Sarawak Laksa

The local Sarawak laksa is a creamy, spicy, local variation of Malaysia's ubiquitous soup-noodle bowl. Jumbo prawns, fresh lime, and coriander lend a unique flavor to the broth which is thicker than that found in most noodle bowls - heavy but delicious. The noodles are usually made from thin vermicelli. Read about other types of laksa.

Midin Belacan

 If you try only one unique, local food in Kuching, make it midin. Pronounced "mee deen", midin is a green jungle fern that grows in Sarawak. Unlike other greens that get soft when cooked, midin remains crunchy giving it an enjoyable texture. The thin, curly shoots are a delicious and healthy alternative to noodles and rice. Midin is often stir-fried with garlic, ginger, or optionally shrimp paste and chili.

Iban

Sea Dayaks (Iban) women from Rejang, Sarawak, wearing rattan corsets decorated with brass rings and filigree adornments. The family adds to the corset dress as the girl ages and based on her family's wealth.

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).

It is interesting to note that there is also a thriving Iban population of between 30,000 & 40, 000 in Johor, found mostly in the area between Pasir Gudang & Masai on the eastern end of the Johor Bahru metropolitan area. Sizeable Iban communities are also present in Kuala Lumpur & Penang.

Rainforest World Music Festival

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 mythical 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 well as a counter for festival memorabilia, Sarawak souvenirs and CDs by the performing artists, all this contributing to a fun filled, wholesome festival experience. World Music plus a country fair atmosphere in the midst of lush 

greenery. The Rainforest World Music Festival, a not-to-be-missed occasion, guarantees a smashing time in the heart of the Borneo Jungle !

Kuching Festival food fair

The Kuching Festival is held annually to maintain part of the city's plan to boost the local tourism and food industry. Visitors to the festival can enjoy various events held throughout the month of August, including dramatic performances, musical concerts, galleries, exhibitions, essay writing competition and many more. One of the main attractions within the festival is the food fair, a mouth-watering event a festival of this caliber cannot do without.

Introduction

Hi, thanks for viewing this blog. We are Joey Vun, Ting Ee Ting, Tracy Lieu, Lee Sian from Sarawak. The aim of creating this blog is to introduce our state, Sarawak to all of you.
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo and also known as Bumi Kenyalang ("Land of the Hornbills").

Malay Wedding.

As the Malays are mostly Muslim, the wedding ceremony will be performed according to the Islamic principles with a blend of local Malay customs. The traditional Malay wedding is usually conducted in two parts: the first one is called the akad nikah (marriage contract) and the other one is called the bersanding (enthronement). Akad nikah is the moment when the wedding is being legalized in a religious manner, while bersanding is a family celebration. While the akad nikah session is done in a very low-profile manner (it’s usually done at a mosque), the bersanding session might be elaborately celebrated and cherished. Here are the different stages prior to a Malay wedding:

Stage 1: The Adat Merisik or getting to know you better

The adat merisik is the ‘seeking ceremony’ or ‘spying custom’. This traditional Malay system is crucial for arranging marriages. When a young man is finally ready to settle down with the girl of his dream (or in some cases his parents will find a suitable potential bride for him), his family will carry out the responsibility of seeking out information about that particular woman. During this stage, one or more wakil (representatives) from the man’s family will pay a visit to the woman’s family. The merisik is not considered a formal proposal, and there may or may not be further arrangement of marriage. It all depends on both sides of the family.

Stage 2: The Adat Bertunang or the engagement between lovebirds

When a marriage plan is being agreed by both parties, an engagement date will be set. The engagement custom is usually held at the bride’s home. The adat bertunang is being done as a symbol that the future groom and bride have already been reserved. Although permissible, calling off an engagement is kind of frowned upon in the Malay Muslim community.

Stage 3: The Akad Nikah     

Akad nikah is usually conducted at a mosque. Meanwhile, the groom will sign the marriage contract and provide his bride with a mas kahwin (some kind of a payment in the form of money, gold or any other thing as requested)

Stage 4: The Bersanding ceremony

Bersanding is the actual wedding day. It can be celebrated in a traditional way or modern way

Malay

The Malays make up 23% of the population in Sarawak. Traditionally fishermen, these seafaring people chose to form settlements on the banks of the many rivers of Sarawak. Today, many Malays have migrated to the cities where they are heavily involved in the public and private sectors and taken up various professions.

Malay villages, known as Kampungs, are a cluster of wooden houses on stilts, many of which are still located by rivers on the outskirts of major towns and cities, play home to traditional cottage industries. The Malays are famed for their wood carvings, silver and brass craftings as well as traditional Malay textile weaving with silver and gold thread (kain songket). Malay in Sarawak have a distinct dialect which is called "Melayu Sarawak" (in some official cases, it is recognized as a separate language). The culture of Sarawakian Malay is also somewhat unique such as 'bermukun', Sarawak zapin, and 'keringkam' weaving.

In Federal Constitution, Malays are Muslim by religion, having been converted to the faith some 600 years ago with the Islamification of the native region. Their religion is reflected in their culture and art and Islamic symbolism is evident in local architecture – from homes to government buildings. In Malaysia, for statistical purpose, Javanese and Bugis including some other Indonesian-origin ethnics like Banjar are categorized under Malay ethnic group.

Malaysian Chinese

Chinese people first came to Sarawak as traders and explorers in the 6th century. Today, they make up 24% of the population of Sarawak^[1] and consist of communities built from the economic migrants of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The first Chinese (Hakka) migrants worked as labourers in the gold mines at Bau or on plantations. Through their clan associations, business acumen and work ethic, the Chinese organised themselves economically and rapidly dominated commerce. Today, the Chinese are amongst Sarawak's most prosperous ethnic groups.

The Sarawak Chinese belong to a wide range of dialect groups, the most significant being:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Hakka

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Hokkien

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Teochew

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Hainanese

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Foochow

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Puxian Min

Whereas Hakka is spoken predominantly by the farmers in the interior, Hokkien and Teochew are the dominant dialects spoken within the major trading towns and among early traders and businessmen. Hainanese (a.k.a. Hailam) were well known as coffee-shop operators, the Henghua are famous as fishermen. The notable difference between those who presided in West Malaysia is the common use of Cantonese. Mandarin however was and still is the unifying language spoken by all the different dialectic groups in both East and West Malaysia.

The Chinese maintain their ethnic heritage and culture and celebrate all the major cultural festivals, most notably Chinese New Year, the Hungry Ghost Festival and Christmas. The Sarawak Chinese are predominantly Buddhists and Christians.

Matang Family Park, Kuching

Matang Family Park is located 22 km from Kuching and covers an area of 87.50 acres of largely undisturbed rainforest. Situated at the foothills of the gradual valley of Gunung Serapi, with refreshing cold mountain water of Sungai Cina (Cina River) cutting across it and with the abundance of untouched natural fauna and flora decorating the landscape, Matang Family Park offers itself as one of the best rendezvous for day picnickers/visitors.The Park is characterised by its great natural beauty, combining tropical rainforest with a stream of water flowing over rock ledges and boulders of infinite variety. It is opened to the public every day throughout the year and is popular with the locals, especially families, schools and organisations because of its well-planned recreation and picnic areas.