内陆水患

      美里好友伟庆传来消息，内陆发生大水灾，多个地方已成泽国，多处桥断了，路也坏了。

 

100米长横跨Tutoh河的大桥也被水冲毁，切断了Lg Lama和Lg Seridan之间的陆路交通。

 

一般本南村落都建在河边，我想这次的大水灾一定影响许多人。

 

桥断路坏，是我过去10多年在内陆司空见惯的事，不足为奇。就在2020年1月，当我们将抵达目的地的时，发现一座桥给河水冲塌了，本南人找来几根树干当桥，路和桥却还有一段2-3丈高，滑且陡峭的河岸斜坡。一起来送学生开学物资的马华妇女组女生，却犹豫不决，裹足不前。后来在没有其他办法的情况下，才鼓起勇气，被人半扶半拉，攀爬过斜坡才过了河！

          当地人见怪不怪，习以为常，也不见有人埋怨。

 

According to the Facebook postings from my Miri friend, many parts of the Baram interior areas were flooded due to the recent heavy downpour. 

 

The 100-meter-long steel bridge built across Tutoh river was also damaged by the overflowing river. This cut off the communication by road between Lg Lama, Lg Seridan and many other Penan settlements.

         This is quite common in the interior and I had seen many broken bridges and roads made impassable during my visit to Lg Seridan areas in the last 10 years.

 

During my recent visit in January last year, the bridge near our destination was also destroyed by flood. We had no choice but to climb down and up the steep and slippery slope about 2-3 mater high and walked carefully on the tree trunk to cross the river!  

 

To the Penan, they are used to it, and seldom complain!

 

 

老眼朦胧

 

我喜欢看书，也喜欢买书。旧的书还没读完，新的书又从诚品网络书店、淘宝海外、Kinokuniya等网站寄过来，真不知何时才可读完！

 

一件令人烦恼的事，近来眼睛好像越来越不好使，常觉得眼睛被蒙上一层纱，在眼角里，还有像刚哭泣后，残留下来的泪水，挥之不去！

 

人生就是这样，当眼睛好使时，却为生活打拼，没时间看书；当有时间看书时，人却老了，眼睛也不争气，真令人深感无奈！

 

如今，常伴我左右的就有两副老花和一副平时戴的眼镜，较深一点的老花用来看书和智能手机，浅一点的用来看电脑银幕，平时出门时则戴另一副看远的眼镜！如今，看相机的取景器时，好像全都不管用了！

 

眼科医生说，白内障还不严重，目前还不碍事，年纪有了都会如此。你的眼睛有点干涩，除了每天滴人造眼水外，就无其他良方了！

 

 

母亲妳在何方

 

今天是母亲的节，电台播出顾媚唱的《母亲妳在何方》。其中歌词令人动容：“明知那黄泉难归，我们还在痴心等待，我的母亲呀，等着妳，等着妳，等妳入梦来。”

 

“儿时的情景似梦般依稀，母爱的温暖永远难忘记，母亲呀我真想妳，恨不能够时光倒移。”

 

       是的，时光已不能倒移，唯有谨记母亲的养育之恩。

 

       在这病毒肆虐的时期，保护好自己和家人，我想这也是对母爱的回报！

 

Today is Mother’s day. The best way to say “Mother I Love You”, is to take good care of ourselves to fellow SOP and as far as possible stay at home, to avoid Covid-19.

 

 

小时候

 

在原住民村，我看到两个小孩，拿着弹弓赤脚四处溜达。

 

原住民村就在我武来岸老家附近。当年，每逢假日去割胶，必经过此处。那个年代，原住民住的都是简陋的房子，常可看到村民在河里冲凉或洗衣服。

 

如今，每家都有水电的供应，房子也重建过，生活环境也已改善了许多。

 

但小孩子还是像当年乡村的孩童一样，在林中游玩。

 

看到这两个小孩，又使我回忆起童年。当时，我也像他们一样，玩弹弓，抓『豹虎』或在河里抓小鱼，无忧无虑，颇为快活。

 

日子过得很快，转眼我已到了暮年。对小时的生活，却有莫名的怀念。可惜童年时的那段日子，再也回不去了！

 

I met these two children in an Orang Asli settlement near my hometown. They were playing slingshot near their home. Like all other children those days in the rural areas, this was what we used to do when we were young.

 

When I recall our life in the village, only then I realize how fast time passes. Though time cannot be reverted, my childhood life in the kampung will be in my memory forever!   

 

 

7^th May 2021