Finally...after many attempts..i made it..make what? you must have ask this, don't u? Well, i finally post something in this blog after a long time... i won't story-tell about Iban culture or heritage but i will talk about my feeling as an Iban surrounding by non-Ibans. Let me begin my story...
After form 5 (or high school), i continued my study in Labuan, but Labuan is not so strange and different as i still mixed around with Ibans. Then, I continued my study in Kelantan. Now, i feel quite as a stranger as i was one of two newly intake Ibans (dont ask about the seniors because as far as i still can remember, i only have 1 iban senior that time). I learned living like I was a very strange girl. People couldn't tell what race I am as I look like Chinese or Malays or they just couldn't guess. When i talked with my Sabahan friends, we were mistaken as Siamese or Phillipines. Hahhh.. And when I mentioned I'm a Iban from Sarawak..people again mistaken me from Sabah even if I have mentioned I'm from Sarawak hundred times. Why?!!
Now, I study in KL and i stay with my Malay Semenanjung friends. Funny when i keep hearing them don't want to be job posting in Sarawak and Sabah. As if they will be doomed! What is so scary about us Sarawakians? True we Iban hunt people's head but that was a very long time ago. I travelled and lived for so long in West Malaysia why they don't have the courage to do so? I've been asked what do Ibans eat. I just answered we eat just the same as they eat just the way we cook the meal is different (but deep in my heart i wanna tell them, we eat pork as our most enjoyable meal but don't want to say that as my friends are malays..i respect them).
I also keep thinking why Ibans sound so strange while in the History subject, every Malaysians have been introduce the races in Malaysia. Pelik kan?
Nahhh...whatever... I always proud to be an Iban no matter what...
After form 5 (or high school), i continued my study in Labuan, but Labuan is not so strange and different as i still mixed around with Ibans. Then, I continued my study in Kelantan. Now, i feel quite as a stranger as i was one of two newly intake Ibans (dont ask about the seniors because as far as i still can remember, i only have 1 iban senior that time). I learned living like I was a very strange girl. People couldn't tell what race I am as I look like Chinese or Malays or they just couldn't guess. When i talked with my Sabahan friends, we were mistaken as Siamese or Phillipines. Hahhh.. And when I mentioned I'm a Iban from Sarawak..people again mistaken me from Sabah even if I have mentioned I'm from Sarawak hundred times. Why?!!
Now, I study in KL and i stay with my Malay Semenanjung friends. Funny when i keep hearing them don't want to be job posting in Sarawak and Sabah. As if they will be doomed! What is so scary about us Sarawakians? True we Iban hunt people's head but that was a very long time ago. I travelled and lived for so long in West Malaysia why they don't have the courage to do so? I've been asked what do Ibans eat. I just answered we eat just the same as they eat just the way we cook the meal is different (but deep in my heart i wanna tell them, we eat pork as our most enjoyable meal but don't want to say that as my friends are malays..i respect them).
I also keep thinking why Ibans sound so strange while in the History subject, every Malaysians have been introduce the races in Malaysia. Pelik kan?
Nahhh...whatever... I always proud to be an Iban no matter what...
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Wahh..long time silent ba...Here u r atlast!
ReplyDeleteNya mihhh, nice entry. Ba aku, aku bangga jadi Iban.
Aku prefer bejaku Iban enggau mana2 officer ke ngeluba meresih-resih bejaku Eng. Tau bejaku Ribai, tang nitih keadaan lah nih...:) Afterall, kitai tetap Iban ga ba....
Same, I'm Sarawakian working in Singapore. People always mistaken I'm from Sabah. I need to keep remind and remind them. Too bad, Sabah is much popular than Sarawak. from AY
ReplyDeletei love to listen to my anak meyt jakok iban.. i really wanna learn how to speak iban.. its cool !
ReplyDeleteYou are a good writer. You should join Xanga Webblog community.
ReplyDeleteHi purpLe.GirL,
ReplyDeleteI'm happy and keep on smiling when read your entry. you're right, people only notice that Sabah is Borneo. And Sarawak maybe lost from the map. But now, Sarawak already put their name in Olympic. I do had a friends from the other part from Borneoland (semenanjung) and they still thinking that we here still living "atas pokok". I firmly believe that what our PM stress all this while, 1Malaysia is yet accomplish and its only applicable to them, not to us. They should know that 2/3 majority of the government are come from Borneoland. Believe me, THATS THE FACT.
Keep on blogging and hope to read another interesting entry from u. God Bless us :)
well, at least ppl mistaken u with sabahan. its different with my situation, i studied in selangor b4 and there were bunch of ibans students.whenever we speak iban, there will be few course mates that will say "wah...you girls sound sebijik like Indonesian" ..OMG .its totally different.
ReplyDelete