MEMBERS' CONTRIBUTION - PARADISE LOST BY FLORENCE ENAU

In the past the seasons were very regular and the pace of life revolved around this regularity. The skies were clear and the rainy season came with the regularity of women’s menses.

The building and development of the towns and cities in Sarawak was slow, but addressed the needs at the times. People were slowly becoming home owners and becoming more affluent. Traffic in the towns and cities was bad, but not grid locked.

Everyday life was slow and uncomplicated. We visited more, talked and socialized more with our neighbors. Our children played outside with the neighbor’s children and they asked for fewer things. We had more time to spend with our children.

What happened in the 1990’s? Life became like life in the 1960’s in the USA. The economy was booming, more and more people were becoming middle class.

People bought more cars one or two or more per family. The cities became nightmares for getting around and in towns you avoided going into the town centre on certain days and at certain times.

Contractors built shop houses and condominiums like there was a never ending supply of buyers and occupants. Hugh projects were proposed, started and completed.

During the early nineties in Sarawak there were small changes. The school calendar was changed to accommodate the landas season. This became unnecessary when the landas slowly changed. There were more periods of drought during this time.

This was the time the stock market was booming. Housewives were learning how to speculate there. Every bank was going into the mutual fund market. New banks were popping up like mushrooms.

In 1997 the month of May the Coxsackie B - Virus started. Seven and half months later, after the closure of all nurseries and kindergartens, thirty three children were dead. The exact cause is still unknown.

Then came the blanket of haze from our neighbor to block the blue skies and send alarm bells ringing all over South East Asia. Schools and Offices were closed. We woke up to a blanket of smoke each morning.

This haze went away, but the ringgit went down, down, down. Will it stop? Many students came back from overseas. Slowly the value of the ringgit went down and it was harder to send money for children’s education overseas. Stocks were unstable and projects were stopped.


When the New Year came in 1998, we hoped for a better year to come. Everyone was excited about the double celebration - Chinese New Year and the Hari Raya. Housewives were cleaning and cooking. Then the water was no more.

Now the struggle was on to wash, cook, and bathe and clean. The guest was to find water, store it and conserve it. Everyone was carrying water to their homes from pipes near the road. Carry, lift, and pour. How long would it last?

In 1998 rationing was on now. Don’t flush that toilet and don’t let the tap run. My plants were dying, the cars were dirty and my sheets were unchanged.

What was to come now? Fires, fires all around the town in Tudan, Pujut and Lambir. Ash was everywhere - on the screens, on the floors, on the porches and in the garages. Also there was smoke. You could smell it and see it each morning inside your home.

We looked out each morning to see how thick the haze was. Could we see the neighbor’s houses across the street? If we could, it wasn’t that bad and if we couldn’t it was really bad.

We considered if we should keep our children home each day or send them to school? We listen to the coughs of all the family members. Would my child get over her cold? We needed our face masks to go to school.

When would the fires be put out? As soon as a fire was out a new one started. Would we get more haze from our neighbor as the drought continues?

Driving in the haze to school each day, we saw completed empty shop houses and condominiums, or more of these being built. Where were the buyers and tenants? Some projects were half built - or businesses closed – Bakun, Saeaga Air and Sime Bank.

Our students were still coming home with shattered dreams. The consumers saw it everyday when buying chicken, rice, vegetables and other necessities. What has happened to the paradise? Would it ever return, or was it lost forever?

YOUNG WRITERS - SENIOR'S SECTION - HEARTBREAK IN ATHENS BY JOSEPH RUFFUS KAOS, JR.

Joseph Ruffus Kaos, Jr.
Email : joekaosjr@gmail.com

WARNING: The following article contains a massive amount of football, football and football most particularly Liverpool FC. Non-football fans may still continue reading and risk suffering from a contagious disease known as footballitis. Manchester United fans however are strongly advised to avoid this altogether.

Despair it may seem for the legions of Liverpool fans across the globe following their defeat in the hands of AC Milan in this year’s Champions League final but all is not lost, as the fans have plenty positives to take and bring to the future. AC Milan finally got their sweet revenge against the team that cruelly defeated them two years back in the same stage, with a 2-1 victory at Athens. They say second chances don’t come easily and sure enough the Rossineris as they are affectionately addressed as, took the opportunity and then brought the trophy back to Italian soil.

But many viewers would agree that the manner in which AC Milan had performed throughout the tournament that started in July last year, they truly deserved to win the final match. Just like two years back, they started the match as favorites. On paper, compared to the Liverpool team, they also looked the stronger team, what with world class players such as the Brazilian wizard kaka’ and their two strong center backs, Alessandra Nesta and Poalo Maldini.

This time around, however, nobody wrote off Liverpool's chances of winning as they had proven in 2005 that even with a weaker side you could still win if you approached it in the right way. Manager-cum tactical genius Rafael Benitez saw to that and on that historical day in 2005, the manager inspired his team of rookies to come from 3-0 down in the first half and level it at 3-3 in the second half. They eventually defeated AC Milan on penalties. Till this day, that event was known as “the miracle of Istanbul.”

This time around both teams had scores to settle in this match. Liverpool FC had just finished 3rd in the English Premier League in which the champions were their bitter rivals Manchester United. Manchester United however crashed to AC Milan in the semifinals. So Liverpool was looking to prove to the world that in England, they were the untouchables when it came to winning the European cup. Winning this final would make it six trophies overall, the highest ever by an English team. The only teams to have won more than Liverpool were Real Madrid from Spain and the Italians AC Milan, who have won nine and six trophies respectively.

AC Milan, on the other hand, mainly had revenge on their mind. As midfielder Gennaro Gattuso said, “The heartbreak at Istanbul will forever remain in our minds”. Here he got his chance to erase that memory by winning it. Two years back, they thought they had won when they led 3-0 in the first half. They were actually celebrating in their locker room at half time as it is almost impossible to lose when you are 3-0 up. Their over confidence punished them and this time they will not want to allow it to happen again. Only a victory will do.

Both teams got themselves heavily prepared before the match. The managers had to take a thorough inspection of their squad to find out which players made the starting eleven. Rafeal Benitez, the Liverpool manager had started out that their team has to contain danger men Kaka’ and Clarence Seedorp . Which was why he fielded Argentian Javier Mascherano to mark Kaka’. Javier Mascherano may be small in size but he was well known for his hard but clean takers on players twice his size. He seemed the ideal person to keep Kaka’ quiet.

AC Milan’s boss Carla Ancelotti definitely put his hopes on his golden boy Kaka’, who scored 10 goals so far throughout the tournament. His headache, however was who to play the lone striker's role. He had two strikers at his disposal. He could play Alberto Gilardino, a young and quick striker who was very dangerous. Gilardino however hasn't been in the the best of form recently. The other choice was Filippo Inzaghi, the veteran goal scoring machine who knew how to poach goals out of nothing. The concern for him however was at his age he might not be as quick as he used to be and might not be able to cope with the high energy of the match.

The match attracted not only the 80,000 supporters at the Athens Olympic Stadium, but millions of football fans around the world who watched it live the television. The match started at a fast pace and the noise around the pitch was deafening. The players were playing one of the most important matchs of their lives and everyone played their heart out. Liverpool had quite a number of chances into he first half and Jermaine Pennant nearly had the Reds in the lead if not for Milan goalkeeper Dida who saved his weak shot. The experienced defence of AC Milan kept out the Liverpool attack, led by Dutchman Dirk Kuyt and close to the half time whistle both teams were still goal less. At the 45th minute, Xabi Alanso made a dreadful mistake by fouling “kaka” just outside the penalty box. It was just the right distance for AC Milan’s free kick expert Andrea Pirlo to curl it into the net. Liverpool prepared for the free kick while fans watched with great anticipation.

Goal! 1-0! The Milan fans were on their feet and jumping in jubilation about the goal as Audrea Pirlo’s kick found it’s way to the net past Liverpool custodian Jose Reina. The world thought Pirlo was the scariest but television replays showed that it was Fillip Inzaghi who flicked the ball off his chest and deflected the ball into the net. The deflection sent Jose Reina the wrong way. Poor Liverpool appealed for a handball but it wasn't accepted by the referee and the goal stood. Inzaght repaid his manager’s faith in him by giving the team a precious 1-0 to lead.

Half time was over and the players returned from the break with both their manager’s team talk still ringing in their minds. Liverpool had to find a way to equalize to still be in the running to win the Champion’s League title.

The intensity of the first half was slightly less but both teams still battled their wits out. The Liverpool defence did a good job of not letting Kaka’ terrorize and Clarence Seedorf was pretty invisible throughout the match. Liverpool got themselves a golden opportunity to bring the game level and was one and only on-one with the goalkeeper had to continue pushing and pushing.

Rafeal Benitez made a substitution by replacing the ineffective Bolo Zenden with Harry Kewell in the hope of getting the goal they desperately needed. But as fate decided, it was not to be Liverpool’s night when a through pass by Kaka’ found Inzaghi who coolly slotted it into the net. It was about 10 minutes from time and Inzahi had just about single handedly crushed Liverpool. Revenge was complete.

