Tabi basa & greetings! Today I’d like to share about Perscilla, a Melanau – Iban lady but was raised and resides in Miri. Her father is a Melanau, while her mother is an Iban. In this post, she wore Melanau traditional costume consisting of black satin blouse, yellow-red songkey sarong and red embroidered chest decoration with string pendant.
Perscilla graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Malaysia, Sarawak (UNIMAS). She worked three jobs prior joining Prudential as a full-time insurance agent because she wants to know and explore more on insurance business.
According to her, she wants to join insurance business because she wants to give an awareness to herself, family and relatives about the importance of insurance and what it can provide in case something unfortunate happens. With insurance, she’ll be able to ensure that her circle of family, friends and dearest clients always have the best protection that can guard them financially should death, disability, critical illnesses or accident happens.
Aside from teaching how to save money for emergency or illnesses, insurance also helps to plan further in the future such as planning for children’s educatiom and also planning for their beautiful retirement.
With insurance, her client also will have a peace of mind as they has no need to worry should emergency happens since they have secured their money and planned for their future ahead. Her journey so far makes her realise that this industry is beautiful as it helps her to connect with a lot of people regardless of their race, cultures, occupations etc. Her clients eventually became her friend and it brings her fulfilment to be able to serve them and subsequently grow successful as an Insurance Agent.
From her also I learned that the insurance agents that forces others to purchase an insurance plan only brings a bad name to the rest of the insurance industry.
I hope that her story inspires you to embrace a new understanding and get yourself protected by getting yourself an insurance plan not only for yourself but for your family.
Tukang Rantek,
Claudius
Note:
Claudius is a boudoir & portrait “tukang rantek” based in Miri.
IBARAT MATI HIDUP KEMBALI: SEBUAH KISAH IBU TUNGGAL
Tabi basa & selamat petang semua. Pada hari ini saya ingin berkongsi sebuah kisah berkenaan dengan seorang ibu tunggal yang terpaksa berhadapi dengan cabaran beliau tersendiri dan bagaimana beliau mengatasi kesulitan hidup yang beliau hadapi. Anda boleh membaca ringkasan kisah Rhea (bukan nama sebenar) dibawah.
Sakit lagi di hiris pisau, sakit lagi apabila kita ditinggalkan oleh orang yang pernah sebumbung dengan kita. Hari ini, saya nak kongsikan sedikit, melalui pengalaman hidup saya sendiri. Sebelum itu, saya ajukan kepada anda semua satu soalan: ada tak wanita di luar sana yang mahu jadi ibubapa tunggal untuk anak-anak?
Buat saya, itu sangatlah mustahil dan sangat sukar. Akan tetapi, saya mesti bergerak ke hadapan (move on). Pahit, manis, pedas & masam – saya kena telah semuanya.
Terjadinya keretakan di rumah tangga saya sehingga nama saya tidak asing lagi nama saya disebut dimana-mana, dikalangan sepupu-sepupu, makcik-makcik saya sendiri serta di lingkungan kenalan saya. Keluarga terdekat saya pun tidak kurang hebatnya bercerita akan kisah saya sehingga yang biasa pun menjadi luar biasa. Bahkan saya digelar sebagai wanita yang tiada masa depan. Kiri, kanan, depan dan belakang, semua cerita pasal saya.
“Eh, dia tiada duit ke nak sara anak dia?” dan banyak lagi yang mereka umpatkan berkenaan saya di luar sana. Siapa mereka untuk menghakimi saya?
Namun tidak mengapa. Saya bersyukur kepada Tuhan kerana telah mengurniakan keluarga yang selalu ada buat saya. Tuhan telah memberikan ibu & bapa yang sentiasa ada buat saya walau di saat saya jatuh, di saat saya terpuruk, dan hampir putus asa dengan hidup yang saya jalani. Mereka memberi kata-kata semangat agar saya kuat demi anak-anak saya.
Apabila saya sebut “ibarat mati hidup semula” ia bermaksud, disaat saya dipukul masalah terbesar dalam hidup saya yang hampir membuatkan saya jadi gila, Tuhan hadirkan berkat terindah dalam hidup saya yang tidak pernah saya lupakan. Tahu tak, pada masa yang sama juga saya telah mendapat pekerjaan baru, iaitu kerja dengan sektor awam.
