I AM THE BORNEO EXPLORER 婆罗洲探险者: December 2005

Sibu, Sarikei trip - I miss my bed

Just came back from Sibu, and Sarikei. Now there’s only one word to describe “TIRED”. I hate to go to small town, but what to do, I need to eat, I need to pay my bills, I need to pay my loan, and I need money.

Is been raining since morning, and I was worried that my flight will delay on that morning. But luckily everything goes well, after 30 minutes later, I reach Sibu. And straight away follow my co-worker to Sarikei. There is no airport at Sarikei, so we go by land. In the car I had done my planning already, for tonight no choices as I need to had dinner with the management, but tomorrow morning, I can had my own meal. I want to eat the “kan pua” noodles, is too delicious.

Most of the people at Sibu, and Sarikei they speak the “foo chou” dialect, I’m not very good at foo chou, but at lest I can understand what they’re saying. For me I think foo chou is the hardest dialect to learn among all the Chinese dialect.

After a few days at Sarikei, finally my work is done. My company had book the last flight back to Kuching for me, and it was not good at all. The rain pour heavily, I worried that my flight might be cancel. Please let me go back, I miss my bed, and I don’t want to stay here another day. I start praying in the airport, until I hear the friendly announcement, *ding dong* calling for MH2719, from Sibu to Kuching. Please proceed to bla bla bla...*ding dong*. Oh thank god!!! I can go back.

While I was at Sibu airport, there are a lot of Malay people. Then I just remember that Hari Raya Qurban is just next month, and now most of them are going to Mekka for pilgrimage. I chat with the uncle sitting next to me, and he told me that he is a retire government servant. This is the first time he went to Mekka, and it cost him around 20k for the whole trip. The route is about 9 hours from Kuala Lumpur to Mekka. It will be good, cause when Raya Qurban it is a public holiday. Means I can zzzz at home =P

I was ordered to go to Sibu, and Sarikei

Need to board the ferry to cross the river, opposite is Sarikei.

So after the bridge is complete, will be more convenience, as no need to wait for the ferry.

Off duty for Christmas

My lunch, fried mee. The portion of large, but is cost very cheap.

my drink, white maize. My food and drink only cost me RM3.50, very cheap.

Perfect! At the back of the Inn I live, is a grave yard.

The next morning, search for “kan pua” noodle

The boss asked me “xia no miang?”, I reply “nu pung ngui kan pua shok wa.”

Hot Milo

and the boss had cook me a plate of “kan pua” just like what I ordered

The soup is free.

At Sibu airport was crowded with Malay friends.

All with the same destination, Mekka.

Finally I can go home.
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Good night guys, I’m very tired now, and I need to get some rest. See you all after Christmas…

Star Rainforest Movie Festival @ Sarawak Cultural Village. Let the show begins ;)

The two hours for visiting the culture village is really not enough for me. But the curtains goes up at 7pm, I don’t want to miss out the starting ceremony. The screen is been setup at the stage of culture village, in the middle of the forest. There is a booth that sells a lot of movie merchandise, not just that we can also took our photo with Speiderman, and Master Yoda.

The Nokia booth are just beside the merchandise booth, we can have our photo been printed out free of charge. The Nokia model will use the Nokia N70 to shoot and print out for us. Talk about the Nokia models, they are really pretty, fluent in both Chinese and English, with long hair and fair skin. Ok, Ok, back to our movie. Beside that there are also food stalls that sell burger, French fried, wafer, noodles, rice, drinks, and many more.

If it's rain, the organizer also setup a backup cinema at the hall near the open-air stage. But very lucky that night the weather is just fine, the respond was very good as well. after the first part of the movie finish, we all clap hands. But that night the mosquito are very happy, cause all of a sudden so many fresh blood to drink. Until today I still feel a bit itch on the mosquito bites.

It is a very good experience on watching movie on such environment, but next time I hope that they will show new movies instead of the old one. LOTR 1 – 3 a total of 9 hours, is quite long.

Behold, the first ever cinema in a rainforest at Kuching

Spiderman and Wilson (Me)

Jing, Master Yoda, and Wilson (Me)

Various kind of movie merchandise. There is King Kong, Garfield, Fantastic Four, Kung Fu Hustle, Zoro 2, National Treasure, Pirate of the Caribbean, Lizzy Mc Guire, and etc.

this is when they are just about to setting up all the food stalls

Good weather, good business.

This is where the backup cinema, so if its raining. We all have to shift here instead of outdoor.

First time I actually saw a movie projector with my own eyes.

Starts to get dark, before the movie started the master of ceremony had given us some information if something happens during the movie.

Our snack and drinks

The tent with the orange roof is where the movie projector was.

We sit quite far away from the screen, but the vision is still ok, but the sound is not that clear.

Our late night supper, a very late night supper.

what to eat? With so many choices to make?

Jing had treat me a wafer. After having the wafer I just know that peanut butter had a very high cholesterol, I must eat less next time.

I had a good time there, if they organize again next year, and if the movie is new I will come again.

Star Rainforest Movie Festival @ Sarawak Cultural Village, Part seven of Seven

When visiting along houses by houses, there are also many sculpt work from various sculptor.

Sculptor: Mathew Ngau Jau, Date: 12 April, 2003 – 10 May, 2003.

Bali Intiang Sideng Sinan (Sand Stone). Mathew depicts his people’s traditional motifs, the acestors are the people who guards the community, in the stone. Born in Long Semiang, Baram Sarawak, Mathew is a wood carver and a musician. Mathew had gone solo and joint exhibitions in Australia, Germany, France, Japan, and Taiwan.

Bbehind the two stone sculpture, there is this one tall trunk standing next to the lake. It didn’t have any sign on who the sculptor is.

Here a close up on the tall trunk, it looks like a Ulu people traditional crafting

A quiet lake at the culture village.

Sculptor: Raj Thiagarajan, Date: 12 April, 2003 – 10 May, 003

Mask (Granite). This scholar-artist sees many features in common between the tribal masks of India, Africa and Borneo. “People out on their mask so others may not see their real selves”. Raj designs his stone from Tamil Nadu, Dakshinachitra craft village where the stone carving is an on going tradition.

Sculptor: Ravinder Bhardwaj, Date: 12 April, 2003 – 10 May, 003

Seed (Granite). Ravinder textures the rock to bring it out of the surface and colors in some of his works with a high polish convey and illusion of lightness. The illipenut seed actually “flies” before embedding itself in the ground and sprouting to new life. Born in India, teaches at National School of Drama, Art and Design in New Delhi that captures botanical forms in stone.

This is the Malay house, when reach here it was almost time for the movie to start. So I don’t have enough time to capture details photos on the house.

Sculptor: Adam Barnes, Date: 12 April, 2003 – 10 May, 003

Caterpillar (Stand Stone). Adam is an artist in the hands on tradition. The son of a blacksmith specializing in traditional wrought iron furniture and fittings learnt that the craft of smiting.

Stonework and pottery from artist and craftsmen in the adeleide area. He spends some time at art college but he generally design while he works.

Star Rainforest Movie Festival @ Sarawak Cultural Village, Part six of Seven

My last stop is the Chinese people. When the Chinese first come to Sarawak most of them are farmer, they grow white paper, coco, and vegetables. The Chinese are very hardworking, and very good in doing business. So that’s why until today Chinese are still very calculative.

Chinese like red, red means good luck, and it can scare away the demons. Some of the Chinese did put antithetical couplet on both side of the main door, this is to hope to get a good fortune for the whole year. That day when I visit the cultural village, most of the door was lock. That includes this Chinese home, too bad.