His Sheep Am I

Palm Oil Smallholding Your Road To Riches

2011-09-06T23:18:00.000-07:00

Did you know?

One of the surest way of becoming rich or very comfortable living is to start an oil palm smallholding. It has now been proven in many parts of Sarawak and elsewhere that if you have 500 trees it has the potential to give you a return of between RM5000 to RM10,000 gross per month.Your monthly cost will be about RM0.20 per ringgit earned. At that amount you are earning about the same amount as a salaried medical doctor working in the private sector. To plant 500 trees you need a land of about 10 acres and to wait for a maximum of 4 years from planting to your first harvest. And your capital cost will be ranging from RM10,000 to RM30,000 depending on whether you have to buy land or not.

The amount invested is well below the amount you need to send your son or daughter for a first degree course in a university. A degree will take 3-5 years and upon graduation your son and daughter gets a salary well below the amount you get from palm oil smallholding. But I am not saying you should not send your children for a university education. All I am saying is that even for children who are not academically inclined there is good prospect in starting an oil palm or even rubber smallholding.

If one has sufficient capital, the trick is to plant a minimum of 3000 trees so that it's viable to employ workers full time to work in your mini estate. All you need to do is to sharpen your knowledge on commercial farming related to you field of business, supervise and manage your farm.

Imagine how much can you earn from 3000 trees? It will be between RM30,000
to even RM60,000 depending on how well you take care of your farm, quality of fertilizer used, experience of your labourers etc

Just to let you know I am also trying it out and it's work for me though I am not reaping the maximum potential return as yet. You bet I am very anxious to expand my acreage and will do so as soon as more land becomes available.

I believe in "He who dares - wins!"

An Email From My Son - Belgaum, Karnataka, India

2011-07-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

----- Original Message -----
From: gavin man <anakiban_sesat@hotmail.com>
To: Gima Uji; Daph Maie <cleothello@hotmail.com>; eryqa@hotmail.com <eryqa@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sun Jul 24 16:15:53 2011
Subject: WITH LOVE FROM BELGAUM.... ;D

HELLO PEOPLE...!
Sorry this e-mail took so long. I was busy settling in. On weekdays there were classes and by the time I got back to my hostel at the end of the day, I was exhausted. On weekends like this, I go shop for stuffs. Hehe.. Exploring Belgaum. Trying new eatery place each time. Since we are just here for few weeks, we were advised by seniors to take Hotel food only. Hotel tu kira Indian standard la. Baka hotel bala sida Riverfront ba kitai din. 2-3 stars. Maioh utai ulih dicerita aku. Hehe..

For our 1st year we have 5 subjects. 3 Medical subjects which are Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology. For Dental Subject, we have Dental Materials and Dental Anatomy and Histology. But for our exams, we sit for 4 subjects only excluding Dental Materials. Dental Materials tu dibelajar aja, but will sit for exam in 2nd year. Our class starts at 9am each day. One whole stretch until 1 Pm. Then we have lunch break for 1 hour. After that continue from 2pm until 5pm. For 1st half of the week(Mon, Tue, Wed) we mostly spend our time learning medical subjects at the medical faculty taught by medical professors/ Postgraduate students which is called the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC). For the 2nd part of the week(Thurs, Fri and Sat) we spend most of our time at the Dental Faculty. Which is called Vishawanath Katti Institute of Dental Science. As for Saturday, our class starts at 9am and ends at 1pm. Lectures are fun, and some are so so. The common thing is the knowledge is there for every lecturers.... Ulih ga aku ninga English sida ya. Bisi ke pekat endar Indianised English enda ku entu nemu. Haha... agi belajar ninga.

Makan everyday, kami ulih ngorder meals delivery to doorstep ari Momos and China Wall. China Wall bisi nyedia ka Msian food bala sida nasi goreng, char kway tiew etc. The closest to Msian food that we can have. About 60-150 Rps rega enti ngorder sekali. Enti ka mudah gik, makai ba MESS. MESS tu baka cafeteria. Everyday menu vegetarian everyday. Enti ka makai manok, telu ulih ngasuh sida ngoreng dibelakang. Sekali makai ba MESS tu bisi 80 Rps. Aku laban ke enda beleman, ulih aja makai. Just that, everyday almost the same food. Lelak ga makai utai sama kadang2. Aku nadai masalah ngirup ari ai filter machine urang ditu. Nadai stomachache apa indah. Ah Wei, udah kena stomachache. Balat ga ya kena ari nya. Dibai ke sepital tapi nda admitted. Thank God, kuman aku kebal gik. Haha....

Diatu udah single room aku. Umbas ya ga mal bebayar ke hostel fees ari nya. Room rate is rm330 per month. Taun tu 91K Rps kami perlu berbayar tambah ngau caution money. My room is comfy. Nadai ngiga lebih. Just that wardrobe bertegal, kurap2 mimit. haha... But i'll live. Ka mandi shower suka ati, bisi heater maya pagi2 ti chelap amat. Electric and water bills all accounted for in fees. Bisi gym ga a room away from my room. Convenient ka workout taja equipments enda cukup. Senior ku workout ba gym luar. Enti ku udah cukup duit ila ka ngau sida. Pengawa kami, just meh belajar aja n adapt.

Ba class, kami bisi kira 60 iko org. laki 13 iko aja. kebukai semua local(tempe jako slang Msian ngagau local). Tempe manah ga ngau begulai. Tapi bedau nemu endar ga kati ati sida ya, lama2 ila temu meh, manah ke enda. Tapi, generally they are ok ga. Mai aku n Ah Wei meda wayang Hindi ba cinema sida saritu tadi. Ka meda wayang ba Nucleus Mall. Very small. Tapi bisi cinema showing Eng movies n Hindi movies. ;). Ba ditu, laki begulai ngau laki. Indu begulai ngau indu. Haha...

Weather is pleasant. Belgaum is 2500 above sea level. Highland. Nya alai maioh greenery ditu especially ba campus ground. Maioh old2 trees ka besai. Sejuk mata memandang. Hehe... Nya aja meh, tusah ka meda mata panas maya musim tu. Ujan aja2 tiap ari. But today, I can see the Sun!. ;)) Ulih la baju ke dibasu ku kering legi. Kami ba laundry ulih ngagau orang do laundry for us. Kira baka ama. Tapi aku ka nuci kediri. Bisi orang nyapu bilik n nuci jamban. Nya meh munyi ko aku tadi, nadai ngiga lebih ba hostel.

Learning environment kami mixed of old and new.Buildings peda aja ari luar baka ke tuai tapi utai di dalam canggih2 magang. Also applies to the lecture hall, class room n labs.

Actually living cost ba Belgaum is quite high kenu ko kawan tempe aku diri empu. They said in bigger places like Mumbai, Calcutta, makai sekali semina 20 Rps aja. Laban kami tu tanah tinggi, tusah ka beranjung supplies, engka nya mal kini. Aku makai seari bisi about 150 Rps. kira about rm10. Utai ditu bisi ke ridiculously murah, bisi ke ridiculously mal. Baka ari nya aku ka ngiga ironing board, RM 100 rega siti ! Pahai kitai. Urang tambi enda berterika baju kini. Haha... Laban Belgaum small "town", tusah ka ngiga utai ditu.... Tambah pan, urang ditu mostly maioh kurang mampu, nda maioh macam baka kitai, utai dikena. Haha... But I'll live. Have to improvise here and there a little bit..

In all, I think im settling well. .... I miss home. Yes, I miss u guys a bunch. Homesick. Nadai utai ulih ngelaban the comforts of home. But I'm strong and I will stay positive And I WILL study hard too.. For me being here, is an answered prayer. Not everyone have this kind of opportunity. Bendar sembiang ngambi ulih belajar ba overseas suba. Ba UK, Australia, angan2 suba, tapi tu utai diberi Tuhan, but I'll still be forever grateful n contented with what God has given me. For He will provide, and I shall never lack of anything. So I will keep going on and make the most of this opportunity. Keep me in your prayers k. ;))

Gambar, bedau aku upload. Buruk. Haha.... Gambar ani kawin pun bedau.. Meda gaya legi meh...

Maioh utai ulih dicerita aku. Tanya aja nama2. Hehe.. That's all for now folks...

Left Hand Not Knowing What The Right is Doing

2010-09-21T01:39:00.000-07:00

This posting can also be entitled " Don't Take No for answer" or Inefficiency still prevails....

You see my son probational driving licence will expire tomorrow but I decided to go to JPJ to renew it today knowing this will be an experience of sort. My son had earlier on (i.e one week ago) wanted to renew it himself but was told to renew the licence within one year from 22.9.2010 and so he came back dissappointed daring not to question the counter staff.

Upon reaching the JPJ office I got my number and while waiting for my turn to be served, decided to approach the info counter staff inquiring whether I need to fill up any form. He said yes and requested a colleague to give me a form to fill. When I inquire whether I can sign on behalf of my son he said no it must be signed personally by the applicant i.e my son. So I decided to think of a quick strategy, fill up the form and sign it "curi-ing" my son's signature. When my turn came I approach the counter staff (careful to turn my back away from the attention of the info counter staff lest he see me "trying to beat" the system)and produce to him the filled up form only to be told no form was needed for the service.

