BRUNEI LITERATURE

 

BRUNEI LITERATURE

Borneo's Green Heart

A gem of a nation

An abode of peace

A treasure of empire

A haven of tranquility

A kingdom of treasures

An oasis of modern empire

A space of warmth greeting

A den of hospitable people

A neoclassical form of politics

A gateway to beyond comports

An avenue of understanding

An environment of treasures

An ancient Sultanate kingdom

An indeed pampering Brunei Darussalam

Bandar Seri Begawan

Negara Brunei Darussalam December 30, 2008

Travel Brunei Darussalam Poem - Bandar Seri Begawan by John Tiong Chunghoo

Bandar Seri Begawan weds the old and new roads, heritage buildings, museums, mosques, parks, a market by the river selling jungle produce and of course the Jerudong Amusement Park where late Michael Jackson performed for the Sultan's 50th birthday - - almost 20 years before the release of his last album, That's It

it is not the town though that revs one's spirit up but the humble Brunei river that flows by it the river opens one to the heart of the Sultanate here you could see the gleaming Sultan's Palace the oil kingdom's diverse flora and fauna as well as the way the Sultan's subjects live,

oil fuels the movements here and everywhere sampans, motored boats go up and down the waterway there is even a little oil station on stilts right in the middle of the river for the boatman to fill up their boat tanks

the most poignant here are the smart young generation during sunset hours- tudong clad malay schoolgirls in long white blouse and ocean blue skirt bleary eyed boys in white shirts, dark green long pants with rucksacks on their backs get down from their boats and rush to their wooden houses - home sweet home

a newly wedded couple in resplendent traditional baju melayu hold each other, smile and speed away in their boat to their new nest

coconut palms sway and a Sharifah Aini song goes on air while warm breeze blows reminding me of a paradise on earth,

the egrets both the orange and black beak species add grace to the picturesque river the Malays call them banggau

I also have the Brunein luck to spot the proboscis monkeys- monyetbelanda with their long flabby nose, humanlike faces the males moving with their harem

at one end of the river the Sultan's Palace where cutleries are made of gold and waiters get thousands in tips glistens over the waters there also I could visualise the smile of the man with the songkok on the blue dollar notes the man who led one of the oldest Malay sultanates which gave away Sarawak - my beloved state to the White Rajah

After Reading the 2 poem, Borneo's Green Heart and Travel Brunei Darussalam Poem - Bandar Seri Begawan by John Tiong Chunghoo, what impression of Brunei is given by the poem? 

• As I can see from the author's perspective, he wants to give to his audience what beauty does the country Brunei have and how beautiful it is. The first poem, for me, showcases how peaceful is their country and the way the people live. It also emphasizes Brunei as a hospitable county because of its people. Through the monikers used in the poem, the author paints Brunei to the audience as a nation with history, nature, and hospitality. For the second poem, it highlights the values that the country has through the narration of the fascinating nature and the culture where experiences build their personality and the beauty of the country.

Comparing Philippines, what poem can you write to promote your country? Write at least 4 stanzas.

Pilipinas: Perlas ng Silangan

by: James Stephen C. Baet

Oh' kaygandang pagmasdan ng mga kabundukan

Mga karagatang puno ng likas na yaman

Ang paligid mo'y luntiang mala-esmeralda

Tatak Pilipino, aking bansang kamangha-mangha

Mga taong pinagbuklod, tinatangi ang kultura

Sa pagkakawang-gawa, walang papantay sa kanila

Katulad ng bayaning sumulat ng kanyang mga katha

Ipinaglaban ang bayan ng walang alinlangan

Pamilya at kaibigan, kanilang pinapahalagahan

Mabuting asal at paggalang, itinuturo sa mga kabataan

Kabutihan sa kapwa, palaging makikita

Mahinhin kung minsan ngunit buong puso ang pagmamahal sa bayan

Aking bansang Pilipinas, sa kagandahan ay likas

Sa sining at literatura, galing ay naipamamalas

Hindi nagpapahuli kahit sino man ang kaharap

Para sa bayang mahal, kakayanin lahat lahat

PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

     Nagsimula ang kwento sa Istaked na kung saan pinagkakaguluhan ng mga tao si Tata Selo sa kadahilanang napatay nito ang Kabesang Tano na nagmamay-ari ng lupang sinasakahan ni Tata Selo, na ayon sa kanya ay pag-aari niya noon subalit naisanla niya at naembargo.

