KINO Kuching In & Out Magazine Issue #5

N0 5 / DEC - JAN 2014

I’m

FREE

6 issues a year

a lifEstyle print and digital magazine WWW.KUCHINGINANDOUT.COM

A SPECIAL ISSUE

CELEBRATING through SWEET ARTS | DANCE | OPERA | LIGHTS | WORDS | Remembering our HEROES

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THE BEST OF A gift from

the heart

g In and of Kuchin

OM 2O14 FR a «Tree

of Love»

made specially

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CALENDAR l LISTINGS l AREA BY AREA l NIGHT SPOTS l MAPS

WALKING TALL

“One Shoe Can Change Your Life” EMMA

DANIEL

C1 & C2 Tingkat 1, Bangunan Kompleks Majlis Islam, Jalan P. Ramlee, KUCHING 082 507012

«Celebration of triumph»...

Did you know that the word «celebration» carries 125 words or more if you search longer on the web. Regardless of how many, words such as «create», «art» and «rite» are included. Whether through dance, music or custom, celebration I believe is a form of gratitude, an act of hospitality, a means of sharing. I recently attended an award presentation dinner and gala evening at the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) organised by the Sarawak Convention Bureau. It was most enjoyable with remarkable entertainment throughout the evening. But what made it even more special for me was the phrase used during a speech. «A celebration of triumph». Indeed, celebration is so important if not only to reinforce our appreciation for one another, it is to bring joy and harmony into our lifes.

In this special issue, KINO celebrates through sweet arts to melt your heart, an amazing male belly dancer, an architect who sings tenor, a lady who speaks of a Silent Night, a tourist who writes a letter to Kuching and last but not least, we celebrate and honour Sarawak’s less known heros.

So to you dear KINO supporters, a Happy Ending for the year 2013 and a New Beginning for the coming year!

MARIAN CHIN Editor-in-Chief

Let the drums roll... at the 7th Anak Sarawak Appreciation Award evening.

Guests were greeted by the majestic gesture of glittering gold painted arms beating to the rythme of life’s joy and contentment. Literally caught in the rite of passage, I was moved by the evening’s presentation to celebrate, rejoice and welcome past achievements and future triumphs.

A gift for you...

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FROM

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our made for

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A KINO «Tree of Love» 2014 calendar made specially for you.

l5 WHAT’S UP 11 I b KUCHING l 13 By the Way l

N0 5 / DEC - JAN 2014

In this issue...

I’m

FREE

6 issues a year

a lifEstyle print and digital magazine WWW.KUCHINGINANDOUT.COM

Events in and out of Kuching.

EXCAT: «Chiak Hong» «Ho Chiak» Sweet Days

A SPECIAL ISSUE

CELEBRATING through SWEET ARTS | DANCE | OPERA | LIGHTS | WORDS | Remembering our HEROES

Celebrating through

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2O14 THE BEST OF A gift from

the heart

of Kuching

In and

FROM a «Tree

of Love»

specially

made for

you, our

precious

supporters.

Out,

CALENDAR l LISTINGS l AREA BY AREA l NIGHT SPOTS l MAPS

DANCE OPERA SWEET ARTS WORDS LIGHTS Remembering our HEROES 37 FISHNET MAKER l 40 AREA BY AREA l 42 NIGHT SPOTS l 44 «NEXT STOP» l 46 BOOKS l p. 18

p. 14

p. 22

p. 32

p. 34

p. 28

Endangered Trades

«Across River»

Where the bands are...

BUS ROUTES MAP, first steps...

The Nyonya

In the next issue:

Fruit Glorious Fruit From durian Kek Lapis to durian wine - has the King of Stink conquered all of our senses?

LOCAL WILD FRUITS: Where have they all gone?

KINO Digital magazine is INside and OUTside of the printed magazine. KINO Digital magazine is your platform to tell a story, share your thoughts, memories, talk about a recipe, see and post videos, sms your comments directly to the online magazine and join us for competitions, events and more.

Or simply ‘flip’ through the ‘pages’ with our KINO app. editorial MARIAN CHIN Editor-in-Chief RIA PUIG Project Editor AMELIE BLANC Coordinator/Adminstrator AGNES BALAN Copy Editor CECILIA GOH Copy Editor ART / GRAPHIC KI&O TEAM In & Out PHOTOGRAPHER JONG SAW KANG CONTRIBUTORS LU CHERN, DR. EE YUIN SU, HEIDI MUNAN, SHARIFAH NUR HANNAH BINTI WAN MOHAMAD RUBIN JALA, RUYI JING, FARIDAH SHIBLI, ANTHONY FREDERICK WARD, MEL WU ADVERTISING MARIAN CHIN 019 857 957 6 marian.chin@kuchinginandout.com RIA PUIG 016 893 893 4 info@kuchinginandout.com PUBLISHER WHATMATTERS SDN BHD (518203 D) Published bi-monthly by WHATMATTERS SDN BHD (518203 D) Next issue of KINO: December-January All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner in whole or part may be allowed prior to written permission. The publisher is not liable for statements made and opinions expressed in the publication.

KINO has 10’000 circulation for every issue and is inserted in two major newspapers for distribution.

KINO has over 100 drop-off points in Kuching City.

Printed by Infografik Press SDN. BHD. Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

A EVENT

A Culinary Ecstasy - it happened!

Demonstration & Gala Dinner by Michelin Chef Buecher and seconded by 5 top-notched local chefs.

“It was literally an uplifting and unimaginable experience brought about by KINO! One has to be present to know what I am talking about! ” - Sharon Wong “It was a simply divine... my taste buds were treated to a buffet of gastronomic delight.”

- Mini Ng “The taste was subtle, yet so magically lovely. My bowl was scraped clean!” - Mary Lu

DECJAN2013WHAT’S UP-IN-OUT & 1 DEC

GES Education Fair WHERE: KUCHING – Four Points by Sheraton HOW MUCH: Contact Ting Chew Yien cting@swinburne.edu.my / 017-220 6887 WHO: Swinburne University

1

Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) Christmas Charity Bazaar The SSPCA Christmas Charity Bazaar is an annual event featuring a variety of food an craft stalls, live band music, dance and choir performances.

WHERE: KUCHING - Association of Churches Hall, Ecumenical Center, Jalan Stampin WHO: SSPCA CONTACT: Brenda Png 019-8863118

2-4

2013 IEEE Conference on Wireless Sensor (ICWISE) It is the first conference on Wireless Sensors technology involving science, engineering and technology areas. Fully sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society Malaysia Section, ICWISE 2013 will provide researchers, engineers and industrialists with the opportunities to present research results, and exchange views and experience in areas related to applied wireless sensors technology.

WHERE: KUCHING – TBD HOW MUCH: computer.ieeemy.org/icwise/ WHO: IEEE Computer Society Malaysia Section CONTACT: asyrani@computer.org

2-4

2nd International Conference on Interactive Digital Media (ICIDM 2013) ICIDM 2013 brings an opportunity to invite new innovative invention on Computer Graphics, Multimedia, Image Processing, Human Computer Interaction, Animation, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Web and Mobile Technology, Games and Emerging Technology.

WHERE: KUCHING – Pullman Hotel HOW MUCH: computer.ieeemy.org/icwise/ WHO: Jointly organised by UTM, UNIMAS and IEEE Computer Society CONTACT: icidm2013@utmspace.edu.my

3

Global Education Fair WHERE: SIBU – Tanamas Hotel HOW MUCH: FREE WHO: Swinburne University CONTACT: Mr. Peter Wong cting@swinburne.edu.my / 084-338532

4-17

The Sarawak Museum & The Rejang Fine Artists’ Group present a Fine Art Exhibition This exhibition will display the artwork of four artists which will present the different themes and medium but all with the same message. This exhibition will be shown 4-17 December 2013. Come and enjoy viewing the art from our Rejang friends!

Mon - Fri 09:30-16.30, Sat & Sun 10:00-16:00 WHERE: KUCHING - The Art Museum, Sarawak Museum Department WHO: The Sarawak Museum & The Rejang Fine Artists’ Group

6

3rd Sibu Bike Week 2013 www.kuchinginandout.com www.kuchinginandout.comKINO KINO 66

& AROUND KUCHINGDECJAN2013 Activity Program : Live Entertainment, Battle Of The Band, Bike Contest, Auto Show, Miss Sibu Bike Week, Paint Ball, Skate Board, Hi-Tea Ride, Merchandise Sale and more Surprise....

WHERE: SIBU – Town Square Phase 2 HOW MUCH: Registered Participants Package: Rm 80.00 WHO: Razz Chopper CONTACT: Helen / 014-695 7171

7-8

3x3 Sibu Cup 2013 Sibu Cup 2013 will be held in conjunction with the 3rd Sibu Bike Week organised by Razz Chopper. There will be bikes and cars and of course paintball.

WHERE: SIBU – Town Square Phase 2

7

Miri City Christmas Parade Starting point at Miri City Fan Jalan Kipas, Miri. The route of the parade covers the main streets in Miri City Centre. This is a combined effort of all churches in Miri and Miri City Council to celebrate this jovial festive occasion with the aim of promoting it as one of the signature events in Miri. The upcoming one, the fourth grand Christmas Parade to be held at Miri, will be even more colourful and promises to gather bigger crowds.

