What a life...can it last?

27.1.2010-Tuesday
Morning:
Wake-up : 0600
Send Children to school: 0645 ( to and fro about 30 minutes )
School Athletics Training: 0800 - 1000

Noon to Late Evening:
1130: Lunch
1230: Teacher on duty of the weeks for gathering students in between morning session end and afternoon
          session starts.
1245 : School Yearly Sports Meet Meeting ( Finish at 1425 )
1435 : Send my children home
1500: Going to Sports Supplier to order miscellameous  for the school sport day and 10 competition hurdle
          for the school athletes training programmed.
1530 : School athletics  training for the morning session students ( the main progression parts )
1600 to 1705 : PE class
1740 to 1820: Sit-in for classes without reachers
1830 : Jotting comments about the school situations of the day in the afternoon sessions reports books....
1845 : Drive home after seeing all students are home....
1930 : Reach home after going through traffic jams and stopping at the Supermarkets....my stomach "hell" it
           started to sing because I'm really hungry...
2000: Have a light dinner so that it won't upset my stomach....it's hurt...
2010 : Washing myself with warm water using the water heater in the bathroom....
2030 : Just...then I manage to settle down a bit by browsing the internet reading news...
2100 : Hope to starts filling the Participating Form for the Inter-house Athletics Meets....what a day...today is the due date....hacks can't get enough helps from a naive colleague about sports, can't blame him....temporary teacher too...
???? : When can I finish my works....don't know

My energy is drain. That is a PE teacher, a school athletics coach, the school technical athletics advisor, a dicipline teacher, and the School Sports Secretary work load for the day........dam it...I'm trying to cope-up my life..... The questions is...how about my degree course work? How can I balance my time to do all the works....Oh God I pray for help and guidences so that I won't become crazy.....

Going home empty stomach....

After church today (24.1.2010), around 6.30pm, I bring my family to a nice restaurant in one of a big Supermarket in town. The reason is to celebrate my daughter birthday. Unfortunately I bring my family to wrong restaurant and its really leaving me cursing ....it is sin though.

It all started when we choose one restaurant and it's clean and nice. When my family sit down, we were given a menu. That's all. Around 10 minutes or more waiting for a waiter to come but none appear.Then my spouse wave her hands to called a waiter, and the waiter came and take our order.

While jotting our order, I asked how long will it take for the foods we order to be ready. The answer is, "we doesn't have enough hands going around". That surprise me a lot, especially for a good looking restaurant. What a shame to the restaurant "brand" name.

30 minutes later, our foods served to us, but not the whole orders.....mine, a simple "nasi kari". As my family eats their foods, until they nearly  finish, my own order still doesn't arrived., even my simple "kopi o". What a "shit" type of services it is....although we remained the waiter many times though. 

My patient run out. I just walked out leaving my family finishing their dinner, and as I walked out, I remained my spouse just pay what they are serve only. I notice that some customer walked out without having their order taken too......Then, when my family have finished their dinner, my order arrived at last (hahaha...maybe they order it from overseas), surprise too....two plates of "nasi kari" coming instead of one. We just said we don't want it any more and we only paid the order that is served earlier. The waiter seems to get upset because after explaining we just walked out. One thing though...the chicken curry that they served is directly from a canned chicken curry which they heated before they served it. Wow.....what a menu....

Our order is simple that is 5 roasted chicken rice, 2 chicken curry rice, 4 warm milo drinks, 2 ice milo and a "kopi o". First arrived 4 roasted chicken rice, and 1 chicken curry rice. About 10 minutes later, then arrived another 1 roasted chicken rice. Fews minutes later 4 warm milo drinks and then 2 ice milo.......thats all. My family finished their dinner and my spouse in the counter paying....then another 2 chicken curry rice appear, and still no "kopi o".....hahahaha...nice way to served customers...and be happy....The cost minus 1 chicken curry rice and a "kopi o" is RM54.80... Frankly that will be the first and no more to that restaurant...........it services is so bad that I give -0.00 out of ten. What a "SHIT".....

