Just got back from Kota Kinabalu International Folklore Fest. I guess maybe because of the less promotion, not much people attend the event + the location is not a prime place for those who don’t have transport because radius distant from the nearest bus station to the event area is very far.

Since I started working with this company, I still don’t get why I have to be in the Office all the time? Can the boss just contact me if I got a conference or job to cover? hmmmm
I only upload 3 images here because I don’t have time to enjoy blogging and surf the net often anymore because I need to spend more time on the bed.

Cos I need to wake up at freakin 630am. Work starts at 8am, for a photojournalist sitting down on the desk waiting for the chief editor and say “Good Morning”.
Tough job huh~~

For Kota Kinabalu International Folklore fest this year, they giving out lotsa award but I will only mention 2 here.
For the best Costume award goes to :

Kazakhstan

I heard they Won Best Costume for 7 years in a row since the 1st installment of KKIF in 2003.
I wonder who can beat them next year?

And the Winners for KKIF 2010 is :

Taiwan

It’s their first time joining KKIF and also their first time visit Sabah. One of the dancer also awarded Best Female Dancer for KKIF2010.
MHO, They deserved it. The Dancer Sync so perfect and also their choreograph is so beautiful, is like watching a Chinese Opera theatre but in a contemporary folk dance way.

Last photos but not least :

Photographer needs a Photo of themself too aye~~ The Thai and Philippines. ASEAN represent yo.

that’s all lar. It’s 1.30am already, I need proper sleep so I don’t get cranky in office.

-peace bebeh and one love-

Popularity: 4% [?]

Documentary, Sabah 1 Comment July 26th, 2010

Hello… Im back from Tongod, instead of staying there for 3 nights. My trip to Central Sabah only ended up for 24 hours. Because one of my boss need to head back to KK for some personal reason. He chose me to follow him, and the others will remain there continue to document the life of Herbalist for a day.

The only way you can visit or get into Tongod is via Road Access, it takes about 5 hours using a small car such as Kembara to reach Tongod Town. And another 2 hours to get into central Sabah Kg Karamuak or Kuala Karamuak (the local here pronounce Karamuak as Keramok).

Telupid – Tongod New Road.

From Kota Kinabalu to Ranau takes around 2 hours, then we had a small break for 30mins+ then continue our destination to Telupid for another 2 hours. Make sure to fill in your petrol/diesel in Ranau because Telupid don’t have any Gas Station. If your car use lots of Petrol, bring extra or 2 huge bottle to fill in the gas. Just incase you drive halfway your car suddenly out of Gas. Fun become Not Funny anymore.

Pekan Tongod

Once reach Pekan Tongod, we decide to have another cup of coffee at one of the restaurant. Everyone thought that Kg Keramauk is only a short distant away from here.

But we’re damn wrong…. We have to drive offroad, pass by lots of Palm Oil Estate and also Jungle with no communication signal and only hope someone pass-by to tell us where is “Keramauk”.

Never ending road to Karamuak.

Driving offroad on Kembara gives you free butt massage or whole body because the car keep on moving up and down nonstop for 2 hours. The road is gribble, lots of sharp rock and makes us so worried that the car’s tyre suddenly puncture in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal. Is not funny! But 1 hour 15mins later, we saw a small signboard says “Simpang ke Karamauk”. Everyone in the car feel so relieve, but the road get into Keramauk haven’t end yet.. It takes 45mins from the junction into Keramauk until we saw houses and villagers wandering around. Relieve too the max!

Keramauk, where Hutan and Orang Sungai lives only a few distant from the nearest wide River.

If you’re interested to visit here. Yayasan Sabah do provide a place to stay for those who are interested to have a lil bit of adventure get into Central of Sabah.

I realize most of the villagers are locals. Orang Sungai (Dusun and etc), some of them used to have a awesome life in KK City or Sandakan before but they decide to go back to their own land and have a simple life where they originated from. I’m very touch with their stories.

Settlement House in Keramauk.

Most of the Settlement house are belongs to Yayasan Sabah, most of the workers are local from Sandakan, Tuaran or even KK work for Yayasan Sabah. Yayasan Sabah are the one who redesign the whole kampung area in Central Sabah. 40 years ago, there’s no road access into this village. The only way you can get into Karamuak is via Kinabatangan River. Back those days, By Boat it takes about 3 months to Reach Sandakan. Imagine that! Even 7 hours drive from KK to Keramauk suda start whining like a baby in the car. HAHA GILA!