I was asked to pay RM30 and got the licence in less than five minutes - happy at last with mission accomplished but not without so many "mis-informations" - at least four (4) just to do renew one very simple licence.

When will the system be excellent? May be by the year 2025!

"Bejalai"

2010-09-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

Year 2025: Dear Grandchildren,

These were the only beautiful cities that your grandpop & grandma managed to visit during their life times (not necessarily in sequence of travel):

Texas, San Diego, Seattle, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Las Vegas (twice),USA
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Loch Ness, Scotland
London & Portmouth, English Channel, Bath, Stonehenge, UK
Oslo, Sweden
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Holland
Mount Titlis & Lake Lugano, Switzerland
Dusseldorf, Germany
Austria
Canada (grandma only)
Vatican (twice), Rome
Lourdes, Paris, Marseille, Eiffel Tower, France
Venice (twice), Rome, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
Medjugorje, Bosnia Herzegovina
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam (Holiday)
Japan
Bangkok, Phuket, Thailand
Brunei
Singapore
Alexandria, Luxor, Cairo, Aswan, Giza, Egypt
Yogyakarta (many times), Pontianak, Indonesia
Perth, Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane, Australia
Auckland, Christchurch, Queensland, New Zealand
English Channel Crossing using Euro Train ie France to England
Train trip from Amsterdam to Venice & Rome
Still counting/recalling at the time of writing.........

Did I forget any city? You will have to understand I am 68 years old this year ie 2025

Rules to RICHES....

2010-04-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Rules to RICHES – Nine Truths That Can Set You on the Path to Financial Freedom

Building generational wealth that will allow you and your family to live off dividends and interests isn’t an impossible goal; in fact, more than 90% percent of the super-rich in the US (the top one percent of wealth), didn’t inherit their money. If you’d like to follow in their footsteps, you can use these rules to fundamentally change your approach to financial freedom:

1 CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT MONEY

The general populace has a love-hate relationship with wealth. They resent those who have it but spend their entire lives attempting to get it for themselves. The reason the vast majority of people never accumulate a substantial nest egg is because they don’t understand the nature of money or how it works.

Cash, like a person, is a living thing. When you wake up in the morning and go to work, you are selling a product – yourself (i.e. your labour). When you realize that every morning your assets wake up and have the same potential to work as you do, you unlock a powerful key in your life. Every dollar you save is like an employee and over the course of time, the goal is to make your employees work hard until eventually, they make enough money to hire more workers (i.e. money). When you have become truly successful, you no longer have to sell your own labour but can live off of the labour of your assets.

2 DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE POWER OF SMALL AMOUNTS

The biggest mistake that most people make is that they think they have to start like Napoleon with the entire army. They suffer from the “not enough’ mentality; that if they aren’t making thousand-dollar investment at a time, they will never become rich. What these people don’t realize is that their entire armies are built one soldier at a time, so too must their financial arsenal.

A friend of mine once knew a woman who worked as a dishwasher and made her purses out of used liquid detergent bottles. This woman invested and saved everything she had despite it never being more than a few dollars at a time. Now, her portfolio is worth millions of dollars, all of which was built upon small investments. I am not suggesting you become this frugal but the lesson is still a valuable one. Do not despise the day of small beginnings!

3 WITH EACH DOLLAR YOU SAVE, YOU ARE BUYING YOURSELF FREEDOM

When you put it in these terms, you see how spending little here or small amount there can make a huge difference in the long run. Since money has the ability to work in your place, the more of it you employ, the faster and larger it will grow. Along with more money comes more freedom – the freedom to stay home with your kids, the freedom to retire and travel round the world, or the freedom to quit your job. If you have any source of income, it is possible for you to start building wealth today. It may only be ten or 20 buck at a time, but each of those investments is a stone in the foundation of your financial freedom. The sooner you start saving and investing (even starting with your scholarship money or pharmacist paycheck) the sooner you will achieve your financial freedom. Buy that shoes, dress, blouse, shirts because you really need them NOT because these items are on “sales”. Nobody is going to notice your new shoes anyway and there is no prize for being the most fashionable among your peers.

4 YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR LIFE

Years ago, a friend told me she didn’t want to invest in stocks because she ‘didn’t want to wait 10 years to be rich’ and would rather enjoy her money now. The folly with this school of thinking is that the odds are, you are going to be still alive in 10 years. The question is, whether or not you will be better off when you arrive there. Where you are right now is the sum of the decisions you have made in the past. Why not set the stage for your life in future right now?

5 INSTEAD OF BUYING THE PRODUCT ….BUY THE STOCK!

Someone once asked me why they weren’t wealthy. They always felt like they were putting money aside, yet never seemed to get any further ahead. The answer is simple; I told them to stop buying the products companies sell and start buying the company itself. A survey of America’s affluent, those who make over US$225,000 a year or won US$3 million in assets) revealed that almost 30 percent of all the income the wealth earned went into investment and savings. That isn’t the result of being rich, that is why they are rich. When the pain of getting out of the bondage of financial slavery is greater than the pain of changing your spending habits, you will become rich. Either change or be content to live as you are.

6 STUDY AND ADMIRE SUCCESS AND THOSE WHO HAVE ACHIEVED IT….THEN EMULATE IT

A very wise investor once said, to pick the traits you admire and dislike the most about your heroes, then do everything in your power to develop the traits you like and reject the ones you don’t. Mould yourself into who you want to become and you’ll find that by investing in yourself first, money will begin to flow into your life. Success and wealth beget success and wealth. You have to purchase your way into that cycle and you do so by building your army one soldier at a time and putting your money to work for you.

7 REALIZE THAT MORE MONEY IS NOT THE ANSWER

More money is not going to solve your problem. Money is like a magnifying glass; it will accelerate and bring to light your true habits but if you aren’t capable of handling RM30,000 per year, the worst possible thing that could happen to you is to earn six figures, it will destroy you. I have met too many people earning RM100, 000 a year living from paycheck to paycheck and I don’t understand why it is happening. The problem isn’t the size of their checkbook, it is the way which they were taught to use money. It is NOT how much you earn but how much you save that matters! The rule applies to everyone regardless of whether you are a pharmacist, doctor, dentist, manager or Haji Malai!

8 UNLESS YOUR PARENTS WERE WEALTHY, DON’T DO WHAT THEY DID

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. If your parents weren’t living the life you want to live then don’t do what they did! You must break away from the mentality of past generations if you want to have a different lifestyle than they had.

To achieve the financial freedom and success that your family may or may not have had, you have to do two things. First, make a firm commitment to get out of debt. Second, make saving and investing the highest priority in your life; one technique is to pay yourself first.

9 DON’T WORRY

The miracle of life is that it doesn’t matter so much where you are but rather where you’re going. Once you decide to take back control of your life by building your net worth, don’t give a second thought to the “what ifs’. Every moment that goes by, you grow closer and closer to your ultimate goal – control and freedom.

Every ringgit that passes through your hands is a seed to your financial future. Rest assured, if you are diligent and responsible, financial prosperity is inevitability. The day will come when you make your last payment on your car, your house, or whatever else it is you owe. Until then, enjoy the process

Adapted from the magazine “CALIBRE” – April 2010 Issue

Its that holiday season again...

2009-12-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

WE wanted to go for Spain & Portugal Tour but there is no tour to that part of europe coinciding with our leave so our next best option is to join NGG Egypt Tour from 8 - 16 December 2009.

The itinerary will be from KL - Cairo -ovenight train from Cairo to Luxor, from Luxor we will take the 4 nights Nile River Cruise from Luxor to Aswan Dam. From Aswan we will fly back to Cairo - touring Cairo and another day trip to the famous port city of Alexandria.

Along the way we will get to ride the camel (or even try camel meat), see the world famous pyramids, the Sphinx, the Thebes, the desert, oasis, the Nile Valley and hopefully to retrace the footsteps of Cleopatra, Napoleon, Pharaohs and aki Moses - mentioned in the Bible. From Cairo we will fly back to KL and finally Bintulu in time for Christmas carolling and all.
Our daughter will then take her turn to fly to London for a 2-weeks holiday as soon as we come back home - leaving behind two poor old souls to celebrate xmas alone with no children in the house this year.

Be on the look out for pictures and travel stories from Indurumahpanjai's blogspot - she will be the "Samantha Brown" stand-in normally seen in the Astro "Travel" channel. After a year of long hard works in the office and in the fields (ie Mesrafarms) what better way is there to spend a holiday than to go back and learn about the beginning of civilization and ancient Egypt!!!

Mesrafarm - updates on 30 Oct 2009

2009-10-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Above - rewarding my workers with beer breaks! to energize them?

Politic of land development on NCR land - stakeholder?100% personally owned.Land clearing, stacking, terracing, road access, culvert constructions and field planting completed within one month -provided there is availability of sufficient workers. Total trees on this plot is estimated to be between 1100 - 1300 with potential monthly income of RM11K to 13K per month, God willing + but proven by those who have tried it

Below: With my 2 penan workers ie John Laweng (blue short) and Yuse in dark colored shirt- appointed on 30 Oct 2009. Hope they come to stay for good seraya ka nolong the less fortunate ko kitai!

