Author: Valentine Tawie Salok

Always exercise extreme caution while driving

Don’t learn safety by accident. – Anonymous 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. A veteran of one fatal accident that took the lives of

Lured by steady, promising incomes

Illegal immigration is a genuinely national issue, and resolving it requires a national commitment not just on health care but also border control, law enforcement and other resources. – Jon Kyl, American politician   LATELY there were frequent trips sending those so-called registered Indonesians from Serian and Kuching to Bintulu

Supporting fight against childhood cancer

Being positive is the best medicine you can take. – Maggie Howard, sarcoma survivor   It is worth noting that Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) joined global childhood cancer organisations in celebrating International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) on Feb 15, thereby aiming to raise awareness on the alarming cases of

Living in oneness with nature

We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. – Native American proverb ——————- We, the kids in the ulu (remote hinterland) of the late 50s through to the 60s had to be contented with our surroundings as playground and sources of entertainments. In the

Taking a look at some February babies

   ‘All my life, my heart has yearned for a thing I cannot name. – Andre Breton, French writer and poet   We have a good number of February babies born to my immediate family and relatives as well as friends. My late daughter Garcia Ann Kejuang was born on

Contented with slight musical success

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. Berthold Auerbach, German-Jewish poet and author With a lot of push and sacrifices not to mention undergoing through the lows and highs, a person might achieve some degree of success in his or her chosen pursuit, career and fields

Expanding Iban culture via batik paintings

Art collectors are pretty insignificant in the scheme of things. What matters and survives is the art. I buy art that I like. I buy it to show it off in exhibitions. Then, if I feel like it, I sell it and buy more art. – Charles Saatchi, co-founder of

Still having a soft spot for scouting

A scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens. — Lord Robert Baden Powell Though I have tendered an official resignation as a scout commissioner – my last post was as State Assistant Chief Scout Commissioner in-charge of Media and ITC –

Loving tribute to ‘the King’ on his 88th birthday

Take care of the fans and they will sure as hell take care of you. – Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley’s Graceland celebrates the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s birthday each year with four days of special events. Fans were called to join the celebration in Memphis from January 5

RIP Pastor Michael Nelson, retired college lecturer

We all lose friends… we lose them in death, to distance, and over time. But even though they may be lost, hope is not. The key is to keep them in your heart, and when the time is right, you can pick up the friendship right where you left off.