‘Let us continue our tradition of ‘ngabang’ or visiting each other to spread goodwill, harmony and, most of all, our unity.’
– Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas
ON June 1, the first day of Gawai Dayak, I had two Open House invitations; one was to visit a Toastmasters friend in a Bidayuh village while the other was to visit my nephew Kiong and his wife, Terisa, at her parents’ house in a housing estate in Kuching.
If the invitations had been for different days, I would have accepted both. But since both were on the same day, I had no choice but to choose only one. And since blood is thicker than water, I chose to visit Kiong and Terisa. With me were my son, daughter-in-law and grandson.
A few days before, my daughter-in-law, who is very polite and respectful to her elders, has apparently been busy teaching my grandson to say, ‘Selamat Hari Gawai, Inik (grandmother)’, ‘Selamat Hari Gawai, Aki (grandfather)’, ‘Selamat Hari Gawai, Uncle’ and ‘Selamat Hari Gawai, Auntie.’
When my son came to my house to pick me up for the visit, I was tickled to hear my grandson wish me ‘Selamat Hari Gawai, Ah Mah (grandmother)’.
When he met Terisa’s mother, he wished her ‘Selamat Hari Gawai, Inik’. To Terisa’s father, he said, ‘Selamat Hari Gawai, Aki’. He also faithfully extended the Gawai greetings his mother taught him to Kiong and Terisa.
I was pleased that my daughter-in-law had taken the trouble to teach my grandson the Gawai greetings.
I think parents, particularly mothers, have an important role to play in shaping their children’s lives and characters.
But friends, do you know that a new study in the United Kingdom found that fathers had little influence on how their kids turned out to be? Instead, those who had the most influence were the mothers.
If you have children, teach them to be polite and respectful to the elders as soon as they can talk.
I notice that kids who are polite and respectful to their elders are much loved by everyone.
Now, don’t you love your friend’s kid who calls you “Uncle” or “Auntie?” everytime he sees you?
One of my nephews, Lai, was much loved by my father’s friends when he was three or four years old. Whenever he visited my father at his workplace at the Sibu Hainan Association, he would call my father’s friends “Uncle” one by one. Pleased with the little boy, these uncles were happy to give Lai gifts of cash everytime they met him.
Now, back to my Gawai visit to Kiong and Terisa on June 1.
Kiong, Terisa, Terisa’s parents and sibling were on hand to welcome us.
After shaking hands and wishing them all ‘Selamat Hari Gawai’, we all sat down for the Gawai feast.
First, Terisa’s father served us each a small glass of ‘Ai Pengayu’ (longevity tuak). Terisa’s mother had personally made the tuak, a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
Now, in the longhouses, at the stroke of midnight on Gawai Dayak eve, a gong will be sounded and then the ‘tuai rumah’ (longhouse chief) will lead everyone in drinking the ‘Ai Pengayu’ while wishing each other ‘long life, health and prosperity’ (gayu-guru, gerai- nyamai).
Although we were not in a longhouse but a residence in a housing estate in Kuching City, I was pleasantly surprised and honoured to be served the ‘Ai Pengayu’. That was my first glass of ‘Ai Pengayu’ in many decades!
After that, our Gawai feast began. There was so much to eat and almost all the Malaysian favourites and my favourites were there on the table.
I liked the ‘Pak Loh Duck’ (Braised Duck), ‘Pansuh Babi” (Pork Cooked in Bamboo), ‘Babi Goreng Kicap’ (Braised Pork) and Fried Rice that Terisa’s parents cooked as well as the ‘Lemang’ (Rice Cooked in Bamboo) they bought.
My grandson loved the Fried Rice while his parents the ‘Pansuh Babi’ and ‘Babi Goreng Kicap’.
I learnt that Terisa’s father bought the pork from his usual butcher and the duck from a friend. In the longhouses, the pork may come from pigs that are personally reared by the Gawai celebrants or their friends.
I also tried the ‘Rendang Ayam’ (Chicken Stew with Spices) and ‘Kari Ayam’ (Curry Chicken) that Terisa had lovingly cooked.
Besides the glass of ‘Ai Pengayu’, I also drank one tin of beer mixed with Coca Cola.
While enjoying the food and drinks, my son, his wife and I had lots of fun catching up with Kiong, Terisa and Terisa’s parents.
You see, although we all live in Kuching, we seldom see each other except during important festivals like Gawai Dayak or important occasions like birthday celebrations or weddings.
Judging from the news reports, it must have been fun visiting the Gawai Dayak open house at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on June 1 as well.
I would have joined the crowds too if I had been free.
Thousands had flocked to the open house jointly hosted by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and other Dayak leaders.
Arriving guests were welcomed with the traditional sounds of sape music and vibrant decorations showcasing Dayak culture.
In Iban longhouses, the ‘ngajat’, Iban traditional dance, is usually performed accompanied by the ‘taboh’ and ‘gendang’. I suppose the Bidayuhs and other Dayak groups have their own traditional dances and music to welcome their guests as well.
I have never been to a Bidayuh open house in a village before. I hope I will have the opportunity to do so someday.
Looking at the pictures my Toastmasters shared with me, they, too, were having a whale of time at the open house in the Bidayuh village.
In his Gawai Dayak message recently, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas urged Dayaks to use the Gawai celebration as an opportunity to strengthen unity among themselves and with other races.
And this is exactly what the Dayaks have been doing since June 1.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
