Deepavali 2009

The good thing about having good friends is that you know that every celebration, regardless of which one you have a reason to go out and enjoy the company of good food and drinks. Even though Sarawak Indian community is in a small number (roughly 9000), Deepavali is celebrated without the hassle of proclaiming another public holiday (Dr.M would be furious if we declare another day to for holiday). Come Deepavali, however celebration here is small. This year, through the power of the SMS and Facebook, I finally can meet a good friend for Deepavali. On another note, FREE INDIAN FOOD!

- Deepavali Tit-bits -

- Probably the most waited meal of the day -

- Nasi Briyani, mix vegetable and curry lamb -

Deepavali came with good food this year at Pirakash house. Pirakash is an old friend from St.Joseph while I was doing my A-level (STPM for you and me!). I agreed that I be at his house at noon, to avoid the crowd but instead, I came at 4pm due to some misunderstanding over time. Nevertheless, I came at a good time because all of the old classmates were there. Timing was also crucial because in a matter of minutes, more guests came until the whole apartment was packed. In other words, a FULL HOUSE! In good spirit, pirakash parents insisted we ate more, and also showing the 'kuali' full of lamb and chicken curry, nasi briyani, ayam masak merah and mix vegetable.

I thought I was done for the day when I remembered another friend, Mayuran. Guess the day was getting better by the minute.

- This is 2009. One would be suprised how we looked like in 2005 -

- The Form 6 Gang -

Another friend to visit was Mayuran. Mayuran is Pirakash cousin, to my understanding. Together, they would gang-up in badminton and beat the living cells out of us. Thus, they came to be known as the 'Black Bros.' Mayuran's house offer another suprise; An Indian tradition so to speak.

- The Indian Kolam -

- A celebration of lights -

- Made from dyed rice. But today, it's santan kelapa -

Pirakash house would be a good place to go house-hopping because his immediate neighbours are Indians. However, one must know these people before we can enter and visit. Like in Pirakash, the meals are the same but at Mayu's, there was an extra meal called Thosai. Of you happen to go and visit an Indian cafe, order Thosai. The meal is basically yogurt and cooked without oil.

- Mayuran's Tut-Bits -

- Friends -

- Mayuran -

3 houses, numerous food and also the opportunity to meet good friends. And that was how I celebrated Deepavali 2009.

- Deepavali 2009 -

This is Mine!

Every student should recite this every day, for the remaining years of his student life

- THIS IS MY PENCIL BOX!
THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT BUT THIS ONE IS MINE
WITHOUT MY PENCIL BOX, I'M NOTHING
WITHOUT ME, MY PENCIL BOX IS USELESS
MY FELLOW STUDENTS ARE FAST AND AGILE
BUT I'M MORE AGILE
I'M A STUDENT -

* NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE MARINE CORP. 'THIS IS MY RIFLE RECITATION'.*

Deepavali 2009

- Darrel, Pirakash, Toyol, Irdwin and Tuey -

Apparently I'm the tallest of the bunch (and also the 'healthiest') . Taken at Pirakash Condominium, during Deepavali 2009. Pirakash is the guy on my left, wearing the black stripped T-shirt. Oh, he's the indian guy in the picture.

That Kampong Cat

This is 'meow', my grandma's cat. This is probably the most loved cat in the house, loved like the youngest kid in the family. He stays indoors, feeds constantly and does nothing...and everyone likes him. Like the family brat or the youngest in the family, no matter what he does, we all simply love it. Then again, we love our little brother, don't we ?

Halloween and something about JD's

Halloween! Where did it came from and what is it all about? Trick or treat? In Malaysia? What parents let their child go out at night without supervision or asking door to door for food? But let me explain the current situation in Kuching.

Come Halloween, malls and restaurants have their own version on how to celebrate it. There's costume contests, contests to see 'Who-Looks-Like-Michael-Jackson' and so forth. But there is one place who seems to reap more than these places; Pubs. Now, i just want to get things clear. There are no clubs in Kuching because ;

(1) Pubs in Kuching is too small to dance
(2) People go to pubs to smoke, drink and see girls in tight clothings
(3) I hate shuffling!

