January 30, 2011

St Dominic Saltash (Cornwall)

My friend Judy Wong and I took the  midnight coach from London to Plymouth, arriving early in the morning as we missed the evening coach.

Our dearest friend Miss Mona Pengelly and Rev Chris Tomlinson were there to meet us, so cold and early that we were all shiving with the English cold morning air!!

Was it typical of Malaysians not to be able to catch a bus on time?

The Tomlinsons live in St Dominic, which is a lovely place. I studied at Plymouth's College of ST Mark and St.John's for a short period. Hence I know Plymouth pretty well. This trip gave me the chance to know Devon and Cornwall even better.


St Dominick near Saltash, is undergoing a name change. The village and parish of the same name is changing to St Dominic from the year 2000.

The parish lies south of Calstock, to the west of the River Tamar which separates it from the Devon parish of Beer Ferrers. Nearby lie Pillaton, St Mellion and Callington.

The parish is named after the female saint St Dominicia and is located on the west bank of the River Tamar about 3 miles to the southeast of Callington.

The nearby Halton Quay was formerly a busy river port sending fruit from the Tamar Valley across to Plymouth. Farming remains as the main industry in this area.




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It was nice to visit this place in 2010 and to meet up with some missionaries who worked in Sarawak  To reconnect and to show our gratitude.



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Here I am in the photo...the translator and the English nurse who worked in Bukit Lan.

It is good to be out to enjoy the balmy English weather. Cheers.





Chinese New Year Greetings

This is a painting by Roberta Baird.
 May I wish all my followers and readers a Happy and Meaningful Year of the Rabbit......
May peace and harmony be yours and your loved ones.
May fair winds set your sails
May friendship warm your days


And may ties bind strongly and values upheld.......amongst the younger generation.......

And may your home resound with laughter






January 29, 2011

Deputy Prime Minister "I am Malu."

I am glad that the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia - Datuk Muhyiddin made a statement regarding the state of the roads in Limbang!!

He was embarrassed!! Hadn't the government spent millions on infrastructure he asked? And yet on a recent visit to the borderlands of Brunei and Limbang he was "quite shocked". He found something quite unexpected. What did he expect? Probably good roads like in West Malaysia. Why was he not informed of the poor conditions of the roads?

I have taken some photos last year...and the years before...These photos tell you something.....

Vehicles queuing up at the Brunei and Limbang Border. In the past we waited like for five hours. He was right when he said it.
Typical road leading to settlements in Limbang and Lawas - dirt road built by the longhouse people themselves. Pantu palms line the roads. This means that settlements have been around for a long time and these gravel roads were actually made by the long house dwellers' efforts using rented bull dozers.


Here's a "good road" provided by the timber company - to link the longhouse access roads to the main roads to Limbang in Ulu Medamit. It is likely if there was no timber company here the longhouses might not even be linked by rough roads. For three of four generations the Ibans and others like the Kayans and Bisayas have been using the Limbang river and its tributaries. Now that petrol is so expensive many have even reverted back to human muscles. My own father in law would have to pay 160 ringgit per boat trip return from his long house to another longhouse for a wedding recently. But thank goodness he can use a motor bike like this guy above. However it would be hazarduous because of the heavy timber truck traffic here.


Part of Medamit "town" and timber yard "look" which can be seen from the timber road.

Part of the timber road. We do take risks but we are grateful to the "company".


4 wheel to be released of its rough road gear.....see how small these roads are!! 4 wheelers are the only way to travel on the rough paths and timber roads. However Kancils and Kembaras do make their way gracefully....and sometimes they "gallop". fun really if you are used to this kind of life. For at the end of the day you can feast on all the wild jungle vegetables. Amongst the food gatherers wild vegetables are plentiful. Wild meat is a thing of the past. Most longhouses have freezers and so the most common food is frozen chicken wings which now cost RM12.00 per kg in the ulu. Eating gold?

Will the roads in Ulu Limbang be better after the Deputy Prime Minister's visit? Hope promises would not be broken.

January 28, 2011

The Alcoholic Drink from Ijok Palm of Borneo

During the festive seasons amongst the Ibans and Dayaks of Borneo you might just be served with a special concoction which is freshly brewed from the Ijok Palm. You would be very lucky indeed to be offered a glass because it is not a common drink like the tuak. It is also not easily obtainable unless the longhouse farm has its own ijok palms and some skilled brewers are still alive!!


The Dutch call this palm the aren palm and the Germans know it as zuker palm. In English is known as the sugar or Gomuti palm.

