A wetland park shines on a rainy Tainan day BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » thesundaypost - New 2 Borneo |
- A wetland park shines on a rainy Tainan day
- Birds at Batu Lintang
- Siblings score big hit with CNY album
- Kota Bahru yields its secrets
- Why isn’t my wife the person I thought she was?
- Family, self-belief spur on Hanicomb founder
| A wetland park shines on a rainy Tainan day Posted: 18 Jan 2014 11:06 AM PST by Chang Yi. Posted on January 19, 2014, Sunday IT HAD been a very wet August week. Each day, the rain fell heavily and men and women carried their umbrellas like precious babies. The temperatures had dropped to a comfortable 22 degrees Celcius from the normal 30 degrees. But it was still not cool enough to wear a jacket. The rush of the traffic, the pelting of heavy raindrops on the windows only reminded people how important climatic conditions are. A possible typhoon would blow onto the shore any moment and the older generation were all bracing for it – standing by with thicker clothes and stronger shoes. Kids were no longer seen at the playground. Dogs were leashed as they walked happily in front of their owners. This was the scene in Tainan as we drove towards a special park – the Wetland Park in Tainan. But isn't Tainan City more of a concrete jungle like Singapore? And aren't tourists coming to Taiwan supposed to shop till they drop? If one looked deep into the hearts of some cities in Taiwan and, indeed, Tainan specifically, one would become quite enlightened. According to one brochure, Tainan's wetlands don't begin and end in Sihcao. You can find wetland ecology in many pockets around the city such as the creek that runs along the Tainan Athletic Park and Zhuxi Temple. "In Barclay Memorial Park, however, the wetland ecology is finely integrated into garden aesthetics to create a beautiful atmosphere both natural and contrived. The best urban parks balance leisure space with Nature, and for that, Barclay Memorial Park is one of the best in the city." Chen, our tour guide and bus driver, stopped right in front of the three-hectare Barclay Memorial Park. Tainan City's founding fathers should be lauded for creating this magnificent green lung. Chen explained: "Not many politicians have been able to provide the best for the citizens – without shortchanging them by building more and more concretised and high rise structures! "The people of Tainan are very lucky. If they want good shopping, they have it. If they want to spend a whole day among the trees and listen to bird songs, they can just take a bus, and in a few minutes, will be in a very huge natural park" We were soon to find out this was not just a tourist gimmick. The Barclay Memorial Park is for real. Of course, it is not New York's Central Park. But it is quite something. More than a park The Barclay Memorial Park is situated across the road from the Tainan City Cultural Centre. Immediately as we set foot on the concrete pavement, we saw the beautiful and yet simple white marble monument for Rev Barclay. The abundant trees welcomed us and there was a stream which gurgled along, making good music for our ears. This stream is "the source of Bamboo Creek, an important waterway to Tainan City. There are 39 species of birds in the Park, according to a recent survey. How wonderful to be able to hear bird songs in a huge city! My friends and I walked along the stone pathways and wooden bridges in spite of the rain. In fact, the rain made us realise how important water is. The wetlands attract bird and insect species because of the condusive environment. The Park itself is significant to the students of Tainan. A Sarawak student studying there and who acted as our assistant tour guide, said many college students actually did their research at the Park. Teachers often make the Park an ecology classroom. How ideal. Every corner of the Park is like the work of an artist. Our photographers clicked away enthusiastically while the ladies enjoyed the treescapes, the beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers and other interesting plants. The trees are beautifully spaced – when a tree is too old, it is cut down and a young sapling grown next to the dead trunk. An avid gardener in our group, a retired teacher, said a visit to this parkland was a great moment for him. Indeed, a visit by Sarawakians to this marvellous piece of real estate will definitely wake them up to the importance of environmental conservation and the need to protect different plant and insect species. The retired teacher felt sad that most people came to Taiwan only to shop. He also lamented children went to parks back home in Sarawak only when their teachers brought them on school tours. "Parents seldom consider taking their children fishing or walking under