Projek ai diberi Geological Department Kuching - courtesy of Dr Richard Manie a close friend from UM days till now

Above & below: IMsia -rural electrification project comes to Rh Bansa 46 years after joining Msia!

Artificial - sarang/tansang lelayang? in Mukah

2009-10-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sarang lelayang di Mukah

Mesrafarm - in 3 Years?

2009-10-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

FFB Pond , Sebakong

FFB Pond - waiting to be transported to factory

Fresh fruit bunch ready to be harvested

Goats - feeding time above and below belonging to a friend in Oya

My "mother of all pulau"....where the gravity feed is sited

2009-09-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

In the beginning there was virgin jun gle.............like this one above

and this...........

Excavator with a mission and at work.....above n below too
The inside of workers camp

with big tree.....but soon the workers came and pitched their tent somewhere on the land with a mission!

a worker ready with planting point markers

Workers's camp - above

Pun Rian Bebuah - "pangkat" ulih aku bekebun!

2009-09-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

Bisi sekali dulu menya aku nanam rian lalu diatu rian enda alah sepemerap pemesai. Ditemu bebuah taun tu by accident kada enda kala bebuah taun dulu agi ari tu tang laban nadai kala di abas nyalai enda temu bebuah. Taun tu buah dua kayu pelaba aku nyangka bulih 200 igi. Tu gambar buah rian diambi aku ngena blackberry nyalai enda tentu terang. Rian gerenti manah - now open for booking - anyone? Pun rian tu tuai agi ari anak tuai aku ke diatu nyau kerja perintah - puji Tuhan!

Ngaga Mesrafarms Base Camp

2009-08-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

Above: Tukang ngaga langkau kebun aku ie Mesrafarms Base Camp. Below: Base Camp under construction

How difficult was your childhood?

2009-06-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Penatai aki ine kami kelia ari Batang Skrang udah nya pindah ke Nyelong Sarikei. A ri Sarikei aki ine pindah ke Kua ulu Mukah. Ari Kua pindah ke Dijih lari ka munsoh (Jepun) ......pia ko Henry Nabau Limbai. Di Dijih kami diau ba ulu Dijih betuaika Tr Chadom. Ari ulu Dijih kami pindah ke Ng Luau laban menua ili maioh ikan serta nyamai endur betanam padi paya (wet paddy) serta ulih mega betanam ka mulong.

Apai kita ada ba Rh Mat Ng Luau. Mati Tr Mat ditukar Tr Balai. Apai kita sekula ari primary 1 ngagai primary 6 ba SRK Ng Sikat pengalama 6 taun. Bisi 15 – 20 iko nembiak mit sida serumah dianjung apai indai sekula ba Ng Sikat. Nurun sekula ngili sg Dijih pengudahnya datai ba ng dijih mudik batang mukah ngagai ng sikat.

Enti cuti sekula sida ia bekayuh ngena perau ari ng sikat ngagai lubok singkiling pengudahnya bedarat serta bejalai kaki nengah umai ekar ngelawa sg dijih. Datai ba sg dijih merau ke ulu ngelawa rumah panjai di ng luau. Maya pulai ke sekula sida ngema beras bai pulai ke sekula nengah jalai ke sama tang reverse direction.

Bisi sekali sida pulai cuti panjai ari SRK Ng Sikat ngena perau besai sereta bekayuh ngili batang mukah ngelawa ng dijih. Sida mudik sg dijih serta bemalam ba langkau orang ba tengan jalai. Laban nadai utai di empa sida lalu manduk buah pisang mata ke dempa ngambi bisi pengering ngayuh ke perau ari ili dijih ngelawa rumah panjai. Pengelama sida bekayuh ari sekula ngelawa ng dijih bisi 2 jam. Ari ng dijih ngelawa rumah panjai bisi 4 - 5 jam. Enda ingat bisi ka enda sida belaya maya ke merau bekayuh ari SRK Ng Sikat mulai ke diri ngagai rumah panjai.

Apai kita masuk pom 1 ba SMK Threes Rivers sampai pom 5. Pengudahnya ia nyambung pelajar ia ngagai Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang di miri pengelama 2 taun. Udahnya ia nyambung pelajar ia ba Universiti Malaya pengalama 3 taun ti ngujung ka ia bulih degree dalam taun 1981. Ari taun 1981 ia kereja enda lama nyadi guru sandaran (temporary teacher) ba SMK Bintulu pengelama 6 bulan. Pengudahnya ia kereja ba Bintulu Port ari 3/7/1981 sampai ka saritu!

Ari rumah panjai kami ngalu ka pasar mukah ngena perau enggau injin kuda 6. Pengelama setengah ari baru datai di nanga mukah (kuala). Maya pulai cuti ari Three Rivers kami ngena moto calo pap pap pap pap sepemanjai ari ari nanga mukah ngelawa lubok bemban. Sangkai ba lubok bemban bedarat bejalai kaki nengah madang umai ekar pengelama 45 minit baru datai ba rumah panjai kami di ng luau. Bisi sekali datai laun (late evening) ba lubok bemban nyalai apai kita lalu bemalam ba ruai rumah panjai orang ba pengkalan luau tebing ai mukah. Orang rumah panjai nya udah tindok lalu enda nemu bisi anak temuai datai niki enda madah.Tumu pagi ari siti berumban rumban ngejang ke rumah panjai orang bejalai kaki mulai ka diri ngagai rumah panjai di ng luau. Keno ko cerita bisi antu "kok reel" nengah jalai ari pengkalan luau ngagai ng luau nya kebuah tudah diri takut amat nengah jalai nya. There was no phone and no sms nyalai enggai nyadi minta ambat orang datai ba pengkalan luau.

Those were the days we didn't complain we had no airconditions, no nice clothes, no MP3, no play station, no TV, no computer, no suasages, no ice creams, no phone, no sms, no place for "manja" business. There was very little pocket money. Studying on hungary stomach was no big fuss. We just had to learn life the hard way. Getting good education was too surmountable for so many others that eventually only one out of 15 - 20 original longhouse kids succeeded to get a degree and settled onto a nice job. Praise the Lord!

The mission then was to study really "hard" and break off from the vicious poverty cycle as often mentioned by my former economic professor Hancharan Singh.

Your mission now should be to aim or shoot for the stars so that even if you don't succeed you will land on ISS and achieve your dreams, God willing.

Down Memory Lane - 25 years later

2009-06-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

On 4 & 5 June, I took my son and several relatives to my birth place at Ng Luau, which is a tributary of the Dijih River.My son has never been there and I have not been there either for a long, long time. We abandoned the long house in 1985 when my two brothers decided to pindah to our present place, by the Jln Sg Dijih. They led the exodus of other relatives, some joined us at Jln Sg Dijih, some moved to ulu Dijih and settlements by the Mukah river, leaving only one family in Luau - tho this family no longer lives at the long house but at their kebun.

My brothers and a cousin still maintain their biliks as they go to Luau every year to fell the sago trees for sale. They usually stay for a month or so. During the last season, they were there for almost three months, from December 2008 to February 2009.

Of my three children, only my eldest daughter have been there - she was only 11 months old when we went back for Gawai.

Fish is still plentiful in Luau and during the last sago season, my brothers made containers of kasam ikan and salai. For this trip, we managed to get a good catch on the 1st day but it rained during the night and the river swelled - it was not conducive any more to fish, so we came home earlier than planned.

So here folks are the pictures I took...

Ba penyangkai kebun mulong: my son and uchu Kubu

Mulai ka pengingat megai injin sepit nengah ai Dijih?

View ari ili pendaie

My son and Uchu Bek mandi ba sg Dijih. Below - i didnt realise how slim? the blogger is till I see this picture. Well, blessed be to him.

An Expedition To Ng Luau - my birth place

2009-06-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

Above: father and son ba entrance kebun mulong di Ng Luau

Group photo shoot in front of kebun mulong

Above: tunu ikan baong for snacks - anyone?

Hall way?- penama ka bilik penaik kami kelia

Tempat endur mandi di Ng Luau - once a hive of activities. Many of those old folks have gone to their rest n this place has become a mere memory

above: jalai ke pendaie, a view from the tembawai rh panjai

Dapur in 1970's compare to your dapur these days

Above: duduk resting ba ruai - favorite place betusi cerita sida niang apai indai kelia. These are the names of folks who had gone to their rest: Apai Galang, Apai Ajik, Ine n Aki Ajik, foster parents of this blogger, natural parents of this blogger, Aki n ine Eding, Jatai n Jileh, Judi, Tinggi n wife, ex TR Mat, and many many more.....

Below my son pulai mandi begulai enggau uchu Kubu n Bek

We offered mass .................

2009-05-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

We hauled ourselves from bed very early this morning to join the 7.00 am daily mass.

We offered this morning mass for the so many answered prayers from God.

Only one little mystery still has a question mark - which country?

We have no doubt the good Lord knows what is best for our son and us. Praise the Lord

Cerita Rumah Panjai Kitai

2009-05-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Rumah panjai kami dikelingi jalai ngambika nyamai endur bersimpan ka kereta enggau bebantai ka barang. Dipeda datas nya pengawa nyemen endur parking belakang bilik dapur.

