09 April 2010

Guntalou- neighbour oh neighbour




The word guntalou keeps haunting me since yesterday. It means "coward" or to a lesser extent, "not very brave" in Dusun. Well, not referring to myself. It's kind of funny in an annoying way actually. A neighbour, apparently unhappy with my son and nephews left an "angry note" in my mailbox yesterday. The note says that my son had been tormenting her daughter's kitten on the road the other day when I wasn't at home, and that she (or he?) was looking out from the window, and that if that happens again, s/he will take action and that KAMU AKAN TAHU "you will know".




There was no name or address written on the note. Understandably, the neighbour was angry. So I interrogated my son and nephews. They admitted to being naughty i.e to let the puppy of my nephews chase after the kitten. Sternly I gave them a lecture on animal cruelty and ordered them to apologise to the little girl soon. Kids being kids, they didn't even know 'which little girl'. My cousin, the nephew's Dad took his eldest son (that's my nephew who's sort of the ring leader of the boys) knocking on people's doors to find out who the angry neighbour was and to apologise last night.




Well, I know the boys are wrong, and I do feel that they really should apologise and learn not to be too playful to the extent of tormenting animals. And of course I'm going to make sure that I remind them of this every now and then. But dear neighbour, I wish s/he talked to me in a more direct manner. At least give me a name and an address so I can do the right thing. Instead, here I am left with the thought that somebody is being so guntalou...

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

...testing guntalou

Verone said...

looks like the comment section works now :-) yeah!

Anonymous said...

bah guntalau....

GladysDavid said...

Hi! Funny neighbor you have there LOL. Mengugut lagi tu tapi bertapuk XD

Verone said...

Hi Gladys,
yup :-) Trying to make peace wth them tapi ndak tau sama sepa hehe

smallkucing said...

Yay! your comments section ok already

weird neighbour. Why give surat layang?

I think maybe not written by adult. Maybe by kids..the little girl's sister/brother.If adult, would have confronted you already.

Verone said...

smallkucing- come to think of it, very possible. Maybe written by a protective big sibling...good lesson for my boys :-)

Lee said...

Hi Verone, ha ha, kids will be kids, and yes, I fully agree with you the neighbour should have paid you a courtesy call, minum kopi and bring up the subject.
I bet it was a man.

This reminds me of one time, I had neighbour problems...one of my neighbours threw their garbage into my garbage bin. Dua hari!

I then hung up a 4' X 3' cardboard on the tree outside my house with very large words, "If I catch you throwing your garbage in my garbage bin, I will personally take out all your teeth"! Signed my house number.

And for 3 evenings I sat outside my house with my 3 feet long Manau rattan cane....everybody passing my house slowed down to read. Those who knew me laughed greeting me.

Nobody threw anymore garbage in my bin after that, ha ha.
Have a nice day, Lee.

Verone said...

Uncle Lee, you did that! Hahaha...that's so funny. Keeps the neighbourhood clean too...hmm I wonder why u think it was a man...:-)

TataJane said...

hahahah...i know you was so mad with little Noel, but think of it, it was cute! Ha ha ha..

I really can imagine his unsatisfied face to have to knock all doors..ha ha ha cute cute!

Verone said...

Tata, sakit jantung jugalah sekejap :-) Boys are indeed so different from girls...more challenging to raise- in that sense. But ya, funny jugalah LOL.

jew said...

...and it reminds me of me myself back in 1984/85..i killed our late ama's kitten...well, it was an accident tapi pasal main2 sama kucing juga la..hehehe

Verone said...

see it runs in the family...mimang jajal...