In Iban it is known as Ijok (pronounced Ee Juok). The lethal concoction is called ai ijok (the "i" requires a sudden stop at the end so it can go like "aikk" ..however the kk is not exploded - linguistically).

The seeds of the ijok palm.




These "scaffolding" are signs of "ijok tapping".




The Ijok tree is native to Borneo. It is found in the various divisions of Sarawak and along many of the valleys of the tributaries of the Kapuas in Kalimantan.

Ibans in particular and Dayaks in general have the skill of tapping the Ijok tree to extract a latex like sap from the palm early in the morning . This sap is processed to make an alcoholic drink called "ai ijok" or ijok water. This is very much like toddy or the tuak (a rice wine). Someone has compared the ai ijok to the Mackintosh of rice wine.

The photos above were taken in Kalimantan Barat in the vicinity of a longhouse. It was the first time I had a close encounter with Ijok Tree Tapping. The Ibans here produce both the Ai Ijok and Gula Ijok for sale. Also some scientists have been studying the ijok sap as a possible source of a cure for diabetes.
Apparently according to locals many diabetic people who take gula ijok have been known to have no negative side effects. Diabetes is not a common disease amongst the Dayaks in rural Kalimantan.

Lubok Antu in Sarawak is the best source of Gula Ijok. There are several shops selling this organic palm sugar @ RM 8.50 per kg. It is value for money really. Great with pulut!! (I will feature photos of the gula ijok in another post!!)

In both Sarawak and Kalimantan the ijok is a very useful plant to the Ibans besides providing an excellent alcoholic drink its fibers for example has been used for generations as cordage to bind things together. It is so strong that  the villager’s use it to hold together bridges, houses and even floorings. It is useful in mat making too.


And I do hope that whatever wonderful scientific findings may result the Borneoan peoples would only be the benefactors as much as in the past centuries when they have had enjoyed the alcoholic drinks and the organic sugar.

January 25, 2011

Last Leg : Pontianak to Kuching

  • Pontianak to Sei. (Sungai) Pinyuh (50km): The drive out of Pontianak is quite straight forward. Road conditions are fair and the road heading north from the city is a two-lane road, passing the busy coastal town of Jungkat.
  • Sei. (Sungai) Pinyuh to Ngabang (127km): At Sei. Pinyuh, the road is split in two directions with a round-about in the middle of town. Turning left will lead to the north shore towns of Mempawah, Singkawang, Pemangkat, Sambas and Bengkayang. (Border checkpoints with Sarawak in Sambas and Bengkayang are planned by Indonesian government.) Turning right will lead to the hinterland (and Sarawak) towns of Ngabang, Sosok, Tayan, Sanggau, Sekadau, Nanga Pinoh, Sintang and Putussibau. The road from Sei. Pinyuh to Ngabang is a two-lane road, and drivers are cautioned to drive carefully as parts of the roads are damaged by heavy traffic and poor maintenance by the local authority.
  • Ngabang to Sosok (38km): Ngabang is a major stopping point for food and accommodation before the border checkpoint.
  • Sosok to Balai Karangan (80km): Sosok has the potential to become an important transit town in West Kalimantan as it lies in the intersections of roads leading to border checkpoints to the north, Sanggau, Sekadau, Nanga Pinoh, Sintang and Putussibau to the east, Sei. Pinyuh, Pontianak, Singkawang to the west, Tayan to the south (Roads linking Tayan to Pontianak is currently under-construction, and once completed it will cut short the travel distance between Pontianak and Sosok by at least 2 hours. Another road is being scheduled linking Tayan to Sandai and Ketapang in the southern hinterland and south coast of West Kalimantan).
  • Balai Karangan to Entikong Border Checkpoint (19km): Balai Karangan is the last town in the Indonesian side before the checkpoint. The Indonesian side of the border checkpoint is called Entikong, while the Malaysian side is called Tebedu.
  • Entikong and Tebedu Checkpoints: Once in the Entikong checkpoint area, there are two clearances needed. The travelers are required to get out of their vehicle and clear immigration by lining up for immigration stamps. After clearing the immigration, passengers can return to the vehicle while drivers are required to report vehicles exiting the country to the local police station at the border. Once paperwork is done, the vehicle can be driven out of the country towards Sarawak's border which is a mere 50 meters away. Once in the Tebedu checkpoint area, all travelers are again required to get out of their vehicles and line up for immigration stamps. Drivers will again require to report vehicles entering Malaysia and pay for a one-month vehicle entry permit. Customs will then check for baggage and vehicles. Please note that foreign vehicles are prohibited to have tinted windows when entering Malaysia.
  • Tebedu Checkpoints to Serian (50km): From the Tebedu checkpoints to Serian is about 40 minutes of mixed roads between two-lane roads and dual-carriage ways. Serian is a transit town for most Indonesians who wish to come to Kuching and vice versa.
  • Serian to Kuching (56km): From Serian to Kuching is about 30 minutes of 56km-long dual-carriage ways. It is a good paved road (which can be considered as a highway). Before reaching Kuching, there are several suburban towns along the way, such as Tarat, Tapah and Siburan. After Mile 15, the dual-lane roads will shrink at a signalized intersection (near Sedap Food Industries factory). On the left is a road leading to Mambong, while on the right is a road leading to Kota Samarahan. The road to Kuching is just straight ahead. The road is undeniably busy as it is a bottleneck between two highways. The split to the dual carriageway begins again at Padawan town (just around 10km from the Mambong junction). Then you will pass several satellite towns, such as Penrissen, Kota Sentosa (locally known as Pasar Batu 7), Batu 4 and Batu 3. After going through a busy road at Kota Sentosa, there will be two junctions to Kuching International Airport. Straight ahead is a road leading to Kuching.
For your information, Kuching city lacks vital signboards, especially the one leading to Petra Jaya, Santubong, and other suburban areas. Always have your maps handy to avoid being lost in the city as Kuching is a considerably large city.