But just as it was in Istanbul two years back, Liverpool prayed for the same miracle to happen again. In the final minutes Dirk Kuyt scored a close range header to make it 2-1 but it was definitely too late for a last-minute miracle as the referee’s whistle confirms that AC Milan had won their seventh European Cup in Athens.

Heartbreak in Athens it was for Liverpool FC but it was definitely not the end. Liverpool had looked a much stronger team that two years back and will only grow stronger next season. Their new American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks has already promised a strong financial backing to sign world class players. Liverpool would be looking to challenge Manchester United for the English Premier League and fight for another Champion’s League final next season. From the looks of it, the defeat had only turned Liverpool into a stronger and more determined outfit.

(1,360 words)

YOUNG WRITERS - JUNIOR’S CORNER - MUSIC HEALS BY SARAH ADIBA

Sarah Adiba
EMAIL: lollipop-punk127@yahoo.co.uk

For every human, there is a passion. The passion that rises from any soul, a young one or old one. It keeps them moving with doing those unique things that they like. I for one, share a general interest that maybe eight percent of teenagers in this century have, the craving or passion for ____ music.

Fiction or non-fictionally, music has the power to heal even the most broken or torn soul. This particular beautiful interest which I must say is so far the most wonderful passion I have ever felt for anything in particular ever since, I first heard and knew of the thing called “songs”. Eventually after that, music became my best friend. My medicine throughout any situation. The best thing is something that I have - the talent such as singing, writing or even listening to music.

Throughout these high school years of my life, this passion of mine has kept me alive and here I am, breathing and feeling alive once again. Doubtlessly, music has become a part of my soul, the healing side of it that one cannot deny the power which grows stronger within. Like the heat of summer sunshine throughout an ice age, a small part of me could feel and live in this harsh reality called “life” with confidence and compete for triumph with dignity.

A general interest could also turn into something you cannot live without, something to pass those meaningless spaces filling up in your life and mine, a thing that leaves everyone satisfied with no matter who they are or what they do after a busy week or simply relaxing a complicated mind. My interest for music however has grown into an addiction like a drug, used for healing any scar or burn shattering the peace in my little heart.

There was a time that happened to trigger a loose wire in my head. A horrible incident, leaving me lifeless and I lost all my hopes of taking another breath. It was because of a drug case, involving jail and many police which happened to jeopardize my future and the ... Rest of my remaining life. The case, where innocence was tested and guilt lingered halfway up in the air. I was confused and lost. At that moment the only trusted companion I had was my loyal music. Indescribable what music means to me, how much feeling it could stir up in me with hearing its presence. My soul would be kept alive and finally, I felt like I could live again.

Music has the unique power able to uphold beautiful secrets that can be transpired in the form of music. When you feel depressed, sad or going through excruciating pain, music can sooth these feelings through expression in the form of lyrics that can convey messages of hope and can be very meaningful to you.

Music is my healer and it will accompany me as something I can live for the rest of my life.

Music is the food of love
Music heals
Music comforts

SOSWE'S NEWSLETTER ISSUE 57/2008 - JULY - SEPT 2008

EDITORIAL

As the days passed, we find that there are actually things which are beyond our control. Every day is a challenge to us. For those who faced death, life has to go on. For those of us faced with financial crisis, we just have to keep going.

I remember what my father used to tell me a story about a sparrow who tried his best to do simple things that may seem impossible.

It was a cold and windy day when the farmer came upon this sparrow lying on its back in the middle of his farm. He asked, “Why are you lying upside down like this?” The sparrow replied, “ I was told that the sky is going to fall today,” The farmer chuckled, “ So, you think you can just hold your little legs up to stop the sky from falling ?“ The sparrow said, “I just do what I can do to my capability!”

This story held special meaning in my life which I passed on to my daughter. It is true that whatever we do, we do the best we can to achieve the best.

I often find that many talented people are far too busy because they have to keep up to their schedule and want to increase their popularity. There are people who are less talented but with the little things they do behind the scenes are the best things that cannot be seen, because they are not known to others. A pastor once said, “Your good deeds will only be known when you are no longer in this world. The result can be seen by the number of people who attended your funeral.” That is true when more than 400 people attended my late brother’s funeral. He did little tasks for the people on the street.

The month of July has many charitable events; one of them is the Dance humanity, a charity organized by the Red Crescent, Miri Chapter. People in Miri are very supportive of charitable events.


In the month of September the State government has been charitable too. SOSWE received a grant of RM 5,000 for our 1st publication of articles written by members. The process of editing is under the charge of our dedicated member, Florence Enau.

The 3rd Quarter articles are as follows:-
 LOCAL INTEREST - Hari Raya by Jennie Soh
 LOCAL SHARING - Book reviews by Molly, Judy and Helen
 MEMBER’S CONTRIBUTION - The fear of growing old by Matthew Sim
 SENIOR SECTION - Life’s like that by Leigh-Ann-Bong (13 years old)
 JUNIOR SECTION - My Great-grand mother’s Funeral by Tien Eu Min (10 years old)

Wishing every one a SELAMAT HARI RAYA and Cheers!

EDITOR

LOCAL SHARING - BOOK REVIEW BY MOLLY SIM

PARTICIPANT PERSONAL PROFILE
Molly Sim
HP: 013-8390468
mollyellen2003@yahoo.co.uk
BOOK REVIEW – “Book” yet to be written by Molly

Today, I do not share a book, but I shared my reading habits. I must admit that I have not read a complete book for quite a long time. But I am a bookworm and an addict for knowledge via reading.

Today, I did not have a book to share. I have read books ranging from parenting, childrens’ upbringing, management, self development, keep fit, beauty and others which I cannot mentioned. My choice of books and articles depends very much on my interest and my needs at these snapshots in time. Also, I read articles and books shared at social gatherings and reading circles. Simply, I am just a book worm.

Books, Books, Books are very much a part of my life. I have owned more books than clothes in my wardrobe. If I have to make a choice between a book of my interest and a dress usually, I get the book. My husband has his own collection. My four children have their own collections, so much so that we are out of book shelves constantly and it is a hard decision to select whose and which books to donate to someone. Apart from books, we also have comics such as Archie, Veronica, Betty sounds familiar. We have a big collection of this. Why I read “Archie” is in fact it is a very down to earth comics covering the environment, the handicaps and the reading is good fun. Reggie, Vain and Egoistic, Jug head, the eater etc. I had good fun when telling my girls if they are a Reggie or a Juggie head when they have their vain behaviors. Instead of getting angry, they laughed and learned if I asked who wants to be Reggie or Veronica or Betty, they know who the good and popular characters are so hopefully they will emulate them.

I cannot imagine a life without books or reading material. I remember still very clearly on my one trip that I forgot to bring a book. While at the hotel, I could not sleep. I arrived late so the hotel drugstore was closed; this hotel had no reading materials. The only pamphlet they had was the card about the fire escape route stuck on the door, so for the first time, I really read and studied the card well. This lesson I never forgot and I always pack a book first in my luggage before my underwear.

Basically, what I want to say here is reading habits can be addictive and this is a good addiction. I begin reading from a very young age because there was no television or Internet. Up to now, I seldom watch the box. The benefits I got from this good habit are: I have improved my English, I learnt styles of writing and also I became knowledgeable in a lot of subjects. I am never without a pen and a note book while attending talks or meetings.

So I always tell myself that I should write a book now.
(557 words)

LOCAL SHARING - BOOK REVIEW BY JUDY MORSHIDI

READ, SHARE AND WRITE (HOW TO DO A BOOK REVIEW?) - JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY SOCIETY OF ENGLISH WRITER NORTHERN ZONE SARAWAK AND PUSTAKA MIRI.

PARTICIPANT PERSONAL PROFILE

Judy Morshidi
Hp: 019-8854986
juriah321@yahoo.com

BOOK REVIEW – Malaysian Flavours

This is a compilation of articles published in the star newspaper. It is not a cook book as the title may suggest. It is an insight into Malaysian life styles on a variety of aspects such as :-

(a) Malaysian English - English spoken in the Malaysian way with uses of local dialects.
(b) Cross Cultural Encounters
(c) Observations of behaviors
(d) Malaysian names
(e) Yesteryear - lifestyle, food and games of the author’ childhood days.

The book captures through amusing asides and deft observations, the quires and idiosyncrasies of Malaysians.

Being a perankan, the author gives detailed description of the lifestyle of baba & nonya, a culture that is unique in Malaysian and it is vanishing fast in this fast paced modern world.

Lee Su Kim is currently Associate Professor of English at UKM, Bangi.

(188 words)

LOCAL SHARING - DR. HISHAM INTERVIEWED BY JENNIE SOH

Dr. Hisham Khalef is an Eye Specialist, also from Egypt and has two major things to share. The first is Hari Raya is the feast of all Muslims who are happy to be able to fast during Ramadan wherever they are. The second is that he is among a number of people whom he has known for many years regardless of their religion. He is happy to be among all those people who are sharing his happiness. Moreover, technology facilitates communication. Consequently he can be with his family and his friends in his home country through the internet.

Picture - Dr. Hisham singing arabic song composed by himself. He is a talented key board musician.

