The School In The Middle of A Jungle, And Next To A River.

Thanks a lot for the very VERY heartfelt comments in the previous post.... If you guys were in front of me, it would be a very interesting discussion of good versus evil and all related subjects in the realm of different life experiences.

As for Mr Grayquill and his minions supporters.... I must agree that you guys are correct in some cases. (This is high compliment, because I rarely applaud people, so cherish while it last guys). But alas you are not here to show poor misguided me the way to proper conducts..... But I promise to be a better human in the near future!

So, I have a few pictures I've scrounged and stolen of my old school in the heart of Sarawak, Borneo - SMK Katibas.

This is a part of the fabulously long Rajang River. It snakes for thousands of kilometres. Notice the trees, they are actually GIANTS. So the river is indeed wide. My school was WAY at the bottom of the picture.

Oh lookie! Here's the boat we used to travel between the heavier populated parts of this state. It is really a bus that floats, with seats and of course, emergency floats for.... errrr emergency, such as sinking in the crocodile infested water :v

But we arrived to school with style..... on THESE. These are called 'perahu panjang' or long boats which are more suitable to travel in shallower streams. These boats are made from wooden planks, so much lighter than the metal boat above. The risk of tossed into the water, very high. (But never me though, I wonder why I have a charmed life....) 

And tada! This is the VERY jetty in front of the school! A water pump was fixed next to the jetty. You can see some students arriving, wearing safety jackets..... This is a redundancy as most students know how to swim, by living next to the river all their lives. 

Another express boat, in Sibu, a city near the coast. The mock clock tells the boat will depart at 5.30 pm. Next to the boat is a motorized junk, filled with groceries for the rural parts.

More students from my school on a trip to the long houses. 'Long houses' or rumah panjang are indeed long, and housed a lot of people. It's like connected terrace houses, with a very long covered corridor through it. Tourists love visiting them, maybe for its 'ol worlde' charms. 

So, imagine touching down at the airport.... and then spend the night in the city and hopped into the first express boat in the wee hour of the next morning for a two hours journey. Then reaching the small town of Song (yes, Song, no pun intended) and waited for the next long boat to the school. The journey from Song to SMK Katibas is about 1 hour 45 minutes long (remember the long winding river?) The further we go, the clearer the water...

But I remember; we did a lot of waiting then. For the boats, for the boat drivers who are not at their boats, for students who should be in their respective boats..... A LOT of waiting. And I am an impatient monster (so you know how often I got angry).

Ok, that's all for now folks. I will have more time to assault your blogs after this Friday, as the school holiday will start. For now, enjoy these pics and do ask if you want more. I will try to put more pics of the school soon.

I miss being at that school by the river...