Aku Hanya Pemerhati......Budaya Dunia Kita Malaysia

Aku tetap aku. Aku suka "naremang" atau"ngarege" (mencari sisa-sisa). Cara aku bercakap dan mengkritik selalunya tidak sesiapa akan angguk bila mendengarnya....senyap dan diam sahaja. Aku jarang ada respon senyuman di bibir, aku berjalan laju tanpa memperdulikan sekelilingku. Yang penting arah dan tujuanku. Aku tidak akan akan menyapa kalau tidak di sapa. Entah kenapa aku begini, tetapi itulah aku.

Aku amat mementingkan kesempurnaan kerja dan aku tidak suka jika ada orang yang bekerja kerana nama atau imbuhan. Aku mementingkan meritokrasi kerja kerana di penghujungnya....kepuasan dalam hati dan nuraini adalah matlamat kerjaku.

Aku suka bersendirian sebabnya aku tidak suka menunggu.....sebab tahap kesabaran ku adalah terhad. Jam di tangan ku pun diawalkan 15 minit dari masa atau waktu sebenarnya. Sebabnya aku cepat gemuruh jika aku lewat. Itulah aku.....

Aku tidak suka memerintah. Aku, jika dipilih sebagai pemerintah hanya akan membahagikan tugas...selebihnya aku tunjukkan cara melalui cara aku bekerja. Aku jarang menegur....reaksiku hanya wajahku yang melambangkannya. Aku hanya ada dua pilihan...mahu atau tidak mahu...itu sahaja. Alasan bagi aku hanya helah untuk mengelak. Aku melihat kesulitan dan masalah bukan sebagai halangan, tetapi sebagai cabaran untuk di cari penyelesaian.

Bahan dan rujukan bagi aku hanya sebagai alat panduan, sebab jika dituruti ia akan mengalakkan budaya tiruan atau palagiat. Aku mementingkan kekreatifan untuk penyelesaian. Aku tidak suka menonton sebab itu aku tidak mahu ditonton. Aku amat benci suara-suara sumbang dibelakang atau disekeliling. Jika mahu menonton, diam dan simpan jika yang aku pertontonkan itu ada isinya.

Aku amat tidak senang dunia protokol dan oleh itu aku tidak suka mengampu. Pertemuan untuk penjelasan dan penerangan biar hanya satu, penilaian biar seribu agar ia dapat menghasilkan satu kualiti bermutu. Kawan bagi aku adalah rakan pembimbing dan pembantu yang perlu bersepadu. Tanpa kawan aku jadi batu dan kayu kerana tiada tempat untuk mengadu.

Aku amat menyajung kualiti budaya kerja, budaya hidup dan budaya kekeluargaan bersepadu kerana ia mampu menyuntikan mutu penghidupan kita. Aku selalu mengingatkan anak-anakku dan juga pelajar-pelajarku bahawa di akhir musim persekolahan kita, kita harus jadi manusia terpelajar. Terpelajar tidak semestinya pandai, terpelajar bermakna kita mampu menghasikan suatu kerja bermutu. Ini contohnya: Jika menjadi penjual di gerai jalanan, kita seharusnya tidak menggunakan air yang hanya sebaldi yang disilih ganti untuk mencuci. Apa tidaknya kita menggunakan pinggan pakai buang, cawan pakai buang dan beg pembungkus yang dibuat daripada kertas....lebih hygenic kan dan mesra alam.

Entah...banyak dibenak ku, itulah aku. Merungut sendiri dan bercakap sendiri....

Learning about MTB/ATB Bicycle

Riding a bicycle is enjoyable, but to experience the real enjoyment about a bicycle, I need to dig deep acquiring  tips and knowledge about a bicycle. After I reads about bicycle at web-pages, especially in  Wikipedia, I began to appreciate more about my bicycle.

My bicycle brand is Raleigh Elite Disc Trail Alloy Series.  My Raleigh which I bought is made in China, and a quality one, beside it is  cheaper then European or American made. I think the quality is on par with the European and the American  made.

This is the details about my ATB Trail bicycle

 

This my ATB bicycle, a Raleigh Trail Series made from Alloy.

An easy handling of the rear cog-set and a disc brake (TEKFRO XOH)

The front disc brake.

