What's 35 km long and 20km wide?The mouth of a mutant spider?
No! It's the country's largest lake of freshwater...
Draining into the Pahang River...
Known to many as 'Tasik Bera'
To the Home of the Semelai
onto their Native Customary Land
I trode briefly
Only to be awestruck totally
by their sustainable, ecological technology
with a 600-year history
...
The making of the Stapik Bespak
or the old-age piston a.k.a. fire lighter
Was truly an eye-opener
One had to first wet a piece of the lighter
before shoving it into the chamber
which compressed air thus producing fire!
This thus makes you wonder...
to start a fire, you first need water!
Another interesting thing to ponder
is that this simple creation of combustion
has been traced back to an important invention,
one that has brought to mankind civilisation
For this was brought to Rudolph Diesel ages ago
If this does not yet ring a bell
How you got to work today is a good clue to tell
For He was none-whatsoever
but the diesel engine's Great Inventor!
The array of colours
on the womenfolks' woven mats
Is a work of art
that'll make you take of your hats
You recall classes of Seni
where strips of paper were cut with accuracy
to produce a piece of anyaman
an effort completed painstakingly
Remember that we had coloured paper
which made the task much easier
To think they only had leaves, without colour
and had to produce something much larger!
Making our own lemang
was indeed a fun treat
a seemingly easy task
but rather difficult to complete
For each block of bamboo
was rotated over a fire
thank goodness we had a good helper
thank goodness we had a good helper
or none of us would have dinner!
...
The end result
complimented with rendang
was worth two thumbs up
"YUM YUM"
The glutton in me
Just has to agree
That though prepared simply
Everything was just tasty!
A scrumptious BBQ dinner
of free-range chicken
& fresh fish from the river
Need I say more?
Need I say more?
Just look at the picture...
It'll make your mouth water!
As the sun sets to bring nightfall
the kompang and gong
beckoned to call
to the tunes of the Balai
to the tunes of the Balai
the cultural dance of the Semelai
The gong player
Is a person to admireThe gong player
visually impaired
she plays Just by Ear!
When asked to take a picture
a shy smile erupted from her
not glancing at the camera
portraying her simple nature
...
of to the herbal jungle
to have a look
a morning stroll
through the rubber woods we took
A modern medicine's wonder
Those herbs surely were
for the ailments they could treat
for the ailments they could treat
ranged from epilepsy to fever, to bloody diarrhoea!
...
Animal Trap Demonstration
Keruing Resin Extraction
Romantic Lakeside Exploration
and hence the end, of this Vacation
...
An enriching experience this has been
to see cultures, inventions, colours that I've never seen.
Reflecting back on the folks' sustainable living
I can't help but keep thinking,
who is smarter?
the City folk, or these igenuous indigenous human beings?
...
For do we really consider?
before throwing away a piece of paper
before building a skyscraper
before polluting a river
that the wonders of Mother Nature,
May soon be lost forever?
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