the cool canopy of trees so that the young ones can learn about the important roles of plants and how the Earth can cool itself naturally." As a retired teacher, he advised parents to spend quality time with their children and not just leave them to the care of overworked teachers. Barclay Memorial Park is named after the Presbyterian missionary, Rev Thomas Barclay (1849-1935), a Scotsman and perhaps the most historically revered missionary to have served in Taiwan from 1875 until his death in 1935. He founded the Tainan Theological College and Seminary in 1876, and was responsible for the inception of Taiwan's first printed periodical, the Taiwan Church News – made possible when he oversaw the arrival of Taiwan's first printing press, donated by Dr Maxwell. Barclay also continued Maxwell's work, spreading an alphabet-based writing system for the Taiwanese language called Pe¬h-ôe-jî as well as the translation and printing of Bibles into Taiwanese. During the Japanese occupation, he was a key mediator between rebel groups and the Japanese, and was awarded a medal by the Emperor of Japan for his services. He was buried in Tainan and is commemorated by the Barclay Memorial Church. Barclay spent only one year at Amoy (today's Xiamen), studying the Minnang dialect. Thereafter, he moved to Tainan to begin a life of long service to the people of Taiwan, starting in 1875. His brilliant mind enabled him to oversee the translation of the Bible from English into Taiwanese – first the New Testament in 1916 and then the Old Testament in 1932. Both volumes are still in print today, and have a reputation for elegance and accuracy – although due to both the passage of time and the fact that the church dialect is rather removed from everyday speech, the prose can sound strange to modern ears. His other major contribution to the study of the language was an appendix to Carstairs Douglas' Amoy-English Dictionary – in essence "completing" the work which, up until then, had lacked a character index to accompany the romanised entries. Throughout the last century, the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan has been an important civic organisation in Taiwan. The church has been a long-standing proponent of the Taiwanese language, Aboriginal rights, and Taiwanese independence. Mrs Thomas Barclay, a nurse, also worked closely with the Sin Lau hospital. She was a faithful companion and life partner of the hardworking Rev Barclay. Besides many of his accomplishments, Barclay also helped develop the Tainan East Gate Presbyterian Church. For his years of hard work and contributions, the people of Tainan renamed Tainan East Gate Barclay Memorial Church in 2003. Barclay Memorial Church The current building dates back to 1926 and retains its original style. It is a rather small, basilica-style brick chapel with a round front porch. The text along the porch of the church is written in Peh-ôe-ji script. The Barclay Memorial Park became internationally recognised when it received a global award – FIABCI Prix d'Excellence 2007. We met smiling local residents who enjoyed walking in the rain (of course with their beautiful umbrellas). A friendly Tainan lady, Miss Lin, who speaks Hokkien to us, said: "Isn't it remarkable? This park is very people-friendly. You don't see a fence anywhere. You just stop at the bus stop and you already walk into the park!" Asked who actually maintained the Park, she replied: "Volunteer groups and enterprises and some other leading personalities with a heart on ecological concerns. Our mayor and his team also look for sponsorships every year. "We have funds specially allocated for this and other parks. Many citizens believe in helping to make our ecological parks workable. It is part of our lifestyle and good health." No wonder she and her friends walk everyday in the park, rain or shine. She also provided another piece of information. The Presbyterian Church and the Tainan Enterprise Culture and Arts Foundation have collaborated with the local municipal council to help maintain the beautiful Park. Sibu, in fact, has picked up this idea of collaboration and the Methodist church and the Sibu Municipal Council have collaborated to help develop a very nice park in Seduan, for example. Perhaps this idea of collaboration between town councils and religious bodies can help develop urban parks in Sarawak. After some time in the Park, and as the rain gathered force, we had to leave. We returned to our coach with a parting remark from Miss Lin: "Come back to Tainan where we balance our city life, where we balance leisure space with Nature. We believe in building a city with lots of parks, for the people, with the people."  To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.  |
| Posted: 18 Jan 2014 10:58 AM PST by Vincent Wong. Posted on January 19, 2014, Sunday