Go to places like Travillion, where certains pubs actually hire bouncers on that night because these clubs charge entrance fees. Yes, you heard me right. On this night, the night of ghosts anghouls, there are those who charge entrance fees. Oh, did I mention that girls can enter for free? Apparently girls can enter (and exit) as their please. But those of the opposite sex and gender had to fork our their precious $$ to enter these places. The clubs do offer free drinks, usually 1 bottle of beer but then again, is one enough? Places like Senso, Hilton charger RM9++ for a normal can of Coca-Cola to RM1250 for a Jack Daniels Blue Label. For those not known to the world of pub liquers prices, the drinks in pubs are always much more expensive. Think double the price you pay outside (and this does not include your normal 10% gov. taxes and 5% service taxes).

Pubs in Kuching (and like their lovely people) are meant to talk and enjoy the atmosphere. But alcohol also comes with a hefty price tags, smokey areas and people who drinks too much. What happen to the atmosphere where one can drink and talk all night, without the hassle of paying too much, inhaling 2nd hand smoke or watching the idiots gets 'brave' because he had just too much of beer, Jack Daniels and a combination of cowardness and being stupid?

Speaking of Halloween, does anyone knows where it comes from?

-Phone's for you. I think it's the Devil-

Swinburne : Life at its limits

I'm not doing my studies in Swinburne this semester. I'm doing my practical this semester. Somehow, my deep 'feelings' towards towards the building, name and its students gets more interesting every time I pass by it. But people do notice where am I. So, here the stories goes;

(1) On the last few days of the semester, I had the fortunate opportunity of travelling to Kapit. Now, Kapit is not a back-ward town but in fact a flourishing town. I was not in Kapit but in the interior, where modern technology seems to be obsolete. Communications to the outside world can be reached by satellite phones or if you in the vicinity of a clinic, internet communications.

(2) Swinburne, with its fancy building and staff, contacted me through e-mail asking me to go for an 'academic interview'. The problem is can be explained in No.1

(3) Swinburne, with staffs everyone love to hate, decided to drop me off for the entire semester. I finally read the 2 e-mails asking me to go for the interview and telling me I was booted out this semester. In an act of personal maturity, I sent 3 letters explaining my absence to Swinburne.

(4) 1 week passes by before I realize something was wrong. I called Swinburne, but stupidly explained my situation to a mere office clerk, who probably does not know the importance of my call

(5) After that, I had the unfortunate news of telling myself I be wasting 1 semester without study, without the chance to study and with the possibility of not studying for 1 year (so the clerk said)

In so, ladies and gentlemen, the moral of my story is to always know who to complain to. Never complain to the clerks or the front-desk staff because they too have no idea how to solve it. Lesson learned. Life will find a way.

Thrown Food is Murder!

It's quite shocking and mesmerizing when you realise how things have changed for the worse. In recent posts, I wrote about the effect of the weaking of the Ringgit Malaysia (RM), in which food and other essentials are getting more expensive. Today, as I was looking and selecting a brand of instant mee, I came across one very shocking details. The price per packet of 5 noodles was at RM4.60. As I said, it is indeed shocking because it has been a while since I shopped for noodles. The last time I recall, these noodles was around Rm3.00++, and also there was even a brand with even a lower price. Not only that, look closely and you realise the extreme downsizing of these noodles. If you cooked and eat the noodles you make, one can always see how small each portion is.

As I talked to myself in my deep thoughts, I looked at the nearby pastry shop that sells breads and yes, pastries. It is very sad and ironic for in other parts of the world, people starve to death while here, right in the middle of Kuching, food is being baked and sold exceeding demands. In the end, these pastries goes to the rubbish bin, to the dump and finally to just waste away. I was thinking 'Why not give these food to people for free?'. My theory was sincere but again let me put the reality of it;

For food;

(1) How often do you accept FREE FOOD that is purposely given away for free? Imagine pastries and cakes are given away free, right in front of the counter for all to enjoy?

(2) How often do producers give away free food? Why not give it to people, rather than throw it away?

While it seems like a good idea, producers and manufacturers agree it is better to throw away food than giving it away. One of the reason is hygiene. Even though those freshly baked donuts are thrown away right before closing time because it is 'not fresh'. But it is consider good if you 'buy it'. Supermarkets throw away a lot of food per day. Just look at their trash bins. Not only do they throw away expired food, but food(s) that is too-be-expired, damaged and dirty. If a pack of instant mee has a puncture hole, it is thrown away. If a bottle of spaghetti sauce will expire in 10 days time, it too is thrown away. If a can of beans looks dirty (because it was near the floor), away it goes. I simply look at this as extreme wastage because those item(s) looks salvageable. Imagine the 'treasure' you can find every night, after closing time in the trash bins of Big Fresh or even Choice Premier. IMAGINE THAT!

