the land are more important than the amount of land itself. Their land use are Paya’ (irrigated paddy field), Uma (Hill paddy field), Kabon (annual crops such as pepper), Taya’atn (small plot of land for crops or vegetables), Kompokng ( fruits trees plantation such durian and illipe nuts) and Timawakng ( an old living place where fruits trees are left to grows and manage).

Salako Swidden Agriculture Practice

Through a simple explaination, swidden agriculture is frequently called "shifting" or "slash and burn" agriculture, it is often not shifting at all. On the contrary, the Salako swidden style of cultivation constitutes a single part of a long-term agro forestry system, involving very long and complex rotations of crops and trees on various patches of land. Salako swiddeners do not simply slash and burn forest, moving without pattern or plan from one place to another. Their forest management practices, and the purpose associated with various practices and various products, have been particularly misunderstood. It is important to redress this lack of understanding.

In practical swidden agriculture, all staple foods as understood by the Salako swidden dweller, come from the forest, although the forest's function in the production of rice, maize, vegetables and fruits sometimes appears to be limited to supplying ash for fertilizer.

Salako swiddener’s, after clearing an old growth forest species, they will cultivate that land for one or two years, especially for planting paddy, and then determine its future use. The swidden plot can be left as a relatively unaltered fallow - reserved for future field crop cultivation. Meanwhile, the owner and villagers will use the wild or encouraged succession species that may grow in the fallow such tapioca and wild sour brinjals. Alternatively, the fallow field can be planted with fruit trees (explicitly including durian and/or illipe nut trees) or some kind of cash crop such as rubber, cocoa, illipe nut or pepper.

After swiddening, therefore, they makes important decisions about how a plot of land will be managed. These decisions will not only affect the plot's species composition and the configuration of indigenous rights to the land and resources, but will also affect the decisions that the household makes about its other lands, trees and the forest to which it has access.

The decisions by the Salako swiddener’s not to plant economic trees or not to clear areas do not mean the forest is not managed. Decisions not to clear certain kinds of trees, their habitats, or whole areas of the forest are desired for their forest products, and it is a simple way of managing the forest, and its means of regulating access to specific products within a "low-impact" management area/habitat.

Forest cleared for swidden are eventually returned, through natural or managed succession, to old growth cover over a very long period or swidden fallows are converted permanently to fruit and rubber gardens, mixed with a variety of encouraged "wild", succession species. In essence, it appears that over generations the swidden use of forests is sustainable.

Native Customary Land Right – NCR (Tanah Adat/Pusaka) Tenure

The rights of indigenous Salako people in Malaysia, especially in Lundu to convert or use particular forest territories and products are conveyed in multiple sets of customary access rules called adat (rules). In general there are three main types of property tenure: common property rights (CPRs); descent group common property rights (descent group CPRs); and, private property rights.

Common property rights are held either by the village as a whole or by descent groups. Descent group rights can be likened to "heirloom rights" and are shared among kith and kin. Private land rights for swiddening are recognised by the community for both individuals and families and, when ownership disputes arise, they are arbitrated by the village head or the head of customary law. Both men and women are accorded these rights, as they relate strongly to each individual's input of labour.

Common property rights

The common property in Salako society is the village territory. These territories were established by the ancestors who pioneered settlement and created the traditional geographic boundaries. The government then established formal boundaries which essentially followed these traditional divisions and most of these divisions remain and are recognised by the contemporary Sarawak State.

Formerly, the village proper consisted of one or two longhouses, which in turn contained as many as 10 to 20 doors or apartments located in a settlement area. Today, most village units consist of clusters of single family houses built in a residential section of the village territory. These separate households hold common property rights to the village territory and the forest products (both flora and fauna) within that territory.

Under the traditional laws of resource allocation, the land and forest surrounding the longhouse settlements remain village common property until the conditions for private claim or control are exercised by individuals or groups.

When common resources and products are shared, the group as a whole must usually agree to share the resources and products by community labour, and if any of the fellow community doesn’t participate, his ownership rights are indirectly “forfeited”.

Some forest products are also village common property wherever they grow. Any villager can collect firewood from someone's garden or swidden fallow without asking permission. Besides that, most wild foods, such as mushrooms, greens, ferns and bamboo shoots, all of which grow in the forest, in old swidden fallows or in gardens, are commonly shared.

Certain other products are village CPRs when they are wild but private property when they are planted or protected. For example, wild pandanus growing in the forest is a village CPR, but if it is planted in swidden fallows, it becomes private property.

Descent group rights

In Salako society, descent group common property rights are rights to trees or land held in common by the descendents of tree planters, tree protectors/managers, or forest clearers. The rights most often apply to trees and the fruit of trees. These are the rights retained by the children and grandchildren of the original tree planter or manager.

Rights of transfer for commonly held resources are restricted, and if any of the coheirs wants to cut or sell the tree or, in some cases, sell the land, all the other heirs should be asked permission and should be given a share in the profits or the wood. Failure to do so can result in family censure or in a hearing with village leaders and the payment of a customary fine.

Private rights

Private rights to land and forest products are generally recognized by the Salako communities if one or all of three circumstances prevail: (a) there is an investment of labour in the land or in the product's management; (b) inheritance; or (c) prior claim (finder's rights).

For trees, especially seasonal fruits trees, private rights are recognized when an individual plants, harvests, maintains (manages), and protects the tree. The rights to newly-planted trees are maintained by the planter and his household, while old trees are jointly-owned by the planter's descent group. Generally, men and women inherit rights in fruit trees equally. Finding and marking a tree also constitutes an ownership claim, but often further evidence of some management is required to uphold the claim.

