Kamek pergi umah panjai udah pulai bise ada rasa kasih...

Well sorry for the very late update. Last week was hectic... actually this week was
equally hectic, and i couldve made it less hectic by doing work at home during the two days break in the middle of the week. however, i just decided to be a couch and laze at home while i finish what i would say, THE first anime i've ever finished... Law of Ueki.

but that's not THE point of this post.

The past weekend I've been swamped with work, and reading through Edgar Allan Poe's collection of stories and poem. the poem... no shit... i'm struggling through online dictionaries trying to figure what in rat's ass is Edgar Allan Poe trying to describe in his frigginly confusing poem. but however... the Raven.. yes.. i must compliment. that's disturbing, dark, and kick ass.

but anyhoo... here's the main story of the post....

The past weekend I had to do a site-visit to a rumah panjang (longhouse) location for a program that i'm somewhat chairing/secretary-ing. I was actually very excited to go the whole week. wondering of the surprises, and the what-ifs and what i could actually gain as an individual for my trip.

You've always wondered how the local ibans lived their lives. These tribes deep in the borneo forest used to be head hunters, with so many taboos and strict rules or what we malaysians call pantang larangs to follow when you enter their community.

These people were a very feared tribe back then and famous for hanging the heads of their victims at doorsteps and even the heads of their elders whom they say guards their umah panjai or long house in iban.

but from the stories and tv shows ive heard and seen, the current ibans are actually very friendly, but still with numerous pantang larangs and taboos. So... i was curious, excited, nervous... you name it.

The travel started at 5am in the morning. I did very light packing and didnt even wear shoes as i thought to myself, i'll be going through rivers most of the time, and plus its just for one night. sometimes i wonder why in the world do people pack like one whole backpack of stuff for camping or for a one night stay!! sheessh. might as well bring your whole bungalow so you dont have to pee in the bushes and sleep on the nice comfy bed instead of the rocks. DUDE... its called survival!! sheeeesh.

okay okay... so anyway, the travel was seriously tiringly boringly loooooooong. i mean the travel from the my home to the river bank. the view was blaarggh.. except when i was passing THE LONGEST RIVER in MALAYSIA!!! Sg Rejang baby!! i wonder if that's where they say Bujang Senang Lives though. wonder wonder wonder. well it was boring because i think i was traveling on a road that was probably designed by engineers who graduated from a back alley in petaling street. arrgh. it was bumpy, which made the road much much more difficult to go through. throughout the way i didnt have any network on my cell most of the time hence i decided to just turned it off.

so yes... 5am... i reached the river bank... at 12.30 noon. count that. COUNT THAT. if i took a morning flight to KK, i'm already there. if i took a flight to Korea from KL, i'm already there!! and that wasnt even the longhouse that i was suppose to visit! crazy huh?

It was just that journey, after that, what i experienced... was something no one can take away....

We parked at a small grocery store, and we were greeted by Apai... Pengguang's father, my colleague's father and also the leader of this trip. First thing was when i saw this little old man, he was smiling, and all i see on his face was cheers and happy seeing his son whom which, he very rarely see. the next thing i noticed was the kickass cool tattoos on Apai's neck. no shit. i would sooo love that tat's on the neck. from what i've heard, the tattoo on the neck means that the person has killed before. so... i wanted to reconfirm... but.. damn i was scared. seriously... if that was true... awesome but probably scary as well because they might think "hey... what, does he think Ibans are ravenous people??"... but if it was not true... i was afraid i would offend them, and they'd jump me, and leave me in the middle of the jungles. so... i just shut up. hahaha.

So Apai was accompanied by Aya', Apai's brother. Well basically when i saw them... they're very quiet, jolly happy people. and damn fit as well. So at the pickup point by Apai, communication in Iban started. Okay, so it was like this, there's three people in this expedition, me, Pengguang, and a PR official from my company. They both speak Iban... so which leaves me... a Malay-Sabahan stepping into a totally not much malay speaking community. When they communicated, i had no idea what they were talking about. but i realized, the longer i sat down with them, the more i understood what they were actually talking about. well i dont know 100% what they're talking about, but i roughly understand the gist of the topic. because the language, from what i was told, research that was done is that the iban language is actually resembling the malay language to almost 70%!!


Apai...

But although i was clueless... i was actually smiling the whole way coz i thought the language was actually very beautiful, mysterious, and it was a totally new experience.

