Whenever a warrior enters the battleground, he comes prepared. Me, having explored the festival ground earlier yesterday, finding my way around is a little easier and better planned. It was really very difficult to decide which workshop to go to by giving up another workshop, but a decision had to be made.
Kalakan members Thierry Biscary and Jean-Michael demonstrating how to play the txalaparta
For one, at 2 pm, there was an interactive dance workshop called Foot Stomp at Dewan Lagenda, and Knock on Wood, an exploration of the txalaparta of the Basque country by the members of Kalakan (a personal favourite, I might add). There's also Chehera Chitra, a face painting ritual and tribal handicraft making of Karala demonstrated by members of the Karinthalakoottam group at the Iban Longhouse while the Ding Yi Music Company played chamber concert pieces in the Theatre Stage. I weighed my options and decided against my personal favourite to join Foot Stomp - I like to dance as much as I like listening to music as well.
Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys leading the Foot Stomp workshop
The Foot Stomp workshop was an interactive demonstration on Clogging. I would personally associate it with tap-dancing cuz I'm simplistic that way and for something as enjoyable as dancing, lets not get too much into the technical details (Might I add there's Google and Wikipedia and all sorts of creditable information available in the internet). Gordie Mackeeman and his Rhythm Boys led the workshop and it was honestly no wonder why he was nicknamed crazy legs - I mean they move like crazy! The good kind of crazy, of course. He also did this while playing the fiddle!
Blessed with sunny weather and breezy afternoon, I exited Dewan Lagenda to make way to the Malay House where I plan to catch The Voice workshop at 4. Although it was an hour's wait, I decided to make way anyways knowing the Malay House has very limited capacity. That was when I passed by the Iban House just as the crowd dispersed after Chehera Chitra facepainting workshop looking incredibly wicked! Owh I missed it! Were you there? Did you get your face painted? Is this your photo? Let me know in the comments!
Photo courtesy of STB
I arrived early to the Malay House to the sound of Kamarul's voice of the Geng Wak Long group from Kelantan. The workshop's name is Awok Awok - refering to the chorus in a dikir barat performance. Again, being local, I grew up listening to it's melody and even performed it a couple of time back when I was studying. However, from the perspective of a visitor, this is something totally new - and for them to not only just see but also be part of the crew, I guess it was an amazing experience. I mean, just look at their faces!
Highlights from Awok-Awok workshop
I'd like to again thank STB and all the organizing teams and sponsors of the Rainforest World Music Festival, the media team, the volunteers, and the amazing visitors for being such a good sport especially in the Geng Wak Long's Awok Awok workshop! Y'all literally rocked the house (yeah, the Malay house was built on stilts and wooden planks for floor it was really shaking in tune to the dikir barat). erm... I would also like to apologize to fellow blogger Aliey (read Aliey's blog here) for taking up her spot in the workshop. Story goes that she arrived a few minutes after I went up - which by then was already a full house - and the gatekeeper stopped her because I was already upstairs. Moushiwake arimasen!
After the exhilarating Awok Awok workshop was the workshop I've been meaning to attend since the first day of the festival! The Voice - featuring beautiful and unique vocals from around the world like Stuart Giddens from Blackbeard's Tea Party, our own local girl Opah from Nading Rhapsody, Shigeri Kitsu and Kazuki Kunihiro from Ryuz, Maria Mazotta from Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino and from Dhaka Brakha the enigmatic Nina Garenetska. Unfortunately, for fear of karma coming back to bite me in the behind, I decided to let my fellow blogger Lindy (read Lindy's blog here) up the house instead. (yeah, I'm nice that way >.<) She was nice enough to record and share a video!
Shigeri Kitsu & Kazuki Kunihiro of Ryuz
And here are the ladies of DhakaBrakha
When all the workshops ended, most of the crowds gathered in front of the Jungle Stage to join in the fun of the Drum Circle. Here's a snippet courtesy of Lindy! Thanks gurl, you're the best!
The weather was hot and humid, with mild wind blowing every now and then, but the crowd was building steadily. Set in the backdrop of the rainforest, two stages were set up - aptly called the Jungle stage and the smaller Tree stage. This has been the way it was - like tradition - since years of its organization. That was the Rainforest World Music Festival. The afternoon adventure I had earlier culminates to the evening concerts where the performers can truly play their tunes.
