Happy Merdaka Day Sarawak!

As I have mentioned in my first post, I come from Kuching which is the capital city of the state of Sarawak. 

22nd July is an important date for Sarawak as it is the date when Sarawak was given independence by the administration of the last governor of the crown colony, Alexander Waddell.

Later on the 16th September of the same year, Sarawak together with North Borneo, Singapore and Malaya formed Malaysia.

During that almost 2 months before forming Malaysia, Sarawak was a truly sovereign, independent nation. I could only imagine what it would be like if Sarawak is still a nation of its own today.

Flag of the Kingdom of Sarawak

Happy Merdeka Day Sarawak!

Ibu Pertiwiku

Sarawak Tanah Airku

Negeriku Tanah Airku Sarawak

Engkaulah tanah pusakaku

Tanah tumpah darahku

Ibu pertiwiku

Rakyat hidup mesra dan bahagia

Damai muhibah sentiasa

Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti

Untuk Sarawak kucintai

Sarawak dalam Malaysia

Aman makmur Rahmat Tuhan Maha Esa

Kekallah Sarawak bertuah

Teras perjuangan rakyat

Berjaya berdaulat

English Literal Translation

Sarawak, my Motherland

My state, my homeland, O Sarawak

You are my native land

My dear birthplace

My Motherland.

The citizens live in safety and harmony

Peaceful, cooperative (with each other) always

For there's Unity, Effort, Devotion

For my beloved Sarawak.

Sarawak, a part of Malaysia

Peace and serenity, the gift of The Only One

Sarawak, be lucky forever

The core of the citizen's effort

Your success and sovereignty be maintained.

Flag of Sarawak

x


Reference

Flag of Sarawak. In Wikimedia Commons.Retrieved 15:54, 22 July, 2014, from
http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Sarawak.svg&oldid=117319811

Flag of the Kingdom of Sarawak. In Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved 15:56, 22 July, 2014, from http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Sarawak_(1870).svg&oldid=67094929

Ibu Pertiwiku. (2014, May 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:57, July 22, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ibu_Pertiwiku&oldid=610741562

Sarawak Independence Day. (2014, July 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:07, July 22, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sarawak_Independence_Day&oldid=617823179

Kuching and Gawai Dayak Celebration

Hi everyone. It is good to be back blogging after many uninspired years. So I thought for my first post I would talk about the place where I come from.

I come from Kuching, the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. The word 'kuching' means cat in Malay, but the city was actually named after a tidal stream called Sungai Kuching.

Kuching is home to more than 30 different ethnic groups and I am very proud to say that I could speak in 5 different local languages.

As a Bidayuh lass, I used to celebrate Gawai Dayak when I was back in my hometown. Gawai Dayak is celebrated on 1st and 2nd June every year as both a religious and social occasion. It is a thanksgiving day marking a bountiful harvest with friends and family members would gather.

As I've been away from Kuching for the last 4 years, I have not been able to celebrate Gawai in a traditional way. But in the spirit of celebration and new beginnings, I hope my first post on Gawai this year will usher many more opportunities for me to blog and share about my adventures (and misadventures) in life.

Tara,tara,tara,tara,tara,uuuuuuhhhaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! *glass clinking*