About 8 years ago, when I first arrived Peninsular Malaysia, the people here after knowing that I came from Sarawak, really asked a lot of strange questions regarding Sarawak. Partly to blame was the media which kept showing Sarawak as this…
…and this…
and NOT this…
Today, when flight ticket to Sarawak and Sabah becomes more affordable, I still keep getting strange questions about Sarawak, but I no longer answer them seriously.
Here are the TOP FIVE strange questions that I have been asked for many years, as well as my not-so-serious answers.
5. Do you talk to animals? What language do you speak in Sarawak?
AsX: We have many different dialects in Sarawak. I used lion language when at home, it is very hard to get used to because it involves roaring a lot. I bark at my friends while I moo when talking to my teachers.
4. Since you are so far from your hometown, how do you communicate with your parents?
AsX: Through tree mail! Since my family lives on Banana tree, I have to find a Banana leaf here, write my address and whatever message that I want to send to my family then put the leaf on a river then it would flow back to my family.
3. How do you survive with the headhunters around in Sarawak? Why they cut people’s head?
AsX: Ohh easy, I pretend to be stupid all the time. You know why? Because teachers keep scolding them stupid so they cut people’s head down to give them more brain power.
2. What currency do you use in Sarawak?
AsX: Have you ever heard of barter trading? The shoe that I am wearing was traded from the head of an elephant. Cool eh?
The MOST ASKED QUESTIONS is……
1. Does Sarawakian live on trees?
AsX: Yes. We have high rise buildings constructed on many trees. My dad’s name is Tarzan and my Mum’s name is Jane. They swing to work everyday, while I walked to school last time because we need to take a ‘swinging’ test so that our government will give us license to swing.
Just to clarify for the last time, Sarawakian and Sabahan are as normal as other people in Malaysia. Kuching and Kota Kinabalu are even more developed than some cities in Malaysia.
…and this…
and NOT this…
Today, when flight ticket to Sarawak and Sabah becomes more affordable, I still keep getting strange questions about Sarawak, but I no longer answer them seriously.
Here are the TOP FIVE strange questions that I have been asked for many years, as well as my not-so-serious answers.
5. Do you talk to animals? What language do you speak in Sarawak?
AsX: We have many different dialects in Sarawak. I used lion language when at home, it is very hard to get used to because it involves roaring a lot. I bark at my friends while I moo when talking to my teachers.
4. Since you are so far from your hometown, how do you communicate with your parents?
AsX: Through tree mail! Since my family lives on Banana tree, I have to find a Banana leaf here, write my address and whatever message that I want to send to my family then put the leaf on a river then it would flow back to my family.
3. How do you survive with the headhunters around in Sarawak? Why they cut people’s head?
AsX: Ohh easy, I pretend to be stupid all the time. You know why? Because teachers keep scolding them stupid so they cut people’s head down to give them more brain power.
2. What currency do you use in Sarawak?
AsX: Have you ever heard of barter trading? The shoe that I am wearing was traded from the head of an elephant. Cool eh?
The MOST ASKED QUESTIONS is……
1. Does Sarawakian live on trees?
AsX: Yes. We have high rise buildings constructed on many trees. My dad’s name is Tarzan and my Mum’s name is Jane. They swing to work everyday, while I walked to school last time because we need to take a ‘swinging’ test so that our government will give us license to swing.
Just to clarify for the last time, Sarawakian and Sabahan are as normal as other people in Malaysia. Kuching and Kota Kinabalu are even more developed than some cities in Malaysia.
22 comments:
HAHA. if u go abroad, those mat salleh will ask if malaysians live on trees!!!
rotfl...cool answers from u, asx :))
YES!!! U are exactly rite.. I heard those all the time..
I told them.. yes.. we live on the trees.. we even use lift to go up and live..
Do you have it here? No?! LOLz..
nice to know a sarawakian.. me too from kuching..
i think those Malaysian still in stone age. dunno wat happen outside peninsular. sigh..
Btw, swk is much much much more cleaner than west msia. :)
come on lah bro, got that bad or not??? lol...
Renaye, yup, I agree with you. Heard of this cases before. Let's go blame the media which keep promoting Malaysia through Taman Negara footage.
Ai-Ling, nice to see you around again. :)
Harry, LOL. So next time i go visit u at your 'treehouse' too or u can swing to mine.
Coolku, not really. They just being exposed to wrong information. But i once met a city kid who never seen a real chicken before! And ya, Swk is much much cleaner :).
Munytang, Hilarious as it seems, but ya it’s true! You can ask those Sarawakian or Sabahan friends. I bet they have such experience before.
This is so true.. People abroad even doubted about how our education system goes..
Speechless...
U know the recent Penang adv on Discovery Channel? U'd never believe that such place exist in Malaysia. Malaysians don't have to go to Maldives anymore. i think the aussies will prob think penagites are great surfers and divers since we are blessed with such beautiful beaches with unpolluted water. I've got to say, the tag line for visit Malaysia is good though. MALAYSIA, TRUELY ASIA... miles much better than MALAYSIA BULEH.
Momo, come on.. i am uneducated one.. i dunno how to spell from A to Z but i can write a blog... yoohoo!
Jasper, u sure they are showing Penang? not somewhere called Penan or Pee-Nang or Pinnang?
i'd love to live on trees, provided there's wifi access there...
think i'll move to s'wak soon XD
Gunner, get ready to pack, I am installing Wimax....
-_____-
Wuahaha... I am a sarawakian who is now studying at Malacca. It has been 3 years since i left sarawak. Actually I think the majority of the people from peninsular have the right perception about sarawak. Only a minor group still do not understand sarawak. It is undeniable that Sabah and Sarawak are far behind in term of development, but sarawak is a nice place to live and retire. No hectic life and it is green everywhere. Not to forget there are waterfalls everywhere in sarawak.
Better World, I seem not able to access ur blog. Dunno why, but got a feeling that you are my junior in "Money Making University"...
Anyway, i agree that less people still believe we live on trees. But imagine my time (8 years back) where these people were the majority. All sort of strange questions you can get from them - I remembered tricking one of them that if you shave a gorrila properly, you'll get a Sarawakian! The questions i listed out was just the mostly ask ones, try imagine the least asked one...
Last time, for them, only those rich ones could travel to East Malaysia. So we need to really thank to Air Asia.....
i was once asked " sudah lama datang malaysia?" when i introduce myself as a sabahan, from one of my colleague during my first day at work... he do that on purpose. Damn that guy!
Gagaukon, u can start mentioning about Sabahan or Sarawakian or Borneoian, does practise Bomoh or voodoo... See what he say next...:p
Friend you forgot 1 very important thing ler..
"you people don't go back to sabah (as in SarawaK)?"
"You're from KK, Sarawak rite?"
and please reminding how lame ppl from the west are on the road/sense of direction... :p
Lion, haha i got tat a lot too. Sarawak and Sabah all mixed up. But not bad lar, South East Asia highest mountain in Sarawak.. cool wat....
my roommate is from Sarawak! He is cool and like his presence a lot =)
Philip, we do like our presence a lot, we do like West Malaysia, and i fall in love with girl over here. Just that sometimes we are asked with very strange question. I guess it is less frequent now, but people still ask it.
OOOOOoooooOOOOOO~~~~~(this is our Tarzan greeting style in sarawak) I am from sarawak too!!But my house on the treee got the lift going up one..you? :p..\BOO
Jia Jia, Oh no, i dun... gee i only live on Papaya tree....
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