To, Tepuk Uloh; Sincerely, Ganit.

Tepuq Uloh, my assigned lady; whom I fondly call Tepuq (Grandmother) now, is one of the few ladies in Bario, Sarawak to still harvest paddy all on her own physical self. No additional help nor machines. Little did I know, that this one aspect of my Tepuq led to so many other interesting facts that would still stay in my mind as a reminder to gratitude and moderation.

Due to my delayed arrival to Bario, my meet and greet session with my Tepuq was a 10 minute conversation over the dining table and that was it! A day before my work day, I confirmed with my Tepuq what was I going to do the on my first work day. It came as a surprise when she told me to meet her at her paddy field the following morning. I must say of everything I expected, I did not expect us to head straight to the paddy field! I was a little disappointed that I could not stay back at the home and simply get to know her further before getting into work, but I had to also understand that taking away work time from her would have meant wasting great amount of hours on a bright day which permits completing or partially completing to plant paddy on one of her paddy fields.

A sleepless night filled with anxiety and excitement all at once lea me to a little hut, close to a big plot of muddy, empty land the following chilly morning. Closer to the mountains, so beautiful and so serene. I could actually hear birds chirping and unknown sounds from the surroundings. Extremely calming to the mind. Tepuq Uloh's paddy field was there, empty. I was slowly getting excited to kick start the planting of paddy! 

Worried that my clothes would get dirty in the mud, I was given a pair of trousers and cardigan to protect me from the heat. I was moved at her level of concern when I told her I was going to go in the paddy barefoot, and she had a good laugh when I mentioned I was to go in barefoot because she was going in barefoot too. All of these little moments, taking place after only about a 10-15 minutes of introduction the day before.

Stepped my right foot into the paddy with chills running down my spine. The feeling of a new adventure; so refreshing, so delightful and so comforting in the hands of a caring Tepuq. Whilst teaching her English words only related to the surroundings and the planting season, I realized that she too, wanted to really just share some of her stories and get to know me further. From there, I understood that she has multiple paddy fields around the area and works all of it by herself. Almost half a day into planting paddy, my heart just sank thinking how one individual, ONE individual, does all of these immense physical work on her own self.

At this point, my back feels like it’s breaking into two, my thigh muscles feels like its tearing and here is my Tepuq next to me, who is 70+ years old bending her back to plant paddy, for five days a week from dawn till dusk on all her paddy fields while the season allows and above it all still able to crack really funny jokes. I wondered at their perseverance, hard work, and most of all, the ability to really just smile and simply enjoy their day at work. I really admire how strong my Tepuq is!

It was still my first day with her at the paddy field, and she kept asking my name again and again in between casual conversations when later, she starts to call me random names. It took me a while to notice that they were all Kelabit names.  After a few names, she said, ‘Saya panggil kamu Ganit!’ (‘I will call you Ganit!’) This moment still gets me every time as I still remember how I was missing my father and when she said, ‘Ganit! ‘, I was thinking what a coincidence it is to have been given this name. To be honest, I never thought I will leave Bario with a  Kelabit name, knowing how special it is to receive one, thus; I felt very special to have received one so quickly and the fact that she shared her grandchild’s name with me.

It was the days I spent at the paddy field with my Tepuq that I learnt, one should not worry too much. If you enjoy your work; not as an obligatory job you must rigidly fulfill every day, but really as an acceptance to what makes your heart feel light, you can smile at the end of your day. The exhaustion just to plant one box of paddy field taught me moderation. From the first day of paddy planting, I made sure I am always moderate in the amount of rice I take on my plate as wasting a grain feels like a fear. It is so sad to know how much we waste food on an average not knowing how much it takes to produce a grain of rice, what more a bag of rice.

For the entire life lesson series you have directly and indirectly shared with me over my paddy planting hours; for reminding me that having wealth in the form of dough does not mean the world, for reminding me, that being grounded and humble will bring me a long way in life and for celebrating life with a lot of simplicity.

Thank you for accepting me so quickly into your life and trusting me in sharing all your personal stories; Terima kasih, Tepuq  Uloh! :)