Besides claims based on labour investment and inheritance, private rights may be acquired through gift or purchase.

Customary fines

Community sanctions have protected individual and household claims on both land and trees. Cutting someone's planted or managed trees, wherever they are located (in old swiddens, forest or home gardens), has always been grounds for levying a customary fine. The payment of fines for cutting trees can be compared to the payment of fines for taking someone's life: although the amount for the latter is significantly higher, the process and the justification are basically the same, because both acts deprived another's descendants of a livelihood.

Different types of customary fines must be paid according to the severity of the offence, usually by a system of weighing, which is “tahil”. Besides that, the offender are required to pay the fine which can be paid with cash, or property like trees, swidden fallows or pigs. Fines increase according to the level at which the dispute is finally settled. These fines have been standardised.

Hazards of development in the Salako Swiddeners

Access to modern facilities is not all beneficial. Through the introductions of development, social dysfunctions have also been creeping slowly into the community because of the extensiveness of interactions with the regional market economy and other social changes. Most disturbing are the incidents of increased gambling and drinking, particularly among young people

It is not surprising that many young people do not want to make swiddens or take part in the production of annual crops; this is common in many contemporary Salako villages where young people want to be "modern". The loss of large amounts of money to gambling and drinking however, rather than the investment of any surplus in potentially productive enterprises for the future, worries many of the more responsible village people.

The formalization of traditional rights as so called Native Customary Rights-NCR (though flawed as a concept because it comes after protest by the native’s when the government began to claimed all the commercial timber resources, designated reserves, and divided all land into political land use classifications) has in fact create more opportunities for the Salako swiddeners to pursue further their way of integrating their life into this much anticipated modern farming development. An understanding of the indigenous people's traditional forest managment practices, which have survived several hundred years, will help us in our ability to wisely manage our resources.

Reference:

1. Nancy Lee Peluso; The Impact of Social and Environmental Change on Forest Management:
A Case Study from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, The FAO Forestry Department, United Nations.

Ngalakar Kade Kupi

2010-04-28T13:48:00.000+08:00

Salamat batamu sabayaatn diri', adik-baradik, sakamarukatn, sakarayungan, sasuku-sakat diri' ngan sabinuaan.

Angat lalu rasa'e ari nyian sampe ana' babaju duduk ngadapik air kupi. Damia ang maok ditulisa' makhe pakalakaratn ngan paredongan sabayaatn diri' auk. Aku sabanare coba-coba bah nulis makhe bahasa diri' Salako, baajar bah. Kalo maok diri' paredongan gaunange tantang tulisatn bahasa diri' Salako nyian, diri' kana duduk samejaatn sacara taratur (formal) baruk muih jaji karajaan jukut ja'ia.

Ikut kajian urakng-urakng ang pakar bahasa ngan linguitik, bahasa Salako, Ahe, Kanayatn koa sabanare tagolong damp kalompok bahasa "Malayic Dayak" atopun sabage bahasa asal rumpun bahasa laut ang dimakhe ari nyian. Aku rasa cukup bangga lalu sabab ada ugak asal-usul bangsa diri' ang dapat diri' ngakok damp nagari diri' nyian.

Damp diri' baredokng ngan ngalakar nyian, kalo ang sidi diri' maok ngakok asal-usul bahasa diri' ang paling sesuai sabage bahasa asal rumpun bahasa laut di nusantara nyian, diri' kanalah sabanare ngangkatatn bahasa diri' nyian, patama-patama'e tulisatn ang bastatus saragam ang diri' makhe di saluruh binua diri' ang ada di Londok koa...auk jama'e kek?

Udah dohok....maok barangkat ugak sakajap, batamu agik diri' sambel nyocok kupi mantak di samikh nyian.

Ahai Naremang ngan Ngarege ku nyian bala SALAKO'a

2010-04-27T22:11:00.001+08:00

Ooooooo aiiiiiiii.....siakng maam, ampat di dini ari sampe ka patakng utatn gaunange de, ana' ugak batamu. Antah kamaya'atnik tohe sisak-sisak nyian. Dah puas rasa'e bagagok, ana' ugak namu. Abis udah siganap utan ku ngaimak, tapi bah ana' ugak de. Sige-sige'e pun ana' ugak. Koa susahe je kitak'e kalo karaja ngarege ngan naremang nyian, bagagok sisak-sisak ngan sige-sige dangan, kalo nasib bato adalah namu, kalo ana' puakng kapopoknganlah jaji'e de.....

Udah patakng lalu utan de, puakng bakakap unang nyian. Koalah bodo ku sandirik ugak gaunange de, ba'ikh babahata cholop ta'i. Auk jamaya' bah, tauk rampuh ajak auk.....bakakap pun bakakp lah, asal namu maraga sak puakng. Parut pun dah bakareyok lalu nyian,....kaparatn. Ampus taiyamp kahe nabanan amok sak makatn tangahari ajak...saepetatn balaok samba ngan ikatn karikng gonjeng ajak.

Nang kapak lalu rasa'e paha ku nyian, apak paha agik abis ba'apakatni'. Sakit ngan padih lalu rasa'e. Rangit pun mangkak kajar nangungi' tarenyek....eeeee payah lalu jai'ia. Maok golong ngak rokok, timako pun dah kaabisatn nyian. Gangokng pun dah tawar lalu.....aik ku pun dah abis.Susah.....

