Warning: A very lengthy and heavily loaded with pictures post. I mean it.

Note: Pictures without my watermark are courtesy of Lenny LJ, one of my travel mates.

Yes, I am back from the just ended Rainforest World Music Festival 2009.
This year’s event marked its 12th year already.

I am not, what you called, music fanatic.
But I appreciate music, no matter what genre it is.
As long as it brings the dum-dum la di dum-dum feeling I wanted when I’m listening to it, that is all that matters.

Prior to coming, I have high expectations for this event.
High because of the exaggerations I have been hearing all this while.
Almost everyone who attended this event in the previous years claimed the event was a blast.
And that, one who loves music must at least attend this event once.
So I surrendered myself to all these positive testimonials and let myself witness this grand event myself.

The event consists of two main programs, the workshops and the concerts.
Because it is impossible to have all the performing bands/groups from around the world to perform in just one workshop and concert, hence the three days event.
I was unable to attend the whole three days event due to work commitment.
Which was a pity for me cos I clearly had missed half of the fun.

I was here!

A RWMF volunteer putting the wrist strap on LJ’s wrist at the entrance

After the wrist band, we had to go through body search where the RWMF volunteer will run a baton-like metal detector on our body. I thought that was just about it for the security check until I came upon another RWMF volunteer who said, “This way Cikgu. Need to check your bag.”

I was a bit startled.
This must be a blogger or else no one will know I am a teacher.
It did not came to my mind this could be Melbie cos from how I ‘hafal’ her face, it’s nothing like her. What more with the face mask on.
LOL!
Thanks for the rare introduction, Melbie.

Bag search at the entrance. That’s your behind Melbie!!

Face mask on.Not!

We arrived at Sarawak Cultural Village around 1pm, just in time to meet up with the other Sarawakian bloggers as planned.
So yes, my first time meeting them and they are all very friendly!

L-R: Faizal (sory, half ja muka ko), Alus, Chin, Kee Man, ms X, Cyril, Chegu, Amiey, Ladybird, Mike and Fahriee…yg tiada link tu, i forgot ur URL address la. Sowie…

After the jumpa-jumpa session, off we went to attend the workshops.
Workshops were conducted in three different location inside the SCV and held at the same time.
This was kind of a put off for me cos I could only attend so much of the workshops.
In the end, I decided to stay at the Theater Hall because one of my most anticipated group, the New Zealand was performing there.
Personally, I think this is the vital content of the Rainforest World Music festival - the workshops.
It’s educational and very informative considering this was conducted by the professional musicians themselves.
I would not know what is the difference between a Mandoline and a Ukelele if it wasn’t for this workshop called Little Wonders-Amazing Small Strings.
To me, both looked the same due to their similar feature - tiny guitar.
You might say, ‘But you can google these stuffs over the Internet.’
Yes, I can.
But isn’t it sweet to know the difference by hearing it sounds, live, as well?

In this workshop, a few musicians from different countries were invited to sit together, explained about the instruments that they carried on the stage, and by combining their professional skills in playing the instruments, performed a few songs spontaneously.
That was just awesome!

L-R: Russin Bayan/accordion (Poum Tchack group), flute (Kinabalu Merdu Sound), Sompotons (Kinabalu Merdu Sound), piano accordion (Asika) and violin (Asika). Performers during the Free the Reed - Mouth Organs to Accordions workshop.

Little Wonders - Amazing Small Strings. I only remembered Eriata (Moana & the Tribe, NZ) 2d frm left, Jeff Burke (Jeff & Vida, USA) 2nd from right and Mei Han (Red Chamber, China) far right cos these three talked the most. There were 4 more performers at the right side but my view was covered by another photographer.

My favourite group: Moana (pronounce Mona) & the Tribe from New Zealand, performing one of their ‘love’ Haka in their Soul of the Maori workshop.

We managed to catch a bit of the workshop done at the other location, Iban Longhouse. Something about instruments that struck. Didn’t get to see what the instruments were  cos we were in a wrong angle to take pictures.

After the workshops ended, we hang around the place waiting for 7.30 p.m. for the concert to begin.

Orang Ulu house, known for its tall pillars

…the steep stairs…sure cannot wear high heels to ascend and descend this kind of stairs la

Bamboo walkway

Some interesting going-ons outside…



Check out the face expression of the crowd at the back…

Mr. P doing his thang…playing with api

Airbrush tattoo anyone?

Perhaps a henna tattoo?

Guess what’s his tattoo design?

Chimping activity at the Orang Ulu house…banyak angin atas sana oh.