Atas:Gambar uchu Tony Bantin mandi ba tong - nyabak enggai digambar - camera phobia!.

Baruh nya: Uchu Alexson Gap mandi mega dalam tong - selalu nyabak malam ketegal angat (hot and stuffy room). Can't wait for the electricity supply and the airconditioners!

We did our bit for the sinking economy & business...........

2009-05-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

Part of gawai preparation - berangkut ka anak pemisi dibai ngagai rumah panjai: benda(tajau) pemai ari entua ari Niah, setawak, bebendai, bako, jemari, - its all there!

We did some improvement to the longhouse ie masang tiles ba kaki 5 enggau belakang dapur. The pictures above and below - works done.

Inside the hall way in between living room and kitchen area - wall tiles

This is the place where I spent the best part of my life.............

2009-04-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

An aerial view of the port ..............

Fertilizer Store - extended

2009-04-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Extended store endur nyimpan injin api & baja

Inside the log & brick cabin

Life in the longhouse Part 4

2009-04-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Camera shy cucu and his grandpa

This is how you look those days? Makai bebala maioh aba ruai and this cucu is ready with plastic plate - never mind about being his nakedness?
Tiles kena ngaga kaki 5 - quite long overdue

Bersium laki bini pengudah disabong jadi melaki bini nitihka adat kristian. Lua kissing his wife. Baru kawin gereja pengudah bisi 4 iko anak semua lelaki magang. Before this - was it a training session pia????

Uchu Ensigan kawin nitihka adat kristian benong diberekat Father Connors

Life in the longhouse Part 3

2009-04-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

In serious discussion before confession?

Kursus Bebaso pala & Kawin ba Rh Bansa 23 - 25 April tu tadi

above: Ngangkut ramo kena ngaga Mesrafarms base camp.
Below - children posing for this blogger

"Who do they say I am?"

2009-04-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

A Tuai Rumah? A Pengulu or a Pemancha?

You see some primary school children are playing football in a rural setting. As usual they got into small clashes consequently injuring the other kid. The injury is so bad according to one party that the parent had to spend RM1800 in hospital bills. The accussed party said it was just a game and there was no ill intention. The injured party demanded for compensation if not there will be a "tit for tat". The parents of both kids got so worked out that one party threatened to harm the other unless adequate compensation is paid. Both parties are related to me. One is from my longhouse and another from another longhouse also my relatives. The defending party ie my nephew, niece & daughter-in-law and grandson; kept on sending me sms after sms asking for advise on what to do? I told them to report the incident to both TRs of the 2 longhouses for arbitration. But apparently the TRs are too incompetent to get the problem resolved. I told them if the TRs cannot get the problem solved then go and report the "open quarrel/getting violent disputes" to the local police.

This morning I even received a call - in the middle of an office meeting- informing me yet another attempt by the injured party to inflict a revenge on the accused party. This time I told its "mother versus mother" session until somebody had to split them up. Earlier on it was the father threatening the other father ie my nephew. This happened eventhough the accussed tried time and again to mediate for peace. Nadai duit kena mayar nitihka pinta orang sepaik nyin. In any case can we find someone liable for football incident - Alex Ferguson will be laughing how silly and naive can these people be?

The question is: have I make myself look like a TR, a pengulu or a Pemanca?

One day in the life of me - how many more will there be such "amusing" days?

Only God knows. Thanks God for this gift of a new day!

Jalai belakang rumah panjai..............

2009-04-19T03:08:00.000-07:00

Jalai belakang rumah panjai digaga ngena ongkos kurang ari RM3000 ngena duit pan rumah panjai Tapak uchu nunjukka abi telih ba rekong kena belit tali injin api ke meraka jalai baru tembo digaga belakang rumah panjai 'Did you not look like this when you were young? Always keen for someone to have your innocent picture taken

Hilux testing the road at the back yard. Below - jalai dipeda ngalih ari ili rumah panjai

Miscellaneous works..............

2009-04-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Ngaga platform endol engkah tangki ai - 18 Apr 2009

Ngaga setor endol nyimpan baja sawit - 18 April 2009

Team nyukat tanah ngena GPS.The new plot is inclusive of the sago palm seen at the background. Left to right: Rantai, Apai Birun (land & Survey employee) & Bajat...taken on 18 Apr 2009

With a correct contact one can get a supply of urea from ABF @RM25 per bag

JPA Scholarship Interview...on 31 March 2009 & a birthday party

2009-04-19T02:50:00.000-07:00

You have seen her earlier in this blog. Mixed parentage ----ibanorangputih

Mother,cucu n nenek - one for the blog

Son - attending JPA scholarship interview on 31 March 2009 in Miri. Below - father, son n daughter at Parkcity Everly Miri 31 mARCH 2009

The fruits of our labor.....

2009-03-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

Above: after 14 months the palm starts to show fruits....praise the lord!

Above: "the worker" who wakes at 4.30am leaving for selangau on week end

Above: the reluctant heir to the holdings

Palm close up view

In all things, give thanks.

2009-03-14T20:10:00.001-07:00

My brother drove from Selangau all the way to Bintulu to transport this fibre glass boat, which cost a cool RM2,200. My 1st cousin bought it from a boat builder in Bintulu, to be used for their daily farming activities. After the sago felling season, the longhouse folks have deeper pockets now. Praise the Lord!

My nephew, Lua, who works for a oil & gas company (runggu ensing ku Indai Maie) bought a Hilux recently and in conjunction with his youngest son's birthday on 14 March, gave a big makan to the longhouse folks. So we city folks went balik kampung. I took my son and several workers to do manuring on Saturday morning and that completed, helped the celebrating family to prepare for the thanksgiving dinner. Cathetist Minggat came in the evening to lead the prayers. Meruik meh jani. Engkiuk sida manuk. Tu lumor Hilux ia angka bisi sekeda ka nguji nasit.

Young Enterpreneur - in - the -making?

2009-03-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

My son with my uchu, Augustine Bansa. August is studying in Sabah and back for the short break. I took them to the farm for manuring session.

My son, who I am training to take over from me.

Do you see him as a potential gentleman farmer?

The best and healthiest palm in one of the plots ie sub-farms. Below: My son with the workers - one for the record

Life in the longhouse

2009-03-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

I took this snapshot of the my uchus who were still sleeping soundly at the ruai when I left for Bintulu early this morning. They had a late night, after the party they went to my niece's house to watch the football match and came back late.

Below: My brothers and cousins -happily posing for this blog

Above: My son and nephews, Lua and Rampai.

Mesra Farm - One Year Anniversary!!!!!!

2009-02-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Above & below: ramu kena ngaga langkau kebun ladang sawit blogger ngambika bisi endol indon diau.

Below: Tapak menantu aku - harvesting palm oil; 4 years old palm trees - very bountiful harvest indeed

Below: Blogger's own palm trees at one year old almost quite ready to bear fruits

Its very heartening to say the least when palm trees planted about a year ago look like the one above and below. Hopefully by the end of this year there will be quite ready to show some yield.

While Sarawak recently experienced the worst flood in 50 years - my folks in Dijih were busy harvesting their sago palm in Ng Luau; each lumpong of 3 feet each fetching RM6.50. One family got RM17,000+ another RM10,000.00. When the landas season was over they went home to Meruan and resume harvesting their oil palm which were not harvested for about 2 months because of the poor road conditions. One 10-acre plot yields as much as 18 tonnes which translate into RM7,350.00.

Karan For Rh Bansa - came 50 Years after Independence!

2009-02-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

Rural electricity supply (RES) - wiring installation.

After almost 50 years of independence, baru datai karan ba rumah panjai. When is piped water coming, I wonder? Another 10, 20 years? The water mains is just 4.5 km away from the longhouse along the Bintulu-Sibu road. And our rivers and streams are being polluted more and more from the plantation and logging activities. The longhouse folks including the school nearby are dependent on rain water. So when dry season comes, kasih bala di menua merinsa nadai ai, literally have to nyauk ke Selangau ngambi ai. Yes, we were given water tanks but that does not solve our problem. It's just a stop gap measure. Our gravel road is in the most terrible shape now, what took less than 5 minutes before to travel from the longhouse to the main road now takes about 12 minutes bcos of the terrible road condition. It's worse now because the logging trucks transport the logs during the night along the road. Kemaya kami ngasaika utai ke nyamai?

Tiang lampu about to be installed near the longhouse flag posts

Bintulu Flood 2009 Part 2

2009-02-24T03:23:00.000-08:00

The Infamous 2009 Sarawk Flood - Bintulu P 1

2009-02-24T03:11:00.000-08:00

Tea time in the longhouse. Above - small river with a lot of debris

Rice rice every where

Bintulu Port Staff with the military personnel sending relief mission

Below: Bintulu Port Security Boat - doing corporate social responsibility

Erica's Dream Car - More Pictures

2009-02-22T02:50:00.001-08:00

This is the showroom where we bought the car

The car in the show room....a four seater sedan

Go ahead and buy the number you never know there may be luck in it!!!!!!

