Day 2
*Gets journal* Ooh....this day was the longest day throughout the visit for we went to two different places in one day. First, we visited the 17-acre Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong. Behind this Cultural Village, lies Mt Santubong, which is known locally as 'the pregnant mountain' as from far, it looked like a pregnant woman lying down on her back. Too bad I didn't manage to take any photo of this mountain. Was busy keeping myself shaded while listening to the tour guide. :P [YES I'm vain!! But it was so darn hoooot kay....]
This Cultural Village has houses and longhouses of the races and ethnic tribes of Sarawak. This state has over 20 main tribes and these 20 main tribes has its own sub-tribes. But only longhouses belonging to 5 tribes were displayed here. I guess they are the biggest tribes in the whole state. Oh shoot...I remember Corne did mention about the population of each tribe - from the biggest to the smallest. Hmm, how come I didn't write it down? Anyway, nevermind that. From what I learnt when I was younger, Iban has the biggest population. Then the other 4 tribes are the Bidayuh, Penan, Orang Ulu, and Melanau. The Orang Ulu tribe has its sub-tribes like Kelabit, Kenyah, Punan, and so on. There was also the Malay house and the Chinese farmhouse on display. As the Indians only make up 1% of the entire state, there was no Indian house in the village. LOL. Haha..anyway, you can hardly see any Indian roaming around the town or just anywhere else. Even the cemetery is miserably small. Poor thang :P
Learnt a bit about these 5 tribes but not gonna post it here as it'll make the post super long. Maybe another day. Just take a look on the photos then.
This is the Chinese farmhouse. (Left half) Can't take good photos when you travel with 72 people. They'll just be potential enough to get in your photos.
Entrance to the farmhouse.
Pepper tree. See the camcorder? See what I mean? Sigh....
Pepper processor...Now why on earth did I go so near to take its photo? *silly me....
The altar in front of the entrance. Notice the board with tiny red papers hanging on the wall on the right side? I think that's for fortune telling. You know those times when the devotees will kneel down in front of their god and shake the 'chopsticks' while they mumble something as if begging for something? No offence but I don't really know how to describe it as I dunno much about Buddhism. But yea, I think those red papers are to be read according to the chopsticks. Dunno how they do it tho. Oh, they also have a 'cushion' for them to kneel down when they pray. And this altar belongs to Tua Pek Kong, or as what the Malay tour guide said. Can someone enlighten me about this?
This is the kitchen.
High ceiling for ventilatio purposes. Sarawak's hooott!!!
The bed and the rocking chair...made of wood and rattan.
This is the mill to grind soya beans, which can be made into tofu, fu chuk, and many other kind of food. You know la, Chinese food.
The interior is very similar to the normal Chinese kampung that we usually see. Timber walls, rattan furnitures and an altar dedicated to a Buddhist god in the centre. The unusual thing that I saw in this house was just the bean grinder, baskets hung on a pole [you know those that the ppl would carry them on their shoulder or back and walk around the town to sell their stuffs?], pepper processor [inside and outside the house], and erm....that's about it. Yea. Haha.
Anyway, let's go on to the next house.
The Malay house. Rumah Melayu.
Made from kayu belian or iron wood - the strongest wood found in Borneo.
Quite spacious actually. Nicer than those over here in the Penisula.
Congkak in the middle of the living room. Not allowed to cross over it. Bad bad thing to do. You would have bad luck [or something. Can't remember]. You'd have to cross over it if you have done so...to remove the bad luck...
Forgot the name but it's for the wedding ceremony...persandingan issit? *shrugs*
Believe me....they are really steep....
The attic - where the stairs led to.
Kuih kapit!!
NOTE: Take off your shoes before entering. Part of the Malay culture anyway.
Next house: The Melanau tall house.
Tall: to avoid enemies frm charging in.
Totem pole / jerunai: a tomb for a rich man. Remains kept behind the tomb and his slave crushed underneath. Wait..did I mix them up? I hope not. But yeah, I'm pretty sure this pole is to crush the slave or to hang him on it and let him die a slow death. They believe the deceased slave should follow him to the other world. Eww...imagine..crushed. Fast death.
Note this.
Take a look at this. Practise running down these steps!!
Look how high it is....
