UNIQUE WAY BY A REMOTE VILLAGE

Last week I was outstation to the district of Keningau for some verification of some project initiated by the government to the remote primary schools in the Sook constituency. I traveled to almost every nook and corner of Sabah wherever our station is sited and most of them are very far from civilization and it is expected of what was in store. It was very much different compared between the private sector and government sector where in the private sector, all work are being quickly attended to in the earliest time possible.

I won’t be writing about any government department or the type of work that we did but just to share my experience when visiting those places which are really very remote and I was thinking why those people of all places, chooses to stay at the villages very far and only accessible by gravel and sometimes slippery roads when it rained. I didn’t have the privilege to interview the villagers about how did they ended staying in those places as I was only visiting the schools. I managed to ask one of the teachers of how he felt about knowing that he was posted to the remote village in the district of Sook.

Me : Good Morning teacher?

Teacher : Good morning too.

Me : How long have you been a teacher?

Teacher :
I was working before when I enrolled myself to become a teacher. I was sent to Kuching Teacher Training College for a teaching course and after completing my course was posted to this School. Thankfully they posted to my state of origin otherwise it might be somewhere else.

Me: How did you felt when you were posted to this remote village?

Teacher:
I was lucky that my in-laws were from this village and the shock of being posted here did not sadden me much. Every Friday I will be heading home to my place in Penampang.

There was another a lady teacher who is married from a nearby Keningau district said that the allowance of RM500.00 was too much to reject, as she is not far from Keningau town.

We lost once to look for one of the village but meeting one fellow in the forest was indeed very lucky to ask for the direction. I found out that to enter one particular village you have to enter through a simple gate, as the entire village was fenced. As the villages were inter-connected and fenced-up, there were many gates to open and closed after entering or exiting the villages. The fence double up as to keep their animals from wandering away and for their security I guess. It was indeed an eye opener for me that although their villages are very remote they still have the unique way of managing their vast village.

BRITISH VS MALAYSIAN ENGLISH

British English vs. Malaysian English

Who says our English is teruk? Just read below - Ours is simple, short, concise, straight-to-the-point, effective etc.

WHEN GIVING A CUSTOMER BAD NEWS
Britons: I'm sorry, sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you.

Malaysians: No stock.

RETURNING A CALL
Britons: Hello, this is John Smith. Did anyone call for me a few moments ago?

Malaysians: Hello, who call?

ASKING SOMEONE TO MAKE WAY
Britons: Excuse me, I would like to get by. Would you please make way?

Malaysians: S-kew me.

WHEN SOMEONE OFFERS TO PAY
Britons: Hey! Put your wallet away, this drink is on me.

Malaysians: No need lah.

WHEN ASKING FOR PERMISSION
Britons: Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door?

Malaysians: (pointing at the door) Can ah?

WHEN ENTERTAINING
Britons: Please make yourself right at home.

Malaysians: No need shy shy one lah!

WHEN DOUBTING SOMEONE
Britons: I don't recall you giving me the money.

Malaysians: Where got?

WHEN DECLINING AN OFFER
Britons: I would prefer not to do that, if you don't mind.

Malaysians: Don't want lah.

IN DISAGREEING ON A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION
Britons: Err...Tom, I have to stop you there. I understand where you're coming from, but I really have to disagree with what you said about the issue.

Malaysians: You mad ah?

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE TO LOWER THEIR VOICE.
Britons: Excuse me, but could you please lower your voice? I'm trying to concentrate over here.

Malaysians: Shut up lah!

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE IF HE/SHE KNOWS YOU..
Britons: Excuse me, but I noticed you staring at me for sometime. Do I know you?

Malaysians: See what, see what?

WHEN ASSESSING A TIGHT SITUATION.
Britons: We seem to be in a bit of a predicament at the moment..

Malaysians: Die lah!!

WHEN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED
Britons: Will someone tell me what has just happened?

Malaysians: What happened ah? Why like that one lah?

WHEN SOMEONE DID SOMETHING WRONG
Britons: This isn't the way to do it. Here, let me show you.

Malaysians: Like that also don't know how to do!

WHEN ONE IS ANGRY
Britons: Would you mind not disturbing me?

Malaysians: Celaka you!

So which would you prefer? Send this to your Malaysian friends and let them have a laugh too. Good day!

EMBARRASING BIRTHDAY SURPRISE.

Strong winds, believed the tail effects of Typhoon Molave that lashed the Philippines caused havoc around the State capital Sunday, uprooting trees, snapping trunks and sending huge billboards tumbling down according to the news reports. It started around 5.00 pm for about less than an hour.

In my place few bananas trees were uprooted as well as my doghouse was turn upside down and rain water sipping through the louvers. I was hopping that it will not ripped off the roof of the house. After the wind subsided I cleared the debris left by the tail of Typhoon Molave.

I made reservation for my birthday dinner (19 July) with another set of family members and was crossing my finger that the tail of the Typhoon will not re-occur again as the dinner was at 7.30 pm. Thankfully although still raining but not heavy, the dinner was held without the thought of any untoward incident. I did received a few birthday wishes friends and family members and thank them for remembering my birthday. It happens that my birthday falls on Sunday this year.

