Sarawaks Harvest Festival

Public Message Announcement : Selamat Ari Gawai to all Dayaks of Sarawak!

The harvest festival is celebrated every 1st and 2nd of June by the Iban and Bidayuh tribe of Sarawak. Lets not forget the grand happennings that'll keep you pumped up on the night of the 31st ushering in the Dayak New Year. Yes, for us Dayaks it is the new year. It starts when the Harvest is done and it's time for a celebration before the next batch is planted.  

Unfortunately, not a lot of people know about the Gawai festival, even Malaysians themselves. In the olden days, Gawai was the highlight of all yearly events. People would make Tuak (rice wine) beforehand and prepare Kuih Jala for guests. The newly harvested paddy (we call it new paddy) would be packed and given out to relatives. Almost everything would be rice base. Before the Dayaks turned to Christianity, they worshipped the elemental Gods. A sacrifice would be made to thank them for a good harvest, and is usually done by a Priestess on a swing, and lots of chanting in the middle of the village. 

Nowadays, Gawai is still celebrated although most of the Dayaks have turned to more professional jobs  and buy rice from the supermarkets. It's a celebration of tradition and culture. For those who still have paddy fields, the culture of giving away new rice is still done. In some communities, offerings are still given to the Gods, but most would attend a church service to thank Jesus for the Harvest.  

On the first and second of June, it's usually a huge feast with lots of eating and drinking. This is the time to visit friends and family (and meet new extended family you never knew), an act we call "Ngabang". The Iban dan Bidayuh villages will have a sweet smell of charcoal in the air as most of the cooking are done on an open fire. Instead of pots and pans, we trade them for something better. The bamboo. All sorts of dishes are cooked in bamboos. We have the "Pansoh" which is generally chicken or pork with tapioca leaves stuffed in bamboos and cooked on the open fire. Chicken rice in the bamboo is also a favourite. Besides that, we have "Pangkang" which is almost like lemang but without the banana leave on the outside. 

For me, the most exciting part of Gawai would be having roasted pork with cold beer and great company.  Although I haven't been back for the harvest festival for the 5th year this year, I still can remember details of the yearly event, especially when my late grandmother was still around. She would be fussing over going back to the village for about a monthe before the day itself. On the day itself, you won't have luck finding her in the house as she will be out visiting for the whole day.    

With this, I would like to wish all family, friends and all those celebrating, a Blessed Gawai!!

Day Number 365

So once again, the last day of the year 2010. Day number 365.

The 1st of January is just another day, and counting in this unpermanant life. Like a river that flows. So do days.

I was (am actually, present tense. Still is) on Facebook. Looks like 2010 have been quite a rough year for a lot of us, an unfortunatly, I'm not excluded.

I thought this year has been quite a terrible one. I think I spent 40% of this year crying in bed. Not something good. Lots have been done and have not been done and yes, that's the past.

But to look back again, Amen this year has changed me in quite a lot of was. I made some impossible possible. I walked thorgh the streets of Paris with my two best friends, and had a Europe Vacation with my family. Travelled a lot more places this year. Something I would have never thought of. It's mind blowing actually. Boggling. Bogglyy..

See God makes things happen right? In the midst of brokeness and despair, still I managed a smile, and still the sun comes out to play during the monsoon. Like they say, they a silver lining on every cloud. Or something like that.

Turns out, this horrendous year was not so bad after all.

Spare a smile for 2011. God will be there before you in every way.

Christmas Legos

These Christmas themed Legos are so super cool!!

What do you think?

I wish I have a room big enough to buy them all, set them up and put them on display. Gosh.. I wish I had this kind of stuff when I was younger.

5-12 years old? Yes! I am!

Obviously White Winter

Call me an extremist. When it's hot, I turn red, when it's cold, I turn red.
I'm not blushing ok! =P I'm a human lobster.

I'm not so great when it comes to weather changes. Or even when it rains, or even when I'm out in the snow without something above my head. Yes I earn the doctors lots of money due to my frequent visits.

back from class

A few days a go my junior was so excited about the snow asking when it'll come.
Another answered : ko tau dh snow kalau kau gi bilik Ruth dia asyik complain sejuk.
(Hamboi... cantik sikit mat!)
Yeah, I'm well known in my circle of friends for sensitivity towards extreme weather.

Over the years living in a four seasoned country, I still wail when winter is knocking at the door. I'll be watching out my window for the rain to stop (it rains alot when it's winter), and would probably be out only during light snow where wind is not present.

todays snow fall has almost reached my knees

It's fun actually being out in the snow. But as the mighty wind gets in your face and big raindrops at 0°c his your face, it's not very fun.

And everytime it's -2°c and I have to go out for classes, I'll imagine this situation back home.
It's 1pm after class and the sun is shining extremely hot. The car that has been parked out without any shade. Open its door and lets see who will voulenteer to sit inside the car and close the door first!Definately not me T.T It's like a Tupperware heated in a microwave oven for 2 minutes!

*winter wind slaps my face* OK WALK FASTER!!

