Banana, Coconut and Teringai Laut

This is the first picture I took when I reached Kampung Teringai Laut, Sabah. Apparently it wasn’t a trip of 5-star hotel and endless shopping spree.

I told myself not to get lengthy with this post. For me, the trip was way too beautiful, beyond the description of words.

I spent few days in a very poor village in Sabah with 5 other student, Mr Venon - the miracle worker who makes life better for the villagers, Naimah – the loving teacher who gives her heart to the kids, Betty – the shy and kind-hearted native who worked closely with Naimah, and lastly, Gwyneth – a courageous British who volunteers to help out in the village.

Shame, I was disgusted by the children when I first reached there. Their clothes are all torn with dirt and stain, with sand all over their face and nails that I never thought I could tolerate. And the smell, I was guessing shower was not in their custom. I can see bacteria all over the place, literally. I saw how they played around, falling down on sand and wiping their face with filthy hands, eating food that had dropped on the floor.

If it were my 5 five years old cousin, he would have cry running to me and wanting me to caress him and maybe, get him a new toy. The Teringai Laut children just stand up by themselves, and laugh at their carelessness for tripping over a stone. How different.

For the few days, the 6 of us conducted a series of classes for the children. Class started at 8am, and half of them were there by 7am. With kids, we did the usual things – singing song, doing artwork, learning new vocabulary, drawing and painting. They don’t have the privilege of city kids, but they are very eager to learn, and they appreciate things.

A scene in the class room as we were teaching them artwork.

The last day was always the most memorable one. I started to bond with some of the kids there. We were giving out balloons to the kids, wanting them to learn the color balloons. The cheeky me started to draw things on the balloon for them. I drew a ‘happy’ face on Helmid’s orange balloon, “see, ini ‘gembira’. It is called ‘HAPPY’ in English”. The boy beside me (My bad, I don’t remember his name), handed me his balloon and asked, “I want HAPPY.” I took the balloon, and gave him HAPPY, with an extra car. It went on and on, they started to ask for more pictures, flower, butterfly, love, Mickey Mouse and etc.

say hi to the artist!

As I was busy showing off my talent on the balloon, I saw a boy untying his balloon and letting out the air inside, I asked him. He only said “boleh simpan lama sikit”. And the balloon cost us 20 cent.

I would never forget the scene where they left the classroom, and ran off cheerfully with the colourful balloons on their hand. Happiness is just so simple.

Later on, the kids gave us a tour around the village. Pendeling, the mischievous girl who always failed to stick her butt on the chair came beside me and hold my hand. The little hand which I deemed as unhygienic on my first arrival, is now the warm hand I wish to hold again. Normah came later, holding my hand as we strolled around the village.

Forest pigs roam around the village as if it was nobody business, indeed a rare scene in city nor town. We saw their houses, built of wood and bamboo. And yeah, we saw deer too! On our way, we bumped into Pendeling’s mother, she was washing clothes beside the river with some other villagers. The kids definitely have potential to be tour guide, they were so eager to show us around, and teaching us their native language – Rusun. I am a slow learner, I can only remember ‘tasuk’, which means dog in English.

It was getting late and we had to head back to the school. Without my expectation, the girls gave me a hug, a gesture than means more than life to me.

I left Kampung Teringai Laut next day, and without packing my heart.

I hold some of the best memories I have in Kampung Teringai:

Rohesa, she looks like pageant princess!!

Wendi, a shy shy boy who won't join us in the class, but peeping at us through the window. And I knocked my head like **** while handing him the balloon outside the classroom.

My favourite spot of the house!! The hammock where I felt asleep while listening to the splashing sounds of banana and coconut leaves, bringing my mind to the beach. This is also how I got the idea for title, the banana and coconut...

A bowl of RM1 chicken mihun!!Unbelievable right?!

This is what you get when you are staying in a rural village! Endless coconut. Oh, did I mention the kids can climb coconut as fast as a Nissan Skyline?

A long long long long journey to the beach...

finally, after 45 minutes of walk..we are there...ohmmmm.....

no caption, simply acting crazy.

the five star house of Kampung Teringai Laut

cam-whoring while touring the village!

Spiderman crossing the bridge, which I don't have the guts to cross...*shy*

HAPPY simply loving this photo.


Looking up.

It has been months since I last left Teringai Laut, the memory is still dancing vividly in my brain. What I have gained through the journey is priceless, and I don't think I can channel my emotions into words, it wouldn't be as beautiful as experiencing it yourself. Who knows, someday, you might be sharing with me how much you enjoy your stay in an unknown village and drinking lots lots of coconut!