Hiking in Long Banga, Sarawak

We are promoting our Hiking Activities in Long Banga. You have a choice of extreme or simple hike around the village.  Our promotions trip are as follows;

Long House

Long House always remind me of our old settlement where our long house build with huge craving pillar, big piece of wooden floor and cravings wooden walls.  Our play ground when we were toddler was running from the other end of varendah to the other end.  Later upgrade to the ground under the huge area below the long house. Under the shade and just nice for us to play around. Our parent just monitor us from the house, that was very unique.

When come to teenage age then we started spend our time playing at the riverside, we do all kind of things. Search for wild ferns, fresh river snails and etc... we can spend all day in the clear crystal stone river. We also move around the jungle nearby to search for fruits during the fruits season. Life was just relax without worry, no pressure and move on day by day doing   same thing.

My playground was on the riverbank, playing with the sands and cook whatever my catch for the day. Otherwise I will be in the jungle built small hut just for fun!

Later after we move to new place around 1980, things start to change. We hardly see the young child hanging around the riverbank anymore. Hardly heard the teenage go in the jungle playing and spend all day around their hut anymore. The development change everything.

My parents used to be a great hunter. My adopted and biological dad have more than twenty hunting dogs at their young age. They go hunting and bring all kind of wild animals end of the day. Whatever they catch, we will share it with our neighbour. I remember my parents told me that it is no manner to let people hear you are chopping your catch without distribute a little to them. If happen they meet up with someone along their way home after hunting, they will stop and give them a little piece of the meat for FREE!  

But today, Long House to me is no longer a long house that I used to live. My parents now have to buy meat even from my neighbour if they happen to go for hunting. At their old age, they have to survive with money. Their sweas earned those days were totally forgotten by the peoples. Even the fruits at our backyard which we used to share with all the long house peoples now only can be plug when we pay for it.

Old days, we always hang around the varendah chatting with each other, but now almost all keep themselves lock in the room. I missed the old long house athmosphere, I missed those friendly elderly people. We were so poor then, but people were so united and closed to each other. Now, you wont see this anymore. 

I am preparing my mindset before heading home for Christmas, told myself not to expect much except enjoying spending time with my family and close relatives. Thanks so much to my Lord Jesus for getting through all these wonderful experiences. 

Mararian Leppo' Ke: Music: Lutung (A Zither)

Missing my mom... cant wait for her to be here and play this Lutung again.

Mararian Leppo' Ke: Music: Lutung (A Zither)

Exotic and Freaking Foods

Recently we went Cameron Highlands for weekend break. Good to see the green scenery and blue mountains around. It makes me feel very much at home, not to mention my room location that night. It was right at the hill slope, facing a thick jungle that make me feel like I am spending night right in the middle of jungle.

Next day we visited most of the farms and stop for vegetables and fruits along the way. God that place really make me missed home so much. The looks of the farmers, the smell of the green jungles remind me of my village.

On our way down, we stop by the water crest farm for lunch. There our story starts when I told my colleagues about water crest. At home water crest consider unwanted grass. They grow wildly fresh and green everywhere. One of my duty during school holidays was clearing and throw all the fat water crest that grow around our drains. But here people are selling and making so much money out of it.

Then my colleague Kelvin challenge me on what are the most disgusting foods I ever eat as a native. Start to name the animals and insects one by one among those were snake, frog, grasshoppers, pupa, sago worms, scorpions and many more. After mentioned most of it our score was equally the same. I am representing the natives and he is representing the Chinese be it in Malaysia or China whatever we have eaten the Chinese do eat those foods as well. Later I mentioned that my father is a great hunter. Sometimes he caught the heavy pregnant wild boar. I do remember he took the baby from the wild boar stomach, stuff them into bamboo and cook! Taste was very nice. Kelvin and my friend Wai Wan was shocked and said…wow ! Think you have won! But later Kelvin said, Chinese do eat baby mice too. His grandpa used to drown alive baby mice in alcohol then swallow it. He describe it as the mice go through his throat, he can feel the clogged movement!! Then I said think you won!!!

Now when try to compare what we have shared, think we are equally the same. I told my girl that we stay mostly at the farm hut when I was in primary school. In the evening, my father will go around the river and catch one or two frog. That will be my meal for next day. Then her eyes go rolls and said, wow mom you are superb! Then I laughs... deep inside my heart, said I have eaten many terrible things compare to that frog little girl...

I'll be back soon!

Its been a while that I have not update my blog. Been real busy with study, work and family lately. Hope will fix some time to sit and start writing again on here very soon.


So much to share, so much need to be publish ... See you all soon!

The Sambe'

The Lutung and Sambe players My Uncle always the main (first) players

Sambe' is a type of lute with at least three strings, but it may up to four or five strings depending on its origins. Kayan called it Sape'. Before plastic and metal strings appeared, fibres from the iman tree (Arenga pinnata, sugar palm) were used as strings for the sambe'. Today, steel wire or guitar string is preferred. It has a soft but piercing sound. The first string or wire is used to play the melody. To set the notes, small pieces of rattan called nden are placed under the strings, and glued to the body of the sambe'. Those days they used Pulut Odep (a kind of resin).

The sambe' is played by plucking like a guitar with the lefthand presses the strings in accordance with the notes of the song, the right hand plucks the strings.

Two or more people may play the sambe', at the same time. The first one plays the melody, the second the accompaniment. The third and other players play variations of the melody and of the accompaniment to embellish the presentation of the song. The sambe' can be tuned in different ways depending on whether it is to be played alone or to accompany dancing or singing. It can also be tuned to either the pentotanic or diatonic scale.

Why Built A Church and What is Next?

Many asked why we built a Church when we actually already have one. Here are the reason why our people work so hard to built a new church closer to our long house.

Long Banga divided into two villages. One group are for the Saban and another are Kenyah Leppo' Ke. My biological parents live with the Sabans because my mother is Saban. Our old church is located at this village which is fifteen minutes walking distance from the Kenyah long house.

The ideas of having own church was from the elder group. They found it far for them to walk down to attend service. Not to mentioned when it is raining or attending evening service. Thanks God that we currently have a group of middle age man who support the ideas and willing to sacrifice their energy and time work together to built this Church. The Kenyah Leppo' Ke are well known as hardworking and humbles, I can see this in each and everyone of them throughout the activity in building this Church. Not to forget all the contributions from the women who work as hard as their men doing anything to raise funds for the Church.

We hope this church will encourage, guide and lead our people into growing and active relationship with Jesus Christ, in which they can benefit and serve their family, church and community for the sake of the Great Commission.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: To Him be the glory, bother now and to the day of the eternity. Amen