Sebelum itu, saya pernah berdoa memohon kepada Tuhan agar dikurniakan perkerjaan yang bagus dan peluang untuk mengubah hidup saya dan anak-anak. Biarlah orang di luar sana dapat membuka mata dan melihat bahawa tanpa seorang lelaki pun saya boleh hidup. Ternyata, Tuhan mendengar dan mengabulkan doa saya.
Bagi saya, menjadi ibu tunggal itu adalah luar biasa. Menggalas tanggungjawab sebagai ibu dan ketua keluarga agak mencabar bagi saya. Menjadi mak sekaligus bapa kepada anak-anak itu bukan satu hal yang mudah. Saya tidak boleh menyerah. Saya mendidik hati saya untuk menjadi wanita besi dan menjadi wanita yang menjadi kebanggaan kepada anak-anak. Bagi saya, menjaga masa depan anak-anak adalah sungguh penting.
Saya sudah sediakan semuanya buat mereka. Dari aspek tabungan untuk masuk universiti 20 tahun akan datang pun saya sudah buat untuk mereka.
Pada masa ini, kisah silam biarlah kekal menjadi kisah silam. Saya gembira dengan kehidupan saya sekarang – sudah memiliki kerja tetap, ada perniagaan sendiri, kereta sendiri dan akan datang adalah rumah saya sendiri. Produk baru saya dan jenama saya sendiri pun di dalam proses pembikinan.
Buat gadis-gadis di luar sana yang mungkin mengalami nasib yang sama seperti saya, jangan pernah takut untuk bangkit semula. Status kekal status, namun kita juga manusia. Jadi, kita harus bergerak ke hadapan dan jadikan impian kita satu realiti. Lelaki boleh datang sendiri sekiranya dia benar-benar cinta akan kamu.
Buat lelaki-lelaki diluar sana, tidak semua janda itu murah dan tak semua janda itu tiada masa depan.
Terima kasih kerana sudi membaca. ❤️
DEATH & REBORN
Blade hurts, but what hurts more is when we are being left by the person who once lived with us. Today I’d like to share about my story. Before that, I’d like to ask a question to all of you: is there a woman out there who wants to be a single parent for their kids?
For me, it is an unsurmountable task. However, I need to move on for my kids. Bitter, sweet, spicy or sour, I have to go through it all.
There was a crack in my once blissful family until it shatters into a thousand pieces. My name even became the talk of the town, from my cousins, my aunties, uncles and within my family circle. The ordinary turns into extraordinary. I was even labelled as a futureless woman. That’s how bad it was for me.
“Eh, she doesn’t have any money to feed her kids?” et cetera. They kept on gossiping about me out there. Who are they to judge me?
But you know what? It doesn’t matter. I am truly grateful to God because He blessed me with my family that is always be there for me. God granted me my parents who always be there to assist me whenever I fall down and almost gave up with my life. They encourages me non-stop so that I am strong for my kids.
What I meant by “death & reborn” is when I was faced with this seemingly impossible challenge, God granted me the best blessing that I could never forget. Guess what? Amidst this calamity of my life, I also managed to land a job with government.
Before that, I prayed to God to grant me a good occupation and a chance to change my life for the better. Let those naysayers out there opened their eyes and see that I also can survive without any man. Indeed, God is great and answers my prayer.
For me, becoming a single parent is a extraordinary feat. Holding responsibility as a mother and family leader is challenging for me. Becoming mother & father to my children at the same time is no easy task. I cannot give up. I taught my heart to be an iron lady and become someone that they can look up to. For me, their future is my top priority.
I have prepared everything for them. From their university funds in 20 years’ time to the basic needs, I have it all prepared.
Today, let bygones be bygones and past remains a past. I am happy with my life now – having a stable career, owns a business, own car and soon, my own house. I am also doing my own product and my own brand.
For ladies out there who might be having the same problem with me, don’t be afraid to rise up again. Let status remains a status, but we are still humans. So, we need to move on and let our dreams come true. Your man will come to you if he really loves you.
For men out there, not all widow is cheap and not all widow is futureless.
Thank you for reading. ❤️
Tukang Rantek, Claudius
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Fastart Abseilers. From left: Kelly, Kevin & Harith.
Tabi basa & greetings everybody! Today I’d like to write about these brave souls that works as an abseiler. Abseiler is defined as a person who descends down a nearly vertical face by using doubled rope that is wrapped around the body & attached to high point. Most of the time, they deal with great heights & literally hanging out.
I took my chance to ask a few that I have met in person about their profession. They are trained & certified under IRATA (International Rope Access Trade Association) & internationally recognised. For beginners, Rope Access Level 1. For the experienced, they have Rope Access Level 2. Rope Access Level 3 is for supervisors.
