Rice farmers in Sabah used to rely on water buffalos to work in the rice fields. Not anymore now for the younger generations of the rice farming community, the indigenous people, prefer to work within the comfort of air-conditioned offices, to say it generally. So, like their old masters, most buffalos here have long retired. People have need for them only as sacrificial animals especially on weddings and when there is a death in the family. Sometimes they are slaughtered when someone has violated a customary law. Most of the time, however, they end up in Chinese coffee shops as meat balls in a noodle soup called, ngau chap. Their tasty insides included.
In spite of all these, they seem to be contented with life. They move about from one grazing field to another munching the sweet grasses as the days go by to the time when they too will...Oh poor thing. They eat all the time and eating seem to be a meditative experience. The constant presence of egrets who feed on some organisms on their backs (probably ticks) is hardly a distraction.
Why am I saying this? Oh, a story.
An agret was approaching a buffalo to climb on its back to feed. As the buffalo started to move he accidentally stepped on the poor bird's foot. Screaming in pain, the egret managed to deliver a strong kick with his other foot on the buffalo's balls. Of course, the kick from his skinny leg was hardly felt by the huge and tough beast. But it so happened at that very instant the buffalo was standing right under a durian tree and by sheer coincidence one of the spiky fruits, dubbed the king of fruits by Malaysians, fell from ten metres right on top of his head. The buffalo screamed out loud from the pain just as the time the egret's kick landed on his testicles.
"There you are! Taste your own medicine!" cried the bird who thought that it was his kick that hurt the buffalo.
The pre-election fever is already felt in Malaysia including Sabah. As the battle for power to rule is picking momentum the king makers - the voters - are ready to use their democratic right to choose the next government. But does every single vote really count in deciding for change? Or is it just an egret's kick from a skinny leg that is hardly felt by the strong buffalo?
In spite of all these, they seem to be contented with life. They move about from one grazing field to another munching the sweet grasses as the days go by to the time when they too will...Oh poor thing. They eat all the time and eating seem to be a meditative experience. The constant presence of egrets who feed on some organisms on their backs (probably ticks) is hardly a distraction.
Why am I saying this? Oh, a story.
An agret was approaching a buffalo to climb on its back to feed. As the buffalo started to move he accidentally stepped on the poor bird's foot. Screaming in pain, the egret managed to deliver a strong kick with his other foot on the buffalo's balls. Of course, the kick from his skinny leg was hardly felt by the huge and tough beast. But it so happened at that very instant the buffalo was standing right under a durian tree and by sheer coincidence one of the spiky fruits, dubbed the king of fruits by Malaysians, fell from ten metres right on top of his head. The buffalo screamed out loud from the pain just as the time the egret's kick landed on his testicles.
"There you are! Taste your own medicine!" cried the bird who thought that it was his kick that hurt the buffalo.
The pre-election fever is already felt in Malaysia including Sabah. As the battle for power to rule is picking momentum the king makers - the voters - are ready to use their democratic right to choose the next government. But does every single vote really count in deciding for change? Or is it just an egret's kick from a skinny leg that is hardly felt by the strong buffalo?
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