No Phone Signal!

If the villagers here wants to contact their relatives in KK or Sandakan. They have to drive all the way to Tongod town to get a proper Coverage. In Karamuak, you can throw your mobile phone into the Kinabatangan River and feed the crocodile or some say feed the dragon. Tidak sampai hati saya mau umban my phone ohh. Thank god I have lotsa reason why I still can use it. I call it my mini-laptop.

The main attraction in Karamuak is the Pyramid look-a-like Mountain (Gunung Tingkar) where the late 1963 Wessex Helicopter wrecked there. And also the wide mini river of Kuala Karamuak where it’s connecting the Kinabatangan River. Experience Sunset in the central of Sabah is one of a kind too. You can know where is Sandakan and Where is Kota Kinabalu by looking at the sun. Interesting rite! Aisehmen~~

You are now somewhere around this area.

Once we reach to the Yayasan Sabah’s Forestry Centre. The Officer shows us the map and point where are we now.

I’m so proud for a moment because I’m now exactly in the middle of Sabah. Out of nowhere, because 2 years ago Im thinking of explore Sabah for my future Photography Project that related with Sabah Map itself.

Kuala Karamuak River, at the end of the junction is Kinabatangan River.

Haish.. Too bad I can’t join the other crew for a boat ride. Because there’s no extra space for me and the Cameraman Assistant. We’re ended up hang out at one of the hut and talk about how hard to make a living as a Cinematographer and also Documentary Photographer.

After the production crew done their work, we take a rest for a few mins and have dindins. After dindins, going up to the hill and the production crew continue their work and me continue as a the behind the scene photographer.

One of the herbalist try to show off their skills in Kulintangan. Until I myself, mezmerize how the nenek play Kulintangan. I give it a try! I started to like it..

Me and Nenek while she playing Kulintangan.

Anyone knows where can I play Kulintangan or join Sabah’s Traditional Music Orchestra in KK? I want to be the Kulintangan Boy!

That’s all about Karamuak, Tongod. I wish to visit there again for personal project. Document the villagers there and take some traditional portraits.

Can any NGOs or Sabah Tourism or Ministry of Art and Culture willing to give me a grant to do this stuff? I do this not for myself, for the future and also for the people..

Extra Stuff by Me (Video Footage I took in Keramauk, Tongod), Enjoy! :

Documentary Video of Karamuak, Tongod, Central Sabah.

One more destination to go..

Hint : I’m one of the tribe, My ancestor comes from there before they migrate to Keningau then My dad move to KK City for modern living.

-peace bebeh and one love-

Popularity: 8% [?]

Canon 5D Mark II, Documentary, Life, Sabah 1 Comment July 3rd, 2010

Due to work involve lotsa outdoor.. I got tanned like heck. Got darker like orang kampung. Easily get tired every time and now I’m at home chillax for a couple of hours before continue the journey with the crew again. Seems like My contract job won’t last for 2 months. 3 more locations to go then doing some post production and done. Which is a good thing because somehow, I got tired doing the same thing over and over again. The only interesting thing about it is discover other place of Sabah that I never been to especially Village side and other region. Hey, I’m born and raise in KK and I only been to a very kampung place once in my life when I was 14 in Tenom. Even my dad’s hometown is not really kampung because it has all kind of access like what City people have. Seems that my Taiwan and Japan Trip is still plan on!

Here are the image below from 17th until 20th June. Kiulu (not in pics)-Matunggong – Kota Marudu – Ranau.

Villagers in and Out to Matunggong’s Tamu.

Gong Collection.. Somewhere in Matunggong’s Village.. 20+mins drive from Pekan.

Rungus Kid. Kampung Gombizau, Matunggong.

Fed Up Dog Who I kept on follow him.. haha. Somewhere in Kota Marudu’s Village. Kampung Langkon

Kampung’s Hut or Store in Kampung Langkon.

Video Shooting in Progress

Dusun Tobilung Elder showcase one of the last remaining culture for the production crew to record.

Dusun Poem replying back each other.. Very beautiful.. But I don’t understand 80% what are they saying..

View of Sabah’s Majestic Mount Kinabalu. 20mins+ drive from Ranau’s Pekan to the kampung..

Kampung Dog in Ranau

One of Dusun’s Martial Art masters in Ranau. Kun Tao Silat Dusun… Something like Wing Chun ni China.