WHERE: MIRI HOW MUCH: Free WHO: Miri City Council in collaboration with churches in Miri

7

TURBULENCE!! Rooftop Party First Rooftop Party in Kuching that will

KINO www.kuchinginandout.com KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 7 7

feature 5 sets of amazing deejays!! Gate opens at 6.30 p.m.

WHERE: KUCHING - CityOne Megamall HOW MUCH: Tickets: RM35 (inclusive 1 drink) VIP tables: RM500 (6 pax) inclusive 24 cups of beer WHO: City One Megamall CONTACT: 011-12001834

7

Oi! STREETPUNK FEST 2013 18 Bands in the list will hit the streets!!!

WHERE: KUCHING - Civic Centre HOW MUCH: Admission fee: RM20.00 WHO: Times Movement & One Street Voice

7

1st INTERNATIONAL BORNEO SALSAEROBICS FEST 2013 (DANCE AWAY TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE) Be ready for lots of cardio with numerous salsa workshops and aerobics conducted by reknowned international and local instructors which will include AQUAEROBICS, SALSAEROBICS and LATIN STREET DANCE WORKSHOPS...THE FINALE WILL BE A POOLSIDE PARTY WHERE: KUCHING - SALSA AT Kuching, Jalan Satok HOW MUCH: Full pass (all programmes): Rm250, Workshop pass class only : Rm160, Party Dinner Show pass only : Rm100, Aquaerobics pass only : Rm16 WHO: SALSA AT Kuching

7

BEACH FIESTA 2013 (BIKINI PARTY) DJ’s Nite. Its also going to feature top local Rap acts from Kuching as well. Mr. & Miss.

Escobar 2013 Bikini Pageant Contest. DRESS

DECJAN2013WHAT’S UP-IN-OUT & CODE: BIKINI/ BEACH WEAR WHERE: KUCHING - Escobar HOW MUCH: TICKETS: REGULAR RM30, VIP RM50, (EARLY BIRD: REGULAR RM25, VIP RM 45) WHO: Escobar & LOOPS

8-14

MIUSA Reading Camp To teach children under LINUS program to read using an intensive reading and coaching program for English (as a second language).

WHERE: KUCHING - Yayasan Sarawak, Petra Jaya HOW MUCH: Email: dyslexiaswk@gmail. com WHO: Dyslexia Association of Sarawak

13-14

1st Sarawak Lion Dance Championship The main objectives of the championship are to promote racial harmony and unity through lion dancing as many members of lion dance troupes now are Bumiputera; promote tourism in Sarawak; and to promote Malaysians’ understanding and love of lion dancing.

WHERE: Kenyalang Community Association Hall HOW MUCH: Contact: Tang Tze Loong at 019-8897780 / tzeloong77@hotmail.com or William Kong at 016-8885025 / williamkong_advocate@yahoo.com WHO: The Wushu, Lion and Dragon Dance Federation of Sarawak (WFS)

14

Gem Sarawak Ethnic Contemporary Fashion & Exhibition 2013

This is a unique multicultural-based event showcasing new and emerging local talented designers that transform traditional ethnic costume wear to modern contemporary wear suitable for formal and informal wear for modern day men and women. Other activities also include booth exhibition, local performers, traditional dancing, lucky draw and etc.

WHERE: KUCHING – KOPERASI HIJAU SARAWAK BERHAD, TNC CENTRE, JLN SETIA RAJA (Behind Nissan, Kenbest, Simply Sedap Building) HOW MUCH: 1) ETHNIC BOOTH EXHIBITION: Exhibitors are welcome to register at RM 100.00 per booth.

Free for visitors. 2) ETHNIC CONTEMPORARY FASHION SHOW: Designers are welcome to participate at RM50.00 per show Entrance Fee: RM80.00 per person per entry (Limited 300 tickets) incl. light refreshment.

WHO: Gem Events Sdn Bhd & Panggau Singai Crew CONTACT: Email: askgemevents@gmail.com or tel/ fax at 082-285985 or just SMS your name & message to Gem Events Team 016-8594380 / 010-5332838

14

Secret Recipe Coloring Contest Create memorable moments with family and friends as you put your creative hats on! Begin with the Secret Recipe Coloring Contest. Competing with two categories; 5-7 & 8-12 year olds, there is something for everyone!

WHERE: KUCHING – The Spring HOW MUCH: Free / Prize to win WHO: The Spring & Secret Recipe

www.kuchinginandout.com www.kuchinginandout.com KINO KINO 88

SIBU CHRISTMAS PROCESSION Sibu’s annual Christmas procession has been organised by the Sibu Churches Association since 2005. The organising committee has lined up some activities which include a mass procession by all contingents from Catholic, Methodist, Anglican and Sidang Injil Borneo church groups. School brass bands and uniformed bodies are also expected to take part in this procession.

The procession will proceed to Island Road, enroute to Mission Road and Kpg Nyabor Road before heading back to Sibu Town Square. There will be some stage entertainment while procession is going on.

WHERE: SIBU HOW MUCH: Free WHO: Association of Churches Sibu

15

Anchor Children Pizza workshop Live demonstrations from the passionate chefs and experts from Fonterra!

WHERE: KUCHING - The Spring HOW MUCH: Free WHO: The Spring and Anchor

16

A Seminar on Life A Seminar on Life - Financial Intelligence, Wholesome Relationships (with parents, siblings, friends, members of the opposite sex...) Recommended for ages 15-19. No meals provided (MBKS Cafeteria is open).

Lunch break 1.00pm-12.30pm. Dress code: Smart casual.

WHERE: KUCHING - MBKS Auditorium, Kuching HOW MUCH: RM20 fee, registration is now KINO KINOwww.kuchinginandout.com www.kuchinginandout.com 99

open, confirmed upon payment, first-come, first-served WHO: Phang Sin Nan Training Consultant CONTACT: Phang Sin Nan 082-360737 / 012-8952007 / phang.sinnan@gmail.com or Anne Phang / 012-8922958 / annephang@ gmail.com

22

Gingerbread House Decorating Contest Each participant will be provided basic decorative items. All other decorative materials (jellybeans, lollipops, etc.) will not be provided.

Finished products can be taken home!

WHERE: KUCHING - The Spring HOW MUCH: Registration fees: Rm10 WHO: The Spring and Ginger Bread House

31

SIBU NEW YEAR COUNTDOWN CELEBRATION New Year Count Down a is yearly event organised by Sibu Municipal Council to celebrate the new year. The activities will be featuring a variety of entertainment and competition before enumeration of midnight.

The stage will start as early as 7 pm with cultural performances and other entertaining programs for the audience for the night. The highlight will be a fireworks show.

WHERE: SIBU - Sibu Town Square HOW MUCH: Free WHO: Sibu Municipal Council CONTACT: Mr Hii Chang Kee / 084-333411

5 JAN

Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) Adoption Day Save a life. Opt to adopt a pet from the SSPCA today. 10am - 3pm.

WHERE: KUCHING - Plaza Merdeka

Call 082-241880 or 014-3914860 for reservations

14

Open 11am-2am Lunch-Dinner Traditional Dayak Cuisine Off Jalan Simpang Tiga

& AROUND KUCHINGDECJAN2013

DECJAN2013WHAT’S UP-IN-OUT WHO: SSPCA CONTACT: Brenda Png 019-8863118

12

Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) Adoption Day Save a life. Opt to adopt a pet from the SSPCA today. 10am - 3pm.

WHERE: KUCHING - Boulevard Mall WHO: SSPCA CONTACT: Brenda Png 019-8863118

16-23

ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2014 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination where Asian hospitality and cultural diversity are at their best.

WHERE: KUCHING - BCCK HOW MUCH: http://www.atf-malaysia.com/ WHO: Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA)

18

Rope Skipping Competition 3/2014 Individual or group competition in support of Dyslexia Association of Sarawak WHERE: KUCHING - Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce HOW MUCH: Free WHO: Dyslexia Association of Sarawak CONTACT: Ms Cresenthea Annis at 082242900 or email at dyslexiaswk@gmail.com

26

Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) Adoption Day

Save a life. Opt to adopt a pet from the SSPCA today. 10am - 3pm.

WHERE: KUCHING - Green Heights Mall WHO: SSPCA CONTACT: Brenda Png 019-8863118

Looking for Christmas gift ideas?

PERKATA Gallery is operated as a fundraising arm of Persatuan Bagi Kanak-Kanak Terencat Akal, Sarawak or PERKATA Kuching, an NGO- operated school for 135 children with special needs. It wholesales a variety of goods to retail outlets in Kuching and some hotel outlets elsewhere in Sarawak. These goods include our own specially designed t-shirts featuring Sarawak designs and also cats. We supply our own post cards , seasonal greeting cards, Sarawak notecard packs , and a variety of other specially-designed souvenirs. We also source a range of souvenirs from other sources so that the Gallery can be a one-stop shop for visitors .

‘Recycled’ cards are a speciality and are very popular.

WHERE: PERKATA school on Ong Tiang Swee Rd, Kuching, opposite the Blind Centre. Gallery hours are: Weekdays 8am-12.30pm, 2pm-430pm and Saturdays (except the first Saturday of the month), from 8am to 12pm. CONTACT: Gallery Manager - Elsia Goh 082- 428200 / 016-8909991.

www.kuchinginandout.com KINO 10

l l l l11 I b KUCHING

by Fiona Lao-Stuart

Ex’Cat’: “Chiak Hong” and “Ho Chiak” It was the weekly ritual.