Payment for Grill

For a great piece of steak, I recommend San Francisco Grill. One thing for sure, you won't leave with an empty stomach. Another thing to ponder; Why is steak so expensive? I mean, you just grill the meat and if you browse in the meat section of ANY market, it's not THAT expensive. But maybe you're paying the person who sweats in the kitchen preparing your meal, who went to the market to get the meat and at the same time manage/clean/order people/pays bills. That is why, one always must look at a situation 2 ways at a time. As for me, I'm going to marinate and grill my steak from now!

Hidden Sematan

Mention Sematan and most of us Kuchingnites would be blur on how to get there. Mention Lundu and probably some of us know roughly where is it but a click on Google Earth@ can pin-point where is it. If Damai is famous for it beaches, Sematan boasts a far larger attraction ; A more cleaner beach, clear water and most of all a silence tranquility unlike no other.





Sematan is located on the upper side of Sarawak, almost at the tip of Borneo itself. Unlike Santubong, it takes approx. 1 hours and 15 mins to get there from Kuching. The trip itself is an adventure because along the way, one can see palm tress and timber along the way. Timber here, i think is actually the akasia tree which is cut dowm to make paper pulp and such. Be warned however; roads here are winding and you can see plenty of trucks carrying palm tress fruits to be refined into palm oil. Did i mention along the way, there's a sniper school?

I stayed at Sematan Palm Beach, one of the best (so far) hotels I been. The place is small and cosy, and the rooms here are basically small chalets with the view looking towards South China Sea. At RM180 a night ( weekdays differ in price) plus meals for dinner and breakfast, it is one of the best deals around.

- Sea kayaking is recommended while here -

- White sand beaches -

- Small and cozy surroundings. Watch out for falling coconuts -

The place is highly recommended for those seeking a quiet and relaxing place where one can escape the whatever they escaping from. A good thing about this place is that the place is small and quiet, which means you have little human contacts other than hotels guests and staff. Unlike the hotels in Damai, you can bet you won't stumble any familiar faces here. The hotel is about 3KM from the small town of Sematan, which reminds us (again) why we Sarawakians are so relaxes and laid-back.

Sematan Town

The port at Sematan

- Locals manning their boats -

- Local kids fishing -

- Pier at Sematan -

Sematan is small, and you won't get lost because the place is centered on a small area. In fact. the roads leading to Sematan basically ends at Sematan Town. As usual, the place is quiet but no so. Here, shops sells a variety of stuff including fishing gear. There are no ATM here, so come prepare with cash. The nearest ATM is located at Lundu, in which is bigger and have more buildings there. An interesting thing to note is at the pier, there is a immigration notice. Such notices can be seen at borders but Sematan one is unique. It got me thinking of why and then I realise Sematan is in fact, overlooking the South China Sea.

Sematan Palm Beach Resort

If there is a category for small beach resorts, this one is the first to mention. I got to know the place via the MyPrivilage book. The offer was great; 50% off the 2nd night and also there are a bunch of 'realistic' offer to do. For example, you can rent a bicycle and get a 2nd one for FREE. This also applies for Sea-kayaking and such. The one good thing about Sematan Palm Beach Resort (SPBR) is that the staff are friendly. This is the good thing about small, local resorts. The staff are down-to-earth and you can chat along with them, unlike some international hotels which emphasizes more on being 'professional'. Another thing to note is the 2 meals a day concept. What this means is that you need not to go around looking for food at night. And unlike hotel buffets, the choices are just right. You have enough and that is what you need. I did try the al-carte and it was excellent. No bad for a small resort in the small town of Sematan.

- My dinner which consists of 1 meat, 3 vegetable -

- Small and clean -

- SPBR restaurant -

The rooms here are cozy. I took the quadruplets, which is part of the package. The best part is that the rooms is overlooking the sea. If you do come with bigger group, the hotel offer bigger rooms which can accommodate people from 4-6 in volume. There is even a small conference room for any one making a meeting as an excuse.



Here are so shots of the sea here. The pictures were taken with a camera phone but I CAN ASSURE you the views was breathless, the air is clean and most of all, the sea water is clean and crystal clear. Next time I'm here, I'm going for the PADI diving course!