Erica's Dream Car

2009-02-22T02:36:00.000-08:00

I went to Yogyakarta from 19th to 22 Feb 2009 and bought my daughter a car. It a red honda jazz costing a cool IDR 117,000,000.00 - a 2004 model with automatic gear. I taught her how to drive around Jogja city and spent quite some times demonstrating how to do reverse parking at her rented house. As the parking space was very narrow we had initially a tough time conducting the routine. At times she almost lost her cool while I remained calm and showed understanding and patience.

Below: left showroom employee, Supir Armando (centre) - my escort and driver while in Jogja

I was really forced by circumstances to know how to drive around the crazy and chaotic Jogja streets with a millions bikes they called spader motor in there. A car is called a mobil and a driver - supir. Thanks goodness I have become a competent supir mobil di Jogja in order to then showed her the courage to drive around and coached her along the way. Petrol there cost RM1.42 per litre. Though we paid for the car the car cannot be transfered to her name instead under "local patronage or resident" Don"t ask me what this is all about because I don't understand either.
While I was there she managed to drive to the famous Malioboro Street from her rented house and back, went around the UGM campus and also from Novotel Hotel to her house. I showed her the petrol station and the workshop where to sent the car in the event of servicing needs, etc

Mulaika Pengingat: Nebang Mulong

2009-01-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

Asal kami ari Batang Skrang, tang pindah keterubah ia ke Nyelong Sarikei lalu ari Nyelong ke Dijih Mukah. Sida aki ini berumah panjai ba ulu Dijih lalu berimba kampong puang, bumai betaun. Nyamai endur ngidup ke diri laban maya nya kelia maioh babi enggau jelu kampong bukai. Pengudah nya sekeda ari kami serumah pindah ke Ng Luau, ia nya ili Dijih, laban deka bumai paya lalu menua nya mayuh ikan.

Di Ng Luau sida aki ini bumai lalu maya ke lepa pengawa nanam mulong ngambi bisi diperingga. Sida aki ini bulih amat padi sampai bisi dijual ngagai pasar di Ng Kenyana. Rega padi sampai chukup kena meli injin sepit. Maya nya kelia nadai tentu bebatang bekebun ke lada semina bisi betanam ka anak getah. Nyau pengalama udah pindah ke Luau kebun mulong pen nyau besai serta tinggi lalu tau ditebang serta dijual ngagai Cina di pasar Ng Mukah.

Selalu pengawa nebang mulong tu dikerja maya ai besai tauka bah ianya bulan 11 ngagai bulan 2 tiap tiap taun. Kelia mulong ditebang ngena kapak laban nadai chainsaw enda baka kemaya ari tu. Kebun mulong selalu ditanam ba tanah nebing ai ba tanah emperan. Urang nebang mulong maya ai besai kira tuntung punggong ngambika batang mulong ulih ditebang ba baruh agi, enggaika tebasau. Enti ai agi mabu, batang mulong enda ulih dikalih laban batang mulong ke ditebang diberesi ngambika nyamai dipumpong ujung, dititi enggau dirakit. Batang mulong ke udah diberesi diasulka ngagai Sg Dijih, ma udah chukup pemayuh, lalu dirakit ngena randau tauka rutan. Siti akit mulong begembar 5 kayu sampai tiga sambung retinya, 15 kayu mulong nyadi siti akit. Akit mulong enggai nyadi kelalu besai enggau panjai enggai laban Sg Dijih mit sereta bingkok. Enti akit mulong kelalu besai tauka panjai ia deka tekait ba madang rasau kayu nebing Sg Dijih.

Pengawa nebang mulong tu dikereja berumban laban ngerumban ai ti bah. Enti ai nyu surut, tusah mai batang mulong ngagai sungai sereta ngundurka ngagai pasar. Mulong ke udah tau ditebang deka meragai enti enda ditebang lalu nadai rega laban nadai tentu bisi isi. Maya nebang mulong kami gaga amat laban bulih duit lalu pia mega bulih ikan laban ai besai. Maya ngayutka akit mulong ke pasar, gaga amat bala, asaika bepesta laban semua ke nebang bebala mayuh enggau diri sebilik ngundurka mulong. Sekayu mulong dilumpong 3 kaki pemanjai, lalu sebatang mulong ulih ngasilka 10-15 iti lumpong. Kelia rega selumpong antara RM2.00 ngagai RM2.50, lalu sepintu bilik ulih nebang sampai 100 kayu, bisi ke bagas agi lebih ari nya. Taja pia pengawa tu siti pengawa ti pedis. Kitai berendam besari-sari dalam ai, kadang-kadang ngelaban ujan. Semut naka ia pemayuh, nya meh ngetup kitai belama. Pia mega jemayar seruran bisi, tambahka ular. Nya alai enda tau enda bejaga-jaga maya ke gawa. Enti udah kelalu mayuh semut, kitai nyelam dalam ai, ju ka semut nyau. Taja jemayar mayuh, ia enda ngachau, enda nyenggat, muti ngerayap ba baju kitai. Sida ke indu berapi ba atas perau ngena semawar tauka enti nadai semawar, api diidupka atas tudung deram. Maya chelap amat, dia meh endur bekindu dulu sebedau gawa baru.

Diatu sida menyadi aku benung di menua lama kami di Ng Luau, benung nebang mulong. Bulih amat sida, nyu betapat sapa bagi bilik ke ulih nebang mayuh agi. Dalam kandang 4 ari, siku menyadi aku ulih nebang 128 kayu, siku 89 kayu. Diatu rega mulong RM6.50 selumpong nya alai rega 100 kayu lebih kurang RM6500.00. Rega mulong tu tadi deka dibagi diri sebilik ngambika sama puas ati bisi ungkup.

Aku empu kala enggau orang nebang mulong ngelaban ai, ngelaban chelap, ujan, belaya enggau kesa, jemayar, lintah, ular, nyamuk tang ati gaga laban tu meh maya peluang bulih duit ringgit, belauk ka ikan enggau upak rotan & upa mulong.....rindu bermuto kulu kili mintas tanjung asaika bemain ba ai!

Kami menyanak pen bisi kebun mulong, utai ke ditinggalka sida aki ini. Enti kelia rega nyual mulong tu meh kena sida niang apai indai nyengulaka aku. Tang pengudah aku kerja mulong ditebang menyadi aku aja. Menyadi aku meri bala anak aku ang pow kena ngelaie share aku ba kebun mulong. Aku selalu amat ka mulaika diri ke Ng Luau maya orang nebang mulong tang enggai kediri. Bini anak dibai aku ke Luau ngabas kebun mulong enggai, mayuh utai diketakutka. Indai Maie takutka ular, jemayar, bala anak takut diketup semut, enggai berujan. Mayuh kebuah sida. Aku mutap, udah bakatu jual mulong kitai ngagai menyadi aku ku aku. Ila bala anak enda nemu dini endur tanah, enda nemu entara enggau urang. Enda setuju sida menyanak nyual, manah agi besilih enggau tanah bukai ku sida.

Ukai madahka pemisi diri kebun getah, tanah paya, temuda rimba pen bisi mega kami menyanak di Luau din tang nadai kala diabas laban menua nya diatu bedau datai jalai. Jalai kin ngena perau, enti ngena moto 25 kuda sejam setengah baru datai di Ng Luau tang enti ai langkang 2-3 jam baru datai din. Rindu aku ninga cerita sida ke pulai ari nyin madahka ikan agi mayuh, tak makai ikan pagi, tengah ari enggau lemai. Pia mega mayuh jelu, sida bulih pelanduk, kera enggau nyumboh. Sekeda bala tepedaka rusa 3 iku tang laban ke enda mai senapang enda ulih nimbak rusa. Apai indai rusa ulih ngeraika diri, semina anak rusa ke ulih tangkap sida.

Pengudah musim nebang mulong tu ila matar tauka tindoh pun mayuh din. Babi mayuh, laban makai pun mulong. Matar tu nyamai amat enti di bbq. Matar mega tau di empa matak sebaka ke dipeda ba Astro Channel "Man vs Wild" Aku kala kin 5 taun tu ti udah ngemuas ka diri makai matar. Sinu aku ngenati ka menua ke ditinggalka sida niang apai indai jarang di undang kami, laban kami udah pindah berumah baru ba tisi jalai Dijih.

Bye Bye Folks Bye Bye Special One In Jogja!

2008-07-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hi good morning to visitors of my blog especially the "Special One" in Jogyakarta, Indonesia. I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep for quite a while and got the inspiration to write this post.

Well, not that the world really cares but for the sake of keeping my avid reader in Jogja informed.

The sleep interruption? - perhaps because of the jet-leg after coming back from overseas somewhere. I am making a conscious decision to cease blogging on my own for four reasons.

One- my daughter who went to study in Strathclyde, Scotland has finally graduated and safely returned home, Praise the Lord.

Second - I took up blogging because my wife who was not a blogger then has became a dedicated blogger of her own with separate site and she together with my "back home" daughter will take the role of keeping my other Special One in Jogja posted and informed of home happenings and news.

Third reason - blogger.com is well represented (as if it cares) by three members from the same family ie one from the home front and another from overseas.

