Egyptian Breakaway 7-16 December

I want to break free!...Ba piramid di Giza.

Kami duai melaki bini pemisi ngagai menua Ejip pun bulan tu kemari begulai enggau 24 iku bala urang bukai.

Kami bemalam ba Cairo 2 malam, nemuai ngagai Alexandria se ari sereta cruise ngulu sungai Nil 4 malam, diau ba cruise ship. Ari Cairo kami ke Luxor nepan kerita api, 8 jam. Ari Luxor kami nepan cruise ship ka Aswan.

Ejip siti menua ke puang, laban semina 5% aja menua ulih endur diau sereta betanamka utai, kelebih nya padang pasir enggau menua puang. Pemayuh tubuh urang ke diau din 80 juta, lalu tiap taun pemayuh tubuh nambah 1.8 juta (ga ia peridi amat indu Arab). 90% urang din beragama Islam, 9% Christian (Coptic Christians). Enda milih indu Muslim tauka Christian, semua sida begari sama, sama ngena purdah. Sida ke biak ngena blaus sereta skirt panjai, suah tak denim skirt kena sida ia.

Batang penatai pemisi sida ari betanam, dagang temuai enggau minyak & gas. Ekonomi sida jauh tinggal ari kitai di malaysia, pia mega ari segi pemansang enggau tikas pengidup. Mayuh merinsa urang din, pemakai ta plant-based ke mayuh agi. Gaji urang kereja perintah din semina RM500 sebulan enti dipulaika ngagai duit kitai. Ga sida ngambi ulih amat ba temuai, enda tau tama jamban, enda tau megai beg ba airport, sigi minta tip. Ma ka ka jamban sediaka 1 pound (1 USD = 5 Egyptian pound).

Cairo kamah amat, pia ga bejerebu, bangunan tak kelabu magang-magang. Sampah dibuai sebelah parit sereta atap rumah ta penuh ditugongka sampah. Atap sida lurus (flat) ngambi nyamai endur nambahka bilik, ngaga siti tingkat ka atas. Ketegal ka mayuh tubuh sereta tanah ke tau endur diau enda besai, dia sida enda tau enda minta permit ari perintah enti ka ngaga rumah. Nya alai ngambika ulih nangkir rumah, sigi ditambahka tingkat. Sida diau sebilik apai indai enggau semua bala anak uchu. Urang indu nguaika bilik lelaki, semina anak lelaki enggau bini anak sida ke diau begulai enggau apai indai.

Menua din jarang ujan semina 10 tauka 15 kali aja setaun. Nya nyu nambahka pengamah, daun kayu nyu belang magang dipansa kitai. Diatu musin chelap, siang ari 20 deg malam 10 deg.

Alexandria bisi beresi mimit, tang agi jauh meh pemeresi ari kitai ditu.

Dadi ba Giza.

Dadi ba mua penatai di Giza, melakangkan Sphinx.

Kami bisi nemuai ngagai Cairo Museum enggau the valley of the kings- ia nya pendam ti endur nguburka bangkai 62 iku pharaohs. Semua pendam sigi udah disengkubang urang dulu kelia, semina tinggal bangkai sida aja (mummies). Semina pendam Tutankhamun ke enda ditemu sida, nya alai agi meruan baya ditemu Howard Carter ba taun 1922. Tu kebuah King Tut tebilang amat. Baya iya diayanka ba museum di Cairo. Ba Valley of the Kings & museum enda tau ngambi gambar, nya alai enda ulih nunjukka pemanah kereja jari urang Ejip dulu kelia. Dinding pendam sida pharaoh sigi penuh ditulis enggau hieroglyphic writings, nusi jerita pharaoh enggau enda tau enda, jerita ngintu pemati iya, nunjukka urang nge mummy bangkai, datai ngagai pejalai semengat iya ti deka di akim petara. Semua perengka tubuh dalam nyin di simpan dalam tajau, muti ati iya aja tinggal ngambika bisi diakim. Ati ditimbang, enti ia berat agi ari bulu burung ke ba dachin sepiak, reti nya pharaoh nya enda merintah enggau manah, nya alai ia deka diukum, dibuai ngagai dunya penusah, enti iya manah, deka tama ngagai paradise, kenu. Nyu munyi konsep kitai Kristian ke diakim Allah Taala sida tu.

Dadi & mami melakangka Sphinx.

