I Found Nemo

JSK Borneo Reef

I would be surprised if I met a person, who after spending a minimum of half a day at Southeast Asia’s largest reef activity pontoon, expressed either disappointment or a desire to leave early, because let me tell you, it is no exaggeration to state that this is one heck of a good time! If you disagree, I’ll fight you. Operated by JSK Borneo Reef and staffed by highly qualified professionals, this is some major fun in the sun, albeit with a generous does of ocean thrown into the mix.

Boarding the speedboats that can transport around 20 people at a time from the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal to the pontoon situated 20 minutes away, the spray of sea and the cool breeze whipping our hair all over is just the appetiser, as the excitement levels of everyone geared up in their protective life jackets builds up. Disembarking onto the pontoon, which in my case was done alongside a hitch-hiking silver-tailed macaque (that brings new meaning to the term cheeky monkey), clients are led to a central rectangular seating area that branches out in all directions to the various facilities. Wifi, rest rooms with shower heads, a kitchen, 4 vending machines that accept digital payments, an upper level for lunchtime meals and panoramic views, a lower level observation area to spy on marine life, a shop selling specialised sea-shoes, this place is decked out to the max.

You can go kayaking in either a single seat, or double seat transparent canoe. Snorkelling among the marine life and corals. Test your luck at the latest feature – a slippery, swaying, inflatable water park designed like a mini obstacle course (which turned back time and transformed me into a 12-year-old again), or the highlight in my opinion, go sea walking 5 metres beneath the surface of the sea. Note: you either wear durable slippers or specialised sea shoes. I recommend you bring the former, because the latter may not come in your size at the pontoon shop. Trust me on this.

With 35kg helmets placed on your shoulders as you sit on the descending steel staircase while semi submerged in water, you need to then equalise your internal pressure levels as you descend into the deep. Squeeze your nose and exhale, swallow, or even rotate your jaw, just like you would on a plane at high altitude. Ensure you do this every few steps and before you know it, you will be marvelling at the schools of tiny silverfish, jet black butterfly fish, clownfish hiding in anemones, and plenty more. With photo and video packages available for purchase prior to descent, I know you will all have as good a time as I did. •• Lot C13, Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal Jalan Haji Saman, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Tel: 6010-2037813 IG: @jskborneoreef FB: JSK Borneo Reef Website: jskborneoreef.my

talk

We always love it when our Bornean brothers and sisters – fellow Islanders all – make it into the spotlight on the international stage, as a result of simply following their natural instincts in order to chase their personal passions within a professional context. Whether they are able to accomplish this from the world’s 3rd largest island, or by uprooting themselves to move to a new location around our interconnected world, these pursuits that come to define them encompass a variety of industries. This quarter we

BORNEANS IN BORNEANS IN THE SPOTLIGHT THE SPOTLIGHT

Jia Ying Chia

take quick peek at a group of interesting personas that include: An author of children’s stories recently recruited by Penguin Random House, a Melbourne-based artist with a penchant for creating ecofriendly paints, a pastry chef creating delicacies we so badly want to try ourselves, a visual effects editor working her magic from London, and a filmmaker who just received a nomination for an Academy Award (documentary short subject category). Take inspiration from them everyone, dreams can come true.

SERENE LAU

Known for her whimsical personality and seamless ability to move between art styles and genres, Serene Lau, who originally hails from Sarawak but spent her formative years growing up in Brunei, is the living embodiment that life as a professional artist is far from starving. Her microadventure comics and community-based art projects provide insight into her passions which include sustainable living practices. On the heels of her fish-safe paints workshop at the first refill/low-waste store in Brunei and at Kaimana Living, we discuss all things weird, wonderful and green.

Your art style is vibrant and often delves into the surrealist realm. Where does this stem from?

SL: My penchant for surrealism has two roots: my vivid dreams that started since I could remember and years of consuming animation from cartoons to anime. I, like most other creatives, drew what I think is exciting. For me, that is the unknown, things that scare me, things that I don’t understand and yet have this beauty I can’t explain. Perhaps that’s why I’ve not added eyes to my female characters in my Sewer Princess Series, to give the audience a sense of unease. I also felt at the time that my skills for expressing uncomfortable emotions were still developing and “the gaze” is a tough one to master. The female figures possibly show my own tension with femininity from growing up in a conservative society and then having an adulthood in an open western society.

It's a wild, wild world

What’s the best drink/snack combo to wind down from a busy day with and why?

SL: Bubble tea and BBQ chicken tails (tongkeng)/fried chicken! Realistically? A cup of earl grey and seasonal fruits. It really depends on my self restraint at the end of a busy day, which isn’t much. Ever since I started my “no to single-use plastics”, my snacking options have been kept to the fresh produce and loose leaf section. I’ve never known to have such healthy skin and a depressed mouth at the same time.

Can you tell us about the fish-safe paints you developed and your interest in sustainability?

SL: It all started from a project I did at Wembley Primary School, Yarraville where we explored marine plastic pollution with Primary 1’s and 2’s. I used the medium of acrylic paints to do finger paintings of marine animals and single-use plastic items to create an art installation. A team in Brunei also recreated this project in several local schools. Being a project that aims to promote sustainable practices, I started looking into the materials I was using to reduce waste and was absolutely horrified when I realised my favourite medium of acrylic paints was made from liquid plastics! Then the great lockdown came and I fortunately had the time to do more research into sustainable natural paints. I thought my journey was going to end with buying these paints from a shop but there weren’t many options. When my friend Thel Kin gifted me “The Secret Lives of Colour” by Kassia St. Clair, I realised that some of the pigments were literally growing in my nature strips. It was so similar to cooking that making watercolour paints was an incredibly natural (ha!) step. I’m proud to have an official colour palette of black, yellow, red, purple, green, peach and brown.

You’ve worked with Australian communities on interactive art projects. Tell us about why this is appealing to you and are there any Borneo equivalents on the agenda?

SL: I was unaware when I first started my professional career as an artist, how isolating it was. Even more so me being a very social person. Community interactive art projects were my way of changing that! It is such a joy to hear the different experiences and ideas from the community when they engage with art made by and for them. I’m impressed with the community that Brunei’s very own Collective Art Events has made because that wasn’t available to me when I lived in Brunei. I’ve learnt that in order to thrive as a creative, you need support and safe spaces.

The biggest influence that my Brunei and Kuching roots have on me is the importance of nature and its beauty. It is unfortunately something that is rapidly diminishing. I grew up with the ability of having nature five minutes away, with the comforts of modern life. I thought it was normal considering that when I visited Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, it was the same deal. It started changing during my annual drives back to Kuching from Brunei when what was a vast rainforest had changed into palm oil plantations. I also remembered the routine of seeing more wildlife and then complete disappearance when there were land clearings for developments. Messy hikes through the rainforest with a celebratory Nasi Katok was and is how I bond with my family and friends every time I’m back in Brunei. Hence why I enjoy nature so much because it made me who I am and why I’m fierce about sustainability in my work and life.