Borneo Archives | Page 33 Of 36

Take in the view of Padas river from Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin

Published on August 23, 2018

Travel

If you are looking for the perfect view of Padas river, look no further than Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin in Tenom, Sabah. Padas river which flows past Tenom from Long Pasia, south of Sabah, is famous for white water rafting.

The rafting route is 30km long, making it the longest rafting route in East Malaysia to date. It has also been recognised as one of the best and safest rapids in Southeast Asia.

Take in the view of Padas river from Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin — A view of Padas river from the highest viewing point of Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin.

No rafting, only Fatt Choi Coffee

At Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin, you may not get the thrills of the Padas river but you can experience the beauty of its view.

Beside Yit Foh, Fatt Choi is one of the famous brands of Tenom coffee.

The coffee cabin is located not far from its factory at Jalan Tenom Lama which comes with affordable lodging, eatery and viewing platform.

It makes the perfect spot to hang out with friends, drinking a cup of local java while enjoying the view for Padas river.

The place might be too hot and humid for a visit during the noon and it is not air-conditioned but visitors can always cool themselves down with a cup of cold coffee.

Established in 1987, this brand of Tenom coffee products include white coffee, cinnamon coffee, black coffee and many more.

The best part of Fatt Choi brand is it has a cafe located at Tenom town offering freshly brewed coffee.

So if you are looking for westernised coffee drinks such as Americano, cappuccino, latte and mocha in Tenom, you can find them at TFC Coffee.

The cafe also serves cakes, waffles and sandwiches as well as cozy environment to relax.

10 things you should know about the Bryde’s whale skeleton at Sabah Museum

Published on August 17, 2018

Travel

When you step into the Sabah Museum, the first thing that greets you is a gigantic whale skeleton.

What type of whale is it? Where did they get it from? Are there alot of whale sightings off the coast of Sabah? Perhaps these are the questions that come to your mind as you look at this enormous skeleton.

Here at KajoMag, we summarised 10 things you should know about the Bryde’s whale skeleton at Sabah Museum:

1. This whale was first found stranded on Dec 14, 2006.

On that day, a group of fishermen found this cetacean stranded near Kampung (village) Lok Urai, Gaya island around 11pm.

Within 12 hours after it was first spotted, a rescue mission was launched by teams from the Fisheries Department, Wildlife Department, Sabah Parks, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), NGOs and members of the public.

However, the tide was too low for the rescue team to pull the poor creature back to the ocean. Rescuers had to constantly pour seawater on its body to keep it hydrated.

2. The whale was back to the sea the next day.

By Dec 15 at 7.30pm, the team had succeeded in pulling the whale back into the sea. Nonetheless, the then Sabah Fishery Department director, Rayner Stuel Galid raised concerns that the whale might return to its stranding spot.

3. The marine mammal was found dead on Dec 17, 2006.

True enough, the animal was found dead near its stranding spot at Gaya Island. The initial plan was to bury it but there was no suitable location.

4. Its supposedly final resting place was decided.

The carcass was towed to Stomai Rock, somewhere between Pulau Tiga and Gaya Island. Then, it was anchored about 60 to 70m deep into the sea to allow it to decompose naturally.

5. The then Sabah chief minister wanted the whale to be preserved.

Later on Dec 19, then chief minister of Sabah, Musa Aman instructed the Fisheries Department to work together with Sabah Museum Department, Sabah Parks and UMS to conserve the whale’s bones.

6. The whale was back on land on Dec 20.

A team was deployed to bring back the carcass from where it was anchored. They put a giant fishing net to wrap the carcass so that the skeleton remained intact during the process.

7. The ‘deboning’ process begins on Dec 21.

The tedious process of separating the bones from the carcass lasted a few days.

It took about 35 people to work round the clock on the carcass starting from its tail. They also dug three enormous holes at Fishery Station Menggatal to bury the whale’s flesh and organs.

8. The whale skeleton was handed to Sabah Museum on Christmas eve 2006.

The team officially handed the whale skeleton to Sabah Museum on Dec 24, just 10 days after it first found stranded.

9. The identity of the whale is Bryde’s whale.

The whale was identified as Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni). It was 20.6m long and weighed around 22 to 26 tonnes.

The Kadazandusun people of Sabah call it luulumbo.

