Fond memories of ‘ngabang Raya’
This year’s Aidilfitri festivities will definitely be different. Opportunities to visit family members and loved ones will be limited. There will be no open houses or ‘kenduri’ to attend and mingle with relatives. – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Prime Minister Perhaps my earliest episode related to Hari Raya was in the early sixties, though it […]
Iban courtship practice of ngayap
When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity. – Albert Einstein, German physicist A lot of people have asked me to share some items on the Iban traditional courting custom ngayap. This part of […]
Every day is Mother’s Day
It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful? – Mahatma Gandhi, Indian anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist Thousands of articles were dedicated to mothers on Mother’s Day recently. RTM’s radio Iban section WaiFM had listeners giving messages of undying love for their moms, the women who have […]
Tracing kinships through ‘tusut’
Why waste your money looking up your family tree? Just go into politics and your opponents will do it for you. – Mark Twain, American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer Genealogy in Iban community has played very important roles in various aspects of their lives. Known as tusut, it is pivotal in determining relationships, […]
Interestingly staying tuned
I loved singing. But can you imagine my voice in an opera house? –Vladimir Horowitz, Russian-born American classical pianist With no more new novels to read during the long movement control order — and with most if not all bookstores being closed — I ended up tuning up to WaiFM, and was very contented listening […]
Of warriors and murderers
Let us form one body, one heart, and defend to the last warrior our country, our homes, our liberty, and the graves of our fathers. – Tecumseh, American Indian warrior During the headhunting days Iban men, who fought in battles were rightfully called warriors. After 1841 some of these Iban headhunters sided with the white […]
Thanks to a decisive quit
As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain from smoking when awake. –MARK TWAIN, AMERICAN WRITER, HUMOURIST AND LECTURER Perhaps it was a good thing that I had the willpower to quit smoking decades ago. […]
Keeping the EP flame burning
Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps. – ROD STEWART, BRITISH ROCK SINGER AND SONGWRITER None of our Elvis Presley Fan Club of Sarawak (EPFCS) members really sound like our idol, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll (though Elvis […]
Extreme care needed on the roads
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac? – George Carlin, American stand-up comedian, author and social critic Road accidents of any kind, fatal or not, always bring change or changes to one’s life, the environment, even to society, especially if […]
Images remind of school’s anniversary
It is not who you attend school with but who controls the school you attend. – NICK GIOVANNI, HEAD OF THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND TELECOM GROUP TMT Few images from my first schooling year kept on flashing either as day dreams or just imaginations over the last few days. As if they were to […]