Around 130pm, we boarded the longboat. it was another long trip. took us about 4 hours to finally reach the Nanga Uyau... which is the name of the long house we were going to reside in. the trip was on the boat most of the time, and we did only very short stops for berkemeh (or pee in iban). along the way, it was quiet most of the time going upstream on the river except for the sound of the boat engine passing through. during that ride, i took pictures, contemplated about life, it was seriously so peaceful, and the view was totally breathtaking. eventually once in a while Apai would have to use the long sticks to pull the boat and maneuver the boat with his seasoned hands. Most of the times, i look at Apai who's sitting in front of me, and sitting at the bow of the boat and staring at the horizon of the river giving signs to Aya' to steer the boat.


on the longboat with Apai....


fit strong seasoned old iban....



the deep jungles of borneo... by the riverfront....

As i looked at Apai, I wondered what's going on in his mind during the whole ride. He rarely sees he's kids, been living alone without his wife for almost a decade, and basically doing all the chores for his community and his periuk nasi. I wonder what kinda of memories he has on that river he grew up on 75 years of his life on this river. With having to cope with the growth of technology, his kids moving away being adults leaving the traditional life of the umah panjai, leaving his beliefs on the gods he used to worship and going into Christianity. I wonder... i wonder what goes through this seasoned lonely fellow, and what's in his past.


Rest Area....


wondering what's going on in an old iban's mind.....

Suddenly towards the end of the ride, it was raining... but i didnt have a care in the world. in fact, i was smiling, and looking to the sky, and thanking Allah for blessing me with such experience. the jungles falling in the rain, soothes my soul, and made me think more. Also, if i hadnt mention, the river is actually shallow, and they prefer the rain since the river level increases and makes it easier to go upstream fighting the rocks.


on the river before the rain....


during the rain....

Also, along the way we passed through other long houses, and it seemed to be that the community, they may stay in different long houses, but most of them actually know each other, and the bond between them you could really feel and see. which makes me wonder what's the bond like IN the actual long house. i was psyched to reach the place.




Other rumah panjai along the way

Finally, after 4 hours, i arrived Nanga Uyau. The rain got heavier, but i didnt mind. Suddenly Penguang mentioned that, in the ibans believe that rain when a visitor comes in is actually a good sign. Since it's cooling and it helps with the flowing of the river. that was something new i thought. immediately 5 seconds after Penguang took a leak before we started walking into the grounds of Nanga Uyau, i was packing up and suddenly he mentioned after answering nature's call that everytime you in the jungle, you have to spit. its like paying respects to the spirits and the gods that looks after the forest. so another new thing, like how some malay culture mintak izin when they pee in the jungle as well.

So i walked into the area of the long house. I saw some old longhouses but Penguang told me in advance that the old wooden longhouses were just for storage these days. they live in partly cemented longhouses but they still maintained the heritage of the culture. the place was quiet, i saw some pet dogs going around, and some kids playing outside. the wooden houses look pretty unstable, but it was still a nice view though.



Nanga Uyau....

So i followed Penguang while looking around like some god knows tourist holding on to his camera like a dork. I walked into the longhouse, and the feeling i got could only be summed up in this one word... warm. i smiled the whole way through, and these nice old ladies were saying something i hardly understand. the only thing i could figure out was that she was saying kasii kasii... which means 'kesian' or poor u since i was kinda wet in the rain. i saw one whole big corridor. i know there's an iban name for it... but i totally forgot. basically the residents of the longhouse would open up wooden strawed mats, and sit down together, relax, doing some of their chores like fixing fishing nets, knitting mats and what nots. they also sit down together, relaxing and basically just chill.

What i saw was actually very sad to me. most of them whom i saw were elders. I asked Penguang and he said most of the new generations have moved away to the main cities like KL, Miri, Kuching, and he's actually the closest one in Bintulu. and what's amazing is that most of the new generations are now Engineers. Chemical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, you name it. You can tell how they miss their kids so much. they hang their pictures of their graduation proudly, and talk about their kids with their heads high. the thing that really got me was that how the new generations can only afford to visit them once a year during Gawaii Holiday. but now, as responsibilities grow, some of them see their loved ones once in 3-5 years. but nevertheless... they still smiled. it makes me wonder how would my parents look like when we all are really grown up with our own families and have each other in the house most of the time.



the elders of Nanga Uyau... passing time....

