JKNS WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

From left: Suri, Sr. Yati, Me, Kak Shairah ..................... if we don't control our weight and neglected the brief today.

I was selected together with my 3 more colleagues for the weight management programme. Actually it was more like a brief. We were told and taught about managing stress and identify the right propotion level of exercise, breathing etc. For the refreshment everyone was served with fruits, sandwiches and mineral water. Can't wait for the new list of exercising group being released next week.

"Cleaning your tummy dear?"


Welcoming the first speaker.


A cheeky smile from fatty participant. LOL


Are you ready to torture us, Mr. Machine?


Anyway, I'll be opening a new blog on weight management soon, maybe after the installation of Streamyx at our home. I don't have time to update frequently due to my jobs requirement and as you know I have to keep track of the office while boss is away and furthermore, I'm a Personal Assistant, you know what I do then. So, wait patiently for the coming updates!

GOODBYE SARATOK, HELLO LUBOK ANTU!

The clock tower in the middle of the Saratok's town. Can this be called a landmark? Dunno.

Note: [Click on all the pictures to view them larger!] ***

The last day. We moved from the longhouse at 8:00 a.m. I didn't join the rest of family members to have breakfast at the longhouse for I knew some thing nice and cosy was awaiting at 'pasar'. Yes, it's none other than a special treat - Kuey Tiaw Kerang (Fried Kuey Tiaw with cockles)!! I looiikeeee!!!!!! My Gabby had her Kolok Mee 'kosong' as she hates to see greenish stuff (veges) inside her bowl.

The signboard. To the left! To the left! Is heading to Sarikei/Sibu/Miri. We went right.

Everyone stopped at Layar, Betong, at the Petronas station specifically to refill up the tank. Gabby and Boboy went to toilet for their businesses while I picked up huge loads of snacks and softdrinks. We munched and chatted until few metres from the junction of Lubok Antu, when suddenly hubby asked, "Wanna go to Lubok Antu or not? We see the dam and 'pasar'... wanna go or not??" Everyone screamed, "YESSS!!!"

The journey took another 1 hour before reaching the dam and Hilton's Batang Ai resort. The dam was damn huge!! I can imagine if the dam burst it will flood the whole Sri Aman's district like a Tsunami. Eeeeiiiii... touch wood, cross your fingers.. Sh*t! I forgot to capture the image of the dam wall.

I love the bloody gorgeous scenery surrounding the area. The lake, the hills, so green and serene. Gabby and Boboy were so excited to see this big 'Tilapia' fish that they climbed it and I took this picture. Poor Gabby because the day was so bright!


Jesus.. I love this view.... This lake actually is the dam.



We spent less than 15 minutes to mesmerize the scenic view. Calmness and serenity which we adored.... then hubby took us to see the small town of Lubok Antu. This is the real 'cowboy' town situated not far from the Malindo border.

The arch that welcomed us...

The clock tower where the time was unset... Frozen in time, perhaps?

Our attention was caught by this particular shop, called Ping Hap. I sat in the car whilst waiting for hubby and my mom checking out some good handicrafts sold at shop. Once I saw the beautiful set of Iban's Ngepan (costume set) I jumped out from the car and strolled in. There I befriended the owner of the shop who's known as Mawarni. She briefed me on the rules of wearing the costume set. I was so interested as for myself I was once a dancer and I have completed my 'Ngajat' course when I was 11 and used to wear this costume a lot. Now my daughter is following my step but in term of dancing. I enrolled her in the Kumang Gawai pageant at her school and she would participate again this year, perhaps.

Mawarni told me that the complete set of beauty contest costume consist of 13 items. She showed me the dancing sets too. Oh, within 20 minutes I guest I have completed 3-4 chapters the Methodology of Ngepan. Hahaha! Before leaving the place, Mawarni gave me her business card and I promised her that I will come one more time to buy a set of costume from her. I don't want to make you crazy. To sample, in Kuching, one adult 'Marik Empang' or the tango will cost RM150-200 but here, it is sold for RM98.00 only and guess what? You can bargain some more!!

This is 'Marik Empang'. (tango beads with orange cotton ball)

Hubby attracted to the woven mats and baskets. He took opportunity to pose with one of the handmade hats.


