sample of a soil profiling
without aerospace engineers
without material engineers
without electrical & electronic engineers
without mechanical engineers
without chemical engineers
Greetings. Today, when I was stalking into some of the Sarawakian folks’ blog, I was vehemently flabbergasted by everyone’s posting – it’s all about the Batang Ai by-Election which will be held on 7th April 2009 – and the most interesting part is, above all the issues, the never-ending Native Customary Rights (NCR) Land topic is the hottest cake!
As someone who had no land at all registered in my own name, I really don’t have to give a shit to this matter but as I came to my consciousness, for God’s sake, I MUST have my say because these lands of whom my forefathers had bequeath upon me are sacred to us!
Every part of the land is sacred to my people. Every shining morning drizzle, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of all. The sap which courses through the tree – unfortunately being rampaged severely by logging activities – carries the very fond memories of my people. Their struggle, beliefs and destiny are all intertwined in harmony with nature.
The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the alligator (especially Bujang Senang), the great eagle (War God, Aki Lang Sengalan Burung), these are our brothers. The rocky crests (Gunung Santubong), the juices of the swamps, the body heat of the wild and man - all belong to the same family.
The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. Since development is inevitable and should you acquire our land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children and your children’s children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father that forever echoes till no end.
The rivers are our brethren; they quench our thirst and feed our children. Should this land is to be yours, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers.
How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even any man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the fluorescent’s flowers.
You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children that the earth is our mother.
When the last of my kind has vanished from this earth, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the meadows, these shores and forests will still hold the spirits of my people. For they love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat.
So, if we sell our land, love it as we've loved it. Care for it as we've cared for it. Hold it in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you take it. And with all your strength, with your entire mind, with all your heart, preserve it for your children, your children’s children and so forth because this land is not what we inherited from our forefathers but it is what we borrowed from the future generation!
"We are not asking for more, neither do we want less. We are just asking for what we believe we deserve"
A Voice from the Long House of IBAN.
I got the idea to write this topic when something was said about the present youth in The Star a couple of days before. I think that lady there need to be corrected, at least from a youth p.o.v. (suddenly, feels younger - the feeling of being called a youth! Also, thanks to bluecrsytaldude for the motion - I kinda hovering around your site & "corruption of youth" posting had caught my attention! So, here are my version of interpreting the matter.
They said “Youths are like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers.” The handlers? Of course, those around them. The closest? Should be parents! Parents? Yes! It just can’t be helped.
Frankly, I am not condemning parents wholly but considers this where – some may smudge; others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, sometimes beyond repair!
Knowing that children are fragile, why not handle them with care? Some parents – thank God ours are in exception! – Treasure their antique rare vase more than own offspring believing the fact that their younglings are mature enough to handle difficulties. Not to rebuff youngster’s ability here but, are we not entitled to deserve extra attention, sometimes?
Then, this idea of today’s youths is different as to the previous one back in 20-30 years time ago, saying that the former are more into hedonism as compared to the latter is utterly obsolete. Honestly, yes there are still some youths – who are lacking of proper guidance – are struggling deliberately ashore, but to merely conclude that all of us are to be the same, than excuse me.
Still, we are moving forward as everything change. So, if they asked, are we not changing? Having much difference as compared to the previous youths' generation? If you are to ask me, I would say, sure it does. Completely different. Time ticks of, things change!
For example, one cannot simply imply today’s youths to be “wild” just because he/she is outing, breathing some fresh air with known friends & reasons. How can one expect them to be stranded in the house doing nothing – unless we are living in Ice Age, but still, they go for food outside; where plenty awaits on the other side of the wall!
This is why I said both can’t be likening to each other. Never. Being a youth myself, yes we can adopt what’s applicable back then and imitate it for the time being but unnecessary taboos (such as those unsound do’s & don’ts) should be discarded away. Truth is, sometimes, if we were to think deeply, our youths are not disillusioned much by the present trends @ traits @ ideologies whatever we name it – I believe, parents are still there to guide – but, what worries me a lot is that our society that keeps on corrupting the youths with impractical taboos, which may prevent them to propel towards greater heights.
So, here are some points to know us better! I know, they were youths once, why bothered. Thing is, we humans have the tendency of being unconsciously deteriorating in remembering things. Here come these thingy to ease you up as you walk down-memory-lane.
What people don’t know @ choose to ignore about youths?
1. Sense of belonging – helps to grow.
2. Heart of achieving – needing support.
3. Becoming independent – sign of maturity.
4. Experience & adventure – gaining knowledge.
5. Affection – appreciated despite shortcomings.
Why couldn’t we understand? Simply because we chose NOT TO. We have the capabilities to understand & remember complex chemical elements & their structural orientation right? But, why in this matter, we lurk to be on the prowl? Again, we chose NOT TO!
What on Earth do WE really need? L.O.V.E. Yes, LOVE is all we need, it is LOVE and just LOVE – the one & only basic principle in LIFE that most, refused to acknowledge – that can binds us together. Whether it is “AGAPE” @ “PHILIA”, up to you.
Mitch Albom’s “Tuesday with Morrie” sums it all when he said;
“LOVE, like RAIN, can nourish from above, drenching us with soaking joy, but sometimes, under the angry heat of life, love dries on the surface and must nourish from below, tending to its roots, keeping itself ALIVE!”
So, for those old timers, stop judging us the way you do, time changes & so ought you too.
“It’s not the one who tasted first but the one who ate more that matter!” – D.M.B.L.
To my fellow youths, not so fast to snigger there, our task is to PROVE THEM WRONG by DOING WHAT’S RIGHT. Come, heed my call.
Till the next posting.
Hi again. Nowadays, people are all busy - assignments, tutorials, design projects etc. (list goes on & there are surely time-consuming! No kidding)
As for the Civilians (3rd Year), this is the moment of truth for us all (designing for 2 steel & timber projects, 1 Geotech. Eng. foundations design etc.)
Suddenly, all night long, the beautiful not-so-ambient cafe lembaran are full of the civilians for the past 2-3 days. The routine of each passing days is almost the same: wake up noon, continue design till late evening then, come again at night till the next morning. & it repeats all over again!
Don't be mistaken, not to complaint or whatsoever here - I'm not the type though. Just to share with all the degree of "buziness" we are in now.
Nway, enough with the broods. You know, one thing weird about me is that, whenever I sense loosing in grip, I will suddenly be poetic - @ whatever you called it - expressing my mind. (Of course, not the type of poem that A. Samad Said & Robert Frost would ever read - I'm not a Sasterawan Negara anyway!)
Some will talk
when the others out of words,
Some will listen
while the others talking,
Some will smile
while the others gossiping,
Some will start thinking of the solution
when others bragging about the chaos,
Some will awake, alone in the middle of the night,
while others start dreaming,
Some will cry while
the others are dancing happily,
Some will clean
when others feel it has not been dirty,
Some will care
when the others neglecting,
Some will write
when others has no reason to talk,
Some fall for the look
that others didn’t find amusing.
-D.M.B.L-
That's it. Nothing special. Just another thought out of me, the way I want it to be!
P/s - Someone in May asked about something before... I guess it is better to be answered this way in a flowery language. Ha2.
I kept my heart locked,
For it has been stolen,
And there is none left for myself,
Praying it would be return...