Advent starts Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the first day of Advent.
Christmas markets are sprouting everywhere to mark the beginning of Advent and will be on till the 23rd of December. Christmas Markets are very sepecial here, especially in Germany. It gives you a 'more' Christmassy feeling. Since now it's snowing and the temperature somtimes is below 0, yes, it does feel like the Christmas Season that we used to watch in Home Alone those days.

And everytime I go on to eBay, it's counting down how many days to Christmas. As of today, there's 27 more days to go before Christmas. Since the middle of November, shops have started sales for Christmas and stock clearance for Autumn.

Some may have put up their Christmas trees and start wrapping presents. Some may have started Christmas Carolling practices and planning for their Christmas party.

Every child would hope to receive what has been on their list since last Christmas. I remember back in those days when Christmas was a season to look foward to. It's also the school holidays and every night would be a possible Christmas Gift hunt in town. I always spend a lot of time looking for the right gift, and that means many trips to the malls to figure out what would be the best, lists my ideas and think about it and go on my mission once more. I don't really like gving gifts that are impracticle or ones that would be sitting in the corner collecting dust. I'd rather buy you a frying pan or a bed sheet rather than a crystal deco or a photo frame. Maybe I'll even buy a mosquito repellent as a gift.

Owhh.. well, it's the thought that counts right? Mine I put in energy, ideas and foot aches. But now they have Internet shopping. So no worries.

Last week I was out in München for Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows Part 1. I'm not as much a Harry Potter fan as my sister is, but I do watch it sometimes. And I think it's really good. As in a good movie for someone not a big fan. It has more action to it and has way more actio compared to the first one when they were still little. This one they even showed a naked Harry kissing Hermoine. ahahaa.. So how did you like it?

And in Marien Platz in München, they had an open ice skating ring.

How cool is that?

I wish I knew how to ice skate properly and not tumble over the little kiddies who are still trying to learn. I would be quite embarress to ice skate in public, especially in a place like this. All thie kids were profis doing turn and tricks. If I was in that ring, I'll be holding on to the side or falling on my butt. So much for Sunway Pyramid ice skate many years ago.

They had this little bear thing for support for those little children who are still learning. I'm too big for that. *shy*

It's SNOWING!

I woke up expecting things to be like yesterday. Obviously one thing has changed.

It's -1°c. An I really hoped that snow would come later this year than it did the previous years.

But then ...

... the whole place was already coated white while I was still in slumber.

It's time to keep yourselves warm people. =)

One Mans Trash, Another Mans Treasure.

Selling your second hand items may not seem like a big deal. Here it's more like a lifestyle. Season in and out, flea-markets are very popular among the people here. It doesn't matter how much their daily earnings are, they still do visit the markets to find something that they like.

Just a bus stop away from my University is a public ground that hosts Lower Bavaria's biggest Flea markets twice a year. I've always been fond of Flea markets. Cheap stuff, bargains, and buying things are aren't necessary expensive.

And yesterday being a solo player, I've joined in and opened up my own "stall". Alone. And everyone thought I was joking when I told them. Hahahaa..

It may not look much. I was clearing out my room and found things that I rarely used. A better way to get rid of them would be in this place. The fee for a stand would be 6€. With a vehicle it would be 12€ and an additional table would be an extra 6€. A cheapskate that I am, I took the cheapest. Started at 8am, I stood there for 5 hours. Closed early because it started to drizzle.

I sold a few stuff of mine. Not all. A lot were attracted to my shoes but unfortunately, they were too small. So were my jackets and blouses. Well, there's always ebay.

And my treasure for the day? I bought an ice cream maker for 10€. And it has never been taken out of the box! Original price was 96€.

Can't wait to start whipping ice cream.

and as a child

Awake to the sounds of crowing roosters, awake to the cold mountain air ...

... to the smell of fresh charcoal in the early dawn. Last night seems to be just an hour ago.

I often start thinking of an array of good food served below. Shivering, I'm always one of the late ones. Tayung comes in already dressed in her baju tremen. Her excitement fills the room as she wakes me up before the sound of the church bell.

"makat bohh.. mo bigawai inya" her sentences will still be imitated till I have my grandchildren.

I lay awake watching her get dressed, as she puts a few coins for the church offering in a wrapped exercise book page. "tinulis ganan tayung yuh. Nan sidakah da girija"

I wrote the words, a promise. Janji. That was her name. My color pencils were already worn out.

I slowly walked out, grabbed my yellow mickey towel on the stair rail and peek at the morning view of my kampung. The toilet is always occupied. As I waited, I stay seated at the kitchen with my mum cooking bihun. One by one, my cousins are mostly dressed. As years pass, my cousins off springs joined in and I became not so young in the family.

It's always the case. I wake up late and after my shower to be faced by visitors in my towel or back from church to find my kampung house already overflowing with them. Either way, I always enjoyed the warmth of having visitors in. Not the part that I have to sit for hours washing dishes squatting in the bathroom. When it comes to home, there's always something super good.