Working at Height
When comparing IRATA and WAH, IRATA is internationally-recognised, while WAH is more local. In the work at height industry such as these, there are many regulations, laws & standard application such as FMA 1967 (Act 139), OSHA 1994 (Act 514) & DOSH Guidelines for the Prevention of Falls at Workplaces 2007.
To join this work at height industry, most important things is you have to be fit & has no fear of height, like what you’ll hear from these peoples: abseiler’s from Fastart & a lady on hiatus.
First one is Kevin Use’ Pahang, 26, from Long Apu, Baram. He has been working as abseiler for the past 3 years. His unforgettable experience is working rope-to-rope at 50m tower. The challenges as an abseiler is the fear of height, and a lot of things could go wrong. One wrong move, they would end up falling to the ground. Therefore, safety is their top priority. He hoped that this profession is not being regarded as lowly profession but as a profession that’s equal to the other. He also hoped that it can be extended across other industrial sector as well.
Second one is Mohd Harith Ugak Minggat, 31 from Sibu. He has been working as an abseiler for the past 5 years & have done lots, including changing flare tip, inspection at blasting tower, underside helideck, jacket leg & touch-up painting of crane’s boom. The challenge of working at height have him the fulfilment because he loves to hang at a high places. He hopes thay Rope Access technique is made more popular in oil & gas industry as well in TMM’s (projects, maintenance & construction).
Third one is Kelly Mutang, 39 from Lawas. He has been working as Blaster / Painter, BP team leader and BP supervisor. He is going to take his abseiling course & painting inspector next year. He loves the challenge that abseiling will grant him, though he also has to face the challenge of being far from his family.
Ain. Nang berani nya tok.
Last but not least, a rose among the thorn, Nurain binti Muhammad, 34 from Sibu. This happily-married lady worked offshore since 2011 and had worked with Oceancare, Velosi and lastly RIA Solution. The challenge of being a women abseiler is being understimated due to physical strength differences. But she proved that a woman also can perform as a professional abseiler & deliver their part to the hiring client, be it Operations or Maintenance team. She hoped that many more women will took up the challenge to be an abseiler because it is a good profession & break the stereotype of women being afraid of height.
I hope the story that I have written about these brave souls inspires you & broadens your career option, especially those who love to climb & enjoy the heights. Stay safe & take care!
Tukang Rantek, Claudius
‼️15 more days for Citra Kenyalang. Register now at 0148677585 via Telegram.‼️
Thank you to those who reads and shares my post yesterday about Cardock. My writings that was shared at Miri Community was deleted by its admin and I was removed without any prior warning. But it’s okay because it will not change anything at all and it will not stop me from voicing my opinions out based on what I think is true.
Thinking of creating my own TRibe Group. Not a fan of CLan word,.
Back to the story that I want to talk about today, it can be said that it has been a trend among Malaysian celebrities to be involved with controversy to raise their publicity. From sexy video, sexy clothes, fight, picture in a bathtub full of money and so on, it is one of the way for them to be famous. Afterall, it’s very Machiavellian: the aims of these celebrities – such as glory and survival – justifies the use of immoral means to achieve those ends.
Among Malaysian influencers, the issues that they are facing now is more unique because they are from a wider group. One of the more famous way is to trigger racial issue to gain publicity, and ultimately able to popularise their brand and sell their product.
MALAYSIA – MULTI-RACIAL COUNTRY
As we all know, Malaysia is a country that has lot of races residing in it. At Peninsular Malaysia, we have Malays (Melayu Anak Jati, Melayu Anak Dagang, Melayu Kacukan etc), Cina (generally, throughout Malaysia and has lots of dialect), India (majority is Tamils, including Telugus, Malayalees, Sikhs etc), Orang Asli group (e.g. Semang, Senoi, Proto-Malays), Papia Kristang and Kristang; at Sabah we have the majority group of Kadazan-Dusun, Murut, Rungus, Bajau, Suluk, Bugis, Iranun, Sungai, Lun Dayeh etc; in Sarawak there is Dayak Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu group (cth: Kayan, Kenyah, Kajangs (e.g. Kejaman, Seping, Lahanan, Punan) Kelabit, Bisaya, Lun Bawang etc), Sarawak Malays, Melanau, Kedayan, Miriek (Bahut & Permaisuri) etc.