Penguang told me he last came to the long house three years ago, but his dad still frequently visits him. i dont know what to say. and admired Apai's strength... and i'm talking about his spiritual strength only. to be able to live in that age, alone, doing his chores, and see his kids very rarely... and STILL carry out everything with a smile... sigh. There's so much in this world people worry about, their spoilt relationships, how much money they make, but the community were very carefree, and lived their life peacefully regardless the hardships they have to go through every single day. no shit, after coming back from the long house, i called up my parents coz going there actually made me realize how much i miss them and how much i love them. yeah yeah... sure sure... call me a sap. up youuuurs. hehe.

when i placed my bags and sat down, the men finally came, and suddenly i was greeted by this very old man named Jama, and with kick ass tattoos all over. suddenly what came out of his mouth completely astounded me. he was speaking sabahan. turns out, he told me that he has been living in Sabah for 31 years in Tawau. he almost didnt want to come back ever. i never realized that there was actually a big iban community there. i was told that most of the ibans there are muslim unlike them. Jama amazingly was 93 years old. he could still walk, and the only thing that was difficult for him was his hearing and his eyesight. other than that... he was a pretty cool 93 year old Iban.



Jama and I while he walks down his memory lane of being in Tawau....

Most of the time i was just looking at these people talking to each other, yes i was lost in translation, having Penguang to translate for me most of the time, but it didnt matter. they were actually very nice people indeed. One of the ladies said to me that they dont care what color, what religion, what race i am, they welcome guests and actually enjoy their visit. i didnt know what to say... despite all the differences people all over the world NEVER get... this small place, in this remote area... it was not an issue. in the deep forests of borneo. how bout that? they were also worried how are they going to feed me since the plates and all were used for some unhalal cookings as well. i just smiled and said i'm cool with it. this time, the darurat and EQ intelligence had to be applied. i didnt know what to say. i was just really taken into the community like a family.

later i walked around the place with kids following me all around, and there was actually a very nice school set up. it seems that about roughly 40 kids stay there in the school since the school was very hard to access by most people and they could not afford to travel most of the time. as i walked around in the evening, the day was getting dark, and i saw some mists coming down. it was cooling. and i thought to myself... these kids must really have something to share when its their turn to become the engineers of their time. they sleep on the floor of a very small room, with only thin beds to lay them to sleep, and probably coming up with kiddie gossips at nite. some kids today in the cities are so spoilt and exposed to growing to become pretentious people, sitting at starbucks, with their laptop, and not even doing ANYTHING. just for the sake of showing off. mangkuk hayun sungguh. and some of them are just so stuckup, celebrating their bdays like 'my super sweet 16' in MTV, which, btw, i dont watch, and i hate it so much. its a show to make people want to be something they're not. that's not what you want to see being instilled in your child. and they probably grow up into stuckups. i hope i get to change this someday... someday.


The current generation....

later at nite around 7pm, the generator was then turned on. so basically they live their lives with minimal electricity coming from the generators for only 5 hours a day. then i started to think again... u know, i certainly dont mind not having internet, electricity, tv, phone when its not in any access at all. in fact, i felt like it was a complete holiday away from all those technology drugs a tv and internet geek like me is totally exposed to.

that nite, i was sitting down, having dinner and was smiling most of the time. almost everyone had their own tattoos and some of it has a special type like a flower-looking on their shoulders and chest, and on their calves, a fish hook. then i noticed some of the ladies had the word "Tawau" written on their forearm. i initially thought it was an Iban word, but it turns out, due to the high population of ibans in tawau, they heard so much about tawau, that they love tawau so much, and some of them have never even been there.

the food i was served to, well im gonna be honest, the fish wasnt that good, the Manok or chicken was okay, but THE best has to be the upa lalis and upa pantoh (upah meaning chute, or pucuk). lalis and pantoh is how it means, and it's found only deep in the jungles. the ones that are sold in town costs so much, like 5 sticks for RM5. there... you could get RM10 for so much. the only thing that made me a wee bit uncomfortable was something dark greenish by my dish, when i asked, i was told it's called Kasam... then i asked again what was it... and they mentioned it was actually pork. hahah.


Irfan's No Reservations....

the nite of mingling ended quite late at nite almost 12. i was practically falling asleep discussing what could they do if i brought my program there, like cultural shows and all. seriously, negotiating with the ibans isnt easy. sometimes i think they demand a lot though. makes me wonder this is probably what a life of a politician is like. people asking for this and that. sometimes they dont even realize that we come into the community to visit and give services to them for free, and yet they ask for more. weird. but anyhoo... they probably just needed the attention, and concerned about the well beings of the kids they have and their future. after the mingling, i went to my bed that was nicely ready on the the floor in one of the aunt's long houses, and seriously, she was so friendly. kept asking me if i'm okay and all, and i kept saying im so cool with it but she kept asking again. i think old people are just very adorable.

