12 Life Interests ..

1. Feeling the 'great pain' of writing my thesis. At times like this, I realized that I have made the wrong decision to do this part-time. When its time to concentrate to do the thesis, the mind is off ... daydreaming or needing to do more interesting tasks or simply the mind & brain cells go blank!! This week the brain cells refused to function!!


2. Watching the excitement on my daughter, Valerie, face as we prepare for our winter holiday! Pray that it would not be too cold or no snow! However, I know if any of these happened - she will enjoy the cold cold weather and snow. She will be ecstatically thrilled!! It will be her first snow!!! Maybe we will experience some snow in the mountains of Switzerland :D


3. Putting up a list winter clothes needed - more for Valerie. She had outgrown hers from years ago! I have a closetful of winter clothes, albeit the styles of 1980s (most of it!) and styles of 2005 (only 4 warm blouses). I do, however, have the latest style of winter jacket (style of 2010); and this after being ticked off by my loving fashionista niece (Kim) & darling daughter (Val). My 1980s & 2005 winter jackets still fit nice & warm, and it will be fashionable again!


4. Took our annual pictures. I was looking for a certain casual look & background, but the photographer didn't quite capture it or he didn't understand what I wanted! Overall it turned out good, but not great! Well, I guess I just need to take the photographer to the beach!


5. Valerie will be competing in an essay writing competition tomorrow (16/9/10), and we do anticipate to win the RM1,000.00 First Prize!!! YEAH Confidence is the Key Word! :D


6. Meet the teachers day at Val's school is also tomorrow - which means that I have to be in 2 places in the morning! hmmm the perils of motherhood - juggling schedule!


7. I am growing!!! My clothes fit me snugly now - so I either looked sexy or bulging, depending on the 'eye of the beholder'! lol DARN!!


8. Psyche myself to exercise & loose 10kg before going off for my holiday!! Is it POSSIBLE? YES! Is it HAPPENING? YES!! Am I DETERMINED? YES!!! Am I DOING it? NOT YET!!! Am I STARTING? TOMORROW!!!!!!


9. Dont think TOO Much! Just Do It!


10. ISO sayings comes to mind - Write what you Do, Do what you Write, Improve. So MY saying says - Write what you Say you Want to Do, Do what you Say you will, Think about it, Then think further if you Want to Do it, Then Just Do It, yeaaahhh Do It!


11. Completed my paper presentation for the SIDS Sibu Workshop this weekend titled - The Roles of Dayak Women in SIDS Sibu. Its an intriquing, different, motivating & empowering paper.


12. Finally, and the most important - preparing for the 'Sampi Nyangkung' (translated maybe .. World Day of Prayer for Women? ) which is carried out throughout September by Methodist Women. So its been fellowship/worship from house to house, and this Saturday will be at my place. Having a group of the rural/longhouse women over in the evening for praise/sharing of the Words of God. Lord, give me the wisdom & strength to share & motivate & empower these women!

Have a good day, All!! I need to go out and buy exercise shoe!

Kerja sambil cuti di Kota Kinabalu ...

Minggu tu tadi, kami duai menyanak enggau apai & indai ... cuti-cuti 4 hari ke Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Ngambi peluang tu laban cuti sekula serta aku mega bisi pengawa mimit aba din mega. Bandar tu endang manah endal, sigi rindu aku raun semina enda sempat ke pulau-pulau aja.

Bala indu-indu jurutera endang pandai ngelindun diri ari panas. Keda nya bercermin mata itam, bertupi, berkarong jari ... Guido (ribai), Zuria (jurutera ari JBA KK)

Observing the installation of the system. Its good to note that there is an increased number of ladies engineers in the water industry! Used to be only me for decades!

Batang pejalai aku ke kerja ianya meda progrim NRW sida di JBA Sabah; sida diberi perintah besai RM1billion nurun ke NRW sida ari 71% ngagai ke diatu lebih kurang 40%! Aku tu nuh jeles meda pemayoh geran ke diberi. Nama meh kitai enda bulih!? Aku enggau tem aku kusil-kusil ngena duit RM1juta ngadu ke NRW, ke diatu 29%.

Partly, the Sabah visit was to learn from them how they handle their NRW program; however, the diference is great in terms of financial. But, we just have to do the best we could with the limited funds. Malaysia Boleh! The concept of how its done is standard and we're doing exactly that - with slower result due to the limited activities due to limited funds.

Sekeda nya bepayung ... nadai peduli ke bala ke bukai.

Tang harinya chukup angat maya pagi; tang meh ujan lebat maya tengahari/malam hari.

Ir. Teo (kiba) ari JBA Sabah

We holiday in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah for 4 days; took my parents along also for the trip. It was a great 4 days relaxation for them enjoying the hotel facilities & visiting the wonderful sights. The city has really developed since my last visit about a decade ago, with more malls & equally lots of 'illegals'. I wasn't able to differentiate whether they were the locals or illegals of Indonesia/ Philippine ... but there seems to be a big number. Squatters are almost everywhere by the riverside or on any government land.

