Author: Valentine Tawie Salok

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

MOST people were very skeptical upon learning that the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) was about to enter into a joint venture in commercial oil palm plantation with Native Customary Rights (NCR) landowners in Saratok-Saribas region in the mid-1990s. It was found out later that those giving their

It is that time of the year, when Sarawak’s rich diversity of culture is showcased at its best. Traditionally, the Dayak community welcomes the Gawai celebrations to give thanks to the gods for another successful harvest of the paddy, while praying for another good season up ahead. Celebrated in the

Darkness does not intimidate me. I have never been really scared of darkness, thanks to my very early exposure to life at the edge of the jungle. Nyctophobia, or debilitating fear of the dark, is one of the most common specific phobias in children aged between six and 12, even

While others are still in blissful mood occupying our new and spacy office at Metrocity in Matang here in the state capital, I have been badly down with shingles for nearly three weeks. This is the second time that this viral infection got the better of me – I first

Farmers are now yearning for rain because the dry, hot weather has done so much destruction to their crops and nurseries. Many are also facing shortage of drinking water while people who are sensitive to prolonged extreme heat are longing for respite afforded by a spell of rainy weather. Rain,

Being the youngest of four siblings, I was the closest to my late apai (father) Salok Jembu (1910-2002), sharing his interest in fishing and in bard practices. My two brothers Edward, 77, and Jon, who turned 71 last Tuesday, shared little of his bard interest and practices, but are both

During the Brooke era in Sarawak, every time the three white rajahs – James, Charles and Vyner – acquired a territory from the Sultan of Brunei, they built forts, most of which were named after themselves and their family members as well as close friends. As a result, forts mostly

It is interesting to note some punters of the four-digit (4D) lottery and other forecast games by Toto, Magnum, Sweep and other counters in Malaysia are betting more than their monthly income. These punters are actually the lifeline of these counters for without them, these counters are certain to be