Congratulations on the new outlet Femme Fatale!

With so many malls popping up in Kuching, it's not a surprise big brands and fashion houses flock over and launch their outlets here. The latest one - Femme Fatale! Located in VivaCity Megamall, officiated by General Manager Ms. Christine Lee and VivaCity Megamall Center Manager Mr. Jonathan Naming.

Femme Fatale, for those non-familiar, is a boutique that strongly believes that women should be able to adorn themselves with original designer bags and have access to them without the need to leave the country for their shopping spree. Femme Fatale hosts beautiful, desirable and in trend, authentic designer bags and accessories from the most prestigious names: Prada, Balenciaga, Burberry, Miu Miu, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), Fendi, Christian Dior and many many more.

Anything and everything you purchased at Femme Fatale under whichever names or brands you so desire comes with a certificate of authenticity, original care cards, warranty cards, dust-bags and packings, very much the same as you would if you were to go to a specific designer boutique. So you don't have to worry about carrying a "fake" product, simply because you did not buy it from the brand's own boutique because Femme Fatale is all about the authenticity and accessibility of design bags and accessories.

If you're also wondering if Femme Fatale carries these brands as an appointed distributor, the answer is no. They are in fact a parallel importer of these products. Most of the collections in their boutiques are exclusive, limited editions and unique models that are not available in the respective brands' boutiques in Malaysia. With the option to select each pieces as importers, Femme Fatale is able to house them in multi-brand store environment for the pleasure and convenience of their customers. Furthermore, for each items in the store, only limited units are available ensuring each design remain unique to their patrons.

Note that every 2 to 3 months, Femme Fatale will refresh her collections with the latest and trendiest. Pricewise, you'll be happy to know that they retail at lower price than the official retail price in respective brands' boutiques. Femme Fatale also offers easy payment scheme (up to 24 months) so you can shop without denting your monthly expenditure to the point of breaking.

For those in Kuching specifically, Femme Fatale boutique is located at G-015, Ground Floor, VivaCity Megamall (psssttt!! it's right next to Secret Recipe). If you're the online type like me, their facebook link is here and instagram here.

Now.. what do you recon I spend these vouchers on?

So if by chance I haven't talk about this group of super awesome people that are the Couchsurfers, I'm talking about them now. And if you haven't heard about them, well you heard about them here first!

At least from what I gathered, every major cities in the world has a group of Couchsurfer hosts that will either hang out with travellers, take them out to local hotspots (that are not limited to the popular touristy ones) or even host you for a night or two.

So if you're planning to travel cheap and immerse yourself in the local culture, what better way than to actually meet the locals and have them take you to places! As for myself, I'm part of the Kuching Couchsurfers. Several things to highlight about this group (and generally about all Couchsurfers out there) are: super-friendly and helpful, well informed, non-judgemental and very much welcoming in just about every single way - within respectful boundaries, of course.

And guess what, while you're reading this, you've just missed one of the best gathering of Couchsurfers ever! Last Saturday began with brunch at the famous Mom's Laksa - Tripadvisor recommends (there are several outlets, we went to the one in Jalan Haji Taha). I'll admit it was one of the plans that I didn't expect to commit fully because I was supposed to meet friends but as they cancelled and I was already out and about, I decided to join them anyways.

We took off from Mom's Laksa to get some groceries for the bbq later that same evening where even more Couchsurfers; hosts and travellers, would join up as well. But lemme tell you about the stupid thing I did.. or didn't do.. I did not pick up my car keys from the dashboard after we stowed away about half of the groceries - chicken, hotdogs and veges mostly - in my car. Yeap.. I locked myself out.

After about an hour, a couple of minutes of Youtube instructions and a bit of nylon ropes, we managed to pull the lock off my car - without damaging it or triggering any alarm - and recovered my keys. It was a general consensus that that was some MacGyver sh*t that we pulled off there! So thanks everyone for the support - Kelvin, Teemo, Dee, Jeff, Brett, everyone ^^. And specifically for putting up with my clumsiness!

Next stop was the host - Matnoor - at his awesome place Matang Wildlife Homestay (booking and enquiry link here). It was the perfect venue for evening bbq, karaoke and get together. No neighbours left or right to annoy, right on top of a hill (kinda hard to miss) and just about everything under one roof.