A day of celebration for my people to mark the end of the harvest. Alongside rice wine, bambooed rice and cultural biscuits out of rice flour, those still having their own paddy field would give away a packet of rice or so as a sign of good will.

As Bidayuh maidens walk the village street in after a night of Beauty contest, the sound of gongs will never go wrong. The heat of the sun will always be there and a sunburn will remind us for weeks we were present.

My Tayung might not be around anymore. But there's always a place in our hearts that will remind us that Gawai will always be her day of enjoyment.

Though far away from home, I am of my Bidayuh roots.

Anu Gawai Dayak

With 45 minutes to strike 12 o'clock back home, I would like to wish everyone a

Silamat Anu Gawai 

(which can be said in many native languages)

tara boh tara bohh... oooo haaaa!!!

3rd year of not being home to celebrate it with my family, I hope one day this sacrifice will be worth it. For those who are far away for the Harvest Festival, it is a sacrifice for the future. 

With all my mums siblings officially back for Gawai this year, I guess this is the first ever Gawai together after almost 10 years. I hope you all have fun.

To everyone else, I would like to wish you a great time among friends and family during this festival period, no matter what your background is (because Sarawak is a culturally diverse land where race is not an issue)

So well, have a safe drive back home and be a German when drinking. That means staying away conciuosly from alcohol if you're driving.

Have fun!

ngeDULT

"apa polah kitak?"
"aihh mek gi ngeDult bahh"
"pabenda ngeDult ya"
"Dult ya event spring sitok, kamek membahasa Srawak kan nya bah, alu jdi ngeDult tek"
... zzz ...

Not that conversation ever existed, I just made it up. haha. This whole week, Dult has been on. It's somewhat like a festival or funfair to welcome spring, thus it's called frühjahr Dult aka. early year festival. Ifyou look it up in Wikipedia, it somehow has to do with the church calender but that I'm very unsure of.

So what's with Dult.
I get to have cotton candy, go on rides and smell sweet tasting icing sugar with cinnamon in the air. It's a festival. Expect lots of beers, food and everything fun for all ages. Not forgetting Germans in their tradional costumes. Smack those leather shorts!

Damn, how excited these guys were on bumper cars. Guys will always have an inner boy inside of them when ladies will one day eventually loose their inner girl. Sigh.

*happy boys*

Than we all got excited looking at this big machine. Some spinning ride that turns you upside down making you feel like milk shake later on. My face was practically numb after being spinned so many times not forgetting how my body ached (I'm getting old T.T)

More pictures.

I took the last two photos from the ferris wheel. It was almost sunset (and freakingly cold!). I like going up on ferris wheels because I get to see the full view of the area. So pretty.

It's always fun to have something to look foward to. Now that spring is officially here, we get to BBQ tomorrow!! yeayy!!

Till then, tchüss

The Old Has Pass, The New Shall Come

2009 was a really tough year for all of us especially those affected by the economic downturn. Many lost jobs and businesses. But here ye, here ye.. a new year has come. Not forgetting its the last year of this decade.

Yesterday I was online with Prisc. I really felt bad for her that her mum has gone to be with the Lord. Be strong my dear. There's a lot of people around you that care about you. It was really a shock for me that her mum suddenly passed away right after their family vacation. The moral of this situation is to embrace and appreciate those around you. You never know when you would loose them.

I've had many downs compared to ups in 2009. A year full of worries and uncertainty where i would always count days on my desk calender, but yet, I'm really glad that it has passed and I went through it.

Positive start for the new year. I'm training myself to look at all the positive effects of everything and not hold back but to live today as there is no tomorrow.. I shall say, I'm not a person with yearly resolutions and stuff. I try not to because you should change tomorrow than the boring today instead of waiting a whole year to do it.

Seems like 2010 is going to be a great year. My intuitions says strongly so. Why worry about tomorrow for tomorrow can worry about itself, today has enough troubles of its own. =)

So how was my year end celebration?? Yes I stayed home for christmas. It was not that bad though. Yes, I slept like half the day dreaming that I would be home. A good way to spend it right?

Homemade 3 course meal

To usher the new year, I went to Vienna which is in Austria. For those not so geographical, it's on the left side of Germany on the Europe map. Austria is mainly famous for sausaes and art, music from composers like Mozart and his line of artistic people. I do not really know because I'm half mainstream music blind. Though my cousins studying music wold really appreciate those art.

Street artists

Vienna is 3 hours away from my place by speedtrain. Like Kuching to Sibu right? According to Freda. It is so multiracial that you could hardly understand what language people spoke. Yes they have a lot of Asians which explains all my Asian meal while I was there. Japanese food for both lunches. I miss japanese food. It's hard to find cute colorful bento here or teriyaki of any kind. hmm..

Anyways, I'll end here to post up pics of my New Year Vienna trip.

Old Town

Stephansdom

Volkstheater

Kunsthistorisches MuseumHofburg
Schönbrunn PalaceThe Park we ushered the New Year

Ich wünsche Ihnen einen gute Rutsch für das neues Jahr!

muax!!!