 By bus

There are plenty of bus companies between Pontianak and Kuching. The cost of a return economy class ticket is about IDR250,000 (USD26, 40-50 seats per bus), IDR140,000 for one-way (At some places it is also possible to pay in MYR since most of the companies are malaysian). While a more comfortable Super Executive class is IDR300,000 (USD32) for return trip (larger size 20-25 seats per bus). There is no regional bus terminal in Pontianak; buses are based at their own company offices. Most of the bus companies' offices are at Jl. Sisingamangaraja No.155-159 and this is maybe the major point. (The office of one of the major Malaysian companies - SJS, is there. Tel. (0561) 734626,739544,765651.) Also you may check for info at Biaramas (other major Malaysian company) web page [2] after registration. There are buses in the morning and in the evening. In evenings the journey from Pontianak usually starts around 9.00 PM WIB (Waktu Indonesia Barat - Western Indonesian Time) with all buses traveling in convoy, the journey is comfortable as drivers are driving moderately. Reaching the border check-points between 4.00 - 6.00 AM WIB (with one or two rest stops in between) just as the checkpoints open their gate. The journey from checkpoints to Kuching is another 2 hours at moderate driving, reaching Kuching regional bus terminal at 7.00 - 9.00 AM Malaysian Standard Time (1 hour ahead of Western Indonesian Time).
Buses from Kuching regional bus terminal to Pontianak leave on two schedules, Economy class leaves at 7.00 AM Malaysian Standard Time, while Super Executive class leaves at 11.00 AM Malaysian Standard Time.

January 24, 2011

On the Shoulders of a GOOD DAD

I took a look at William's photos taken in the MMC padang in Miri and I thought that a really good story can be pieced together by four of his photos.



A sea of heads and cameras. What can a little girl see? The waves of people are surging ever forward and ever stronger. The father has positioned himself well in the front line. And he may soon lose his position if he does not stand firm. He must hold his child up!! Do you see anything child?




An important person is coming! And Dad is so keen to bring the daughter to see the special person. He stretches his neck as far as possible to see if he is coming. The child shares his keen expectation.




The important person has arrived! The child is fully aware of what she is there for...and her waiting has not been in vain. She is elated. The beautiful lady is looking over her and the child smiles.


The little girl gets to shake hands with the important man. The father is proud of the moment he has created for his daughter. He is proud of the opportunity given to him. She is very confident and she gives a good smile. Well done! You will one day be a great lady too........


Good DAD!!