As soon as twilight set in, there was the late night calling. With only a narrow window to satisfy any intense cravings, timing was utterly essential.

Sometimes I was appointed to appease this calling. I was more than happy to ride my rustic pedal bike to perform the “mission”. There was no fear of any danger, no need for bike helmets, no need for parental guardianship, albeit I was barely 12 years of age at the time. The “mission” was clear— “Get the chai kuai, tee mee and make sure you get him to fry me the special taw ghe with eggs. Hurry before he sells out!

Oh, don’t forget, mom likes the pulut pangang, hopefully the Nonya lady is there tonight.”

My dad’s militant assertiveness apparently excluded courteous manners taught elsewhere. In his defence, the cause was appetizingly noble.

With flashbacks of warm wind blowing in my face, I vividly recall the sense of urgency to get there on time. I remember pedalling fast. As soon as I got to the hawker stalls, the aromas would hit me hard from every direction. As always, I was instantly revived! The ambience was undeniably Kuching’s own, each stall luring me with their specialty of delicacies. I was often tempted to try something different, but regretfully limited by the fixed amount of ringgit I was given to spend. I dared not defy or I knew I would never hear the end of it. Nevertheless, there was the sugar cane drink

KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 11

Ranchang Pool was a childhood getaway for me. This picture was taken in 2006 when I visited Kuching with my family. stall that I would always stop at for a cold drink. It was merely 25 cents then, using loose change I could easily spare with. To this day, I swear it is the best thirst quencher in the world! No amount of slushies or slurpies can match this naturally sweet drink on a hot sweaty day. It made the ride home a piece of cake.

On other nights, I fondly remember devouring ghuhu eng chai, the best authentic snack there is, again merely a few ringgit to purchase. I would savour every morsel intently, saving the best spicy soaked chewy tendrils and juicy jungle greens for last. Appetizers like calamari with tzatziki sauce just don’t come anywhere close! My other favourites include rojak, Kuching laksa, belachan bee hoon, sambal ikan bakar, midin, mali chai... the list goes on, one of which only a Kuchingnite can fondly relate.

Night life in Kuching seemed endless. Often, we would go out for a drive with the family

and dad would call it “ciak hong” but ironically that almost always ended up in hawker food stalls or Kuching’s Pasar Malam or great eateries at the Open Air Market or Palm Road food stalls. Yes, it was all about the food, the constant snacking and alongside that, the friendly fellowship amidst the cooler night air where a new burst of energy was kindled, bringing the night life into another culinary dimension.

It has been 25 years of my being away. Although somewhat desensitized by sheer deprivation, I still hold on to very fond memories of Kuching’s night life, the hawker stalls and the intimate relationships we KINO once shared.

Fiona Lao-Stuart immigrated with her family to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1988. She completed her post secondary education and obtained her BScPharm from UBC. In 1994, she moved further up north and worked in Fort St. John, BC for 12 years. She moved to Cranbrook in the East Kootenays of BC seven years ago, where she currently resides with her husband and four young children.

Giving back to the community tHe Spring Shopping Mall, operating since January 2008, has been involved in community-based activities and projects since its conception. In fact it has been a pioneer of the Lifestyle Shopping Concept, combining the convenience of everyday shopping with urban leisure and healthy living all under one roof.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS • Go bald charity initiative, raising funds for the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Association, 2009 • Recycling programme • Bicycle stands • SSPCA donation boxes • Sponsored dinners for orphans • Live Active Run I, raising funds for Cahaya Kidney Dialysis Centre, 2012 • Live Active Run II, raising funds for Kuching Autistic Association, Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society and the Dyslexia Association of Sarawak, 2013.

UPCOMING EVENTS • Christmas 2013 Limited Edition Christmas Cards, highlighting the artistic talents of autistic students and raising funds for the Kuching Autistic Association • Live Active Run III planned to take off in 2014.

At the heart of our company is love for our community.

13 BY THE WAY... llll

by Stella Chin

Sweet Days We were driving past a coffee shop eatery declaring itself «Variety Cafe».

«Don’t be fooled by the name», my 18 year old said. So cynical for one so young I thought. She has come a long way. As amused as I was, I wondered whether sweet innocence was forever lost. I remember the time when my youngest daughter was 8 years old we had implemented house rules about sugar consumption.

They could only eat sweets and junk food on family declared ‘sweet days’ (Wednesdays and Saturdays).

One day she came home from school crestfallen and eyes protesting. «Mummy», she said, «all my friends in school ate sweets and chewing gum but today is NOT sweet day!» With lips quivering and tiny hands clenched. It took some white lying and creativity to get out of that one!

You know that sublime moment when it’s equally understandable to laugh or cry? Well, daddy and I chuckled about it for years and years to come.

Sometimes though it makes me cry to think of the dangers that await and lurk now that they are out there in the big bad world.

This summer, we flew 12 hours over land and sea to settle our son down in his UK university. It was the first time, the first one left the country. It took me back to that day 35 years ago KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 13

«Mummy», she said, «all my friends in school ate sweets and chewing gum but today is NOT sweet day!» (has it been that long?!) when I journeyed fresh faced and eagerly excited to London for my «O» levels. Totally impressionable and naïve. When you are a teenager all that matters is to fit in.

I embraced western (British) culture, norms and attitudes unquestioningly. Oblivious to well meant cautionary reminders and advice from family. At that age, it just isn’t cool to bow to elderly concern. In fact the DNA dictates rebellion.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that my son being a little older (early 20’s) than I was will be more guarded and wise in the ways of the west.

After all naivety and innocence is a double-edged sword. Now ironically I celebrate their cynicism. It is a shield against being

fooled.

This Christmas will be the first time in 21 years our first one is celebrating away from home.

My son has plans to travel with friends. It takes a while to get used to the fact that he has plans that do not include us.

Yet it is with some measure of maternal pride to realise that he is now an independent adult.

I am looking forward to having my two girls home, enjoying and cherishing every single moment with them. Before too long they too will be out there weaving their own stories and hopefully smiling about those KINO sweet days at home.

Stella Chin is a lawyer and a happy wife and mother of 3 children who enjoys writing while dancing keeps her on her toes.

“ �

I have always enjoyed moving my body in a coordinated fashion, which started during my school days when I learnt the martial art of Wu shu, complete with sword displays during competitions.

CELEBRATING THROUGH

DANCE

By KENNY CHAN

have marked festive seasons across the globe for centuries. Things will be no different in the upcoming year-end festivities just around the corner. Sensuous melodies layered on top of the powerful drum beats of Middle Eastern music typically conjure images of floating chiffon veils and glittery costumes of belly dancers. And the belly dance trend has certainly caught on in Sarawak, but now with a twist ‌ a male belly dancer.

I have been a performer and instructor of Middle Eastern dance (a.k.a. belly dancing) for the past eight years. Originally from Kuching, my first encounter with belly dancing began in New Zealand when I stumbled upon an album of Egyptian dance music. I was instantly captivated by the rhythms and rich sounds of Middle Eastern music. Coming from an artistically-inclined family, it came as no surprise that I discovered my ability to move to different rhythms with natural ease, although I did not initially consider myself a dancer until I reached adulthood. Somewhat a late bloomer, I only discovered my passion for

KI&O PHOTOS: SAW KANG JONG

Dance and music, fanfare and food, and joyous celebrating

Celebrating thRough DANCE (continued from page 15)

dancing years after I was first introduced to Latin dance in university. My discovery of Middle Eastern music eventually led me to take up belly dancing, and to my delight, I was hooked from the beginning. With a mother who sings and plays numerous musical instruments, a sister who won Malaysia’s first ever synchronized swimming gold medal in the 1997 SEA Games, and then went on to represent Malaysia at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, and a father who discovered his natural grace as a ballroom dancer ( in his pensioner years I might add ), I am very happy to have found my true passion in Middle Eastern dance. I have always enjoyed moving my body in a coordinated fashion, which started during my school days when I learnt the martial art of Wu shu, complete with sword displays during competitions. Being a visual person as well, I love vibrant colours, and the glittery costumes and flowing fabric typical of a belly dancer never fail to captivate me.

Although belly dancing has always been the domain of women, particularly since this art form is especially suited to the female form, I never shied away from challenging social norms.

Now back in my birthplace of Kuching as an instructor of Middle Eastern dance, my students have never found my gender to be an issue hindering them from fully participating in my classes. I dare say, in some respects, it has come to work to my advantage when some of my students initially came to my classes out of curiosity when they discovered a man was teaching.

Belly dancing has its roots in the folk dances of the predominantly Arab Middle East, as well as influences from India, Central Asia, Greece and Turkey. With such a vast cultural background, it is not surprising that Middle Eastern dance has become an amalgamation of dance styles from these regions, and has also evolved to incorporate other Asian and Western musical influences into belly dancing.

One of the many reasons I am passionate about belly dancing is that it fosters a healthy, wholesome appreciation for one’s own unique body, regardless of shape, size or proportions.

Anyone, regardless of gender, age or ethnicity, can look and feel good through a respectful approach to this beautiful dance form, and this is one of the many things I strive to impart to my students as well as my audiences. I also feel particularly passionate about dispelling myths surrounding belly dancing.