Ba kedai nyual minyak wangi, aku begambar enggau indu Arab. Tu ka moden, ka bajik, ke mayuh agi enda dipeda gamal laban ngena purdah. Aku meli minyak wangi (oil tauka essence ke bedau digulai alcohol - minyak tu ke dikena nyadika base perfume D & G, Chanel YSL). Mayuh macham nama minyak wangi, kedua tau kena ngubat ampus laban iya berangin ma digulai ba ai angat. Kedua kena kitai indu. Wangi ke digaga ari bungai Lotus nya ke dikerinduka Nefertiti (bini Pharaoh Akhenaton ke bajik). Enti ngena, dititikka ba kening enggau baruh pending dua-dua piak (segi tiga), pia ku indu Arab ke bajik ke tinggi nya madahka kami. Bisi siti agi wangi ke benama "Secrets of the Desert" kena urang indu ma malam ari, di tataka ba segi tiga tebalit ku iya (ni ku kita meh nyagam utai ku iya). Laban ke rindu nunu minyak kena ngewangika bilik, aku lalu meli 5 bansa minyak nyengkaum frankincense.

Ba Cairo kami diau ba 5-star Movenpick Resort, sigi siti hotel chain ke tebilang di menua Eropah.
Merarau ba Hard Rock Cafe di Cairo.
Hard Rock Cafe
Begambar semak tebing sungai Nil di Cairo.
Ba penatai kubu ke digaga Salahdin kena ngelaban bala urang Kristian maya perang Crusades kelia.
Ba mua masjid Mohamad Ali.
Tu rampa bandaraya Cairo. Peda jerebu, bangunan tak bechurak kelabu aja aja.
Gambar patung petara Horus di Luxor. Luxor beresi agi ari Cairo.

Ba Hapshepshut Temple. Hapshepshut nya raja (Pharaoh) indu, iya enggai alah kasak urang lelaki, iya ka nunjukka iya mega ulih ngereja utai baka Pharaoh lelaki, nya alai iya ngaga rumah sembiang tu kena nyembah petara Amon (petara matahari), minta berekat petara.

Tu ba Karnak temple di Luxor. Rumah sembiang tu digaga mayuh bala Pharaoh, kena nyembah petara Amon. Malam ari kami bisi enggau urang meda show "Light & Sound", pandai sida ngeluluka utai, rindu amat ninga.Ba Karnak TempleTu ba holy of holies ba temple, ti endur pharaoh nyimpan patung Amon. Utai ti baka perau nya endur patung Amon diengkah. Tiap pagi pharaoh ngunsut patung enggau minyak sereta nyembah Amon. Sekali setaun patung Amon dibai nemuai ngagai Edfu Temple ti endur bini iya Smut diau. Smut pun sama patung! Dia seduai kawin sebulan dalam setaun begulai pia ku jerita. Hai wai, patung sama patung kawin!

Urang Egypt dulu kelia nyembah mayuh petara, enti meda ba dinding ba kubur Valley of the Kings enggau ba rumah sembiang, tak jerita pharaoh enggau bala petara aja-aja ditulis ngena hieroglyps. Patut Allah Taala meri pengasuh ngagai Moses enda ngasuh urang Israel nyembah patung, semina nyembah Allah Taala siku aja, pia ku dadi nyebut.Ga maya nya urang Israel ga nyadi ulun di Egypt lalu kedua nyu teperasuk nyembah patung.

Mami
Cruising ba sungai Nil, peda pemanah panchar mata ari lebuh ia ka padam.
Tebing sungai Nil.

Tu gambar cruise ship kami, the Nile Ruby. Mayuh amat kapal bakatu mai bala temuai merau nengah sungai Nil. Tu dikumbai sida "floating hotels" din.
Tu ba restaurant ba Nile Ruby. Bilik hotel standard. Tiap ari bisi high tea atas deck. 5 kali makai sari, Indai Maie lalu betambah meh kilo...
Reception ba Nile Ruby.

Tu baka gamal cruise ship tauka floating hotels ke nengah sungai Nil. Sungai Nil sigi mayuh sejarah, kena bala Pharaoh dulu kelia. Aku lalu bebayangka Cleopatra merau dia.

Felucca sailing ba Aswan.
Early morning ba pasar Aswan. Lembau nungga kupi, tak bekerak gamal kedai nya, apa bulih buat, kami dibai tour guide kami kia.
Tu ruti filafel, di pakai sida enggau mayuh bengkah sayur sereta isi daging ke digulung-gulung. Tu ke dibantaika manah, bisi kedua ta di araka ba kaki lima, pia ga kamah, bedebu, pia ga bau tai jelu, pia ga mayuh sampah ba tisi jalai....
Sailboat ba Elephant Isle di Aswan. Pulau tu ke dipeling kami maya felucca sailing.
Makai ba Nubian restaurant. Peda tudah ke begendang, belagu ka kami deh, nyu kediri.

