Happy Harvest Festival to all Borneo-ians!

I hail from the island of Borneo, okay, my paternal grandpa hailed from China but my dad was born in Borneo.. and my maternal side actually has at least three generations before my birth, so I consider myself a true Borneo-ian!

Borneo is the largest island in the world (correct me if I'm wrong), and it has three (3) countries on it = i.e. Malaysia (specifically East Malaysia, comprising two of the larger states in Malaysia - Sabah upNorth and Sarawak my homestate); then Indonesia (Kalimantan) and the last country is one of the smallest country in size but richest in everything else = Brunei Darussalam.

Come mid-year every year, the natives will celebrate the Harvest Festival, in Sabah, it is called the Ka'amatan Festival or Hari Ka'amatan, which is celebrated on May 30-31st.

Then on June 1st, the Sarawakians will celebrate Hari Gawai or Gawai Festival. Why the differences in dates? You know in the olden days they look at the sky/stars/crops to determine when to harvest and then they will just celebrate after a bountiful harvest and that's what the festival is all about.

Now with the calendar and all, the different dates are to differentiate when would the state public holiday fall on each year, hence the standardisation for each state. FYI: West/Peninsular Malaysia does not celebrate these two festivals, hence there isn't any holiday over here where I'm currently staying!

Something from looong ago, presumedly my first Gawai as a tot in my mum's arms:




The only little girl was me, and my mother was holding me - and the sultry lady beside me was my eldest aunt *mum's elder sister* who was also my nanny - this was taken in June 1982 -- the two Westerners were 'exchange teachers' in my mother's school. Taken in Bau, Sarawak - the gold mining town I grew up in, at least for the first 12 years of my life. :-)

If all goes well, I plan to take leave and revisit my childhood town, and go to this village in 2012, 30 years after this pix was taken to 'live the Gawai spirit'. Would make such interesting and exciting memory/blogpost/sharing, isn't it? Hubby isn't as adventurous so he's sitting out. Gawai 2012, here I come!

HAPPY Ka'amatan & Happy GAWAI  to all those celebrating!


Selamat Onu Gawea/Selamat Ari Gawai! Ngabang, iboh sik ngabang -- ngirup, anang malu-malu. Yeeee-hah!