According to UMS researchers, approximately 20 species of marine mammals have been recorded in Sabah waters.

The state’s various ecosystems like its coral reefs, mangrove, estuaries and sea grass provides habitats and food resources for these animals, leading to a high number of species found in Sabah.

10. Sabah has the highest number of whale stranding cases in Malaysia.

The Bryde’s whale at Sabah Museum was not the only stranded cetacean in the state.

In 2012, it was reported Sabah recorded the highest number of whale stranding cases as well as whale sightings compared to other states since the 1970s.

Additionally, Sabah also has the longest coastline in Malaysia. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on the west, Sulu Sea on the northeast and Celebes Sea on the southeast regions.

There are many factors that could contribute to whale stranding such as natural causes due to sickness or old age or military sonar.

However, the reason for this statistic in Sabah is still not scientifically known.

From Yang di-Pertua Negara to Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah: How did that happen?

Published on August 15, 2018

Culture

When Sabah, or back then known as North Borneo, agreed to join the Malaysian federation, they came up with a list of 20 points.

The terms in what was called the 20-point agreement were drawn to safeguard the rights and autonomy of Sabah upon joining the federation.

Point number 18 stated that the head of state was to be called ‘Yang di-Pertua Negara’.

From Yang di-Pertua Negara to Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah: How did that happen? — The 20-point agreement drawn by Sabahans.

Who is the ‘Yang di-Pertua Negara’ and what does it mean?

Yang di-Pertua Negara was the official title of ceremonial governor in Sabah. It means ‘head of state’ in Malay.

Apart from Sabah, Malaysian states without hereditary monarchs include Penang, Malacca and Sarawak which also have governors instead.

The office of the head of state is a renewable four-year term position in Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy system.

They are also the members of the Conference of Rulers, a council made of nine rulers of the Malay states and the governors.

Unlike the Malay rulers or Sultans, however, governors cannot vote for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (king), the ruler who will also function as the Head of Islam in their respective states.

How the title of Yang di-Pertua Negara in Sabah was abolished

Under Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia, the term governor was abolished and replaced with Yang di-Pertua Negeri on Aug 27, 1976.

Prior to 1976, Penang, Malacca and Sarawak had been using the title ‘Governor’ in English and ‘Yang di-Pertua Negeri’ in Malay. Meanwhile, Sabah’s head of state was called Yang di-Pertua Negara in both languages.

With the implementation of Article 160, Sabah could no longer use the title of Yang di-Pertua Negara.

So, Yang di-Pertua Negara or Yang di-Pertua Negeri? What’s the difference?

‘Negara’ means country or nation in Malay while ‘negeri’ means state.

Some argued the change of title demoted Sabah from a country to a state. They also saw it as a breach of the 20-point agreement.

It was clearly stated in Malaysian Agreement 1963, “There shall be a Head of State for Sabah, to be called the Yang di-Pertua Negara, who shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acting in his discretion but after consultation with the chief minister.”

Additionally, Sabah’s first Yang di-Pertua Negara Datu Mustapha Datu Harun referred to Sabah as a country during his message on Malaysia Day, Sept 16, 1963.

He was quoted saying, “Let us pray for God’s blessing in our beloved country, Sabah Maju Jaya!”

The battle between the Constitution of Malaysia and the Malaysia Agreement

The Constitution of Malaysia was previously known as the Constitution of Malaya. Back then, it was brought into force over the Federation of Malaya (then made up of 11 states) when it achieved independence from the British colony on Aug 31, 1957.

When the Malaysian federation was formed on Sept 16, 1963, the constitution name was changed from Constitution of Malaya to the Constitution of Malaysia.

It was then implemented in Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore before the last went separate ways and became the independent island nation it is today.

With this, combined with the simple name change in the title of the constitution from Malaya to Malaysia, some argued the establishment of Malaysia was not a creation of a new nation but simply the addition of new ‘states’.

Meanwhile, the Malaysia Agreement was signed by the United Kingdom, Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. This made it an international agreement that could not and cannot be amended by Malaysian parliament.

The result of that agreement was Malaysia Act 1963, an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom.

The Act made provisions for a union named Malaysia which consisted of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore with the existing states of the Federation of Malaya.