AT the junction of Jalan Batu Lintang and Rock Road in Kuching, behind the petrol station, many government quarters once stood on a patch of low-lying land. The houses and two flats have been demolished. Land filling started behind the station, but fl ash fl oods caused havoc in the area, however by then a quarter of the area had been filled with soil. In late 2011, this area caught the attention of bird lovers from the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS). The interesting and uncommon birds that we found included the Java Sparrow, Long-tailed Shrike and various Egret species. Then, some loyal birders kept an eye on that piece of vacant land and soon discovered more. By early last year, Buff-banded Rail, White-browed Crake and Ruddy-breasted Crake were added to the list of sightings. In May the list also included the Slaty-breasted Rail and Bluebreasted Quail; this was on top of the more common birds that we get such as Cinnamon Bittern, Little Heron, three Egret species , a few raptors, Common Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Spotted Doves, Zebra Doves, Plaintive Cuckoo, Asian Koel, two species of Malkoha, a few swift species, two species of Kingfisher, Banded Woodpecker, three species of Munia, two species of Myna, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Bulbuls, Tailorbirds, Babbler, Prinia and the list goes on. Then in July, bird lovers were startled by the arrival of office containers on the patch where the most Blue-breasted Quails were found. The landowner had decided to develop the land and our focus immediately turn to the quail. Quail are very cute yet because of their short eyesight and small wings, they normally only travel short distances. This would make them the most vulnerable because houses, shopping lots or parking lots occupy all the surrounding areas. We had to do something to save them. Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), being the guardian and protector of all wildlife in Sarawak, was contacted. After some consultation with the contractors, the office containers were moved out. Together with SFC, plans were drawn up to relocate the quail primarily and other birds where possible. On Sept 6, more than 20 SFC staff members together with 12 bird lovers, including volunteers from MNS, set out at 7.30am to catch and relocate the quail. Mist nets were rigged up to trap the birds. All birds caught were identified, measured, ringed and put into special pouches. By 4pm, we had caught one Buff-banded Rail, one Slaty-breasted Rail, three White-breasted Waterhens, six White-browed Crakes and 16 (12 males and four females) Blue-breasted Quails. All the birds were taken to Samajaya Nature Reserve and released immediately. The habitat at Samajaya Nature Reserve is very similar to the one at Batu Lintang and this time they will be free to roam in peace under the protection of the park rangers. We left Samajaya Nature Reserve with a sense of accomplishment – several birds were successfully relocated – but also with sadness. Changing land use is in full swing at the corner of Rock Road and Jalan Batu Lintang – buildings are on their way up – a wild space for birds and trees in Kuching is gone. Shrubby areas, which appear to be abandoned, are little pockets of nature that support many different ecosystems from the ground and underground level to the tops of the trees and shrubs. Many species of birds, small mammals and reptiles fill the ecological niches created. These areas, like city parks, also act as green lungs that cool and purify hot city air and greatly benefit city dwellers. The Malaysian Nature Society To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names. |
| Siblings score big hit with CNY album Posted: 18 Jan 2014 10:55 AM PST by Wilson Kong, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 19, 2014, Sunday THE much-anticipated album of Chinese New Year songs, cut jointly by popular artiste Nick Chung and his younger sister Stella, has made a big splash on Malaysia's music scene. The siblings from Sarawak co-released their first festive album at the end of last year, and as brother and sister went on promotional road shows to various towns in Sarawak and other parts of Malaysia, their album titled A New Hope for the New Year were selling like hot cakes. Nick, known to his fans as Chung Seng Chong, started cutting albums in 2002. His first release titled You has made him a household name. He had produced many albums before this, including other albums of Chinese New Year songs, co-released with other artistes. Stella, a year younger, entered the entertainment scene four years after Nick, starting off with acting. She had roles in a few Chinese TV dramas such as The beginning in 2008, Where the heart is and