SELAMAT HARI GAWAI 2011

Sa, dua, tiga, empat, lima, enam, tuuujuh!

Enda ku busung ngelangkah gunung,

Enda ku tulah ngelangkah tanah,

Enda ku danjan ngelangkah bulan,

Enda ku tumbang ngelangkah remang,

Laban kaki ku bediri segi batu angong,

Pala tata lala minyak duyung,

Jari kanan ku genggam cendawan besi belumpung,

Jari kiba genggam sua manuk sabung,

Mulut ngetup silup besi selumpung,

Lengan tanggam simpai kurung betikung,

Belakang tinggang mang bajung burung,

Aku tu ukai mungkal ukai nanjal,

Ukai nerantang ukai nengkebang,

Endang niti endang nali,

Baka ijok tampung penduk,

Baka wi tampung tali,

Baka rutan tampung danan,

Baka ira tampung lemba,

Pecah periuk tanah, ganti periuk tani,

Padam bulan ganti matahari,

Pambu sida ke tuai ganti kami ke dudi,

Laban 1 haribulan 6 tu ila Gawai Dayak deka nyadi,

Nitih ke pekat diadu ke tuai bansa kami,

Dikelandik ke orang matak pemansang muai kelesi,

Ngasuh bansa badu merinsa lantang senang nguan negeri.

Ohhaa...

Nya baru aku ngagau ke Aki Lang Sengalan Burung,

Aki Jugu Menaul Tuntung bidok linggar natar disenggal gumbang besabung,

Belang Pinggang ke belang nyembayang punggung,

Surong Kempat ke berarat muting jelatung,

Bui Nasie ke berumah di tisi lambur gunung,

Antu Abu ke datai ari Munggu Gulu Puchung,

Bunsu Buau ke datai ari rantau dalam kampung,

Sida ke di Panggau Libau, lendat dibiau takang isang,

Sida ke di Merawa Lama munyi ke berimba bung nebang,

Orang Gelong batu nakung nyingit nyingung beliung kabang,

Engkeranji Padi menua ke sigi richah rami munyi negeri mayuh orang,

Kita ke ngabang bakanya mega,

Anang tubuh puang tubuh sebatang,

Anang mai tubuh murus tubuh untus,

Tang datai mai ubat serangkap genap,

Mai batu teruba nemu,

Mai pengaruh gembar tuboh,

Batu Bintang ngambi ka terang mandang nyuluh pemetang,

Batu Uras ngambi ka raja kaya badu merinsa dibaruh orang,

Tanduk rusa ke penunduk mai sempekat badu beperang,

Taring Uting ngambi ka kebal nadai belaya bejai pangan,

Batu Pangkor ke pengering rajin gawa mai pemansang,

Imbai Sempandai ngembuan runding landik bedagang,

Rajut Penemu kena sekula tinggi pelajar tau tepang,

Laban aku tu ukai ngangau ngapa ngangau pia,

Aku ga mai kita datai ngabang datai mansang,

Mai makai mai nandai, mai piring mai ading,

Mai keresa bemban wi, penganan ke alas nyawa, Tuak ke basu kaki,

Nya alai, aku minta tulung minta sukung,

Minta chelap minta embap,

Gayu guru lantang senang nguan menua,

Ngambi ke kitai udah ke ngintu Gawai tu ila,

Bulih ringgit betambah jereki, jelai rita manah nama,

Bekebung baka langit betuchung baka bukit,

Terang baka bulan, tampak baka bintang,

Ia ke tuai umur panjai nguan menua,

Ia ke biak gagit ati rajin sekula,

Bulih degree pangkat Dr.,

Ia ke bujang ampit sida ke dara,

Ia ke indu enda runggu beranak tiga,

Gayu ko Sentuku, gerai ko Sempandai.

SELAMAT HARI GAWAI 2011!

THE LETTER

It's been a while again since the last posting. You bet, research work people and that makes it all round. Anyway, I just could not help to post this brief piece in response to the video I stumbled upon in Youtube moments ago. I guess it's most timely to be shared now than later, in conjunction with the Mother's Day that is (supposed to be last week).