The journey continued and stopped at Lachau's town to have lunch. It was quite late, later than 3:00 p.m. Finally, we arrived at Kuching at 6:00 p.m. What a memorable journey for us especially Gabby who stepped at the Saratok's land for her first time. Overall, we really enjoy the outback and looking forward to travelling more in the future, on land!! It was adventurous!!!

SARATOK'S TRIP, 30th November - 2nd December 2007

"Selamat datai to Bilik No. 7, Rh. Demang, Tembawai Pok, Saratok wai..." said the cats.


Hahaha! My buddy, Puteri is impatiently awaiting the pics of our journeys to Saratok, including to Betong town and Lubok Antu town. Be patient girl, for I will present you the pics and stories.

Note: Please click on the pictures in order to view them in larger size. Thanks!

30th November 2007 (Friday)

Yippie!! Gabby will join us for the first time! Journey started at 7:30 p.m. after the fantastical Chicken Curry dinner Mak cooked for us. We dropped by at Siburan to refill the tank. Everyone was so excited in the car, munching 'keropok' and drinks. We finally stopped at the Sri Aman's Temudok junction to have Teh Tarik Peng and Satay 'Buntut'. At 11:00 p.m. we continued the journey and the crew arrived safely at Rh. Demang, Tembawai Pok at 12:45 a.m., morning of 1st December 2007. When we arrived, all my uncles were gambling, they played 'Holo'. Crazy bunch of people. LOL.

Everyone was so sleepy, and I quickly took Gabby and Lancelot to sleep.

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This is our longhouse, consists of 13 rooms. I like this new style of longhouse, it resembles the double-storey terrace.


Hubby enter-framed! This is how our 'ruai' looks like.



1st December 2007 (Saturday)

I woke up at 7:00 a.m. and took Gabby to shower. Everyone was having breakfast because they had to go to the graveyard for the blessing ceremony. Mom asked me to stay at longhouse and helped my sister-in-law in the kitchen.



My grandma's lot. Her name was May ak. Linggi, hailed from Awik then Kamidan, then Tembawai Pok. She passed away in 2004 at Sarikei General Hospital.

This one is my grandpa's grave. His name was Ex.-Sgt. Paul Unak. He passed away when I was in Primary 2 (3rd December 1986).

Some more related pictures..

My dad (holding the stick) and my mom, reciting prayers.

Gabby playing with 'Jedun' the Siamese cat. Love this picture so much, so natural.

... with Boboy @ Lancelot Thomas.


Oh yeah, 'makan' time! Guests were invited for quite a heavy refreshment after the blessing ceremony. See the big momma in the black shirt, she's so hungry and can't wait to grab a bite!

While having the brunch, speeches were delivered by my dad as the eldest son, then uncle Fred, the eldest son-in-law and not forgetting, our 'Tuai Rumah', Mr. Demang. Luckily the function finished before afternoon and we were free to list down next activity. What next?? to visit Betong town-lah apalagi???


VISITING BETONG

I want to visit Betong all this while just because I really want to see Fort Alice. I love historical things and buildings so much. Unfortunately, the fort was closed and can't be visited. But one thing that struck my attention was - Betong town has free WI-FI!!!!!!!!!! Aaarrgghhhhhh!!!!! I can't believe it!! I thought that Pitoy@Rodriguez was bluffing me. Yup, my PDA phone detected the connection but I was too hungry to surf the net. Hahahhaha.. yalor... we had our tea there Oh ya, why we sent my bro there, FYI, my bro Rodriguez is doing his practical at St. Augustine's Church till 26th December.

A cute pose by Gabby. Outside the backdoor of St. Augustine's church, Betong.

Eh? The altar and this area reminds me of St. Thomas Cathedral, Kuching. I can detect many resemblance here.

Gabby??!! Are you posing or what? Hahahahahhah... - We're sitting at the front pew.

Returned home after 4:00 p.m.. Pity Dad can't follow us, he slipped on the way to the graveyard during the ceremony so he stayed at home looking after Lancelot. So sad that night we couldn't do our tradition, -- eating fried mee at the chinese temple (tua pek kong) at Saratok's bazaar. We missed that this year. *Sigh. The two rascals were making trouble, we asked them to sleep but they refused and started making noise until hubby got very angry and yelled at them. Pity kids, they fell asleep less than 5 minutes later.. what a record!