Before the even fell and the last daylight went out, we managed to grab a rather late lunch at Telaga Air. A small and quaint village, we must've been on an incline because my car definitely struggled uphill, sampled the locally fresh made jellyfish umai (look it up, it's really good I recommend you try it yourself if you have the chance) and had coconut shake for dessert. On a hot (but definitely beautiful) dah such as that day, the smooth cold drink definitely quench your thirst.

Then we headed for the beach. Although the tide was low, a couple of us stayed for a swim and the rest - myself included - headed back to the homestay to prep up for the evening bbq. The view was great at the beach. It was literally untouched! Nobody else but us at the beach, the breeze was good, and the weather fine!

Lemme tell you something else I discovered that night - talents. Talents everywhere! There were no lacking of drum players, guitar players, singer/songwriter, bakers (OMG the scones! To die for!!!), IT people to sort out a couple of kinks with the karaoke system (and impromptu background). Hang on did I mention dessert? Jean OMG the cream caramel! Bye bye waistline, I won't miss you anytime soon! Hahaha! Fact: I woke up a little after noon the next day. Two words: Food coma.

There were so oh so many stories told, customs exchanged, differences understood and respected, languages spoken, knowledge learned! It'l like you're abroad in your own place. A huge thanks to the organisers who made it happen - thanks Dee, Kelvin and Matnoor for letting us have one of the best of many many more experiences to come.

If you're coming to Kuching, look us up on the Couchsurfing website; and welcome to Kuching! If you're planning your next trip, keep an eye on the Couchsurfing community at the place you're going. Who knows, you might end up with an experience that'll definitely last a lifetime. And friends too. Lots and lots of friends.

I would actually go as far as calling it a theme for this year's Rainforest World Music Festival - but this is my own opinion. I counted 4 vocally-centered performers, and two-and-a-third (because Epi is part of a trio and) of them are throat singers. Each, however, has their own style and unique background that makes the variety all the more interesting.

In this entry, I would like to focus on sisters Karin and Kathy Kettler. Together they form Nukariik, and coming from the Inuit Tribe. The both flew (on separate flights, one of which significantly longer than the other) from Canada to bring their Inuit throat singing, a little bit of drumming and a little game to the Rainforest World Music Festival Theatre Stage.

If you've read my previous post on RWMF'16 Highlights here, then you'll know how little time I had to prepare, do some Googling, listen to some of the performers music and decide on which workshop to go to. Nukariik was a simple choice - it's a must.

On two occasions throughout the festival I had the chance to sit and talk with the sisters (or one of them - Karin I think; over dinner at the performer's and media area) and they are both so humble, so down to earth and so genuine. Their heritage is from the Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, in northern Quebec - and I was told if I want to visit, middle of the year is probably best as it's not as cold as the rest of the year.

(From a guy that has spent his whole life in the tropics, your definition of cold is probable equal to mine freezing even before landing! LOL)

When asked about the origins of the Inuit throat singing, the sisters took turns explaining that it had begun as a pastimes and were inspired by the sounds that they hear all around them. Normally sang between two ladies while the men go hunting, the songs are loosely simple and rhythmic, consisting of one or more syllable or sound on the breath out, and another on a breath in. Harmonizing these simple rhythm produces an complex and sophisticated structure, and more often than not really represents what they are singing about.

Case and point: The Saw.

It really does sound like a saw going back and forth on a log!

Another song that was equally captivating was the Song for Our Father. Also note that the duo likes to compete going back-and-forth trying to throw each other off the melody; and as a result almost all of their songs accellerando until one of them ran out of breath or burst into laughter.

It's also very endearing to see such sisterly bond brought on-stage as they perform, and it does stay true to the root of the Inuit throat singing as well I presume - to bring people closer together.

Song for Our Father

Do you recognize the melody? Comment if you do! 

What had captivated me most was the song about the Inukshuk, a monument made of raw stones that has multiple purposes. I guess back in the days when the land was so vast, travelling from one point to another is a challenge and whenever they can they will leave inuksuit (the plural form of inukshuk) to point to a direction or places where there is food. Sometimes inuksuit are erected as a monument to a loved ones too.