Fourth - changed man? - not really: having came back from overseas I have become more interested in reading books - bought by my wife that is. Read one already titled " Malaysia and the Club of Doom - The Collapse of the Islamic Countries" by Syed Akbar Ali. Good book - an attempt by the author to explain Islamic and muslim religion , behaviors, thinking, way of lives, etc. Now I am getting hold of a second book entitled: " LIM GOH TONG" - An Autobiography. Just started reading it. Perhaps someday I can "transform"( if not during my life time perhaps my future generation) my own Bukit Kuncit in Selangau to become next the casino haven of Malaysia!

Dijih Boleh! Selangau Boleh! Hopefully Selangau will no longer become infamous for being the GE12 Bahlurrsss Heartland!

Last but not least I have decided to read more books instead of blogging - as a new hobby to distract me from all worries of the world such as escalating oil prices, food crisis, weather crisis, global warming, brewing world's conflicts, forever new twists to the Malaysian political drama, allegations and counter allegations where everybody is accusing somebody of sodomy, corruptions, etc, etc, etc

Happy and blessed Sunday to my Special One in Jogya!

Posted at 1.46am 6th July 2008

More Pictures of Scotland

2008-07-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

Scotland Cost

2008-07-05T04:50:00.000-07:00

Diesel in Scotland costs RM8.90 per liter, take away coffee RM6.60, a 4-courses chinese dinner for 3 persons cost between RM300 - 400.00; taxi fare starts at RM13 or 2 pounds, pisang embun RM3+ each at Heathrow airport, blackberry set RM2000.00. In short Malaysia is still a cheaper place to live!

Strathclyde University Awards Congregation 30th June 2008

2008-07-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

Daphne on her graduation day

After receiving her scroll

this is what she had been slogging for the last 4.5 years

Daphne with her friends
and another friend

A Note From Glasgow

2008-06-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

We have been in Glasgow since morning 26th june. The weather here is cold unpredictable and chilly - alternating between cloudy skies, drizzling and short occassional sunshine. We went for a tour of Edinburgh on 27th and Oban on 28th june. Today 29th went to church and then shopping. Wife and daughter somehow are in shopping and buying mood telling me here they have some of the latest fashions and bla bla to justify their acts. I am not amused though because when you make the conversion, the items turn out to be very pricey!

Tomorrow will be a graduation day! The day she and we had been waiting for! On 1st July we are thinking of joining a day tour to Iverness or Loc Ness?. We have yet to have plan for the 2nd but on the 3rd we are ready and happy to leave this place before we get to burn more of our pockets.

Just to give you an idea of the cost here: pisang embun is RM3+ per biji at Heathrow airport, taxi meter in Glasgow starts at RM13 ie 2 pounds, a four courses chinese meal for 3 cost RM264 and at tourist city -Oban your fantastic seafood lunch will cost RM386.00 ie oysters, mussels, prawn, crabs and salmoon - hotel room rate RM500+ per night the equivalent of 2 star size room in KL.....and to enter a toilet RM1.20 per entry. Maybe you should come and see for yourself. Daylight hours till 10pm and by 4am - udah tampak!

Someday I hope when the hole in the pocket is self healing it will probably be a good idea to come here again - the country sides are a sight to behold!!!!!!!!!!!

MesraFarms 21 June 2008

2008-06-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

Workers having lunch at MF Base camp

Lunch Shuffler - ie tukang ngepas lauk kin kitu for those too busy with lunch feed

Workers resting after a lunch - special dish was kgs of craps imported from KK

Nobody need tan in here when the weather was pretty hot

MF Works

2008-06-21T17:09:00.001-07:00

The workers came in numbers and there were 15 of them!

Workers resting

That's me in red - horrendous huh

Henry Nabau (standing second from left)- a friend and senior govt officer from Bintulu Port came visiting the farm

Here we go again - ice cold water was a rare treat indeed!

Bali Works of Art

2008-06-10T03:40:00.000-07:00

Ramayana Hotel & Spa - ceiling

another bambo artistic creation.......

Some day I hope to convince my long house people to use bambo as interior decorating materials like the one shown in the pictures above. I like what I saw................

Famous Jalan Alor Hawkers Stalls

2008-06-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

Just one more feasting at Jln Alor - second sitting for the evening!
Other diners
..................more of the same
................favorite kerang for the none fussy ones!

Vietnam 3 - 7 June 2008 in Pictures

2008-06-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

At down town Ho Chi Minh City

Mother & son trying Vietnamese speciality - colored rice

"Son with borrowed vietnamese girlfriend"

Dadi with life long "girlfriend"- Dinner at Amigo Ho Chi Minh City

A questionable attempt to shake off the excess calories?

Gawai 2008 in pictures - Part 2

2008-06-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Ari kiba ke kanan: indai biron, nurse bajik Kumo, indai ladi,
.........indai ensigan, indai maie tisi
Tu gambar Ajik , Melissa & Gavin
Dadi makai maia Gawai 2008
Tu gambar maia kawin Tindo ba ulu Dijih kena 30 May 2008
Tu gambar Gavin begulai enggau Kubo & Rawing

Gawai 2008 in pictures

2008-06-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

Mum , Gavin & Dad Gawai 2008
Dadi begulai enggau sida Apai Kumo sebilik
Tim, Ogos, Gavin, Kubu & Rawing
Ari kiba nya Pengantin Tindo & pengapit Melissa

Gambar mami begulai enggau Nuyah, Indai Ladi & Indai Biron

Bali in pictures part 4

2008-05-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

Found at Kuta Beach - for auction: any one?
Father & son in Bali 26 May 2008
A catholic church in Bali where we went for mass.
Below Kecak & Fire Dance

Bali Trip in Pictures Part 3

2008-05-28T03:20:00.000-07:00

Gavin Parasailing & Jetsking in Bali

2008-05-28T02:57:00.000-07:00

Bali Trip in Pictures 24 - 27 May 2008 Part 1

2008-05-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

Longhouse Visit on Wesak Day - 19 May

2008-05-18T23:08:00.000-07:00

We went home on sunday afternoon and came back after lunch today. We had our miting gawai and after that beer, label 5, whisky and tuak drinking, poco2 session until 1 am in the morning. Early monday morning we slaughtered one 40 kilo babi and bbq it and ngemuas kediri makai tunu babi and tunu ikan baong as well - never mind hyper inflation is right here.

Headhunters menu?

2008-05-17T01:33:00.000-07:00

The dish is best taken with upa kecala tacak gulai cabi and belancan tunu.
My two girls and son all love this dish.

Blessing from GOD Holiday Itinerary

2008-05-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

Bali from : 24 May till 28 May 2008 - travellers: Father, mother & son.Ramayana Hotel has been booked and waiting.

Gawai in Selangau from 29 May till 1 June 2008 - celebrating team: father, mother & son. The longhouse is ready to welcome the team with its potent tuak.

Vietnam from 2 June to 8 June 2008 - travellers: father, mother & reluctant son. The agent is making all the necessary arrangement.

Glasgow Scotland from 25 June to 5 July 2008 - travellers: husband & wife team. Ramada Hotel Glasgow City has been booked and paid for.Wishing Jogja girl and my son could come.

All trips - complementary of the good LORD! Thanks be to HIM!

Happy Birthday>>>>sweetheart?

2008-05-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

I told them I wanted a birthday cake for my wife but the baker smartly added in the word most people want to hear ie "sweetheart"....and I say amen...yes why not when one is half a century old I guess sweetheart has a totally new and different meaning.

The last picture you see is a picture of three mothers celebrating mothers' day lunch (the mother in the center is 78 years old and a very special one indeed!). I took them to lunch at Happy Valley Restaurant today to celebrate Mother's Day and my wife's birthday - which was on 9 May - as we were busy with the novena for the last 9 nights, my son and I only managed to give my wife a birthday lunch last Friday. My mother in law is extremely hardworking at her age and one who steadfastly refuse to retire. She works as full time nanny and housekeeper. Shame on you who retire at 55 or 56!. But God is very kind with her - she has a relatively healthy life and has the energy to "slog on" and enjoy her daily chores while most people call it a day well before her age. Her daughters - the ones sitting next her have tried time and again to coax her into retirement and enjoy her life but so far they have not been successful. She has a mind of her own and almost as stubborn as our former prime minister!. Mind you she also shares the same view as Lee Kuan Yew the former prime of Spore who once said - "if you stop working you will die".

After Msian GE12 - now this?

2008-05-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

BERNAMA May 03, 2008 00:57 AM

PSD To Sponsor All Students Obtaining 9As In 2007 SPM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Bernama) -- The Public Service Department (PSD) will sponsor all students who obtained 9As or better in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

This is in addition to the 2,000 students under the Overseas Degree Programme and 10,000 under the Local Degree Programme, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan says in a statement.

The sponsorship will be given to students undergoing Form Six at government schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, Universiti Malaya's Pre-Science Centre and International Islamic University Malaysia's Matriculation.

It will continue up to the first degree-level at local universities and extended to those who have obtained seats at Ivy League universities overseas and foreign university campuses in Malaysia like Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University.

