I will be going back to Sabah tomorrow. Under normal circumstances, I'll be there for at least 2 weeks. However, I will be in Sabah for only 3 days this time, and will probably be in Kota Kinabalu. Most likely, I won't be going to the countryside. My mother, brother and sister are already there, and I'll be coming back home with them.
When people ask me where is my home, I often don't know what to say. If the person is not a Malaysian, the answer would be easy. I would say,"I'm from Malaysia." But if the person is Malaysian, a small part of me would be torn. Where is home? Seremban or Sabah? Most of the time, my answer would be Seremban, because that is where I grew up. But I was born in Sabah, thus I'm technically Sabahan. I have a large family there, and I'm half native. In Sabah, I won't be called a Chinese, even though I bear a Chinese name, and all official documents will classify me as one of Chinese heritage. They would call me "Sino-Kadazan", which means "Chinese-Kadazan", as if the Sinos are all another race by themselves. This reminds me of the Nyonya-Baba race. Maybe "Sino-Kadazans" would one day evolve to be another race on its own as well. Maybe. Maybe not.There are circumstances where acquaintances asked me what I know about Sabah, and I would often tell them the story of Mount Kinabalu. It's one of my favourite myths...
Legend says that at the mountains, there is a precious pearl, and it is beautiful beyond measure. The pearl is known worldwide and many long to claim it as their own. However, the pearl is guarded by a ferocious dragon, and many have been killed trying to retrieve the pearl.
There was once a Chinese prince who came to the lands of Borneo on a small ship, also known as "tongkang". He heard about the pearl, and like many others before him, wants to claim it. Ah, but this prince is far more valiant and brave than any of the rest. To the amazement of many, he successfully killed the dragon and claimed the pearl for himself. Perhaps he was enchanted by the beauty of Borneo and its culture. Perhaps he was a wandering man, one who was always looking for an adventure. I don't know. But after the completion of his mission, he did not return to his native land China. Instead, he stayed in Borneo, and he fell in love with a Kadazan woman. The Kadazan people are the natives of the upper part of Borneo. He stayed there and the Chinese prince married her.
However it is sad to note that the ending of this myth is but a sad, mournful one. Due to homesickness, the prince left his beloved wife. The poets say that love is all you need, but for this Chinese man, his heart loved his land more than his woman. Why he did not take his wife to be with him, no one knows. It's probably because of the vast differences in culture. Maybe they fell in love in the wrong century under the wrong circumstances. No one knows. But he left her, all by herself, carrying his child. After he left, his wife grieved for him every single waking moment of her life. She would often climbed the mountains so that she can view the sea, hoping that she can see her love's "tongkang", coming back into her loving embrace, even when her pregnancy was advanced. One day, she climbed the mountains, but she never came back. Due to extreme sadness, she died at the top of the mountains, and turned into stone. She waited, but he did not come.
When you view the summit of Mount Kinabalu, you will see that it is the shape of a pregnant women lying down. "Kina" means "Chinese". "Balu" means widow. And hence, the mountain was called "Kinabalu", meaning "Chinese Widow."
That is what you will read in tour guides and the Internet when you wonder about the origin of the name "Kinabalu". However, only the natives will tell you an addition to this tale that is far more chilling. Sir Hugh Low was the first man who conquered the mountain. However, there were many people who have died trying to reach the summit. It is normal during those times. Many a man have died in the name of adventure. However, rumours say that most of the people who died trying to climb the summit..were Chinese. Of course, the chances of survival when climbing Mount Kinabalu these days is almost 100%. Many Chinese people have conquered the summit successfully. But who knows about those days before Sir Hugh Low, when climbing this summit was a challenge to all? This is not to scare my fellow Chinese kinsmen, but this is merely what I have heard from my Kadazan family.
Returning to the Land below the Wind...
Labels: comings and goings
