Doc Ahmad Hajiri

By Ahmad Musahari asmusahari@gmail.com Following my post on “The hidden beauty of Sulu”, a number of friends have appreciated the great scenes Sulu has. (That was my goal, from the beginning!) And I am happy for that. I became happier when some ‘new’ friends had emailed me asking information on how to reach the island and some had thought of the intention of paying my little homeland a visit. They want to witness those fascinating scenes with their own eyes! And then comes their inevitable curiosity about the “safety” of going to Sulu. ‘IS IT STILL SAFE TO VISIT YOUR PLACE?’, ‘SHOULD I WEAR TANDUNG/TURUNGS?’, ‘DO TAUSUGS UNDERSTAND ENGLISH?’, and an endless list of questions. So I end up doing this list of helpful and friendly TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME TOURISTS to SULU ISLANDS. I hope this would help the people out there and let a ‘new light’ penetrate their minds. Indeed Sulu is more peaceful that what the NEWS say. See you in SULU! WHAT TO BRING: The Basics, of course!

NOW WHERE TO GO? (The most exciting one) Of course, the reason behind going on a tour to Sulu is to TOUR IT—what else? So here are some helpful tips you might want to put in your checklist and some of the breath-taking landmarks you can find only here in this small island of Sulu. So after finding a good place to stay and after deciding how many days you’ll spend in Sulu, the next step is ‘Where to go’. And here we go! Ask the authorities first. If you don’t know where to start, try visiting the Provincial Capitol first. There are a lot of things they know that is not in this list. So that is my first tip. (By the way, a visit to the Provincial Park would be a good start for your adventure. It is already a pride of Sulu. But if you already found the ‘someone’ I am referring earlier (the tourist guide, and someone you REALLY know), there no need troubling yourself. Start the journey ahead! Be sure it is safe! Of course your safety is still your priority. You won’t enjoy the

Bismillah. Isang araw, palakad-lakad siya sa daan at lingid sa lahat ang kanyang pinagdadaanan. Palakad-lakad lang siya at hindi inaalintana ang mga nagraragasang mga dyip at ang mga nag-uunahang mga tao na tila nagkakarera. Abalang-abala ang lahat sa kani-kanilang mga patutunguhan, ayaw mahuli sa trabaho; ayaw mahuli sa pasukan sa eskwela; at ni isa sa kanila hindi nakapansin sa kanya. Ngunit siya ay palakad-lakad lang,din, hindi alam kung saan patutungo. Huminto siya at nagmasid sa kanyang kapaligiran. "Ano ba to?" naisip niya, "Bat ba ang bilis-bilis ng mga tao dito?" Maya-maya pa ay narinig na niya ang tunog ng kanyang lalamunan. Gutom na pala siya. Isinuksok niya ang kanyang kamay sa kanyang bulsa, umaasang may mahanap na mga barya pambili ng makain. Suksok sa kanang bulsa. Walang laman. Suksok sa kaliwang bulsa. Wala rin. Suksok sa dalawang bulsa ng pantalon sa likuran. Wala talaga.  "Paano ba yan," sabi niya sa hangin na tila kinakausap