Questions that I Need Not Answer now that Sibu is appearing on TV frequently

[Interframe: OMG, I am so addicted to Hotel City in Facebook. Anyone playing hotel city here?]


POPULAR QUESTIONS REGARDING MY HOMETOWN WHEN I AM OUT OF TOWN:

1) Do you have KFC there in Sibu?

Yes, we do have KFC in Sibu. We have McD, Pizza Hut, and Sugarbun too. But not Marrybrown. *smiling politely*

2) How do you go to Sibu? Do you have airport in Sibu or you go to Sibu by bus from Kuching?

Urm, I go to Sibu by plane. And before that I have transit at KL. By the way, (extra selamba) Sibu does have an airport, and we only go to Sibu by bus once when my father mistakenly booked a flight to Kuching instead of to Sibu.

3) Do you have shopping complex there in Sibu?

Yep. We only have shopping complexES for hanging out activity and cafes and yes, fastfood chains of course, since there's no beach or any other nature attraction in Sibu. So we have to have more shopping complex to cure our boredom. We do have Giant and Parkson but no Tesco. Oh I wish we have Tesco because the prices of groceries in Farley and Sing Kwong are damn expensive!

4) Is your house in Sibu is a brick house or wooden house? (Another way of asking either Sibu is a town or a kampung)

Oh, my house here is a terrace house, around 15 minute from town. It's a housing area, not a kampung. My kampung is at Dalat, which is also my parents' kampung, and it's been a really long time since my family and I last visited there since my grandmama is barely there. My kampung Dalat is now even developing, and it doesn't feel like kampung anymore and I don't like that, you know. Kampung should remain a kampung, and if you want to have a city or town life, just move to a city or a town, instead of turning a kampung into one. And I felt like adding "Ironically our kampung in Sibu are mostly located in town area, so the kampung are not really kampung either."


And there were a few more questions which were asked by our acquiantences and some strangers who learned that me and my sister are from Borneo which I could not remember. But there were a few too who heard the name Sibu asked us if we were Foochow and if we were rich? Lol. I mean, yeah, we're not Foochow, and we're not rich, though people may have heard that Sibu are full of filthy rich people especially the Foochow communities. Well, it's in their blood actually, to be good at business and earning money.

Though sometimes I felt it's funny for people to ask me questions regarding Sibu that way, but I could not blame them. I blame the media instead. I mean, how did the media portrayed Sarawak and Sabah? They showed the Orang Utan, the mountain, the rural area communities, and yeah, that's really good as they highlight the nature beauty of the state, but they forgot to show the developed area of Borneo. And by the way, if you want to make Sarawak and Sabah a beauty attraction, you forgot to show the hotels there! You just show the rural houses, the animals, but not the hotels? Who do you expect to attract? Only the backpackers and Amazing Race producer? Or the zoo manager?

That was why it was no surprise when an aunty who worked at Mydin who initially mistook my sister and I as Japanese, but soon when she heard we were from Sarawak, she asked us both a very amusing question.

Aunty kerja kat Mydin (bless that aunty, she was one very friendly worker):
Oooo Sarawak. Kamu masih pakai daun ka? (Translation: Do you still wear leaves as clothes?)

Me and sister could not help smiling, and almost laugh out loud.

Sister: Tidak. Sekarang tidak. Itu hanya semasa perayaan atau upacara sahaja. *insert laugh*(Translation: Nope. That was only during festival or ritual. haha)

Aunty kerja kat Mydin: Oh.. Tapi kat tv show macam tu.. (Translation: But the tv shows that way)

Me and sister: *just smiling*


Damn the media for causing the majority Malaysians to become ignorant for showing them only selected parts of Sarawak during tourist promotion. Yeah, I know we should be proud of our natural attraction in Borneo but what the heck, is showing a little development in Borneo will make Borneo less exotic? How can a family dare to travel here if they think all they can see are jungles and no place and facilities for the children to shop or play? I mean, it doesn't hurt to show some facilities available in Sarawak besides that natural attraction right?

But now showing to all Malaysians the development in Sarawak (especially Sibu) is not a problem anymore due to the election which is going on at Sibu now, and tomorrow will be the voting day. The development at Sibu will be HIGHLIGHTED at the media to show that the ruling party was doing their job in developing. Hah! Only now it does matter to show the development here in Sibu, no? Only when it involves politic and only when it gives some credits to some party. And Sibu will be the next town to become a household name because of this by-election after Permatang Pauh (which happens to be the hometown of my roommate). My roommate told me before the by-election, Permatang Pauh was unpopular. But during and after the election, voila, it was very popular. And the same case here. So I guess, after this, I do not need to face any questions that I mentioned above regarding my hometown when I am out of town since I saw the activities at Sibu were shown on TV3 and any other channels. Though I hate elections, due to the noise and environment pollution they caused, this by-election has its positive side too, which is to show my hometown as how it is, and also will save me a lot of hassles in answering some amusing questions.

By the way, I am not voting since I am not into politics and I don't even know who are the nominees. So instead of voting blindly, it is better for me to not vote at all. And I only vote in campus election because the voting camp was right beside my hostel block.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HAPPY TEACHERS' DAY TO ALL THE TEACHERS OUT THERE!