The video was so moving that suddenly, beyond control, I felt droplets of warm water slide down my cheek (must be the effect of changing weather here in Fukuoka, perhaps).

My version of correspondence.

Dear Mum & Dad,

When you both get old, that'll remind me of my age too,

Can I be great parents like both of you?

In case you're loosing your eyesight,

Would you pass me the family baton of light,

Cheering me up the entire fight?

When your hearing forsake you,

Know that this little one is always beside you!

When your knees get weaker and your mind goes asunder,

Would you share half the pains and double the joy together?

For all that you've thought me to be,

Now that I am he - please bear with me.

The smell of childishness still linger in me,

It somehow brings back the memories,

The ordeals you faced when I was still a crybaby,

That first step I took when I crossed destiny,

The many times you endlessly thought me ABC...

Learning Music, Maths, Algebra & Geometry,

But above all,

You make the very best out of me,

You've inspired and gave me the opportunity!

To breathe, live and savor life's precious gift.

I'll make time, no matter how hectic life may be,

I'll sing for you the best melody,

I'll share the latest stories,

For I know, all you need is just moments with me.

Do not feel sorry that you both are old,

I'm one lucky fella compared to all,

To call you my parents while my friends lost theirs,

Help me to cherish oh God this time with cheers!

For what's a FAMILY if there's no clue,

Father And Mother, I Love You!

As you gets older, more precious you'll be...

Old is gold, they said but you're more than jeweleries,

When the time comes and the season ripes,

Everything seems bleak, my privilege denied,

Holding your hands, I thanked The Creator,

Giving me you both as Father & Mother.

One thing I'm certainly to utter,

Though seldom much to hear,

Until that day comes nearer,

Dad & Mum, I love you both - that's for sure!

Your son,

DMBL

AN INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE CULTURE

As part of the field trip program planned by Kyushu University, we managed to have a glimpse of the very essence of Japanese cultures during our visit to Nagasaki few days back. The first day of of the trip, we went to Yoshinogari Historical Park and Ishiibi Historic Water Facilities at Saga-ken. Yoshinogari ruins during Yayoi period (3BC–3AD) is believed to be the ancient country of ‘Yamatai’, modern day Japan, which treasured lots of historic importance in terms of relics including copper/bronze knives, glass beads and cultivation of red-grained rice. This period also witnessed the shift from nomadic lifestyle to permanent settlements thus, elevating its cultural value. One is undoubtedly mesmerized by the pristine beauty of the civilization; the systematically planned settlements, the existence of rules and order in the community, the advancements in terms of fortification against invasion and the advance used of mortar paste (cement and sand) for construction. It was indeed a life of seclusion for the people back then – a culture that continued for generations until Japan opened itself to the rest of the world under Meiji Ishin (Restoration) in 1868.

On the other hand, Ishiibi Water Facilities offered a completely new spectrum. Once an artificial gutter and irrigation channel designed to enhance the cultivation of rice in the Yamato-cho area, the restored Megumi River proved to be functioning effectively. The restored river is currently open to public as a recreational park where visitors are expected to be impressed by the astonishing views of cherry blossoms, sakura (桜). The main uniqueness of Megumi River lies in its design of being among the first Japanese man-made river restoration program. The main channel was diverted to smaller canals allowing sufficient amount of water to flood the adjacent paddy fields thus, improving the rate of rice production yearly. Also, the river diversion allows longer distance for water’s self-purification process in removing suspended solids that present on its surface.