LOCAL SHARING - TWO EGYPTIANS TO SHARE ON HARI RAYA BY JENNIE SOH

Two Egyptian doctors, Doctor Tarek Seddik and Dr. Hisham Khalef serving in the Miri Hospital had their share of experiences away from home.

Dr. Tarek Seddik has been in Malaysia for about 5 years and in Miri for more than 4 years. His family are in Egypt but the people in Miri have made him very much at home and he has many friends from different races mostly at his workplace in the Miri Hospital . The Arab Community is also growing in Miri. Many of his Arab friends come from Egypt, Oman, Algeria, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen and Iraq. They work for SARAWAK SHELL, SCHLUMBERGER, PETRONAS and CURTIN UNVERSITY. They use to come together in the morning of Hari Raya after prayer and they go to the beautiful beach in Miri or one of their friends’ house to have a friendly gathering and enjoy breakfast among themselves. In the afternoon, he visits the houses of his Malay friends and his colleagues from Miri General Hospital. He enjoys the company of so many unique races through visiting. He gets to eat food cooked by their wives and makes more friends. “How can I feel lonely any more? I have so many friends. The people of Sarawak have made my life very meaningful and make me feel so much at home that they are also like family to me.”

Picture - Doctor Tarek with Wong singing at Gymkhana Club

LOCAL SHARING - HARI RAYA AIDIL FILTRI PART 1 BY JENNIE SOH

The celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri signifies the completion of the month long fasting after the month of Ramadan. It is the religious observation of sighting the moon to determine the day of HARI RAYA and it is a yearly affair that Muslims celebrate throughout the world.

Once the date is confirmed, the household of each family is busy preparing food on the eve of Hari Raya. The housewives are the most affected in that they are racing against time to get everything in order. Of course, the children are the ones who feel very excited to wear new clothes, play with fire works and receive the “Green Packet” which consist of money. This was adopted from the Chinese culture.

On the morning of the Raya, most family members go to the mosque for the special Raya prayer and then proceed to the graveyard to pay their respects to their departed loved ones. Younger family members ask for forgiveness of any wrong doing.

Like other festivals, all Muslims dress in their traditional clothing like “Baju Melayu” (sarong wrapped around their waist and songkok on their head) for the men and the women dress in “Baju Kebaya” or “Baju Kurong” in all sorts of colors.

Foods served are as follows :
• “Lemang” (rice cooked in bamboo)
• “Ketupat” which are rice wrapped in woven coconut leaves and cooked in coconut milk. They are often served with “beef rendang”,
• “Satay” (barbecued meat skewed on a stick and cooked over the fire)
• “Chicken curry”.

Open house or invitation for relatives and friends to come to their house is practiced and the celebrations last for a month. It is a common concept to have “Open House” during festival seasons like the other festival seasons like Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Gawai in Sarawak. Different races and different religion are able to accommodate with the understanding to be able to live together in harmony mixing freely on these occasions , visiting one another to celebrate the new year.

This is different from the Western Culture on visiting, they have to get invited and the guest is expected to bring a bottle of wine, chocolates or a cake. “Open House” means you come and visit them and you do not have to bring anything.

Visitors greet the host with “Selamat Hari Raya” which means A blessed New Year and the Muslims will say, “Maaf Zahir dan Batin” to the Muslims which means “All is forgiven”.

It is warm and joyous atmosphere to catch up with friends and relatives once a year.

A friend , Kristy from England residing in Piasau Camp says that coming to Miri, Sarawak has really enabled her to experience different cultures. She has encouraged me to write to let the others know more about Malaysia’s unique culture.

CONCLUSION

Today, with the changing life styles, the spirit of “HARI RAYA AIDIL FILTRI” is still observed and practiced where most Muslims would “Balek Kampong” which means “Going back Home” for the New Year. Visiting is still the popular trend among the old and young. Some hold their “open house” in hotels because of convenience and more room for their visitors ,but the concept of HARI RAYA ADILFITRI is still felt.

In Malaysia, we can consider ourselves living in the most cultured country to experience one’s culture and festival where racial harmony is maintained.

MEMBERS' CONTRIBUTION - THE FEAR OF GROWING OLD BY MATTHEW SIM

Introduction

It is no doubt that old age is becoming a social problem in today’s society. The questions that most people in their late 50’s will ponder: “How do we see ourselves when we are in our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and upwards. What is our main concern? Health? Financial independence? Privacy? , etc “

With the increasing rate of population of senior citizens in Malaysia, there is a need to look into their well being which has become an urgent issue. People cannot ignore the fact that parents and children are no longer staying together because of logistic and their careers. Often in the rural areas, only the old folks are left behind and they have to depend on neighbors usually of the same age group for help if they fall sick. One encounter I came across was an old lady whose only daughter was not able to take full care of her due to her heavy job commitment and when she fell sick, she was sent down to Kuching General Hospital for treatment by a kind neighbor. She died two weeks later.

The trouble with old people is that whenever they are faced with the natural old age problem especially the feeling of uncertainty in life they tend to think negatively. They agonize over the decision that has to be made in view of the fact they can no longer live alone independently. The grown-up offspring are torn between their careers and may find their elderly parents a burden.

Retirement

The recent announcement of extending the retirement age in the civil service from 56 to 58 is good news for most civil servants who still have children going to school and bills to pay. But what will happen when they reach retirement age? With the increase in prices of the basic needs of food and fuel and the high cost of living, can they make ends meet after retirement? The rate of inflation is seen to rise year after year causing a heavy burden for the retirees.

However, in Malaysia employing retirees or senior citizens is not favorable as it deprives the younger generation of job opportunities. When I was in Singapore, I saw a lot of senior citizens working in coffee shops; their main agenda was to get paid and to make themselves useful in the society.

When I spoke to friends and government employees , I found most of them did not have a positive reaction towards retirement. They would say, “I do not know what to do.” Again it depends on individuals in how they see and accept the reality of life. Being involved in the community and utilizing what you are good at will gradually make you enjoy the life of being a retiree. In general, the most satisfying moments for retirees are good health, freedom from time commitment and being financially independent.

Statement of Problem - The Aging Factor

Social problems that most old age people are facing now are becoming so critical that it may affect the whole society. Growing affluence coupled with a more health conscious society, better health care and longer life expectancies are seen pushing the population of old age people to rise sharply in the last number of years. In Malaysia the statistics for old age people is increasing quite rapidly which is not surprising.

Busy working children have in fact reported complaints of depression and anxiety because of the perceived stress that results from the demands of caring for their elderly parents.

Facts of Life

Aging is inevitable and is often associated with illness, weakness, disability and a deterioration of physical abilities and mental health. Everyday every one of us is getting older. There are two factors that rule our lives which are health and life expectancy.

By year 2020, a third of the population in most developed countries will be pensioners and the retired population is getting bigger and bigger.

With the fast changing lifestyle in today’s society, the younger generation is striving hard to earn their living and cannot even afford to support their elderly parents.

In reality, the biggest concern in this society is health care and ageing parents that has become a threat to the society. The reality of taking care of aging parents is becoming a burden to the younger generation when they find themseleves no longer useful.

The Generation Gap - Fear of growing old and living alone.

Coming from the general statements of old aged people staying alone by their own choice; they preferred not to burden their children. One example is my mother who has been living alone for more than 10 years. Only when her health failed her, she felt her life was restricted by having to stay with her children. She was no longer able to have her freedom but was dependent on the lifestyle of others which was not her choice.

That has become a burden to our generation to think whether it is fair to our children when we grow old and have to live alone.

Research statements from today’s society have confirmed most aging parents still prefer to stay by themselves. The following reasons are why they do not want their children to look after them:-

• Lifestyles are different
• Financial constraint that can cause conflict in the family
• Loss of independence/freedom

Senior Citizen Care Home

Although the idea of this kind of home is not encouraged in our society, still one has to accept the fact that when both husband and wife are working leaving the old folks at home with a maid , there is a danger that she may abscond at any time with no supervision at home. This has happened quite often as reported in the papers.

Similarly like having a Child Care Centre, there is also a need to have a Senior Citizen Centre. Commonly known as “Retirement Village” in countries like Australia, New Zealand and western countries, this concept proves to be very popular, safe and elderly persons can enjoy a relaxed, friendly and secure life style with nursing care.

In Sarawak, The Home for the Aged in various divisions is run by charitable bodies with assistance from government. Owing to financial constraint, these homes only provide basic needs and may not have adequate facilities.

There are some private homes in Kuching opened to provide such services of health care and comfort to the old aged people like the D’Cottage, Comfort Nursing Home, Splendid Care Center and the Lion Nursing Home. In most cases, the children are away working outside Sarawak and overseas leaving their elderly parents behind, giving them no choice but to pay for the service to these homes to take care of them .

In Sibu, there are such centers operated and self- financed by their own churches.

In Miri, the only Home for the aged was established by the Miri Chinese Charitable Board in 1913. It was originally meant to house the Chinese traders from China who came over to Miri to work leaving their families behind. The tradition of providing accommodation for the singles still continued. Those elerely people neglected by their children were accepted by the centre to house them and that has become their home.