Inukshuk

Along with English translation!

Later in the day as I caught up with a fellow blogger (Lindy, show yourself please) once again I met the sisters at the Doodle wall! By then my camera had died and we were so engaged in conversation that we forgot to snap photos together! They even gave me a copy of the Canada's Inuit Youth Magazine before we part ways.

Maybe we can learn something out of this.

They're in Inuit language, I think.
Luckily there is an English translation too. 

I've compiled the videos that I shot during their performance at this year's Rainforest World Music Festival into a YouTube playlist here. Enjoy it, and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to my channel, press that LIKE button and SHARE it to all your friends and family.

Ladies, it had been a pleasure meeting you both. All the best in your next performances.

It was a last minute invitation, I barely had any time to prepare and ended up with about 40 gigabytes of footage across the three days festival! It's a whole lot different this year - reorienting itself to be a family and kid-friendly event with workshops specifically designed for kids - the PUSAKA Bookaroo workshop.

That said, I was at one (ok.. maybe more than one) of that workshop because hey, there's always a kid in each and every one of us, right? Can't argue with that! hahaha

But This year's festival performers were extraordinary! Last year we witnesses Epi with his secrets to Mongolian throat / overtone singing. This year he came as part of a trio ensemble Violons Barbares (translated as Barbaric Violins), and along with him are sisters Karin and Kathy Kettler as Nukariik from Canada; and Torgeir Vassvik from Norway. For the more contemporary vocal experiences, Vocal Sampling was the crowd's favorite on the second night with their own rendition of Hotel California. This quintet performers carried no instruments with them, and relied solely on their vocals to draw out the sounds of different kinds of instruments!

My personal favorite would be Nukariik. The sisters represents the Inuit tribe and brought along their Inuit heritage, in particular their throat singing which is very different from the other throat singers I mentioned before. Used in the old days as a mean to pass time, they sing to emulate the sounds they hear from around them, thus coming up with songs like the Mosquito, the Saw and the River.

Like I said earlier, this is just the highlights. Head over to my channel and click on the LIKE button on this video if you want to see a day to day highlight! Don't forget to share and SUBSCRIBE!

For so many years I've heard of the famous Floating Buffet at BCCK, Kuching. For so many years I thought about going. And for so many years I never actually went. When I did this year, I completely forgot about the Floating Buffet!

I guess I'm a little traditional in that sense, to be seated at the table (and stay seated in conversation) before iftar. That's just me though, so when the buffet made it's grand entry, I was a little way off to get a good footage.

That said, the rest of the servings that night was so grand, I wanted to taste each and every one of them - in very very small portions.

Here are some of my favorites! Don't forget to click LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE!

OK I'm gonna go on a rant. I Literally don't have the time, but I MUST get this out of my system!

What is it?

THIS! A design that makes designers roll in their graves.

On 26th of April 2016, The Star's Bavani M published an article on "New Brand for KL". I honestly didn't even try to look for it - with Facebook and Twitter, we gets news and updates whether we want it or not - the good ones and the bad ones too. Unfortunately for me, this had made its way to my newsfeed.

So at first, I thought to myself - damn that's what a logo would look like when it's done in Powerpoint with one of the WordArt templates. I didn't say anything. I didn't have to because I knew other netizens would voice out whatever I was thinking.

I wasn't too farfetched with the Powerpoint WordArt template. Apparently the logo did came from a template. M. Shazni of Vulcan Post will show you step-by-step how it's done.

And this is the icing on the cake - guess how much tho logo costs? RM 15k! Yeap! A logo that was a result of a template costs RM 15,000! This is reported by Noraza Yusof, the city’s Tourism Bureau general manager. Here's the link.

I smell a big rat. Then again it could just be me and my nose.

NOT A FAN

Nope. I'm not a KL-ite, and I don't travel to KL very often. When I do, I rarely explore it's nooks and cranies to really appreciate what it offeres to those living in it and to those visiting.

