Kuching is a City with a population of 600,000-700,000 inhabitants. A city which many see as a quiet, peaceful, and clean place. Its green with the silver Sarawak River running midway and dividing the City into North and South region has charmed many into falling in love with this growing Metro for probably its: splendid 'Jade of the Orient', outlook. But many times, I used to wonder, is this calmness doesn't come with lots of boredness? A two days stay in Kuching is fine, but what about a longer stay, unless you love to dash into the tropical and country side wilderness, then you will be great, but say, just more than three days, stay, your mind would began to wonder, where to go? Then again, what do locals enjoy? I begin to hypothesize that 'Kuching easy, slow, and limited lives' had cause the upcoming of the over weight issue among her citizen especailly among the youngs, which one day not only this will affect our health spending but as well greatly impacted into our citizen personal mobility!
(2) I'm hoping to contribute a bit on the 'soul' development for Kuching. I'm not really interested to give the best to the tourists, but by making the local having 'a strong sense of pride of a place' would make Kuching a healthy place to stay, work and enlightment to her populance. I hope, with some fabrics, colors, sounds, movements: generated through multitude creativities, I hope one day would really make Kuching as the 'Jade of the Orient'. (I love seeing a nice 'Jade Ring or Necklace' locked on one finger or neck, and I would love to feel Kuching is just as such 'cool green aspirant'). I hope, and let make it to that status.
(3) My this two days trip to the South-West of Borneo has such 'small searching' in mind. Four of us, took the challenge of the land wilderness as our way of the discovery.
(4)We: myself, Wan Husein as our key networking guy and pilot, Busrah ('sleeping companion' almost all thru') and Saiful (a KPSU officer) left Kuching at about 0730 hours. We headed straight to Serian, then have our breakfast, with nice Nasi Lemak and Mee Rojak. Then we moved on to Tebedu. Driving along the Highway cutting across this rugged country side, at such early hours was very pleasing indeed. The green-fresh country air, the sky is a bit cloudy with breezing (in fact all through the eight hours journey) made me missing wandering in the Rocky Mountain High wilderness. The Bidayuh Villages, sparsely cultivated land with paddy, rubber, oil palm, fruits and those thick jungle covering the beautiful limestone hills make the scene became very awesome. All these scenes remind me, as well, of the beautiful limestone country side of Kanchanaburi Province in North-West Thailand. We have our full tank gas refill at Petronas in Tebedu.
(4) Passing through the Tebedu Malaysian Immigration was smooth and fast. I would like to record my high regard to our system to make Mal-Indo Cross Border movement that efficient and effective. I do hope every related responsible agencies keep up their good work and accountable disciplines. In contrast, though a bit 'friendly', it took about 45 minutes to handle the documentation for the car entrance on the Indonesian side. While waiting for my friends to settle all those documentation, I noticed bus load after bus load of Indonesian workers and citizen are crossing into and out of Malaysian borders. All these is a reflection of Indonesian strong association to Malaysia for her citizens employments and services (live).
(5) In fact, all these interdependence of normal citizen lives between Malaysia and Indonesia, make me think, why was those silly case such as the Pendet being used by International (not Malaysian) TV Channel to reflect Malaysia as a Truly Asia showcase, made 'sort of the two nations' wanting to crush each others. I can't imagine, my grand mon who used to make the tempey, sambel ulek, keluban, grontol, etc of which are (were) the typical Javanese food being accused as 'maling: a thief' to the Javanese culture, despite she is a Javanese, but had been a Malaysian and continue to practice her Javanese liking. I do hope, both Malaysian and Indonesian, should have greater sosio-cultural assimilation understanding between us. I do hope, we shouldn't be blinded by those who love to play with fire, due to their own reason, sort of making us enemy (though we are just of the same blood stock). Just imagine if Pendet become so critical to some small quarters in Indonesia, what about all those Lion Dance (Chinese), Mak Yong (Siamese), Ghazal and Zapin (Arab), Tamil, Punjabi, Hindi, and even lots of western dances and all sorts that Malaysian (whom originally they were not citizen) had assimilated into our multi-racial cultures and values. I wonder, how would we Malaysian one day have to face the possible same reaction if the people of China, India, Portuguese, British, USA, all sorts start to take Malaysia the same way as some quarters in Indonesia had seen us with the Pendet case?
