Facebook June 12, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Career, Computer, Culture, Education, Ethnic, Family, Forum, Love, My Views, Relationship, Writing.Tags: Connie, Family, Festival, Fionula, Gawai Dayak
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.
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.
Check out my Slide Show! May 24, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Career, Celebration, Education, Family, Language, Love, My Views, Relationship.Tags: convocation, Kuala Lumpur, Open University Malaysia, TESL
add a comment
My Trevor is into Lower Six May 14, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Career, Education, Family, Language, Love, My Views, Relationship, School Activities.Tags: advice, Betong, Form Six, Friends, Malaysia, Sarawak, SMK St Augustine
add a comment
Since the MOE announced that former SPM leavers are to enter Lower Six, my wife and I talked a lot about it to our third child – Trevor Jullian. Iniatially Trevor did not like the idea of joining form six as he has a lot of reasons:
1. Some of his buddies are not with him;
2. He is still attending the same school, meeting the same teachers;
3. He feels that the two years is ‘waste of time’ (studying and sitting for the 2010 STPM exams).
He did not tell us his reasons but those were our assumptions. Before the ministry’s announcement, he had received a lot of mails from various colleges offering him courses. I did not like the idea as those colleges are IPTSes – private ones, and are ‘very dear’ to attend. Trevor understands my standings, but, yes, he is not dissappointed.
I explained to him that his form six would only take him a year and a half, and it’s almost equivalent to pre-U (please, readers, correct me if I’m wrong). Should he go to Kolej Komuniti (whilst, there is one in town) by end of July 2009, he would have to undergo a two year-course. Each semester would cost him RM200, and at the end of the course he would be awarded a certificate. Of course both certs have their own pros and cons.
Most of his friends went to the school on Monday 11th May, 2009, and when they came home, and met Trevor in the evening, they persuaded him to ‘take the challenge’ – go for 2010 STPM! After two days of making the decision, eventually he smiled at me, telling me that he would take the 2010 STPM exams. Phew! My boy! Another ’sixth-former’ from the family after my Fionula “Dara”, who is now an expecting mum!
“Dom” Theodore Joins His Family… May 4, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Career, Culture, Ethnic, Family, Love, My Views, Relationship, Tradition.2 comments
It has been Theodore’s decision to move out and joins his family. He had talked about it soon after he and his family came to Betong from Kuching, back in 2007. He understands that he and his family should not pack mum’s place as his religion now differs from ours. Yes, he understands that.
And by 4th May, 2009, he moved out and rents a house nearby. My wife and I, and, even his grandma felt a bit uneasy. But the ‘reality’ is – all married children have to leave their home for their own. We are like birds. Once the we are able to ‘fly on own on’, off we go. Birds leave their mum’s built nests to build their own nests. And the ‘tradition’ goes on and on.
Actually I am monitoring Theodore’s moving out. There would be times when he needs my assistance, and I never know when. All this while, when my wife misses our little Iskandar (Theodore’s 18 months boy), she we would sneak to their place and brings him home. And the little boy really like it. He did not bother being ’snatched’ at any time of the day, as our old house is very much bigger for him to run around. By 5 p.m., when his mum and dad are back home, we would send the boy back.
Back to School January 5, 2009
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Career, Education, Family, Language, Love, My Views, Relationship, School Activities, Tradition.Tags: breakfast, holiday, kitchen, school
add a comment
After a long school holiday, it’s a wonderful morning today! My kids and I woke up as early as 5.45 a.m. Everyone was excited, including my wife who hurried to the kitchen to prepare the breakfast. My Form 2 Timothy was too excited to go to school. He told me that he’d walk to school as there’d some chores to do before the class begins. He took a quick breakfast of his “kolo mi” – instant fried noodle, which he prepared for himself as early as 6.15 a.m.
Theophilus and I went to school before 7.00 a.m., and by the time we reached school it was already lively. Everyone was cheerful. Yes, everyone – both parents and their children alike.
There was no assembly today, as the headmaster wanted the teachers to start classes. He told us that he was expecting officers from the DEO to make a visit to the school on this first day.
