Author: Valentine Tawie Salok

Bridging cultures by sharing joy, fostering unity

MY brother, Edward Jelani, is an 82-year-old retired SESCO pensioner. Last Thursday, he left Kuching in his friend’s elegant car. His friend, a Muslim policeman, drove them both. They spent three days in the city, and I joined them for sungkei, a meal to break the Muslim fast, on two

Memories of Uncle Ngauh’s hunting exploits

MY uncle, Ngauh Narang, was my mother’s eldest sibling. He was unmarried when he resigned as a medical assistant with Shell Berhad Lutong, Miri, around 1960.  During that time, he stayed with my family, and his mother, my grandma Kejuang Meling, played a significant role in our lives. After some

Memories of sports victories and defeats

WATHCING the intense showdown between Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman in the 60m dash at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow evoked memories of my own experiences in athletics and sports during my school days and undergraduate years. I couldn’t help but notice the disappointment etched on Lyles’ face

Memorable birthday experiences and celebrations

‘A birthday is not just a time to celebrate, but a time to reflect on the past and make plans for the future.’ – Catherine Pulsifer, an author and motivational speaker known for her inspirational quotes and writings. As I reflect on past birthday celebrations, one event stands out vividly

A hunting escapade and learning about gun safety

One windy late afternoon in 1969, during a school break, my elder brother Jon, who was 21 at the time, took me hunting with his Stevens single-shot shotgun. I, being six years younger, was equipped with a small but sharp blade called a ‘duku chandung’ in Iban. The shotgun had

Memories of school dances and nightclubs

EVER since my school days, I’ve been actively involved in social gatherings and dancing. The weekend dances at Saratok Secondary School were eagerly anticipated by the senior students. I was an exception to the norm, being the only junior boy who dared to join the dances starting from 1969 when

Love defies boundaries, embraces diverse hearts

“Love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not arrogant or rude, does not insist on its own way, is not irritable or resentful, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things; endures all things. Love never ends.” This quote is from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. I

Rural parents need to do better

It is disheartening to witness the underutilisation of available resources by many rural Ibans. Many have failed and are still failing to maximise the economic potential of their land for farming, livestock rearing, and other profitable activities. From my observations, many people in my area could achieve much more than

Scouting, a lifelong journey of friendship

Although I officially resigned as a commissioner in 2018, my last position being State’s Assistant Chief Scout Commissioner in charge of Media and ITC, I have never completely resigned from or left scouting. This is because scouting is an integral part of me, or rather, I am an integral part

From jungle adventures to city life

ON my third day at the Borneo Bulletin of Brunei Press in Bandar Seri Begawan, I embarked on my writing journey. It was December 3, 1997, when I eagerly joined the paper as an editorial assistant. During my trial period, I was assigned the task of transcribing news from Brunei