The Thin line in 2011 and Adjuster2 in 2012. Before cutting the album last year, the brother-sister team also co-produced a song titled Knowing Me for their short movie made in Bintulu called The Worst Students. The popularity of this movie caught them by surprise. When they posted it on YouTube, it quickly picked up pace to register over 1.1 million likes. In co-releasing the album to usher in the Year of the Wooden Horse, the siblings proved they could work together and succeed as a team. During their recent road shows in Sibu, Nick and Stella said their parents, relatives, friends and fans had expected them to release their latest album (of CNY songs) a decade ago. They had not given much thought to working together at first but when they got down to it seriously last year, their teamwork proved a winner. And their album has received overwhelming response just like the song (Knowing Me) in their movie. The album contains 10 songs – all about the anticipation of the biggest Chinese festival in Malaysia, the hope of looking forward to a better year and the prosperity and auspicious meaning of life that the Spring Festival brings. The album is special because the eponymous song was composed by Nick. "This is the first time we have worked together," said Stella during an album promotion in Sibu and "I believe Sibu townsfolk are happy with our efforts." She said she was also singing Chinese New Year songs for the fi rst time and with guidance from Nick, had learnt a lot about show business. "To sing New Year songs, I need to stay happy as an expression of goodwill," she added. Nick said the light and swift physical movements and the traditional Chinese attires they were wearing during the singing were important to their shows. He added that they also learned about importance of coordination and teamwork. While recording the fi rst half of the album, Nick said they were wearing blue instead of the auspicious red. "We were initially afraid blue would not be well accepted by our fans but later, we found that they loved it." Nick said each time he returned to Sibu for a concert, the fans had warmly welcomed him. "This makes me feel more at home. After all, this is where we come from." Nick, who loves singing and swimming, said he brought 1,000 copies of the album DVDs for their road show concert and they were snapped up in no time. He revealed in his last concert, the DVDs he brought with him were not enough to go round. Since starting his singing career in 2002, he said local fans had been very supportive. He thanked them for "staying with me" until now. On whether they would continue singing together, Stella, the only girl in a family of six siblings, said they would wait for their current festive project to settle down fi rst before deciding. On recording of the festive album, Nick said they had to work really hard to beat the odds. And he is happy with the outcome. The album is still available in the market and with less than a fortnight to Chinese New Year, the siblings are look forward to the celebration – and the future – with hope and joy. To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names. |
| Posted: 18 Jan 2014 10:47 AM PST by Natasha Sim. Posted on January 19, 2014, Sunday THE idyllic town of Kota Bahru boasts a confluence of rich traditions and cultures. Arriving at the capital of the northern-most state of Kelantan, one can see signboards dotting the streets, written first in Jawi, then Bahasa Malaysia, signifying its strong Islamic roots. The trend is also obvious in Kota Bahru's architecture, even from a moving vehicle. It's not surprising given that this is the state where the earliest form of Malay traditions, cultures and values took form. However, there are also Hindu-Buddhist influences stemming from neighbouring Thailand (formerly Siam) but these have morphed into something quintessentially Kelantanese. Wayang kulit This is traditional Kelantanese shadow play. The play we saw in Kota Bahru was a three-part story of the Hindu deity – Rawana (or Ramayana) and his adventures, narrated in kecek kelate, the native Malay dialect. The play was staged simply in a small house along the sidewalks of Kampung Morak. Muhammad Dain Othman or Pak Dain, runs this humble wayang kulit theatre and gallery. The dialect was unfamiliar to non-locals but Pak Dain summarised the story for us. According to him, Rawana was leaving his palace to hunt with his two servants. He also said goodbye to his beloved wife, Sita, before he took off. And in the forest, he met his enemy and they battled to the end. The intricate puppets, silhouetted on a screen, moved swiftly, accompanied by the gongs of drums that turned frenetic as the battle between Rawana and his enemy climaxed. The lighting and shadow action were masterfully handled by a