A prime example is that belly dancing was primarily a method of seduction prevalent in the harems of olden Middle Eastern empires. Whilst the predominant image of a belly dancer is that of the revealing two-piece ensemble coupled with translucent skirts and a bare midriff, this signature attire is somewhat a rather modern convention, largely due to Middle Eastern dance being marketed as a performance art when the region opened up to Western influences in the 19th century.

The folk dances of the Middle East were performed by both men and women, regardless of age, at social gatherings and often in their everyday attire. With this in mind, I always strive KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 17

to educate my students on the origins of belly dancing and the many influential elements that shaped this art form, in order to foster a more balanced, and respectful approach to Middle Eastern dance.

Another topic I frequently discuss with my students is whether it is acceptable for a belly dancer to choose either to expose or to cover the belly. I believe it comes down to individual choice. For me personally, whilst I am very comfortable with my body, I expose my belly only during classes to facilitate my teaching. However, during formal and public performances, I choose not to expose my midriff, in accordance with my own threshold of propriety in line with my personal and my Islamic values. Instead I choose to wear costumes that allow my movements to be seen even with fabric covering the belly.

Now that I am fulfilling my dream as a performer and instructor of Middle Eastern dance, I continue to seek opportunities to share my passion for this beautiful dance KINO form with people from all walks of life.

Originally from Kuching, Kenny first came into contact with Middle Eastern dance (a.k.a. belly dancing) in New Zealand, where he lived most of his adult life before returning to Malaysia for good. A university graduate and a professional in the field of Human Resources, Kenny’s interest in belly dancing eventually led him to becoming an instructor in this sensual art form. Having had the opportunity to study under professional dancers from Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and the USA, Kenny is now a local belly dance instructor in his hometown of Kuching, offering a range of classes in the mornings and in the evenings throughout the week. Kenny is also available for private classes as well as providing belly dance performance packages for private functions. You are most welcome to contact Kenny at kennychan.bellydance@gmail.com for more information.

“ ”

To eat, to love, to sing, to digest – these are, in truth, the four acts of the comic opera we call life. – Gioachino Rossini

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CELEBRATING THROUGH

OPERA

By ALAN LAU

All the World’s an Opera.

My first encounter with western opera was as a member of the children’s chorus in a production of George’s Bizet’s Carmen. After months of musical training, we were finally marched into the theatre for stage rehearsals. I remember the sense of awe I felt at the impossibly grand space – the audience seats seemed to stretch into an infinite darkness, the air smelt of sawdust and glue from the incomplete stage sets, and exotic noises screeched and boomed from the invisible orchestra below; it was as if the stage were a huge, breathing creature beneath our feet. When they began playing Bizet’s effervescent score, I was electrified. It was the first time I had heard an orchestra play, and the score seemed to sweep through the hall like some enormous, benevolent spirit. I felt like dancing.

It was a birth of sorts for me - that moment which seemed to open up a world of new possibilities. I remember feeling slightly miffed that no one I knew was there to witness it. It seemed an occasion worth celebrating.

It’s fitting then that from the beginning, opera and celebration are inextricably linked.

Theorists are divided over which creative genius first decided to combine theatre and music to create the first “true” opera. Thankfully there is little doubt about where western opera was invented, and for what occasions – the first operatic works originated in the late 1500s in the princely courts of Italy, as lavish spectacles to celebrate important events such as aristocratic weddings.

This renaissance form of entertainment would seem high-minded to us today, catering to an erudite audience and dealing with rarified themes of classical heroes and gods. However all the hallmarks were there – the stirring match of theatrical drama and music, the elaborate stage sets, even dance numbers. For centuries afterwards, opera remained at the pinnacle of the arts, combining all the known performing and visual arts into one potent art form.

Because of its multifaceted nature and the large resources required to stage opera, composers over the centuries have long recognized its ability, more than any other art form, to capture the huge range of human emotions on its vast canvas.

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Celebrating thRough opera (continued from page 19)

In one of the earliest operas, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, based on the classical story of Orpheus descending into the underworld to retrieve his dead fiancée Euridice, Orpheus delivers a moving prayer in song, “Possente spirto”, to the success of his voyage.

More than a century later, Mozart gives us in The Marriage of Figaro the tragic figure of the Countess Almaviva who, betrayed by a faithless husband, gives us in the majestic “Dove Sono” a song of both deep sorrow and surprising hope. Hop into the 19th century, and Giuseppe Verdi gives us an image of an actual celebration on stage in La Traviata (made famous in the 1990 movie Pretty Woman), in which the beautiful but dying courtesan Violetta Valery debates, against the background of a house party, whether to give her last days to the possibility of true love.

The exquisite expression of heightened human emotion is perhaps opera’s greatest gift to us, 400 years after its birth. These days, we are more likely to encounter this through the medium of cinema rather than opera, but the debt film owes to the earlier art form is immense. Who can imagine the thunderous ballet of war helicopters in Apocalypse Now without the truculent accompaniment of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyrie”, or of the final bloodsoaked scene of The Godfather Part III (on the steps of an opera house, no less) without the weeping strings of Mascagni’s Cavelleria Rusticana?

There are numerous other music-and-drama traditions besides the western model, among them Chinese Opera and the Indian Ramayana plays. What they all have in common is the ability to transcribe onto one elegant platform the entirety of the human condition. The Chinese story of the Butterfly Lovers is no less recognizable across cultures than that of Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet; one who is charmed by the comic wit of Hanuman the monkey king might also be equally taken by the buffoonery of Verdi’s Falstaff. These are stories imbued with local flavour and cultural distinctions, but they are also universal.

As a boy, I watched from my privileged location backstage in rapt attention as the final, fatal scene of Carmen played onstage. The beautiful gypsy Carmen confronts her discarded lover Don José in a deserted square outside an amphitheatre, where her new lover the bullfighter Escamillo draws distant roars from a hidden crowd. This famous scene is a masterstroke of musical genius - 2 separate dramas – one onstage and the other offstage (declaimed by a hidden chorus), mirror each other in tandem. The two play off each other antiphonally in contrasting keys, the excitement mounting further and further to fever pitch.

Don José pleads with Carmen - she remains imperious, resolute. Growing desperate, he draws a knife to frighten her.

She shows him the ring he gave her long ago and tosses it down.

Both man and crowd go wild. She tries to make a run for it, her dress blooming blood red in the stage lights. He moves to intercept her. The knife flashes. Carmen gasps; she sinks to

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Giuseppe Verdi gives us an image of an actual celebration on stage in La Traviata (made famous in the 1990 movie Pretty Woman), in which the beautiful but dying courtesan Violetta Valery debates, against the background of a house party, whether to give her last days to the possibility of true love. the floor, dead. As José sinks to his knees, the distant crowd, oblivious to the events outside, sings the famous Toreador’s theme, now ominous with dark irony: Toreador, on guard! Toreador! Toreador!

And, as you fight, remember that from above Dark eyes look down on you With promises of love, Toreador, with promises of love!

In today’s popular culture, we are more likely to hear that opera is archaic, snobbish, and difficult to appreciate. Granted, a 3-hour opera is more demanding of its listeners than a 5-minute pop song (or a 0.5-second tweet). But then as the saying goes, nothing worth doing is easy. If a 12-year-old boy can immediately grasp the grandeur and magic of this wonderful art form, we can KINO still say: there’s still life left in opera yet.

Alan Lau is an architect with the Kuching-based firm Integrated Design Consultant. His other great passion is classical singing, in which he trained under tenor Lim Shieh Yih while working in Singapore. He has sung in numerous ensembles and taken part in various amateur productions in Singapore, among them the lead role in Holst’s short opera The Wandering Scholar, and Acis in Handel’s Acis and Galatea.

In his spare time he likes to cook, but so far he has not found a medium that successfully combines architecture, singing and cooking.

CELEBRATING THROUGH

SWEET A R T S

BY JACINTA YU

From a very young age, Jacinta has always been fascinated by art, fashion, cakes and baking. She was also inspired by her mom’s love

of bringing people together and would always look forward to helping out with her birthday cake. Lilttle did she know, she would one day be creating many cakes and sweet creations for all sorts of celebrations.

After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Jacinta started her career in the fashion industry. During her time in New York she was inspired by all the bakeshops and loved to visit them. Though she loved fashion, she dreamed of one day being a part of something related to cakes and celebrations.

Years later, a trip to Hong Kong changed her life and she decided to make a career change and started pursuing her dream of cake decorating in Hong Kong. In 2004 she opened her ‘celebration store’, Complete Deelite.

Jacinta studied cake decorating at the Wilton School of cake decorating. It was there that she was inspired to also teach others the art of cake decorating. With much passion and excitement, Jacinta developed her special gift of hand sculpted cakes, figurines and many other creations for all sorts of celebrations. Her cupcakes have also received many rave reviews and have started to take a life of their own, simply by word of mouth.

From very humble beginnings of baking out of a home-style oven, Complete Deelite has captured the hearts of many across the world. The heart of Complete Deelite is to promote the art of celebration through their cakes, cupcakes, classes and party shop.

Complete Deelite’s creations and classes have been featured on TVB Pearl, SCMP, Next Magazine, Apple Daily, Hapaars Bazaar and several other publications and TV shows.