But I can say that this logo BARELY reflects KL itself. "The colour silver for the word Kuala Lumpur was meant to reflect the city’s tin mining roots" said Noraza. Wow. I totally get it, to reflect your root, your history, your past. That's fair. I mean, if not for this statement I would probably not have remembered that Kuala Lumpur started off as a tin mining town. #bimbomoment

But is there a physical legacy that's left behind? A tin mining museum on a site that was once a mine? Maybe a monument? I don't know. Maybe if you would comment some so I can probably visit next time I'm in KL that'd be awesome. It doesn't change the fact that the logo does not reflect that completely but at least one aspect of it did.

And if that's what you want to put forth, then why choose 'exciting . surprising . enticing' as your slogan? and not enough with just one, you have to have two slogans - A City of Contrasts & Diversity. It's confusing. "Noraza said diverse cultures and the juxtaposition of old and new were among the city’s strengths, and the branding focused on those". I say nope.

nope.

nope. nope. nope.

Juxtaposition is a harmonic contrasting effect that is comfortable to the eyes. Look at the logo. Are your eyes comfortable? The sharp lines that made up the font "Kuala Lumpur" in all caps. The thin lines in the font of the words "exciting . surprising . enticing" in small caps. The thick font of the slogan "A City of Contrasts and Diversity". It's like looking at 3 different things in one. Owh yes they're contrasting alright, but they are NOT in harmony.

And yes, while we're on the topic of fonts - 3 different fonts in 1 logo? It might work, given the right fonts - but in this case, my eyes hurt just looking at them.

I COULD GO ON FOR DAYS

but like I said, I don't have the time, and I just want to get this out of my systems. The way I like to do things is while generating my own ideas, I look at how others do it. 7 billion people in the world, chances are someone out there has done it before you did, and you can learn something out of it.

City branding has been around. KL is not the first in it's initiative. But I believe that they made an error or jumping the guns. The mindset of creating something first then attributing things to it is very common among us Malaysians. I'm not saying ALL, just common. Especially when it comes to logo.

Why do I say this? Because it looks convenient. Why did we choose the colour silver? To represent tin mining history. Why 3 fonts? A juxtapose of old and new. Why 2 slogans? Because ...

They say in order to love something, you have to know it first. When other cities began branding themselves, they study the aspects of what made it unique, and capitalise on that.

Exciting? What is exciting about KL? I could only name just a few, others could name more, but the word 'exciting' don't reflect that. It's so generic! Even my back yard is exciting!

Surprising? Again, so ambiguous. So generic. So common.

Enticing? Nevermind. You get my point.

A City of Contrasts and Diversity? But isn't every other cities in Malaysia like that? Come to Sabah, in KK, count 10 people, most likely they're from different race and religion. Come to Miri, probably the same. From Georgetown in the north to JB in the South, most likely the same too.

Want a good slogan for a city? Look at these.

Las Vegas - What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas 

It's provocative. It's epic. It's suggestive. 

Increadinburgh 

50-50 on this, but it's a good play on words. 

California - Find Yourself Here 

Upon reading this you wanna know more about it. That's enticing. 

A Touch of the Exotic: Dumfries and Galloways, Scotland

Ethiopia: Thirteen Months of Sunshine

You go wtf? 13 months? But don't you just want to check the facts?

Just to name a few. What do they have in common? They ARE exciting. They ARE surprising. They ARE enticing. And they don't put those words to show people that.

Here's a slogan that I would put: We could be different, but we could be the same too. What do you think? Got a better one? Leave a comment. It's a long shot but who knows it might replace the current one.

IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE TOURISTS

Another point that these people deciding on the branding may have overlooked is that the branding should also address its people. At the end of the day, the heart of the city is the people. If the people feel strongly against the logo, then listen to what they have to say. If there are too many, use the tools at your disposals. Hashtags, wordclouds, sentiment analytic, analyze the social media and gather indirect responses. These are the meaningful ones.

And if you're not aware of this, then maybe you're not ready to be branded.

In my previous post, I talked about how in this installment of the Rainforest World Music Festival, there will be a new system of purchase - a cashless payment system for festival goers (read here). Though I have yet to get any further details as to how the system works, is there a minimum topup and if so how much, and so on, I have at least one special booth to highlight!

Keep an eye during RWMF 2015 for a unique, one of a kind, hand painted batik on silk! and if you don't know what batik is, feel free to read a little on my previous post on that too here.