Lalu ka jaramik agik nyian, bapadihatni' angan nyian abis kana se'et daukng amakng...mae ana'...ngarampek lalu nyian, abis saganap tungur di ngalantaki'. Beberku pun badoyo de...kana panter bala anak-anak kayu di jaramik nyian. Nasib bah mataku nyian masih tarakng, dapatlah ugak medo-medoi' rampekatn-rampekatn dangan ang bagagok mangala di jaramik nyian.

Bukatn nya dameiya gaunange, gaik ugak bah basorakng-sorakng bajaatn utatn dah ramang-ramang ja'ia. Hehehe...nyaramang ugak ba bulu de nangar bunyi-bunyi jukut antah barantah koa....ditamahi' ngan bayang-bayang segenak kayu masa ramang-ramang ja'iatn...uuuu maok batalambak oooo....

kuuuurrrrak sumangate..ame kau layo ayap....dah ngaramus ka rumah aku.

Kompokng Urakng Asal Salako ( Indigenious Salako People Orchard )

2010-02-18T22:27:00.001+08:00

It has existed for 100 years or more. It is a place where the indingenious people planted their everlasting fruits tree for generations to benefict from it. But will it be there for ever as the emerging modern development creep in nearer and faster to the society. When ever I returned home to my "kampokng" or village, I will walked around my family orchards admiring the big and tall fruit trees like the durians, angkabakng, the langsat, the cempedak (a kind of jack fruits variety) and lots more growing closely together. Most of the fruits trees that existed in the orchards have been here for 3 generations aready, that is almost 100 years already.

One of the Ankabakng Trees at our family orchards

In todays modern world, I dont know if this type of orchards which belong to the indingenous people or orang asal will survived the ever triving development of modern world? Beside that, do the new generations of educated indigenous people or the orang asal have the will to preserved this lush green orchards, or will they themselves will develop it with a better development for material gains, and the worst thing is wheather the goverment will take it and used it for development which will make this orchards gone forever?

Most of the angkabakng and the durians trees

around the orchards are more or less 100 years old already.

I am worry of this uncertainities surounding this orchards. To the goverment agencies, this type of orchards is not productive and a waste of land. But, as we know this is the heritage of the orang asal or the indigenous people land. It should stay as it is. As a naive person view, we ourselves should starts consulting the goverment agencies of how to preserved this heritage of ours and make an effort to educate ourselves to maintains this type of orchards so that it could benefict us.

A small river running throught my family orchard.

A snap shot one butterfly flying freely around the orchard.

Durian ( Genus Durio of the Malvaceae family or Durionaceae)

2010-02-12T21:21:00.001+08:00

"King of Fruits" or Durian ( Salako langauge: Duriatn) is a local fruits in Borneo Island. Sciencetificaly it is call Genus Durio of the Malvaceae Family or Durionaceae. Today (12.2.2010), around 6.00pm, after school I wents to the "Pasar Malam" or Night markets to buy some grilled fish for dinner. While rooming around I stop at one of the fruits market and here I am attract to buy 3 very big durian fruit. What attracted me to bought the durian not because of the nice and wonderful taste of this fruits, but for the seeds. To me, the durians is extra ordinary big and it is a local variety which is planted in the mountains of the Padawan district in Kuching, Sarawak. It's big, really big and from the seller I was made to understand that this durian existed more than 100 years old already, which is planted by the seller great grand parents. Here is the picture of the durians;

1) The three durians from three different trees.

2) This durian has a long, deep and sharp torny and it's weight is almost 8 - 10 kg.

3) This durian has short, shallow torny looks and it's weight between 8 - 10 kg.

4) This durian has the shallower torny, and it's weight around 6 - 8 kg.

The flesh of this durian is also big and fleshy. However, the taste is a little bit bitter and not so sweet as ordinary size durians. It is also quite crunchy, not like ordinary size durians which has a sticky type of flesh. Its flesh color is creamy yellow. For ordinary person like me, just one of the flesh is enough to fill up the stomach, and two,...I will surely can't finish it.

5) This is the flesh of the durian which has the shallower torny. The flesh is big.....

6) The close-up poto of the flesh...

What a life...can it last?

2010-01-27T21:11:00.001+08:00

27.1.2010-Tuesday
Morning:
Wake-up : 0600
Send Children to school: 0645 ( to and fro about 30 minutes )
School Athletics Training: 0800 - 1000

Noon to Late Evening:
1130: Lunch
1230: Teacher on duty of the weeks for gathering students in between morning session end and afternoon
          session starts.
1245 : School Yearly Sports Meet Meeting ( Finish at 1425 )
1435 : Send my children home
1500: Going to Sports Supplier to order miscellameous for the school sport day and 10 competition hurdle
          for the school athletes training programmed.
1530 : School athletics training for the morning session students ( the main progression parts )
1600 to 1705 : PE class
1740 to 1820: Sit-in for classes without reachers
1830 : Jotting comments about the school situations of the day in the afternoon sessions reports books....
1845 : Drive home after seeing all students are home....
1930 : Reach home after going through traffic jams and stopping at the Supermarkets....my stomach "hell" it
           started to sing because I'm really hungry...
2000: Have a light dinner so that it won't upset my stomach....it's hurt...
2010 : Washing myself with warm water using the water heater in the bathroom....
2030 : Just...then I manage to settle down a bit by browsing the internet reading news...
2100 : Hope to starts filling the Participating Form for the Inter-house Athletics Meets....what a day...today is the due date....hacks can't get enough helps from a naive colleague about sports, can't blame him....temporary teacher too...
???? : When can I finish my works....don't know

My energy is drain. That is a PE teacher, a school athletics coach, the school technical athletics advisor, a dicipline teacher, and the School Sports Secretary work load for the day........dam it...I'm trying to cope-up my life..... The questions is...how about my degree course work? How can I balance my time to do all the works....Oh God I pray for help and guidences so that I won't become crazy.....