Hahahaha.. Boboy and Gabby slept after being yelled by hubby.

We're going back to Kuching the next day so everyone went to sleep after 9:00 p.m.




... the journey to Lubok Antu will follow after this.

SRI AMAN'S TRIP, 24 - 25th November 2007

I didn't capture enough pictures during the day of Gawai Antu, so I assigned hubby who forgot to click the 'ON' button of our digi-video cam, so that's it! We missed a lot of interesting images. I just stayed in the room, looking after my daughter and chat with the elderly people. They like to mock my size, OMG! I don't mind because they didn't mean sincerely, it's just that they wanted to make friends and I bet 50% of them have never known or seen me before. Even some of them have mixed up my race, they thought that I am a Chinese. Very funny. I don't even have the answer why most of our family members have this chinese looking feature, pointy small eyes and fair skin.

For those who don't know what this ritual is; these rites, called the Gawai Antu, constitute major memorialization rituals and are ideally performed by each longhouse roughly once in every generation. Requiring several years of preparation, they memorialize all of the community’s dead (orang ke parai) whose deaths occurred since the last Gawai was performed by the longhouse. The head of the bilik having the oldest dead acts as the ‘Gawai elder’ (tuai gawai). The Gawai Antu feasts the dead and completes their final transformation into spirits (merantu). This transformation is effected primarily by erecting, at the conclusion of the Gawai, tomb huts (sungkup) over the graves of the dead.

These elaborately carved huts are made of ironwood and are equipped with miniature furnishings and garong baskets, the latter symbolizing the personal achievements of each individual dead. In the Otherworld these huts represent full-size longhouses or, in totality, the parts of a single longhouse. The Gawai Antu thus establishes the dead in a longhouse of their own, thereby providing them with the means for a self-sufficient existence independent of the world of the living. For this reason, the Gawai is sometimes described by the bards as a rite of berumah (house construction). In this sense, the final rites of death are, significantly, house building rites. But unlike ordinary berumah, construction takes place, not in the visible world, but in the Otherworld of the dead, as the sungkup, at the conclusion of the Gawai, are reassembled in the cemetery, ritually separated and physically removed from the world of the living.

We went back the next day, with mud covered car. Sent the car to Jln. Keretapi's car wash and had to clean the undercarriage. It was tiring, seriously even though we spent less than 24 hours there, I just feel pity with Gabby. That's all. She climbed up the sofa in the middle of the night just because she felt uncomfortable sleeping on the floor. You're so much like Mama, Gabby! Last but not least; a video clip taken by the amateur, Yours Truly. Some glimpse of how does my FIL's longhouse look like, please ignore the funny soundless conversation, OK? Till then, here I present you... "Sayonara Po Ai.."

HELLO AGAIN, BLOG!

Hello again after my last updates on 29th November. I miss this blog so much that my heart skips a beat when I read my friends'. I'm addicted to blogging obviously, am I? I have gone through favouritism and provocative-discriminative-treatment days, followed by the Celebration of Gawai Antu in Kampong Po Ai, Sri Aman a week later, we packed our luggage again to go back to my father's longhouse in Tembawai Pok, Saratok. Hence, on the left side is my sleepy look picture, trend of the week, I supposed so. LOL. Puffy eyes but garnished with wide smile to welcome the visitors to see my boss. I was tired, bloody tiresome. I will restart from the celebration of Gawai Antu. Went to Po Ai for a night stay, I didn't join the 'ngabang' or visiting each 'bilik' or room because of I'm in the term of mourning, in respecting the loss of my uncle. I spent most of my time helping my husband's aunty to cook and clean.

Can't sleep soundly as the whole night some drunkards kept on singing and yelling. No extra mattress and pillows were prepared so I decided to sleep on the couch. Gabby did the same thing too. Poor my little sunshine. Went back to Kuching the next morning in rush as a day after I will be involving in the next day's State Legislative Assembly as the Stenographer. I just want to hug you guys for waiting patiently and watch out for my stories on trips to Po Ai, Saratok, Betong and Lubok Antu. Stay tuned!