Sape Musical Instrument

The most traditional musical instrument of Sarawak is the sape, pronounced as "sa-peh" which is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu community of the central Borneo. It is traditionally used by the Kenyahs, Kayans and Kelabits tribes but then it was originally from the Kenyahs tribes.

The sape is carved from a bole of white wood which can repels insects which made it a masterpiece of woodcarving. Usually the carver is a musician, hollows out the body of the sape with a similar tools used in boat-building to length of about over a metre, and approximately 40cm wide.

Initially, the sape is almost like a guitar instrument but measured less than a metre, and had only two rattan strings and three frets. But today, the sape is commonly found with three to five strings. The sape was once played solely during healing ceremonies within the longhouses, but gradually became a social instrument that is used as a form of entertainment. Typically, the sape is played while sitting cross-legged on the floor, and it is used to accompany dances for women and men long dance. Example include the Ngajat (warrior dance) and Datun Julud.



When played for Ngajat, two sapes tuned to different the registers of the music. Though the sape is a solo instrument, it is occasionally supported by the other musical instruments such as the jatung ulang (wooden xylophone) and keluai (mouth organ).

Today, the sape has been brought to the attention of music lovers all over the world and it is gradually pulling many younger generation here in Malaysia and the outside world. The modern innovations for example an electrical sape are constantly being thought up.

Megacity

A megacity is usually defined as a metropolitan area with a population in excess of 10 million people. Megacities can be distinguished from global cities by their rapid growth, increased in spatial population density, and also both formal and informal economics, as well as poverty, crime, and high levels of social fragmentation. In the year 2000, there were 18 megacities conurbations for example Tokyo, New York City, and Mexico City which had more than 10 millions people. The largest megacity is the Greater Tokyo Area. The population of this urban agglomeration includes areas such as Yokohama and Kawasaki. The population grew rapidly because the people can gained more benefits from a megacity just like Tokyo. There are many criteria to show that Tokyo is a megacity. For example, Tokyo has two major airports that is Tokyo International Airport and Narita International Airport. Also, the Greater Tokyo Area has an extensive railway network comprising high-speed rail, commuter rails, subways, monorails, private lines, trams and others. Now, there are around 136 individual rail lines in the Greater Tokyo Area. In Tokyo, many people can find jobs to make a living. Hence, it can be said quite a few people have problem living in Tokyo.

Indigenous People

There are many type of indigenous people in the world. For example in Malaysia, there is a tribe which many call them "orang Kenyah" in Sarawak. They are indigenous people in Sarawak and also near Indonesian Borneo, group also with the Kayan under the general name Bahau. In the late 20th century, the Kenyah people were reported only 23,000. Until now, there some of Kenyah people still live near river headwaters.They are closed association with the Kayans, with whose culture they have much in common but through the languages is a bit different with the Kenyahs. Traditionally the Kenyahs economy is based on their cultivation of dry rice in jungle clearings. The forest is cut and burned, and the rice is planted among the ashes. The Kenyahs also have many villages where each villages have their own leader. The village often consists of only one communal house up to 400 yards long, built on piles, with a row of family rooms at the back and a wide covered veranda that serves as a general working space and village street. Originally, they were headhunters in the past. Since the British invasion, the Kenyahs change their way of hunting for heads because many of the Kenyahs became Christian. However, most of their traditional custom still remain and carried on generation by generation. For example, the Kenyahs warrior dance still remain especially in Sarawak. However, generation by generation most of the Kenyahs traditional custom is bit by bit forgotten because of the modern style now. That is why many Kenyahs separate into smaller groups but then they are still visible and can be found mostly in Sarawak.

Religous & Mythological tattoo

Traditional tattoo were etched with primitive tolls and henna ink. Getting a tattoo used to be dangerous,risky prosess, possbility for infection and disease was not as widely known. In 1876 the first electric tattoo machine were made.

Traditional religous tattoo styles are crosess and verses from holy scripture, chinese yin-yang simbols and native American hunting and animal symbols for good luck in battle, life beyond are also frequently use religous tatto stlye, and the traditional tattoo used the blue black colour. But, Muslim for instance, believe that tattoo marks on the body connote spiritual impurity.

Now, the modern tattoo widely appealing cultural artisticand social form, and has been created to be an exotic, primitive flavour, and theatrical tattoos for specific characters examples is tribal tattoo, memory, kanji tattoos and others..

Media Technology Affects

The media is the main ways that large numbers of people receive information and entertainment, that is television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. Media technology has it's good affects and bad affects. In this modern era, many people uses Internet media for their own purposes like for example searching for information, doing research, chatting, and also playing games.

The Internet is an international computer network connecting other networks and computer from companies, universities, and others. Nowadays, the Internet is popular among the society especially youths. They believe that the Internet bring numerous advantages in this era. In my opinion, there is no doubt that the Internet has good influences in improving people's knowledge. It also keeps everyone informed everyday. Plus, the Internet can also help us to learn more about culture, history, geography, science, and others through the abundance source on the Internet.