KINO: What was your first memory of a celebration?

JY: My 3D rabbit cake. I loved rabbits when I was young. So to have a bunny cake was the

most amazing thing ever. I still remember what it looked like as if it was yesterday.

KINO: What was the occasion and design of your first professional order?

JY: It was a small square chocolate birthday cake decorated with the likeness of the book character Curious George written

by H.A. Rey. We still have a picture of it at our store. People frame their first dollar but we framed our first cake.

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A gift from the heart of Kuching In and Out,

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a «Tree of Love» specially made for you, our precious supporters.

THE BEST OF 2O14 FROM

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Celebrating thRough Sweet Arts (continued from page 23)

KINO: What inspires you when you wake up in the morning to

make that cake just that more special.

JY: My family, and being part of other people’s family events.

KINO: What’s the toughest part about your work?

JY: Logistics! Getting a cake from one location to another, especially in a city like Hong Kong where the roads go from bumpy to bumpier and all the crazy traffic.

KINO: I love your sculpted bowl of mee with the suspended chopsticks. Was that a special design from the customer?

JY: Many of our customers’ ideas inspire the design. I always like to bring movement to cakes. I guess you could say that’s my signature technique. I wanted the bowl of mee to have a life of its own and then I remembered seeing a display where a bottle of soda was suspended looking as if the beverage was being poured into the ice cold mug. I applied the same idea to the bowl of mee. As soon as I suspended the chopsticks it transformed the cake totally.

KINO: What are the occasions to celebrate with a cake?

JY: We’ve done from Guess-the-babies gender cakes to 100 year old birthday celebrations, Welcome, Goodbye, Congrats, Happy retirement, Happy anniversary... it’s endless. I’ve even had an order of aliens to be put on the wedding cake! The best part of what I do is not only making the cakes, but being part of so many people’s lives. I am honoured!

KINO: What’s your most challenging cake design so far?

JY: We were asked to do an almost replica of my wedding cake (see photo on page 22). 5 tiers instead of 9 different layers, white flowers instead of pink. The problem was that I didn’t have a year as I did for my wedding cake, that had literally thousands of flowers to make and hand KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 27

paint. I had 2 weeks. We worked around the clock. It was exciting and exhausting at the same time, but the end result was magical! The wedding was a princess theme and it was at the Hong Kong Convention Centre, the KINO giant cake looked so regal in the venue.

“

The epic story of the Sarawak Chinese Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics is not only an episode in world history but also an integral part of Sarawak’s Chinese History as well as that of Malaysia.

”

It took about a week for a truck to drive from Lashio to Kunming alone, then from Kunming to Guizhou (where the treacherous “24 bends” are still found) and Sichuan provinces.

REMEMBERING OUR

HEROES

By Julitta Lim Shau Hua PhD

The Epic Story of the Sarawak Chinese Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics. (1939 - 1945).

The Chinese term “Nanyang”, literally translated as “Southern Ocean”, refers to today’s Southeast Asia.

Before the Second World War, the region, with the exception of Thailand (formerly known as Siam), was controlled by western colonial powers. Today’s Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch and known as Dutch East Indies; the British controlled Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei; today’s Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were ruled by the French as Indo China; and the Phillipines was an American colony.

As hard-working migrants, the Chinese arrived in Nanyang over the years and during the colonial period. These millions of far-flung individuals all considered China as their homeland and cultural base. Generally, “Nanyang” Chinese was always considered to be a reference to members of a disparate group in relation to each other, as well as in relation to mainland China. Nanyang gave the overseas Chinese a collective regional identity, providing the basis for the founding of China Relief Fund in 1938. When drivers and mechanics from Nanyang volunteered to serve in China during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), they were known as Nanyang Volunteers, or “Nanyang Mechanics”.

From 1928 to 1937, Japan initiated a series of “incidents” as a pretext for military action in Northern and Northeastern China. On July 7, 1937 the Japanese claimed that one of their soldiers was missing and demanded to search Wanping (a Ming Dynasty Fortress in Beijing) for him. The Chinese refused, thus creating a pretext for the Japanese to initiate the invasion of Beijing.

This event became known as the “July 7 Incident” or the “Marco Polo Bridge Incident”, which marked the beginning of a full scale war between China and Japan. The Japanese had estimated that they could win the war in three months, but it lasted eight years, until Japan officially surrendered on 9 September 1945.

About a month after the July 7 Incident, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Singapore published a notice in the Chinese press, calling for a conference to be convened on 15 August 1937. At this meeting the Malaya/Singapore Overseas Chinese Relief Fund Committee was formed and Mr Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng) was elected as Chairman.

Simultaneously, the overseas Chinese in other Southeast Asian countries set up their China Relief Fund Committees as well. About 180 representatives from the Philippines, French Indochina, Thailand, Indonesia, Hongkong, Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, and Burma attended the Overseas Chinese Conference on 10 October 1938, held at the Nanyang Secondary School in Singapore. Together, they represented eight million ethnic Chinese living in American, French, Dutch and British colonies in Nanyang and Thailand.

By the end of the meeting, the Nanyang Federation of the China Relief Fund was formed as the regional coordinating body. Mr Tan Kah Kee was elected chairman, and the regional headquarters was located in the Ee Hoe Hean Club in Singapore.

2013 Come feast with us this holiday and help spread the Christmas joy!

For each ticket sold, RM5 will be donated to the Sarawak Cheshire home.

Whole Roast Turkey with Cranberry Sauce, Chicken Jus, Brussel Sprouts and Roasted pumpkin available at RM280++ (Prior reservation is required)

REMEMBERING OUR HEROES (continued from page 29)

Surviving Sarawak Volunteers (2013) Of all the Volunteer Mechanics and Drivers, to date 15 of them are still living, all are nonagenarians; 10 living in China, 1 in Perak, 3 in Sarawak and the 4th Sarawak Volunteer is living in Canada.

LEE Ah Liew (94 years old) LUNDU

KHO Hai Seng (93 years old) SERIAN

FONG Chen Piao (94 years old) KUCHING

The representatives from Sarawak were Wee Kheng Chiang, Hwang Yew Khiam and Tu Nai Bing from Kuching; Zhuan You Cheng and Yang Yi Ying from Miri; Chen Zhong Chi and Lau Kah Too from Sibu.

Through various fund-raising initiatives to support the war, the China Relief Fund as a whole facilitated the transfer of significant financial resources to the Chinese Nationalist government. The funds played a crucial role in supporting China in every aspect of the war and were used to purchase medication, medical equipment, clothing, food, and military hardware such as planes, tanks, trucks, explosives, weapons and other military material.

In 1939, the Chinese government requested the China Relief Fund to recruit volunteer drivers and mechanics to serve in China. In 1939, from February to September, a total of about 3,400 young Chinese were recruited. Among the documented lists, there were about 100 non-Chinese volunteers: 55 Indians, 18 Malays, 11 Burmese, 2 Indonesians, and the others whose nationalities were not given. About 100 came from Sarawak, the majority from Kuching, others from Sibu, Miri, Engkilili and Bintulu. Those who had registered through the Recruitment Committee of the China Relief Committee in Kuching went over in 3 separate batches. Some Sarawak youth had either registered as volunteers in Singapore or proceeded to China on their own.

Since the Japanese had effectively blockaded the entire seacoast, the materials necessary to wage war could not enter China from the sea routes. Thus, the construction of the Chinese Burma Road began in November 1937. By 1938, a barely passable road was opened, requiring continuous modification and repair throughout its use.

Supplies for China were sent by sea to Rangoon in Burma,

KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 31

Thomas LIAW Ping (94 years old) CANADA

then transported by rail to Lashio, and finally by truck through the treacherous Chinese Burma to Kunming. It took about a week for a truck to drive from Lashio to Kunming alone, then from Kunming to Guizhou (where the treacherous “24 bends” are still found) and Sichuan provinces.

By 1941 an average of about 600 vehicles with a combined capacity of 10,000 tons were using the Burma Road. It was truly a logistical feat, but, the dangers faced by the volunteer mechanics and drivers were unfathomable. One-third of the trucks on the Burma Road were donated by the Southeast Asian China Relief Fund. There were some 3,200 drivers and mechanics working along the Burma Road in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan provinces, and they were mostly volunteers from Southeast Asia.

Of the Sarawak Chinese Volunteers who had gone to China to fight the Japanese, only half of them returned. Because of complications in repatriation, they could only come back in 1947 or later. They had sacrificed much in the Resistance War of China; they laid down their lives to sustain the bloodline in the Resistance War; they fought in the cause of peace and freedom. In a way they had contributed, albeit indirectly, to the victory of the Allied Forces.

The epic story of the Sarawak Chinese Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics is not only an episode in world history but also an integral part of Sarawak’s Chinese History as well as that of Malaysia. Of all the Volunteer Mechanics and Drivers, to date 15 of them are still living, all are nonagenarians; 10 living in China, 1 in Perak, 3 in Sarawak and the 4th Sarawak Volunteer is living in Canada. It is hoped that through this article of the epic event, the people of Sarawak, especially the young generation will emulate the patriotic spirit and love for our own country, KINO Malaysia.