Going home empty stomach....

2010-01-24T22:37:00.003+08:00

After church today (24.1.2010), around 6.30pm, I bring my family to a nice restaurant in one of a big Supermarket in town. The reason is to celebrate my daughter birthday. Unfortunately I bring my family to wrong restaurant and its really leaving me cursing ....it is sin though.

It all started when we choose one restaurant and it's clean and nice. When my family sit down, we were given a menu. That's all. Around 10 minutes or more waiting for a waiter to come but none appear.Then my spouse wave her hands to called a waiter, and the waiter came and take our order.

While jotting our order, I asked how long will it take for the foods we order to be ready. The answer is, "we doesn't have enough hands going around". That surprise me a lot, especially for a good looking restaurant. What a shame to the restaurant "brand" name.

30 minutes later, our foods served to us, but not the whole orders.....mine, a simple "nasi kari". As my family eats their foods, until they nearly finish, my own order still doesn't arrived., even my simple "kopi o". What a "shit" type of services it is....although we remained the waiter many times though.

My patient run out. I just walked out leaving my family finishing their dinner, and as I walked out, I remained my spouse just pay what they are serve only. I notice that some customer walked out without having their order taken too......Then, when my family have finished their dinner, my order arrived at last (hahaha...maybe they order it from overseas), surprise too....two plates of "nasi kari" coming instead of one. We just said we don't want it any more and we only paid the order that is served earlier. The waiter seems to get upset because after explaining we just walked out. One thing though...the chicken curry that they served is directly from a canned chicken curry which they heated before they served it. Wow.....what a menu....

Our order is simple that is 5 roasted chicken rice, 2 chicken curry rice, 4 warm milo drinks, 2 ice milo and a "kopi o". First arrived 4 roasted chicken rice, and 1 chicken curry rice. About 10 minutes later, then arrived another 1 roasted chicken rice. Fews minutes later 4 warm milo drinks and then 2 ice milo.......thats all. My family finished their dinner and my spouse in the counter paying....then another 2 chicken curry rice appear, and still no "kopi o".....hahahaha...nice way to served customers...and be happy....The cost minus 1 chicken curry rice and a "kopi o" is RM54.80... Frankly that will be the first and no more to that restaurant...........it services is so bad that I give -0.00 out of ten. What a "SHIT".....

Aku Hanya Pemerhati......Budaya Dunia Kita Malaysia

2010-01-24T14:20:00.000+08:00

Aku tetap aku. Aku suka "naremang" atau"ngarege" (mencari sisa-sisa). Cara aku bercakap dan mengkritik selalunya tidak sesiapa akan angguk bila mendengarnya....senyap dan diam sahaja. Aku jarang ada respon senyuman di bibir, aku berjalan laju tanpa memperdulikan sekelilingku. Yang penting arah dan tujuanku. Aku tidak akan akan menyapa kalau tidak di sapa. Entah kenapa aku begini, tetapi itulah aku.

Aku amat mementingkan kesempurnaan kerja dan aku tidak suka jika ada orang yang bekerja kerana nama atau imbuhan. Aku mementingkan meritokrasi kerja kerana di penghujungnya....kepuasan dalam hati dan nuraini adalah matlamat kerjaku.

Aku suka bersendirian sebabnya aku tidak suka menunggu.....sebab tahap kesabaran ku adalah terhad. Jam di tangan ku pun diawalkan 15 minit dari masa atau waktu sebenarnya. Sebabnya aku cepat gemuruh jika aku lewat. Itulah aku.....

Aku tidak suka memerintah. Aku, jika dipilih sebagai pemerintah hanya akan membahagikan tugas...selebihnya aku tunjukkan cara melalui cara aku bekerja. Aku jarang menegur....reaksiku hanya wajahku yang melambangkannya. Aku hanya ada dua pilihan...mahu atau tidak mahu...itu sahaja. Alasan bagi aku hanya helah untuk mengelak. Aku melihat kesulitan dan masalah bukan sebagai halangan, tetapi sebagai cabaran untuk di cari penyelesaian.

Bahan dan rujukan bagi aku hanya sebagai alat panduan, sebab jika dituruti ia akan mengalakkan budaya tiruan atau palagiat. Aku mementingkan kekreatifan untuk penyelesaian. Aku tidak suka menonton sebab itu aku tidak mahu ditonton. Aku amat benci suara-suara sumbang dibelakang atau disekeliling. Jika mahu menonton, diam dan simpan jika yang aku pertontonkan itu ada isinya.

Aku amat tidak senang dunia protokol dan oleh itu aku tidak suka mengampu. Pertemuan untuk penjelasan dan penerangan biar hanya satu, penilaian biar seribu agar ia dapat menghasilkan satu kualiti bermutu. Kawan bagi aku adalah rakan pembimbing dan pembantu yang perlu bersepadu. Tanpa kawan aku jadi batu dan kayu kerana tiada tempat untuk mengadu.