-- BERNAMA

Blogger's note: I hope my son get the same privileges next year.This is about winning the hearts and minds of parents after a disastrous BN GE12 outing. I could be wrong of course.Had they implemented similar policy in 2004 I could have saved in excess ofRM350K easily huh.God knows best.Praise be to Him.

Bintulu first and only condo

2008-05-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Almost wanted to buy but decided against it. The structure had been abandoned for quite sometime before another company took over. Not too sure about the structural integrity of the building. Tempted just very tempted but no.... phobia about height!

The famous tamu - the pride of Tamin constituency!

2008-05-01T02:59:00.000-07:00

This "tamu" was constructed and never used just like the balairaya and chapel we have shown earlier in this blog. Sheer waste of public fund isn't it? Many other places in sarawak also we believe have similar stories. Just in case anyone is interested in locating it - its near the junction to Jln Sg Dijih near Selangau.

Two faces of Tanjung Batu Bintulu

2008-05-01T02:31:00.000-07:00

The good side - where people spend endless hours for picnic and bbq. The cruel side - its water never fail to claim unsuspecting lives who dare to swim at its shore every year. Bintulu Port is at the distant.

Filipino Ngelulun

2008-05-01T02:25:00.000-07:00

This is an imported maid trying her skill in ngelulun "senile chicken" aka manok tuai and ikan baong. Somehow manok tuai is tastier than young chicken. Someone has to explain why?
Btw we had just taken our dinner and the ikan baong and "lulun senile chicken" tasted not bad at all!

Labor Day - Bintulu people showing the way

2008-05-01T01:19:00.000-07:00

Most people do not know how to spend their holiday – Labor Day that is. But these folks showed the way at the famous Tanjung Batu Beach in Bintulu. The managers, lawyers etc all want the holiday to mark Labor Day but none want to be called a laborer!

Grand old rubber trees

2008-05-01T01:13:00.001-07:00

Bintulu: From humble rubber trees to oil and gas…..Malaysia was once very famous for rubber trees but people in Bintulu have forgotten how to tap rubber and hence the neglect of rubber trees along Bintulu Trekking track

The man who almost died and lives!

2008-05-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

This man almost died and lives to tell the tale. He had a mild stroke on 8th April recently. If you ask him one moment he says he is 48 years old and the next moment 68 years- the correct and actual age – kasih neh udah short-circuit meh nya. On a healthy day he will tend to his oil palm smallholding which generates a decent income for him and his family

World famous? Bintulu Trekking site

2008-05-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite place where people spend times to “discharge” their toxins and tenguoong!

Gonna check on Bali in May 24 - 27 before going for Gawai

2008-04-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

For RM30.00 each way from Kuching. Isn't that GREAT? Jom mari kita pergi - the hotel has been booked. Heard so much about it but never got the time to go and check on the place. If nothing we can always have our lunch in the middle of the paddy field.

Having lunch at the scenic mangrove trees

2008-04-29T04:54:00.000-07:00

My trip to Johor Port Tanjung Pelepas on 24th April took me to this place. The impressive building is PTP office complex.

Fresh from the sea

2008-04-29T04:42:00.000-07:00

My favorite "fishing" ground is the ABF Beach in Bintulu where fishermen unload their catch and spread it out for sale. Here one can get supplies of fresh lobsters @RM25.00 per kilo or ikan "aerod" for RM25.00, senangin for RM20 and "garupa" RM20.00 and tenggiri at RM10.00. People come here from nine till 10 am. Come late and you will miss the good fish. We usually come here on saturday or sunday morning - getting supplies enough for the whole week.

Birthday Cake Kids

2008-04-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

Look at the happy faces waiting for the birthday cake. One kid commented the cake so should have been bigger so that there would have been enough for everyone to eat ...the same poor boy who lost her mother to cancer recently. Wonder when did he had his birthday cake.....his father is seldom home.....kena penyakit iban " kaki penyabong".

You see from the last picture- the one year old birthday boy as if he knew the threat around him went ahead and grabbed the poor cake before everyone had the chance to sing him a birthday song and said a prayer.

More pictures from the longhouse...........6 April 2008

2008-04-08T05:35:00.001-07:00

20 Years MRP projects for folks of Jln Sg Dijih

2008-04-08T04:54:00.000-07:00

Balairaya built a stone throw away from the longhouse..

A chapel... abandoned, has never been used...

Let these pictures show you how helpful our YB had been in the last 20 years.

Here's 2 MRP projects given by our ADUN (including when he was an MP before). One project is a balai raya, built on the land belonging to his natural father (his father's name is Nyami, the YB was adopted by Ekih). The balai raya is near his long house, Rh Bilie. I dont know how much was spent including compensation for the land.

The 2nd project is a chapel, built on his father's land beside the SRK Sg Dijih. Lalang grass have been the only companion for the chapel, which has never been used. Wonder how much was spent on the chapel and compensation for the land.

There's a 3rd project, supposed to be tamu, sited near Rh Merawin by the Sibu-Bintulu Rd, not far from Jln Sg Dijih. The tamu has never been used to this day. It is in the middle of nowhere, its not a stopping point for vehicular traffic. Selangau bazaar which is a kilometre away has a fairly big tamu. I wanted to take a snapshot but it was used by the army as their base camp for the recent exercise so I did not - will take pictures on my next trip. The ADUN has a bilik in Rh Merawin and his close associate, Dali Merawin, the husband of his niece is a resident there. Wonder how they acquired the land and how much the government had to compensate the land owner for the project.

4th project, built a dam to supply gravity feed water to the nearby longhouses, purported to cost RM250,000 excluding compensation to land owner. The supply was only functional for a few months, including to our longhouse, after that the pipelines were sabotaged by those longhouse folks who could not get the water supply due to too low pressure...Mebe one of these days I will walk over to the site to take pictures for you to see....

5th project - almost all materials for building the longhouse of Rh Bilie was thru the MRP project- nyau enda ulih kena pemayuh attap spindex...he has a bilik there..A little bird told me the value of the project could have been about RM100k.

We heard that Jln Sg Dijih will only be sealed after all the kayu batang abis diangkut, enggai ka jalai jai. Lama udah kayu abis diangkut....We also heard that water and electricity cannot be installed first until the road has been sealed. That's the official explanation for the delay in getting those utilities.

MesraFarms updates - 5 April 2008

2008-04-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

My workers smiling after receiving their gaji for the day!

Men in Uniform - They came, they conquered and won the hearts of the longhouse folks in the area

2008-04-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

These men have to earn their living the rough way. I was told they have to undergo this training once in 18 months ie to walk 80 kilometers over several days from one location to another passing thru my longhouse and at the end of it all had mock fight/war with another group.There were about 600 men in all. A few were involved the exhibition and provision of free medical and dental services to the longhouse folks in the area. Thanks to them for the good show and good work.

Man of God & The Chosen One!

2008-03-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

Diaconate Ordination of Bro Peter Hwang at Stella Maris Church Btu on 31 March 2008

2008-03-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

The bloggers Oh bloggers - why do thou say such a nasty thing about my beloved country?

2008-03-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

A “ Medical” Perspective on Why the BN Lost in the Recent Elections PDF Print E-mail
Posted by labisman
Saturday, 29 March 2008

With the thrashing that they got in the 12th.GE, the BN is now in ICU and they are doing a post mortem to find out what happened.
To help BN with this task, the following medical report has been prepared to identify the diseases / illnesses that have been plaguing it and how these ailments have caused this sickening organization to become so sick that major surgery is now being considered.

Diagnosis

Overeating – gorged themselves and ate too much of the people’s money

Heart failure – did not have a heart to really care about the rakyat

Rectal cancer and constipation – did not expel all the shit from the system

Diabetes – fondness for sweet things, i.e. saying sweet things to try and con the rakyat ( in plain English, lying )

Stroke – stroked too much of their own ego and became too arrogant

Overworking – too busy running here and there cutting deals for own benefit

Alzheimer’s – forgot to play the proper role of an elected representative

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis – obsession with cleaning, especially sweeping things under the carpet

HP6 – a mutation of the deadly H5N1 ( bird flu) virus which manifests itself in the form of idiocy or semi-idiocy, thus the descriptor “ half past six ( HP6)”. Many members of the BN are infected.

VD – Very Deaf. Did not listen to the grievances of the rakyat and did not heed the healthy advice and feedback from bloggers.

Color Bind – a form of visual impairment which is directly the opposite of being color blind. There is a fixation on color and everything must always be discussed in terms of “color” – Malay, Chinese, Indian etc.

Liver problems – failure to de-Liver on promises

“Inverted Cerebranus “ – a new form of disease where the cerebrum and anus are transposed causing highly irrational and objectionable behaviour, like brandishing ancient weapons and ranting racial slurs and threats

Prognosis

Not good and definitely a terminal case.

Chances of recovery are 1 in a gadzillion, about the same odds as Osama converting to the Jewish faith and becoming a messenger of world peace.

Cure

No known cure. Euthanasia recommended.

Suggest to drink lacquer – at least it will ensure a beautiful finish.

By Political doctor

The Niah Folks

2008-03-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

The wonderful relatives from Batu Niah came visiting in droves.Berandau session in progress shshhhhhhhh. Serious business is being discussed.

