Bamboo Music Festival: The Sounds of Nature

If you are familiar with the idea of sustainable living, you must be aware that bamboo the world’s tallest grass is a multi-purpose, readily renewable source.  Bamboo grows freely in the Malaysian state of Sabah. In fact, it is said that 35 species of bamboo belonging to 10 different genres can be found in Sabah.

However, the use of treated bamboo in construction here is still a relatively new concept given the easy availability of low cost timber. In Sabah, this favorite food of panda bears is used mainly to produce melodic wind and percussion instruments like the sompoton(bamboo aerophone), the bungkau (the jaw harp) and the seruling(flute).

To celebrate the versatility of this tall grass in musical expression, a festival known as the Bamboo Music Festival is held at Dewan Tun Hamdan in the small town of Tamparuli in Tuaran district every year. This year, this delightful music festival will be held on Wednesday, 27^th November.

The highlights of the festival include special musical performances by the Kinabalu Bamboo Orchestra and the Taiwanese Bamboo Orchestra. Also on the festival program, is a bamboo music competition featuring local bamboo ensembles along with groups from the Philippines and Indonesia.

Bamboo products and exhibits like a bamboo raft house will also be showcased at the festival along with traditional sports featuring events like rampanau (bamboo stilt-walking) races.

So if you want to learn more about bamboo and experience the melody created by instruments fashioned out of bamboo, do head out to Tamparuli for the truly enchanting Bamboo Music Festival.

Exquisite Arts of Sarawak

The Malaysian state of Sarawak is home to 27 different tribes, who are renowned for their exquisite handicrafts.  These unique handicrafts are largely produced by labor-intensive methods handed down through generations and showcase the skills and cultural identity of these native tribes, for the artisans derive inspiration from their varied backgrounds to produce an assortment of patterns, motifs and designs.

The various beautiful Sarawak handicrafts take the form of woven textiles including the famed kain songket and its variations known as Iban pua kumbu and pua sungkit, Orang Ulu and Iban beadwork, batik textile art, keringkam embroidery, woodcarvings, basket-making, iron works, clay and pottery works. Most of these handicrafts have served both utilitarian and ceremonial purposes for these tribal folk down the ages.

Today, the existence of these traditional arts and crafts is threatened as the twin processes of modernization and industrialization, take root in Sarawak. For instance, previously when the tribal people felt the need for something, say an article of clothing, they wove it themselves or if they needed to store their bounty from the rainforest they made a basket, a jar or a wooden chest, but nowadays, they don’t need to create a product but can simply go to the marketplace and purchase a suitable, commercially produced item. Also, the younger generations do not want follow in the footsteps of their elders and would rather embrace technological advances in order to move up in life.

To prevent these traditional arts and crafts of Sarawak from disappearing completely, the Sarawak Economic Development council has set up a vibrant, arts and crafts center housed within an old colonial villa in Kuching. This arts center, Sarakraf, showcases the many endangered arts and crafts of Sarawak like Dayak woodcarving, kain songket weaving, basket weaving and much more.

Visitors, apart from viewing artisans at work can also take various classes to learn these traditional arts and crafts of Sarawak. The center is also equipped with a gift shop and a tribal restaurant onsite and offers a homestay program as well. All these various measures are aimed at preserving the many traditional arts and crafts of Sarawak.

When you visit Kuching next, do make it a point to visit Sarakraf, and do your bit to preserve the exquisite arts and crafts of Sarawak.

The Golden Age of Malacca

Various historical tomes mention the existence of ancient Hindu Kingdoms on Peninsular Malaysia. However, these ancient Malay Hindu kingdoms were largely overshadowed their counterparts in Cambodia and Indonesia until the 15th century.

The Hindu kingdoms in Malaysia only came into prominence with the founding of a kingdom known as Srivijaya in the mid-1400s.  Srivijaya, achieved much fame as the best trading port in the region and the port with its excellent trade-friendly facilities was much favored by traders from China, India and the Middle East. At any given time, dozens of foreign vessels could be seen parked in the Malacca harbor.