Aku amat menyajung kualiti budaya kerja, budaya hidup dan budaya kekeluargaan bersepadu kerana ia mampu menyuntikan mutu penghidupan kita. Aku selalu mengingatkan anak-anakku dan juga pelajar-pelajarku bahawa di akhir musim persekolahan kita, kita harus jadi manusia terpelajar. Terpelajar tidak semestinya pandai, terpelajar bermakna kita mampu menghasikan suatu kerja bermutu. Ini contohnya: Jika menjadi penjual di gerai jalanan, kita seharusnya tidak menggunakan air yang hanya sebaldi yang disilih ganti untuk mencuci. Apa tidaknya kita menggunakan pinggan pakai buang, cawan pakai buang dan beg pembungkus yang dibuat daripada kertas....lebih hygenic kan dan mesra alam.

Entah...banyak dibenak ku, itulah aku. Merungut sendiri dan bercakap sendiri....

Learning about MTB/ATB Bicycle

2010-01-21T21:14:00.003+08:00

Riding a bicycle is enjoyable, but to experience the real enjoyment about a bicycle, I need to dig deep acquiring tips and knowledge about a bicycle. After I reads about bicycle at web-pages, especially in Wikipedia, I began to appreciate more about my bicycle.

My bicycle brand is Raleigh Elite Disc Trail Alloy Series. My Raleigh which I bought is made in China, and a quality one, beside it is cheaper then European or American made. I think the quality is on par with the European and the American made.

This is the details about my ATB Trail bicycle

This my ATB bicycle, a Raleigh Trail Series made from Alloy.

An easy handling of the rear cog-set and a disc brake (TEKFRO XOH)

The front disc brake.

A 12 speed Shimano Deore rear derailleur.

The Shimano Deore front derailleur, and the red plastic ring

to prevent the chain from spoiling the paint of the chain stay arms.

The adjustable SR Suntour XCM V2 shock absorber.

The Shimano Deore derailleur gear adjuster control and the CAT EYE meter

which can record the speed, the mileage, the heartbeat plus the amount of calories burn.

The Energizer front light.

Water bottle carrier.

A wonderful Zefal Parts as a carrier at the rear.

A blinking lead rear light.

I'm still not satisfied with my ATB bicycle and I'm going to up-grade it to a better mechanism especially about the derailleur speed gear and the saddle. But for now, I am enjoying my ride with my bicycle. I'm also trying to learn more about DIY to maintained my bicycle.

Why Cycling? It is an enjoyable leisure and lots of benefits....

2010-01-18T23:21:00.001+08:00

Funny though, really, the older we gets, the lazier we'll become. Maybe this is because we doesn't have much time to spend, what I meant free time as most of our time is consume for dedicating ourselves to our jobs. So that make us lazy, because we will be tired after day to day works.

So, a few month backs, I dig deep in my pocket to buy some bicycle so that I can cycle to my works place or have a leisure ride during the weekends with my nephews and brother in law. First its difficult though especially when we ride a bicycle in a heavy traffic roads, but no choice as the adrenaline is so high to enjoy the cycling adventure.

Beside just reading the boring what ever news, stories and "stupid" gossip in the newspapers, magazine and boring academically books, now I have turn to something new...about cycling and health. We all know that cycling is not just enjoyable leisurely hobby, but as we cycle, we are exercising too. Cycling is soft towards our knees and legs, yet cycling is an enjoyable type of aerobic exercise. Cycling is also a good way for us to promote a healthy life, especially reducing the risks of cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

Now I enjoy cycling and the bonding of my children is terrific. We cycle together on every weekends.....

My bicycle and My Boys Bicycle...Ride safe

This is my bicycle. A Raleigh, an old Brand Name

but now it is manufactured in China. A British Brand....

What is Angkabakng Fruits - Borneo Tallow Nuts (Shorea Stenoptera)

2010-01-17T13:34:00.000+08:00

In my family orchard (Kompokng) as far I can remember, the Angkabakng trees has existed since. I have been living in this world for almost half a century, and yet the trees still existed until I collected the fruits (picture bellow) recently. It bring a wonderful memories to me. Even I create my Blog title base on this fruits. Before, when this fruits still marketed when the seasons come, it really brings a lots of joy to our people and sometimes it create a sort of celebration. Everybody will talk about it, and tons of the smoked dried fruits is sold to the Chinese "towkey"in town.

Angkabakng is a Salako words to mentions this tree. The Ibans call it Engkabang, while the Orang Ulu's called it Tengkawang, and the Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh called it "Santong". It is a native crop grows in the tropical rainsforests of South East Asia, especially in the Island of Borneo that covers Sarawak, Sabah (Malaysia) and Kalimantan in Indonesia. From this fruits names the locals (indigenous) people called Helicopter as Belon Angkabakng (Salako) or Belon Engkabang in Ibans because the way this fruit falls to the ground, that is spinning just like the Helicopter blade spins.

My blog title Naremang is base on the activities of our people collecting this fruits especially at the end season of this fruits seasons by the months of January. This activities or Naremang is an activity of collecting the fruits that is already start sprouting (as picture bellow).

Our people (great grandparents) planted this Angkabakng many years ago because its has commercial value. During the seasons, we'll collects the ripen fruits fallen by the gusting winds. Then we'll noko'i (knock) the fruits with a small piece of woods to separate the fruits from the "wings". After that we'll Nyale (smoke dry) it inside a hut specially built for this fruits seasons. Usually it will take 2 to 3 days to dry it. Then we'll ngopakik (breaks) the dried shells of the fruits to gets the dried seeds and it’s ready for sale. It’s a tedious job though and yet the price is so low, and mid 80's it only fetches around 0.50 US dollar per kilograms. As mention in a few journals and blogs that is published in the nets, this trees took 8-9 years to mature. It life spans can lasted for 100years or more, as what that still stands until today at my family orchard.