Many parties argued that Sabah, along with Sarawak should be called ‘negara’ making their heads of state Yang di-Pertua Negara.

Adding on to that, Sarawak and Sabah received their independence from the British on July 22, 1963 and Aug 31, 1963 respectively. Hence, they were technically a self-governing nations before forming the Malaysian federation on Sept 16, 1963.

Furthermore, the head of state of Sabah was called “Yang di-Pertua Negara” from 1963 to 1976.

If Sarawak and Sabah were meant to be just mere states, not equal partners with Malayan federation to form Malaysia, one might ask why did it take 13 years to realise that ‘negara’ actually meant country in Malay?

How did Sabah and Sarawak get downgraded from their sovereign status to a state?

It all comes down to an act passed in parliament on Aug 27, 1976 which saw an amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution. Through Act A354 Section 2, Sarawak and Sabah became downgraded from regions that had equal rights with Peninsular Malaysia to being just one of 13 states in Malaysia.

A revealing press release by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in 2016 states how the parliamentarians of the time were mistaken in voting for the status downgrade, and how being designated as a state instead of one of the three founding partners has short-changed Sabah and Sarawak in terms of oil royalty and federal financial allocations.

It has long been a source of discontent for East Malaysians, so much so in its mission to create equity across Malaysia, it was included in Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto under Pillar 4: Return Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded by the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

In July 2018, it was revealed that the Minister’s Cabinet had agreed to the formation of a special cabinet committee on the enforcement of the Malaysian Agreement 1963. The special committee will comprise representatives from the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak who have expertise in the matter.

A media statement from Bandar Kuching MP Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen on 20 July 2018 outlines how this special committee will be working on restoring these rights:

The committee will study and propose corrective measures in relation to the following matters:

The status of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 in the context of current legislation;
Efforts to improve the people’s understanding towards the Malaysia Agreement 1963 through the education system;

Implementation of the concept of federalism across the three territories – Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak;
The rights of Sabah and Sarawak to natural resources as well as oil and gas;
Administrative matters that can be delegated to the states;
The amount of allocation that is within the rights of Sabah and Sarawak; and

Amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution.

With efforts going in the direction of Sabah and Sarawak’s rights being restored, some people conjecture it’s still a long road ahead before both former territories see their pre-1976 status restored.

Read about Malaysia Act 1963 here.

It’s all about classic coffees and cute chalets at Yit Foh Factory, Tenom

Published on August 13, 2018

Travel

The moment you step onto the grounds of Yit Foh Coffee Factory in Tenom, the smell of freshly roasted coffee immediately greets you.

Located about 170km from the Sabah capital of Kota Kinabalu, the town of Tenom is synonymous with coffee.

It’s all about classic coffees and cute chalets at Yit Foh Factory, Tenom — The town of Tenom is synonymous with coffee.

About Yit Foh Coffee Factory

Yit Foh Coffee Factory, also known as Yit Foh Tenom Coffee, is the oldest coffee manufacturer in Sabah.

Founded in 1960 by Yong Loong Vun, the factory still produces coffee grounds the traditional way by roasting the beans over a wood fire.

Visitors can visit the factory shop where you can look for various Yit Foh coffee products.

If you are a purist, you can purchase packages of coffee powder and make your own drinks.

But they also sell coffee sachets such as kopi O (black coffee with without sugar), kopi O 2 in 1 (black coffee with sugar), cafe latte 3 in 1 (coffee with sugar and creamer) and cafe latte 2 in 1 (coffee with creamer).

Other products are white coffee, cafe au lait, oat cereal, teh tarik kaw and three types of drip coffee; Americano coffee, Italiano and Java Mandheling.

When it comes to staying in Tenom town, however, there’s not much choice when it comes to accommodation.

But if you are willing to stay about five minutes outside the town, how about staying near a coffee factory at Yit Foh Coffee Cottage.

It has a longhouse style cabin, deluxe chalet and family hut and each room is named after a type of coffee beverage. How cute is that?

Having a meal at Kafe Robusta

Even if you are not staying overnight, drop in on Kafe Robusta and have a meal.

They serve soto (chicken or beef soup), bakso (meatball served in soup with noodle), rojak (beef noodle in peanut gravy), laksa (spicy noodle soup) and other rice dishes at affordable prices.