When I came to this event, I was aware that I will bound to see some Malaysian celebrities around.
I told myself, if I saw one, never to let myself get over excited.
So yeah, when i saw Cheryl Samad and Anding AF…I was like, who cares to take picture with them.
However, one look at this guy and upon recognizing who he is… I jumped in delight, shouted out his name and demanded to take picture with him.
I was pretty sure he had jumped as well, surprised to see a strange girl shouted his name out of sudden.
Probably, he would have thought that I was a lunatic and was ready to run away.
Sorry Kenny Sia.
You could have collapsed should you have a weak heart and I’d be in deep trouble for that.
Haha!

Thing is, your blog was among my first reads when I started to blog and still following (a silent reader btw).
So, meeting you is like meeting Justin Long.
Ok maybe not Justin Long but yeah… almost.

Obviously I was too excited. The face and the ‘peace’ sign explains it all.

After having our stomach filled, we hurried to the main stage to secure a good spot to watch the concert.
Everyone was on their self-brought mat and looked like a huge picnic at a park.
Since, we didn’t have mat or any means to allow us to sit on the ground, we stick to just standing.
We got the nearest spot to the stage…right in front of the humongous speakers.
Near as in less than 2 meters away.
I am amazed that we could stand it for more than three hours and did not have any hearing-loss after that.

First group performing…Asika of Malaysia…enjoyed their performance very much. I think traditional Malay music can be dance in the club now!

From Morroco…this guy’s dancing skill is superb!I wonder if he does belly dance for his dance practice.

My most anticipated group, Moana & the Tribe from New Zealand. Moana is the lead vocalist at the back.


Moana’s two other vocalists.

We didn’t stay until the concert’s over.
Someone in the gang was too tired.
So yeah, we missed performance from Portugal which according to Cyril, was a blast.
Oh well, next year again. *finger crossed*

Some pictures on the way back.
They said RWMF would not be RWMF without the mud party.

My verdict of my first RWMF?
It didn’t really get to my expectation.
But I did enjoy the event and I still think it was an awesome event.
Besides, it isn’t fair to judge when I was only there for one day.
So yeah, if I have the opportunity again next year… I surely booked myself for the three days event.

Didn’t I warn you about the lengthy post?

Today is not just TGIF!

I’m flying for RWMF in 4 hours time!!!!

as well as this….

Until next post!
*hugs*

I was at the Education Office this afternoon when I chanced upon having conversation with some of the officers there. Coincidently, I was given a CD on something related to PPSMI, to which I expressed my disappointment over the just-announced decision on PPSMI to them. There were four of us. Three were not happy with the decision while one is rooting against PPSMI.

The one person said,

“I had this opportunity to be taught under one Mat Salleh teacher when I was in Form 4 & 5. He didn’t know a thing about BM so he had to teach us Maths in English. You know what happened? None of us passed the subject. Why? Because we could not understand a thing he was saying. Hence, we became uninterested towards the subject. This very same thing is happening to the kids now especially in the rural areas. Due to language barrier, they become less interested in the subjects and resulting in poor performance in both subjects.”

“The students are burdened with two things. The burden to learn the concept of Mathematics and Science and at the same time to learn it in English, a language that they are not comfortable with. These two things are totally different especially students whose mother tongue is not English. They already faced difficulties in understanding the concepts in Maths and Science subjects, and yet they have to be put into difficult situation to learn the concepts in language that is foreign to them as well.”

“This is too heavy for them to carry. Just how I felt when I was in my Mat Salleh teacher’s class.”

And I replied,

“This is my opinion as a teacher, and as a person who has the advantage of understanding the English language a little better than some people so that I can speak confidently to my students and other people. Language maybe a barrier to some but it is proven that it is not impossible. Students may have difficulty understanding the language but it is at this stage of their age that they absorb things, especially languages better than the adults. Therefore, it is the role of the educators and other significant people to lend all their efforts to ensure these kids are taught and motivated to learn new things.”

“However, what we are experiencing now is not that PPSMI is a failure. PPSMI has failed because those who are supposed to work it out have failed on it. Because they have set their mind to fail. For instance, the teachers who are not well proficient in English are forever claiming that they can’t speak the language even after being given million ringgit of high-tech aids. Add that with problem of students in rural areas who do not speak the language, it becomes a major problem that set the mind of these teachers to say no to PPSMI.”

“This maybe easy for me to say because I have the advantage on the English language itself. But, I believe changes can be made only if we want it to happen. To say that it is difficult task, I agree. But difficult is only difficult when we want it to stay difficult.”

That’s just part of our slight ‘argument’.

Personally, (I may get some eyes jerking at me for this) I think it’s not due to the statistic that shows big gap between rural and urban students. Nor the small percentage of teachers who are not proficient in the English language. My guess, ‘some people’ just resist changes and afraid of challenges. In order to cover these inadequacies, hence the statistics as well as bringing up the issue on the effects that PPSMI will impose on the status of the National Language.

I say, what nonsense!