A prominent businessman in Miri has in mind to set up a retirement village based on an Australian concept. The village will have one bedroom houses and come with with facilities such as medical service and of course all expenses will have to be borne by the children.

Conclusion

Although the government has given special attention to the retirees like having half fare on airlines, free medical treatment in the hospital, still a caring home would be a bonus for them. This will give a clear and more positive outlook that the children have the sense of responsibility to take care of them by paying the expenses for the service in the centre. The traditional values of filial piety still exists but it is being observed in a different perspective.

It will foster a better and healthier relationship between the aged parents staying in the Care Center and the immediate families. Both parties will not feel guilty for imposing an emotional burden on their children whilst the latter will not feel guilty of not fulfilling their filial duties to their aging parents.

If both the government and the private sector are able to set up this kind of Care Home with medical facilities, using overseas retirement home as benchmark, it would present a comfortable feeling for the ageing parents and their children to look forward to a better lifestyle.

There is a saying which goes like this:-

“What you get is living; what you give is a life.”

And when we grow old, we are like children that needs care and tender love.

YOUNG WRITERS - SENIOR'S SECTION - LIFE'S LIKE THAT BY LEIGH-ANN BONG

Name: Leigh-Ann Bong
School: SMK St. Columba
Email : cellarnet@hotmail.com
Contact No : 016-8913615

Isaac ran up the football field to the goalpost, roaring. His teammate, Jack, was bleeding and groaning in pain. He clutched his calf, heedless of the dirt beneath his sweaty palms. Dark red blood dripped down to his bruised ankle, staining his brand new Nike socks.

"Is he going to be okay?" breathed my mother, tip-toeing on her high heels to get a better look at her son's injured friend. I merely shrugged, hiding my growing concern. Jack was a close friend of mine too, despite our many differences.

"That was a damn foul," growled my little sister, Alicia. My mother did not even hear my sister use ‘the’d’ word'.

After several long heart-wrenching minutes, Jack limped up to the bench as his substitute streaked past him. We breathed a collective sigh of relief. The game continued, the black-and-white ball occasionally zooming past the players' heads. After an hour or so, both teams' scores were even: 2-2. Hard-core determination could be seen on every player's face - especially Isaac’s, who looked positively murderous. Then it happened. Isaac 'snatched' the ball from right under his opponent's nose. Isaac kicked the ball to Kyle, who dodged past two St. Josephians to catch it. He sprinted to his opponents' goalkeeper who was waiting nervously between his goal posts. Kyle feinted to the right; three of his opponents fell for it, but one of them blocked Kyle's left. Great! Now he's trapped, I thought.

"Isaac! It's up to you!" yelled Kyle as he passed the ball to my brother. The spectators went silent. It was now between Isaac and the goalkeeper. My mother did not dare to watch. Isaac roared again, instilling fear into the goalkeeper's heart. Next second, the ball went soaring past the goalkeeper's outstretched hands and into the net.

"Mom! MOM! IT'S ALRIGHT-YOU CAN LOOK!" I screamed happily over the deafening cheers of the crowd. Jack grinned and said, and it was like, whoa, slow motion or something. The ball just went past Ed’s humongous hairy glove of a hand- I mean, hands, and I smirked as Isaac blabbed on and on about how he scored the winning goal. Alicia chatted away with him. Even though she was only eleven years old (and seven inches shorter than I was), Alicia was practically addicted to football.

"Come on, we've reached school, get out” said my mother. I scrambled out of our Proton Wira, bade my mother a brisk but affectionate goodbye, and rushed into my school. I smiled as I breathed in the fresh air of St.Mary's compound. No more Swamp feet around. I turned to see my mother drive Isaac further up to his school, St. Thomas. My mother was quite protective of her “babies.” She had offered Isaac a ride to school. Isaac- glad to be away from the putrid smell of sweat, body odour and the old 'bus-seat-smell'- had accepted. Of course! That and the fact that he was a mama's boy, I sniffed slyly and said. "Anna! Anna! Over here!"
I smiled as I ran to my friends gathered in the school canteen. Aliza (my best friend of seven years) greeted me enthusiastically. Marcy grinned as Sarah asked, "So, how did it go? How did it go?"

"St. Thomas won, 3-2. But the St. Joseph dudes were cool about it," I replied, amused by Sarah's anxiety. "Oh, and Isaac scored the last goal.” Sarah smiled contentedly. Her father was the coach of St. Thomas' football team.

Marcy asked casually, "How long was the match, anyway?" I rolled my eyes. "9.00 'till 11.00 a.m. Hours and hours."

"You really hate football, don't you?"

"I cannot- CANNOT- believe how much homework we've got," groaned Aliza.
"Really ? Our class has only got two pages of Maths!" squealed Cindy sarcastically.
"It's true, Cin. Two pages of Geography, two pages of English- which, by the way, I don't mind- three pages of History, and seven- SEVEN- pages of Science," I grumbled.
"At least you only have to give up the TV. I've got tuition!" Aliza exclaimed hysterically.
"Well." I struggled for words. "You could. I don’t know- um. Hey, why don't you
come to school early tomorrow? Maybe I- we- can help you out," I suggested.
"Piano class, 9.00 to 12.00 p.m."
"You're kidding." Cindy looked horror-struck.
"What about from 12 o'clock? You do know that we start at 2 p.m. on
Fridays," I suggested again, this time more tentatively.
"But we have ISCF, remember?" Cindy reminded us.

We spent the next few minutes planning all sorts of ridiculous schemes on how to help Aliza finish her homework. There was one paradox that Sarah had come up with, but just when things started looking hopeful, her dad's car arrived to take her home.
"Now what?"

My classmates and I had realized a long time ago that being in the top class was nowhere near easy. Mountains of homework kept us from watching our favorite television programmes and getting a good night's sleep. I myself was slowly turning into an insomniac. One of my cousins who was around my age already had a mild case of bibliophobia- fear of books. I chuckled at that
thought.

Some of my other friends were luckier. They were in the second-rate class, a blessing to most. Marcy, Sarah and Cindy-
"ANNA!"

My sister's call brought me back to my senses. She and Isaac were already in the car, my mother waving impatiently at me.

"See you guys tomorrow."
"You too."
"If you don't see me tomorrow, try checking my house, where I'd be buried alive by homework," grunted Aliza. I actually shivered at the thought.

I skipped to my aquamarine Proton Wira and hurriedly flung myself in. Lucky  Alicia. She was only in Primary 5. I wondered how poor Isaac coped with this.
(By the way, Isaac was in Form 3. Bet he was pretty nervous about his upcoming public exam.)
"What's today's date?"
"27th May."
"Thanks."

Our English teacher, Madam Lee, strolled around the classroom to check on her students' work.

English! I loved English periods. English is my best subject, other than Mathematics. Ella Cheng sat next to me, scribbling the date onto her page. I usually helped her out during English lessons. She was previously from a Chinese school, hence her adequate English. In return, she helped me with Bahasa Malaysia. Surprisingly, her command of the Malay language was pretty good.
Half an hour passed by. The bell finally rang, signaling our 'going- home- time.' Cindy came up with that phrase. Aliza and I walked out of the classroom, chatting away.
"Man, am I glad the weekend's here."
"Me too," I agreed.
We had reached the school gates. My mother had come early. Isaac was already in the car. Alicia was still stuck in a traffic jam of students in St. Mary's Primary school. Isaac's teacher usually let his class out early on Fridays.

"Good news, Anna. Dad's been promoted to R.E.!" my mom said excitedly.
"Huh?"
"You know, R.E.. Resident Engineer."
"I know what R.E. stands for. Wow, Dad must be real happy," I laughed.
"Well, I- I don't know how to put this. Uh. We're going to have to move to Miri. His new contract states that the new construction site's going to be there." My mother bit her lip.
Isaac's jaw dropped open. I froze. Move? To Miri? But- Kuching was my hometown my whole life!
Just then, Alicia came in, panting and said, "What's up?"

This can't be happening. It was the last day of the semester. My last day of school.” I can't believe you're moving," whispered Aliza.I was silent. My car had arrived. Alicia was waving her last goodbye to her friends. Isaac was still in St. Thomas.

"I have to go now." Tears welled up beneath my closed eyelids. Hot, burning tears.
"I'll never forget you guys."
"Write to us, okay?"
"I know."
We all hugged each other, then bade our final farewells. I scurried into my car, a tear sliding down my cheek.

"Mom, Dad, thank you sooooo much for this!" I beamed happily. I had finally got an e-mail address. Of course, I spent the next hour e-mailing my friends from my new house in Miri.

The next day, I checked my mail. My mailbox was loaded with tonnes of messages from my friends back in Kuching. One particular e-mail moved me to tears. It was from Aliza.

"Hey Anna! I'm so glad you've FINALLY got an e-mail add. I can't say much now 'cuz my sis wants 2 use the comp.

Anyway, I got this poem from my dad's old yearbook. It made me cry a lot. Well, here goes:

It takes a lifetime to learn how to live,
How to share and how to give,
How to face tragedy that comes your way,
How to find courage to face each new day,
How to smile when your heart is sore,
How to go on when you can take no more,
How to love when your pain is so great,
How to forgive when your urge is to hate,
How to laugh when you want to cry,
How to be brave when you say goodbye."