Just one of many hand-painted batik on silk design

Is that not gorgeous? Oh I can't even! >.<

Although how batik made its way to local Malaysian, and specifically Sarawakian culture is still debatable, it has been an integral part of our culture and heritage. So much so that it is normal to see batik being worn on Thursdays as a working attire among men and women in Malaysia.

Batik itself is already a diversified form of art, commonly translated into the local customs and tradition. Batik Sarawak features common motives of floral and fauna, and incorporates much of the local tribal designs such as the 'Tree of Life', bunga terung, the scorpion and many more.

Two Warriors : Hand-painted batik on silk

In some designs, people from local tribes are depicted, donning their ancestral clothings, parang (machete) and perisai or terabai (shield) in fighting stance. At this point, it is worth noting that Sarawak is also known as Land of the Headhunters. In the old days, tribes would wage wars between each other, and enemy heads are cut off and displayed as a trophy!

Though the headhunting tradition has long since been abandoned, the parang and terabai are normally kept as displays, batik is still very prominent. I cannot think of a better take-away item from your visit to the RWMF 2015! And don't worry, if you're more of a practical person, batik is not just meant to look good, it's meant for comfortable wears as well.

During RWMF 2015, Petra Pelita (Facebook page here) will be setting up booth at the Village Mart. They will be offering silk scarves and pareos that can be worn immediately during the festival, or silk material with batik designs in various lengths for you to turn into shirts or button-ups, dresses and skirts or decoration!

Typical silk material to be cut and tailored for men's shirt or ladies dresses and skirts

Owh, so gorgeous!

Heh before I get carried away! These are some of the pre-made designs that Petra Pelita has. You'll be sure to find even more varieties on sale during the Rainforest World Music Festival. So if you're lounging around waiting for the next workshop to start, why not pop in to Petra Pelita's booth and check out these items: 

1. Silk Scraves (in sizes of 35" and 45")
2. Silk Pareos (in sizes of 36" and 45")
3. Batik Silk materials (in lengths of 2.5m and 4m)

Hrm.. I wonder if I can get a discount code for my readers? I'll get back to you on that. 

Yeap, this year - the 18th instalment of Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) - the organisers are bringing in improvements in many areas of the festival. One of such is the introduction of cashless payment methods for purchases on the festival ground's Food Marts and Village Marts.

Almost all vendors will be participating in this payment method, says here in the press release. That means (I could be wrong so don't quote me word for word on this) that cash payments methods are still acceptable, although to which extent remains unclear.

I think this is a bold move by the organisers - for one, I always though about the cash I have in my wallets getting soaked and drenched in the rainforest rain! It also makes it easier for festival goers to control and monitor their expenses, as in order to partake in the cashless payment method, they would have to first top-up a certain amount before being able to make purchase.

Based on what I gathered, the physical form of the cashless payment device is a wrist-strap similar to the daily entrance pass. The RFID wrist-strap is tagged at the entrance, and top-up counters will be set up all over the festival grounds.

The minimum (if any) top-up amount is not yet clear, as well as how much top-up can be made i.e. in tiers similar to mobile prepaid reload cards, or if specific amount with cents are allowed as well. I have emailed my contact person, once I have the information I will be updating this post.

One thing to note tho, according to the press release, the balance in the RFID wrist-strap is non-refundable. Some might see this as an opportunistic move, some might see it as the facility is not supported by the system that the organisers opted for. Either way, I would advise to top-up just enough to avoid unnecessary loss of expenditure on the festival goer's side.

I'll keep you posted on the information I have regarding this - if I get updated. Otherwise, keep you eyes on the official RWMF website and Facebook page for latest information.

I spent the past few hours alternating between tasks - hanging the curtains, changing the cushion covers, rearranging the living room - in anticipation of Eid that's just around the corner - yet my mind is racing! The topic of obsession today is.. BATIK!

No.. not the cake BATIK (I'm still pretty much sane and can, on occasion, get food out of my mind for a while.. but now that I've mentioned it.. urghh... I want kuih Batik for berbuka later. zzzZZZzzz)

Anyways, back to BATIK..

What is "BATIK"?