A 12 speed Shimano Deore rear derailleur.

The Shimano Deore  front derailleur, and the red plastic ring

to prevent the chain from spoiling the paint of the chain stay arms.

 

The adjustable SR Suntour XCM V2 shock absorber.

 

 The Shimano Deore derailleur gear adjuster control and the CAT EYE meter

which can record the speed, the mileage, the heartbeat plus the amount of calories burn.

 

The Energizer front light.

 

Water bottle carrier.

 

A wonderful Zefal Parts as a carrier at the rear.

 

A blinking lead rear light.

I'm still not satisfied with my ATB bicycle and I'm going to up-grade it to a better mechanism especially about the derailleur speed gear and the saddle. But for now, I am enjoying my ride with my bicycle. I'm also trying to learn more about DIY to maintained my bicycle.

Why Cycling? It is an enjoyable leisure and lots of benefits....

Funny though, really, the older we gets, the lazier we'll become. Maybe this is because we doesn't have much time to spend, what I meant free time as most of our time is consume for dedicating ourselves to our jobs. So that make us lazy, because we will be tired after day to day works.

So, a few month backs, I dig deep in my pocket to buy some bicycle so that I can cycle to my works place or have a leisure ride during the weekends with my nephews and brother in law. First its difficult though especially when we ride a bicycle in a heavy traffic roads, but no choice as the adrenaline is so high to enjoy the cycling adventure.

Beside just reading the boring what ever news, stories and "stupid" gossip in the newspapers, magazine and boring academically books, now I have turn to something new...about cycling and health. We all know that cycling is not just enjoyable leisurely hobby, but as we cycle, we are exercising too. Cycling is soft towards our knees and legs, yet  cycling is an enjoyable type of aerobic exercise. Cycling is also a good way for us to promote a healthy life, especially reducing the risks of cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

Now I enjoy cycling and the bonding of my children is terrific. We cycle together on every weekends.....

My bicycle and My Boys Bicycle...Ride safe

This is my bicycle. A Raleigh, an old Brand Name

but now it is manufactured in China. A British Brand....

What is Angkabakng Fruits - Borneo Tallow Nuts (Shorea Stenoptera)

In my family orchard (Kompokng) as far I can remember, the Angkabakng trees has existed since. I have been living in this world for almost half a century, and yet the trees still existed until I collected the fruits (picture bellow) recently. It bring a wonderful memories to me. Even I create my Blog title base on this fruits. Before, when this fruits still marketed when the seasons come, it really brings a lots of joy to our people and sometimes it create a sort of celebration. Everybody will talk about it, and tons of the smoked dried fruits is sold to the Chinese "towkey"in town.

Angkabakng is a Salako words to mentions this tree. The Ibans call it Engkabang, while the Orang Ulu's called it Tengkawang, and the Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh called it "Santong". It is a native crop grows in the tropical rainsforests of South East Asia, especially in the Island of Borneo that covers Sarawak, Sabah (Malaysia) and Kalimantan in Indonesia. From this fruits names the locals (indigenous) people called Helicopter as Belon Angkabakng (Salako) or Belon Engkabang in Ibans because the way this fruit falls to the ground, that is spinning just like the Helicopter blade spins.

My blog title Naremang is base on the activities of our people collecting this fruits especially at the end season of this fruits seasons by the months of January. This activities or Naremang is an activity of collecting the fruits that is already start sprouting (as picture bellow).

Our people (great grandparents) planted this Angkabakng many years ago because its has commercial value. During the seasons, we'll collects the ripen fruits fallen by the gusting winds. Then we'll noko'i (knock) the fruits with a small piece of woods to separate the fruits from the "wings". After that we'll Nyale (smoke dry) it inside a hut specially built for this fruits seasons. Usually it will take 2 to 3 days to dry it. Then we'll ngopakik (breaks) the dried shells of the fruits to gets the dried seeds and it’s ready for sale. It’s a tedious job though and yet the price is so low, and mid 80's it only fetches around 0.50 US dollar per kilograms. As mention in a few journals and blogs that is published in the nets, this trees took 8-9 years to mature. It life spans can lasted for 100years or more, as what that still stands until today at my family orchard.