troupe behind the screen, led by the Tok Dalang, the master puppeteer. The origins of wayang kulit are not very clear but Pak Dain said the Kelantanese version was drastically different from the shadow plays of Indonesia where the stories told – while similar in both places – have been localised and have evolved into their own distinct form. "I started this gallery in 2008 because I grew up with wayang kulit and I want to keep the tradition alive, especially for the younger generation," Pak Dain said. In an attempt to revive this art form, his gallery also stages contemporary stories such as a wayang kulit version of Star Wars. Other attractions There are interesting things to see in Kelantan, among them a visit to Shafie Jusoh, a traditional kite-maker. The 66-year-old makes waus (kites) from scratch. Just like performing wayang kulit, making waus – and consequently flying waus – is a tradition dating back hundreds of years. To make a wau, Pak Shafie starts by shaving bamboo poles into sticks which are then shaped into the wau's frame. Not every wau shares the same designs. Pak Shafie carefully paints and carves the designs for each wau separately – all within the confines of a shack in Kampung Badang. Kelantan is home to many cottage industries such as Pak Shafie's wau shack. Enter another village and one can visit a serunding (meat floss made from chicken, fish or beef) factory such as the one in Kampung Laut accessible by boat from the city centre in Kota Bahru. In the spirit of Kelantan's ancient links with Siam, there is Wat Photivihan. The Buddhist temple apparently houses the largest sleeping Buddha statue in Southeast Asia. The reclining Buddha is 40 metres long and nine metres wide. There is also the Dragonboat Temple or Wat Mai Suwankhiri. The temple is said to have been built by the hands of expert Thai craftsmen 400 years ago. The temple is adorned in red and gold – traditional colours of the Buddhist community. For the adventurous, Rantau Panjang is just an hour and a half drive from Kota Bahru. The small town located by the Malaysian-Thai border is said to be a duty-free zone with a market offering not only Malaysian goods but Thai as well. Sungai Golok, an illegal trespass entry between Malaysia and Thailand, is also found at Rantau Panjang. From the market, one can walk five to 10 minutes to Sungai Golok. The river is an exhibit of Kelantan's inextricable link to Thailand. Boatmen ferry passengers from either bank in a two-to-three minute boat ride and accept fares in either ringgit or Thai baht. Gastronomic adventure Food lovers will not be disappointed with Kelantan's variety of dishes, especially desserts. They can sample delicacies such as lompat tikam, a dessert of glutinous rice topped with dashings of coconut milk and gula melaka. Other local favourites include nasi ayam percik, a crispy chicken dish topped with delicious coconut-gravy. When in Kelantan, also ask for Pak Mat's famous sup ikan, a rich fish broth made with traditional Malay herbs and spices. Lastly, for a typical Kelantanese breakfast of roti titab – French toast topped with a poached egg and kaya – visit Kopitiam Kita along Jalan Pengkalan Chepa. To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names. |
| Why isn’t my wife the person I thought she was? Posted: 18 Jan 2014 10:46 AM PST by Phillip J Swihart. Posted on January 19, 2014, Sunday NOW that the wedding's over, your spouse seems different. Are you wondering what happened to the person you used to know? Was your wife someone different before you got married? Has she changed for the worse over time? It's much more likely that you saw her through rose-coloured glasses while you were dating and now the glasses are off. And guess what? You're probably not the person she thought you were, either. Before the wedding, differences tend to seem intriguing, interesting, and attractive. A few months or years into the marriage, however, what seemed so inviting in the semi-fantasy world of dating now seems considerably less than idyllic. That beautiful angel you married turns out to be a real woman. She has flaws that weren't previously apparent. She may handle things in ways that you find inefficient, and isn't interested in your suggestions about how to do them differently — even though, from your viewpoint, your ways are obviously superior. You discover to your shock that she has the capacity to express a range of emotions not plumbed in your dating days. You hadn't felt that hot edge of her temper nor the cold, steely glare she now feels free to display. Perhaps your wife has expectations you never guessed were there. You assumed hers would match yours — and they don't. How do these "mistakes" occur? Jane and Carl were so in love. They wanted to be with each other constantly. Unable to endure