31 October, 2013, California USA

Dear gentle people of Kuching, Today is Halloween, and, of course, I could be celebrating this “holiday” with tricks or treats (and, as a matter of fact, I will, later on) and decorate myself in celebration fashion; but right now, I prefer to “celebrate” a moment of my experience and reflections while my family and I were visiting Kuching and its environs this summer. And what better way to share this with you then by writing an old fashioned letter. and communicate and commemorate ... by words.

How fitting! ....as I remember...landing in Kuching, our journey continues with a new beginning.

Coming from Sipadan and its magical underwater dreamland, here I found myself in Kuching, on terra firma, overlooking the Sarawak River and having a superb dinner at the Junk restaurant.

A new world, brave, authentic, and friendly...a city still existing on a human, “ How do you do?” plane. Makes one feel like celebrating! Celebrating a new continuation to our trip...

HA P

But what kind of a celebration am I talking about? And, how shall I celebrate ?

A celebration is to honor.

To celebrate, is to remember.

It is to look back on the past, bring it to the present with respect, and try to assure ourselves that a part of it will be around for the future... and will become even more special as time passes.

But what’s a celebration without words?

PY HOLI DAYS

A New Year’s card, a birthday wish, a graduation cheer, a wedding speech (written down beforehand on a “cheat sheet”), or even the kind and sensitive eulogy for the passing of a loved one or dignitary.

And how could we forget the emotional political discourse on Independence Day? For all of these events words express it all... : The phrase that tugs at your heart strings...

The sentence that wraps the tragedy of underprivileged humanity around your pocketbook...

The paragraph that incites you to organize your neighborhood to protect itself... ... And, of course, the words that inspire you to clink your champagne glasses together.

Words are the vehicles that take us to the celebration !

However, words don’t celebrate by themselves.

They are merely made up of an assortment of symbols mimicking sounds, that, when put together, give, we humans, a way of communicating with each other. (We’re the only species that can do this. Not even the orangutang can claim

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CELEBRATING THROUGH

WORDS

BY ALAN WEINGART

this capacity.)

This is all pretty nifty, no?

Yet it might not be so simple...

Words might be like the cat scratch marks on the floor of the Cat Museum in Kuching, signifying merely the direction to follow. But where “do” the paw prints lead?

Where do words lead us?

How would James Brooke celebrate with words the independence of Borneo? What path would these words point to?

In the case of celebrations, they lead us, and must lead us, to... our hearts, to our feelings. And mostly to the dearest things and people we are attached to: family, friends, spiritual attachments, personal achievements, not to forget the belonging to our cultural and geographical appetencies.

But mostly, this is all about who we are and what we feel on the inside.

A lot to ask of a few symbols...

And I am only referring to the collective, celebrations of the group.

What about our personal, everyday celebrations? ...the poetry of of our daily conversations? The acquaintance you cross in the street that you barely know who shares with you the experience of their new job promotion? Or the birth of a grandchild? Or even the purchase of a new pair of shoes ?

Buoyant words from the heart sharing with you their joy.

What a privilege! And only for you!

You were chosen to satisfy their need to have their happiness be recognized! Isn’t this too a culmination of a personal celebration between two souls, punctuated by words?

laugh together!! Let’s enjoy and celebrate !! Let’s remember (the time when...)

But mainly, it’s our capacity to feel good by sharing with someone else a joyful moment based on a past experience and “celebrating “ it in the present.

Words lead us to our continual and constant celebrations.

And we often do not even recognize it. We experience it and then, we move on.

Do we realize the power of these continual and individual everyday micro-festivals. I hope so.

But of all the celebrations we can honor, it’s the intimate celebrations between friends and loved ones that grasp the pinnacle as well as the depth of all that is most essential: A declaration of friendship or love. These are the ultimate of all celebrations.....

So gentle friends, thank you for letting me share with you my Kuching celebration; a delicious moment, frozen in time, in Kuching.

And now it’s time to move on, to head for the jungle..

But I remember Kuching.

I remember, and, I celebrate the warm feelings, the unique encounters, the memory of the flow of the Sarawak River continuing on its eternal voyage ...

Much affection, Until next year, Warmly,

Alan Weingart

A tourist who fell in love with Kuching.

From the symbol, to the letter, to the word, to the thought, to the emotion... and finally, to the action of... Hooray!! Let’s

KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 33 KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 37

ATIO L U T A R G CON

CELEBRATING THROUGH

LIGHTS

BY Datin Sri Garnette Jala-Ridu

Somewhere in the Jungle a Tree was lit on a Silent Night

It is December again. The month I have loved most when I could change the entire atmosphere of our home for the festive looks that say welcome. Once again my home becomes my canvas for dabbling in my artistic adventure at creating a family Christmas that glows in light, overflows with foliage and flowers, food and fun. During Christmas, I love generosity in everything – decorations, flowers and entertaining friends and family, something seeded into me from home. From a humble beginning our family Christmas celebration has evolved into more elaborate festivity. I like to think, though, that the spirit of the season for us remains the same. In recent times it has somewhat been about making an entrance of twinkling welcome of baubles and candles, putting up the family tree and decorating it with nostalgic decorations, and finally preparing food that celebrates love and giving. Many years ago Christmas was pure and simple.

This year, my family is celebrating in our farmhouse. With my dad battling Alzheimer’s, I thought it would be good to have a local pine tree from the wild and light it up with real candles secured in home-made bamboo holders for him the way he and all the uncles from Long Lellang did for us when we were kids. Just thinking of and planning for this Christmas has overwhelmed me with nostalgic memory of my earliest Christmas; of the jungle, the longhouse and the people that made me who I am.

MY LONG LELLANG I suppose you could say my Long Lellang, the place of my birth, is no longer the place I knew.

The geography remains, but the landscape that my grandparents, parents and their generation carved for us as our home remain mostly in my heart as memories. My brother visited a year ago. He said the wilderness has taken back the land. Listening to his accounts, I lament not the wilderness’s acquisition but I grieve for the defilement of the land and rivers by the bulldozers and loggers.

The Long Lellang then was a village of over twenty families living in a belian longhouse that perched on the opposite bank of the river where Salam flows into the water stream of the Lellang. On the opposite bank, boughs of ancient trees drooped low over the rivers. Their roots grew into the crevices of the cliffs and gripped the boulders on the banks. Cataracts

“

With my dad battling Alzheimer’s, I thought it would be good to have a local pine tree from the wild and light it up with real candles secured in home-made bamboo holders for him the way he and all the uncles from Long Lellang did for us when we were kids.

”

Celebrating thRough LIGHT (continued from page 35)

rushed over rocks, stones and pebbles of awe-inspiring sizes and flowed into eddies. Further down, the river turned into a series of placid pools where we swam and dived.

There was everything here; wilderness and solitude breathing from the jungle, yet a hint of tenderness where the rivers wound down the valley where our longhouse was built.

It was a land of pure air, rocky stream and hidden places. That was the paradise that became my childhood playground where I played with my siblings and troop of cousins.

Our longhouse was a home, where we never had to part from our friends and cousins at any time until education beckoned us to boarding schools. It was a majestic building; indigenous and community in essence. The verandah and the lofts, for us kids, were thoroughfares and secret corners for all our indoor fun and games, especially during monsoon season when the rivers swelled and the ground grew soggy.

OUR CHRISTMAS STORY When night fell, parents would huddle us children to our sleeping platforms. Stories, legends, and ballads were told and retold, sung and chanted. The repertoire included the story of Christmas; the greatest of all stories, my grandfather would say.

He was a deacon in the church. He could not read nor write.

But he was a living anthology of epics, folktales, ballads and Bible stories. Somehow Christmas story was his to tell us. Always, he would tell it in the tradition of Kelabit epic; beginning with the Misadventure in Eden, and into the Romance of Christmas and then finally the Feast of the Lamb. Years later on when I read English poet, John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”, I could hear echoes of my illiterate grandfather’s version of the same to us his children and grandchildren through storytelling, narrated or sung.

As a child, I was conscious that the story of Christmas was more than just a story. My grandmother and mother grew purple glutinous rice, millet, sweet potatoes, and fragrant yams to be harvested in time for the celebration. Sometimes, early in the morning, mother would carry me on her back to the chapel for prayer, the equivalent of the Anglican matins. I listened in awe to those earnest prayers that anchored each farming day. In the course of the day I sensed these prayers being consummated in pious labour on the land. It made me feel so certain that we would have a good harvest and then a lot of nice things for Christmas! And it was always so.

CHRISTMAS GOODIES Invariably, a few weeks before Christmas, the longhouse would be abuzz with preparations for the festivity. Grannies and mothers, sisters and cousins hulled rice and millet and then pounding them into flour. Sweet potatoes and tapioca were grated, layered thinly upon banana leaves to be steamed and sundried for making keropok ubi. Special steamed rice or millet pudding wrapped in leaves (senape), tapioca and sweet potates pancakes or fritters were Christmas specialties.

The whole longhouse was spruced up from top to bottom.

Those days, parents made us feel that work was some kind of sports. Carrying water from the river to fill the jars for washing while mothers scrubbed off dirt and grime from the floor of the entire longhouse was a marathon. The prize was simply to be known as one of the strongest, tenacious and helpful girls in the longhouse. I never won the prize because I was too tiny.