the next morning i woke up and it was actually nice and cold. eventhough i had no fans and all, i was actually trying to cover myself up in the blanket. i was even told that i was snoring all the way. haha. which just shows how tiring my night really was. I woke in the morning, washed my face, and went out. took pictures, and went down to the river where i was greeted by a cool small old man... again with awesome tats. I dont know his name, but like Michael Arugren in Last Samurai, i'd call him Bob. so initially it was hard the nite before for me to understand iban. but as i stayed longer, i guess i could actually understand the language roughly in one week because it was really not that hard. but anyway, bob told me the river was yellow, and i looked and it was. kinda sad. he told me that due to the illegal logging way deep in the forest upstream, their rivers turn yellow everytime after it rains.

Why cant they get it? why dont the officials take care of this? there are people living on this river, depending on it. it's their life. and all they could do is just watch how some inconsiderate bastard just totally pollute and destroy the aesthetic value of their river. hmmm.



mat and bag for their daily use....

However, i forgot to mention, that the rumah panjai got their water supply from deep in the virgin jungles. the water was completely crystal clear, and you could just drink it like that. amazing huh?

well then in the morning we were given a big breakfast again mostly from leftovers the night before. being me, i dont really eat rice a lot, but one of the ladies thought i'd starve and just place like a whole big pile of rice on my plate. i really didnt want to impose and tried my best to finish the meal. but everytime im almost done with my food, she'd put more rice on it even when i say no. then i know i had to keep on eating... and i was literally about to explode. then suddenly I was told that actually, if you eat to the point i cant finish my rice, it is a good sign for them that they've fed their guests very well indeed. i was completely happy i was taken into their home and was treated only with generosity, smiles, and care.


showing my appreciation....

finally, i had to leave the house, but not after i took one picture with the whole community. i was actually reluctant to leave but sigh... i think i managed to learn a lot within just two days and one night of traveling. i bet if i stayed longer, there's more i could do like reflect more on my life, how to improve it, and at the same time understand this misunderstood and unknown tribe and culture deep within the jungles of Sarawak.

After saying my goodbyes, we got on the Toyota Hilux (owned by the Tuai rumah of Nanga Uyau), and was ready to go. the Tuai offered me to sit in front with him, but i told him i wanna seat down at the storage in the back with the other locals who were hitching a ride. basically we went back home using a timber road that was created by the loggers way deep in the jungles. initially i thought that Indonesians came into Malaysia and tried to steal our trees. but then befor i left, i was actually told that it's US malaysians that go to Kalimantan and steal all the treaties. the ride was really uncomfortable, hot, and literally asshurting. BUT i didnt care. it was an experience, and going uphill and downhill with a group of people at the back. the view was breahtaking, and the trip was just a bliss. the whole trip took roughly 2 hours to reach where we left our car before we boarded the boat.


Till i see you again in June again....


My little Iban lady with the community's main plantation... black pepper....




logging road at the end while i look like an immigrant....


Tuak... an Iban version of Sake sket kot. smells like tapai. some iban culture, from what i've heard, is that, once a child is born, they'll start fermenting one set of Tuak in for the kid. once the child is an adult and about to marry, the parents would the give the fermented Tuak they made when the kids were born as a celebration. They actually gave one to me. the one in the white bottle has been fermented for almost for 4 years. the longer its fermented, the clearer it'll be.


Finally, we got into our vehicle... and made the journey home.

I was thinking, yes, anyone in the world can brag they've been to Prague, they've been to Scotland, Paris and all that blaass. but not a lot of people visited a long house and bringing a service plan to improve their living. Judging from what i saw there in Ng Uyau, i know for a fact that, one day, the traditional longhouse and their bonds between their family will wilt away creating what most of what we have now in the modern world. selfish individuals, pretentious generations, and especially the generations who arent even close to their own families and seem to forget where they come from and only manage to drown into all the materialistic shit the world has to offer without even looking to the otherside of the world where people are suffering and having difficult times, and yet they still manage to smile and enjoy their lives as simple as they can.

yes... i think, almost in 10 years time, there would not be a lot of longhouses, which leaves the Rumah Panjai tradition gone like the winds and become only myths or history written in our children's text book. I was actually really proud to have travelled there. if people wanna make fun of the orang asli or ibans, id definitely say something like 'well at least they're not bloody ignorant and pretentious unlike others!!!'. If they wanna say i look like an orang asli... honestly i dont even mind, coz i think... they're much better people than most people we meet in our lives.....

sigh... i cant wait to go again soon. Bise ada asa suka pergi nun umah panjai....