the thought of a long, drawn-out courtship, they married within three months of their first meeting. Jane was a life-of-the-party sort of girl — a social butterfly. A former high school cheerleader, she was bubbly and happy-go-lucky. Carl was an A student in college. He had serious career plans in accounting and business. He liked books and challenging discussions about sociology and politics. Not having dated many girls, he was in a daze when Jane was willing to go out with him. Jane saw Carl as a responsible, mature man who'd provide stability and security in her life. Carl saw Jane as the perfect compliment to his otherwise rather pedestrian life. They quickly decided they were perfect for each other. Surely they'd have no problems that couldn't easily be resolved. Two years into their marriage, though, there was a deep rift in their relationship. Carl was coming home from the office just wanting to read a book or have some quiet space. He didn't want to talk to Jane about her day or her shopping plans for the next. At bedtime he didn't feel very amorous. Jane seemed frustrated and angry when Carl had no interest in dinner parties or going out dancing with her old friends. Going to a family dinner on Sunday mornings was more than enough social life for him. Carl was angry and frustrated, too. Jane was chronically late and seemed not to care how annoying this was to him. She was running up bills on the credit card and irresponsible about paying them. She visited the hair salon frequently, apparently wanting to look very sexy when going out. In his view, she was a terrible housekeeper, leaving the place in a mess most of the time. What had gone so terribly wrong with this relationship? Had Jane really changed? Viewing your wife in a new light After the wedding, it's common to view your spouse in a new, perhaps disappointing light. Here's what you can do about it. Carl and Jane were opposites — and always had been. "Opposites attract" may be a common phenomenon but doesn't necessarily lead to a strong marriage. Far too often what seemed irresistible in the swirl of hormones and emotional highs during a fast courtship turns out to be irritating in the 24/7, "up close and personal" daily life of husband and wife. The mature and responsible guy seems to become a stiff, nit-picking perfectionist, boring and sexually uninteresting. The girl who appeared to be such a wonderful, bouncy, free spirit now looks like an irresponsible, immature twit with no depth at all. Is that what's happened with your wife? The truth is that she's the same woman you fell so much in love with. But you have changed — stripped of your illusions about her. You're disappointed.So what should you do? You might find it helpful to sit down and list the reasons why you chose this particular woman to be your wife. Think of all her attributes that you enjoy and value. Shift your focus from the negative and critical to the positive and appreciative. Then make a date to share these thoughts with her. If this seems impossible, consider the very real possibility that your marriage is at a crossroads. Disappointment may be making you vulnerable to the attentions of others, who you might imagine would better meet your needs and expectations. Or you may just be resigning yourself to years of regret about your choice of a spouse, bitter that you're obligated to stay in a marriage without any hope of realising your dreams. If this describes you, it's past time for you and your wife to seek marriage counselling. Find a professional counsellor who won't reinforce the lie that happiness lies just around the corner if only you escape from this mistake and move on to something new. Your situation is not at all hopeless. But it does require a fresh perspective and some tools to employ in developing a more mature relationship. To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names. |
| Family, self-belief spur on Hanicomb founder Posted: 18 Jan 2014 08:09 AM PST by Joanna Yap, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 19, 2014, Sunday WHEN courage, perseverance and ingenuity meets opportunity, success often results – even if one starts with nothing. This is true for Ida Athanazir, founder and creator of Hanicomb, an online business specialising in handmade, personalised bib necklaces, statement pieces and accessories made from beads. Ida uses a wide array of beads and colour combinations, including semi-precious stones, freshwater and saltwater pearls, silver plated beads, glass beads, acrylic beads and Swarovski pearls, to create unique designs and looks which are steadily gaining a large following online and offline for their detailed works – thanks to Ida's strict quality control and ever-growing range of eye-catching designs. She designs and sews every piece