A Hindu king, Paramesawara, who was the former king of Singapura, established Srivijaya around 1400 AD.  Paramesawara was an intelligent man and able administrator who understood the importance of the strategic location of Malacca on the international trade routes.  He then set about establishing Malacca as an important epicenter for trade by putting in place various systems.

For instance, every incoming ship which docked at the Malacca harbor, was greeted by a multi-lingual harbor captain, assisted by various staffs who went on to cater to all the needs of the foreign vessel. Further, the docks of the Malacca harbor were equipped with secured warehouses, where goods could be stored until the traders arrived. The kingdom of Srivijaya also went on to form alliances with neighboring tribes and ports in order to set up a naval guard force, which patrolled the waters and helped, keep them pirate-free.

This booming international trade brought many riches to Malacca along with the religion of Islam. In fact, Parameswara himself converted to Islam as he took the title of Sultan Iskandar Shah. All subsequent rulers in Malacca thus came to be known as sultans and the kingdom was known as the Sultanate of Malacca.  At the height of its power, the Malacca Sultanate extended over a vast area of Peninsular Malaysia, all the way from Pantani in the north and including areas on the neighboring island of Sumatra, like Aru, Rokan, Siak, Kampar and Inderagiri.

However, the Golden Age of the Malacca Sultanate couldn’t endure and lasted barely a century. For the Portuguese arrived in Malacca in 1511 and established a colonial legacy, which was carried on by the Dutch and the British, for many years until the mid-twentieth century when Malaysia gained its independence from the colonial powers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malaysia: An Ideal Wedding Destination

Your wedding is often considered to be one of the most important days of your life.  On this day you write a new chapter with your significant other.

While deciding what kind of wedding ceremony, you want to have, you may want to stick to custom and tradition and wed at home or then you may choose to have a fabulous destination wedding with only close family and friends in attendance.
If you do choose the latter, then perhaps Malaysia is the perfect destination for you, for as a predominantly Muslim nation it can cater perfectly for a traditional Saudi wedding. Moreover, Malaysia with its diverse landscape of beautiful beaches, vivacious cities, and dense jungle terrains can provide the perfect setting for your wedding ceremony.

A wedding ceremony conducted according Islamic rites is very easy to arrange for in Malaysia and the country is also equipped with a wide range of hotels. Most hotels in Malaysia are equipped with more than one grand banquet hall as is required for the conduct of a typical Saudi Arabian wedding and they also have the ability to cater for a typical Saudi wedding buffet feast featuring sheep, lamb, rice and various other local and international delicacies along with fine Arabic coffees, teas, juices and bite-sized pastries and the like.

It is also worth mentioning that Malaysia’s well-established hospitality sector features all the leading global brands and is also extremely well priced, thus hosting a wedding in Malaysia actually makes perfect economic sense. Another vital fact is that citizens of Saudi Arabia enjoy visa-free access in Malaysia and this makes bringing friends and family over to Malaysia for a wedding infinitely easy.

Recommended locales for destination weddings in Malaysia include: -

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur can be easily accessed from any part of the globe. An exciting city, where the old and the new worlds co-exist in harmony, Kuala Lumpur is offers numerous shopping, dining and entertainment options guaranteed to keep your guests sufficiently entertained.

Penang

Gorgeous beaches, World heritage sites, top-notch hotels and a fabulous array of delicious street foods count enhance Penang’s reputation as a wedding destination.

Resort destinations

Malaysia is home to several spectacular islands like Langkawi, Pangkor, Tiomman, Pulau Gaya which host some of the most luxurious resort hotels, well-equipped to host a truly one of a kind destination wedding.