Some of the performers
As the evening cools down with the absence of the sun, I heard the warrior's call native to the Land of the Hornbills bellows out accompanied by the iconic tunes of the sape'. Drawn the the callings, the crowd steadily made way to the stages to see up-close the warrior and a closer experience to one of the most popular sounds of Sarawak. The opening act from the Bisayah Gong orchestra was just as mesmerizing. Their music was part of their way of life since their ancestral times, commonly played to celebrate a good harvest, to heal the wounded and sick and as part of their war ritual as both battle cry as well as to warn their villagers of dangers. It is also common for the modern Bisayah families to keep at least a piece of Gong at home, if not a full set of them.
The Bisayah Gong Orchestra
The Kalakan Trio
From the familiar tunes of my own homeland, I was whisked to the Tree stage to the autonomous community of Basque Country - a group of trio that calls themselves Kalakan. Armed with harmonic repertoires of Basque traditional songs (it sounds a little like Spanish) along with simple percussions, the trios bet on simplicity, elegance and a communication with their crowd generating and carrying emotions. Truly, listening to them in Spotify cannot compare with listening to them playing live! I really cannot tell if I'm ever going to have a change to hear them play live again, I completely immersed myself in their music. Son Yambu follows Kalakan, and my my as if the rainforest air was not hot and humid enough!! Fuuuhhh!! A Latin Salsa tune can turn the temperature from hot to oohhhhh mama that caused a whole lot of booty jiggling! Lucky me I packed a fan! As I've warned before, surviving the Rainforest World Music Festival requires a careful and meticulous preparation less it will ruin your experience. Did you follow my guide here? Let me know in the comments! It was always said to save the best of last, and no other words can describe the last performance of the first evening show. From the Basque country's traditional tunes to Cuban Latin Salsa, to Europe right in the heart of London! But no, this group is truly something else. The group that was most anticipated by my fellow blogger Lindy (read Lindy's blog here) and Garner (read Garner's blog here), the group that was (probably) inspired by Captn' Jack Sparrow himself, the Blackbeard's Tea Party (yeah I can tell the group's performance gonna be epic!)
The Blackbeard's Tea Party
There were percussion, guitar, violin, accordion, awesome voice (and melt-in-my-ear English accent) and a whole lotta dancing with these guys. Genuinely joyful, a little bit of cheeky and all around fun as they played songs after song and sing lyrics after lyrics playing the crowd all along. Although in all honestly their music is not my cup of tea, but considering it is a Balckbeard's Tea Party all along, what fool who did not enjoy it deserves a walk down the plank! In the mean time, do enjoy the gallery below. It will be updated from time to time as there are tons of pictures to upload and credit so do return back for another visit! Ciao!
PS: I cannot say for certain where Blackbeard's Tea Party got their inspiration from. The connection between the group and Captn' Jack Sparrow or the whole Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is purely to the fictional imagination of the author. However, if you'd like to agree or to disagree, let me know in the comments.
Hoooooyyeeaaahhhh!! 5 more days for that time of the year again where flocks of different folks come together for one of the most anticipated event of the year - the RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014. This is it's 17th year, voted for the 5th consecutive year as one of the 25 best International Festivals by renowned world music magazine, Songlines.
With management experience and worldwide recognition, you can rest assure that the event is as safe as any festival event as can be. Teams of staffs and volunteers alike line up to ensure the event flows according to plan with contingency and action plans accounted for any unplanned events.
That being said, you, as festival goer, should not neglect your own safety nor the safety of other festival goers. Remember, have fun responsibly!