And note the flooring upstairs and ceiling for downstairs. The reason for its gaps is so that the Melanaus can pour hot water when the enemies arrived. Cool eh? :P
So high that you can fit a swing underneath. How fun!!
The witch doctor's place. Any sickness, please go to the witch doctor before you proceed to the general doctors.
Boo!!~ The Melanaus have carvings on their walls, called 'belum'. Each carvings represents one disease. Dunno if it's this one. I simply take only. Hahah....looks freaky tho.
Cool bed. Love that intricate carving.
It's really tall. A lot of steps. To enter the main hall, it's a level above. To go to the rooms, another level. Above the rooms, another level of storage. Above it, another one also. Like condo only.
Next: The Orang Ulu Longhouse.
On the way to the Orang Ulu longhouse.
The colourful Orang Ulu.
Also known as the highlanders.
Entering the Orang Ulu longhouse, welcomed by Orang Ulu ladies. Oh by the way, the light brown flower like thingies are bunga jarau. Carved from soft wood as a decorative element. Usually coloured. But I prefer it this way.
Amplified sape!!!!! Not bad eh?
Welcoming dance just for us....aww... :P
Nice hairdo :P It is actually a belief to prevent enemies from chopping their head off from behind.
Skulls hung on the ceiling. Skulls of enemies. Only skulls of the enemies' great leaders can be hung.
The fireplace right underneath the skulls. It is also a belief that the deceaseds' spirits are trapped in their skulls. Thus, the fireplace is created to 'warm' the spirits. This is not the only tribe who keep skulls. So do the Bidayuhs and Ibans. But the Ibans are the greater ones. They are all termed the head hunters but the phrase itself has created a general misinterpretation. They DO NOT hunt for heads [that was the reason west M'sians were afraid of visiting them at first]. During the war expedition, they'd only cut off the enemy's head; and it's ONLY during war.
Really colourful. They are the most colourful ones compared to the other tribes. You see colours, you know they are the Orang Ulus.
The making of sape - a musical instrument by the Orang Ulus.
This is how you play it. Like a guitar...
Jatong Utang - a 12 wood xylophone, Orang Ulu style. Haha...Eazy's caught in the act :P
The Orang Ulus are famous for their fast actions. The roofs are built in portions and joined by using rattan. So if one part of the roof is on fire [since they are made out from nipah], the people would cut off the rattan tied at the joint and the roof would slide down to the foot of the hill.
Next: The Penan Hut.
The Penans are nomadic people. Thus, they do not have a permanent shelter like the other tribes do. Therefore, they have only built huts, rather than houses or longhouses.
The structure for making the blowpipe. About once in every month [I think], the blowpipe, made from iron wood {remember, it's VERY tough}, will be punched in the centre by something [:P]. This is to create the hole in the middle where the 'sumpit' would come out from. Then, the blowpipe would be checked if the 'hole' is straight, by looking through the hole from the bottom. If it's not straight, that blowpipe is wasted and a new has to be constructed. A painstaking job. See how hardworking these people are? Julia....please learn something...-_-" LOL.
Another fella with a cool hairdo. And my!! Don't I look thin?!!?!! Darn...should've worn something more 'clothy' to cover up my bones. But it was seriously sooooo hoootttt!!!!!!! >.<
Bunga terung - a tattoo tapped on both shoulders. Hmm...forgot what it is for. Saw this on TV as well. If not mistaken, it belongs to the Orang Ulu tribe. But today, anyone can have it. Even the mat salleh on TV who went to research on tattoos of Borneo. I remember it from that program, this tattoo was supposed to be ceremonial. Or only important / warriors can have them. *shrugs* Bad memory.
Another one....erm...dunno what's this for but haha...it looks cool.. :P I have a soft spot for curves, swirves, and spirals. So anything that has this kind of design, I'll like it. Sarawak has a LOT. Now you know why I'm in love with this place and its art...*grin*
Oh there was also an area next to the huts for blowpipe demonstration. One dollar for 3 tries. Darn!! I couldn't hit the cans!! -_- Nevermind...........
Next: The Iban Longhouse. Ooooohaa!
This was where we entered - through the ruai / common area.
Interior view of the ruai.
The weaving machine [you know which one], the pua kumbu [ceremonial blanket - nice design!] on the bottom left, and on the wall are the Iban erm... it's something the Iban lady dancers wear on their chests. Don't know what you call it. :P
Woman weaving.