YOUNG WRITERS - JUNIOR’S CORNER - MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER'S FUNERAL BY TIEN EU MIN

My family and I were in Sarawak when we received a call from my aunt. When my mom answered the call, someone started screaming on the other end of the line. I thought a maniac was on the line.

But when my mum gasped and her eyes bulged, I knew something serious had happened, I soon learned that my great-grandmother had passed away. My mum explained that she had caught the flu and it developed into pneumonia. Soon after that, my great-grandmother passed away.

Soon after that, we had many plans changed and we were on our way rushing back to Kuala Lumpur. When we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, my uncle brought us to his house, since our house was rented to some folks. When we arrived at the house, I staggered in and vomited in the toilet bowl, because I get airsick.

While we were there, we had a family reunion and ate a huge meal of seafood and slept peacefully. During the next few days, we had some fun ands games, but I couldn’t get rid of the sadness in my heart. When the day of the funeral came, I felt grieved. I just sat down quietly while the pastor read the bible verses out loud. I also heard the sounds of people weeping and saw the sight of tear-covered faces.

Next, we rode a bus to the burial grounds. When my great-grandmother was being lowered in to the pit, I started crying loudly. After my great-grandmother was buried, I went back to the house with red eyes.

After a few more days in my uncle’s house, I went back to Miri and started Standard 5. I achieved many awards and received more prizes than in Standard 4.

After an entire year of stress and tension, I flew back to Kuala Lumpur once more. While in Kuala Lumpur, I visited my great-grandmother’s grave. While looking at her grave, I felt a mixture of happiness and sadness. As a Christian, I know that she is in heaven, watching me…

SOSWE'S NEWSLETTER ISSUE 56/2008 - APRIL - JUNE 2008

EDITORIAL

Time is moving fast and we are now entering the middle of year. Most of us often like to say we are very busy, no time. We have 24 hours a day, it depends on how we manage the 24 hours . For the working class, it is practically a compulsory fixed routine for them from 8 am to 5 pm. The housewives also have tasks such as responsibility to send the children to school, prepare their meals, washing clothes and cleaning the house. The children are busy from 8 am to1 pm and then have tuition class or school activities in the afternoon. So, how are we going to manage our time ? It is all very simple by setting your own priorities and getting to have a time to yourself. I thought being a “retiree” was a life of freedom and yet many also say, they are busy.

TIME

I want to share a bit on TIME MANAGEMENT after my experience with my late brother and the last 48 hours with him. I only got to know my brother and realized that there were so many things and secrets my brother shared with me. I remembered clearly what he said to me, “Sis, time is what I don’t have. Please spend time with your family because this I have failed to do and my family does not know me and it’s too late.” He passed away on 25th May, 2008.

“ TIME WAITS FOR NO MAN!”
- Quoted -

HAPPENINGS

The end of March and beginning of April brings in the season of “bubok” (little shrimps) you can find in the open seas. Between May and June, the weather will be hot at least between 32 to 36 degrees and yet with the unforeseen change of weather, we also see some showers of rain. June will be an exciting month among the Bidayuh and Iban communities as they get ready to celebrate their annual festival, “GAWAI”.

The 2nd Quarter , writers enlightened us with interest in different fields :-

 LOCAL INTEREST - Cultural issues on Death by Jennie Soh
 LOCAL SHARING - Experiencing Lutong Landas and Flood in the 1980/1981 by Florence Enau
 MEMBER’S CONTRIBUTION - Health Tips for Healthy Travelers by Dr. Loh Yunn Hua
 SENIOR SECTION – My Teacher – Pain by Phoebe Asong Baian
 JUNIOR SECTION – A Quest by Constance Pau Chiong Jin (11 years old)



Wishing every one a HAPPY GAWAI and have a nice day!

“What you get is a living; what you give is a life.”

EDITOR

LOCAL SHARING - THE CHALLENGE OF FACING THE REALITY OF DEATH PART 2 BY JENNIE SOH

SHARING OF AN UNSUNG HERO

I like to share this story of this brave man, commonly known as “Robocop”, the man in his studded black suit on his big bike went vroooom vroooom round the town. If you asked anyone in town, everyone knew him, people from the food vendors, the workshops, small vendors, people from the pub, people from various banks, people from insurance companies, from the police and all kinds of people. At first sight, the perception of him was a negative impact on people who did not know him and feared him. Those who knew him saw him a “Hero” who was always out on his rescue mission. Described by people who really knew him, he was one of the most heartwarming, kindest and honest man. He would stop his big bike or his car and help the blind and old people cross the road. He would help nab snatch thieves when he saw one. He was one of the active blood donors and had been very active in the neighborhood to help keep down petty crimes.

He was my brother, Wilfred Soh Choo Boon, aged 51 years old and he died of liver cancer on 25th May, 2008, after discovering that he was at the 4th stage on 18th April, 2008. Knowing how cancer patients have to deal with the side effects after radiotherapy and chemotherapy and the burden on the families, he took it as a challenge to deal with it all by himself. He called up his brothers and sisters and told them the news and prepared his family with what was going to happen. He made sure all his bills were settled, EPF nominees updated, insurance and transfer of properties properly done. He even visited his place of work and cleared all his things telling the staff that he would not be coming back. He wrote to all his friends, send sms that if there was any visitation, they should do it soon as his time was short. He prepared a list of things to be done for his funeral.

Before his admission to the Sarawak General Hospital, he spent most of the time with his family and visited all his friends to say good bye. People who knew him thought that it was a joke that he was so definite about his death.

CONCLUSION

In general, funeral expenses can be very costly. When death occurs in hospitals, do not be surprised if you are approached by certain people on “Funeral Packages.” The charges are from RM 3,000 onwards, it can be arranged according to the Christian or the Buddhist burial. There is even a runner to put obituary notices in the local newspaper. The prices of a coffin ranges from RM 2,000 up to RM 20,000. A plot for burial and the construction of a tomb ranges from at least RM 15,000 up to RM 50,000 depending on its location and materials used. The current standard price for cremation is RM 1,500 and may be increased due to the recent fuel price hike.

With the fuel hike from time to time these prices may be higher even for the dead in the future. It would be wise not to spend so much as the ones left behind are the ones who need the money.

Wilfred was a practical man who saw the logical point of the younger generation not being able to keep the filial culture. He said, “Cremate my body and throw the ashes into the sea. Just keep my photo as a remembrance for my grand children. Do not waste money on the funeral expenses. Save it for the living” These were the words of my brother.

It was easier said than done, but it was hard for anybody to keep up to what Wilfred had gone through and was still able to keep up a positive and high spirit to face this challenge even though he was in so much pain.

The experience of going through the painful decision what my brother had gone through was enough for me to decide what I wanted to do for my own funeral.

“Save for the Living!”

Somehow, a death can pull a family together. It’s painful but fate decides for our death and no one knows. But Life has to go on for the loved ones left behind.


A pastor once said, “The good deeds you have done will determine how many people would turn up on the day you died.”

“Throw my ashes into the sea. Don’t burden my wife and my family” He said before he died.

The only memory I have is his photo to remember by. Goodbye, my beloved brother!

LOCAL SHARING - THE CHALLENGE OF FACING THE REALITY OF DEATH PART 1 BY JENNIE SOH

Most people fear death. This world is a temporary place for us to pass by; we all have to die one day. It can be an accident, disease or old age. No one can tell you when and the exact time you are going to die. But if you are being told that you have 4th stage of cancer and you have only 3 to 6 months to live, what is your immediate reaction? There are two choices you can choose to make: “One, You choose to stay away from friends and confine yourself to your self and your family.” Two, “You choose to face the reality of death” bravely and to prepare what you have to do.

MYTH OF DEATH

Nisargadatta Maharaj, one of India’s greatest sages once said, “The fear of death hangs over the world like a cloud.” But what is death? From the moment we were born, we have a physical body and have the ownership to say, “This is my body.” The moment we see death, the physical body will no longer exist but it will rot and will be returned to dust, leaving no life except a skeleton.

CHINESE BELIEFS (Buddhists)

Death to the Chinese is “Bad Omen”. However, especially traditions among the Buddhists believe that individual salvation plays a small role in their religion passing from this world into an ancestral realm of another world between living persons and their ancestors.

On the other hand, when death occurs in the family, the Chinese have a belief that it is a sacrifice for one’s offspring that would engender in them obligations towards elders and ancestors. They believe that such obligations are a gift to succeed in life so as to glorify the family ancestors. Thus, one lived beyond the grave above all through the health and success of one’s children, grand children and great grand children. Because of these obligations, they assume that they would care for one in old age and the afterlife. After life care involves the most significant and complex rituals in Chinese religious life that includes funerals, burials, mourning practices and rites for ancestors. All these are important to express a hope for continuance beyond death but more as an expression of people’s concern that souls for whom no one cared for would become ghost’s intent on causing mischief.

It was assumed that the dead could influence the quality of life for those who were still around. Therefore, proper burial, careful observance of mourning practices and ongoing offerings of food and gifts for ancestors assured their continued aid. Failure to observe these ritual obligations might bring bad luck to the family.