These trees produce a fruits that is beneficial to us as human being. From a few facts that I read from the nets, the fruits is rich in fatty acids of oil, that is: Palmitic acid 18.0%, Stearic acid 43.3%, Arachidic acid 1.1%, Oleic acid 37.4%, and Linpleic acid 0.2%.

As mentions in a few article in the nets, the angkabakng fruits can be processed into a butter (Illipe butter) and have high ability to restore elasticity to the skin. It is beneficial for the treatment of: Moisturizing chronically dry skin, Mature skin, Sunburn, Healing sores, Damaged skin, Rough skin (such as on feet), Mouth ulcers, and Dry or over processed hair.

But, as thing turns around in this 21 century, sad to know that a lots of this angkabakng trees is fallen down by the greedy and unscurpulus people for the highly sought after timber. To me, we can't blame them for cutting down these trees because the price of this fruits tree is nothing compare to the tedious works that we have to go through in processing this fruits before we can markets to the world community to benefit it. Sad to say, in this year seasons (2009-2010), nobody in my community is collecting this fruits because there no news of any towkey in town is willing to buy it. What a waste.......

I'm lucky because my parents, especially my staunch mother who is still keeping and protecting the grown trees, and there is almost 20 - 30 big and tall almost 100 years plus trees at my family kompokng (orchard). What a wonderful tree it is. Actually this ankabakng trees has a lot of varieties, and at my home town, Lundu there is still a lots to see, and the wild species that grows wild is still standing tall at our proud heritage of Gading Mountain which is one of the famous Government Reserved Forest in Sarawak. Hopefully this wonderful tree will last, because although as we say it is protected, but still there is some greedy and unscrupulous people couldn't care much the important of nature to us. To them fast money is better than a wonderful lush greenly world.

Is there a "Time for us to wait" about preserving our identity?

2010-01-03T21:20:00.003+08:00

My dear readers and especially to my Salako people. Today, at the evening I went to church and I manage to get hold the church magazine called "Unity". Here I would like to share a very good words of reminder to us Salako people. It is written by Revd. Patrick Wong, of the Anglican Church.

Have You Got Time?

Time comes in little boxes. Each box is called a day.
Thrity boxes makes a carton- called a month.
A shipment of twelve cartons makes a year.
On Jan 1, we get new shipment-twelve cartons.
What a lot of time to have! We are rich in time.
But are you sure you recieved a full shipment?

What if your subscription time ran out during the year?
What if you opened a carton and found only empty boxes?
No more time? No more time?

But you may have a full shipment this year.
And you may have more shipments in the near future.
Yet, will you say, "I have no time"?
That is a strange remark.

People who say 'I have no time' always have time.
Those who have no time are dead.

The dead do not mention their lack of time.
Only the living say 'I have no time.'
All have the same amount of time-24 hours a day, or none.
The difference is how we use our time.

When we say we have "no time' for 'something,' we mean that the 'something' is not important enough.
We have to spend our time.
It won't keep in a bank-not even with a time lock on the vault.

When you say you have no time for church or to serve Christ,
You are saying that you would rather spend your time in other ways.

Of course you don't want to sound that way.
You want to say, "I'll give time to God later when I have more time.'

But are you sure you will have more time?

What if your next box is.......EMPTY?
Written by Revd. Patrick Wong

My dear readers and Salako people, I'm not talking about faiths here, although the words of reminder above do so. What I'm trying to say is that, we have to spend time together as a concerns Salako especially about our diminishing identity. We are moving forward fast but lacks to realize that we are moving away from our religare or "rukun" and "adat". The culture that our great grand parents give us is our identity, and yet nowadays we are forgetting about it. As mentions above, time won't wait and how about if our next box of time is Empty? It is important for us as a Salako. which is small in numbers to work together to preserve our culture as our identity. The question is WHO will starts, and WHEN to starts. Our old folks is still here as our living reference while there are still time for us. What if there is no more time, surely it will be late to starts and its hard to do all the research because IT WILL ONLY BE HISTORY. We needs to starts together because we can't walk alone in preserving our culture as our identity.

The Salako Circumcision Celebration or A ceremony of Joy ( Gawe Basunat Bababuk)

2009-12-28T19:35:00.001+08:00

The Gift's For Bababuk Celebration (Pabuisatn Gawe Bababuk)

The Salako Circumcision Celebration or Gawe Basunat Bababuk is one of many celebrations that the Salako people celebrated. It is a traditional customary of Salako people way of realizing their "niat" or wish of joys for their male children who have undergone circumcision. It is also a way for them to show to their community that their children is turning to adulthood. It is not a ritual, but only a simple ceremony of joy.

This celebration bring a lot of joy to the community itself. It is during this celebration where all the community shows the spirit of cooperation by giving a helping hands in the preparation of the celebration. This celebration also brings a good brotherhood among the community, especially among the relatives of the celebrant.

This celebrations usually done in two days. The first day is the preparation day or "Macah Baras". The second day is the ceremony of joy or the celebration which starts as early as 5.00 am. The night between the two days, the elderly including the celebrant will sit down together to talks (basapakat) about the intentions of the celebration and who who's is responsible and has the right to accept and receive the gift's (pabuisatn) the next day. The meeting can last quite long, and here where the younger generation of the community can learned the customary ( rukun ) of know how about running the celebration.

