....and worth it....
My trip back kampung.
It's located in Serian. The other end of Sarawak, so you can imagine the long trip we had to take all the way from Miri. It was a 12-hour drive and we started our journay at 4 a.m! Yawn!!!! My butt just fell asleep in the car.
....We made a few stops along the way to eat and refuel....
break
....Are we there yet???!!!!....
We reached Kpg Paon Rimu (I think it means Sg Limau / Orange
break
River?) in Serian at approximately 4.30 p.m. At last! It's a Bidayuh
break
village, Dad's side.
....Relief. Little Mary on the left with Deb and I. This is also the only spot where we could get clear reception for our mobiles, underneath the guava tree, so we hung out there a lot. We even sat on the tar at night. The bright stars above us, and fireflies on the tree, just like Christmas! :) ....
Dad has 10 sibllings.
....Auntie Teresa collecting the dried pepper corns....
....Pepper corns....
It's really a big difference that almost all our meals come from our own backyard. Fresh and healthy. Even the glutinous rice for our lemang and 'pangkang' came from Auntie Elizabeth's paddy field at the back.
....This is where we lived for that few days (yes, we actually have Astro! Even I was surprised). 4 houses linked together, home for 3 uncles and an 2 aunts. Unfortunately not everybody made it back home this year....
My brother Clarence came over from Kuching after work that night. We had a nice BBQ. We ate, we drank, we sang and be merry! It has been so long since we last met so it was really good catching up and goofing around like old times.
....Clarence & I, it was also his birthday the next day, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO!!!!....
The family also made several short trips to Kuching.
....Check out the size of the pau! I don't find this anywhere else so far. And trust me, it's really good....
....Conrad & I at the Kuching Waterfront. I miss my Starbucks! ;P They're opening one at the Kuching International Airport later on the 28th June. And my old classmate Ezam's going to manage it! He gets to come back at last ;) Which means no more discounts when I get my fix in KL....
....This really caught our eyes on the way back to Serian from Kuching. Sure enough, we bought 2! (Not the slices on the trees of course)....
Every year on Gawai Eve, everybody will gather at the common place at the main longhouse. There'll be dancing and more singing (there's even a full band!). Tuak and tidbits will also be served around by the kampung folks. At midnight, a short prayer will be said to thank for the year's blessing. Then, it's back to partying! I tell you, these people party hard, young AND old. I remember I used to stay way till morning myself. These days, I stick to only the visiting. My throat became sore from all the carbonated drinks, the tuak and the sweet food.
....This is the 'belanggi' (hope I got that correct). Traditional Bidayuh dance. I think it's supposed to resemble the movements of hornbills....
The final night there, we had another family gathering. A pot luck. Another catch up session with my brother and Andrew, my cousin. The little ones came thereafter to join us. It's as if they've just grown overnight. I remember they were just babies during my last stay. But it was really cute of them to invite me fishing the afternoon before, although I was way beyond their age group, but that too didn't happen after all those visiting. Everybody was just too tired. It would have been fun. I never went fishing.
....Mary, Amy & I....
The kampung hasn't changed much I guess. Only the gravel road now replaced by tar. We have electricity now compared to 15 years ago when we had to use generators.
But, people have changed. They grow up, get married, have children, go places far from home. We are no more the kids hanging around on the rambutan tree near the pond the whole afternoon.
Sometimes I yearn to be that kid again. But who doesn't? When our afternoons now are all about grabbing a quick lunch (sometimes no lunch) and getting back to work.
I was reluctant to make the trip initially. I haven't been back for way too long.
Luckily I did.
Next year, maybe I should make it a point to go back to my Mom's kampung. Now THAT is going to be an adventurous one. Boat ride and all.
p.s. I did my morning yoga, with a big, black (live) scorpion staring right back at me! Yikes! ;P
More photoes here.
My trip back kampung.