CHRISTIANS VIEWS

It is written in God’s plan when death occurs that God has a purpose whether it is a tragic death or an old age death. Job 1:21 says “Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away”.

MUSLIM VIEWS

Death to the Muslim is a total submission to and acceptance of the One and Only God (Allah) and peace. It is an Islamic characteristic to have complete obedience to Allah and acceptance of His will and commands and a unique feeling of satisfaction, fulfillment and contentment as a result of this obedience and acceptance.

When death occurs, the eye lids are closed, the body covered and preparation for burial takes place immediately after the prayer. The family of the dead has a responsibility to fulfill any debts and has a commitment to maintain contacts and courteous relationships with close relatives and friends.

LOCAL SHARING - EXPERIENCING LUTONG LANDAS AND FLOOD IN 1980/1981

In late December 1980, my husband, daughter and I were living in Shell rented quarters at Teo’ Garden at Tanjong Lobang. There had been incessant rain, strong wind from the Northwest and very heavy seas. During this time the road to Brunei had been washed out in several places, so people were unable to go to Brunei by road for a while.

As the heavy rain and strong wind continued the dual carriage way Miri - Bintulu road collapsed A friend, Jack Gorman was driving with another person either to or from work at Bristow Helicopters near the Miri airport where he was a maintenance engineer. He and his friend drove into a ravine of raging water that had caused the road to collapse. They were both rescued, but unfortunately Jack lost one eye in this incident.

When the Miri-Bintulu road collapsed it broke the main water pipe from the Miri water works into town. This meant there was no piped water into my house and my neighbor’s houses.

At that time my daughter, Suzanne was a toddler so I needed to wash. I asked my husband, Jimmy to cut the drain pipe from the roof gutter, so I could collect rain water in a bucket to fill my top loading washing machine. Thank God for a top loading machine for it can be filled by bucket. At that time it was raining very heavily so there was plenty of water for washing, bathing and cooking, but you only had to collect it.

During this time I heard of an ex-pat lady living at Luak Bay next to Alice Yong’ house who took her shower between two sheets hung on her clothesline at the back of her house which faced the sea.

At this time we had a Ford Pinto station wagon that we shipped back to Sarawak from the states. Jimmy had driven the Pinto to work at Shell in Lutong one morning in early January 1981. Later he called and said it was flooding in Lutong, so he decided to leave the car under a colleague’s house near the Anglican church and get a ride home. He came home and the next day flew to Kota Kinabalu on business.

That evening Jimmy’s colleague called me to say the water was rising under his house and he was worried about my car. I called Jimmy’ s cousin, Edwin, who was also living at Teo’s Garden and he said he was going the next day to Lutong and that I could come with him.

The next day we drove to the ferry that went across the Miri river to the Miri General Hospital. It had stopped operating because it was unsafe to use. We then drove on through town and Krokop until we reached the Piasau bridge.

The Piasau bridge was also closed because it was unsafe to use. The river there was high and very swift. We took a speedboat from the Piasau bridge to Lutong. The river had over flowed its banks and as we passed the Lutong airport you could just see a sheet of water over the airfield. We took the boat to where my car was parked.

I got out of the boat into the water about two feet deep and saw that the water was about three quarters if the way up the tires on my car. I opened the door and got in and luckily I was able to get the car started. I drove it to the only high ground, the approach to the Lutong bridge and parked it at the side of the road out of the water.

I then went with Edwin in the boat to his office on the main road to Shell. His office was in a raised wooden building. We took everything off the floor and put things on the desks and tables, for there was to be a king tide that evening and the flood water might rise higher in the evening.

After this we could really see the effects of the flooding. It had rained so heavily up river that the water flowing under the Lutong bridge just flowed straight towards the main Shell office building and fanned out into Lutong bazaar. The Shell emergency committee organized the sand bagging to the Shell refinery, so they would not have to close it down. There were many people buzzing around in motorboats and sampans. The flood water was really dirty since it had cleaned out all the chicken coops, river toilets and all sort of junk. Also in the river were snakes and other wildlife in the flood water. My friend, Roselind who lived in the Shell camp in the first raised house to the right as you cross Piasau bridge said she had about one foot of water under the house.

I could see that the children and men were enjoying playing on the porches and riding in boats. The women were having a headache trying to get fresh water for drinking, cooking and washing. Also being cooped up in their homes and not being able to buy food was a problem. Edwin and I went back to the Piasau bridge by boat, it had stopped raining by then and the river did not rise anymore that night.

The next day my husband returned from Sabah and since he could not get to work we drove as close to Lutong on Pujut road as we were able. We drove down Pujut road to where Joe and May Brodie lived (near the Tadika Sri Indah). The rest of the road to Lutong was flooded and impassible at that time. The stories we heard were that the river rose ten to twelve feet at Pujut corner and at Kampong Pengkalan rose six feet in some of the houses along the river. Jimmy’ friend Lim Ban Joo said the water was one foot deep throughout his company house in Lutong. They had to take their dog in a boat to dry land so he could go to the toilet. My friends Jane and Choke were living in Krokop at the time and the west wall of their living room became saturated with water because the wind kept blowing the rain on it so they had water running down the inside of the wall on to the floor. To stop this, they hung plastic sheets from the upstairs windows to keep the rain off the outside wall.

A few days later the flood subsided and Jimmy went to get our car from Lutong. He was unable to get the car started so he had it towed to the workshop where it was repaired. We had to get the carpet taken out and dried and put back. It never was quite the same again. We were lucky that the car engine was not damaged as there were so may other people’s that were damaged cars in Lutong. After this, when it rains very heavily for a long time I get worried that it will flood again.

MEMBERS' CONTRIBUTION - HEALTH TIPS FOR HEALTHY TRAVELLERS BY DR. LOH YUNN HUA

400 million international trips are taken annually. The health problems faced by travelers are considerable and varied. These depend on the countries visited and the lifestyle adopted by the traveler. There is evidence that many travelers are receiving inaccurate pre-departure advice. Travelers to North America, Europe and Australasia are usually at no greater risk of getting an infectious disease than they would be at home. However, those visiting the less developed tropical and subtropical countries of Africa, Central and South America and South East Asia are at significant risk of contracting infectious diseases.

Problems range in complexity from the non life-threatening traveler's diarrhea to potentially fatal diseases like malaria, brain infections and AIDS. In some politically unstable countries, there are the added risks of injury, imprisonment and being left stranded. Travel means transport. There is thus the possibility of accidents resulting in serious injury and expensive medical fees. Travel insurance is therefore as important as preventive health measures.

The main diseases facing the international traveler are traveler's diarrhea (relatively mild) and especially the potentially fatal drug resistant malaria. Traveler's diarrhea is a special problem in Central and South America, Central Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Drug resistant malaria occurs in South East Asia, northern South America and parts of Africa.

Infections transmitted by mosquitoes include malaria, yellow fever, Rift Valley Fever, Japanese Encephalitis and dengue fever. Preventing their bites is excellent prevention.

Here is a check list of pre-travel health care:
 Plan early- at least eight weeks beforehand.
 Have a dental check.
 Have a medical check.
 Postpone visits if not feeling well.
 See your doctor and the local health authority for advice on vaccinations and health conditions and facilities in the countries to be visited.
 Bring your own personal, simple first aid kits.
 Bring a summary of important medical records.
 Bring adequate supplies of essential drugs e.g. drugs for diabetes, high blood pressure, hormone replacement, etc.

Here is some advice on the prevention of traveler's diarrhea. This is spread by contaminated food and water.
 Purify all water by boiling for 10 minutes. If boiling is not possible, purifying chlorine tablets or iodine tincture will help.
 Do not use ice.
 Avoid fresh salads or raw vegetables.
 Avoid diary products such as milk, cream, ice-cream and cheese.
 Avoid eating raw shellfish and cold cooked meats.
 Avoid food from street vendors.
 Drink hot liquids whenever possible.
 Use disposable hand towels for hand washing.

The golden rule is : If you can’t peel, boil or cook it-don’t eat it.
Malaria can be prevented by following two simple rules.

 Avoid mosquito bites.
 Take anti malarial medicines regularly.

In order to avoid mosquito bites, travelers are advised to:
 Keep away from rural areas after dusk.
 Sleep in air-conditioned or properly screened rooms.
 Use insecticide sprays to kill any mosquitoes in the room or use mosquito coils at night.
 Smear an insect repellent on exposed parts of the body.
 Use mosquito nets (tuck under mattress, check for tears)
 Impregnate nets with permethrin (Ambush) which repels mosquitoes.
 Wear sufficient light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long trousers, to protect whole body, arms and legs when in the open after sunset.
 Avoid using perfumes, cologne and after shave lotion (also attract insects)

Get protection from many types of infection through immunization. Immunization can be divided into three groups : (a) compulsory, where evidence of vaccination is a prerequisite for entry into a country; (b) commonly recommended; (c) sometimes recommended.

All travelers should be immunized against diphtheria, measles, polio and tetanus. Protection against tetanus requires an initial course of three injections followed by a booster every 10 years.