Idols and offering at the entrance. Freaky...~ They look like those paper dolls the Chinese burn for offering during funerals. However, I don't know what these figurines are for. The tour guide didn't mention. It's also possible to scare away or to offer these to the spirits. *shrugs*
The Iban longhouse; view from far...
After so long, I manage to visit an authentic Iban longhouse. Well, this is built according to an authentic one but still, I manage to get a whole different experience compared to the one I've visited in Kapit back in Form 1. That longhouse was built with concrete and it's even double storeyed!!
Anyway, talk about the Ibans. An interesting story to share. The common area/ruai, is where the men would sleep. The women would sleep in the bilik and would spend most of their time weaving in the attic. [Note that the original longhouse does not have a second storey. So when I say attic, it's an attic.] Thus, the women would be no interaction between the men and women. But the women can be seen from the ruai. So, if a man wants to know a particular lady, he would use flute like instrument [you know the one where u blow from the top and you control the notes by pulling the stick in and out at the bottom of the instrument. Dunno what you call it] and send her a nice melody. If she refuses to meet him, she would respond negatively, and the man would HAVE TO leave. No second chance. If she does, she would in return send a sweet melody. On the second night, when everyone is asleep, the man would go into the lady's bilik to get to know her more. Please stop thinking that any sexual activity would happen here because the bilik is not only occupied by the girl, but also by the girl's parents and her sisters. If the girl likes the guy, they would continue the process. Otherwise, the guy would have to leave. No more negotiation. The ladies here rules. ;) On the third day, [or issit at the end of the week?] the guy would go and meet up with the girl's parents and ask for their daughter's hand in marriage/just as friends. As for the dowry, skulls are a must. How great a warrior the guy can be, depends on how many heads he has got back from war expeditions. It would also show how well the guy can protect his family.
Next: The Bidayuh Longhouse
Main house
The Baruk tower - where warriors and bachelors sleep and to look out for enemies. It is supposedly taller than the main house.
You grind the rice gently to remove its hard 'cover' [what do you call that?].
And then you take some rice, put it on this basket, shake shake shake, you'll get the edible rice in the basket.
And this is how you do it....HARD!!!! [but I dunno what is it for :P]
Get it? You were too soft just now. :P [she was so nice!! So cute :P]
A real Bidayuh chief carving from bamboo.
A close up view of the carving process. Can't see much as there wasn't enough light. Or it was still at the beginning of the process.
The attic for storage...
That can fit a swing!!!
Opened for ventilation.
Fireplace in the centre of the Baruk tower....
And as usual...skulls above it. This pic is a bit dark tho....
Criss-cross designed floor again.....to stab enemies below with their spears....
The long drum that goes through the tower. It is used as an alarm system for the village people when the enemy attacks.
See how long it actually is?
The bridge that connects the entrance to the Bidayuh longhouse. We were supposed to use this bridge to go to the longhouse. However, we were brought to enter the village through the other side. Thus, the view was kind of upside down.
Nice bridge.
Huge pandan!!!! LOL.
The walls of the Baruk tower slants. This is to avoid enemies from climbing in easily. As far as I know, the Baruk tower should be much taller than the main house. But the one in the cultural village seems to be almost the same height of the main house. Hmm....wonder why.
The cultural dance was of cos a must when you're at the cultural village.
The Iban tribe.
The Bidayuh.
The Melanau.
The Penan tribe.
The Malays.
And finally....a dance from all tribes and races with the song 'Malaysia, Truly Asia'. Nice voice but somehow it seemed fake. Seemed like she was only lip-synchronizing.
Overall, the performances and the whole exposure was great. In the cultural village, you can actually experience and learn about Sarawak in less than one day. After cultural village, we headed for our first Sarawakian seafood experience in Beach Seafood Restaurant. Not too bad. Just a lil hot. They served us cockles. It was like ewww....:P I hate cockles. Tried eating one. The gravy was ok but I could still taste the cockles' smell. Had another and that's it. Ate other dishes instead. Ash pula ate all the cockles. Almost everyone on our table don't eat cockles 'cept her. She doesn't eat what we eat and she eats what we don't usually eat. Hmm...extraordinary, I'd say. :P No offense, girl.. :)
Yeah...beach. Tha's why it's called Beach Seafood Restaurant. Just 10 minutes drive from the Sarawak Cultural Village.
