Last Friday I took part in the glorious celebration of Malaya’s 55th Independence day. Although as a Sarawakian that means almost nothing to me, (other than the fact without Malaya, Malaysia wouldn’t exist; but let’s not forget the Federation consists of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak), I joined it and do my part by representing the biggest tribe in Sarawak during the oath-taking ceremony.
It was an amazing experience for me as it was my first time putting on the traditional Iban costume, known as ngepan iban (hand-made by my grandmother!), as well as taking part in the celebration alongside my sister and my mother. The whole experience was overwhelming towards the end of the morning as I was complimented by the people from all over the country as well as the world as they are fascinated by the colourfulness of the costume. I had to stop every 5-10 seconds every time I started walking away from the dataran because there would always be a family or two that wouldn’t want to miss a chance to take a picture with me. Some wouldn’t even let go until they’ve managed to take a good picture. hah! #5secondsfame :p
Overall, I had fun. If I ever get the chance to do something like this again, I’d definitely would. Nothing beats the feeling of knowing that you can represent Sarawak wherever you go. Cheers! x
Millennial Thoughts 
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