The Venue If you've been to the festival in the previous years or are already familiar with the Sarawak Cultural Village grounds, the same general rules still apply since past years. If this is your first time, here's an aerial view of the Sarawak Cultural Village (courtesy of Sarawak CUltural VIllage and rwmf.net)
The Programme It's worth noting that some visitors to the Rainforest World Music Festival come for the highlight of the whole festival - the evening performance from participating bands from all around the world and spend the day sight-seeing around Kuching Town. The festival has loads and loads to offer, especially for the musical enthusiast looking for exposure and experience. Plan your timing, try to arrive early for the best spots and do join the afternoon workshops or shop for souvenirs at the arts and crafts or memorabilia booths set all over the festival venue. There are also plenty of food stalls if you feel like tasting the local delicacies. You can print out the daily festival program here:
The Dress Code Kuching, in general, has good whether. However, it can be unpredictable. Dress for comfort. I have seen festival goers particularly ladies wearing high heels to the festival. This is highly discouraged as one, the festival ground spans over a large area and a whole lot of walking is expected; two, the walkways are made up of woodplanks (to reflect the traditional way back when) and there are gaps between the planks; three, the front-stage or 'mosh-pit' is earth, not paved, not woodplanks. I recommend t-shirt or tank tops, especially those made with jersey or quick dry material, shorts, and flip-flops. Accessories I cannot stress this enough. Last year was my second time going to the festival, and my first as a media representative - on which I made a couple of small but costly errors. The first being not having a power bank for my devices. I almost used up all my phone battery by the first hour of the evening performance. So yeah, bring along a power bank or extra battery for whatever you may need. There are power points in Dewan Lagenda (I cannot confirm if these can be used) but you don't want to be grounded with all the happenings around you, do you? The second was my memory stick - I barely have enough memory to store all those photos I took with my DLSR! Dang! By all mean I'm no pro, but like many I want to capture the moment in photos! So to help you out, here's a checklist of items that you might want to consider bringing along with you.
Powerbank for your devices.
Chargers, again for your devices. I'm adding a power extension cord here. Sharing is caring, no? Plus, it's a good way to make friends!
A spare change of clothes, kept in a plastic bag to keep dry.
Toiletries - this is really up to you how much you want to / can stuff into your backpack. Wet-wipes, tissue and toilet rolls, hand sanitisers are basic. Keep them in a sealed bag or plastic bag to keep them from getting wet in case it rains.
Raincoat / poncho / umbrella - unless if you don't mind getting wet in case it rains.
A small torchlight - you never know if and when it becomes handy.
A whistle - to attract attention if you found yourself in a predicament.
A backpack to keep all these in.
Things NOT to bring to the concert! They WILL be confiscated!
DRUGS! Just say no to them. There are other ways to have fun, like, uhh.. I dunno - just enjoy the music and the crowd?
Dangerous objects / objects that can cause harm - knives, scissors, sharp objects etc. Simply, if the items were not allowed in an aeroplane, they will not be allowed to be brought into the event grounds.
Food and drinks - yeah this is quite unfortunate. Even bottled water were confiscated last year. They do sell them inside at a price, so do bring cash with you.
Additionally, for those who plan to drive to the festival,
Unless you have the official car sticker, you won't be able to drive into the festival ground. Ensure your car is safely parked and locked. DO NOT leave any valuables in your car (This is a general rule, festival or not >.<)
Wrap your seat with old newspaper or plastic. If it rains, it will be muddy and you'll want your car interior to still be clean.
Bring a few bottles of water, both for drinking and to wash up after the event.
If you want to skip 2 and 3 above altogether, just keep a spare change of clothes in the bonnet and change before you drive home.
Keeping safe Always be aware of your surroundings, especially if you're going to the festival by yourself (in which case you can also contact me! I'll most probably meet my friends there, you're always welcomed to tag along). If you're travelling in a group, set up a MEETING POINT in the festival grounds. You'll most probably see other groups of festival goers carrying banners and signs like these. It's also a good idea to wear an identifier i.e bracelets, sash, cap etc. in case you need to quickly locate a missing member by announcing from the PA system. Do OBEY THE LAWS AND FESTIVAL RULES AND REGULATIONS. They are there for a reason. For one, it's you keep you and other festival goers safe. For another, it's to ensure that the festival management successfully organised the event for yet another year, keeping a good track record in hope that next year it will be held bigger and better! STAY HYDRATED. Drink lots of water, and stay under the shade as much as possible to avoid dehydration and heat strokes. Generally, tap water in the festival venue is treated, but there may still be pathogenic microorganisms that can cause diarrhea or worse. Drink bottled water instead - or beer, whichever you prefer >.< ENJOY!! After all, that is the main reason why you'd come to a festival in the first place, no?
Day in and day out, days and days gone by, I find myself swept away by the tides of time. Barely having any time just to sit down and write a post. Couldn't steal an hour or two just running my imagination over the chapters of a book. Tending less and less to the friends I miss all too much.
A good rest was well earned, and rested I did at BB Bunkers, Damai Central. A fresh change from the typical hotel getaway, BB Bunkers offers a hostel-style place to stay (hey, they didn't come up with the name 'Bunkers' just for the sake of a name, did they?). With all basic amenities well built at an affordable rate, one can just dump their luggage and start enjoying the nature straightaway without much hassle.