We checked-in at Nanpuro Hotel in Shimabara for a night. This was the author’s first time experience to stay in a typical Japanese hotel, complete with its very own famous public bath, onsen and massage therapy spa. At dinner, we were all fully fed and watered by the traditional style Japanese dishes and beverages, served in a way that might prevent the weak of hearts to savour! The session ended up with brief speeches and introductions among the participants as well as the 先生’s. As the night gets older, one can no longer resisted the dripping sounds of water that splashed from the nearby onsen. The author together with his friends rushed to the bath and enjoyed the night in full immersion. To our dismayed, the onsen was not the type of mixed men and women hotspring we had hoped for! As the hot water spring (40⁰C) washed away all the remnants of the past of our bodies, so as our spirits and thoughts were weaved anew into the kind of which we never felt before – for sure, that’s the transformation that we had wished for! We concluded the day with a mini nomikai (飲み会) and spent the rest of the night listening to what the others had to say with stories as myriad as science, geeks, cultures and supernaturals. The last thing we know was that we were scrapping the bottom of the o-sake (お酒) bottle, the next moment we opened our eyes, it was already dawn and Nagasaki’s morning sunrise greeted us with a smile!

The next day, we visited Yutorogi no Yu (Hotspring for Foot) and sightseeing at Shimabara Castle (島原城). The hotspring for foot is quite similar to a normal hotspring, the only difference is that visitors are only allowed to immerse their feet. Shimabara Castle stands majestically like any other typical Japanese castles. Built by Matsukura Shigemasa in 1624 and demolished in 1874, the present structure was reconstructed in 1964. One of the attractions was that visitors would have the opportunity to snap pictures with individuals impersonating samurai and shinobi around the castle’s entrance – if you’re lucky! – because they are the hotshots!

Lastly, we went to Oonokoba Observation Post for Volcano and Unzen Disaster Memorial. Both places were built not only to commemorate and showed what happened to the affected areas and how people confronted it but also aim to raise public awareness in regards of Mt. Unzen-Fugen volcanic eruptions in the early stage of Edo period and 1990 – 1996 of Heisei period. The site reminded me of how lucky I am to be in a country with less significant natural calamities. Despite countless blows from Mother Nature, still Japan proved to be a worthy son by being the frontier of sustainable developments and tirelessly championing the course of environment.

This field trip has been truly a memorable exposure to the author personally. It has imprinted a more intricate yet remarkable site of the Japanese in particular. Should anyone look for a place where traditional cultures coincide with modern lifestyles, then search no further because Japan is the answer!

Till the next posting folks!

THE 'QUAKES' IN US?

It's roughly about three months since the year 2011 unfolds but our intimate rapport with Mother Nature seems lost along the way, as we gallantly smeared the very face of the Earth, leaving detrimental scars. In that pursuit, we deliberately forget the impending consequences of our doings, in which most cases often claimed the lives of the innocents, not once but thrice!

The world is yet again struck in light by the three significant earthquakes that ruined the city of Christchurch, New Zealand (6.3) in February, Tohoku region, Japan (8.9) and Myanmar (6.8) both in March. The devastations they brought were all too immense and unfathomable as the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key was reported as saying "we maybe witnessing New Zealand's darkest day..." Similarly, in Japan - the country dubbed as champion of sustainable developments and frontier of disaster preventions - Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan said "in the 65 years after the end of WWII, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan." Being in Japan myself, though not exactly affected by neither the shocks or the Tsunami, I seconded the prime minister's remark. To complicate the matter more, Japan not only had to deal with the aftermaths of the earthquake and Tsunami but also the exposure to radiation as a result of Fukushima I and II, Onagawa and Tokai nuclear power plants explosions in which the Japanese Nuclear Agency repeatedly asserted "doing the best they can to cool down the reactors."

Likewise, Myanmar - surprisingly not part of The Ring of Fire region - encountered the same fate as the country was shaken in tremors. So far, according to anonymity condition, more than 70 casualties (The Star) were reported and still counting. However, it was believed that the death toll could be escalating because the junta government is said to be reluctant to release information.

That said, with the rapid and not-so-friendly gestures portrayed by Nature lately, one may come into a general conclusion and begin to ask the question of 'when will be the quakes in us be unleashed?' The 'quakes' here being referred to our conscience in realizing the importance of balance and harmony between us and our surroundings. Of course, one may argued that natural disasters are spontaneous and that we are not to be directly blame - in case one predicates one's reasonings based on this apathetic belief, yes - but wait not until you witnessed for yourself a wall of sea water coming towards you (3-4 storeys high) while your ground is trembling. Logically speaking, I would rather succumb to the notion that we should be more tolerable and in truce with Nature - like what we used to - rather than be sorry later.

