Author: Valentine Tawie Salok

Our group of boys in the ‘ulu’ (remote hinterland) of the late 50s through to the 60s had to be contented with our surroundings as our playground and source of entertainment as well as joy. In the absence of toys, gadgets, cinemas and other entertainment items the urban centres could

A Chinese movie in the late 60s/early 70s entitled ‘Have Swords Will Travel’ starring David Chiang and Ti Lung provided me with some inspiration with the title of this article though there are scores of other titles that could possibly fit in. Oh yes, the Chinese movies, especially those of

July 2, 1975 was historic in various ways. One, it was the first time Sarawak had her first TV broadcast. Secondly, that was the day Muhammad Ali fought Canadian Joe Bugner in Kuala Lumpur. It was also the date I and two others arrived at the Minden campus of Universiti

When a tradition gathers enough strength to go on for centuries, you don’t just turn it off one day. – Chinua Achebe, Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic Iban traditional designs and tattoos, both known as ‘ukir’ in our language, are a legacy of our forefathers. These are indeed arguably

I have found out who are my real friends, thanks to the illness and hospitals. – Chris Rea, British singer, songwriter Hospitals — they are where life begins and where it probably ends. I was not privileged to come to this world there, thanks to backwardness of the early 50s

It smelled like you’d buried somebody holding a big wheel of Stilton in his arms, then dug him up a few weeks later. – Anthony Bourdain, American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian Here comes another story about durians but this does not mean I’m craving for the king of

It pays to be in the best shape possible when you’re wrangling the largest reptiles on Earth! – Terri Irwin, American-Australian naturalist, conservationist and author River or stream fishing has been my great passion since childhood. And now that I am freer to roam, it’s a good time to continue.

Cockfighting must be considered a barbarous diversion. – Edward Law, first Baron Ellenborough The few weeks before and after the last Gawai Dayak, cockfighting enthusiasts in Saratok enjoyed their pastime despite some interruptions by the cops. The cockfighting sessions showed perfect harmony among Iban cockers and their Chinese, Malay and

To celebrate a festival means: to live out, for some special occasion and in an uncommon manner, the universal assent to the world as a whole. – Josef Pieper, German philosopher   Ngiling tikai (rolling of the mat), a ceremony held as the concluding episode of Gawai Dayak which is

The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals. – Siddharth Katragadda, Indian writer,    filmmaker, artist and poet   Our last Gawai celebrations at the longhouse were perhaps the most creative of all over the years. These all started from the Gawai eve on May 31 commencing