Actually the "Gawe Bababuk" is a simple ceremony of joy where the preparation of the gift's is only for a few persons who is responsible in giving a helping hand to the celebrant during the circumcision, such as:

1. The host of the ceremony or "Lawakng"

2. The ritual priest or "Panyangahatn"

3. The person who done the circumcision on the boy or "Tukang Sunat"

4. The person who help bring the boy for circumcision or "Pangamin"

5. The person who help sending the boy for circumcision or "Tukang Antat or Pangantat"

6. The person who is expert in doing the cutting of the slaughtered pig.

Here is the simple order of how the celebration or ceremony of joy for circumcision ( Gawe Basunat Bababuk) is done:

Making the "Tumpik" or "Numpik" at the evening of the "Macah Baras"

The cooking of the "Lamang" or "Madar Lamang" using "Ra'rahatn".

Working together catching the pig for slaughtering as a gift (pabuisatn) that weight almost 80kg

The "Bakalakar Basapakat" at the night of the "Macah Baras"

* The two elderly man sitting in front of the "apar" is the two persons who will be responsible for the ritual priest of the ceremony or "panyangahatn" and also the community leader or "Katua kampokng or Katua Raya" who will be in-charge of distributing the gift during the ceremony.

The proses of cutting the slaughtered pig by the expert who knows how

according to "rukun" or as the rules of the "pabuisatn" (gifts)

* The cutting of the slaughtered pig is divided precisely into different parts, such as:

1. Ka'akng Buis

2. Kuit Ajakng

3. Pangime

4. Tete'atn

5. Barakng ( on the right side of the hind leg)

6. Tali Ra'akng

7. A'sukng Banukng (the main parts)

8. Isi' Munsur

9. Rusuk

10. Angan Padar

The process of cutting and dividing the pig parts

which has been blanched or "dingarok" for the "Pabuisatn".

The prepared gifts to be distributed to the persons concerns (Pabuisatn)

The "Bakalakar Kasapaduatn" ceremony where the elderly,

the Katua Raya and the Panyangahatn compromise

in distributing the gifts to rightful persons.

The ceremony of joy will always lasted for a few hours where the elderly will talks and decide until they reach a compromise who is the rightful persons should accept the gift's.

To my point of view, this ceremony of joy is a good ceremony for our people (Salako) to maintain their brotherhood and friendship among themselves as one community. Beside that, it is a way of strengthening this relationship by keeping "our spirit of togetherness" and working together as a community.

By the end of the day, it is a way for our younger generation to understand our own culture and keeping it alive to enrich our Malaysian diversity of cultures. It is also as a starting points for our young generation to realize that we need an identity of our own culture for safe keeping as a SALAKO. We need our identity before we loose it, especially in this fast moving cyber world. WE HAVE OUR IDENTITY.......BUT WHERE AND WHAT?

RECONSTRUCTING THE MEANING OF OFFERING IN THE INDEIGENOUS DAYAK SALAKO RELIGARE

2009-09-23T20:36:00.000+08:00

To understand the basic nature of the Indigenous Dayak Salako ancestral thinker when they create the offering in their religare for their religious, healing and celebration ceremony, we have to understand the basic knowledge of nature symbol that symbolize their believe towards their spiritual world. To digest the meaning of this symbol, the basis are arrangement of foods and miscellaneous in the round bronze tray with stand that they put during their offering for religious, healing or celebration ceremony.

The Apar contains the offering.

The basic traditional foods are the Bontokng (rice cake wrap in special leaves and cooked inside a bamboo), Lamang (made of glutinous rice wrap in banana leaves and cooked inside a bamboo), Tumpi’[k] (a deep fried pancake made from rice flour), Karakek (a piper betel leaves), Kapur (lime stone paste), Pinang (Betel nut), Timako (Tobacco) and Rokok Apong (cigar made from nipah palm leaves). Beside these basic traditional foods, the animals offering are Manok (chicken) and parts of Enyekng (pork). To complete the offering especially for their religious or healing ceremony, there will be a small saucer fill with Baras Kuning (rice colored yellow with turmeric), and it is called “patek”.

The basic meaning of symbol for the traditional foods and miscellaneous offering are as follows:

1. Bontokng is the gist symbol for the indigenous Dayak Salako offering. This is because rice is from paddy, and it is the main gist of the indigenous Dayak Salako life. Without paddy and rice, there will be a hard life and rice is the staple food of the indigenous Dayak Salako. Bontokng symbolize life.

2. Lemang and Tumpi’[k] symbolize the male and female. Lemang which is cooked in a bamboo symbolize a male and tumpi’[k] which is made from rice flour is soft symbolize a female. It basic meaning is all life that lives in this world start from partnership of male and female.

Bontokng, Lamang and Tumpi'[k]

3. Karakek, Kapur and Pinang is a type of chewing foods for the indigenous Dayak salako women. This three symbolize the character of a female which give birth and produce children. Karakek which is green in color, symbolize nature, Kapur which white in color symbolize a semen (usually this kapur is spread over the karakek before eaten), and Pinang will create the color of red, which symbolize blood.

Karakek (piper betel leaves)

Kapur (White Limestone Paste)

Pinang (betel nuts)

4. Timako and Rokok Apong symbolize politeness. Timako is a symbol of a pubic hair, and the Rokok Apong is a symbol of covering the pubic area of the male and female.

Timako and Apong (Tobacco and Nipah Palm Leaves Cigar)

5. The slaughtered animals offering that is Manok and Enyekng parts is a symbol of thanks giving to the spirit, and it is also as a sign of brotherhood for the persons who helps organizing the ceremony.

