Rainbows

Isn't this beautiful?
Happy Monday.

生まれて初めて虹の端っこを見た。 pic.twitter.com/OeAZymPbwO

— ut* (@utstar_) August 17, 2017

This one appeared after rain in our area last Saturday.

This view greeted us on our way out for dinner later the same day.

Offwire - Potato Roses

Today's post is about food.

Ya, I rarely post about food.

However, I must post this because it is one of the easiest to prepare and the boys love them.

So, here is my potato roses.

There are many recipes available online if you google for it.
This one here is from my Pinterest collection - Potato Roses at Pinterest

This one here was back in December last year.

They love having them with creamed corn.

If potato roses isn't your thing, you can always check out my other roses' related thingy - wire jewelry tutorials:

Wire Wrapped Rose Ring

Adjustable Wire Wrapped Rose Ring

Wire Wrapped Rose Earrings

Have a Rosy Sunday.

Sarawak Craft Festival and Sarawak Regatta 2015

This took place last month, 18-27 Sept 2015 in conjunction with the Kuching Waterfront Festival.

This year, the handicraft booths was extra long. There were more than 300 booths selling all sorts of unique handicraft, mostly local Sarawak handicraft.

▼ Entrance to the long stretch of handicraft booths.

▼ Lots of handcrafted native beads - a feast for the eyes.

▼Woven dresses, skirts, purse, silverwork, vests, hats from the highland tribe.

▼ I love the work of this artist. Its traditional and modern at the same time. The colors are very attractive.

▼ The native of Sarawak are well known for their woven craft.
These items here are made from natural material such as wood bark, leaves, bamboo and rattan.

▼These are handicraft by the Iban ethnic group.
The Ibans are well known for their woven blanket known as 'pua kumbu’ as well as baskets, backpack, mats and silver accessories.

▼Woodwork - bird cage and drum making.

▼This lady is not from northern Thailand or Myanmar. She is from the Bidayuh tribe and you can only find ladies like her in one village in the whole of Sarawak. Semban is a village in the Borneo Highland but villagers were recently relocated/resettled to a new area to give way for development.
She wears her copper rings around her forearms and calves (Luyang and Lasong), but none around the neck. Rare and unique tradition indeed. However, this tradition is dying as the younger generation no longer wear these rings.

▼I was very tempted to get one of this carved wooden lamps. Very cute and fine craftmanship.

▼Batik painting - the three of us took turns to finish this piece of Batik painting. Nice?

▼The Sarawak Regatta at Kuching Waterfront.
The DUN (Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building) is at the background.

Embroidery by the Miao People - Video by Fiona

I have been following this blog, Life on Nanchang Lu by Fiona for a while.
Love her travel photography on life in China especially on food, glorious food :), people, places and culture.
Today she has a video on Embroidery by the Miao People of Guizhou.
As you know, I love embroidery - though I have not done any for a long long time.
Anyway, I enjoyed the video very much and I hope you too.

Mid Autumn Festival - Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival

Don't know what happened to the earlier pics, so I am reupload them again - 16 Nov 14

Ah...so many names for a festival.

As in previous years, we lighted several lanterns as part of the Mid Autumn Festival celebration.

For those of you who would like to know more about this festival, here is an article on the 3,500 year old tradition - click on this link 3,500 year tradition of the Mid Autumn Festival.

Here's the paper lantern we lighted and released this evening.

▼ Henry with his traditional paper lantern...recycled from last year.

Wishing all my readers and visitors a very Happy Mooncake Festival ♡シ

When Night Falls at Siniawan Bazaar

Remember my posting about Siniawan Bazaar back in June? - click the link.
At that time, we were there during the day and most shops were closed and hardly anyone was around.

We went back one July evening and look what this sleepy bazaar transform into at night.

▼We arrived around 5.50pm but parking at the back of this row of shophouses were already almost full. We walked along the stretch of road full of tables and chairs. Some were occupied with customers while some were still setting up.

▼About half an hour later, the same spot (note the table cloth) were full of diners. So fast! We haven't even decided what to eat.

