With Love -The Kampong Hospitality

On morning of 25 December, I was among hundreds of others attending the Christmas Mass at my kampong's church, the very church that my late father establihed way back in mid 1970's. My late father recommended the church be named St. Charles as the late Bishop Charles of Kuching was very instumental in providing the first fund for the church building while my late father was instrumental in acquiring the land.

But what I really want to say this morning is not about the church. It is about my village folks' hospitality. I thought of leaving the church immediately after the Mass for fear that my car might be blocking somebody else's cars. But that didn't happen. One by one the members of the congregation rushed to give me their Christmas greetings. Many of them even hugged me especially the elderly folks. It ended with me as the last person to leave the church compound. But before I managed to leave the church compound, the catechist rushed over to invite me for a light refreshment.

Later in the day I visited several families including the Pemanca. The jovial mood and friendly smiles were the marks of the kampong folks throughout my visit. One great difference I realised was that, there was hardly any alcoholic drink served. I was glad, as a non-drinker, I didn't have to come up with some good excuses as gesture of diplomacy, which more often than not such excuses would be defeated by their more compelling reasons to have the liquid poured down your throat. But then that's the Iban hospitality, which is often synonymous with liberal flow of tuak.

I am still in the kampong now. But mine is the very few rural places of Sarawak that have the Internet access. Thanks to Leo Moggie, the former telecommunication minister.

Enough for now.

With love from the Kampong to all Christians in Malaysia. To all the non-Christians my prayer is that you all be blessed too and be showered with no less blessing.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2009.




** Pemanca is a community leader at a district level
** tuak is Iban rice wine