Location : Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok ‘Nyarok’ in the Bidayuh language means to celebrate the padi harvest festival between 2 villages with a big group of invited villagers from one village travelling to another.  In this case more than a hundred villagers of Suruh Engkadok from Indonesia to Sadir to join in the merry making.

Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok
supper time

The night’s main event kicked off with the ‘parren’ which is essentially an ice breaker where the guests are seated on the floor mat in straight rows and the host villagers offer drinks and snacks to each & every guest  as they introduce themselves to each other.

Sadir played the Super Host role very well witnessed by the number of sumptuous meals showered on their Indonesian brethrens and the non stop flowing  of ‘tuak’ a village brewed rice wine – spirit of 1Borneo upheld to the accompaniment of traditional gong music.

Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok. joget
Dancing time at the community hall

Live pop band music backed dangdut/joget singers from both sides of the border, keeping the young and old dancing all night long at RM1 per dance/song.  Total collection a whopping RM15,000! Not a shock when you see the enthusiastic and supportive crowd from all the nearby villages kept the dance floor  occupied with every song till the roosters start crowing. Lucky draws for the numbered dance tickets probably helped keep participation till late morning. Nice idea of financing an event.

Before we could have enough sleep it was time for breakfast.  Local boy Big Mac who works offshore invited us to join the Indonesians for the farewell breakfast at the longhouse.  In between sipping hot coffee and eating tempuyak (fermented durian) rice we attentively listened to Big Mac’s entertaining story telling, especially the one about meeting with a Penan dukun (a nomadic tribe’s medicine man) who rid him off his diabetes and hypertension ailments by traditional medicine.  We pray for your success in your Penan Herbal Medicine business venture.

And as the hosts & visitors were exchanging their ‘goodbyes & thank yous’ for a very successful 2011 Nyarok, we were busy preparing to do the 1 & half hour trek to Ba Buan Kukuot waterfall.  20 in numbers.  The youngest being a half Italian half Indonesian 2 month old baby.  It’s none other than Tita’s daughter!

Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok, waterfall
taking a breather under whatever little shade available
Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok, waterfall
Ba Buan Kukuot fall

I was able to see old friends like Raymond, David Daniele, George Martin, Maureen Liew,  Lutes, Tita Fiocco & his family & his parents who flew in from Italy.  Of course not forgetting Pastor William for inviting us to his son Damian’s birthday party.  New friends we made Chris(Alaska), Erika (Michigan), Dick & Ivy Chai-thanks for the good times.

SEE YOU AGAIN IN SURUH ENKEDEG 2012

Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok

Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok, joget

Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok
Joget
Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok
Traditional band
Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok, waterfall
Skedeg fall
Nyarok, Kalimantan Barat, Kampung Sadir, Padawan, Borneo Highland, Culture, Traditional, Bidayuh, Gawai, Land Dayak, ritual, kuching, native, malaysia, indonesia, sarawak, Suruh Engkadok, wild fruits
They are so damn sour, rattan fruits. High antioxidants

To see more photos please click here

2 COMMENTS

  1. I am very glad that someone has posted the above story on our Gawai-Nyarok 2010. Thanks also to Saloma for her hard work to ensure the event was a success. Thanks also to the writer of the above article. We have put a lot of effort to ensure the event would be attractive and run smoothly. Of course in the beginning we were doubtful if we could organise such event with very little financial support. We had to use our own savings (koperasi) and donation from members in the village. Maybe this will be the last event of Gawai Nyarok which aim to instill in our youngsters how important it is to keep alive our identity and tradition of the past. Anyway, as a main man of the event, I have a right to encourage especially the young generation to continue organizing such traditional event in the future.

    • Hi George, keep up the good work. You guys are fantastic in keeping the original 1 Borneo spirit alive. Don’t ever stop doing it.

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