Today, Monday I received email wishing belated birthday, which was broadcast amongst my colleagues, which later became a chat session for a while. I was suspecting something when a woman colleague asking for lighter and whispering amongst the staff. Later they brought a cake with candles lighted to my desk with the staff singing the birthday song. Although I was suspecting something going on, I was embarrassed that they brought it to my desk and at the same time singing the birthday song. To appreciate their good gesture I follow their demand to blow the candles and some pictures.

Although embarrassed, I would like to thank my entire colleague who bought the cake especially all the ladies who did the surprise of a lifetime. Thank you to all.

BLIND LOVE

Love without Boundaries paints a colorful portrait of the unique stories of a young man who came all the way to Kota Kinabalu looking for his lost online girlfriend by the name of Casandra. He is 25 years old by the name of Terri from Kuala Lumpur. He arrived in Kota Kinabalu last Sunday and been to several places around the city especially around major shopping complexes looking for the girl. He got to know the girl through Internet networking service since two years ago and started sending email and sms after knowing each other for six months. He lost contact of the girl after her family member allegedly confiscated her phone which apparently causing her to be unable to contact him.

He said people are worried about me taking advantage of other people but he is purely to look for the woman who he fell in love. Although he never met Cassandra, he likens it just like a blind man would. He desperately hopes to finally meet Cassandra for the first time. If he does not meet Cassandra before he leaves the state by Sunday, he has message to her.

‘SETINGGI-TINGGI GUNUNG KINABALU, SETINGGI CINTA KU BANDING. MUHANG OKU DIKA, MILANGAD-LANGAD OKU DIKA’ (Translation – missed and love you very much)

POINT TO PONDER

Some Internet users involved in online romances describe their relationship in these terms: "I’m a different person when I’m with him [online]" or "I’m happy and confident when we are talking online. I’m not like that any other time." These feelings might be incorrectly attributed to the relationship’s success, when the reality is that behavior has been altered through subconscious self-exploration. Once these relationships move off line, they often wane, since the magic (and the altering of identity) cannot be maintained without the online illusion.

Another complication of Internet dating is the use of the Internet as an escape. The Internet can become a fantastic and unreal world. Online, we are who we say we are, if only for a few hours. This escape from reality, however, makes online dating more difficult. Trish, a friend of a friend, ruined a potential relationship because fantasy caused her to be dishonest. Trish met a man online, and the online relationship quickly blossomed into an intense, intimate encounter. She had lied in the beginning of the relationship by understating her own weight by 150 pounds.

When he asked for her picture a week later, she worried about her lie, and sent a picture of a slimmer woman instead. In her mind, however, he would come to accept her physically once he fell in love with her soul. A few weeks passed, and the relationship intensified. He arranged to fly to meet her. She felt confident that her lie would be forgiven if she confessed in person. However, the woman he met was nothing physically that she had led him to imagine. He walked away angrily and refused to speak to her again. Distraught, Trish blamed society’s focus on beauty, not willing to realize that she had betrayed him by misrepresenting herself.

BAPTISM

Last Sunday afternoon I attended a child baptism at the sacred cathedral Kota Kinabalu. I was the godparent of my nephew son, Chester. There were about more than fifty children baptize and just imagine without air-condition they were crying and the parents were just trying to make them comfortable while others help to sooth the child where possible.

My nephew son was uncomfortable with the heat and cried but after other parents advices to remove the long pant and he slept after that. He cried after white cloth was worn after the baptism was completed. The garment was long covering the whole body and the material was thicker which trap hot air, which will be hot for the child.

Baptism is one of the two most important sacraments in Christianity. At its most basic, it involves application of or immersion in water, a blessing, and the pronouncement, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Most Christian churches baptize both infants and adults, but adult usually baptized after having attended the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) classes for a year. The Church will not baptize if the individual who need the conversion to the Catholic faith does not complete the one-year RCIA class.

I converted to the Catholic faith when I was in my very young age as both my parent at that time were a non-Christian. They’re both Pagan. When I started my kindergarten, I was enrolled to a mission as all villagers were schooled there. I was exposed to the catholic faith since I was small and knew how to pray and attended church activities and masses. I didn’t know that I was not baptized and thought that the services I attended at the Church were part of the school curriculum.

Later I found out that I was a pagan when filling out the personal biodata for some School activities. I attended religious lesson at that time and it was just to learn more about the Catholic faith, as I had no problem with the prayer as I had learned it by heart then.

When I received the Sacrament of Baptism, I was very happy to be part of the faithful to the Catholic faith. Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door, which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."

When you feel you are ready to join the Catholic Church, contact any Catholic parish and ask about information about their RCIA Inquiry group. This is the first step in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) but you can stop at any time.

There is no obligation to become a Catholic.

With love and prayers in Christ.

WHICH ONE IS MORE PAINFUL?

This one ...


or this ...