Did you miss me?
Since last Friday, it is another festive season for Sarawak (a Malaysia state in Borneo Island).
28 May Fri - Wesak Day. It is Buddha's Day celebrated by Buddhist and it is public holiday.
Sat - Public holiday.
Sun - Public holiday.
Mon - Working day
1 June Tues - Gawai Festival (Harvest festival). It is public holiday
in Sarawak only! 2 Days!!
Wed - Gawai!!!
Thurs - Working day
Fri - Public holiday, replacement for Our Yang Di-pertuan Agong's
birthday which fell on Saturday.
Without much analysis, you may noticed that there are only two working days for the week. Naturally people will ask for two days leave to get the whole week for holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wooohoooooooooo Yahooooooooooooo!!!
Why am I so happy when I am not working???????? Happy for people is also very happying!!
Of course I am happy because I get the chance to celebrate Gawai in Kuching! My good father willing to drive to Kuching for my mother's sake. My uncle is Bidayuh ethnic and he is celebrating Gawai in Kuching this year.
My uncle's hometown is in Bau. Bau means smell in English. Bau is the only place that has gold. Hence when you go Bau, you can smell gold. Yeah, you better don't trust me on the smelling gold part.
View of the village. Not longhouse style.
When in village, with clean river, with no shit in the river, with many people who likes to swim in river, with kids, OF COURSE it is a must to go for a swim. It is actually my first time to swim in a river. Yeah we swam at Pedaun River. So cooling.....
It had to be cooling. If it is warm, you can start suspecting someone is peeing up the stream. This photo is the only photo which is not showing anyone with underwear. hohohoho.
After swim, get hungry? Then eat. nyam nyam. not nom nom.
Have to walk up hill everytime we went visiting. Why all uncle's relatives like to stay so high on hill? The atmosphere of Gawai is same as Chinese New Year, Eid Festival or Christmas. Everyone dressed nice nice, and many food to eat. For Gawai, the host always cooks for visitors, leaving visitor sitting outside talking to ourselves. Maybe they dare to leave us sitting in the living room by ourselves because we are their relatives. The rice they prepared usually is Dayak rice. It is like sticky rice and tend to make stomach bloated. So don't eat too much if you have gastric problem. Just eat small portion at every house, because there will be food at every house.
Nice wallpaper???
Finally, start our 13 hours journey back to Miri, including stop for meals, and careful driving. Saw many accidents on our way back to Miri.
Happy belated Gawai and Tadau Kamaatan!