Catherine (seated, right) is joined by (standing, from left) Julie Sindon, Mona Atkinson and Sherlyn Gilbert Oscar, and two little girls Isabel (left) and Isalyn Henning, during the special Gawai photoshoot. — Photo courtesy of Cherry Oscar
KUCHING (June 1): Catherine Oscar recently had her family members and friends gathering for a special Gawai Dayak photoshoot in Vancouver, Canada as they, once again, could not fly back to Sarawak for the celebration.
The Bidayuh, who hails from Kampung Taee in Serian, said it had been five years since her family last returned to their ancestral village.
She said their homecoming plan for this year had to cancelled due to the travel restrictions and the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia.
“We just want to wish ‘Slamat Anu Gawai’ (Happy Gawai Day in Bidayuh) as festive greetings from us in Vancouver. No matter the distance, no matter (where) we reside, when it comes to Gawai Dayak, it brings you back to your roots.
“During this pandemic, the Oscar siblings living here cannot go back to celebrate Gawai at Kampung Taee in Serian. We are missing our home, our loved ones and especially the Bidayuh traditional food,” she said.
Having been living in Canada for 24 years, Catherine said she and her family would make it a point to take the long journey from Vancouver to Sarawak, every three to five years, just to celebrate Gawai in Kampung Taee.
“That’s why we choose to don traditional Dayak costumes for this photoshoot, in commemoration of this special occasion,” she pointed out.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3c6R6Na
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