And so, just to add some info to all of you. There are, a lot of places to visit other than Beijing or Melbourne and the best thing is that you need a car, full fueled for your journey. Sematan, I BE BACK!

Here and Back Again : A journey to the interior of Kapit

Kapit has always been a town to me and I never had the change to go there until now. If one might ask where is Kapit, it's is in the interior of Sarawak, a place deem an island of its own. There are no roads in or out of Kapit, and that is why it is called 'an island' because of it. But, Kapit is accesible throught the usage of boats or Express Boats and fortunately, Kapit is thriving town thanks to the might Rejang River.

My journey starts on the very eve of the annual Baleh-Kapit River Safari 2009. The event has been happening for the past 14 years and to me, it probably is a challenge on its own. Unlike other river safari, entering it is a challenge. For instance, one must travel to Kapit by boat to Kapit town. There, you again travel to the respected venue where the start point is being held. This year, 2 longhouses were given the honour of hosting the start point as well as to serve as the resting point of the participants.

My first journey was to get to Sibu via air. Now, maybe some of you has been to Miri or Kuala Lumpur and the plane ride takes and hour or more. But to Sibu, the flight is around 45mins. On the day of my journey, the flight was a mere 30 mins. Before you can even sleep, in that moment the captain actually announced that we have to prepare for landing.

- This girl went pass me but I couldn't resist take this picture. Adding a sense of Black and White, and the reflection on the floor makes this picture a taker -

Arriving in Sibu, i hurried up to me my team for the weekend because we were in Kapit to document the place. Another 30 mins from Sibu Airport and we have arrived at Sibu Wharf. If you never been to one, I can say it is more 'happening' than Sibu airport. Then again, the Rejang is the most used main of transportation.

The express boat is put into a few section namely 1st Class, Business Class and Economy Class. Much like in the plane, what you get as you pay more is bigger seats, bigger rooms and a comfortable ride. Like in the aeroplane, air-conditioning is an issue because the temperature is set to freezing. The journey to Kapit takes 2 hours and 45 mins.

- 1st class. No bad when you're paying RM30 for a 3 hrs journey to the interior of Sarawak -


- The signs shows how far each destination is. Kapit is around 126 kilometres from Sibu Wharf-

- A view of Business Class -

Along the way, you will see how vast the importance of the Rejang really is. Ships and ships of all kind of sizes and function can be seen around the wharf. There are tug-boats pulling loads of timber, cargo ships with tons of cargo and also express boats zooming in and out of Kapit. As one left the wharf, you see more of interior of Sarawak. There are a lot of logging camps around and also longhouses along the way. Don't be fooled however, some of these longhouses are very modern and some even boast air-con, Astro, parabola satellite dishes and even some household equipments we never thought of seeing.

My parther in crime for the weekend was Kayzee, who seems to enjoy the trip by sleeping. Me, however dread the cold air-con as well as the lousy movie.

- Kayzee facebook pics looks fabulous -

- Along the river, on the way to Kapit -

After 2 or more hours later, we arrived in Kapit. Once settle in our rooms, we head around Kapit, taking photos and interviewing people. One of them is this fello here, Robert Mayau;




Robert Mayau Anak Entalai @ Matau is a Kapit-born Tattoo artist. He has done a lot of people's tattoo and can been seen at tattoo conventions around Sarawak and S.E.A. There are a lot of tattoo artist around, but it seems when it comes to one, people will remember Ernesto. Ernesto is a tattoo artist, but people know him because (1) His office in in Kuching, where transport is fast, (2) He been on T.V, in which he's there because he can speak well. We interviewed him for about an hour, asking his life and such. And before you can say 'Nak aku ngakok Iban', the day was over.

On the 2nd day, we headed out to Song, another island. A boat ride of 45 mins was all it took to go there. If you're wondering what Song looks like, here some pics;

- At Song Wharf. These boats are the only means to go anywhere. Other than that, you need to take the smaller boats -

- Made in Song drinks -

- Song latest infrastructure -

- The boat on the top is a cargo boat. It brings all kind of cargo and some carry cars. The blue one is a petrol station. Here, boats get their daily usage of petrol or benzene -

The pics i took when I'm at the longhouse are unavailable for this blog but I have some pics when I'm in the longhouse. Here are the rest of the pics.

I love kapit!