▼This is the other end of the street. Full of people as well.

▼From the look at it, this is a newly extended area, located further down the road, opposite the temple. However, most of the stalls here are similar to those found "up there"... should be the same owners as well. Business must be very good.

▼Still rather empty while the sun was setting.

▼There were lots of food to choose from....in fact too many to decide which one is for dinner.

▼Erm, how about sausages?

▼Chicken Rice! More sausages?

▼Korean fried chicken that looked similar to our family fried chicken...hehe..just kidding. Must be the sauce.

▼The boys were salivating over this. Why do they like cotton candy so much? They skipped this as they were only given enough $ for dinner....mean parents! hehe

▼Sticky rice in Pitcher Plant. Very tempted to get this but there were more to check out before deciding. Skipped.

▼ Some kind of traditional "kueh" in very bright colors. Love the colors but I skipped them too.

▼More colorful "kueh" here.

▼The que for this stall was long and it's for some kind of fried chicken wings...again...lots of fried stuff...skipped this too as I don't want to que.

In the end I decided on "pan mee" (handmade noodle soup) which was not so great.....too spicy....pepper spiciness which I am not so fond of but still finished the whole bowl.

On the way out, I grabbed a packet of "long bean rice" which only cost me RM2.

Much better than the noodle. Satisfied!

Bako National Park, Kuching - Part 2

The highlight of the trip was the Jungle Trekking. We picked Jalan Lintang (Lintang Trail), a 5.8 km trail that took us about 4 hours to complete.

Basically it is a loop trail going up Bukit Tambi, located behind the Park HQ.
It is the best trail to see most of the vegetation types found at Bako NP.
Not forgetting the rare Proboscis Monkeys which is endemic to Borneo.

Lintang Trail

▲The start of Lintang Trail, climbing all the way for about 1 hour plus.

Wooden walkway and steps along the way.

▲We encountered lots of root steps like the above picture and several large rocks.

▲Almost at the summit, the beginning of flatter climb.

The Park HQ is down there somewhere. 

▲No worry about getting lost.

Signboards, resting place and maps are strategically located along the way.

▲The Heath Forest of Bako National Park. Dry and rocky area.

▲Root steps of the Heath Forest.

▲Some sections are sandy and relatively flat. William can't wait to be back at the HQ.

▲The mangrove forest. We spotted a group of Proboscis Monkey here.

▲Ahhh... so tired!!

▲Finally we reached the coast just as the sun was setting.

▲Beautiful view of sunset and dead mangrove trees (eerie ya).

Animals of Bako National Park

There are more but these are the animals and plants that we got to see during the trip.

▲The Proboscis Monkeys are endemic to Borneo. 

Mangrove forest is their natural habitat and we were lucky to see some near the jetty.

Sorry no front view of the famous nose. Only the back side.

▲The Bornean Bearded Pig is a common sight around the Park HQ as well as Forest Lodges.

Looking for food all the time and not scared of human at all. I think they can be the mascot for Bako NP.

▲During the day, we were to keep all windows and doors closed to keep this monkey away.

In the morning while we were having breakfast, they were all around us, "asking for food".

Suggestion to the Park management - install grill on windows, so windows can be left open to let the fresh forest air in. Otherwise, its very stuffy with all windows closed.

▲The boys found this beetle early the next morning but lost it to a hungry monkey.

▲Some kind of caterpillar and dragon fly.

 

▲A little purple hermit crab.

Plants of Bako National Park

 ▲Moss found at the lower and wetter part of the forest.

 ▲Heath forest on top of the hill.

▲Mangrove forest...wet and dense...habitat for the Proboscis Monkeys.

▲Lots of pitcher plants, mostly at the Heath Forest. Some almost as big as the 1L mineral water bottle. Others are tiny and cute.

▲Some kind of berry.

Rock Formation

We encountered these rock formation at the top of the hill.

Mostly circular shaped.

Not sure if they are naturally formed or otherwise.

Bye Bako NP.

See you again.....in the next few years.