by hand, which is no easy feat. Depending on the complexity of the design, one bib necklace can take up to 20 hours to finish. There is presently a long waiting list for Hanicomb orders, which is testament to the strong public interest in its products. "Everything is done by hand because the quality is much better, and this will be reflected in the final result. Even though it is very labour intensive, it is worth it," she shared. Ida estimates that she has made and sold more than 300 pieces of jewelry since she first started Hanicomb two years ago but the irony is that she herself does not presently have any of her own necklaces to wear. The few accessories she brought to the interview had to be borrowed from friends and customers. "There were a few times I made pieces for myself but friends insisted on buying them before I even had the chance to wear them – sometimes even before I finished making them," Ida revealed. Saying no to customers can be difficult as among the things she enjoys most about creating her one-of-a-kind pieces is seeing how much enjoyment her customers get from wearing them. Her designs all bear female names and are named after her nieces and customers, or given by customers who want certain designs named after them. "I try my best not to let them down. Every spare moment I have is spent sewing. In fact, I have not stopped sewing since I started two years ago. "Sometimes I get my children to help with small tasks but I don't force them. Most of it is done by me," added Ida, who has a full-time job. What started as a spur-of-the-moment idea in 2012 has blossomed into an online business opportunity which has attracted fans and buyers from all over Malaysia, and even halfway across the globe. While it may have been a confluence of good timing and fortunate encounters which steered her into the business, there is no substitute for good old fashioned hard work and perseverance, she pointed out. "People ask me all the time how I started. It's hard for me to describe as I also don't know. It was just very natural. I saw the trend but I knew nuts about it. I didn't know how to make accessories, what type of materials to use or where to buy them," she recalled. Coincidentally, she also came across a bib necklace at a boutique and it piqued her interest even more. With some beads and materials already within easy reach, thanks to her daughter's headband sewing projects, Ida began to experiment with her ideas at home and things began to come together. "I started researching on line and took the chance and bought more materials and tried to do it myself. As I progressed, I became more creative and tried out more things. "I feel God opened the way and at that time, I felt I just had to grab the opportunity although I didn't know if I was good or not. I didn't even think about selling. I just wanted to give it a try." Even though her early efforts were disappointing, she persevered. Bit by bit, she learned to improve from earlier mistakes and through painstaking trial and error, finally began to get the results she wanted. Ida was also quick to point out that she would not have been able to do what she does without the strong support of her family, especially her husband. "There were many nights when he would bring me a cup of coffee to help me keep going and even feed biscuits to me as my hands would be full with what I was sewing on at that moment. I am very thankful my whole family is very supportive and encouraging of what I am doing," she said. While cautious about what the future holds, Ida hopes to see her creations one day on Hollywood's red carpets. If there's anything Ida has learnt, it is to never give up. Already, her designs are finding their way into the Malaysian media celebrity circles. Recently, she took a chance and contacted the manager for Hanis Zalikha, asking if the model and actress would be interested to wear Hanicomb accessories. Much to her delight, the answer came back positive. The actress, who has over 393,000 likes on Facebook, has since posted photos of herself wearing Hanicomb necklaces on her profile, generating even more interest in the Hanicomb brand. Even after all this, Ida has not lost sight of what motivated her to start Hanicomb in the first place – her family. "I am doing all this for my family, to earn extra income so that we can afford nice things for them and spend quality time together. This is all for them," she said, adding that family will always come first. "My advice to people who want to start their own business is not to give up. Keep on doing it. It won't be easy but it won't be hard if you are driven to follow your passion. Believe in yourself." To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » thesundaypost To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |