It was a whole new level of experience. For those who like to meet and mingle with new acquaintances this is the place you wanna be. No ice breakers required, it's provided for you. No need to worry about where you come from, what your believes are, what colour is your skin, what tongue you speak in. Here, music of the rainforest is the only mode of communication you need, and the only currency accepted is joy, fun and unity.
As only one of many who attended the festival, I can only offer my point of view, but boy from behind the lens of my camera I see so many varieties that makes me appreciate even more the world that we live in and the people living in it.
Resting between the afternoon and evening workshop, I mingled around taking photos here and there, and made small talks. One of the most common question asked especially by foreigners from the Europe was what are some of the local customs and believes. It was a wonder to see the sparks in their eyes as I narrated the Malay customs (since I am Malay and I am not very familiar with other local customs. I don't want to accidentally give out the wrong information) of cats and mirrors and clothlines and clipping nails.
In one of the few minutes I spent with a pair of foreigners (I can't remember from where tho - like I said it's as if countries no longer exists once you're on the festival grounds) I discovered that there is a similar believe. Of cats, for instance, if a black cat crosses your path that would bring bad luck, but in Malay believe if a cat of whatever colour crosses your path you're gonna bump into a friend along the way. And of mirrors, I still know some families cover mirrors in their houses with a piece of cloth before going to bed for fear of the spirit of the dead sees themselves and starts wailing, quite similar to their believe that banshees reside on the other side and can cross over to our world using the mirrors as gateway.
Perhaps one believe that fascinates them most is that of cats and the deceased. In Malay believe, when a cat crosses over the body of the deceased during a wake, the body would spring back to life. I always leave them with this story, their eyes filled with excitement of a new and fascinating knowledge.
Perhaps one of the best kicks I got out of the 3 days festival was to see how strangers from so many different parts of the world come together and unite with the music and dances. Clearly there during the workshops, sharing tables at the Food Mart, browsing the crafts and merchandises at the Village Mart, and dancing their hearts out at the evening concert. Some even put into practise the dances they learnt during the workshop and danced out at whatever music the performers played on stage. It was a privilege to be part of such an amazing event.
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Pictures courtesy of Jack Sciarcca
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