Vaccinations are required for special circumstances. Yellow fever vaccination is a legal requirement for any traveler returning from yellow fever infected area. A cholera vaccination is not usually required. Some travelers may be exposed to tuberculosis, hepatitis, plague, rabies, typhoid, typhus and brain infection. Smallpox has now been eradicated from the world. Its vaccination is therefore no longer required for any traveler.

Two very important problems to be aware of are the avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases, e.g. AIDS and drug addiction. The penalty for carrying drugs may be death.

A returned traveler should go for a medical check up if anything suspected e.g. prolonged fever, diarrhea, and tiredness, cough or skin rashes.

Travelers with pre existing medical conditions, pregnant mothers and children need special precautions. More information on jet lag, travel sickness and altitude illness can be obtained from the relevant sources.
By proper planning and exercising well informed, sensible behavior, you can make your holiday a fun-filled and educational experience.

Do not be a travel agent for viruses and exotic infections!

YOUNG WRITERS - SENIOR'S SECTION - MY TEACHER - PAIN BY PHOEBE ASONG BAIAN

An author, John Powell once said, “Pain is a teacher from whom we can learn.”

My name is Paul and this is my story of the lessons that Pain gives. Ever since birth, I have never met nor laid eyes upon my father and at the age of two, my mother dropped me off at an orphanage after deciding that she couldn’t take care of me anymore.

The day she left me in front of the orphanage gate is still clear in my mind. It was a cold rainy night and I remember the fear within me as I sat curled up, cold and hoped that my mother would return to get me. She never did and all through out my childhood years, I suffered the pain of rejection, being unwanted and never getting to say goodbye to my mother.

The next morning, a woman from the orphanage found me, trembling and sick from staying all night in the rain. She quickly carried my small feverish body into the orphanage sick room where a doctor was called to treat me.

A few days after I recovered, I was brought into a room full of boys. It was then I realized that my mother was no longer coming back to get me and I was on my own.

Life in the orphanage was difficult. I was treated badly and by the age of four, I already knew how to do a lot of things like washing and hanging clothes. Everyone in the orphanage lived in poverty and every day it was a race and a challenge to find clothing and food to eat. Basically, everyone’s motto in the orphanage was “First come, First Serve”. Usually the bigger bullies got the “best” of everything whilst the others including me got the “worst.” We had to get our clothes from the bags that people donated and we even had to wear the left over dresses and skirts because we were too late to find suitable clothes for ourselves.

As I lived day by day at the orphanage, I felt that life was not fair. Sometimes I would catch a glimpse outside the gate of the rich kids walking pass by with good expensive clothes and I couldn’t help feeling jealous of them. I was depressed and hurt by all the suffering that I have to go through.

Until one day, I came across a saying by John Powell about pain scribbled by someone across the wall. At that moment, I kept on thinking about those words and asked myself a lot of questions. I was determined to find the answer and started to strive for success. I laid goals for my life and worked towards them.

In school, even though I was being made fun of and bullied, I was determined to change my life.

As life went on, I kept the words of John Powell in my mind and hoped that one day I would be able to find the answers to my questions. As years went by, I still had not found the answers and the pain was still living inside me. I lived through my teenage years where problems seemed to get bigger. During that time, I felt that my life was in a dark, black hole and I was trying my best to get out of it.

However, I changed my perspective when I got a scholarship to further my studies.

Today I am a doctor and have found all the answers to my questions about pain. Yes, indeed pain is a teacher who taught me, life’s lessons, of courage, determination, independence and everything that a human has to learn. Even today, as a successful person, I still have to go through a lot of problems but I hold on as I know that I have a brilliant “teacher” beside me. Yes, indeed, pain is a teacher whom we can learn from so much

YOUNG WRITERS - JUNIOR’S CORNER - A QUEST BY CONSTANCE PAU CHIONG JIN

A Quest by Constance Pau Chiong Jin
(11 years old)
Email:Constance_pau@hotmail.com

Once there was a King who had a most unusual hobby. He liked to find the rarest and uncommon things and add them into his collection. He has many unique things such as a singing goat and a golden cloak which could make its wearer invisible.

The King had a daughter, Elizabeth who was beautiful and intelligent. She had a voice of a million angels and was a born actress and singer. She had many suitors, but one by one was turned down by many princes. This made the King sad, for he wanted his daughter to marry.

Every day, the King and his daughter would visit the Kingdom and helped those in need. Libraries, orphanages, museums and schools were built for the peoples’ needs.

One day, while going around the kingdom, an old man came up to the king and said, “Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you! I have waited all my life to speak to you, my King.”

The King replied, “What do you want, good man? Food? Shelter? Money?”

The old man spoke up, “There is nothing I want, sire. You have given me everything I need, no more, no less.”

“Then what do you want?” His Majesty asked impatiently. He was hungry and his daughter had gone home alone.

“Patience, my king, patience.... I want to tell you that a stone, Melmor, holds a very special power that enables its owner to live forever and will grant every wish that its owner wants. It may look like an ordinary stone, plain, black and looks useless. Very few people know this. It is hidden deep in the cave of Madonna . Many tried to get the stone, none succeeded. You, my King, who has a craving for unusual things, should know. Go forth and find it. This might be useful to you.” With that, the old man forced a black, dirty key and a map into the King’s palm.

The King was speechless, but thanked the man and rode on. He was determined to find it. “ The cave of Modonna....” He whispered. When he arrived at his palace, he immediately told his trusted advisor, Sir Patrick.

“ I wish to find that stone, Patrick. Come with me on this journey, ”the king told Sr Patrick in a calm voice.

“But... It may not be true, sire. It is risky... And dangerous. Yes, yes, dangerous. You may harm yourself. You should not go sire. It would be safer here. Yes, no don’t go. Please..., ” Sir Patrick said.

But the King cut him off. He bellowed, “ I am the King!. I made the decisions and my decisions are FINAL!” The ground shook and Sir Patrick saw that the King’s face was purple, with blazing eyes.

He stammered, “ Of...co...co..course, sire. We ...we will leave....at...at once.”

So off they went. The guards prepared the carriage and Sir Patrick brought with him blankets, food and water. The King stuffed the key in his pocket and held the map in his hands.

Many days later, they stopped in front of a cave. It was dark and creepy. Bats flew in and out. “The cave of Madonna,” Sir Patrick said in a horse voice. He was frightened but the King was delighted.

“Let’s go in, Patrick. Take a lantern or a torch. Bring the phone too, just in case we get lost, ” the king ordered.

So, in they went. Bats screeched, making the King’s advisor jump in fright . The King was not frightened but excited. They went deeper and deeper into the cave. Finally, they stopped. They stood in front of three floating doors. One was black, one was blue and the other was gray.

Suddenly, they heard a loud voice, “WELCOME, MY FRIEND. INFRONT OF YOU LIES THREE DOORS OF DIFFERENT COLORS. FIRST, YOU MUST ENTER THE BLACK DOOR, WITH THE BLACK DOOR KEY, OF COURSE YOU WILL THEN GO IN SEARCH FOR A BLUE KEY. FIND IT, AND OPEN THE DOOR TO THE BLUE STONE. BUT , THEY ARE MANY OBSTACLES IN YOUR WAY. YOU CANNOT TURN BACK AFTER YOU ENTER. SO MAKE YOUR CHOICE NOW, ENTER OR TURN BACK!”

“I...thi...think I’ll...turn...back,” Patrick said, shivering.

“No, You will stay with me!”, the King said fiercely. So he dragged Patrick through the black door. Everything was silent and eerie. The blue key was found easily, because of its color. They rushed through the blue door.

This time, there were snakes everywhere. They were blind. So, slowly they made their way through. But, Patrick accidentally stepped on a snake which hissed at him. All the snakes turned to Patrick and the King. They ran and ran and when they crossed a bridge, they cut off the rope at the end which made the snakes fall into a deep river.

The gray key was suddenly within their grasp. They reached for it, but failed. Finally, Patrick used a plastic bag and caught it. The key tried just cannot fit into the key hole to get it open.

The King opened the lock to the last gray fib rating door and only to find a stone in the middle. The King held it but it suddenly turned into a large, ferocious dragon. The dragon roared and the King unsheathed his sword. Patrick hesitantly did the same. They fought for a long time, until Patrick fainted. But the King did not give up. He fought and fought. Finally, with bruises and cuts, he cut off the dragon’s head.

In a blink of an eye, it turned back into a stone. The King took it and suddenly, he was in his palace. Sir Patrick regained consciousness. and repeatedly thanked the king for saving his life.

The King was very happy. He had received his wish. But, the Princess Elizabeth was not.

Her father used a wish to make her marry a prince. But she got over it quickly and they lived happily after.

SOSWE'S NEWSLETTER ISSUE 55/2008 - JAN TO MAR 2008

EDITORIAL

The Year 2008 seemed to be very wet and certain areas in the rural areas have experienced floods. The Chinese New Year which falls on 7th February 2008 celebrated the year of the rat with loud bangs of fire crackers throughout the 15 days although the government had banned the sale of fire crackers. Chinese being Chinese find no meaning if there are no fire crackers to celebrate their Chinese New Year and God knows where the supply comes from. No question asked. If you want them, you pay and you will get your supply.

