Auntie Stephanie Kinajil's 78th Birthday Birthday.

Diili, leading the thanks-giving and Grace before meal

Birthday cake cutting photo

Lambab, the 2nd eldest son, wished to celebrate his mother's 78th year birthday on 8th November, 2009. All round support from the rest of the Lojimin Soriwo gang was forthcoming. His father, Lojimin Soriwo, could not make it mortally for he might be among the multitudes of angels and saints in heaven involved in the giving of continuous adoration and praises to God. But the earthly birthday celebration of his spouse was held in kampung Dudan, in Mompoit, within the greater Tanaki Area in Penampang.

'Good information' is responded by 'good attendance'. A good crowd of relatives and friends had gathered as the Kinajils were all round okok juga. No one .. not even one relative from kampung Sukung, Tambunan, came. Ask Lambab.

The Negative Mindedness of some Rural Folks.

Any undertaking, be it carried out singly or corporately, is first envisioned. The processes of crystallizing the vision may be brought through a casual poser presented in a yet casual discussion amongst creative-minded friends, be they family members. Not so long time ago, I posed again in some likewise manner the idea of rearing local mountain goats, kambing boar, and the like, in the under-utilized Tolungan Native and Grazing Reserve on a Registered Co'operative Venture or by any other arrangements to yet another group of known industrious kampung folks. One immediately sprang up a reaction, (translated) "Cannot be done!. Impossible!,". In his own words, "Au milo! Mustahil!". This negative reaction was echoed, as if clamoring for support, by a few others present. When I pressed for reasons as to why they were extremely skeptical about it, then they grouped for justifications for their negativity. Foremost in their minds was to first take pride in registering some negative objections to something new. I sensed that some of these people presumed it was heroic to simply object. Understandably, though, this was one of the few lines of human nature. I shared with them that to some positive-minded groups of individuals, they might already be thinking of munching roasted goat ribs-meat on hearing such a poser. Is it really long ... a span of 1000 years?

Beware! Vandalism has come to our Kampung!

.. Jalan Babagon Indah roadside decorative trees ..

Overnight one night in late October, a few manageable Government road signs were uprooted and thrown down. The heavy and unmanageable ones were spared. Some a dozen or so young, about one to one and a half centimeter width trunks, Government-planted decorative trees along a road were seemingly man-handled and snapped-off from about a foot high from the ground.

.. the replanted road signs .. .. the snapped off young trees ..

The uprooting of the road signs, for sure, was not reported to the Police for further professional police investigations. It was hoped that the ravaging of the young decorative trees was duly reported as it involved damages to Government properties and needing a Government employee, the officer-in-charge, to execute the official reporting duties. The making of Police reports of damages resulting from vandalism is generally hoped made and is thought of very necessary for it is in fact the first step to ethical awareness raising and to the education of the public as a whole. Responsible institutions set up within a kampung could organize Talks and Discussions at kampung level where speakers from outside, e.g. the Police Department, could be invited to present Talks on "How to make Police Reports" or "What could be reported to the Police", among others. This is necessary so that a typical folly, such as, "I can't make a Police report for I don't know who the culprit is!", could not surface from a hoped budding community icon.

ETK@93yrs

Big sister presented father a birthday cake.

Why should she help father blow the candles?

Geni, the hidden wonder maker of some sort, unwittingly reminded me that the old man was turning 93 in a couple of days time. Consciously rather than otherwise, I mentioned my computer find to big sister DSP. We exchanged a few SMSes and finalized that the-what-should-be, should be on. On Thursday a short SMS was composed and sent to eight household heads, his children who reside further away from Kampung Babagon. Sister Colette was the first positive respondent. Apart from Big Sister herself, there were two others who positively responded much later. The rest of the invitees did not bother to acknowledge the simple SMS because, as confided, they could not for they didn't know how! Friday evening was simply a perfect evening for any indoors or outdoors activities. Everyone was in before 8.00 p.m.. Everyone wished their father "Happy Birthday"

Deliver Us From All Evil

The beautiful location of a kampong must have been influenced by the early inhabitants who corporately decided to live in that particular location. There must have been some consensus gathering from amongst the group as to their choice of the location of their kampung. The actual democratic act of suggesting and agreeing must have been put into use. They, no doubt, then built their dwelling houses there for they were one of people’s basic needs. They must have made use of the abundant round timbers available, while they enlarged the clearings for the kampong. For all their kampong activities the gotong royong teamwork spirit must have been employed. The sense of landscaping to beautify their kampung was inert even amongst the early men. In thus enlarging the clearings for their kampong, they must have left some beautiful big trees standing as landmarks. The social development of mankind must have then evolved naturally.

Many people nowadays have slowly departed from their inborn ideal values despite of the expressed rather than implied good teachings of religions. Given the chance to make decisions they tend to forget to put into use even the inner goodness of their hearts. Kampung-politics, as how they think they can crudely interpret them, are employed to govern the processes of their actions. Here is a near-hypothetical scenario whereby a decision had to be made, and made now, by supposedly enlightened nowadays men.

‘A’ is a relatively young man. He is not very rich but he has started a young family. His family is happy. He is a government employee, going to work in the morning and coming back in the evening. He has a small car. He has a place to stay. The wife is a relative to many living around them.

‘B’ is a relatively old woman, a widow. She stays in her hut-like dwelling house. She tries to maintain a shifting subsistence crop farm as a way of life. The bamboo floor of her dwelling hut had been recently organise-repaired by the kampong youths. She seemed mentally challenged, otherwise a very peaceful person. She is a relative to some living around her. Her house is right beside the main road and in view of all passers-by. Whatever is done to landscape and beautify the visitors-frequented places nearby, such effort will always be nullified by the presence of that symbolic dilapidating dwelling hut, ‘B’’s dwelling house.

B's house

The decision to be made now is, “If there were free houses to be built by an institution for the deserving members of the population, who should be the first to get it? Is it ‘A’ or ‘B’? The decision should portray a big holistic picture depicting the donor institution as caring and people oriented.

Coming back to reality! There seemed to be a very strong indication, contrary to my personal view, that ‘A’ was selected to get a house, not ‘B’. When I asked as to why that was so, then a vague and non-committal reaction I received was that ‘A’ voted for a victorious Pengerusi in an election.

Where could this excerpt be found … “..the person who does not do the good he knows he should do is guilty of sin”?