Tepu Sina Doh Ayu

12^th: Teaching Day 1

Day 1 - check!

My tepu''s name is Sina' Doh Ayu. She is a beautiful woman both then and now. She is one of the women that still has her long earlobes. Tepu' is a little shy and conservative. She does not talk a lot or laugh loudly. She works in her kebun that consists mainly of pineapples. 

My first day of teaching her English was more of a relationship building session. Before coming for this project, I was seriously worried. I had many questions and doubts on how I was going to be an effective teacher. I asked one of my church leaders as she has spent a lot of time doing Mission Trips like this. She told me that the key was relationships with people. Building relationships is the first and most important step in helping others.

Tepu' is so beautiful!

14^th: Pineapple Farming

Tepu' Sina Doh Ayu is very lively today. She greeted me with a "Good Morning!” and a warm smile as I walked in. When we had a chat with the Tepu' and others at the other end of the rumah kadang (longhouse), we were laughing so much. She still complains that she is old so it is difficult for her to pronounce English words but I am so happy to see her speaking the English words as we converse. 

My tepu' was teaching me about her pineapple farming. We went to part of her garden and removed the grass so that the pineapples can grow healthily and with less "competition" - I remember learning about this in Kemahiran Hidup class when I was in secondary school. She explained to me that growing pineapple plants from young can take one to two years. For a small pineapple to grow into an edible one, it will take a few months.

Tepu's pineapple farm

Tepu' also likes to feed me instant coffee. I have had coffee twice a day both today and yesterday. She drinks the 3-in-1 instant coffees like Nescafe and Kopiko. They cost RM17 for one packet of maybe 20 sachets. It's pretty pricey for them. Things in Bario can be double the cost because of the shipping costs and what not.

15^th: Penan people

Tepu' brought me to see the Penan people. Their settlements are deep into the jungle. Tepu' and I went on a hike with a walking stick each. This got me wondering about why people use walking sticks. Does it really help with walking?  After completing our expedition to the Penan settlement, I discovered the wonders of a walking stick. A walking stick does help with walking; it helps to check if a place can be walked through, it can support oneself when coming down a steep hill, it can fend off dangerous insects, and many more. My tepu, knowing my fear of butterflies, warded off those creatures as we passed through the jungle. Also, another interesting event I encountered was that I saw the biggest chicken ever. I am not exaggerating when I say that the chicken was as big as a normal sized dog!

16^th: Sawah

Today tepu' brought me to her sawah - paddy field. She was telling us whose land belongs to whom. I think that every household has a paddy field of their own. Dan, our project coordinator, was commenting on how she would make a fantastic tour guide.

21^st: Intense Farming

Our days left at Bario are coming to an end. We only have two days left with our Tepu until we leave on Saturday. Even our Tepus realise this and have been counting the days to our departure. I am feeling excited to return home and sad as well to leave beautiful Bario.

Today was a very "healthy" day with my Tepu. We went to her kebun again but this time further up the steep hill to tend to the pineapples. She gave me a parang in addition to the tool that we normally use to remove the grass. Yay, upgraded! I really admire my Tepu because she is so strong and fit. She swung her parang with so much strength and  precision when she was clearing the tall grass and plants. She was on her feet the whole time, bending low to clear the grass under the pineapple plants. As for me, I was on my feet, squating, on my knees, and sitting down whilst I removed the grass. I got tired easily. I also became dizzy when I stood up after being in the various positions. I think that that is why it is better to always be on your feet,  like Tepu. Although it was hot and sunny, I thank God for the bario (wind) that made work much easier.

Battle scars

Did I mention how amazing pineapples are here?  They are super sweet and juicy. I have never tasted pineapples like Bario's. In addition to that, the pineapple skin here is much easier to cut off. The people here do not eat many types of fruits, the pineapples suffice.

Teaching Tepu felt very doh (good) today. I love Tepu so much. I am so sad that I will be leaving soon. Nonetheless, I am happy to have this opportunity to be with a beautiful and loving woman.

22^nd: Cement work

Today I earned RM 15, sweet! We cemented the path outside Tepu house on the way to the solar station. The solar station is part of the government project to develop the villages in Bario. I have never done, or even seen cement work before in my life. Now, here I am making cement! It was a new experience that I will surely cherish. First, we put the wire then we cover the road with rocks. Next, we made the cement by unloading heavy bags of sand and cement powder then mixed them together with water. It is work that is definitely for the strong. After that, a sina suddenly handed me money because I helped out.

I gave my Tepu the RM 15 because I felt undeserving of the gaji (pay). I told her that I will use that money to buy pineapples from her!

At night, we came up with a song to present to the Tepu and Sinas for tomorrow's Cultural Night. We used the Bitter Heart melody. Honestly, we did an amazing job - it sounds fantastic!  Here's a snip bit:

(Insert song)

23^rd: Jangan Takut

Too cute. Leandra's friend who is probably six told me not to be afraid of butterflies. I was using her as my shield then she said "jangan Takut". Now, they are chasing butterflies. I am just here, keeping my distance. How cute, they are protecting the butterflies from me!

Two of them were also playing with a spider. They seriously are brave. I think it is good exposure for kids.

Just now, Tepu gave me a traditional Kelabit necklace. It can cost about RM 30. I also gave her my gifts: the scarf from Thailand, bookmarks, a drawing of her, and a simple note. I hope she can read it easily.

"Spider"

Well, today we had our last walk to and fro Arur Dalan. I will certainly miss it. I will miss Tepu. I will miss Leandra and Silan. I will miss the pineapples!  I will miss farming. I will miss the weather. I will miss Bario!