6. The patek symbolize the welcoming of the unseen spirit to the ceremony. This patek are usually sprinkle around by the ceremonial priest while reading the phrases of offering.

My acknowledgment and special thanks for the picture to:

1.Tumpik, lemang, bontokng: http://rachaelsoong.wordpress.com/
2.Buah pinang: http://cerihijau.wordpress.com/
3.Rokok apong and tobacoo: http://sarikei-time-capsule.blogspot.com/
4.Lime stone paste: http://www.khiewchanta.com/archives/ingredients/
5. The Apar Contains the offering: http://www.redgoldarawana.blogspot.com/

How to grow a Bird’s-nest fern (Asplenium nidus)

2009-09-13T21:59:00.000+08:00

Bird’s-nest fern is a very popular houseplant. In Sarawak, Malaysia, which has a tropical climate and the humidity is high, and daily temperature of 27⁰C to 32⁰C, it is very easy to spot a bird's-nest fern everywhere. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, bird’s-nest fern is a large epiphytic spleenwort (Asplenium nidus) of tropical Asia and Polynesia that has large lance-shaped leaves and is often grown as a houseplant.

Bird's-nest fern is a kind of parasitic plants and has a lot of varieties. As explained in Wikipedia, they grow in a tight, nest-like clump, with a linguate leaf rosette and are usually epiphytic growing in trees. It has a short stout erect rhizome (stem) which bears a rosette of simple, long, pointed leaves (fronds) to form a "nest".

According to Lee-Khoo, Guan Fong,(2003) explaination, the stem is usually not visible from the top. The nest traps fallen leaves and other debris which eventually decompose to humus. Beneath the nest of fronds is a large spongy, mass of roots which are covered by the reflexed dead leaves. Rain water is soaked up and stored in the mass. In this way, the plant provides its own food and water and can continue to grow in a soilless condition as long as it is not left to dry out for too long. When the plant grows upward and outward and the root mass become deeper and spongier, it attracts other ferns, mosses or algae to grow on the root mass.

Bird’s-nest fern is a non poisonous houseplant, and it is one of the beautiful houseplant which can give a very nice greenie looks in a small compact area around our home. By my experience of growing this wonderful houseplant, especially in a tropical country like Malaysia, it is quite easy.

It is best planted in a flower pot made of clay (porcelains). As Jon Van Zile said, this plant is quite easy to grow. Bird’s Nest Fern prefers soil that is kept partially dry and can even handle dry soil for short periods of time. It can live in drier air than most ferns. It enjoys warm to average temperatures, and prefers bright indirect light. Do not place it where the sun will shine directly on it. Always protect Bird’s Nest Fern from drafts.

Here I’m writing some simple tips how to grow bird’s-nest fern.

Step 1:

First, how to find a good bird's-nest "seedling"? If you have time, especially during weekends, spend a time rooming around the farm yards that is planted with fruit trees because this plants like to grow at some fruits trees. Here, I managed to get some good bird's-nest fern "seedling" which nestle nicely at some trees around my mum orchards, just behind her kampung house.

Step 2:

This is the best bird's-nest fern I can find, especially during this dry seasons. As we know, bird's-nest fern is a kind of parasitic plants, so we have to remove it from it host carefully, but it is not difficult as we would think. Use our bare hands without any added tools needed. Here is the bird's-nest fern after I removed it from it host.

Step 3:

After removing the bird's-nest fern from it host, the first thing to do is watering it with a good amount of water, especially when you are traveling far. Here is the first rule, bird's-nest fern actually needs a lot of water to grow nicely.

Step 4:

Find some nice flower pot. Get one flower pots that is big enough because the bird's-nest fern can grows big. The best flower pot is between 30cm to 50 cm wide, and around 30cm high.

Step 5:

Get a good top soil. Mixed it with chicken dunk, around 250gm to 300gm. Put the mixed soil into the flower pot.

Step 6:

The next step is get your bird's-nest fern and plant it nicely as shown in the picture. Make sure that the top part of the bird's-nest fern is not covered with the soil.

Step 7:

After the process of planting the bird's-nest fern, make sure to water it with a good amount of water. Keep your planted bird's-nest fern in a shady place, and no direct sun light. This is my seven simple steps of how to grow Bird's-nest fern.

Make sure to water it with a good amount of water at least once in three days. Put some compound fertilizer with a mixer of N:12%, P2O5:12%, K2O:17%, and MgO+TE:2%, for a duration 3 months once. The picture below is my newly planted bird's-nest fern. Good Luck and have a successful trial.

A Swallow Nesting at My House. Is it a Luck...is it a reality or merely a circumstances?

2009-09-08T22:00:00.000+08:00

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Behold and believed, that is what every people say when they come to my house just because there is a swallow nest at the corner of my car porch. This friends and visitors alike will tell me that this swallow nest show that my house has a cool and positive element in terms of luck.

This swallows has been as what I say living with us for almost 4 years already and its has been breeding for three times. The first time this swallows build their nest they have one chicks. Then I decided to removed the nest, but amazingly they came back and build it again at the same spot. Then this time the swallows have 3 chicks.

The past two month this same swallow keep coming and breed again with two chicks. The amazing thing is every time their nest is being disturb especially by the naughty little "burung pipit" which also like to roam around, they repair their nest. The picture above is some photo of their two new hatch chicks which I manage to snap. My last word is just this, Thanks God, because I know at least I'm helping to preserve of this small wonderful little creature to live with my family.
Although its dropping sometime irritated , but I enjoy its present with us.