And boy did I enjoy myself. Credits to BB Bunkers, along with co-organizers Damai Central and Escobar for hosting the Bloggers Night out! Not only did they invite us bloggers, but we also get to bring a guest of our own too! Much fun!
Honestly, after a helluva week at work, a break like this is just in the nick of time. I arrived at Damai Central just in time for dinner at Escobar. I managed to just catch up with fellow bloggers I met almost a year ago at the Rainforest World Music Festival 2013, snapped a few shots and popped my head into some of the amenities available in BB Bunkers before making my way to dinner. Owh the food was very delish. What's even more funny tho, is that when the food arrived, everybody tried to sneak a picture or two of each dish before they were all enjoyed. At first, everyone was shy, barely catching the macro shots of the food - but when we all realized that most of us are bloggers and we all will want good food shots on our blogs, the shyness evaporated and it was as if "NOBODY TOUCH THE FOOD! WE NEED TO GET PICTURES! THIS IS SPARTA!!" kind of moment (well obviously I exaggerated but nonetheless, it was hilarious to be in that situation!)
Later that night was when things got interesting. Because of the configuration the 'pods' in BB Bunkers, there is very little privacy. If you're looking for a quiet getaway - honestly, you're looking at the wrong place. If you're not into mingling with others and prefer to be left in your own peaceful and quiet self, this isn't the place for you. But, if you're looking to meet new and random people, spend the whole night awake chit-chatting and merry-making, boy you couldn't be any closer! BB Bunkers, as the name suggests, offers 'pods' as oppose to rooms.
Pod Types and Configurations
1 x Family Pod (1 x double bed & 1
x sofa bed)
6 x Double Pod (1 x double bed)
2 x Single Pod (1 x single bed)
2 x Twin Pod (2 x single bed)
3 x Triple Pod (3 x single bed)
1 x Dorm Pod (5 x single bed)
Rates
Weekdays:
Single bed (in any pod) : RM50
Double Pod : RM80
Family Pod : RM120
Entire Venue : RM1200
Weekends:
Single bed (in any pod) : RM60
Double Pod : RM100
Family Pod : RM150
Entire Venue : RM1500
RWMF 2014:
Single bed (in any pod) : RM110
Double Pod : RM180
Damai Central as the co-organizer lined up the activities for us to try out. At first I opted for jungle trekking - but considering the drizzle and that most of my fellow bloggers signed up for the bicycle ride, I jumped ship and joined them instead. I can't remember when was the last time I rode a bicycle, but it was so very worth it! A few runs up and down the hills, we arrived at Kampung Santubong, after visiting the tomb of Sultan Tengah, the first and last Sultan of Sarawak. That hour and a half, about 10 km ride in the drizzling rain made me forget about the troubles I was carrying and even though I was completely and utterly exhausted by the time I got back, I was completely refreshed! I managed to get some spheres too!
If you're planning ahead to attend the Rainforest World Music Festival 2014 this coming June, BB Bunkers is definitely a good choice. It is strategically located just opposite of the main entrance to Sarawak Cultural Village where the annual international music festival is held every year. Or if you're just looking for a simple night out with some outdoor activities, do book ahead. You'll find almost all your needs met - from 24 hours 7-Eleven convenience store just next door, Medan Food Court, Bayridge Seafood Restaurant, Escobar, Movie Night, to kayaking, bicycle ride, jungle trekking or a good visit to Sarawak Cultural Village! All-in-all, a great experience.
This has not been working out lately - both personally and professionally. I realized how my social life shrunk. I barely go out in groups anymore, preferring to stick to no more than 3 person (including myself) and all we do is just eat, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's not because I don't have the time or whatever, it just happened..
At work - as much as I enjoy it - my productivity decreased drastically. What used to take anywhere between a couple of hours to a couple of days, now took two weeks to complete.
The weekend getaway invitation could not have come at a better time. I felt stumped. I began to question myself, seemed like I was losing faith. The thing is, I don't know what triggered it. Furthermore, what is this 'faith' that I had seemed to lose? Passion for life? I still enjoy my life.. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place, but I can't seem to grasp the bigger picture.
Then I began to question everything I stood for. Faith, as it came to me, is what I believe I wanted to keep - for myself. It's probably the worse feeling ever - even worse than feeling depressed. When you feel depressed, you can identify what the cause - later and eventually if not soon. But to question yourself. To doubt yourself. Man, this feeling sucked balls!
