KUCHING: At the stroke of midnight last night, the Dayak welcome their Gawai in a new reality amid stringent restrictions applied to the whole country in a bid to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic.
No matter how they take it this year, the festival is just not the same as those of previous years due to the unfamiliar circumstances which many people refer to as the “new normal” though there is very little normal or usual about it.
Many Sarawakians are stuck wherever they are unable to return to their respective hometowns, villages or longhouses due to the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
Fortunately, there is the ubiquitous telecommunication technology which keeps people connected in cyberspace. It cannot compare to actually being physically united with their families at home, but it sure can keep the Gawai blues down.
For 33-year-old Iban, Ethel Lampai Ringgit, this is the very first time that she celebrates Gawai away from her family in her village in Saratok.
“I miss my family terribly, especially the ambiance of our longhouse. At this time each year, I am always in Saratok with my extended family (cousins, uncles and aunties) celebrating Gawai,” she said.
Working as the head of Corporate Branding, Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) for the past three years in Kuala Lumpur, she has never missed a flight back to Sarawak before Gawai.
“Pulai kampung (going home to one’s village) is compulsory. I always try to be home at least a few days before Gawai eve,” she said.
She said this year the fun part that she would miss was being with her parents, siblings and cousins on a five-hour road trip from Kuching to Saratok.
“Gawai this year is unusual, I must say. But it should give us more time for self-reflection and learn to appreciate the things that matter in life — family, self-care, and positivity amid the challenging situation.
“Be patient in everything you do and learn to slow down. Also, as a saying goes, ‘Distance makes the heart grows fonder’, which I believe is very true,” she said.
On the bright side, Ethel said she would video-call her family members to wish them Selamat Ari Gawai and to propose a toast to everybody’s well-being.
“I miss my family so much. ‘Anang irau ka aku ditu‘ (Don’t worry about me here). Also to my dear relatives and friends, happy holiday. Thank you for always checking on each other. Stay safe,” she said.
As for Chumang Angke, she had been stuck in Kuching since the first MCO was enforced in mid-March. This is her first Gawai in the city.
“I have never been this far away from my parents and was looking forward to meet them his Gawai,” she said.
Still, the 22-year-old Iban student from Sungai Attap Ulu Strass, Meradong, Bintangor, was glad that she could celebrate with her uncle and cousin here.
“I want to call my parents, but the phone connection there is not consistent. I cannot be there physically with them, but at least I can talk to them and see my longhouse during the video call,”
Self-employed Sharon Alvina Sallih, 35, said she would also celebrate Gawai at her house in Samarahan instead of in her hometown.
“Normally before Gawai, I either go to Engkilili or Bau. It is a bit unusual this year because there is no merry making at our longhouse,” she said, adding that to make up for it she would call her family members.
“It is better to be where we are now due to the possibility of spreading or contracting Covid-19. It is important to consider that most of the residents in the longhouse including my parents are senior citizens,” she said.
For Gawai, Sharon said she had prepared some Dayak foodstuff.