It's located in Serian. The other end of Sarawak, so you can imagine the long trip we had to take all the way from Miri. It was a 12-hour drive and we started our journay at 4 a.m! Yawn!!!! My butt just fell asleep in the car.
....We made a few stops along the way to eat and refuel....
break
....Are we there yet???!!!!....
We reached Kpg Paon Rimu (I think it means Sg Limau / Orange
break
River?) in Serian at approximately 4.30 p.m. At last! It's a Bidayuh
break
village, Dad's side.
....Relief. Little Mary on the left with Deb and I. This is also the only spot where we could get clear reception for our mobiles, underneath the guava tree, so we hung out there a lot. We even sat on the tar at night. The bright stars above us, and fireflies on the tree, just like Christmas! :) ....
Dad has 10 sibllings.
....Auntie Teresa collecting the dried pepper corns....
....Pepper corns....
It's really a big difference that almost all our meals come from our own backyard. Fresh and healthy. Even the glutinous rice for our lemang and 'pangkang' came from Auntie Elizabeth's paddy field at the back.
....This is where we lived for that few days (yes, we actually have Astro! Even I was surprised). 4 houses linked together, home for 3 uncles and an 2 aunts. Unfortunately not everybody made it back home this year....
My brother Clarence came over from Kuching after work that night. We had a nice BBQ. We ate, we drank, we sang and be merry! It has been so long since we last met so it was really good catching up and goofing around like old times.
....Clarence & I, it was also his birthday the next day, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO!!!!....
The family also made several short trips to Kuching.
....Check out the size of the pau! I don't find this anywhere else so far. And trust me, it's really good....
....Conrad & I at the Kuching Waterfront. I miss my Starbucks! ;P They're opening one at the Kuching International Airport later on the 28th June. And my old classmate Ezam's going to manage it! He gets to come back at last ;) Which means no more discounts when I get my fix in KL....
....This really caught our eyes on the way back to Serian from Kuching. Sure enough, we bought 2! (Not the slices on the trees of course)....
Every year on Gawai Eve, everybody will gather at the common place at the main longhouse. There'll be dancing and more singing (there's even a full band!). Tuak and tidbits will also be served around by the kampung folks. At midnight, a short prayer will be said to thank for the year's blessing. Then, it's back to partying! I tell you, these people party hard, young AND old. I remember I used to stay way till morning myself. These days, I stick to only the visiting. My throat became sore from all the carbonated drinks, the tuak and the sweet food.
....This is the 'belanggi' (hope I got that correct). Traditional Bidayuh dance. I think it's supposed to resemble the movements of hornbills....
The final night there, we had another family gathering. A pot luck. Another catch up session with my brother and Andrew, my cousin. The little ones came thereafter to join us. It's as if they've just grown overnight. I remember they were just babies during my last stay. But it was really cute of them to invite me fishing the afternoon before, although I was way beyond their age group, but that too didn't happen after all those visiting. Everybody was just too tired. It would have been fun. I never went fishing.
....Mary, Amy & I....
The kampung hasn't changed much I guess. Only the gravel road now replaced by tar. We have electricity now compared to 15 years ago when we had to use generators.
But, people have changed. They grow up, get married, have children, go places far from home. We are no more the kids hanging around on the rambutan tree near the pond the whole afternoon.
Sometimes I yearn to be that kid again. But who doesn't? When our afternoons now are all about grabbing a quick lunch (sometimes no lunch) and getting back to work.
I was reluctant to make the trip initially. I haven't been back for way too long.
Luckily I did.
Next year, maybe I should make it a point to go back to my Mom's kampung. Now THAT is going to be an adventurous one. Boat ride and all.
p.s. I did my morning yoga, with a big, black (live) scorpion staring right back at me! Yikes! ;P
More photoes here.
2 comments:
wow! must be great seeing family yang lama tak jumpa :)
yup. must be great for you too recently, sal. can't wait for our own 'family' reunion in KL soon!!! :)
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