Plus, you can order one of Yit Foh product to complement your meal.

If you are visiting Tenom for the first time, your visit to Sabah’s coffee capital is incomplete without a visit to the oldest coffee producer.

Top 3 Sabah fermented foods you must try before you die

Published on August 2, 2018

Travel

Located in the northern part of Borneo island, the Malaysian state of Sabah has its own distinct cuisine different from other states in the country.

Thanks to its multiracial population just like its neighbouring state of Sarawak, Sabah offers various ingredients and style of food preparation.

One of the famous ways they have of preparing food is by fermenting with salt, a similar method to making pekasam (Malaysian fermented food).

When you take a walk through any of their local markets you will find fermented food sold in all sorts of different sizes.

Besides the local market, you can also find them at the roadside stalls along the road from Kota Kinabalu to Ranau or Keningau.

If you are up for it, here are top 3 Sabah fermented foods you must try before you die. We warn you; they are not for the faint-hearted because of their strong smell and flavours.

1. Pickled Tuhau

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmsM-7FEmp4

The least threatening of all three Sabah fermented foods is pickled tuhau. Tuhau is a type of wild ginger scientifically known as Etlingera coccinea.

The edible part of this ginger is the inner sheath of the shoot. Chop it up and mix it with chives, chilli peppers, salt, sugar and vinegar.

It is usually served as a side dish with hot rice. You can also whisk in some tuhau with eggs to make an omelette.

2. Pickeled bambangan

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlnEZz9nLyO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bambangan (Mangnifera pajang) is an endemic fruit only found in Borneo. The fruit is considered a type of wild mango but unlike the common mango, it has thick brown skin.

It is usually harvested raw and cured with salt and chilies to make pickled bambangan. The locals enjoy it with plain white rice and fried fish.

3.Bosou

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSxdzk9j0SQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bosou is also called nonsom, sambaat, kinaraatan, gagau and tinamba in different Kadazandusun dialects. It is a preserved fish or meat made with biji kepayang in Malay (Pangium edule) or pangi in Dusun language. The most common main ingredient for bosou is river fish. Mix the fish together with rice, salt and pangi.

To spice it up a little bit, you can also add in pineapple or tuhau. It takes up five to seven days for it to be fully fermented. There are two ways to take bosou; you can have it as a condiment or cook it with onions and chilies.

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Mount Singai

Published on August 1, 2018

Lifestyle

If you have not visited Mount Singai before, now is the best time to do so. Due to our love of being outdoors, KajoMag has listed six reasons why it should be on everyone’s bucket list to visit.

1. Close to town

Located in Bau District, Mount Singai takes only 30 to 40 minutes’ drive from Kuching City.

As it does not take a lot of time to reach there, you do not have to worry about getting up early or using a lot of gas.

2. Good spot for beginner’s training

If you are not particularly athletic but still want to be active, then Mount Singai is perfect for you.

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Mount Singai

Mount Singai hiking area can be split into two sections. The first half is a set of stairs leading to the Catholic Memorial and Pilgrimage Centre (CMPC) while the second half is the hiking trail leading to the summit.

Typically, an average hiker can reach the pilgrimage centre within 20 to 30 minutes while the hiking ground can take about an hour to reach.

Visitors might find Mount Singai relaxing and enjoyable as the hiking terrain is not as hard and challenging as most hiking spots around Kuching.

Also, due to the steps and the inclining nature of Mount Singai, it is the best spot to pump up your cardio and enjoy nature.

3. Friendly hikers

On average, Mount Singai can have a few hundred visitors in one weekend.

And due to that, you will always bump into other fellow hikers along the way.

At Mount Singai, the hikers will typically greet you and some will even give words of encouragement to reach the summit.

When meeting these friendly and supportive hikers of Mount Singai, it makes the hiking trip even more memorable.

4. Spiritual experience

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Mount Singai

On your trek up to the retreat centre, you will notice there are monuments stationed along the way up.

They are the 14 stations of the Cross which represent Christ’s last day on earth as a man.

Mount Singai has long been a pilgrimage destination for devoted Catholics, with the earliest converts to Catholicism in the area among the Bisingai people dating as far back as 1885.

5. Help the community build their church

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Mount Singai

Upon reaching the entrance point of Mount Singai, you may find a heap of bags containing pebbles and sand.

