Wrestling--Kelabit style By James Ritchie

 

  

James Ritchie Wrestling--Kelabit style
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One of the favourite past-times of the Kelabit was wrestling. The Kelabits remember one interesting event 1950s in Pa Main when Lian La’ah, veteran wrestler, overcame all his opponents to become the greatest Kelabit wrestler during the post-War years.

Menon Parir said his father, retired policeman Cpl Parir Udan who witnessed the evens, related the story of how Lian La’ah became the Champion in a well-publicised wrestling event which many of the old folk still remember. Menon said: "There was a big festival at Pa Main,-the largest Kelabit settlement and Longest long house,-in the highlands. One of the events was wrestling and all strongest Kelabits from the surrounding settlements were invited. The first events was wrestling in waist length water. This was for the young amateurs. Then came the highlight which was for the “Professionals”.

Menon who himself is world martial arts Champion, said many challengers came and were beaten by Lian Laah in the morning . The strongest challengers were Penghulu Miri @ Raja Umong of Pa Mada and RAJA BALA of Long Lellang.

Everyone was excited, showing their support to the local heroes by hitting the surface of the river with their palms, clapping and screaming when a challenger was beaten.

In the preliminaries before the final, Balare of Long Peluan (the father of former State soccer player, Isai Raja) was pitted against Agan @Ulit Mattu @ Inan Diu (the father of Dr Roland Dom Mattu) of Pa Bengar. Balare wrestled Agan to the ground and was declared the winner. But while getting up, Agan rolled over and grabbed and twisted Balare's nose until it bled! A near fight almost occurred between Long Peluan and Pa’Bengar people.

The final for the professionals, held just after 12 noon, was held at the open space near the Pa Main longhouse. Lian La’ah was pitted against Long Lellang’s champion Raja Bala--a young six-footer who was very strong and powerful. Menon added: “In the match, Raja Bala tried to topple Lian La’ah. But Lian was too powerful and experienced and after a long contest, smashed Raja Bala to the ground."

Lian La’ah (his other names are Matah Ribuh and Tepun Ulun), came from a family of famous Kelabit wrestlers. His father Balang Ngela’ah (unbeatable Tiger) of Pa Main, was also mighty warrior and wrestler Balang Ngela’ah was the younger brother of Lun Atdo (On top of the Sun)—another powerful exponent of Kelabit wrestling.

Menon said that Kelabit wrestling was similar to Korean Wrestling where once an opponent was grounded , he was declared the loser.

ends/jr January 30, 2015-------------------------

Like · Reply · January 22 at 10:18am

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My Kelabit family, they fought the Japanese.

Wayne Akup

 Kallang's Father fought against the Japanese during the second world war. The late Akup received the Pacific medal and King George Medal.

Later the Kelabits used the parachutes to make into mosquito net. I could not breathe sleeping inside; I had to put my head outside when I first went to Bario for holidays.

***Sister Elizabeth, wife of Kallang Akup.

Elley Lina, my brother Dr Henry Chan's wife

The late Raja Bala, Elley's uncle

I was there to promote my books. I was fun, spoke to interesting people and practised my Mandarin.

Crowds flock to celebrate Chinese New Year

4:56 PM Saturday Jan 23, 2016

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Haiyi Bao, Kacey Chen and Tina Lin prepare to go on stage at the Chinese New Year celebrations at ASB Show Grounds. Photo / Greg Bowker

Crowds flocked to Auckland's ASB Stadium today to take part in the Chinese New Year celebrations.
The colourful free annual festival welcomed the Year of the Monkey with a feast of entertainment.
The fun kicked off at 10am with an 11-person dragon dance.

Haiyi Bao, Kacey Chen and Tina Lin prepare to go on stage at the Chinese New Year celebrations at ASB Show Grounds. Photo / Greg Bowker

Throughout the day, thousands of revellers lapped up displays of martial arts and tai chi and were serenaded by Chinese pop singers.
There was a spectacular entertainment programme for everyone, featuring Chinese acrobats, cultural songs and dances -- while kids enjoyed outdoor games and rides.
Mums and dads got in on the action, too, browsing more than 200 specialist stalls featuring traditional Chinese arts and crafts while tucking into exotic hot delicacies.

- NZ Herald

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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11578670

Raja Bala Kelabit Chief of the mountains

Here's Elley relative Raja Bala. I had to take a photo with this chieftain. The girls were Elley's flower girls.


 This is Elley's relative dancing at Elley's wedding. He had a traditional head gear and long pierced ears.

Our first encounter with the Kelabits from Bario Highlands was in the early 1970s. My Sister E  met and married Kallang Akup. If Kallang was a big man, wait till you meet Raja Bala.

My Brother Henry and Elley was getting married. The whole Chan went to Miri for the wedding. I met Raja Bala when I went to meet Elley Lina's people from the Bario Highlands in the 1990s. I was awed by his towering physique of 6ft 3, and yet his gentleness. I asked him if I could have a photo with him. You can tell his affection by the way he held my girls' hand.

I had left for New Zealand and Elley told me he was very sick and later died. This towering belian tree left a mark on my life. He was not just Elley's uncle, but the man who obliged my request for this photo.

Kallang's Father fought against the Japanese during the second world war. The late Akup received the Pacific medal and King George Medal.

Later the Kelabits used the parachutes to make into mosquito net. I could not breathe sleeping inside; I had to put my head outside when I first went to Bario for holidays.