Batik on Silk
Sarawak Motive "Tree of Life"

Batik is, as Google would define it, a method (originally used in Java) of producing coloured designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to the parts to be left undyed. Depending on where the wax and dye is applied, colourful patterns, usually inspired by flora and fauna are drawn. Clothes made in this style is also known as batik.

The History and Origins
In Malaysia, the origins of batik is difficult to determine. Very few historical artefacts and strong references exists. What is known is that there is a trade relations between the then Tanah Melayu and Java, along with the Sumatran archipelago since the 13th century. Perhaps the influence from the trade made way for batik to settle as part of the Malaysian culture.

In terms of influences and inspirations of the batik designs, Malaysian batik do not normally derive from animals and human. This can be credited to Islam being the major religion of Malays, who would normally produce and wear batik on the regular, and that Islam also forbids the depiction of human and animals as decorations.

Types? How Are Batik Produced?

Batik on Silk
Sarawak Motive "Tree of Life"

Having visited first hand the workshop for batik creation run by Mark Jong of Petra Pelita (follow their Facebook Page here), I was honestly impressed with the creativity and discipline of his team in producing a single sheet of batik.

There are quite a number of types of batik, one can be categorised based on region (for instance Batik Indonesia, Batik Sumatra, Batik Jawa and smaller, more specific regions in between), or categorised based on patterns (Batik Kraton, Batik Cuwiri, Batik Petani etc), or even by way of producing it (Batik Blok, Batik Canting, or Batik Skrin).

Canting Batik

For Mark and Petra Pelita, they specifically produce hand drawn batik canting - the name is derived from the tool called canting. Canting, sometimes also spelled with old Dutch orthography tjanting, is made from a small copper reservoir with a sprout on a wooden handle. The reservoir holds the resists, commonly wax, that flows through the sprout, creating dots and lines as it moves.

Hand Drawn vs Machine Printed

Batik on Silk
Flora and Geometry

In the Malaysian governments bid to promote Malaysian Batik in the eye of the world, mass production of batik has taken off. In order to meet demands, machine produced batik has flooded the market.

However, one of the unique aspects of hand drawn batik is that there are no two that are exactly alike. They may be similar, but even if derived from the same sketch or original, made by the same person, the patterns and colours will vary even ever so slightly.

The demand for hand painted batik is still high, typically from those who seek a uniqueness in their styles, and finesse in the end product. Produced by one who is very experienced in the art of batik making, a piece could take 3 to 4 days to complete, to even weeks and months!

Other Uses of Batik
To om nom nom nom! (OMG kuih batik.. I needs suggestions in the comments on where to get really yummy ones quick!)

No really. I always thought batik's main use is to be work - sewn into men's button-up shirt that usually produces a subtle yet loud effect) or made into traditional baju kurung, or as sarong. Pareo's are also a very creative use of batik. Basically, something that is worn.

Mark told me further that he can also help to frame the batik that he produces, as wall arts! It can also be made into souvenirs, handbags, etc. It did got me thinking, for upcoming events, I might just suggest to gift a batik handicraft to invited Guest of Honours or VIPs.

Mark also has two large batik painting at his showroom - so if you want to see for yourself, reach for him at his Facebook Page.

And here I am, with Eid just around the corner, thinking if I can make batik the theme for this Eid celebration!

Exciting news! For the third year, I've been selected as part of the alternative media team for Rainforest World Music Festival (woot woot!). So excited! In exactly a month's time, I'll be in, out and about with some of the best local and international performers, attending the media briefings and (hopefully) asking sensible questions, attending workshops and generally having loads of fun while covering the event.

The Performers of 2015!
I'm excited to see that the 1DRUM.ORG is making a comeback! Last year they did a great job interacting and involving festival goes into the festival itself, and *fingers crossed* this year it's gonna be bigger and better!

Other performers line up include: our very own Sayu Ateng, Lan E Tuyang,  Kenwy Yang-Qin ensemble, Culture Shot from Penang. our neighbour Kobagi Kecak from Indonesia, Alavedi from Georgia, Barguo 08 from Tunisia, Kapela Maliszów from Poland, Son de Madera from Mexico, and many more. You can read the complete list by checking out the official RWMF 2015 website here.

