Gong Xi Fa Chai

Shania Turns Four, Jason Eleven

There was a hive of activity this February, looking at the pictures I have, its really lenghty, I will just summarise what went on for most of that month. Events after events happened so I think I was snapping the pictures too fast that my Dad's computer in Sibu could not really take the speed. Yeap...I was in Sibu for the Chinese New Year and I am so fed up with the slow dial up connection that I decided that my Dad will go broadband this March....grrrrr. The upcoming Chinese New Year also went together with my daughter's and nephew's birthday. For that month I drove the 600 kilometres from Sibu to Kuching to celebrate the double and triple celebrations as my Mum has made several plans for the holidays.

Jason and Shania with their Birthday Cakes


Yeap - my girl's turned four. She's really growing fast. Among the things she already claimed is my PC - so now I can't really use it without her permission. She's eyeing my camera handphone now.....now where can I hide my Car before she gets the license to drive :)

Gong Xi Fa Chai 2007

Chinese New was celebrated in Sibu with a lot of 'Poms Poms!' - I wish they can turn into Pom Pom girls. When the clock struck 12 Midnight, the fireworks and firecrackers made Sibu looked into mini Baghdad. Well, sticking to old folks story I would like to believe that the noise made around town will scare away the bad spirits and bad lucks so that I can strike more lotteries.....I was glad that the fireworks were confined to the celebrants area. I guess its okay if you have not seen fireworks played to the extreme as I have. I had this bad experience in Penang during my undergraduate days when celebrants set off missile fireworks at passer bys. Yikes! There was nowhere to hide as you would not know where the flying missles were coming from and when they will explode. When you hear a whistling sound nearby and above you, just duck!

The Chinese New year Deco at one of my Sister's collegaue's place which got my attention.
Toasting to the Year of the Pig or Boar


Kampung Picnic

During the New year Holidays we went back to Bawang Assan partially for Picnic and also to celebrate my daughter's and nephew's birthday. Going back brings a lot of memories. I saw a lot of activities at the Paddy Fields - I did not realise it was harvesting season already. The locals were working on the paddy fields.

Balik 'kampung' - our Kampung House


Yum yum - some Barbecue for the Kampung picnic


Remember Igai in my past post - he was the young boy who did the Melat Padi in my previous Post on Bawang Assan


This old man is too weak to join the harvesting activity so he will be taking care of the wheelburrow where the harvested padi will be carried


A close up on how it all began - this stalk of padi, once harvested the rice grain would be would be sold at the market (after what one would call the seperation of the padi from its husks), usually its done manually but my late grandparents had the machine known as 'Injin Padi' and the process of dehusking is 'Nginjin'. This trip and memories made this a humbling experience as my late grand parents were traditional farmers. Through their hard work and sweat they managed to put my dad and partly myself to continue our education. I remember when my late grandma and grandad had to babysit me while she was selling 'beras' at the 'Market Iban' as they called it then. It was near the main Central Market where more established farmers sell their produce daily. I was a little boy then - Things were cheap then and the cost of rice was sold between 40 sen to 50 sen for one 'kong' - its about the size of a big glass. The Council staff managing the market would come and collect 10 sen to 20 sen for the business lot. That was some 30 years ago.

Sarawak Civil Service

I have to admit some of those past experiences had an impact when serving as a Government Officer in the State Civil Service. Realising the people's needs and delivering the much needed development in the form of projects and programs is quite a challenge. There was a change of guard in the Service recently as the helm of the State Civil Service is the new State Secretary, Yang Berhormat Datu Wilson Baya Dandot. He takes over the reins from Datuk Abdul Aziz who retired last year and looking at the programmes that we had in the past few months there is no letting up in the State Government machinery to sustain its work culture of excellence.

YB Datu Wilson (in white) leading the Aerobics Session organised recently 24th Feb 2007


Everyone from the Wisma Bapa Malaysia turned up for the Aerobics Session - and had a fun time. All work and no play makes Civil Servants Dull - I would say so :) The most amazing thing was that its the first time we get to see who is who - coz even if we worked in the same building we rarely meet one another. Just occassional His and Hellos in the lift


Well - here I am attempting a difficult Aerobics move as the exercise was done at 7 a.m....staying awake


One needs to know - Its not easy to be manage the Civil Service - so we have to salute those top guns who are in the top management. Everyone has their own way of interpreting and doing things. So when work directives are given out, Civil Servants have to decipher its intention meaning and method of execution. Like in this picture - when the instruction was to 'Raise Your Hands and Legs' one will get different results as everyone has their own way of interpereting them.


Ongoing Interview

Which is why at entry points, the State Civil Service are serious about discovering 'talents' amongst those who are about to join the Service. interviews are no more the 'one to one test your knowledge' approach. Its like debating with the candidates who wish to apply for a job and there will be several exercises and 'make believe' projects which they will have to undergo. Most of the final week of my February was dedicated to interviewing potential candidates. To those who are constantly trying to maximize the capability of the State Civil Service I will say 'March On, everyone of us needs to chip in our energy towards creating the Culture of Excellence'.

Comments

benjaminujang said…
angpow lai lai...hihi..lama dah ndak maca blog nuan..n aku pun lama dah ndak blogging tok..nyway jengok2 meh blog aku..sangka aku manah connection internet di sibu din..meda ka nya sibu engka ndak mayuh bala mensia ka ngena internet..lebih2 agi ari rumah..nganti enggau apai aku, PC taun 1998 munya suba ke dikena..agi meh manah tang ke di install software ke baru hehe..nibuh jak la..ambi ka PC nya meletup legi..manah gak menua bawang assan endur dek nya..asai ka kiya beambi ka gambar..kada bisi ari ka kiya pulai cuti tok..ni tunga rumah panjai nuan bak bawang assan diak wai..??
Anonymous said…
Happy Bday niece Shania!
Apuu....sinu endar meda gambar Aki Akup nya bro...
Anonymous said…
Happy Birthday to Shania :) enda lama dara anak nuan boss..hehe enda berasai
Chris Anakapai said…
Apu... tetengok amat aku meda utai ke dipanggang nya..huhuhu...ba menua tu nadai tetemu ka utai ngenyamai nya

Happy Birthday to cousin Shania. :)
Lo said…
manah amat gambar ba menoa nyak bro. rindu meda padi nyau kuning!! happy birthday ngagai anak nuan. God bless.

lo
Your daughter is pretty! Send me regards to her.

Am I eligible to be hired by the Sarawak government..?

I just got back from Kuching last week. Very hectic trip.