Nubian food - salad enggau humus. Aku semina makai hummus, digaga ari sesame seed, nyamai. Tang ka nyam-nyam makai enggau ruti filafel, ngingatka ruti ke di jembi sebelah kaki lima maya kami raun ba pekan Aswan.

Tu manuk enggau ikan dipanduk chara "Nubian".Enda masuk tua dadi makai.
Ngetu ba rantau jalai mansang ngagai Alexandria, Gaga amat bala laban dia bsii Coffee Bean, bisi cafeteria ke standard. We miss Malaysia!
Ba Alexandria
Tebing tasik mediterranean digambar ari dalam coach.

Ba tebing tasik Mediterranean, Fort Qaitbey. Tu enalan the Lighthouse of Pharos, siti ari 7 wonders of the ancient world kelia. Shortly udah begambar, Maie telephone "Dadi, uncle Sudin udah mati", pia ku iya. Tua melaki bini lalu ngetu, duduk sereta besampi. Kasih meh Judy enggau bala anak iya ditinggalka laki mati. Let perpetual light shine upon him O Lord, may he rest in peace.
Ba tebing tasik Mediterranean.
Siti agi gambar Fort Qaitbey ba Alexandria.
Ba siti park di Alexandria. Aku baru sedar, apai tuai uhang Dijih ta main meri tanda peace, nama mulaika pengingat maya zaman 60an kelia ulu? Zaman Woodstock?

My land, my country, tanah ai menua aku

We cleared another 22 acres of land in October to expand our smallholding of oil palm. Land clearing took two weeks and now planting is on-going. Dadi came back from Selangau this afternoon and told me it will take another 2 days to complete planting. Perfect timing, we can now go in peace to the land of the Pharaohs and Nefertiti.

I had the opportunity to view the land prior to clearing and took pictures of big, tall trees, some of good timber quality - nyatoh, keruing, selangan batu. Our headman gave me an education, he told me the names of the species. Dadi's brothers and relatives asked to be given some of the timber for their own use. Well if you stay in the countryside and in Iban territory, there are many uses for which the timber could be put to. Dad engaged an expert saw man to saw the remaining logs for our own stock. There's plenty of timber for extending our back side store and another langkau at the new site. We gave names to our plots: there's Luau (dadi's birth place), there's Danau, cos there's a big, about 4-acre fish pond by the slopes; there's Subis, named after the limestone hills of my birth place where the world-famous Niah Caves are located and the new plot is Peninjau - named after a place near Niah - we named it so as the terrain is rather hilly, as you can see from the pictures below.

Another plot we plan to cultivate is Dadi's ancestral land, about 40 acres and its located at Sg Sawa. The name Sawa is phython in Iban - the name does not hold any appeal, after all phythons are creepy, slimy creatures and my greatest fear when trudging along country lanes is snakes. I really hate and fear snakes. Two months ago when our durians had ripened, Dadi took Igat and I to our piece of land along Miri-Bintulu Road to harvest the fruit. I walked gingerly on the leaves-strewn footpath, remembering the big, black cobra I saw near the bamboo bushes about 22 years ago when we first cultivated the land. Begedi. Aku. Ka. Ular. Ukai. Bula.Bula.Takut. Ee. Cha.

Regal, majestic, tall and proud

There's a small valley in the middle of the land, always filled with life-giving water.

I couldn't helped myself, I took a parang and cut away climbers at the bases of the trees. What do you know, some 30 minutes later I managed to clear the bases of about 20 trees. And I felt good. Dadi tched ... tched .. tched with annoyance "you'll hurt yourself", "you'll get headache" - its a known fact among my family that I am very susceptible to heat stroke, almost always ending up with blinding headaches after an hour or two under the sun. Ga ia ngumba ka diri isi, kelia ni panas ke enda ulih dilaban. I told Dadi not to worry, there's plenty of shade from the dense foliage. And I told him it was calorie-burning, sweat-breaking exercise, with the parang in lieu of my dumb bells.

As I hacked at climbers, I thought of Dadi's deceased relatives who first cultivated the land years and years ago. There were no chainsaws then and they used axes to fell the trees. Big, tall trees you can't wrap your arms around. I marveled that they could clear such big plots with almost primitive equipment. Such passion. Such tenacity. Such vision. As I thought of their feat, as I saw the fruits of their labour, I was both awed and humbled. I am very certain that none of their descendants in this generation and the next will equal them in feat and valour. I said a prayer, asking God to give them a well earned rest in His blessed sanctuary. Let perpetual light shine upon them O Lord, and may they rest in peace.