The month of March was an exciting month for all Malaysians for the exciting election and a drastic change in the new Cabinet with more opposition parties winning in certain parts of Malaysia.

However, we are still very lucky that we do not have any riots in our country.

The month of March marks the beginning of SOSWE in launching of the First Publication , HORNBILL FLAVOURS lst Series - To Know Sarawak is to Love Sarawak by YB Peter Chin Fah Kui on 5th March 2008.

Our thanks and appreciation goes to Cheryl Sim for designing the cover of the book on such a short notice.

We hope to have more writers joining us to have their works published through the HORNBILL FLAVOURS. The coming series will be categorized in different topics focusing on certain topics like historical sites , legends or stories and we also plan to have one series for the JUNIOR SECTION.

Recently we held a Writing Session on 8th of March 2008 at the Gymkhana Club for SOSWE members and friends to come together to sit down and write.

This year, we welcomed Ms Helena Henry who joined us and will be an inspiration to the younger group. She has beauty too.

In this quarter writers shared their experience in different perceptions of their life style.

 LOCAL INTEREST - Chinese New Year Now and Then - By Jennie Soh

 LOCAL SHARING - My Spicy Memory - By Helena Henry

 MEMBER’S SHARING - The Hidden Agony of Ecstasy - By Dr. Loh Yunn Hua

 SENIOR SECTION - A Walk of Life - By Nathaniel Lau (13)

 JUNIOR SECTION - L-O-S-T By Lim Paulin (11)

We welcome anybody who is interested to join us, please visit our website at www.soswe.org and download its application form. The entrance fee is RM 50 and annual fee is only RM 60. There are some children who are interested to join us, they have to join through their parents because our SOSWE’s constitution requires the entry age to be 18 years and above.

We would also like to thank Dave Clucas for helping us with the website. Due to his heavy schedule, he is not able to continue to update 2008 articles. But thanks to the fantastic IT’s technology, we are still able to use the BLOG which is easier and accessible to interested individuals.

Please visit our site at :- http://soswe.blogspot.com

Lastly, we wished everyone CHINESE NEW YEAR 2008 and have a nice new year in the year of the RAT.

Editor

Getting ready for the countdown is globally celebrated.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

- George Eliot -

LOCAL SHARING - CHINESE NEW YEAR NOW AND THEN BY JENNIE SOH

2008 Year of the Rat

Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiac, legend has its story of how the Jade Emperor had invited the animals and the first 12 to arrive are Rat, followed by Ox. Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig being the last animal. All the animals were named after the 12 year circle that governs Chinese life thereafter.

Chinese Calendar

The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest chronological record in history, dating from 2600 BC when the Emperor Huang Ti introduced the first cycle of the zodiac. Like the Western calendar, the Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly one, with the start of the lunar year being based on the cycles of the moon. Therefore because of this cyclical dating, the beginning of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February. This year it falls on 7th February and ends on 21st February. It is a complete cycle that takes 60 years and is made up of five cycles of 12 years each. This year Chinese New Year falls on 7th February, 2008.

The Chinese Lunar Calendar names each of the twelve years after an animal. Legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from the earth. Only twelve animals came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. The Chinese believe the animal ruling the year in which a person is born has a profound influence on personality, saying "This is the animal that hides in your heart."

The sequence of the animal are as follows :-

Rat 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972
1984 1996 2008
Ox 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973
1985 1997 2009
Tiger 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974
1986 1998 2010
Rabbit 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975
1987 1999 2011
Dragon 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976
1988 2000 2012
Snake 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977
1989 2001 2013
Horse 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978
1990 2002 2014
Sheep 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979
1991 2003 2015
Monkey 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980
1992 2004 2016
Rooster 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981
1993 2005 2017
Dog 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982
1994 2006 2018
Boar 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983
1995 2007 2019

Year 2008 is the year of the Rat known by its former name of WuZhi. Considering rats are small but cunning, this year as we expected will foresee an challenging and eventful year according to some fengshui experts.

Attributes and Characteristics born under the Year of Rats

Whether you want to believe it or not, this research was done based on the characteristics of people born under the zodiac sign of rat. Some can be true and quite close to one’s observation.

Rats are masters of mind games, cunning, dangerous, calculative and downright cruel. They are quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them. They are quite obsessed with detail, intolerant, strict, demanding order , obedience and perfection.

Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and want their own agenda.

A Rat’s natural charm can easily win a friend and usually they are highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and often have only a handful of selective close friends whom they trust.

Rats born during the day are most likely to have a rich and easy life. Those born during the night may have to struggle through hard work. Generally, people born in these years are usually cheerful and kind.

The recent movie of Ratatouille is about a rat named "Remy" who dreams of becoming a great French chef. The character of a rat shows characteristics of determination and strong will power of not giving up regardless of what happened. The setting of the story creates strong attributes of the will power of not giving up in things the rat wanted to do. “To be a Chef.” And he did it.

The Background of Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year has a great history which involves the 12 animals according to the Chinese calendar. It usually starts with the new moon on the first day of the New Year and ends on the full moon over a period of 15 days. The last day which is the 15th day of the New Year is called the Lantern Festival which is celebrated at night with a lantern display.

Preparations

In the olden days , a month before the date of the Chinese New Year, people started to get ready buying food to stock up, decoration materials, food and clothing. Most of the household members were busy cleaning their houses from top to bottom, sweeping away any traces of bad luck and giving the house a new coat of paint. Decorations of paper cutting and couplets in Chinese characters with themes of happiness, wealth and longevity were seen all over the place.

Chinese New Year Eve

Markets are packed with people doing the last minute shopping. By noon most of the shops will be closed to get ready for the big feast on New Year ‘s eve. In the olden days, all the families came together to prepare and cook together. It is the most exciting part of the event that traditions and rituals are carefully observed in everything from food to clothing.

Traditional Food and the Big Feast

Dinner is usually a feast of seafood, dumplings that signify different good wishes, chicken, duck and pork. Delicacies included are prawns that signifies liveliness and happiness, dried oysters that signifies goodness and raw fish salad or yu sheng to bring good luck and prosperity.

Some of the traditional food have some meanings like the following :

 Consuming Lotus seeds means having many male offspring
 Ginkgo nuts represents silver ingots
 Black moss seaweed is a homonym for exceeding in wealth
 Dried bean curd means fulfillment of wealth and happiness
 Bamboo shoots indicates everything will be well



For the ancestors’ worshippers, traditional food prepared was offered to the dead. The presences of the ancestors were acknowledged on New Year’s Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate as one great community. The communal feast was called, "stove" or "weilu" which symbolizes family unity and paying respect to the past and present generations.

The family feast on New Year eve is compulsory for all to come back to eat at the round table with their children, grandchildren and great-grand children.
After dinner, the family would sit up to play cards, board games or catching up with updates of their own siblings affairs.

The highlight of course is the giving out of "Hong Bao" (money in the red packet). Elders give to their grandchildren and children give to their parents.

Firing crackers is expected at midnight with the belief that they will chase off evil spirits, and to let the old year out and let the New Year to come in.

Visiting parents and grandparents is compulsory on the first day of the Chinese New Year; the first to arrive brings joy to the elderly.

New Year Set Activities Set Precedent

It is a belief that all debts should be cleared off, otherwise bad luck will fall on any business involved. Everyone should refrain from using foul language and death is a taboo. Those with a death in the family are discouraged from visiting each other. Sweeping is not allowed on the first day of the Chinese New Year as it is believed that their luck will be swept out from the house.

Everyone is expected to wear bright colors especially red. Red oranges are still expected to be brought along when visiting elderly people. Oranges are symbols of abundant happiness.


Lion and dragon dances and fire crackers add to the highlight of the festival with the belief that the noise will chase away all evil spirits.

The changes in the 20th Century

With the trend of today’s society, Chinese New Year to most Chinese families is a get away to relax with available holiday packages. Some will hold open house for business clients and friends with catered food. Cooking is no longer a hassle. It is just another holiday for children who look forward to receiving the "Hong Bao" and days off for business men to relax at home.

With so many available catering services, most families have catered food at home and some families have their gathering outside their home at a restaurant. I experienced a Chinese New Year gathering in Kuching where families booked tables with eight courses of food inclusive of drinks, costing about RM 500 per table. They have entertainment to make the event livelier. It makes it easier for everyone to dress up , enjoy the meal and refrain from the hassle of cooking and cleaning up. This has become the trend for most working families. It is quite practical, although it is not home cooked but the spirit of a family reunion has become its main objective.

Visiting is still closely practiced as this is the only time to catch up with relatives and friends once a year.

Open house is still very popular and halal food is served because of the Muslim community.

Conclusion

Although there are changes in the style of celebrating Chinese New Year, the importance of keeping the Chinese culture of having a Family Feast on the eve of Chinese New Year and the last day of Chinese New Year are still closely observed.

In the tourism industry, Chinese New Year is marked as one of the events for visiting tourists to experience the festival season of celebrating Chinese New Year.

Red Chinese decorations and oranges are popularly displayed in every one’s homes during Chinese New Year.