The list above barely covers every group in Malaysia, but it is adequate to show that Malaysia has a multi-racial citizens. As a Sarawakian, I know and I am aware about the need to be tolerate and respectful among one another because if there is something happening that triggers racial issues, it can only spell disaster.
Bidayuh girlsIndu IbanSaban ladiesKenyah lady (Kayan-Kenyah are reatively similar in costume because they share a similar history.Sabahan girls.
PREVIOUS CASE – DURIAN KIMCHI (MAY 2021)
I have a belief that most Malaysians know about racial issue and how crucial it is to be aware of racial sensitivity. But it doesn’t stop Ryzal or duriankimchi to subconsciously joke to beyond the line and uploaded it in social media.
You can read its summary and watch the video in this link below:
After becoming a virla issue and caused the uproar among Iban communities and Sarawak in general, finally duriankimchi made a public apology and with Iban society, including the famous Embat Lala and Cardock, making netizen to pity him because he realised his mistakes. Now, his followers count is 1,262,223 followers in Facebook.
LATEST CASE – CARDOCK (AUGUST 2021)
About the issue that was viral recently, Cardock and his original post “Raja Kayan dan Gundik-Gundiknya”, you can read the details here in Facebook or in my other blog posts here.
Few people commented at his original post, which was taken down since then by Cardock’s page admin.
Cardock apologies, but still there is a lot of people unhappy with his apology.
Being a famous influencer, no doubt, Cardock has an immense drive to succeed and also by right has a high tolerance to jokes. But not many people can accept such racial joke. I was informed that the Kayan society and everyone who is not a fan of him was not happy with his way of apology, which seems to be insincere and therefore, it will be brought to justice as per Adet Kayan Kenyah 1994 (Kayan Kenyah Customs 1994, under Section 46: “nyelupoh” (mocking) or “panyi” (making fun of people).
Adet Kayan Kenyah 1994: Section 46 Mocking
SUMMARY OF MODUS OPERANDI
Quoting comment from famous Sarawak singer, Melissa Francis “ngaga salah, dahnya minta ampun secara terbuka. Last2 ke salah nya kena belas kasihan, nama pun viral, dahnya alu nyual produk”. In English, “make mistake, then make a public apology. Lastly, the offender earns pity from others, their name went viral and finally sell their product).
She’s speaking the truth. It is sad to see some fanatics attack her comment though simply because they can’t accept that their idol is doing wrong.
What she mentioned was straight to the point. Final aim of becoming famous is a priority and racial sensitivity that was being safeguarded all this while in total care is not important anymore, as if our racial dignity doesn’t mean anything.
In short, the steps are as follows:
1). Make mistakes, better racial-related to trigger certain group 2). Viral and became the talk of the web (town) 3). Make a public apology, better if you do it in groups to gain their followers too. 4). Netizen pities you. 5). Rise in reputation.
WHY WE NEED TO CARE ABOUT RACIAL SENSITIVITY?
As what I mentioned above, racial sensitivity is important because it will safeguard in a country. Just imagine if our country has a racial issue just like what USA and South African had once upon a time. That was only the impact from 2 main groups. We haven’t include the countless beyond phalanx like what we have in Malaysia or Sarawak specifically.
Every races in Malaysia, from Bukit Kayu Hitam in Perlis to Simpang Mengayau in Sabah deserves to be respected and not to be made fun off. Dignity of a race is not something that you can trample upon like a rag. Our 5th National Principle (Rukun Negara) also mentioned “Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan”, which means Courtesy and Morality. We have to watch out for our words because indirectly, we are the ambassador of our own race to the others.
For example, when Race A’s member created a problem with Race B. Until the end of time the peoples of Race B will remember that Race A is the bad guy, because first impression lasts forever, even though the offender is only an individual from Race A and it doesn’t represent Race A as a whole. That’s what we call bias. That person’s mistake already shapes the worldview of Race B and it is difficult to correct and fix that first impression.
That’s why, best if we avoid any racial issues at all cost. If there is a mistake done however, for us Malaysians upholding our National Principles, we should apologise.
INFLUENCER’S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Once upon a time, there is a lot of youngsters who wants to be a teacher, soldiers, government officials or even doctors because those occupations has a good reputation in the eye of the soeciry and it is considered glamourous.
But today, the answer from Gen Z is more inclined towards influencers path, Youtuber, Gamer, and recently, Tik-Tokers where their lives revolve around social media platforms.
