Travelling to Miri June 19, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Career, Education, My Views, School Activities.add a comment
Very recently one of our officers called me up to tell me that he and I would be going to Miri on the 24th June to attend a three-day briefings conducted by our ministry. Initially I wanted to reject but then after second thought I agreed to go with him. This is a second round of the similar briefings which was held in Kuching two months ago. For the upcoming briefings, our route from our place would be fully provided by the office – transport and accommodation.
Like the previous briefings, we are supposed to conduct in-house training for heads of schools or their senior assistants. And the upcoming one would be similar. The briefings would be about the ministry’s vision to re-activate the school-based in-house training in schools rather than calling teachers to come down to a centralized trainings, which is a waste of time and resources to most schools in the interior. The implementation of the said training is based on the idea “let managers (school heads) manage”, which is, to me, a brilliant idea.
Facebook June 12, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Career, Computer, Culture, Education, Ethnic, Family, Forum, Love, My Views, Relationship, Writing.Tags: Gawai Dayak, Fionula, Connie, Festival, Family
1 comment so far
Sometimes ago I was invited by some friends of mine to sign up with Facebook (FB). Iniatially I turned down their invitation, but I did not give them any reasons. I simply kept the reasons to myself – workload, not ready to ‘expose’ myself, etc. But not until recently when a particular friend ‘re-invited’ me to sign up. I could not turn down the invitation for the second time. Then, after our Gawai festival, I signed up with FB. After the sign up, I added some familiar friends, and to my surprise, most of them have been with FB for a long time. It was me who was ‘left out’. As time flies, I added more friends and most of my request to add the people were accepted. It is fun to see their pictures and read comments. Like in our portal, engkabang.net, I do not post much comments on other’s FB, but simply click on the “like” link to show how I feel towards what they had put up. Am I introvert? Perhaps. In real life, too, I do not talk a lot. I prefer sitting down and ‘read’ – reading prints and people. What do I mean by ‘reading’ people? It’s simply an act of looking at another person and studying or observing his/her moves, with the intention to understand what type of person he/she is! Mind you, most of my observations are fruitful! But I do not want to be a psychologist, since I am not one by profession.
Back to FB: In FB I am now among my friends and even relatives. One interesting thing I found in FB, was, my daughter, Fionula Connie Duie, have been with FB 2 years ahead of me! Besides her, two of my cousins, Marilyn and her sister, Olivia, have accepted me in FB. I guess who is next I’d meet in FB.
Lester Called June 9, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Celebration, Education, Family, Festival, Forum, Gawai, My Views, Relationship, Sarawak, Writing.Tags: Car, Gawai Dayak
add a comment
Lester, our engkabang.net portal member, called me at 4.00 p.m. today, telling me that he and his family made a short stop in Betong. It was his first time coming to Betong, as he and his family was on their way back from Kuching to Roban. As Lester is from Miri, and his wife is from Roban, I learned that there’s no reason for him to come to Betong. But it was me who had suggested to him that he should drop by whenever he has the time. I was glad he and his family had made it today for stopping in the town. Unfortunately I did not have the chance to meet them as my wife had used our car to meet her sister at a sewing workshop. But Lester did not mind I could not meet him, as he said that they were just looking around the town. We greeted each other Happy Gawai over the phone before he hang up.
Gawai Dayak 2009 June 5, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Celebration, Culture, Ethnic, Family, Festival, Gawai, Language, Love, My Views.Tags: 2009, Celebration, Culture, Family, Festival
add a comment
This year’s Gawai Dayak the family still maintain it’s tradition where everyone comes home. Chester arrived on May 29 from Song. My daughter, Fionula and her husband, Dalton on the May 31st. Seeing eveyone present around the dinning table was delightful. Mum’s place was once again filled with laughters and joy. I could see that everyone was happy. That night, my family and I went to Buloh Antu to join my brother-in-law, Ken and his family celebrating the Gawai.
The next day, June 1st, we went back to mum’s place downtown. Upon reaching home, Chester, and I decided to see our sister in Pais, Skrang and we went there around 10 a.m. in his Kenari. We had a good times in Pais. By 1 p.m., we returned to mum’s place. Upon reaching home, we told mum that we are going to Stambak Ulu to join the Stambakians celebrating the Gawai. It took us about 10 minutes to reach the longhouse. There, we joined our cousins, Ansi and Jenir and the other families celebrating. By 10 p.m., Chester, mum and I returned home – exhausted!
June 2nd, everyone seems tired of yesterday’s booze. Sis Suzie and her family came from Pais. Chester suggested that the three of us and the other family members would have a simple barbeque outside mum’s house. And once again, the Gawai “mood” rolled back. Chester invited our cousin, Philip, and his family from Entanak to join the barbeque that evening. On that evening too, right after the barbeque (an a steamboat ‘meal’), Fionula and her husband, hit the road back to Kuching.
On June 4th, Suzie and her family left for Kuching, and today, June 5th, Chester was the last person to leave for Song. Despite my brother’s and sister’s departure, the Gawai ‘mood’ is still felt by my family and I. From this point, we are looking forward to meet again next Gawai season.