Coming Home for Christmas December 23, 2008
Posted by rbjtimban in Career, Celebration, Christmas, Church, Culture, Family, Festival, Love, My Views, Relationship, Tradition, Village.3 comments
Chester, my younger brother, called me from Bintulu. Told me that he would be home for Christmas. He also told me to call Juliana, to come home, as he could not reach her by phone. I told Chester that Juliana and her family had just left for Serian a day ago after a very brief visit to Betong. After a brief conversation over the phone, Chester insisted me to call Juliana asking her to come to Betong for Christmas. I was wondering, is Chester having something in his mind this season? Could it be regarding our bilik in Stambak Ulu? … or something else. Only God knows. What I know for sure is that, Chester is missing all of us all these while. He longs for a ‘once in a while’ family gathering.
Chester's eldest daughter
Year End School Holiday December 22, 2008
Posted by rbjtimban in 2009, Computer, Culture, Family, Games, Love, My Views, Relationship, School Activities, Tradition.add a comment
It’s holiday time for the kids, and me, again. Starting mid-November until early January 2009. One should find a long holiday a time and space to sit back and relax. But not me. There are other things that need attention – a long list for me to post here. Trevor is sitting for his SPM and by mid November, the exam was over. He didn’t look worried but I did. My kids find the long holiday a very relaxing one. Most of their time were spent in front of their PCs – playing games. Sometimes I’d advise them to look for precious info online rather than playing online games. Their choice during this holiday is Dekaron SEA.
7th July … July 7, 2008
Posted by rbjtimban in Family, Funeral, Love, Relationship, Writing.add a comment
It’s 7th of July today and I woke up and said a little prayer seeking God’s love to take care of our late dad’s soul who left us on 7th July 1981 – exactly 27 years today. Should dad still lives today, he would be exactly 90 years old! But God loves him more thus he took dad from us.
The Show Must Go On July 2, 2008
Posted by rbjtimban in Career, Celebration, Computer, Culture, Education, Family, Festival, Language, Love, My Views, Relationship, School Activities, Writing.Tags: Agnes Mukan, Ajan, Fedmek, university
add a comment
January 2004 – My friends (Nicholas Ajan, Fedmek, Agnes) and I went to OUM office in Kuching for registration. Nicholas, Fedmek and I went there a day earlier, so we had decided to stay at my cousin’s (Edward Langie Kadam’s) place at Batu Kawa, Kuching. The following morning, the three of us packed our things and made our way to OUM which was located at Jalan Simpang Tiga. There we met old friends, mostly college mates, who were also grabbing the opportunity to join the varsity. Amazing! All of us who came that day were working adults, so none felt embarrassed of being ‘too old’ or ‘too late’ to study. Excitement and anxiety filled the air. The whole morning was packed with briefings by officials from OUM and our MOE. In the afternoon, we proceeded to our respective lecture rooms to meet our tutors. They all delivered almost the same ‘theme’ in their lecture and it was very interesting, or rather, motivating. By 5 p.m. that day, and the final tutorial slot was over, my friends and I made our way back home to Betong. The 4 hour ride back home was full of anxieties, visions, dreams, just name it! But we told ourselves that trips like this one would end by 2008. In other words, this program would take us four years to complete. There would be three semester in a year. From January till May we were to take three courses, sit for our final semester exams and register for the semester. From May till August, OUM called it short semester, we were to take two courses. Exams for short semesters were conducted in August, and after the exams, we were required to register for the third semester for that year. The third semester for that year would be from September till November, and we were suppose to take up three courses. After the exam in November, one would have to register for the next courses (January, the following year). This went on for more than four years as I had mentioned earlier.
Besides sacrificing our two Sundays (at fortnightly) each month, we had to prioritize our core business – teaching. That was rather tough to cope up with, especially when one had to race against time completing his or her assignments and course works, and even preparing for the final semester exams or quizzes. In the beginning I found it hard to adapt – teaching kids during the day and becoming a bookworm late in the evening. At this point, at this age, I learned that time management is very crucial in one’s live. As time flew, I took learning whilst working very seriously, and I used to tell my pupils that I hate dead woods.
Phew! What a post! I’ll continue in a short while …