When Dadi took the contractor to inspect the plot, he came home and told me his heart was heavy. "The trees are so beautiful and alive and green, we will not have such trees any more. All we have is sawit" so said Dadi. I understood his feelings when I saw the land myself. To paraphrase Shakespear, to do or not to do, that was the question. We decided then as many others in our circumstances would to proceed with our plan. We had invested quite a substantial sum in acquiring the land, we need to expand our acreage and most importantly, we need to cultivate it so our children and grandchildren will know the location of the land and its boundaries.

Land disputes frequently occur among the Iban community as our ancestral lands are not titled. Thus when the elders passed away and the successors do not know the land and boundaries well, it is quite common for others to claim the land as theirs or if they own an adjacent land, to encroach on their neighbours'. Land disputes always happen when the land has been identified for development. Dadi lost several acres to such encroachment. We confronted them and sought the assistance of the long house elders to mediate, in accordance with our custom. Sufficed to say that the only hope for a fair recourse would be to turn to the native courts. However they are relatives and suing them would be painful for us. To comfort ourselves we told each other that they need the land more than we do. I hope that their apparent shame and discomfort each time they meet us, each time we continue to lend a helping hand to them will teach them not to do to others what they would not want others to do to them.

As it happened, their grab has been to nought. 11 years had passed since the land was developed by a timber conglomerate and the land owners, including us (we placed 2 plots under the scheme) had not received any dividend. The sawit is growing well. Yield is plentiful. But no dividend. Perplexing, don't you think so? I guess may be the conglomerate should have stuck to their timber business, they sure made money from timber.

One passionate land owner. He talk sawit, think sawit, eat sawit, sleep sawit. Last weekend Pi, Igat and I were groggily, literally dragged from bed as he wanted us to leave for Selangau at 5 am. The plan was to leave at 6 am, there's no hurry as my brother in law had been commissioned to send the workers to the site first thing in the morning. But my sawit-crazed husband conveniently abandoned the plan and woke up at 4.30 am, woke me up and asked me to dress up, ready to go. I wailed, "Dadi you promised we leave at 6 am". Hm baik tak payah. I grumbled.

Except for a sawit-crazed husband, nobody wake up at such an unearthly hour unless somebody died or there's an emergency. So I continued sleeping. Nama utai diperumban. Ukai bangat enda makai ku aku mutap. About 20 minutes later the phone extension in my bedroom rang. I knew it had to be my husband ringing from downstairs, to wake me up. I ignored the phone and the ringing stopped. Another 20 minutes later he stomped to the bedroom, turned the lights on and woke me up. Defeated, I got up, not a word passed through my mouth but I let you guess what was in my heart. After showering I woke Daphne and Gavin and the troop left for Selangau at 6am. It has been our routine for me to lead the prayers while he drove but that morning, sensing he had three sullen, sleepy passengers, Dadi led the prayers. The children and I, how could we stay annoyed when praying? I must say with God's grace we have the ability to instantly put our hearts right with God. You would too if you say the Lord's Prayer, like this:-

Our Father in heaven, holy be Your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us
do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

A section of the cleared land.

We told the children not to sell the land when we are gone. We told them they should also acquire land when they are financially capable in the future. Gavin chipped in, "do not sell at all dad?" Well, you can sell if you need the proceed to acquire another landed property, said Dadi. To sell the land would be a great dishonour to our ancestors. They toiled long and hard. They lived hard lives. For the Iban, when the land is gone, what do we have to depend on? As Pi and I sat underneath the palm trees last Saturday, waiting for the workers to break for lunch, we had this conversation:-

Pi: If our economy becomes so bad like in the US, we will not have to starve isn't it mum,? Remember what we saw on TV, there are many people who are living in tents in the US because they lost their homes.

Mami: No, we will not starve. As long as we have our land, we will not starve, we will grow our own food. Our ancestors lived on the land, they planted, they harvested, a large part of our community is still doing that now. We are descendants of hard working people, their determination runs in our blood.

Pi: Mami, none of my colleagues and my friends have this kind of experience, actually going to the farm and to help out (read this - we cooked, we only went to the site to bring and serve lunch).

Mami: I don't think any of my colleagues are doing what dad and I are doing now. They most probably stay at home, watch TV or at the golf course, golfing.