Urbanscapes 2013

Do you love the arts? Music? Then you will be delighted to know that Malaysia is home to a lively contemporary arts scene. The epicenter of this contemporary arts community is the country’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, the founding city of Urbanscapes, an annual exposition featuring music, fashion, dance, visual design and more.
A local company, Freeform Sdn. Bhd, founded this annual festival in 2002, and hosted it at a centrally located, much frequented KL eatery, which has since closed. Anyway, the festival itself had outgrown its venue due to large crowds it was drawing and in recent times, the Urbanscapes festival is held at larger venues outside KL. Moreover, the festival has also been extended to span two days instead of just one day. This, year Urbanscapes has been earmarked for the weekend of 23^rd and 24^th November and the grand event will be hosted at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) at Serdang, Selangor.

Aside, from the size and the duration, the festival has also expanded its repertoire and now features a whole host on internationally recognized performers in addition to local stars. This year’s festival lineup thus includes well-known names like Franz Ferdinand (a rock band from Scotland), Tegan and Sara (an indie-rock outfit from Canada), Two Door Cinema Club (a dance-rock trio from Northern Ireland), Efterklang (a Danish electronica band),  Black Voices(An Afro-Caribbean band from the UK), Last Dinosaurs(an alternative music band from Australia) and many others like Singapore’s Obedient Wives Club, Kyoto Protocol, Oh Chentaku and more. Also performing at the festival are comedians like Pierre Hollins from the UK and Malaysia’s very own Kuah.

In addition to music and standup comedy acts, Urbanscapes will also feature various other performing arts events like shadow puppetry, poetry readings, percussion and ukulele performances, beat box acts, dance concerts and more.  Visitors will also have a chance to indulge in a touch of retail therapy at the festival’s various popup shops showcasing the works of creative folks and offering products like clothing, accessories, home wares, lifestyle products, vintage wares and other knick-knacks.

The festival grounds will additionally, host a variety of food and beverage outlets offering much food and drink for enthusiastic festivalgoers.

For more information about the festival do visit- http://urbanscapes.com.my

 

 

 

 

Baba Nyonya Cuisine

 Malaysian cuisine is held in high esteem throughout the world. Renowned for its rich and complex flavors, Malaysian cuisine is believed to reflect the varied social fabric of Malaysian society and features several components, one of which is Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya Baba cuisine.
The evolution of the Peranakan people can be traced to the 15^th, century, a period during which the Ming Dynasty ruled in China. A Chinese Emperor from that period gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to the Sultan of Malacca in an effort to cement ties with the rich and strategically located Sultanate. The Chinese Princess arrived in Malacca with a sizeable entourage, which numbered more than 500.  The Princess’s attendants went on to settle down in Malacca as they intermarried with the local Malays. This union produced the first generation of Chinese-Malays, the Peranakan

A male Peranakan in time came to be referred to by the term ‘Baba’ while a female was known as ‘Nyonya’. The Peranakans went on to create their own unique culture and heritage, which was a hybrid of Chinese and Malay cultures sprinkled with various colonial influences as Malacca was in fact ruled by three colonial powers, Portuguese, Dutch and British.

Nyonya communities at first were concentrated around Malacca but these folk soon migrated to other areas like Penang and Singapore, and were also referred to as ‘the Straits Chinese.’  Aside from a unique culture and tradition, the Peranakans were also known for their delicious, homegrown fare, an intensely flavorful cuisine made with Chinese, Malay, European and even Thai ingredients.

This delectable Perankan cuisine is prepared several key ingredients like belacan(a dried shrimp paste), tamarind, coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal wild ginger), chilies, shallots and kaffir lime and pandan(screw pine) leaves.

Omnipresent in Malaysia at various food-courts, street-stalls and fine-dining restaurants, Nyonya Baba fare should feature as a must-sample on any gastronomic expedition in Malaysia.

Popular dishes of Nyonya Baba cuisine include dishes like Mee Siam (a piquant rice noodle dish), Chicken Kapitan (a rich chicken curry usually served with a lacy Roti Jala), Kangkug Belacan(water spinach sautéed with belacan) and  mouth-watering Peranakan deserts like Bubur Cha Cha, Cendol and colorful Kuih (Peranakan cakes).