CANDLES FROM OUR PET BUFFALO FAT When I was five years old my foster brother, Mathew got married to the prettiest girl, Mariam in the village. My dad slaughtered the fattest and biggest buffalo in his herd for the wedding feast. I remember clinging to mother and sobbing my heart out when Bujang our pet buffalo was shot and slaughtered. His fat was melted and poured into tiny bamboos.

When it cooled and hardened, the bamboos were split opened and Bujang’s lard had now become pure white candles.

After the wedding feast my grandfather had a brood of sad children to comfort. He told us the Easter story that night. And he said dad gave of his best buffalo for the feast and Bujang gave his life so that we could have light for Christmas. It was hard for any kid to take. As he prayed for us after the story was told, I could hear my younger brother whimpering in dark. I heard granddad praying that when it was our turn, he hoped that we too could give our best. There in the dark, I wasn’t sure if I wanted his prayer answered.

Christmas 1963 was my last in Long Lellang. On the eve, families sent portions of their Christmas cakes and jars of sweetened coffee and tea to the chapel for the community supper after the service. The Christmas tree was massive! It filled the entire front of the chapel. The branches were laden with candles, as well as an assortment of wild flowers, berries, nuts and cotton wool. Baskets of all shapes and sizes, water jars, aluminum kettles and pots were arranged under the tree. The smell of the pine and the raw candles, the sight of goodies under the tree was intoxicating. When the pastor’s homily was over, candles were lit and distributed to all in the chapel and then the deacons lit the Christmas tree. The pressure lamps were turned off. The entire chapel glowed in the atmospheric lighting of the candles. The place was simply magical! Then the whole village sang my favourite carol a cappella.

SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT, ALL IS CALM, ALL IS BRIGHT It felt as if creation was singing with us. Perhaps Bujang was part of that cosmic symphony that I heard in my heart and our chapel that night. I was comforted. Now I felt certain that I wanted my granddad’s prayer answered.

Since then I’ve never let a Christmas pass without lighting candles. This Christmas my dad and mum will light our family tree and pray for the children so that they too may KINO become candles in the night. www.kuchinginandout.com KINO 36

37 ENDANGERED TRADES llll

by Ruyi Jing

AT THE EDGE OF BINTAWA, east of Kuching city, fishing boats dock by a jetty on a daily basis, returning from sea filled with fresh takes from the briny green. Right by the jetty is a small workshop that produces hand-woven fishing nets. It is one of Kuching’s oldest professions and is a niche industry, the masters of which are a dying breed. Few people wonder about the sources of the seafood on their dinner table. Fewer still wonder about the all-important nets used to catch them. So where do they come from? Who makes them?

No, they are not imported from China. They are hand-woven by less than a handful of master netmakers in Kuching itself.

Weaving a fishing net is much like tailoring a shirt. The net comes from an unending roll of material like textile, and needs to be cut and woven according to each fisherman’s specification.

Chang Siak Hock , or Ah Siaw, as he is commonly known, has been weaving fishing nets for more than half of his 59 years. A few decades ago, most fishing nets were imported from Thailand. At the time, Ah Siaw was a full-time fisherman. Realising the business potential in producing homemade nets, he set out to observe and study the weaving patterns of these nets, learning from other fishermen who were skilled in mending their own nets (fishing nets get torn often from the beating they get out at sea).

With great passion comes great outcome.

Ah Siaw sold his fishing boat in 1988 and embarked on his fishing

KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 37

net-weaving business. Today, he owns Ah Siaw Fishing Net Trading Company. The art of weaving these nets is such a true craft.

There are currently less than five companies throughout Sarawak that do this. The time, effort and skill required to make a reliable net dictates great patience, skill and a love for the art.

A fishing net measures from 60 feet to 240 feet, depending on the client’s needs, and each net can take up to 1 week to complete.

The anatomy of the type of fishing net made by Ah Siaw is unique. It is shaped like a wonky cone. The holes at the tip of the cone are the smallest, increasing in size as it moves towards the largest circumference of the cone. To make the net just so, it takes special precision and skill.

Ah Siaw’s workshop is also manned by his son, Kenny and two other craftsmen. Walk into the

place and they can most often be seen sitting on small wooden chairs mending torn nets or weaving a new ones. Naturally, business improves during fishing season, when fishermen do not have time to mend their own nets.

According to Ah Siaw, mending a torn net is harder than making a new one because it is extremely time-consuming to cut and conjure net where holes used to be. It is also a relief for Ah Siaw that Kenny showed interest in taking over his legacy. “I’m not getting any younger. If my son didn’t take this up, this will become a lost craft”.

Life is lived by the fingertips in this day and age. Everything is at the click of a mouse, the touch of the finger. But professions like Ah Siaw’s make us ponder life beyond our perception of reality and the beauty of professions anchored in skill, craftsmanship and art.

KINO

KINO PHOTOS: SIMON TZIN

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40 AREA by AREA llll Across River

Two hundred years ago, lumbering old junks and trading ships would anchor by the muddy banks of the Sarawak River right at the doorstep of the sleepy hamlet. On the south bank, two rows of shops make up the Main Bazaar. On the north bank, an idyllic Malay village on stilts nestles next to the A stana (palace) of the White Rajah.

Kuching must have been picture perfect, the epitome of a sleepy tropical village truncated by the meandering of a tea-coloured river.

Fast forward 200 years, the views from that north bank have changed quite a bit. Still idyllic in a 21st Century kind of way, Kampung Boyan today has a first class view of Kuching’s skyline, and it’s a view not many people have seen. On this issue, we bring you on a little walk to the back lanes of one of Kuching’s oldest kampungs.

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By Lu Chern & Ruyi Jing

Dayung, dayung sampan

From Across the River

From afar, the colourful yellows and pinks shine like a cataract from an oasis. Kuching’s fleet of river taxis have been the stalwart of public and tourist transport for decades.

For RM0.50 a pop, river taxi boatmen ferry Kuching’s workforce, tourists & Kampung Boyan residents from one side to the other.

For RM15 (adult) and RM8 (child), you could book a whole boat to yourself and literally row row row your boat gently down the stream.

Fishy Goodness – Terubok

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The Astana was home to the White Rajah & family for generations. Today, our Governor and his family live there.

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Step into a village homestay and restaurant with the quirkiness of historical artefacts and antiques that brings you to the Brooke era. ‘My Village Barok’ is a hidden treasure located right behind the open air food court at Kampung Boyan. Try out their talkof-the-kampung ayam penyet that’s only available from 5pm to 12 midnight.

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A Bidayuh Barok in a Malay Kampung

“Flap flap flap” goes the strange little fan. Underneath it, glimmering rows of something as interesting as the heady smell wafting from the stalls. Walk a little closer and you’ll see neat rows of ikan terubok salted, iced and ready to be packed for a trip to any destination across the South China Sea. The bigmouthed terubok fish is endemic to Sarawak and is a special favourite especially for the initiated tourist from Peninsular Malaysia. Point at the one you want and in minutes, it is packed into a neat little brown package complete with plastic handles for easy passage on any flight.

42 NIGHT SPOTS llll Where the bands are...

Utopia (Lot 244, Jalan Abell) Looking for the perfect place for a night out? Utopia might be your destination of choice. There has been an entertainment outlet in this location slap bang in the middle of the golden triangle for over 20 years, but newly renamed and rebranded, Utopia is worth a fresh look. The décor is dominated by its inside/outside bar (inside on one side, outside on the other!). This way you can sit inside and watch the vibrant street life outside or sit outside and watch the fun inside. Affordable champagne on the menu makes this the perfect place for a party. Utopia features live music almost every night of the week. Their happy house band is headed by Melvin (one of the partners), and his friends who include Emil Hamlyn (one of the finalists of Bintang RTM) playing a camp mix of commercial pop. Catch them on Wednesday (ladies night), Friday or Saturday.

Thursday night sees a mixed line up - sometimes acoustic, sometimes country, sometimes Chinese – while Tuesday night is Salsa night. There is even the occasional drag act - every kind of entertainment under one roof.

Terminal One (Jalan Padungan Utara) The first destination for big band music in Kuching, Terminal One is a giant, shiny venue in a dingy part of town packed with entertainment outlets. Everything here is big and bright: 8-piece band flown in from the Philippines, chrome décor, flashing lights and pumping music. The band (L’il Eyes) are maximum wattage when it comes to entertainment. They can play any request (though all with that vaguely 80’s lounge act air!) targeting the requester with high octane attention. The key to their success is audience interaction. In fact, L’il Eyes was brought back by popular demand after their first contract ended. The three female singers are skimpily dressed and sassy, working the crowd to within an inch of its life. And the crowd love it! The live music alternates sets with the two in-house DJs to rock the place with a hi-tempo mix of commercial favourites.

So, order yourself a big bottle of whiskey and book in here for your big night out.

www.kuchinginandout.com KINO 40

by Karen Shepherd Brodie

Victoria Arms (Merdeka Palace Hotel)

Station One Café (Hill’s Shopping Centre)

This is the hotel bar that isn’t. Housed in the Merdeka Palace hotel (so beware the hotel dress code), this is actually the most authentic British-themed pub in town with its woodpanelled walls and brass bar fittings. But the 7-piece band, Groove Company, is definitely made in Malaysia, with members from Sabah and KL as well as a singer from right here in Kuching. They pump out a variety of music – commercial rock, r&b, blues and local songs – at such a volume that the outside windows of this luxury hotel shake to the rhythm. These performers also know how to shake the crowd.