Lengka tauka enda

Besadung ai tikah
Apin lama tu kemari tua melaki bini berandau ngenang atur pengawa maya kitai Iban melah pinang enggau ngintu pemati. Enda milih ba rumah panjai tauka ba nengeri, ma nikah, siti pengawa ti enda tau enda dikereja pengantin indu enggau lelaki, ia nya nyadung 'ai tikah' kenu ku kitai. Tuju tu manah, laban nya peluang seduai nabi tiap iku pengabang ke ngulu gawai tikah, pia mega urang ke datai meri selamat ngagai seduai. Tang utai ti enda berapa manah ba penemu aku nya besadung "ai tikah" laban ai nya disadung ngena siti gelas lalu semua urang ke dia bekunsika gelas siti nya aja. Nyampau wai nuntum utai ti udah ngundan liur mensia - enti 300 iku urang, 300 kali liur terengkah ba gelas. Kada enda sakit TB kedua, kada enda bisi hepatitis, kada enda bisi H1N1, tau ka penyakit bejangkit ke bukai. Keji amat aku, tang serba salah, enti enda ngirup nyu enda meri selamat ngagai urang ka nikah. Nya alai aku poh muangka gelas diri empu lalu ngasuh pengantin nyalinka ai ba gelas aku empu. Enda nyamai amat asai, gila enda dikumbai urang sumbung. Tang aku mikir, aku bertanggungjawabka pengerai diri empu, aku bisi kuasa ngereja utai ti patut kena ngintu pengerai diri. Pelaba aku atur ti bakanya tau dibuai, manah agi maya seduai ka ngirup champagne ba pentas begulai enggau apai indai semua pengabang sama nyeradakka ai diri empu. Pengantin agi ulih nabi temuai tang enda besadung arak. Kadang-kadang kasih ga aku meda, dini enda lelak tudah nyadung utai ngagai urang mayuh.

Main judi maya nyenggai urang mati
Apai Maie nusi sekeda rumah panjai ngemendarka urang bejudi maya nyenggai urang mati. Kenu ngambika urang enda tinduk, awakka sama bisi enggau sida sebilik ke empu pemati bejaga. Apai Sampai mega nusi ba menua sebengkah, mungkang niki bala China, sama enggau bejudi. Indu lelaki bejudi magang. Enda manah amat pengawa bakanya ba penemu aku. Ba maya tusah kitai nyu ngelantangka ati, nyu enda masa urang ke mati, urang ke empu pemati. Urang tusah kitai richah-richah bejudi. Nadai urang empu pemati nagang kitai tinduk, tang kitai enggai meh ta enda enggau bejaga. Nya meh tanggung pengawa tuai rumah enggau tuai-tuai rumah panjai, ngirit nembiak ngambi nyaup bejaga, nyaup mela, nyaup mutarka pengawa. Kitai ke nembiak mega sama betanggungjawab, enti kitai enggai diteju nguan bangkai bala diri empu, kitai anang nejuka urang nguan bangkai bala sida kediri.

Ngirup ai bisa maya nyenggai urang mati
Tu nyu udah nyadi siti pengawa ti enda tau enda maya nyenggai antu. Enti urang ke empu pemati enda meli ai bisa, kumbai lukek, mutap bala, ngumbai urang ke empu pemati nengelamka duit tulung. Kadang-kadang pulai, muchau, madahka nadai utai di empa, pia. Kala ngirup sampai mabuk bala sida ke lelaki. Kadang-kadang tak mayuh agi duit tulung kena meli arak, mimit aja kena meli lauk. Kadang-kadang nadai ungkup urang ke enda ngirup, laban enda dibelika ai kutak, tembu tak abis duit tulung kena meli arak. Aku enda lantang amat ati meda utai ti bakanya, laban nya pengawa tusah, ukai pengerami. Enti pengerami baru kitai ngirup ai bisa, enti maya tusah kupi enggau teh nya meh di irup. Uji belika pemakai bukai enda manah agi. Minggu tu tadi maya ke bekenangka pekara nya, Maie lalu nyebut, Mami, enti kita udah diambi Tuhan ila, enda kami menyadi meli ai bisa Mi, ku Maie. Au anak ku aku, anang meli. Pangan ke amat, ke kasih, ke sinu tetap deka nyenggai kitai taja nadai ai bisa. Enti pengeka kitai nyenggai urang bepanggai ba pemisi ai bisa, manah amat kitai ngabas ati diri, nanya ka tuju kitai ke ngulu pemati. Kitai ngulu pemati kena ngenataika penyinu, kena merindang ati sida sebilik ke tinggang pemati, kena masa iya ke mati. Nadai urang mesanka kitai mai nyenggai ketegal bisi ai bisa diirup. Ba senentang tu, tau amat bala tuai rumah enggau JKK ngaga atur ngubah penyakit ti bakatu. Aku nemu sigi tusah amat ngubah utai ti nyu udah nyadi baka tradisi, tang enti iya digaga enggau aum, enggau pakat, tentu ia ulih gaga.