Singapore Trip 26 - 29 Mar 2008

2008-03-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

A picture taken at Clarke Quay, Singapore
A steamed seabass going and gone! Only had time to take a picture of what remained of the fish.
At Sentosa VIVO CITY
Bugis Street Singapore
Another Bugis Street Singapore

Sebana urang Dijih.. enda di sukong mati apai, di sukong mati indai..tang dudi ila lain runding

2008-03-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Kasih bala kami ari Dijih. People from more than 30 longhouses are users of Jln Sg Dijih - Meruan, Dijih, Bauh, Sebakong and yet look at the road conditions of Jalan Sungai Dijih. The ADUN for Tamin's bungalow and longhouse is located on the same stretch of dirt road yet we have a third world standard infrastructure in the area and many other places and he has been the MP and ADUN there since the last 20 years. Electricity, piped water and telephone lines are just a stone throw away at the Sibu-Bintulu main road and yet for the last 25 years these utilities have not been made available to the many long houses and a school along Jln Sg Dijih. ANd Jln Sg Dijih is only 7 km long! The school (the former school where the ADUN Tamin taught before he became YB) gets its supply of gravity feed water from my land, all FOC... I will start to charge from now on... Small and even big cars continously got stucked at many stretches along the road.

Pak Lah should let the rakyat fill in the report cards of these YBs. I will gladly include these pictures and take more pictures during landas season where the road is almost impassable, to show him. Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Father Francis Kuleh Farewell Dinner Part 2

2008-03-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

A picture of Gavin and Jandol who works at Park Everlycity Hotel Bintulu Gavin enjoying the dinner?
English choir group giving a presentation and my wife is on the far right with her signature blackdress?
Father Francis himself giving a farewell number to the amusement of all who were present for the night!

Father Francis Kuleh Farewell Dinner on 16 March

2008-03-20T03:03:00.000-07:00

Dinner or no dinner some people just slept away their time. Could the dinner been boring? See how people catch a sleep during dinner time!

MesraFarms visit on 19-20 March 2008

2008-03-20T02:24:00.000-07:00

The first four pictures are my workers before and after the manuring sessions. The last picture is Apai Nyala (my older brother, Rantai) making his bbq pit with the help of Ginda - understandable afterall the price of palm oil has hit the ceiling of late and there could be alot of bbq works to be done in the days ahead?

First Mass at Stella Maris Church

2008-03-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

The 1st mass held at the new church, Stella Maris at Kidurong was today, on Palm Sunday mass (16th March 2008). Father Francis Kuleh was the celebrant - his last mass in Bintulu as the parish priest before moving on to Marudi after 6 years of posting in Btu. The church was packed and it was quite an experience. Yaaay we were among the first to pray in the church! Praise the Lord.
My wife and son were both on duty - wife as commentator seated behind the rostrum and son was one of the altar servers. Me, I sibuk tangkap gambar, to practice for the big affair on 31 Mar when we will have the diaconate ordination of our own local boy, Peter Hwang.

My Little "Camp David" or Retreat - if you like.

2008-02-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

Some day, God willing, I gonna construct a little house for week-end retreat like the one seen in these pictures.I saw this wonderful farm house along the coastal road between Bintulu and Tatau. The owner has got "some creativity and taste" too.

Farm sites?

2008-02-16T18:11:00.000-08:00

These are sites where I earn my living and spend most of my waking hours

The arts of hugging - anyone?

2008-02-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

The first two are pictures of mother & daughter's hugging styles -and the 3rd one - father & daughter's style. Just to remind anyone out there who have forgotten how to hug.This was Jumau funny idea. Erica and Pearl Teo waiting for dinner to be served at Peace garden Bintulu on the last night she was in Bintulu before she returns to Jogya. .The last picture is Bintulu Promenade which is going to be officially opened by PM on 11th Feb 2008.

Mother & son - December 2007

2008-02-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

My sister inlaw at her stall, my niece and her children visiting from Mukah and my wife needing her left hand fixed?

2008-02-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday breakfast at my inlaw's "kampua & laksa" stall.The stall is somewhere in the background. She usually enjoys brisk business on weekend. We give her our support whenever we can. Wishing her every success in her endeavour!

Pictures from MF greenfield

2008-02-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

My staff and his son, my niece,my nephew & his family - photo shots at the mini dam / waterfall site. This land is enough to plant 1230 trees of palm oil or 9 hectares of jatropha or vanilla. Jatropha 5th yr gross income is about RM55,550 per hectare per year while vanilla would generate an income of RM120,000.00 per hectare per year. Anyone thinking of leasing my land come talk to me - am waiting for your offers!

Of turtle & my uchu Moses

2008-01-27T03:38:00.001-08:00

My son loves turtle and requested me to buy the dish when I went to selangau. But we came back rushing home and had no time to stop by in selangau town. I went to tamu this morning and saw this 8 kg turtle (lelabi kuning) and bought it for RM200.00. You know what I did to it of course. The last two are pictures of my uchu Moses who is under 2 years old.The strange part I am showing to you is the turtle most precious weapon in its armoury - if you know what I mean.......hehheheh.
M

A new piece of land for MFarms

2008-01-26T04:54:00.000-08:00

When I least expected it, a relative approached me mid-week to offer her land for sale. I was very excited bcos I have been eyeing the land for some time but when I sent feelers last year, I heard the family was not keen to sell. Many people are also interested in the land - it is about the only piece that has not been pledged to RH under the NCR land scheme. Further it is near to the main road, about a kilometre from SRK Sg Dijih and 1.5 km from my longhouse.

After negotiating the price, my wife and I balik kampung today and visited the land together with the relative, the neighbouring land owner, our tuai rumah and some equally excited relatives. I called my nephew-in-law, who is a qualified surveyor based in Mukah and he came to survey the land using GPS. The new land is about 8.894 ha or 21.977 acres surrounded by oil palm plantation. It has access road on three sides. The land has a small water fall. It is about 800 meters from the main road (Jln Sg Dijih) and easily accessible. You can see Bukit Kuncit in the background and also Rh Bili as well. The mini dam and waterfall is also seen in these pictures. I can plant about 1,200 oil palm trees on the new land. Since the access road is already available, I only need to make roads within the land and terrace some hilly parts. As you can see from the pictures, there are some big trees on one side of the land. Sure the next few months will be a busy one for me but I know I will enjoy it. Praise the Lord, thank you Lord.

Ikan mayuh nama: kedebu, paloi, tutu

2008-01-19T21:53:00.000-08:00

This riverine fish is called by different names by different people - the supermarket that sold it alive call it Ikan Batik because of the scale pattern, the chinese call it ikan paloi and yet they love to ieat it! The Iban call it ikan kedebu. The fish is best steamed. At most restaurants it cost RM70 per kilo but I bought it alive and fresh for RM45/kg . The fish weighed 3.2kg, pricey but it makes the wife happy, she has been wanting to eat kedebu for quite sometime. I used to eat this fish in Selangau on my weekly trip home - it's available at the kedai makai across the road from the shell station.

Those were our younger days, when my wife received her postgraduate degree in 2000

2008-01-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

MF visit on Jan 10, 2008

2008-01-10T04:41:00.000-08:00

I went home to Selangau on Jan 10, 2008 and got these pictures taken for you.Left Bintulu at 5 am and returned to Bintulu at 5 pm. Managed to install water catchment tanks for spraying purpose at the farms and transfering seedlings from brother farm house to MF. We now have about 756 trees on land 1, 393 trees on land 2 and 530 trees on land 3. Our target is to plant 1800 trees unfortunately land is not available. No one is prepared to sell land even at RM1200 per hectare. We are still looking for additional land though. The harvesting kids are my cucu, while the pictures at the balcony are nephew, ucu2, cousins and brother Balai waiting for lunch to be served!

More MesraFarms in pictures

2008-01-07T04:43:00.000-08:00

MesraFarms updates for you

2008-01-07T04:28:00.000-08:00

In here you see pictures of the nursery in Batu Niah, the seedling transported to Selangau and the house is belonging to my brother Balai who is quite a successful palm oil farmer earning as much as RM7K per 3 weeks.The seedlings were tarnsported to Selangau on 6th Jan 2008 recently

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MesraFarms updates for you

2007-12-30T05:43:00.000-08:00

The Interior & Exterior of my longhouse - lower part are pictures of MF at Land Plot No 3

2007-12-30T05:31:00.000-08:00

From 20 to 29 Dec 2007 my family and I went to Miri 3 times. We went to Miri on 20 dec and back on 21 dec fetching my daughter who flew in from Jogjakarta for her xmas holiday. Went to Miri again on 26 dec on day trip this time to send my daughter back to Miri enroute to Jogja. On 28th dec we went to Miri again for relatives from Niah wedding at Marriotts Hotel and back to Btu on 29 dec. On 30 I went home to MF on day trip. You will see pictures of my longhouse and MF latest development on the plot of land which is more than 9 acres in size. This plot can accommodate about 600 trees thereby making MF - 1700 trees in all.

More Wedding pictures

2007-12-29T01:39:00.000-08:00

Lunch In Niah

The Ngayun Family

Mother & Son