My Semai X'mas 2007

(22nd - 25th Dec 2007).

I decided to spend Christmas 2007 the same way i spent it in 2006, with the indigenous people of Ulu Geroh. So rather than pudding and honey cured ham, i had lemang and wild boar instead. Rather than hobnobbing and sipping wine with executives, i trekked, got beaten at batu lima and made rainbows with the Semai kids instead. it was a wonderful Christmas.

my posse .....

(photo courtesy of rezzi, 9 yrs old).

and partners in crime..... the Semai kids of Ulu Geroh.

never underestimate the strength of a Semai lady ....

after a rain, the rivers swell and gets pretty murky but a day after, the water becomes crystal clear and perfect for a swim n' soak.

the Rainbow Makers of Ulu Geroh .....

catching fish with their bare hands. the kids feel around rocks and boulders in the river and pull out fish....just like that. they let them go after that, of course.

this little fella didn't notice me shooting his kung-fu antics. looked like he was trying to impress the other kids .....

...until bath time. then little 'bruce lee' went AWOL and escaped.

i love the evening time in the village .....

whether it be joining the kids for a game of 'tin' .....

football .....

playing batu lima (five stones). got my behind whooped real bad again by Deyren, the best batu lima player in the whole of Ulu Geroh.

here she is, doing her happy dance and singing, 'saya menang! saya menang!' (i win! i win!) all the way home. (i'll get her next time).

playing hopscotch .....

..... or just plain making sand castles. these kids always make my trip.

there's a strong smell of burning wood in the village just as dawn breaks. there's smoke rising from outside almost every home in the village. this could only mean one thing ..... lemang!

Long Baru fills bamboo with glutinous rice and coconut milk to make mouth-watering lemang.....

..... while her daughter fills hers with 'gula kabung' to make the sweeter variety.

the bamboo is then lined up next to a fire and tended to for a very long time until it's cooked. i absoultely love the lemang here, just can't get enough of it.

one morning, i quietly told a small group of locals that a 'burung besar' (big bird) was going to land on their field. word spread like wild fire and before you know it, villagers from all over were making a bee line for the field .....

within minutes, the football field was swarmed by the locals to see the 'big bird' come in .....

the 'burung besar' makes it's appearance right on time ....

the 'burung besar' were non other than my buddies, Divemuster and KJ who flew in his chopper for a day trip to see the rafflesia. The locals presented them with a bag of mushrooms and a durian. it really made their day.

lady: 'ooi, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the fried fish i left on the table, would you?'.

kitty kat: 'fish? ...... what fish?'.

till we meet again .....

about 160 km off-roading from the town of Lawas, Sarawak and .....

(photo courtesy of Ooi Chooi Seng)

around 2900 ft above sea level, i found paradise .....

..... they call it Ba'kelalan.

Long Sukang. one of the villages passed on route to Ba'kelalan. it was a sunday morning, i could hear hymns echo from the hills and mountains. truly amazing.

it's my hope that these images will take you there one day ....

the famous Ba'kelalan paddy ....