These are to build a new church hall at the pilgrimage centre.

As there are no access roads for vehicles leading towards the centre, the only way to bring these building materials up is on foot.

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Mount Singai

While there are no entrance fees for Mount Singai, visitors can do their part for the kampong community by helping them carry the bags up to the construction site.

Consider it your personal Rocky or Shaolin monk challenge by carrying a bag up. You can also help trick your mind into thinking you have some extra weight to lose.

6. Instagrammable view

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Mount Singai

Millennials with an active Instagram account would understand the novelty of having awesome pictures in their IG account.

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Mount Singai

When you reach the top of the steps, Mount Singai offers a rest stop with one of the best viewing spots.

Apart from that, the summit also offers an equally breath-taking view for visitors to take picture.

How to order drinks in Sarawak coffeeshops?

Published on July 20, 2018

Lifestyle

Ordering drinks in foreign countries can be confusing. Even here in Malaysia, how to order drinks might even be different depending which state are you in.

Adding on the difficulties to order drinks, most Sarawak coffeeshops and food courts do not even have proper menus.

So here is a quick guide on how to order drinks in Sarawak coffeeshops.

If you want to order coffee, take note that you have to say “kopi” or “Nescafe”. “Kopi” usually refers to drinks made with local coffee brands like Kopi Cap Kapal Api or Anggerek, while Nescafe is a Nestle brand of coffee. A cup of Nescafe costs slightly more than a kopi.

So here’s a basic list of what you can order at almost any coffeeshop, ‘kopitiam’ or ‘kedai kopi’ in Sarawak:

Kopi ‘O’ Kosong – ‘Kosong’ means ’empty’ in Malay. This is the Malaysian version of Americano or Long Black since it is just a hot cup of black coffee.
Kopi ‘O’ – Hot black coffee with sugar
Kopi ‘O’ Peng – Anything with the word ‘peng’ means ‘iced’. A Kopi ‘O’ Peng is iced black coffee with sugar.
Kopi – Malaysians love their condensed milk. A cup of kopi is coffee with condensed milk.
Kopi Peng – This is basically iced coffee with condensed milk.
Kopi ‘C’– Malaysians apparently love their alphabet. So a drink with the letter‘C’ means ‘with evaporated milk’. A cup of Kopi ‘C’ is coffee with added sugar and evaporated milk.
Kopi ‘C’ Kosong – If you want a kopi ‘C’ without the sugar, then it is a Kopi ‘C’ Kosong.
Kopi ‘C’ Peng – A glass of iced Kopi ‘C’.
Kopi ‘C’ Peng Kosong – The iced version of Kopi ‘C’ Kosong.
Kopi ‘O’ Peng Kosong – A glass of iced black coffee with no sugar, condensed milk or evaporated milk. An iced Americano, in other words.
Neslo – Here is a Malaysian version of mocha. It is a mixture of Nescafe coffee and the chocolate and malt powder drink, Milo.

When you’re asking for tea and all its variants, just replace the word ‘kopi’ with ‘teh’ which means tea in Malay. The same rule applies to Malaysia’s favourite chocolate and malt drink, Milo.

If you are in Sabah, change the word ‘Peng’ to ‘Ping’ and you are good to go.

Good luck!

10 types of festival goers at the Rainforest World Music Festival

Published on July 19, 2018

Entertainment

Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) is like any other music festival where people from all ages and countries come together in the name of music.

Organised annually at Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching, Malaysia, the three-day event features performances from traditional music to contemporary world music.

As interesting as the performers are with their exotic outfits and sounds, the most interesting people at RWMF are actually the festival goers.

10 types of festival goers at the Rainforest World Music Festival — Sometimes, the festival goers are more interesting than the performers themselves during a music festival.

Not to generalise people but here are 10 types of festival goers you tend to see at the Rainforest World Music Festival:

1.The Learner

Rainforest World Music Festival is not just about the music and dancing but it is also about learning different cultures.

How to spot The Learner? They are the ones who raise their hands and ask questions during the cultural talks.

Or sometimes you can see them at the Rainforest World Music Festival Craft Bazaar engaging with vendors and asking questions.

Sometimes, they are your typical university students who major in music or anthropology. Sometimes, they are the intellectual types who take the opportunity during the festival to learn more about other cultures.