Sempat kami sebuat raun2 ke jetty. / Visiting at the jetty.

Raun2 aba jetty

In front of the Craft market, lots of these tailors.

Nguji kaja sumazau ... trying the sumazau dance

Couldn't resist taking a pic of this pub ... what a name!

Bergulai enggau bala staf NRW aku ...

With my staff & daughter with the cultural village dancers

Pemanjai Cuti...

Seminggu tu, puas aku betalat pasal cuti taun aku! Mula2 madah enda ulih lama, lalu ngira diri ngambi 16 hari meh aku; chukup kena. Udah aku minta 15 hari (nyadi 25 hari ketegal hari enam/minggu/hari besai), lalu diasoh ngambi sebulan terus. Nuh ingat ke jako Deb ... memperli kini tu!? Au aja meh; legi aku ngambi 1.5 bulan.

Nama pengawa aku cuti tu:-

• Majak nulis tesis
• Cuti musim chelap

Nya ya! Puji Tuhan ke pengibun & berkat!

Gereja Menoa, Gereja Menoa Pesisir (Rural Church) ...

Yesterday evening was the Fundraising Dinner for the Sibu District Methodist Churches of the Sarawak Iban Annual Conference which was attended by about 700 members from 29 local churches members and friends.

We had a wonderful time of fellowship! The entertainment was so simple & uplifting! Simplicity to glorify Him.

The objective of the dinner was to raise fund for the maintenance of the 29 rural churches. The giving of tithes among us are relatively low. Pastors are constantly/continually sharing with members on the blessings of giving tithes and at times the necessity of it. In general (my personal observation), we are most willing to give our time & energy for the church; but when it comes to money/offering/tithes, we tend to do sparingly. We need to open our mind, heart & purse for this! Yours truly included! Our church needs us!

I will dedicate one writing to my rural church ... soon!

Rev Tiong (2nd left) with some of the Methodist Women

presenting a song at the function.

Yeah, your going to ask why am I not up there with them? I couldn't make it to the longhouse for practice, so opted not to join them that night! Failed to learn, earlier, that it was one of the praise karaoke type! They did an excellent job!!

Church members

MYF

It was a great evening of fellowship! For once, I could walk around all over the hall meeting & chatting up with friends/MW ladies; as I was just an attendee instead of an organizer!

Nemalam kami sebilik enggau ngulu pengerami makai malam ngiga belanja ke gereja-gereja menoa Methodist Sitak Sibu. Ditu bisi 29 iti buah gereja menoa ie gereja di menoa pesisir ke beguna amat ke kerja ngaga utai ke jai-jai bangunan gereja. Berapa ulih nemalam? Enda nemu aku, tang kira kasar aku, RM20,000 ari jual rega mija, lagu sponsor, nyual bungai/sticker, enggau pemeri siko ari anembiak gereja (sebiliknya meri RM10,000!). Puji Tuhan!

Maya sebilik nya meri penyampau nya; aku berunding ke pemeri diri ke Gereja & Pengawa Tuhan. Pemeri terima kasih ke berkat Allah Taalah ke penyampau mayoh, penyampau sinu, serta penyampau rindu! Tu pekara ke deka dirunding aku.

Macha bup ... siti ari pengerindu aku!

Menoa hari mendung amat tengahari kemari. Datai kami duai aba simpang Pedada/Pahlawan; ujan ukai main enda lebat! 'Drive on, Mummy' ko anak kecil molek aku. Lalu 'go on' meh tua iya nuju kedai!

Sekeda bup ke dibeli: Teka kita nie nge Anak?

Some of the books we bought ~ guess which one belongs to my darlin' girl?

Au engka sekeda ngumbai aku poteng kerja tauka main ular :) aku seharti kemari cuti-cuti Hari Merderka! Ko jako cuti sehari ngambi ke ulih numpu ke diri nulis tesis ke enda nemu bergerak ari daun 1, paragraph 1 ... ! :D Pagi berhasil ngah pengawa aku; bisi nge-tiga iti utai dibaca!

Tang nama pengawa tua menyanak ... tengahari pengudah iya pulai sekul ... nurun ngagai Delta Mall, batang tuju - Popular Bookstore! Au Delta Mall tu siti ari gedung besai kami ditu ke bisi siti kedai bup ke serba lengkap. Ke ka, bisi kedai bup MPH, tang ngah nadai; Popular pen besai serta lantang nuh bejalai SERTA iya bisi sale SERTA anak pen bsi kad kaban Popular retinya bulih diskaun dua kali. Hoorah! Kebuah kad kaban alam nama anak - bayar taun anak biak sekul mudah agi!! :D

Anak pen rindu macha bup; tu meh minat ami duai menyanak ke sama; lalu siti 'habit' ke sama - semina sebilik aja tau nemu ke diatu!! Sapa2 bala ke selalu engau aku bejalai serta sebilik enggau aku; tentu sida iya nemu! :) 'Habit' ke manah!