 

Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta 2013

If you enjoy sailing or are simply mesmerized by the sight of yachts sailing across waterways, then a trip to Malaysia beckons this month, as the country gets ready to host its spectacular Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta 2013 from the 15^th to 23^rd November 2013.

This challenging annual sailing extravaganza features a series of competitive offshore races organized by the Royal Selangor Yacht Club in association with the well-known offshore racing organization, RORC (the Royal Ocean Racing Club). Conceived and launched in 1990, as a sequel to the five annual offshore series of races, which linked the most popular and beautiful isles off the west coast of Malaysia, namely Pangkor, Penang and Langkawi, the Raja Mudra Selangor International Regatta, enjoys royal patronage from His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor.

The 24the edition of the Regatta this year, will feature three overnight passage races encompassing a total of 260 miles (from Port Klang to Pangkor, Pangkor to Penang and Penang to Langkawi), along with three days of harbor racing in Penang and Langkawi. 

The Regatta typically draws yachts of all shapes and sizes ranging from IRC1 racers to classic yachts, multihulls and ancient, slow moving100-year-old cruisers. All competing vessels of the Regatta in 2013 will set sail from a new kick-off point, the new Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) Marina Annexe at Pulau Indah. They will make stops along Malaysia’s best-known tropical isles before ending their journey at a new destination in Langkawi its Telaga Harbor.

The Regatta will span nine days and feature a variety of races including passage races and inshore harbor sprints, ensuring much excitement for participants and spectators alike.

Aside from thrilling races, this sailing extravaganza will also feature several ritzy social events like regatta dinners, a rickshaw race and the Miss International Yachting Malaysia contest.

 

 

Savour the delights of Mamak Food

Malaysia is renowned for its delicious indigenous cuisine, which is said to reflect the diverse social fabric of its vibrant multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society.

Mamak cuisine is, highly visible all over Malaysia. It is believed that this delicious fare was brought over to Malaysia, by Indian Muslims hailing from the southern states of India, like Kerala and Tamil Nadu during the 19tgh century. Over the years, the Indians intermingled with the local population through marriage and soon came to be associated with roadside eateries called ‘Mamak’ stalls, famed for serving delicious eats.

The term Mamak’ translates as ‘uncle’ in Tamil and is usually used by Malaysians to describe an adult Indian Muslim male, while the word ‘Mami’ is reserved for an adult Indian Muslim female.  Mamak stalls continue to dot Malaysia’s culinary landscape, though many stalls have today evolved into full-fledged restaurants serving a wide range of Indian-influenced foods. Mamak restaurants are nowadays usually outfitted with large-screen TVs and thus serve as choice dining locales for all Malaysians, especially when a big game is being broadcast.

If you wish to sample Mamak food, you can either head to one of the many Mamak stalls littered all over Malaysia or if you rather you could visit a Mamak restaurant of the Nasi Kandar Pelita , chain present all over Malaysia, well-known for mouth-watering halal, Indian Muslim fare.

Popular dishes served at Mamak eateries include: -

Roti Canai

A flaky paratha served with a spicy chicken curry sauce.

Roti Tisu

This wafer-thin conical pancake is usually anointed with syrup of condensed milk and sugar and is much loved by all.

Rojak Pasembur

This warm salad dish encompasses shredded vegetables like cucumber and turnip combined with diced potatoes, beansprouts, boiled eggs and tofu, all of which are tossed together with sweet and spicy peanut sauce.

Nasi Kandar

A dish of Nasi Kandar features rice (nasi) served with vegetarian or non-vegetarian spicy curries.

 

Murtabak

A dish of Murtabak features a roti stuffed with fillings like eggs, mutton, sardines, beef or chicken accompanied by a lentil-based dipping sauce.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak renowned as Malaysia’s favorite comfort food is composed of rice steamed in coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and served with anchovies, peanuts and a fiery sambal(chutney).

Teh Tarik

Teh Tarik is the Malaysian (tea-based) interpretation of the famed South Indian pulled coffee.