I’ve also upload a few images via Twitter’s Twit pic. Just hop into my Twitter or right column of this blog.
That’s all from me lar…  Im still not get used to it How ‘dark skin’ am I now.. =_=”

-peace bebeh and one love-

Popularity: 7% [?]

Canon 5D Mark II, Documentary, Sabah No Comments June 22nd, 2010

When was the last well-made commercial TV campaign with Sabah BM Accent?

Hassan Sani : Maxis’s Committed to the Game.

Damn I got goosebump from that commercial. And also James Wong, where he shares the moment of his winning goal against the South Korean.

James Wong, bapa si Duncan and Ian.

Althou we live very near, like a few meters saja. I only saw him a few times. Still remember childhood days where Si Duncan and Ian play football at the ‘Padang’ in Taman with us, where all of the Petagas born 80′s kid will gather and play all kind of sports there until Sunrise. When Uncle James keluar from rumah, for sure all of the elder kids always shout “UI LEGEND TU!” to us. I started to know why everyone even my dad call him “legend” when I grew a lil bit older.. Then the tradition continue until mid-late 90′s until the invention of ‘Internet’ take over. All the young kids nowadays rarely see them playing at the ‘Padang’ anymore.

Nostalgic…

And this is the video, Sabah Archive should have this for future collection :

Hassan Sani control the pitch, James Wong score the Winning Goal.

Uinah Legend!
Naik Bulu Roma saya ohh~~ Goosebumps too the max!

Suddenly, macam mau sms all my neighbour and ask them to lepak at the ‘padang’ again one day.

-peace bebeh and one love-

Popularity: 10% [?]

Sabah 3 Comments June 12th, 2010

Went Kaamatan at KDCA on the 30th May for the first time in the last 5 years I guess, Somehow I didn’t feel like I’m in Kaamatan Fest at all because most of the area and places got commercialize by Digi and other big brand itself. So I ended up wandering around the “Rumah-Rumah” area all the time, that’s where all the fun happens. Don’t trust me?

Watch the video below :

Only in recorded Baloi Keningau thou. (Rumah Keningau)

Had Satay Vogok at Penampang House, punya main Sadap!

Because I came KDCA too early and wandering around under the sun. I bought lots of Air Banding and Air Lo Hon Ka at the Street Hawker stall area every 30mins~

This photos explain everything how Hot that day and how big is the ratio differences between dark & bright.

Overall it was fun, but I hope KDCA committee or organizer will do something different next year but please don’t make it too commercialize. I don’t mind with Contemporary Culture as long the custom is still there (like how the Taiwanese Aboriginal do now).
We have 1 year from now on to do some proper research and invite or drag those KadazanDusun who knows allot about the world of Contemporary Art/Performance and Culture. (cough cough Im one of them)
I think most of Sabahan still misunderstood this word Contemporary.
For example those KK Flea Market, Flea Market suppose to mean selling old vintage or unused stuff but what I see is…. the opposite meaning of “Flea Market”.
Dude! It’s not Flea Market. Even if I tell the organizer pun, mana dorang mau listen to me kan! Who Am I after all? goshh~~ the mentality!

If KDCA Committee or Organizer read this post, I would love to see they invite our long lost brother who are now live in other part of the country. U know~ Thousand years ago where a Huge Migration happens. Like those Taiwanese Aborigines in Taiwan. The Mulam, Lahu, Li, Dai, Hani and Boang Ethnic in China and of course the Dayaks of Kalimantan and Sarawak. We’re from the same Archeology after all~  If orang2 Kuat KDCA read this please take note ya! LOL

Enough with my opinion. Now let the image below do the talk, enjoy :

Dusun Papar

Music Instrument

(Left) : Bisaya. (Right) : Tambunan

Common Area. (left) Tambunan Walai if not mistaken (right) Dusun Tatana

(left) Crowd and (right) Murut Keningau playing music

(left) The View of other KadazanDusun Tribe House of Tambunan & Papar. (right) Murut Man passing-by.

To view large on black all the image above. Click here, below the image description says “View on Black” click it and it will show the image in a proper tidy way.

Bah that’s all from me. Seriously! I want to see KDCA invite the Taiwanese Aborigines to next year Kaamatan! haha

-peace bebeh and one love-

Popularity: 17% [?]

Canon 5D Mark II, Documentary, Life, Sabah 6 Comments June 3rd, 2010