(5) My wonder carried me through this Entikong to the Sangau-Pontianak Junction, which is about 60 km away, it took us almost two hours for the slow drive on the winding and narrow road. Along the way, I could see much of the long time ago shifting cultivation areas had been planted with oil palm under the Plasma Concept. The local economy seem to pick up accordingly. The management of these Estates seem not as good to what we have back home, where from the size of the trunks, the vigor of the leaves, and fruits bunches count, I would say, despite the weeding is being properly done, the fertilizing requirement had not been well attended. I figured out, probably there might be a serious shortage of fertilizer supplies here deep in the heart of Borneo. And this remind me of the prospect for the restart of our Fertilizer Plant in Bintulu.
(6) We have nice Kopi Tubruk at Sangau-Pontianak Junction. The situation along this stretch of road had improved very much as compared to my earlier visit in the 1980s and 1990s. More people had resided along the road. Despite being narrow and winding, the road has lesser pod holes. We could only speed between 50-80Km/hr. Luckily Unggu (Indonesian Pop Group) and some Indian Instrumental Music accompanied us along the way: with Busrah and Saiful have their nice 'Hindi nap' and me once a while need to 'wake' to accompany our 'cool pilot'.
(7) In many occasion we passed lots of local buses and lorries flying along the way. Interesting to observe that most of the time these local buses were over loaded with passengers up to the roof top. Despite the rain and shine, those passengers seem to enjoy their 'dangerous' open air 'naturally air-con' ride. Instances, others loads such as furniture and all sort of agriculture products were piled up on the buses, making them look like lope-sided and would turn over as they took the sharp curves. Amazingly, I saw no vehicular mishave all through the way, both going and return on the whole 800 km journey.
(8) Ngabang was the next town we met half way through. This is the Head Office for the Bupati Nagabang-Landak. Nice Iban motive administrative building is currently being develop here. At least under the current Governor leadership (a local Kalimantan), a lot of developments are currently being initiated here.
(9) On the way to Sungai Pinyu, we stop to have nice native durians. Durian stalls are mushrooming along the road. We took three pieces small one which cost us about RM1.20/each. The taste was really nice and I could still felt the great aroma of the flesh even after my dinner. At this roadside stall, I learnt a fruit name Bintawa, of which is just like buah Tarap, but with much reddish fruitlets. Probably, this is how Bintawa, a village to the river mouth of Kuching, got it name. I bought one unique Copper Weighting Machine from the stall operator, which I intend to place at my small shop in my kampung: at least a small memory of the past for my people back home.
(10) At Sungai Pinyu, we stop to have turtle eggs, each sale at RM2.00. It seem the strict enforcement by the local authority had reduced the supplies of these eggs into the market. I wonder, the chemistry of these turtle eggs, doesn't matter how long you boil it, the albumin will never harden: our food tech people probably should study the other application of this chemistry!
(11) We reached Pontianak at about 1800 hrs Malaysian time and 1700 hrs WIB. We checked into a nice Mecure Hotel at Jln Jeneral Ahmad Yani. By 2000 hrs local time we went over to have dinner at Sari Bundo Restaurant, Jln Tunku Omar. I love the roasted Kampung Fowl and the Green Chilly Sambal. After dinner we have good local black coffee.
(12) Thereon, we headed to a friend name Pak Karim's place. Pak Karim is a Yamani-Pontianak Malay hybrid. A short, jovial guy, and look like Yaser Arafat. He has a group of musicians whom are good at Ghazal, Zappin and Dangdut. We went to his place to listen to all those beautiful traditional Arab-Malay hybrid musics and dances. To add 'sound and movement' to our Kuching life, I'm intending to bring him over to Kuching soon.
