Races in Sarawak : Iban

 

The Ibans comprise the largest percentage (almost 30%) of Sarawak's population. Iban is native to Sarawak and Sarawak has the highest number of Ibans in Borneo. Formerly reputed to be the most formidable headhunters on the island of Borneo, the Ibans of today are a generous, hospitable and placid people.
Because of their history as pirates and fishermen, Ibans were conventionally referred to as the "Sea Dayaks". The early Iban settlers migrated from Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo south of Sarawak, via the Kapuas River. They crossed over the Kelingkang range and set up home in the river valleys of Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, and the Rajang River.

 

The Ibans dwell in longhouses, stilted structures with a large number of rooms housing a whole community of families.

 



 

An Iban longhouse may still display head trophies or antu pala. These suspended heads mark tribal victories and were a source of honour. The Dayak Iban ceased practising headhunting in the 1930s.

 

The Ibans are renowned for their Pua Kumbu (traditional Iban weavings), silver craft, wooden carvings and bead work. Iban tattoos, which were originally symbols of bravery among Iban warriors, have become amongst the most distinctive in the world.

 

 

The Ibans are also famous for a sweet rice wine called tuak, which is served during big celebrations and festive occasions.

The large majority of Ibans practise Christianity. However, like most other ethnic groups in Sarawak, they still observe many of their traditional rituals and beliefs. Sarawak celebrates colourful festivals such as the Gawai Dayak (harvest festival), Gawai Kenyalang (hornbill, or the god of war festival), penuaian padi and Gawai Antu (festival of the dead).



Special food in Sarawak ( Sarawak Laksa )

Sarawak Laksa

 

 

Sarawak Laksa is unique in that it is a fusion between Penang Assam Laksa and the Curry Laksa. It is both tamarind based and coconut milk based.

It is not as greasy (“lemak”) as curry laksa and it is not as sourish as the Assam Laksa.

The Sarawak Laksa is essentially vermicelli rice noodles (bee hoon), cooked in a shrimp-based broth that is made to thicken with coconut milk.

This dish is served with generous amounts of crunchy bean sprouts, a few boiled prawns and garnished with shredded chicken and slivers of egg omelette.

For added spice, there's the thick sambal paste that is usually served on the side. you can squeeze some lime juice (limau kasturi) into your dish as well.”  

Special food in Sarawak ( Penganan )

Freshly penganan is drained of its oil.

 

 

Simply made from all ingredients found in the ulu the Iban mother can literally make the best kuih penganan in the world!

Today it is a popular street food all over Sarawak - in the capital Kuching and along the streets in Engkili and even in Kapit and in a kitchen deep in the jungle and up the river Rajang.

It is found every day in Miri and we have it for breakfast or afternoon tea. Originally this was made for spirit worshipping or Miring.

But today it is home cooked food. A comfort food which keeps the human soul happy and at peace with the world and fellow men. Its basic ingredient is freshly ground ( hand pounded I heard is best).

Gula apong added to it gives it a beautiful colour and fragrant aroma.



Special Event : Gawai Dayak Festival



Selamat Hari Gawai

 

Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated by Dayaks and West Kalimantan in Sarawak which is officially public holidays on 31 May and 1 June every year in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is both a religious and social occasion.
The word 'Gawai' means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective name for the native ethnic groups of Sarawak and neighboring Indonesian Kalimantan who are the Iban also known previously as Sea Dayak and the Bidayuh people also known as Land Dayak . Thus, 'Gawai Dayak' literally means "Dayak Festival".

The mode of celebration varies from place to place. Preparation starts early. In fact, after the longhouse agrees to hold a big festival, the Dayaks may need to plant paddy in farms adjacent to each other and to implement a labour-exchange program called "bedurok" which is meant to ensure getting enough paddy at the end of the year in readiness for the big feast.

Tuak ( Rice Wine) which is the traditional drink of Dayaks is brewed at least one month before the celebration obviously using the glutinous rice from the recent bountiful harvest mixed with home-made yeast for fermentation. The Ibans also make a stronger alcoholic drink called "langkau" which is equivalent to vodka whereby a fermented tuak is heated up with fire to vaporize the alcohol which is then cooled with water and collected in a container.

On the Gawai Eve, people will take sago, aping, sawit or coconut palm shoots which are mostly for making soup with meats and collect other vegetables like the wild miding fern, fiddlehead fern, bamboo shoots, tapioca leaves and Dayak round brinjals from nearby jungles, farms or gardens early in the morning.

The celebration starts on the evening of 31 May.
A ngajat dance contest may be held during this time at the ranyai tree of life. There are various types of ngajat traditional dance which are performed by ladies and gentlemen as mentioned above. The Iban male traditional dance is meant to show strength and bravery and may imitate the movements of a hornbill which is regarded as the king of worldly birds by the Iban Dayaks. The Iban female dance involves more graceful movements of their body, hands and feet.
The ngajat dance is accompanied by a traditional musical set which is made of an engkerumong set (percussion), tawak (big gong), bebendai (small gong) and bedup (drum). The Orang Ulu music is played using the sape. Nowadays, the traditional musics and native songs have been recorded so can be played easily.


On the first day of June, homes of the Dayaks are opened to visitors and guests. An open house organized by the Dayak association or non-government organisation is also held on that day or several days afterwards. It is time to showcase their traditional foods and drinks, cultural performances, ritual ceremonies and the Dayak hospitality in general.
Normally during gawai, ladies and gentlemen wear their traditional colourful costumes called "ngepan" in Iban especially for welcoming guests before changing to modern clothes. The traditional attire set of Iban gentlemen include a loincloth (sirat or cawat), animal skin protective coat (gagong), headgear with peacock and hornbill feathers (lelanjang), chains over the neck (marik), silver armlets and anklelets along with a shield, sword and spear.