Who doesn’t like if we have millions of followers and everytime we do a Facebook / Instagram / Tik-Tok LIVE, we will have thousands of followers. Each tweet will be liked and retweeted by thousands of our fans. YouTube video views are more than a million. Enticing, isn’t it?
But the reality is, the more followers you have in social media, the heavier is the social burden that you have to shoulder. This is because, your followers are going to resonate with whatever values that you are projecting. Most of these peoples are youths and Gen Z that look highly upon you.
Parents are striving to give the best to their kids, toiling day in and day out be it at the village or at the city, and even offshore or frontlines. Most of them doesn’t even bother about the current trend because they are committed to their works and to provide for the family. The once, so cool lad is now a boring dad. The education of their kids comes first, their hobby later. It’s okay if my phone has many buttons as long as I am not taking loans here and there for my kids to further their studies. Those might be the unspoken words of a parent.
Back to these influencers, best if they became the positive vibe generators and not toxic or negative vibe because whatever that they are doing, it will have a tremendous impact to the social group that follows them, their followers.
For those who followed me since the beginning, you will realise that I am trying to use as much as proper Malay language even in my FB Live and in my posts. Even if I am using English also, I will use a proper English. When I was in school and even in university, I was always ridiculed because I prefer to speak in proper Malay than to use mixed, street language which is quite famous now. My principle is, “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” (language is the soul of the race/people). If we are not taking care of the values of our race, who else will? Do we want to see that our kids want to put aside our national language to put forth something more “in” or viral, and our national language is not relevant anymore?
EPILOGUE:
Rise and fall of our nation lies at the hand of the current generations. People outside of our nation are racing to send people to the stars using a cheaper cost, while us here are still busy quarreling.
Kerana Pulut, Santan Binasa, Kerana Mulut, Badan Binasa; Terlajak perahu, boleh diundur. Terlajak kata, buruk padahnya.
Literal translation:
Because of glutinous rice, coconut milk perishes Because of the mouth, the body perishes Overshot boat can be reversed Accidentally speaking bad words spells disaster.
Words are very powerful, it can be constructive, and it also can be destructive. So, speak wisely. I sincerely hope that after this, there are no other parties who tries to stir any racial issues in Malaysia.
Tukang Rantek, Claudius
Nota: “Tukang Rantek” bermaksud jurugambar di dalam bahasa Bidayuh.
Tabi basa and greetings everyone! How was your day? I hope you are doing fine despite the ever-increasing case of COVID-19 now, especially when you are residing at Peninsular Malaysia. For Malaysians, that is always the struggle that we will not be able to get away from anytime soon. Let’s call it our war (Boku no Senshou). As of 11 Aug 2021, there is a huge number of COVID cases in Malaysia. At 1.3 million, it is approximately 4.0%, a figure that’s quite high, even higher than India’s case in terms of COVID-19 percentage. That is scary. Even worse, there are some local “treasonists” who has the balls to sell fake COVID-19 certificate to Malaysian citizens. Their business idea seems to be out of this world, risking general’s health in order to gain extra money. For as low as RM200 (47 USD), you put aside your integrity and gave others a false sense of security? That’s lunatic.
Latest COVID-19 case.
This is madness. Insider can help to adjust MySejahtera status for as low as RM200. Way to go, Treasonist.
Setting aside COVID-19 case in Malaysia, one of the thing that I want to talk about today is regarding life’s philosophy, where I always find it fascinating to be able to hear more inspirational words from other authors, especially that talks about improving lives.
One of it is definitely the notion that “Life Is Not A Race”.
Life Is Not a Race
One of the thing that I commonly see among my circle is that they are constantly thinking that life is a race. I find it sad to see man/woman with high potential for the future but jeopardise their potential by not doing what’s required. Most of the youngsters are trend-hoppers, jumping from one trend to another. I am guilty of this as well, because like it or not, peer pressure is always there.
But in my silence (I’m doing silent retreat), I realised that if we are not happy with what we are now, we cannot be happy with whatever we posses.
If we are not happy with our present, we’ll never find happiness in the future.
But why is this happening?
It could be probably due to the accumulation of disappointment that we receive up until now, as of the past is still haunting us. Call it a joke, it happens to some bloke. To be able to handle disappointment would be a superpower for many of us. We are not well-equipped to handle rejection, at least that’s what our brain wants to hear.
A lot of our problem stems from our inability to be still, mentally. You can be sitting quietly in an empty room for hours, but if your brain is still erratic, you can’t find peace.
