Author: Valentine Tawie Salok

 Despite having done quite a number of interesting sketches, I have not done any batik painting in the last four years or for that matter, painting of any kind. Any inspiration is long overdue. The last batik painting was commissioned by a wealthy housewife. It was an imaginative painting of

Road accidents of any kind, fatal or not, always bring change or changes to one’s life, the environment, even to society, especially if it involves any death. Not everything remains status quo. When I received an early phone call from my cousin brother Paul, 37, of Miri on Sarawak Day,

As expected, the reunion dinner for SMK Saratok Alumni Association last Saturday at Hilton Kuching saw the presence of many distinguished members of the community. Five former principals of the school who kindly responded to the invitations with their attendance added bliss to the event. In the first reunion gathering

Last Saturday 1 July, my longhouse Kedap in Saratok officially closed Gawai Dayak for this year with a symbolic simple yet joyful Ngiling Tikai do. Held in the early evening, the affair involved our longhouse residents only. It was certainly a far cry of the very grand Gawai do held

School days are formative years and ones that we cherish and commit to everlasting memory. Mine were limited to just three schools only namely one primary and two secondary schools between 1962 and 1974. This coming Saturday 8 July, Saratok Secondary School Alumni Association or Persatuan Alumni SMK Saratok (PASMS)

Actions by enforcement personnel of the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to tear down or destroy notices or so-called advertisements pasted by licenced moneylending companies on posts and trees in its area of jurisdiction sometimes ago should continue. In a way or two it did help to contain, if not

Poker has remained as one of my favourite games though our Kuching games came to a halt almost a decade ago. A few of our regulars have passed on and I guess they are enjoying their eternal rest and may their souls be blessed. Unbeknownst to many, longhouse kids of

My wish to lie low during last Gawai was granted; albeit in a negative way. On my way back to Kota Samarahan from work around 11.30pm on Gawai eve and 30 minutes before ‘ai pengayu’ (drink of longevity) toast I banged into the back of a new Axia thanks and

Gawai Dayak is here again. Many of my friends are mostly homebound; and so are my family members too. I choose to stay put in the city and try to lie low. My last time homebound to Saratok for the festive season was in 2015 but there was no celebration

Once a teacher is always a teacher, as its scouting equivalent would say the same for a scout. I was both a teacher and scout, and later a scout leader. But only scouting dispensed me with state level prominence, though I did reasonably well in the teaching/education fraternity. At heart