These trees produce a fruits that is beneficial to us as human being. From a few facts that I read from the nets, the fruits is rich in fatty acids of oil, that is: Palmitic acid 18.0%, Stearic acid 43.3%, Arachidic acid 1.1%, Oleic acid 37.4%, and Linpleic acid 0.2%.

As mentions in a few article in the nets, the angkabakng fruits can be processed into a butter (Illipe butter) and have high ability to restore elasticity to the skin. It is beneficial for the treatment of: Moisturizing chronically dry skin, Mature skin, Sunburn, Healing sores, Damaged skin, Rough skin (such as on feet), Mouth ulcers, and Dry or over processed hair.

But, as thing turns around in this 21 century, sad to know that a lots of this angkabakng trees is fallen down by the greedy and unscurpulus people for the highly sought after timber. To me, we can't blame them for cutting down these trees because the price of this fruits tree is nothing compare to the tedious works that we have to go through in processing this fruits before we can markets to the world community to benefit it. Sad to say, in this year seasons (2009-2010), nobody in my community is collecting this fruits because there no news of any towkey in town is willing to buy it. What a waste.......

I'm lucky because my parents, especially my staunch mother who is still keeping and protecting the grown trees, and there is almost 20 - 30 big and tall almost 100 years plus trees at my family kompokng (orchard). What a wonderful tree it is. Actually this ankabakng trees has a lot of varieties, and at my home town, Lundu there is still a lots to see, and the wild species that grows wild is still standing tall at our proud heritage of Gading Mountain which is one of the famous Government Reserved Forest in Sarawak. Hopefully this wonderful tree will last, because although as we say it is protected, but still there is some greedy and unscrupulous people couldn't care much the important of nature to us. To them fast money is better than a wonderful lush greenly world.

Is there a "Time for us to wait" about preserving our identity?

My dear readers and especially to my Salako people. Today, at the evening I went to church and I manage to get hold the church magazine called "Unity". Here I would like to share a very good words of reminder to us Salako people. It is written by Revd. Patrick Wong, of the Anglican Church.

Have You Got Time?

Time comes in little boxes. Each box is called a day.
Thrity boxes makes a carton- called a month.
A shipment of twelve cartons makes a year.
On Jan 1, we get new shipment-twelve cartons.
What a lot of time to have! We are rich in time.
But are you sure you recieved a full shipment?

What if your subscription time ran out during the year?
What if you opened a carton and found only empty boxes?
No more time? No more time?

But you may have a full shipment this year.
And you may have more shipments in the near future.
Yet, will you say, "I have no time"?
That is a strange remark.

People who say 'I have no time' always have time.
Those who have no time are dead.

The dead do not mention their lack of time.
Only the living say 'I have no time.'
All have the same amount of time-24 hours a day, or none.
The difference is how we use our time.

When we say we have "no time' for 'something,' we mean that the 'something' is not important enough.
We have to spend our time.
It won't keep in a bank-not even with a time lock on the vault.

When you say you have no time for church or to serve Christ,
You are saying that you would rather spend your time in other ways.

Of course you don't want to sound that way.
You want to say, "I'll give time to God later when I have more time.'

But are you sure you will have more time?

What if your next box is.......EMPTY?
Written by Revd. Patrick Wong

My dear readers and Salako people, I'm not talking about faiths here, although the words of reminder above do so. What I'm trying to say is that, we have to spend time together as a concerns Salako especially about our diminishing identity. We are moving forward fast but lacks to realize that we are moving away from our religare or "rukun" and "adat". The culture that our great grand parents give us is our identity, and yet nowadays we are forgetting about it. As mentions above, time won't wait and how about if our next box of time is Empty? It is important for us as a Salako. which is small in numbers to work together to preserve our culture as our identity. The question is WHO will starts, and WHEN to starts. Our old folks is still here as our living reference while there are still time for us. What if there is no more time, surely it will be late to starts and its hard to do all the research because IT WILL ONLY BE HISTORY. We needs to starts together because we can't walk alone in preserving our culture as our identity.