It all boils down to your ability to the harsh reality of life, and not being overly optimistic because down along the line something undesirable will definitely happen.
According to the famous Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”.
Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
CAPT ED MURPHY
The law’s namesake was Capt. Ed Murphy, a development engineer from Wright Field Aircraft Lab (Source: Bloch, Arthur (1980 edition). Murphy’s Law, and Other Reasons Why Things Go WRONG,).
Because of this, things might happen no matter how good we are in preparing to avoid it. As long as there is percentage of probability, no matter how small, it might happen.
But so is happiness. But, then again, why is it so difficult to improve our lives?
For me, one of the way to improve lives is through Stoicism philosophy.
What is Stoic?
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of stoic are as follows: 1. Capitalized : a member of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium about 300 b.c. holding that the wise man should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submissive to natural law. 2. one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain
I first heard about this philosophy from Eric Kim, a photographer from America. You can read more about his view of stoicism here.
Why Stoic?
When it comes to Stoicism, this person comes to mind – Ryan Holiday. He is the writer of Daily Stoic. You can follow him here (personal Instagram) or at his famous Daily Stoic Instagram account. From Daily Stoic page, you can get your daily dose of Stoicism where for me, it is a good daily reminder and it provides me with something to think about for the rest of the day.
Aspiring to be a stoic person.
In short, Stoicism teaches us that, before we try to control events, we have to control ourselves first.
Yes, that’s right. Often we think that we are not in control of our lives, and we are living in an autopilot mode. That is actually not true. We are holding the flight stick of our life. Sometimes, we forgot, due to various reasons.
Our life is dynamic, and we are living in a turbulence. Our reality and our ideals are not aligned to one another. If we can calibrate our expectations to meet our reality, then we will be much happier with our lives. Sadly, that is not the case to most of us.
Our brain are wired to accept only the best but forgot that we are not a perfect being ourselves. It’s like boys expecting a perfect, Barbie-like spouse when they are not even close to look like Ken.
Having a passion in our life is important because we need to have a locus in our life. We need to identify it as early as we can so that we can leverage on time that we have. We can’t play short term gain because like Malcolm Gladwell said, we need to have at least spent 10,000hours of intensive practice to be a good in something, whatever it is. 10,000 hours, divided into 8 hours per day, is equivalent to 3.5 years. Or maybe more, depending on your commitment level. Some are better than the other, but that is dependent on their physical advantage. People will always use the word “talent” to someone who is better than the other, but little did we know, most of the time, it is down to their effort, or how bad they want it.
One of the most profound thing that I heard is “You can’t fix internal issues with external accomplishments”, a quote by Ryan Holiday, the writer of Daily Stoic. You can follow him at Instagram for more inspirational quotes.
Don’t Take Things Personally
Your value does not decrease just because someone’s unable to see your worth.
Usually we take things personally because of our ego and our desire to be right. Our brain is not wired to accept the fact that it is lacking in so many ways.
To deal with these, we need to look at their intention and try to understand where they are coming from, for example, deep down, they want to be right, or have something in mind for the whole day.
Improvement-wise, our negative beliefs, we take things personally because we know that we have some truth in it. Our childhood has an effect on this.
The account that engages the most with our limbic brain will have the most following. Don’t believe me? Have a look at those popular images at Tik Tok or Instagram. They are eerily having the same pattern. In social media, previously it was chronologically-arranged, and now it is done by using algorithm. Usually the minorities are being left out. That is why, if you want to pioneer something for a long run, don’t put your base in Social Media, It’s like building with sand as its foundation.
For your own good, learn to walk away when you think you are not being appreciated much. I wish I knew this when I was younger. 20s was a decade of experiment, and 30s is when you know what you want in life.
The Wise and Foolish Builder
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Matthew 7:24-27
If you want whatever that you are building last, do it on a solid foundation. Not temporary trend like Tik Tok or Vine, or even Facebook and Twitter. These things will evolve, and new form of platform will take place.
The best time to be invested is in something that will give you a return in the long term. Public speaking, writing ability, guitar-playing, singing, photography mastery – those are the things that will pay in the long run. Don’t play short term. Aim for long term. I had my time experimenting on mobile games such as Mobile Legend: Bang Bang and League of Legends: Wild Rift just to find out that those things are not suit for me. Firstly, they consume a lot of time, and with the right community, you are hooked by its promise of endless dopamine surge. But what does it cost you? Time, sleep, energy, death of a dream et cetera. Even the 15 seconds video of TikTok actually took a lot of time to prepare, don’t underestimate it.