Sekeda bup tisi katil

Before bed reading ...

Ungkos bup-bup RM303.20!! Nama bup ke dibeli? Sekada ke udah diak, aku lalu meli bup-bup revision darjah 6 ke anak, kena iya belajar maya cuti sekolah tu ila. Kami duai mega melik siti set bup pereksa UPSR - alam 4 iti mata pelajaran ianya Sains, Matematik, B. Inggeris & B. Melayu! Iya mega lalu enda tau enda meli siti pen - baka ke nadai, penuh pensil kes enggau pen! 'Its cheap, Mummy' ko iya ... melayang RM1.70!!

Cuti Hari Raya tu, ngagau kami duai menyanak macha bup!

This booklet comes with several CDs ... working on it!

One of my great passion is READING! I just love reading books of all types! I am a very well-read person :D especially of romantic novels or Mills & Boons or Harlequins. Some would say that I am a great Dreamer and great believer of the fairytale of romance/love. A woman can continue to believe ....

Some of other readings ...

When I was still in secondary school, I always tell myself that ... when I start earning, I will indulge myself in this passion .. buy books!!! This is also one passion that my daughter shared with me - so we could be sitting (not so ... as my daughter is a great chatter and she loves to discuss or tell me every paragraph that she reads ...) quietly reading our respective books.

Yesterday afternoon (I'm off work, supposedly to write my thesis; which I didn't although I did have a productive morning of reading 3 related articles towards the writing of the said thesis!), we took off to the great Popular bookstore ... as the shop was having its SALE day and we have DISCOUNT Members' Card also! Spending - RM303.20!! What did we buy? Some UPSR/Primary 6 revision books (for the holiday as my darlin' girl will be doing her public examination next year), and romantic novels.

This short Hari Raya holiday, we're bot ready to do our favourite thing - reading! That is, after we come back from our very short holiday to Land Beneath the Wind!

Peranan Kitai ...

Dini penuduk kitai indu Dayak alam Malaysia pengudah 53 Merdeka? Bakani pemansang kitai ari segi sekula, pengidup, pengawa, politik, pengubah polisi, serta alam mayoh bengkak pengawa bukai? Dini kitai? Nama statistik pemansang kitai? Nama saut bala kitai?

Keni cara kitai ngubah penuduk kitai? Penyerakup kitai indu Dayak alam semua pengawa mesti teguh. Penemu enda be-lain; tang kitai mesti ber-serakup & ber-sepenemu nuju pemansang. Semua penemu ke enda sebaka ulih di-kerandau ngambi iya ulih di-ubah ke siti penemu ke ulih diterima kitai semua!

Kebaya corak kain kebat - endang tanda kitai indu Dayak/Iban.

Lap kitai enda nyusun pakaian kitai ke stail maya diatu - ngena skaf corak kain kebat?

Sida ke laki selalu bisi enggau nguluk serta nyukong pengawa kitai indu.

Pengeran ati bala kitai, nadai bangku, biar duduk aba tikai!

Ber-sarakup meh kitai, laban nengah nya meh kitai ulih mansang. Berjako meh kitai nengah siti suara, laban jako ke siti serta terang aja meh ke ulih didinga!

Crunching time...

Bahu nuh pedis, tunjuk nuh lelah, otak nuh bergusak :D Nya meh pemedis aku minggu tu! Aku tu udah diberi penasihat progrim aku timpuh nembu ke tesis. Meda bala anak sekul masuk universiti, ka enggau ngah hari nya - diatu ensepi asai pemedis belajar baru!

Setiap kali macha bup, mata nuh kulap-kulap ka tinok; setiap kali bepikir ke utai ke ditulis, otak nuh asai ke digusak ... nie ke dianjung agi!!

Pelajar tu endan sigi pengawa ke berat kena kitai ngemaju ke diri. Naka tu cerita aku ke nulis tesis; no play play now, got to start write write!!

My supervisor have given me an deadline that is craved in stone - not subject to any more changes! So the last couple of days, I have been trying to get myself organized. Yesterday, I started on my thesis writing - by the way, I have done 2 chapters which had not been reviewed - on the two easiest chapters. The 1st chapter, introduction and the next chapter that I attempted was Chapter 3, methodology. It took me 12 hours in total to write chapter 1 and there are still some facts, graphs, and figures still missing! Whether its the proper way; I stopped on chapter 1 and started chapter 3!! Why you asked!!???? I got tired and frustrated while writing the Introduction; not because I don't have the facts or ideas; but trying to insert all the data in and tabulating it etc!! ARrrggghhh I will get my secretary to do it tomorrow - alas, I still have to draft all that for her. Now chapter 3 was much faster - it took me only 8 hours! Maybe I am 'into' it now? ;)

Lord, why do I 'torture' myself? Why do You stir me to this? What's Your purpose? Nevertheless, dear Lord, I leave it in Your guiding hands! With You beside me, I will endure and find the strength to compete this mission.