However, over use of computer may brings the bad physical effects. For example, some people harm their eyes by sitting in front of the screen for a long time without rest. Furthermore, the Internet also separate us from the real world. We can communicate with friends and family through MSN, Myspace, Yahoo, or Facebook instead of going out with family or meeting friends. Therefore, we can lose our sensibilities in relationship and also having a difficulty in real communication. In additions, a lot of websites contain erroneous information, violent, sexy films, and videos. In conclusion, besides from improving our knowledge i think that the internet media technology has increasingly affect in a bad ways both physical and emotions to us.

Emotions

Emotion is the part of a person’s character that consists of feelings, thoughts, and behaviour. Emotions can be subjectively experienced from an individual point of view. People often behave in their own certain ways as a direct result from their emotional state such as crying, happy, fighting, frustrating, angry, or sad. However, anyone that have their emotion without the corresponding behaviour then we can consider their behaviour is not essential to the emotion. Emotions can motivate us to act and keep us working hard to settle differences and also reconcile important conflicts with people. Besides that, emotion also plays a role for a good communication. This is because by showing any emotions to our listeners or speakers, they might get the message by just looking at our emotions. Furthermore, by expressing our emotions in constructive way and at an appropriate time in any negotiation, we can gain important information and learn better in a good communication.

An angry employee emotion

A sad little girl emotion

Effective Communication

Effective communication is the activity of expressing ideas and feelings or giving people information. Listening and speaking is important for a good communication during our daily life. It is useful for listener to have the same understanding as the speakers. Plus, learning non-verbal communication such as body language and facial expression is also important depends on the situation. Active listening is a good technique for an effective communication. An active listener will understands and give the speaker time to think as well to talk. So, be an active listener because it can make us a successful communicator.

Emo Life

What is Emo exactly???

Emo is a slang term used to describe or refer to the fashion, attitude or overall subculture linked to post hardcore fashion and its subculture. Emo may also describe a genre of music. It is also used to identify someone fitting a particular emo stereotype, or of being over emotional.
The Personality
Most definitions of emo hold that an emo person is emotionally candid, sensitive, introverted, quiet, shy and glum when referring to a person's personality and attitude. Sad, depressed and heart broken are often used to describe the emo personality. Emo music and poetry often describes unrequited love, emotional and relationship problems, suicide and death. Attention seeking and over dramatic is also associated with being emo.

Fashion
By practically all current definitions, Emo clothing consists of tight jeans or skinny's on both males and females, long side fringes which are brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes, dyed black, straightened hair often with a patch of red or pink, tight t- which often bear the names of emo bands, belt buckles, studded belts, canvas sneakers which are usually converse brand or skate shoes or other black shoes, if they wear glasses, they will often be thick, black horn-rimmed glasses. The Emo fashion is also starting to include tattoo's, Stretched ears and other facial piercing's. Emo kids might also wear eyes make up and accessories like wrist bands and bandanas.

Breast Cancer in Malaysia

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast, usually in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules, These variations have been attributed to variations in body size, diet, reproductive characteristics such as age of menarche (first period in females), parity (number of children), age at first childbirth, and age at menopause. The incidence rates also vary with race,

The incidence (number of new cancers) is steadily increasing. The statistics are more frightening in countries like the Malaysia

Breast Cancer in Malaysia – the stark facts

Breast cancer was the commonest overall cancer as well as the commonest cancer in women amongst all races from the age of 20 years in Malaysia for 2003 to 2005.
Breast cancer is most common in the Chinese, followed by the Indians and then, Malays.
Breast cancer formed 31.1% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in women in 2003-2005.

The primary risk factors that have been identified are sex, age, childbearing, hormones,a high-fat diet,alcohol intake,obesity and environmental factors such as tobacco use, radiation and shiftwork.However, studies of environmental and lifestyle factors only attribute a small increase in breast cancer to each factor.

The most cases in breast cancer causes of :

• 
  Personal history of breast cancer: A woman who had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting cancer in her other breast.
  



• Family history: A woman's risk of breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer.



• The risk is higher if her family member got breast cancer before age 40. Having other relatives with breast cancer (in either her mother's or father's family) may also increase a woman's risk.
  



• Certain breast changes: Some women have cells in the breast that look abnormal under a microscope. Having certain types of abnormal cells (atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS]) increases the risk of breast cancer.
  



• Race: Breast cancer is diagnosed more often in Caucasian women than Latina, Asian, or African American women.
  



• No physical activity: Women who are physically inactive throughout life may have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being active may help decrease risk.
  



• Tamoxifen may interact unfavorably with certain antidepressants when used for prevention of breast cancer recurrence.

Fly! Sumazau Fly!

Traditional dance is an art that can attract a big crowd. Sabah has its fair share of traditional dances which includes ritual dances as well as modern ones. Like other states, Sabah is rich in traditional dances.
Among the most popular and well-known traditional dances are the sumazau.

This type of dance is one of the most well known traditional dances in Sabah as well as throughout Malaysia. It belongs to the Kadazandusun tribe. This ritual dance serves varied functions such as thanksgiving for bountiful paddy planting and harvesting, prayer against evil spirits, honouring the spirits as well as to cure illness. The movement and rhythm of this dance is elegantly soft and slow.

The dancers, male and female, will face each other, move their feets in small movements and move their heels up and down to the beat of the music. While dancing the dancer will spread up their hands and move it up and down just like a bird spreading their wings to fly. The Sumazau is usually performed during festive occasions and gatherings.