"Tusah Belaki Nguai" Bronze Gong Band ( Samu)

Samu longhouse is situated not far from the Bukit Saban National Service Camp,somewhere near Betong town. It is probably the oldest if not one of the oldest longhouses in the area.
The members of this band temaga are 'imports' from other longhouses. Their husbands are true- blooded Samu folks. The "imports" are usually very talented. They can beat the gongs,ngajat and generally more 'sporting' than the ladies that're born and bred in the longhouse. Each time there is merry-making,be it gawai or weddings,whatever,without them,there is no party at all.

The direct translation for :Tusah-Difficult/Ordeal?

Belaki-Marrying a man

Nguai-leaves own family and follows husband/wife & takes care of his/her side of the family. (something like that..very complicated..a few cases of Iban people never get to the marriage stage when the subject of "NGUAI" is brought up.)

Gining-Gining (Lost look) & Rangap-Rangap at 2020's

I remember telling my cousin,Indai Maie,who is from Bintulu, that a Mirian can easily indentify a 'non-Mirian"at 2020's by their body language. What may that body language be? Gining-Gining.(don't know the English word for it). Looking lost??How about 'rangap-rangap? (mouth wide-open??) Ha..Ha..Indai Maie and I would bump into each other at 2020's once in a few months when she comes to Miri to send her son for a dental appointment. Once in a while,2020's has its fair share of vips,who probably think it's cheaper to give loyal supporters a treat at the kedai kopi.

Meeting friends at Kedai Kopi 2020

It cannot be the dim sum that brings the smile to Doria's face. What could it be? It must be that she's still thinking about the time she queued for 5 hrs at the Sultan of Brunei's Raya Open House yesterday. The waiting was worth it,according to her...she got to shake the sultan's wife's hand. Lucky her!Wit met an old school mate called Anding. Strange it may seem,but one does get to see friends and make friends from near and far here at 2020's.