You can also spot them looking diligently at the festival guide or sitting in the front row of the sape lesson session.

2.The Live Feeder

These are the easiest to spot at the festival. They are the ones who have their smartphones raised during workshops, drum circles, and night performances for long periods of time, even just to take just a photo.

Or you can see traces of their live-feeding on their social media accounts even after the festival has ended.

3.The Selfie-obsessed

This kind of festival goer has a superpower ability. They can smell selfie opportunities unlike most normal people.

They know, for instance, which part of Sarawak Cultural Village gives the best photo ops, who to take wefies with and most importantly, which angle to take it form. Like I said, it’s a superpower.

4.The Spectator

Every music festival needs to have The Spectator. They are the ones who peek through the windows of the Iban Longhouse to watch a dance interactive session but never join in.

They watch the night performances from afar… such as the balcony of Dewan Lagenda or sitting at the back on their picnic mats.

Whatever it is, they are just there to spectate and enjoy the music.

5.The Solo Traveller

These are the lone rangers of the festival. They eat alone, participate in the mini sessions alone and they dance alone during the night performances.

Despite being alone, The Solo Travellers are the ones who look like they are enjoying not just the festival but also life overall the most.

6.The Party Animal

The Party Animal type dances the hardest, screams the loudest and drinks the most.

In times past when the ground in front of the stage could become a mud pit during a rainshower, they would be the ones dancing in the rain with mud on their feet and all over their bodies.

7.The Hobbyist

You have seen this type of festival goer, not just during the Rainforest World Music Festival but every music festival.

While the performers are giving their all onstage or in the mini sessions, they pick a spot and do their own thing.

Be it a yoga move or throwing a hoop or swinging a pair of poi, Rainforest World Music Festival has seen them all.

8.The Herd

This type of festival goer moves in flocks. They usually have one tribe leader who decides which mini sessions to go or where to eat, one ideal follower who has no idea what is going on but happy to follow and the rebel who tends to break away from the group.

Plus if the herd is alcohol-inclined, they have a sommelier or beer connoisseur who keeps the alcohol level in everybody’s system in order.

Sometimes they have a babysitter who has a mother-like role in the group to make sure the herd is safe and sticks together.

They are commonly groups of university students and young working adults who take Rainforest World Music Festival as a short escape from reality.

9.The “I-have-no-idea-what-is-going-on-but-I-am-here-to-dance”

Some people would call this type of festival goer a dancer…only if you consider their moves as ‘dancing’.

The difference between The Party Animal and The“I-have-no-idea-what-is-going-on-but-I-am-here-to-dance” is that the latter tends to ignore what is going on because they just want to dance.

A band could be delivering a touching performance like At Adau’s Jackson Lian Ngau who dedicated a song to his late mum (in RWMF 2017) or Raghu Dixit from India and Slobodan Trjulja from Serbia giving a once in a lifetime hair-raising duet (in RWMF 2018).

These are the ones who would dance in the middle of a themed music demonstration or a drum circle during the festival irrespective of what is happening around them.

10.The ones who were not there for the world music but created their own world

These are the festival goers who were there at the RWMF but not exactly “there” at the festival.

They could be young couples who find their corners and just enjoy these time-defining moments with each other. Or even groups of friends who form their circles at Dewan Lagenda to drink together as the music plays in the background and sets the mood and atmosphere.

The differences and sameness of RWMF’s mini sessions

Published on July 17, 2018

Entertainment

The differences and sameness of RWMF's mini sessions — Slobodan Trkulja from Serbia teaching the crowd about the kolo dance.

Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) internationally known for its melting pot of different cultures and music was held for the 21st time recently from July 13 till 15.

While the audience reached its peak number on Saturday night, those who had attended the whole three-day festival would agree the real fun and magic happens during the afternoon sessions.

Now rebranded as ‘mini sessions’, the activities still carried the essence of RWMF workshops.

It had everything from interactive learning about world music instruments to impromptu jamming among the musicians.

RWMF 2018 Mini Sessions

This year, RWMF saw an increase from the usual 27 to 50 sessions and even spread out from its official venue of Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) to nearby Damai Central.

Since its first installment in 1997, the afternoon sessions have seen a number of improvements and changes over the years.