(13) We later retreat and have a good rest by 22.00 hour local time and I have breakfast appointment with Pak Karim next day on my plan to bring his team to perform in Kuching soon. I hope with their presence, that would inspire our local to pick up all those Gendang, Zapin, Ghazal, Gamelan in a much commercial way: at least as a 'different'from the rock, blues, jazz, regge,etc that we used to have.
(14) The sun rise at about 0600 Malaysia times here. By 0600 of the local time, the sun seem have been 'very angry' why most local who are still nice asleep! This morning (15/11) I started my beautiful day with the improvement of this articles that I worked on late last night. Facing the window, at a near distance, the Matahari Mall stood giganticly before me. I would dash there later to look at the Gramidia, the Indonesian large bookstore outlets.
(15) After the nice breakfast with the Betawi Soto, we drove to the airport to see some physical development that had taken place along the road to the Bendara. Huge new public buildings and some lining of shopping places had been constructed along this previously paddy planting area. Then we drop to Pak Karim Batik shop and bought some nice Kain Pelikat and nice thin white cotton shirt for the pray.
(16) Then we stroled to some hardwareshops nearby and bought one probably Dutch sword dated back to the 1858. Thereon we proceed to check on the Wong Solo Restaurant to have a taste of Solo Javanese Cooking. The dishes are mainly chicken either roasted, fried, or made into Ayam Penyet. The 'Chilly Sambal' is the most that I enjoy eating under the zink roof open restaurant. Both the heat of the Chilly and the hot humid tropical weather of Pontianak make me cough for few times. I need to kill the chilly heat effect by having four glasses of fresh orange juice.
(17) At 1330, we went for a Live Band Audition. Five bands were invited through both the local and Jakarta-based agents that we had appointed, at a Studio specially hired. Though I'm not a musician, far from being a singer, I was amazed in fact to discover the artistic talents that a place such as Pontianak have. Despite their huge facility and instruments inadequacy, the bands have good singers, and one person really 'heat' me as he is able to compose his own song and sing just like a professional.
(18) Since my last trip even to Lombok, Kendari, and Makasar, Indonesia is gifted with lots of artistic talents. I wonder, is it due to their 'natural artistic blood' or due to their 'out cry' looking (voicing) for something that could secure their lives: love, affection, and care since in many ways they seem to have hopeless life reflecetd in the misery of the daily common men on the streets and remote villages.
Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat. We chosen a Band with a 'Agness Monica and Abiet G Ade' 'voice' and 'touch'. They should be made public by 15 Dec., 2009 in Kuching.
(19) After audition, we take everybody for a nice Kopi Hitam. Then we went to have a look at the best Spa outlet in town. Again here, the layout, the ambient, the customer services are superb, really professional. Again the Indonesian talents are well displayed! We don't have the massage, because the outlet is specifically only for women.
(20) I later went over to have an eyes at the Matahari Hypermarket nearby our hotel. The size, the layout, the products on sales, and the total ambient of the Hypermarket clearly indicating the upcoming of Kalimantan Barat as an economic power that we must closely watch. I could sense, their economy has really change, and most probably due to the opening of new roads and plantation in the hinterland.
(21) As usual, the Bookstore occupied most of my shopping time. One thing good about this Indonesia, they really made serious effort to translate books into Bahasa Indonesia, and again, their huge BookStore attracted lots of customers which again reflecting the Indonesian thirst and potentails in moving a head if we Malaysian remain complacent. A country with vast resources and talents, they could be the next regional superpower (trailing China and India).
(13) The changes in Pontianak I believe is 'forced' by probably one of it, when MAS cut it services here. This is what I again always complain about MAS since it Turn Around Plan, where coprate account matter, ignoring the National Account. I hope someone in MAS or even Najib should realise this. We need to look at the different way to make MAS a healty GLC that serve for the nation economic growth and international outreach with at the same time giving better mobility of our people.
(14) Pontianak: kuntilanak, the Vampire, the beast, is now transforming herself into a beautiful princess!
Pontianak, Kalmantan Barat, Indonesia
14-15 Nov., 2009
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