We headed for the Semenggok Wildlife Sanctuary later on to see the orang utans. Everyone was so excited!! Haha....feeding time was 3pm. I regretted for not going to the loo before I boarded the bus to Semenggok. Once I reached Semenggok, I realised I HAD to go - very urgently. But sadly, to get to the feeding / viewing area, you either have to walk 1km or pay a buck to get onto a tram. We thought we could get onto that van/tram but unfortunately a tree fell and blocked the road. Thus, no cars can pass...'cept for Kancils. We had to WALK!!! I was already soooo urgent....and I still have to walk 1 whole km!! Luckily, a Kancil passed us by and picked us up on the way. KC, Soo Yee, and I practically ran into the forest where you can see the feeding area. That experienced sucked. ONE: I haven't been trekking for a looong time. TWO: I seriously HAD to go and I was still running!! -_-' But I went to the toilet after that. I had to walk OUT from the forest, and then walk UPHILL to the centre where the public toilet was. Sigh. And by the time I went back to the forest, most of my classmates were already there to hog the spaces. -_-' But before I enter, Annie pointed out a female orang utan and her baby on top of a tree nearby. According to Corne, it is very lucky if you'd see at least one orang utan. 'Coz sometimes although the rangers would call out to them, they wouldn't come if they have found food by themselves.
To cut a long story short, we saw the mother and her baby outside, took pictures and was told a male orang utan appeared at the feeding area. We rushed back to the feeding area, and whoa.....he is BIG....he's George, by the way. They usually name the newborns after whoever is famous at the time they were born. Corne mentioned she even heard one of the orang utans is named Siti Nurhaliza. LOL.
So cute!!!!!!!!!! This is Selina and her baby. :)
This is George....of the jungle :P
Picking the right fruit...
And here's looking at ya!!
What a day!! It so exciting to see them!! Oh, they are very much like human. However, they're vegetarian. Sometimes, you can see them munching on soil or sucking on stone or rock. This is to neutralise the toxins in their body. Don't ask me how they know. The orang utans are nomadic. They build their nest on top of a tree [YES, on TOP. They're great architects], but they stay for ONE night only. The next day, they'd look for another tree and start building another nest. Don't ask me why. They're just like that. The size of the male is always twice the size of the female. And the wider the cheek pads are, the more attractive the orang utan is. They are actually very shy animals and won't come near the humans. So you shouldn't go near them too. Sometimes their animal instincts would tell them that humans may want to harm them; and they will start attacking.[I think]. Anyway, the female is just like us. Have her cycle of period EVERY month. No pad. So you can see blood everywhere. LOL. She'll be pregnant for 9 months, just like us. And her baby would stick to her till its 7/8 years old. The interesting part is that when they mate, foreplay is involved. Haha...imagine that :P
We adjourned to the pottery workshop after that. 'Twas so cool. Haha...don't think anyone know I like pottery. Well, not those die hard fan or mad over pottery but I just like it. I had my hands on making one too!! But didn't take any picture. Only took what I did...take a look!!
It's a bowl...I think. I wanted to make a vase but turned out to be a bowl pulak :P
Side view. See the beautiful pot next to mine? Hehe...that was done by the sifoo.... :P
Done by Doris, my lecturer.
Done by Thoong Soo Yee :P So cute....reminds me of IKEA's tealight holder.
We're all amatuers. And what is most embarassing is that I was doing well at first. But when I wanted to cut off the moulded object from the other clay, [they use a string to attached to a small piece of wood to cut] the whole string got stuck in the clay cos I didn't grasp the wood properly!! Man!! How embarrasing....not only my classmates saw but also the AT students. Sigh....but nevermind....whatever :P First timer :P Haha....Finally I got to try moulding something!! I've always wanted to try :) But they don't allow me to take back coz it takes ONE whole day to dry. It was still soft when we were going to leave :(
Anyway, 'twas a great day. Had so much fun in one whole day! Haha....but here ends my blog for this time. Day 3 and 4 will be continued. ;)
For those who are curious, this is kayu belian / iron wood. This one's about 20 years old.
And it's scientific name.
Dinner cum Q&A session with prizes.
Dunno what's this for...tried to look like prom nite? LOL. Hmm....
Sean and Annie. Both Sarawakians. Both my lecturers. Nice picture :)
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