In essence, time is gold.
Epilogue
From the stories that I have written here, from Life Is Not A Race, to Stoicism and finally Not Taking Things Personally, I hope I have given to you something to ponder upon and ultimately, improving your life.
Tukang Rantek, Claudius
Note: “Tukang Rantek” means photographer in Bidayuh language.
Tabi basa & Blessed Mother’s Day everyone! Today is a day dedicated to honour our mother, as well as motherhood in general and the influence of mothers in our society.
The journey to motherhood is never easy. From the day a woman is married and the day she knows that she is pregnant, she already starts to develop her motherhood instinct just as her body gradually changes to accommodate the little one, growing stage by stage through those three trimesters. It was never an easy journey. Anaemia, urinary tract infection, mood changes, morning sickness, vomiting, potential diabetes, frequent urination as bladder capacity reduced – these are among the thing every mother-to-be has to endure. Some might require IV fluids.
Good bye perfect body shape, hello oversized t-shirts. That was just the beginning. As the baby grows, fatigue increases, discomfort worsen for some. But this doesn’t compare to the joy they feel when the baby starts to move by the end of second trimester. Suddenly, the pain goes away, replaced by excitement. The once smooth, youthful skin is then replaced with stretch marks here and there. Baby delivery comes with an unimaginable pain, and life is put on the line. But no words can describe the joy that mothers experience after delivery. The feeling of holding that small, cute little one is bliss.
Being a mother is easily the hardest job in the world that comes without any instruction manual, handover note or documentation whatsoever. An average mother spends about 98hours a week, equivalent to 2.5 full time jobs doing parent-related thing. It is no surprise that most of the children are closer to their mothers than with their father because a mother is a good listener and empathise more.
A mother understand what a child does not say. She gave all that she has to us, and more. Don’t call your mother fat, ugly or not cool because she sacrificed her time, money and energy to raise you up to become a good and useful person in the future.
While we still have the opportunity, while she is still around on this world, always love and respect your mother. Don’t just simply reply “K” to her WhatsApp messages or ignore her phone call whenever her name appears on your phone display. You might think it trivial or useless because all she ask is how are you or have you eaten. Call her once in a while. Top-up her mobile. Videocall if you can. If there is opportunity, go back to meet her. Wish her birthday and pray for her good health. Take as much pictures and video as you can.
Cherish every moments, because one day, God will take her away from us. By that time, you will regret your actions and will beg for forgiveness at her grave, embracing her cold, hard tombstone. No amount of money or tears will bring her back or returning back the time that you lost, not even one second.
Therefore, love your mother, always. No matter what is your religion or race, may God bless your mothers. Happy Mother’s Day.
*************
Versi BM:
Tabi basa dan selamat hari Ibu buat semua! Hari ini adalah hari untuk memperingati jasa dan sumbangan ibu kita buat kita semua dan terhadap masyarakat kita.
Perjalanan untuk menjadi seorang ibu tidaklah mudah. Dari hari seorang wanita berkahwin dan mendapat tahu dia sedang mengandung, naluri keibuan dia mula terbentuk seiring dengan perubahan fizikal yang dia alami untuk menampung tumbesaran si kecil. Anemia, jangkitan saluran kencing, perubahaan mood, loya dan muntah-muntah, kerap kencing adalah antara perkara yang sering dihadapi oleh wanita yang mengandung. Ada yang memerlukan cecair IV.
Selamat tinggal buat bentuk badan yang langsing, selamat datang baju longgar dan baju saiz besar. Itu hanyalah permulaan. Semakin kandungan membesar, rasa letih dan ketidakselesaan semakin menjadi-jadi. Namun, apabila si kecil mula bergerak-gerak pada penghujung trimester kedua, ada antara wanita mengandung yang merasa gembira kerana ini tandanya si kecil adalah sihat. Rasa gembira meraja di hati, menggantikan rasa resah. Kulit remaja diganti dengan tanda-tanda regangan kulit di kebanyakan bahagian badan. Proses melahirkan anak pula disertai kesakitan yang tidak terungkapkan, nyawa ibarat di hujung tanduk. Namun, disitu kita lihat bahawa kaum Hawa ini sebenarnya adalah kuat. Kesakitan itu tetap mereka harungi demi melahirkan anak, tanda cinta dan kasih mereka, pelengkap keluarga yang diimpikan selama ini. Tangisan bayi sebaik sahaja keluar ibarat semboyan kemenangan di cuping telinga si ibu yang dibanjiri keringat. Rasa gembira ketika memegang si kecil di tangan adalah tidak terbayangkan.