It's time for us to deploy our own search and rescue parties to our hearts, just in case, who knows buried deep within the rubbles of the broken pieces of affection we once had towards Nature, we may find the long last evidence of hope and rebuild a new monument - preoccupied with earthquake resistance design - to our liking, we by choice, chose to build!

Till the next postings.

THE BLUE GOLD?

Is water a basic human right or human need? This simple but intriguing question was asked by Dr. Takahiro Kuba during one of the lectures I attended. Being true to its existence in nature - elegantly in abundance yet ungenerous, one may found it difficult to obtain freshwater. He was quoted as saying, 'if the earth was a sphere 1.5m in diameter, how much freshwater would it have? 1 bucket? 1 plastic bottle? A glass? Sadly, it's not. It's just 1 spoon of water!'

Water plays important role in humans' daily-life in terms of public (recreational means, catchments, agricultures, fisheries etc.) and private usages (drinking water, industries and household chores). That said, clearly, one can gauge the weightage it carries along should the already scarce water we have (do we really own them?) plunges.

Water gives life to plants and is essential for food production. Needless to say, like everything in the planet, water has become a commodity taken for granted, believing it'll be there forever. As the world is faced with diminishing water resources and reports predicting acute shortages in coming years (F. Chowdhury, 2010) we seriously need to address water issue the attention it deserved, instead of waiting for the catastrophe to unveil!

Governments all over the world admittedly acknowledged its vital value - either naturally or at the instigation of peer pressures - leading to more sagacious decisions (or so they were implied) with regards to water issues. The truth is, billions of lives in Africa consumed approximately 60L, less than 3L for some people in Latin America as compared to global average of 170L/person/day.

Through the Washington Consensus, it was made common philosophy under the new economic model that the entire world should engage in a free-market based economy which enables the benefactors to deregulate cross-border policies (relaxation of regulations, tariffs reductions, market liberalizations, investments etc.) which includes water privatization policies ('commodification' of water being common good to commodity) designed to further strengthen their dominance of right to water.

Before long, injustices with regard to freshwater supply and privatization issues arise in almost all continents. In Phillippines, it was reported that water price increased by 4 times in 1997, in 1980s water prices increased by 30% in UK. Similarly, the poor get expensive (often polluted) water in buckets while rich people are offered cheap and sanitized water from taps in Lima, Peru. Likewise in South Africa, more than 100 thousand people were contracted with cholera in 10 months with approximately 220 people died as a result of water supply deprivation (The World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002).

Narrowing the scope to Malaysia based on the World Bank: Environment at a glance (2008), access to improved water source was recorded as 94-99 % in 2004. This data seemingly indicated an impression that almost all areas in the country has been covered with better water access - note that the criteria was improved water sources not access to water supply. In reality, thousands of families living in the outskirt of urban areas are still in the fell clutch of tap water supply. Anyway, to the government's credit, there were 'improvements' in terms of majestic dams, exaggerated projects etc. but at what price? The river - considered to be the source of life by the indigenous - quenches not only their daily needs/rights but also their blue gold!

Although, it's common sense for the the elected government to end up with rigorous plans in order to spur development, common good such as the case of freshwater should not be thoroughly sidelined. If the price for developments must be paid with massive environmental fallouts (though can be controlled and restored with technology - our willingness?) then it's fair, I guess, to realize some thing like water, air and nature in it's full glory are humans' basic rights; deserving protection, preservation and continuity of existence.

The importance and scarcity of water today, if not properly handled, may trigger century of water wars in the future. Ismail Serageldin, former World Bank Vice President (1995) was quoted as saying 'Many of the wars of this (20th) century were about oil, but the wars of the next century will be about water.' Aggravated by the impending chaos it may brings, one must opt to treasure water as a blessing and starts to regulate water issues vehemently.