The stage is very low, allowing them to step right into the midst of their audience and shake their groove company!

Station One has a unique take on the music scene in Kuching. This bistro has nightly acoustic acts, generally two or three piece, playing old favourites with a pronounced preference for the Beatles. What’s unique about it? All the musicians are amateurs aged between 16 and 26. The goal is to provide a platform for potential local musicians to showcase their talents for the first time. Don’t let the description put you off – this is not karaoke night. The musicians are all auditioned and the standard is high. This is a popular place to chillout with its open brick walls, good range of beers and smoothies and predictable range of western and local fare.

With tables spilling out onto the street and a laid back musical style, it’s definitely a relaxed vibe.

Ben’s is a classic Iban Karaoke joint – the interior dark and cavernous, masked from the outside by tinted windows, Iban karaoke blaring from the sound system, buckets of canned beer all around, pool table in the corner. But, three nights a week – Wednesday, Friday and Saturday – a lively ‘kampong’ band strike up on the stage. They play tunes for all tastes, commercial pop, classic rock, Iban and Malay favourites, dangdut and joget thrum through the air with a vigour that invariably gets the crowd up and dancing.

KINO www.kuchinginandout.com 41

KI&O PHOTOS: SIMON TZIN

Ben’s Place (Central Park 3rd Mile)

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Routes Leading To Popular Destinations Kuching General Hospital

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BUS ROUTES IN AND ABOUT KUCHING CITY

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BUS ROUTES IN AND ABOUT KUCHING CITY

44 «NEXT STOP» llll

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PRINT AND DIGITAL MAGAZINE LAUNCHED 1 ST ISSUE WITH THE J. Petan ak 1 ST KUCHING BUS ROUTES MAP ON THE 22 ND OF MARCH, 2013

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EMERGENCY Emergency Line / 082-365030 Civil Defense / 991 Fire / 994 Jalan S atok Ban Hock Jalan Jala mobile to phone /112 From n a l Ja PaAmbulance dungan / 999 Policenand Police emergency service /999 HOSPITALS ur Tim Kuching Specialist Hospital KG / 082-365384 l a Multimedia Specialist & Maternity Centre / 082-428885 nt r St. Joseph e C Normah Medical Specialist Centre / 082-440055 n Cathedral a Sarawak General Hospital / 082-276666 Jal Sarawak Medical Centre / 082-442088 J. Badru d di n a J. T J. T Timberland ri Emergency Medical a m a n B u d ay i u H e e K TanService / 082-232259 g n an S ri O Da PHARMACIES tuk William Jal Guardian / 082-613259 anWatson’s Personal Care Store / 082-239091 Ell POLICE Legend Bus Routes via Bus Numbersnk is STATIONS District Police HQ - Kuching, Royal Malaysian Police, a h s Jln Simpang Tiga / 082-241133 3A, K3 ok Hospital Main Bus Terminal Bampfylde ro Central Station. Jln Khoo Hun Yeang / 082-241222 C la K8 Heights n J Satok Station. Jln Nagor / 082-245522 ala J Fire / 994 Kuching 8G Hospital Bus Stop General Gita Station. Jln Matang / 082- 254417 Hospital K11 Santubong Station / 082-846222 K1, K2 Pondok Padungan Statio. Jln Kemajuan / 082-335930 Taxi Stand Summons Beratok Station. Jln Kuching-Serian / 082- 864235 From Jalan Masjid Huts Sekama Station. Jln Sekama / 082-332522 Sg. Maong Station. Jln Tun Hj. Mohd. Adruce / 082-256800 Routes Leading To Popular Destinations g n Kota Padawan (Batu 10) Station. Kota Padawan 16 Km, with associated bus numbers t u Linta a Jln. Kuching-Serian / 082- 612222 B n Siburan Station. Km 27, Jln. Kuching-Serian / J al a All Buses Lead To and From Jalan Masjid 082-864121 BDC: K8, 8G Tapah Station. 082-867236 Boulevard Shopping Mall: 2, K3, K6, K10, K13, 3A, 6 Wisma Wisma Saberkas Station. Wisma Saberkas / Cat Museum: K5, K5C, K15 Green Heights Commercial Center: 8G 082-253535 Saberkas Hilton Hotel: K2, K2, K16 Police Station Tabuan Jaya / 082-360999 The Spring Jalan Hospital Umum: 1F/1FA, 2, 3A, 6, 1C,K6, K8, K10, K13, K18, K17, 8G Police Patrol (24Hrs) / 082-244444 Jalan Astana: K5, K5C, K15 Mall B at u TOURIST INFORMATION JalanLGreen: intanK12 Tourist Police Unit (Kuching Waterfront) / 082-250522 Jalan Hj Taha:gK12, K18 ABC Taxi / 082-341818 Jalan Matang: K7 Jalan Satok: K7, K5, K5C, K15 Airport-Kuching International Airport / 082-454242 Jalan Stutong: 8G, K8 Immigration Department / 082-245661 Premier 101: 8G Kuching City Taxi Radio Call Enterprises / 082-348898 Taxi Jalan Masjid (Bus Station yellow and green buses departs-final station are from here) Simpang (Red and Yellow colour) / 082-882466 Jln. Kwon Lee Bank: K2,K1, K16 Tiga Tourist Information Centre / 082-246575 Jln. Padungan: K2, K1, K11, K16 Roundabout Executive Taxi / 082-480000 Jln. Pending: K2, K1, K16 Jln. Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce: K12, CONSULATES AND EMBASSIES ee Konsulat Indonesia: 8G, K8 Australian Honorary Consul / 082-23350 Sw Kuching Sentral Station: K3, K6, K10, K13 Brunei Consulate / 082-312681 Kuching Specialist Centre: K8 Chinese Consulate / 082-233816 an g i New Stutong Market: K8 T Consulate of the United Kingdom / 082-207272 Regional Bus Terminal: ng1FA, 2, 3A, K3, K6, K10, K13, 6 O Sarawak Plaza: K2, K1, K11, K16 French Honorary Consul / 082-415588 n Wildlife: K6, 6, Semenggok a Indonesia Consulate / 082-460734 l a St.JJoseph/St. Teresa: K18, K8 Immigration Office / 082-245661 Sungai Apong (fishing village): K2 Sarawak Government Office / 082-222222 Tabuan Jaya: K8 HOME SERVICES The Spring Mall: K8, K11, 8G Timberland: 1C, 1F/1FA, 2, K3, K6, K10, K13, K18, K17, 3A, 6 The Commission of The City of Kuching North / Waterfront (Main Bazaar): K2 , K1, K11, K16 082-234654 Wisma Saberkas: 3A , 2, 6, 1C K3, K8, K10, K13, K17, 8G Council of the City of Kuching South / 082-354200 Jalan La Post Office-Pos Malaysia-Kuching / 082-347677 ksaman SESCO-Electricity Service / 1 300 - 88 3111 a Cheng Ho Astro / 1 300 - 82 3838 TM / Fax No : 082-239 257 Timberland Medical Centre

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46 BOOKS llll

The Nyonya (Continued from the previous issue of KINO)

I took Sarah to the Supreme Court Registry to hear the Will read by the Probate Officer. Afterwards the official took me aside and handed me a black metal box and two keys and said, “Mrs. Richardson has left express instructions that the box and the keys should be handed to no one but yourself, Mr. Lim.” Auntie Nona had been very good to me. She had perhaps wanted to leave me a few sou-

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by John Michael Chin Ching Shang

venirs in the box. This thought was also in Sarah’s mind, for when I asked her: “Sarah, do you recognize this box?” She replied, “Yes, it was mother’s jewellery box. She must be leaving you a few souvenirs.”

That night, after the day’s business was done, I retired to a small room that I called my office on the first floor of the shop, taking the black box with me.

Due to some inner compulsion that I cannot explain, I wanted to be alone to open the box and did not invite my wife to join me. She thought the box was Auntie Nona’s property over which I had charge as an executor of her Will.

I found that one of the keys fitted and the lid flew open to reveal two compartments, one large and the other small. The small compartment was empty. The large compartment was overlapped by another metal lid which was locked. The second key turned this lock and inside was a bundle of bank-notes with a piece of white paper wrapped around them and tied with a red string. Below the bundle of notes was a bulky notebook with a maroon, imitation leath-

er cover. The cover and the pages of the notebook showed signs of having been turned constantly. A faint trace of scent that I recognized as Auntie Nona’s rose from the book.

First, I untied the red string and unfolded the paper wrapped round the bank-notes.

There was only one line written on it in Auntie Nona’s Romanized Malay. It read: “Wang ini beri Thiam Hock. Dengan Kasehan. Auntie Nona.” There was a thick wad of bank-notes.

I knew Auntie Nona to be generous, but she was leaving me a great deal of money, as if I were an heir. She had known that I was doing quite well financially. Her gift did not make sense, such as a little souvenir might.

Anyway, one never can tell what an old lady of seventy-two who loves you might do. I resolved to use the money for a first class marble monument to be set up over her grave.

My attention was drawn, however, to the notebook. Why had a woman like Auntie Nona wanted to keep a notebook, or a diary? ...

(To be continued in the next issue)

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