Who I Anticipate?
I am so very thrilled to also see that Mongolian Enkh Jargal Dandarvaanchig, a.k.a. Epi will also be performing this year. He brings with him the Mongolian Overtone. If you do not know what that is, basically it's a technique that allows you to sing 2 tones simultaneously. It is sooooo cool OMG I can't even..

Ticket Price? 
Tickets for the RWMF 2015 is already on sale. The early bird prices is over, but the pre-sale price is stated at RM 110.00 for a day-pass, or RM 300.00 for a three days pass. Children pay about half of that, and there are also family packages available too. Check out the detailed pricing by following this link.

Freebies, maybe? 

Photo linked from the official RWMF 2015 website. 

Rip Curl is holding up a Instagram contest - the prize - a pair of 3-day passes to RWMF 2015, & exclusive RWMF15 x Rip Curl event tees! All you have to do is:

Step 1.Go to the nearest Rip Curl outlet and take a picture of yourself wearing a Rip Curl outfit that you would wear at Rainforest World Music Festival 2015

Step 2. Post that picture on Instagram, tag 3 of your friends and also @ripcurlmy

Step 3. Tell us in 3 sentences or less why you’d love to attend RWMF2015, and add the hashtag #RWMF15XRIPCURL

So go ahead, get snappy!

While it is always recommended to exercise modesty during the month of Ramadhan, it is not wrong once in a while to enjoy the offerings around you. One of such enjoyments is to break the fast at Merdeka Palace Hotels and Suites. Kuchinglite is more than familiar with the name, but just in case, Merdeka Palace Hotels and Suites is located at the heart of Kuching, facing the grand Padang Merdeka. Among other landmarks are the Museum, Plaza Merdeka and, most importantly for muslims who wants to catch up on the tarawih prayer, Masjid Bahagian.

This year could possibly the grandest Ramadhan Buffet by Merdeka Palace. Instead of the resident restaurant, the Ristorante Beccari, the buffet this year has been moved to Level 3 Grand Ballroom! Operating in an instant kitchen fashion, a wider variety of dishes is served, one or two will definitely be to the fancy of your taste buds.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the buffet a couple nights ago by Irene and James of Merdeka Palace, along with fellow bloggers Lindy and Brian.

For starters, the Ramadhan buffet offers fresh dates (yes, those on stems - I prefer them over honeyed or preserved) and sweets in forms of local kuih-muih. That's the best way to break your fast and 'wake' your tummy after a whole day of fasting.

For drinks, quite a variety is also up for offer - Teh Tarik, made fresh at the drinks bar, bandung (rose or grenadine syrup with condensed milk), sugarcane, soya bean and plain water on the side. I held back and had myself a glass of teh tarik as I ate through my food and washed them down completely with bandung so I couldn't say much about the sugarcane, soya bean and the rest.

Probably the most recommended item on the buffet are the pizza (they do change and rotate every night), the roasted corner (which I - for whatever reason - forgot to photo! There was a whole lamb carved on the spot by the chef and my goodness it was so tender!) and roti John (a kind of oblong sandwich with egg, chicken or beef, salad and tomato dressed with mayonnaise and chilli sauce). Of course I tried all of them!

Another favourite of mine is Lok-Lok, also a nice variety at Merdeka Palace Ramadhan Buffet. Lok-Lok is a variant of the steamboat/hotpot meal, except that the food served is skewered and the skewered food is dipped into a hot boiling pot of water to be cooked. This is then dipped into a variety of sauces provided for you. Pick ones or twos (go ahead pick more if you want) on your plate and hand it over to the chef, tell him/her do you want to have them boiled or fried, and enjoy!

Dessert is where I missed out most. Having not eaten for the whole day, I cannot shock my body by loading on food so I went for what is most special in Merdeka Palace - the home made ice cream. I cannot begin to tell you how soft, moist and flavourful each bite is. It melts in your mouth like velvet, definitely one that you cannot not try! Sprinkle some almonds on it and voila, your dining experience at Merdeka Palace is complete!

If you ask me, I would definitely come again to the Ramadhan Buffet by Merdeka Palace Hotels and Suites. I do think, and don't quote me on this, that they accept walk-ins, but like any other place, I'm sure they would appreciate you calling ahead for reservation. The number to call is +60 82-258 000. Send me a shoutout if you've been there or planning to go!

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