Menjadi seorang ibu bukan satu kerja yang mudah. Kebanyakan masa ibu dihabiskan bersama anak-anak, dan sebab itulah anak-anak menjadi lebih rapat dengan ibu berbanding dengan bapa. Anak-anak juga biasanya mampu bertutur di dalam bahasa ibunda.
Si ibu memahami apa yang si anak tidak luahkan. Dia memberi segalanya bagi memastikan kebajikan kita terjaga, dan menjadi pelindung ketika kita tertindas. Oleh sebab itu, janganlah memanggil si ibu gemuk, hodoh ataupun tidak hebat kerana mereka mengorbankan segalanya bagi membesarkan kita, termasuk impian dan harapan mereka.
Sementara kita masih ada peluang, sayangilah dan hormatilah ibu kita. Jangan hanya membalas “K” apabila mereka menghantar pesanan ringkas melalui WhatsApp, atau mengabaikan panggilan telefon apabila nama ibu kita tertera di kaca skrin telefon. Mungkin kamu fikir ianya hanyalah panggilan picisan kerana biasanya si ibu akan bertanya soalan seperti sudah makan atau apa khabar, tidak menarik seperti perbualan kita dengan buah hati kita. Sekali sekala, hubungilah ibu kita. Videocall pun boleh. Sekiranya ada peluang, balik kampung untuk berjumpa dengan dia. Ucapkan selamat hari jadi dan berdoalah agar dia dikurniakan kesihatan yang baik.
Hargai setiap saat yang ada kerana suatu hari nanti, Tuhan akan mengambil dia daripada kita. Pada masa itu, kamu akan menyesali setiap perbuatan kamu dan akan memohon kemaafan di kubur dia sambil memeluk batu nisan yang sejuk dan keras. Seandainya kamu kumpul semua intan berlian dan harta karun di dunia ini, atau menangis sekolam air mata darah sekalipun, kamu tidak akan dapat mengambil balik masa-masa yang telah lepas, walau saat.
Oleh itu, sayangilah ibu anda selalu. Tidak kisah anda beragama atau berbangsa apa, semoga Tuhan memberkati ibu kita semua. Selamat Hari Ibu.
Tabi basa balarantek! Today is Friday, and I would like to share a story about Bidayuh Beauty, which is part of the my passion project.
What is Bidayuh Beauty?
Lily
I defined Bidayuh Beauty Project as a long term project that captures the beauty of Bidayuh peoples, particularly the ladies. I also not limit them in wearing traditional dress, but for the sake of portraying the beauty of Bidayuh peoples, I asked them to wear their traditional clothes.
Bidayuh Beauty: Dayung Bi-Reteh
Kpg Reteh Satellite View (Google Maps)
This time, I would like to share about Bidayuh Beauty from Kampung Reteh. For your information, Kampung Reteh is one of the many Bidayuh villages at Serian area, and it is divided into Kpg Reteh Karas, Kpg Reteh Plaman & Kpg Reteh Mawang. The concept is similar to Iban’s “Rumah” concept, except for this, the settlement is scattered around the village. Also, there is no need for a combined houses as there were no enemies to fend off. It is good for people’s privacy as well.
For this post, I am showcasing Heliana Erny Brody from Kpg Reteh. Nicknamed Lily, she was born at Sarawak Government Hospital and lived 9 years in Sibu before returns back to Serian. She is taking Science-stream and wished to become a successful veterinary physician or a teacher, as her secondoption. She really love pets, especially cats.
Cats is one of the most common household pets in Bidayuh community, and it is safe to say almost every Bidayuh house has cats. This come from the past mutual relationship between cats and Bidayuhs where cats are required to hunt down the mice that ravages the “bari” or paddy house.
She likes to do make-over and playing guitar. She also does fishing sometimes. Being the youngest of the 6 siblings, she is the only one that is still studying. All her four brothers and a sister have worked. Since their father passed away 7 years ago, they lived with their mother who came from Kpg Prangkan Mawang.
Kpg Reteh is famous for its river, Sungai Batang Kayan. Perhaps one day, there would be another photoshoot there? Who knows?
Tukang Rantek, Claudius
Note: Claudius is a PORTRAIT & BOUDOIR “tukang rantek” (photographer in Bidayuh Pichin) based in Miri, with passion for writing.