Something triggered it. I cannot figure it out. Being true to myself, if I can't figure out something, I mull over it. Keep it in the background, but that dragged me down further. I tried shoving it aside - hoping one day the epiphany would kick in. The day is yet to come..
Maybe it boils down to the fact that I am an emotionally unstable and unpredictable guy - even to myself. What I do know now is that I need to up my game, put out all my best cards and play them right. I have the ability to shine - as long as I can get over myself.
Just like what they say - When you hit rock bottom, there's nowhere else left to go but up!
First of all, IF there are any spelling errors a.k.a typos, please forgive me. I'm a little tired from work - brain is basically so dead that even zombies would lose appetite! >.<
Last Sunday, after little dilly-dallying during lunch, me and my friends (a brother) included decided to go to the beach. The weather was just fine, a little windy but the sun was hiding behind the clouds.. PERFECT day to spend at the beach..
I can't remember when was the last time I went to the beach. To be honest, the drive turns me off. Yeah yeah, it's only half-an-hour or so according to some people... still, the road was bumpy... aaannnndddd.... if you happen to drive behind a slow driver, it can be a "dangerous" drive..
aaaaaaannnyyyywwaaaayysssss... we got there nonetheless.. and snapped a whole lot of pictures! This is my favourite!
Took it with Android SphereCam.. you can view the sphere here.
SphereCam may not work properly on mobile devices. I suggest you go to your desktop and enjoy some of the spheres I took there instead..
An almost 360 Panorama of D'Cove
A new attraction : Whale Bone!
Ice Cream Goyang in the making!
More spheres can be viewed here and here. These, however, are experimental and are epic fails!! hahaha!
Cheerss!! >.<
P/S : Sorry for the external links to the spheres.. I can't seem to be able to find out how to embed them into the post.. >.<
For a world class event, just one day is not enough. RWMF is held for 3 days every year, and with the 3 days come the 3 nights of evening concerts. With myself as a crowd junkie and making acquaintance with stranger as a hobby, this is exactly the place I belong.
Along with other festival goers, I took loads and loads of pictures and videos. By all means I'm no pro at photography. I point and shoot, even with a DSLR. However, I hope that some of these pics and videos are able to convey how exciting the festival really is. (Some of the photos are taken by more experienced and even professional photographers, kudos to y'all!)
The highlight performance of the second night concert for me was the performance by Dizu Plaatjies & The Ibuyambo Ensamble from South Africa and The Pine Leaf Boys for USA. I managed to get a couple of videos of their performance (I do apologize if they're a bit shaky and the bad angles). Standby for a massively long post and wall of pictures and videos!
___________________________________________________________________________________________ Dizu Plaatjies & The Ibuyambo Ensamble
The crowd on the second night was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!! The whole stage ground was filled, some more willing to shuffle all their way to the front of the stage while others sat and enjoyed the festival from afar. As I wondered around the Food Mart, almost every seat was taken. All in all it is safe to assume that the second day is the best day to come if you only plan to come to the festival for just a day!
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.
Kuchinglites will know this place - and most probably have been here too. A fairly new addition to Damai's cluster of resorts and hotels, Damai Central is very much welcomed especially to the temporary and permanent tenants of the resorts and hotels in the area, especially the 24 hours convenience store 7 Eleven.
After spending a couple of hours wandering various shopping malls in town, me and my friends was feeling a little hungry. At first, we planned to have lunch at CityOne, but upon arrival, parking was a b*tch (basement was closed for some reason. On a Labour Day! During lunch hour!)
Now I was happy with Secret Recipe, Ayamku, Sugarbun, KFC, McDonalds or even Pizza Hut whatever that is in town. My mates, however, had a different idea. All the way to Damai. I was planning to jog that evening. That went out of the window.
We ended up at Bayridge Fine Seafood. Yeah I've had my dose of Benadryl earlier, but by noon the effect would've worn off. We had plenty to eat tho. Too much for three person - that we all agreed on.
These are the dishes - Midin Belacan and Sweet n Sour Chicken. Quite nice actually. We also had Fish Lips and Oyster Soup (which I silently regret eating having to control myself from excessive nose and ear scratching). It is delicious, I just wish I still have some Benadryl around to save me.
And the main dish : a HUGE Talapia Curry.
I would recommend the place, but it isn't for everyone. If you're up for something different, dining on the seaside, do drop by for a visit.
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