One of its usual sites for the afternoon workshops, the Malay house had been completely dedicated to children sessions; a thoughtful move since the Malay house can only cater to a small crowd and it has usually been packed and hot during the afternoon workshops in previous years.

Speaking of changes, the drum circle session by 1Drum.org saw a change of scenery from its usual spot in front of the jungle stage.

For the first two days of RWMF, the circle took place at the Big Tent Damai Central before it was moved back on the final day to where it has usually been held since 2014 .

However, the mini sessions still carried on its crowd favourite activities especially the themed music demonstrations and dance workshops.

For example of themed music demonstrations was the “Rhythm’s Gonna Get You”, a workshop featuring an array of different percussion.

This year’s percussion demonstration was conducted on Saturday showcasing a bedok (a Bidayuh drum from Sarawak), darbuka, conga and even a human percussion, a beatboxer.

Other themes music demonstrations were wind instruments, plucked stringed instruments and lutes from two continents Africa and Asia.

During these demonstrations, each musician had a chance to introduce their instrument before all of them coming together to produce an impromptu performance.

Another crowd favourite every year and usually packed with participants is the dance interactive workshop.

Every year, SCV’s Dewan Lagenda and Iban Longhouse had played host to many dances from all over the world.

This year, these locations had witnessed cumbia (folkloric dance from Colombia), traditional hoop dance of the Lakota (a Native American tribe), kolo (a Serbian circle dance) and among others.

After 21 years in business, RWMF overall had its tweaks here and there yearly and some tweaks stay while others don’t.

Evidently the organiser, Sarawak Tourism Board gave the best to cater to all types of festival goers every year including those families with small children and fitness enthusiasts.

Apart from the mini sessions, there were also programmes for wellness and lifestyle such as yoga, zumba and belly dance as well as children sessions which were started a couple years ago.

More photos:

Forbidden Fruits: The most Instagram-worthy spot of Rainforest Fringe 2018

Published on July 12, 2018

Travel

Forbidden Fruits: The most Instagram-worthy spot of Rainforest Fringe 2018 — What can you make out of this surreal art installation?

The Forbidden Fruits, an art installation of large woven fruits exhibited at Borneo744 as part of the Rainforest Fringe have been making the rounds on the Internet, especially Instagram.

Thanks to surreal lighting effects and creative application of different Sarawakian ethnic weaving styles and skills, the installation has been receiving many visitors since it was first opened to the public on July 7.

Forbidden Fruits, an art installation like no other

Looking at the project as a whole, it is a narration of the life-cycle of fruits from seeds to germination, from propagation to decay.

Each art piece was actually a woven craft made by several of Sarawak’s indigenous communities.

Altogether there were 60 uniquely woven ‘fruits’ making up the ensemble of Forbidden Fruits, a project which seeks to investigate the possibilities of expression through traditional rattan weaving, in order to restore that sense of meaningful in the modern context.

It is also set out to navigate the social acceptability and taboos as fruits when ripe is suitable for consumption but forbidden to consume almost at other stages.

This serves the question of why sex is still uncomfortable conversation to be had in public.

For non-artistic people who might not understand the poetic message behind the installment, the lighting and beautiful hand-crafted pieces make great background for photo-op.

Upon closer inspection, visitors might recognise some of Sarawak’s woven crafts such as the Iban ketapu tunjang (a hand woven rattan headgear with several pointed tops), an Orang Ulu ajat (rattan basket) and bubu (woven fish trap).

Ropes to give the impression of hanging roots, dried leaves and sawdust on the floor add to the feel that you’re stepping through the rainforest.

The Forbidden Fruits is a collaboration between Tanoti Crafts, Ranee Gift Gallery, Edric Ong, Keynote.Co, Justlight Enterprise and IDC Architects.

Rainforest Fringe Festival (RFF) visitors will be able to enjoy this installation for free till July 15 before it makes its Penang debut at George Town Festival this coming August.

About Rainforest Fringe Festival

Returning for the second time, Rainforest Fringe Festival aims to bring the best of Sarawak’s music, art, craft, film, photography, food and culture.

Held from July 6 to 15, the festival is held at different venues in Kuching including the Old Courthouse, Carpenter Street and Pullman Hotel.

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