Archive for April, 2008

Mont’ Kiara International School charity trek


CHARITY WORK in jungle fringed villages takes a lot of dedication – and pure grit.


Hosted by Outskirt Outreach, on 12th April 2008, a group of teachers from Mont Kiara International School, Kuala Lumpur, did their part for the less fortunate by hauling stacks of clothes on backpacks to donate to poor Orang Asli families in Pos Selim and Kampong Geruntum.



Video duration 5 minutes


On that sunny day (oh well, it rained in the afternoon, just when we started to go on foot), the teachers also got to see Orang Asli aborigines’ villagy way of life all laid out in one visit.


Mont2We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mont Kiara’s intrepid teachers Miriam Sutorius, Michelle Bliss, Christine Gibbins and Bonnie Lee and spouses for their effort in transfering the clothes, shoes and towels from KL and handcarrying them into the far flung villages. Also, not forgetting, a big pat on the back to all parents who have donated the items. Your kindness is much appreciated.


Mont4Cooling off in a hidden waterfall – There’s a funny story behind this picture (below). When the teachers wanted a place to change into swim suits, a local Orang Asli offered his hut. As the ladies cheerfully made a beeline into the bamboo hut, the man nonchalantly finish his small talk with, “… and oh, by the way, don’t disturb the python living on the roof” (??!!).


That parting punchline had everyone screaming and scampering out of the hut in no time. Apparently, the man and his family have been sharing house with the snake for some time. Orang Asli have great respect for wildlife and they view it as a blessing if an animal decides to hang around – in this case, literally – their hut.


Jungle survival rule no.1: Thou shall ask an Orang Asli what kind of housemate pet he keeps before stepping into his home.

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Special Notice Oct 2008 – We have finally mustered enough fund to self-host after hitching a ride from wordpress.com for 3 years. For the latest posts, articles and to keep in touch with us, please go to our new site www.outskirtoutreach.org. This “On The Far Side” blog’s contents and posts will diminish as we transfer them to the new one; which is a big big heap of work in the next few months. Thanks everyone for your kind support !

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If trees could talk, it’d be Bahasa Malaysia


If the staggering variety of races found in Malaysia makes your head spins, then their languages would certainly leave you speechless.


But if you insist on learning a language to take home, Bahasa Malaysia should be it. From glitzy cities to remote jungles, Malaysians of all colours and creed speak Bahasa Malaysia.


If trees could talk, it’d be Bahasa Malaysia.


Origin


Do you know that words like paddy, amok, junk, ketchup, caddy, godown and bamboo are derived from the Malay language?


How the Malay language originates is still a puzzle but new findings are slowly piecing them together. The latest report by American Journal of Human Genetics suggested that the Malagasy language spoken by East Africa’s Madagascar islanders resembles Indonesian’s Maanyan language spoken in southern Borneo. This is not surprising considering in May 2005, a study on mitochondrial DNA passed directly from mothers to children by a team of genetics experts at Cambridge, Oxford and Leicester also showed similarities to sequences found between people living in Madagascar and Borneo, now shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.


Bahasa Malaysia is classified under the Austronesian’s Malayo-Polynesian language family tree which also share similarities with languages like ….


1. Indonesia’s Javanese, Sudanese, Acehnese, Chamorro, and Belau.
2. Phillipines’ Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Bikolano, Kapampangan and Waray-Waray.
3. Polynesian Islands’ Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, and Tuvaluan.


My days in Malaysia are too short to learn the language. Help.


Don’t fret. There’s always a safety caveat – most people understand English. Children are exposed to English at an early age by today’s standard school curriculum. Older generation who are born after World War II had the privilege to study under colonial English education system. In fact, among SE Asian countries, Malaysia has the highest English-speaking population. This propelled Malaysia to be one of the largest market outside the Western world for English songs and movies. Popular Western music bands and megastars are constantly flying in to deliver live concerts. Michael Jackson rocked Malaysia in 1996 and Linkin’ Park did their gig in 2003.


Include a small radio in your packing list. There are roughly 7 English radio channels to keep you company.


So, there you are. Even if you don’t speak like a Malaysian, you can still enjoy like one.


Bahasa Malaysia for small talk


Here are some useful words and phrases one should brush up on for trips to Malaysia …


English (B.Malaysia)


Hello (Hello)
Yes (Ya)
No (Tidak)
How are you ? (Apa khabar ?)
Good morning (Selamat Pagi)
Good night (Selamat Malam)
Good bye (Selamat jalan)
Thank you (Terima kasih)
Sorry / Excuse me (Minta maaf)
I don’t understand (Saya tidak faham)
You’re welcome (Sama sama)
Oh my god ! (Alamak !)
Ouch ! (Adoi !)


Do you speak English ? (Awak boleh berbahasa Inggeris?)
Where is the loo ? (Di manakah tandas ?)
Where is the ATM ? (Di manakah mesin ATM ?)
How much does this cost ? (Berapakah harga yang ini ?)
I want to buy this (Saya nak beli yang ini)
No, thank you (Saya tak nak, terima kasih)
Not too spicy please (Jangan terlalu pedas)
This is delicious (Sedapnya)
It is absolutely horrible (Teruknya)


Zero or None (Kosong)
One (Satu)
Two (Dua)
Three (Tiga)
Four (Empat)
Five (Lima)
Six (Enam)
Seven (Tujuh)
Eight (Lapan)
Nine (Sembilan)
Ten (Sepuluh)


Morning (Pagi)
Afternoon (Petang)
Night (Malam)
Midnight (Tengah Malam)



Bahasa Malaysia for jungle use


Danger (Bahaya)
Rainforest, jungle (Hutan)
Leech (Pacat)
Snake (Ular)
Tiger (Harimau)
Elephant (Gajah)


How deep is this river ? (Berapa dalam kah sungai ini ?)
Is this poisonous ? (Adakah ini beracun ?)
I’m freakin’ out. I’m getting outta here ? (Saya takut. Saya nak balik sekarang)
Will I die of malaria here ? (Di sini, ada penyakit malaria ?)


If you hear your guide yelp “Cabuuuutttt … “, it’s good time to drop everything and run for your life.


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