Thoughts on Gawai ...

Any celebration with children around is such a Joy! This Gawai there were plentiful of children around and its still a mystery to me which child belongs to which parent or grandparent! I seldom go back to the longhouse, so most of the people that I recognized are generally the older folks. As the family's children grew up and have their own kids - its like a jigzaw puzzle to place which kid belongs to which family. All looks alike now! Inter-racial marriages have resulted in Indian/Chinese/Malay/Eurasian children running around the longhouse speaking English/Malay/Iban! Truly 1Malaysia!

Gawai tu kemari rindu amat meda bala anak mit bemain! Nya meh gaya Gawai, bemain & besulu enggau pagan diri! Aba ruai kami tak enda putus-putus anak mit bemain, laban ruai ke besai serta nyamai endor sida iya belanda. Bala anak mit nuh enda dikelala, enda nemu anak sapa, nya meh ke aku tu betanya ke sida - sapa apai deh? sapa indai deh? sapa akie deh? Aku tu merinsa amat, mayoh bala ke rebah aku empu enda tentu dikelala laban ke jarang pulai ke rumah panjai. Tang bisi mimit ngah ke dikelala, ketegal udu nemuai ngagai pagan diri. Iya ngah nuh pupu bangsa bala anak-anak mit ke dipeda - bisi nya baka gamal Tambi, Cina, Melayu - amat-amat 1Malaysia!

Nyangka nuh bisi perangai 'individualistic' meh aba rumah panjai aku tu. Enda tentu nemuai serta berandau enggau pagan diri. Bebakih enggau geng diri empu aja. Aku tu nadai geng di rumah panjai; kelimpah ari bala petunggal/ipar - tak enda tentu ngelala orang. Taja rebak sida apai/indai nadai baka nya. Pengelemi kitai ke biak meh nya. Nya alai ngintu Gawai ke ila, aku deka nentu ke nesau semua ngabang aba ruai!

Tang meh peranggai ngirup sampai mabuk nuh bergoyang ngapa di ruai balat amat peda aku aba rumah panjai kami! Pengaruh barat bangat udu aba senentang nya. Sida ke laki & indu serambau nuh kelut-kelut aba ruai ngirup/mabuk. Bala sida tu enda ngaul aku, laban nemu aku tu sigi enda baka tu! Enti tak duduk ngirup manah, berandau manah - badas agi.

Taja pia, mayoh diri ngah bala tama bilik ngabang bebala ke bilik kami. Tang ketegal ke enda tentu teleba, ulih ngagau magang. Aku tu laban ke udu ketut-ketut aba ruai, sigi nesau orang belama.

My big ruai is a great joy for the kids to play in. It helps that Karl is very generous with the Sweets/drinks!


Tired of the ruai, they will proceed to the compound outstide the bilik.


Should start them early! Karl & Yus (grand nephew) learning the instrument.


Even the 2months old Bella (grand niece) gets to enjoy Gawai. Val & Karl loves to play with her!

When there's no friends around to play with, there's always the chair as a good subsitute for car!