    Nataga at napatay ni Tata Selo ang Kabesa sa kadahilanang pinaalis ito sa kanyang lupang sinasakahan subalit tumanggi at pinagpilitan ni Tata Selo na malakas pa siya at kaya pa niyang magsaka, subalit tinungkod ito ng tinungkod ng Kabesa sa noo paliwanag ni Tata Selo sa binatang anak ng pinakamayamang propitaryo, sa Alkalde at maging sa Hepe na nagmalupit sa kanya sa loob ng istaked na pawang mga kilala ng Kabesa.

      Nang makalawang araw, dumalaw ang anak niyang si Saling na dati’y nakatira at nanilbihan sa Kabesa, subalit umuwi ito sa kadahilanang nagkasakit ito makalawang araw bago ang insindente, Nakakahabag si Tata Selo nang maisipan nalang nitong pauwiin si Saling sa kadahilang wala na silang magagawa, pinatawag si Saling nang Alkalde sa kaniyang tanggapan at pinuntahan niya iyon at hindi nakinig sa ama nito, dumating muli ang bata na dumalaw sa kanya at inutusan upang pumunta sa tanggapan ng alkalde subalit hindi ito papasukin pahayag ng bata, Hindi ito inalintana ni Tata Selo at sinabi nalang nito na “inagaw sa kanya ang lahat”.

🔖ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

         Rogelio Sicat, famously known as "Rogelio Sikat", is a Filipino short story writer, playwright, and novelist born on June 26, 1940 in the town of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. He is the sixth out of the eigth children of Estanislao Sikat and Crisanta Rodriguez. Some of his classic masterpieces are "Impeng Negro" which is a story of a black guy. Apart from being a writer, he is also a former university educator/professor and College Dean at University of the Philippines - College of Arts and Letters. 

🔖MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE STORY:

• TATA SELO - He is a helpless farmer that being judged, hated, and condemned by many hypocritical judgmental people. He was sentenced for murdering Kabesang Tano, who evicted him from farmland. 
• KABESANG TANO - He is the new landlord of the land that Tata Selo farms. He was killed by Tata Selo because of being ignorant and greedy. 
• SALING - She is 17 years old and the only child of Tata Selo. She worked as a housemaid in Kabesang Tano’s household.
• ALKALDE - He is the town mayor and the one who talked to Saling about the condition of his father, Tata Selo. 
• TSIP - He is the chief police officer that mercilessly hurt Tata Selo. 
• BINATA - He is the son of San Roques’ richest proprietor. 
• AMANG - The son of a farmer sneaks into the prison to see Tata Selo.

🔖THEME OF THE STORY:

        From the story of Tata Selo, I noticed that it wants us to see a father's love to his family in which he is willing to sacrifice and give up everything he can do for the sake of his family. Another theme of the story is the inequality and discrimination in achieving justice for different social status in the society. I've observed that justice favorably works and can be easily attained by high class people or those who have higher social status in the society. 

 

🔖MORAL LESSON FROM THE STORY:

        We all know that the world we live in is crucial and aiming for justice is difficult for those people who belongs to low social status in the society. That lesson really happens in real-life, even today wherein high social status personalities have privilege and access to justice. Poor people are being left behind and they couldn't go with the flow of how society works. For me, justice should be served equally for every person in the society even if they are capable or not. I saw a brave, hopeful, resilient, loving, and courageous in Tata Selo which he faced different challenges in life and did not think of giving up even if it is hard for him to achieve the justice. Those characters of Tata Selo showcased the willingness of Filipinos to overcome difficulties.  In my perspective, we humans, we should show love and care and be kind for everyone because all of us are passing through different situations in life and we don't see how each other is struggling just to survive.