Photographer : William Ting
Writer : Sarawakiana@2

January 23, 2011

Fish in Jerudong Fish Market, Brunei

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There are many kinds of fish in the Jerudong Market in Brunei.
Prawns are plentiful and cheap too. So for about Brunei 10 dollars, we can have an excellent bbq with friends and relatives.
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I find the fishmongers very professional and they never mind my questions. In fact they are always very happy to see customers coming around, ask questions and even not buying from them. Because they do respect their customers' tastes. And sometimes they would even pose with their fish for photographs.
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Fish that is hooked (caught by line and rod) would have an extended tongue like in the photo.
Sole
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Bebatik
Kerapu (Grouper)
Duai Hitam
Duai Putih
Ikan Merah (Red Snapper)
Belanak
Keli (Catfish)
Temanong
Tengiri Gelama
Ayam Laut
Kitang
Tilapia
Pusu/Bilis (Anchovy)
Rumahan Laki
Rumahan Bini
Tamban
Yu (Shark)
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Pari (Stingray)
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Sumpit-sumpit (Archerfish)
Lobster
Prawn
Crab
Mussel
Squid
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January 22, 2011

Breakfast in Kanowit : Kampua Mee and Kopi-0

Kanowit occupies a special place in my heart.

My first thoughts -
There is a popular Foochow saying which goes "Round also can. Flat also can." This refers to a person who is very malleable and congenial. He does not really have a mind of his own and he does what is asked. Go with the flow. Even if it is not just. In fact many people belong to this category. Men and women without a strong mind of their own. But to the leaders they are good people.

I am often reminded of this saying whenever I eat my Foochow kampua noodles. Each time I order a bowl of kampua mee the stall owner would ask me "round or flat'? I would always order round noodles. Why would I never order flat noodles?

 I would say "I always order round noodles."
 
Now thoughts about Kanowit

It is a lovely riverine town with a beautiful Brooke Fort (Fort Emma) and was home to me for a whole year. I loved the way I had to cross the Rajang each evening for a lovely cup of kopi-o in the bazaar. I loved the way my colleagues and I paid special attention to the little food stuff we could buy in the few small shops (e.g. Hock Tong Seng ) and the coffee shop we frequented as a group.

I loved the way our SEDAYA boat man(Tinggal) would take us across the fast flowing river right on the dot at 4:30 each evening of the week days. I love the way my friends continue to be my friends until today. We still call each other and remember the happy days we had in Sedaya (acronym for Sekolah Datuk Abdul Rahman Yakub) and not KSS (Kanowit Secondary School) as founded by the Colombo Plan and New Zealand Government way back in the 1950's.

I died a few hundred deaths when my young husband had to send emergency cases (students with appendicitis) down the river in the school speedboat in the middle of the night. I would imagine how a log would hit his boat and he would drown or the speed boat would jump onto a sandbank where a crocodile would have him and the boatman for a midnight feast . The night would be spent waiting for him to return and another day would start with all the students having breakfast and he (without any sleep at all) announcing that the student was in good hands in the Lau King Howe Hospital.

So in this article I remember with fondness the ever faithful Tinggal the boatman who could sling a 40 horsepower outboard engine across his shoulders like an Olympian. My family and I have been wondering what he is doing now after his retirement. Did he go back to his kampong? Did the government treat him well? He gave almost all his life to the government as a boatman of a government secondary school. His rewards would not be a BBS or an AMN.....but I am sure all the teachers and students would rmember him well and "belanja" (give him a treat) in Kanowit.

And 35 years later I would come here again to sit in a new Kanowit coffee shop and enjoy a breakfast (for the first time in my life) of Foochow kampua mee and kopi-o with my young Sibu Foochow friends. We staff in those days would never cross the river to have breakfast in Kanowit. It would have been a great crime.
Pulut Panggang (look just like all those years ago)
Slightly different in taste now.
Iban men using chopsticks

A group of Foochow men sharing a nice breakfast (there were very few Foochows then in Kanowit) And most of the Foochows from Kanowit speak good Iban which is the lingua franca here.
An Iban family enjoying a nice breakfast - Kampua mee is a food which is borderless.
The ubiquitous Kampua Mee - this is Kampua mee Black (ie with black soy sauce)
Is Kampua Mee the domain of the Foochows? You are right - the stall owner is a Foochow after we interviewed him.
It is a small world afterall.
Now that I am retired I look at the place and think what would have happened if I have stayed on in Kanowit all these years.

And then I look at the noodles and kopi-o in front of me and my friends - how much have really changed. Not one in the town recognised me....And I only recognise the names of the shops and remember the things they are selling. Most of the shop keepers are new or they were children when I was here. The very old ones are very very old.

Shadows fade away as the sun rises above our heads.

There is a special bitter sweet taste in my coffee.




Soh Mien on First Day of Lunar New Year

 Today 10.2.2024 is the first day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon. Yes I have cooked the chicken and made the soh mien. Happy New Year!!...