Kuching Food

Kuching food, Kuching food!!

Most of those foods in shown in the youtube are not Muslim friendly, so many pork pork pork.

One of Kuching special food is belacan mee hun. I always thought it is in fried mode, but it turned out to be soupy. My friend brought me to a stall near Batu Kawa and ordered belacan mee hun. When my dish arrived, I opened my eyes wide wide, hard to believe the smell. I told my friend, it smells bad. He said if other people heard what I just said, I will get beaten. 

FYI, belacan is smelly shrimp paste. It is nice to cook with kangkung (a type of vege). If you plan to send belacan to your friend who live oversea, remember to send kangkung as well.

Did I mentioned that Kuching food stall tend to have funny names such as Fei Mao (Fat Cat), Ho say liao (Damn), and so on..... Usually those stalls with nice food, hide at somewhere which is hard to find. It is better do some research before searching for food in Kuching.

Feeling hungry now? I am graving for delicious wantan now. Nyam nyam.

Gawai Holiday / Harvest Festival

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!

Docking

Reaching the dock.

Tried my luck to visit Astana (Castle) - Can't get it because it is not a tourist place!! Then visited Orchid Farm, then back to the dock.

Try to snapped as many photos as I can. Lucky I brought along someone to snap my photo. Some are 'overexposed', not due to bright light, but due to other reason. Ehem.. ehem.. ehem. I guess I am too 'gifted'.

Now looking back to this photo..

Now I wonder where is the boatman?

Fitness in Kuching

While I was in Kuching, other than eating, my friend brought me to a fitness center. I guess my friend ran out of places to bring me to, if you wondering why my friend brought me to visit a gym. The fitness center is opened by a Malaysian famous blogger, Kenny Sia. He is also very round.

The fitness center give a free trial for first timer. This is actually my first time to a proper formal gym. After I get a locker key and a towel, I walk in without any clue of what to do. Fyi, my friend just left me there. I guess I have to find the locker room, as I have a locker key. 

Tips when feeling lost: Follow the crowd.

So, I follow the crowd, follow the trail of busy people walking, looks like they have somewhere to rush to. Then, I found the restroom with the lockers.

Then, I explore the gym, walking up the stairs till the top floor. Ground floor - Body build up, 1st floor - treadmill, bike, and gym ball, and 2nd, Cardio/dance.

When I walk into body building up area, that was the first time I saw so many muscled biceps at a time. I was shocked and my jaw almost drop open. 

Scaryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of my male colleagues have big biceps. But.. but.. but.. those I saw at the gym are so different. Those in the gym are hard and big, and unbelievable scary biceps. I admit that too much muscles freaks me up. I saw that I am the only lady in that area. I wander around, reading instruction and trying out exercise equipment. I can't find easier equipment for abdomen tightening. Hence, I wander up to the bike area. My ankles were too sore from shopping too much, so can't ride the bike for too long. My leg just go wobbly after a while.

Then I went to ground floor, found the Oprah is more entertaining. So I chose the most strategic equipment, watch tv while doing thigh strengthening exercise.

While watching Oprah, I have a realisation that the gym looks like AirAsia. Everything is so red. I guess the boss is very fond of Airasia.