The ending of Gawai Dayak takes place around one month from 1 June which is towards the end of June. The closing ceremony is signified by symbolically rolling back a mat by each family within the longhouse. It is popularly known as "Ngiling Bidai" among the Iban Dayaks.
After all the celebrations and festival are completed, the Dayak people return to their normal life while those who work in towns and elsewhere will go back to their jobs to continue life as usual until the next coming festive seasons.

 

Ngajat Dance

Special Event : Rainforest World Music Festival

Rainforest World Music Festival

Date/Time : 28th - 30th June 2013

Venue : Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching.

 

The Rainforest World Music Festival is a unique festival that brings together on the same stage renowned world musicians from all continents and indigenous musicians from the interiors of the mvthical island of Borneo.
Its formula of afternoon informative workshops, ethno-musical lectures, jamming sessions and mini concerts, followed by evening performances on the main stage has proven to be a hit with the audience, who come from near and far.
The festival site also sets up a variety of food and drink stalls, an arts and crafts area as week as a counter for festival memorabilia, Sarawak souvenirs and CDs by the performing artists, all this cintributing to a fun filled, wholesome festival xperience.
The Rainforest World Music Festival, a not-to-be-missed occasion, guarantees a smashing time in the heart of the Borneo Jungle!

Special Event :Kuching Festival 2013

The Council of the City of Kuching South in celebrating the 25^th Anniversary of Kuching as a City will be organizing the following activities during the month of August. The ever-popular Food Fair will continue to whet the apptites of both locals and holiday makers.
The Kuching Festival Programme also includes the Concert of Traditional Oriental Music by a local Chinese Music Orchestra and Folk Dance Display. In conjunction with the Kuching Festival. There will be different sports evenys prepared for the public to test their muscle and sinew. Apart from that, the Martial Arts Display Showcase the various arts and skills of Wushu, Taichi, Silat, Teakwondo, Silamban and Akido.

Matang Wildlife Centre

The Matang Wildlife Centre is about 35km from Kuching. Located in Kubah National Park, this large enclosed area of rainforest is home to endangered wildlife. There is a training programme here that teaches Orang Utans, who have been orphaned or rescued from captivity, how to survive in the wild. Visitors will be able to see lots of Orang Utans here, especially during feeding time. Besides these adorable primates, there are also Sun Bears, Sambar Deer, Civet cats as well as three large aviaries that house Sea Eagles, Hornbills and other birds in Sarawak.

Jungle trekking is also possible as there are four jungle trails here, the Pitcher Trail (takes about 2 hours), the Sungai Rayu Trail ( about 3 - 4 hours), the Sungai Senduk trail (about 1 hour) and Sungai Buluh trail (about 2 hours). Picnic spots, an information centre, accommodation facilities, a car park and a small canteen are available at the park HQ.

Cat Museum

The Cat Museum is located on the Ground Floor of the Kuching North City Hall Headquarters Building at the Bukit Siol, Jalan Semariang, Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak.It is owned by the Kuching North City Hall (DBKU). There are 2000 exhibits, artifacts, statues about cats from all over the world. According to Malaysian and Chinese beliefs, the cat is a lucky animal.

The museum covers an area of 1,035.9 square meters on top of the hill called 'Bukit Siol' which stands 60 meters above the sea level with beautiful sceneries overlooking the beautiful city of Kuching.

The responsibilities of the Cat Museum are to carry out research, collection, presentation, documentation, promotion, publication, education and awareness of historical heritage, cultures and the natural environment.

Sarawak Cultural Village

Known as the 'Living Museum', the Cultural Village was set up to preserve and showcase Sarawak's cultural heritage. Located at Pantai Damai, Santubong, just 32km from the state capital, Kuching, it is the perfect place to get introduced to local culture and lifestyle.

Sprawled across 17 acres, there are about 150 people living in the village, demonstrating traditional daily activities from Sarawak's diverse tribes like the processing of sago and the making of handicrafts. They wear traditional costumes and also put on dances for visitors.

The village residents provide information on their various traditional cultures and lifestyles. You can see replicas of buildings that represent every major ethnic group in Sarawak; longhouses of the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu, a Melanau tall-house and a Chinese farm house among others.

The village also has a theatre, where you can enjoy multicultural dance performances. Besides this, there is a restaurant and handicraft shop. You can even get married at the Sarawak Cultural Village, in traditional Iban, Malay, Bidayuh or Orang Ulu style.

The Iban longhouse has separate rooms placed side by side, all of which open to a long communal hall, used for leisurely activities like wood carving and basket weaving.

Guests are often invited to attend nightly ceremonies and drink a potent rice wine, tuak, which the Iban make themselves. Comfortable guesthouses are also available for visitors.

Gunung Mulu National Park

Mulu Caves National Park is home to one of the longest networks of caves in the world. Here lies the worlds largest underground chamber, the Sarawak Chamber, capable of accommodating forty Boeing 747 airplanes.

In Mulu, you will also find one of the worlds biggest cave passage, Deer Cave, which can fit five cathedrals the size of Saint Pauls in London. Another key attraction is Clear Water Cave, the longest cave in Southeast Asia. The massive caves here are home to millions of bats and cave swiftlets that swarm out into the jungle in great clouds every evening at dusk!

The outdoorsy type will be pleasantly surprised by some of the best examples of tropical limestone weathering in the world, including enormous razor-sharp pinnacles, deep-cut canyons, appropriately named The Pinnacles. There are tough but rewarding multi-day hikes available from the resort. A guide and porter are recommended.