***Sister Elizabeth, wife of Kallang Akup.

This book is about bought brides from the internet.The bride wasn't bashful and was all out to cheat their husbands. Concealing the birth of her daughter, she pretends to adopt the girl and bring her up.  Her daughter got into trouble with boy gangs and she got involved with a toy boy. The story ends with a blood donation revealing that she is the mother of her daughter.

I put this book on Amazon Kindle.



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AV5T5EA?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660
by Ann Kit Suet Chin Chan

My book is available on Kindle

Mail Order Bride Kindle Edition 

 

by Samuel Chin (Illustrator), Gabrielle Chin (Editor)

Be the first to review this item

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Kindle, Kindle eBook, January 19, 2016

$3.99

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Owls and culture

The western culture revere owls as wise, Children read Christopher Robin and the wise owl.

In J.K. Rowling's wonderful universe, owls bridge the magical and muggle world, carrying messages, packages, and even Nimbus 2000s with ease as they make it clear to muggles that when a message needs to get through, it WILL get through. One Snowy Owl named Hedwig also provides warm companionship when a lonely wizard named Harry needs it. http://www.lauraerickson.com/bird/Species/Owls/HarryPotter/HarryPotter.html

It is not always the case in other societies. Owls were harbingers of death.

In 1959, my dad returned from London, and we moved to Kanowit. One evening, when Grandma aka Bodai came to visit. An owl came to the house. We egged Dad to catch the owl for our pet. Dad did catch the owl and we cheered. Bodai came and scolded my Dad for studying too much white men's education. She mumbled certain things, and Dad released the owl.

Mum was pregnant with Joseph at that time, and Grandma said, bad things would happen if we kept the owl.

In New Zealand, owls is said to originate from the underworld, the Morepork (Ruru) is strongly associated with the spirit world in Maori mythology. For example, it is believed that if a Morepork sits conspicuously nearby or enters a house there will be a death in the family and in times gone by these strong beliefs led to some Taranaki Maori eating Morepork, believing that it would prolong their lives. http://www.wingspan.co.nz/maori_mythology_and_the_ruru_morepork.html

I wrote in my fiction Mail Order bride,  and Cry the Oppressed Women, I wrote about this, weaving the owl and death and funeral.

Susan Zhu, Elected Member of Whau Local Board at Auckland Council

I first encountered Susan when I was talking to the Consul General Mr Nui about my book. She was interested in a copy too. Then I found she was very involved in the proposal of establishing a Chinese Garden. We met again when there was a meeting.

Yesterday, I got an invite on my Linkedin and I remember her. I admire and appreciate a successful woman. I looked up her credential.

• Associate lawyer at Kirkland Morrison O'Callahan & Ho and Elected Member of Whau Local Board at Auckland Council

  Past: Presland & Co and Ethnic People's Advisory Panellist at Auckland Council
• Studied Law at The University of Auckland

  Graduated in 2004

Chans, 3 generations

This is a historical photo. in 1960s, my grandfather wanted to take his traditional photo of the oldest son and oldest grandson. My oldest uncle was banished by the Communist to Manchuria, my Dad the number 2 became a substitute. My bro Charles Chan was the number 1 grandson. When ever people see this photo, they think it is in the movies.

My Grandpa Luke Kee Seng and my dad survived the war. They had to do their rumushu.

My Grandpa was  in his mid sixties. He wore the attire of the official Ming Dynasty court officers. His Dad Chan Kwong Kouk was a Siew Cai, equivalent of a degree holder. I am not sure why he didn't receive a high education. His older brother did.

This exquisite attire is like a Cheong Sum gown underneath the jacket. It was very grand and not many people had one like this. This was paid for his male children, and he wore it on his 71 first birthday. Every decade, people usually have a big party. This attire was for him to wear to meet his maker.

I had gone to Canada when he died in 1976.

Sarawak State Museum

In 2008, December I wrote this piece

When you have walked in the humid and hot Kuching town, the air conditioned building of the Sarawak Museum is a heavenly place to be in even if you are not into culture and artifacts. But once, inside, you won't regret going in.

The Sarawak State Museum is the oldest museum in Borneo. It was established in 1888 and opened in 1891 in a purpose-built building in Kuching, Sarawak. Sponsored by Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah of Sarawak, the establishment of the museum was strongly encouraged by Alfred Russel Wallace. It was modeled on a town hall in Normandy.

It is eye opening to see models of the habitats of different people and animals. I was always awed by the giant whale bones. When you climbed into a replica of a long house, you are feel with reverence for the darken smoked skulls hanging up the roofs. You see, One of the inhabitants of Borneo were head hunters.

Coming from Sibu, the Museum was one place we had to visit. I always make a point to go when I visit Kuching. The boy is almost twenty. Sadly I am told, the building is no longer it's former glory.

Record numbers of Chinese visitors will come to New Zealand this year

Nearly 50,000 Chinese tourists arrive in NZ for February's Golden Week

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STACY SQUIRES/FAIRFAX NZ

Record numbers of Chinese visitors will come to New Zealand this year, with February being the peak month.

Nearly 50,000 Chinese holidaymakers will shortly land in New Zealand as experts forecast the biggest "golden week" for Chinese tourists in our history.
January and February are traditionally New Zealand's busiest and most lucrative tourism months but it is the growth in Chinese holiday visitors that is pushing the industry to new peaks.
The so-called "golden week" starting February 7 coincides with the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday week and China's middle class goes on the move particularly to destinations like Thailand and Japan, but also further afield to places such as New Zealand.
Increased air capacity to New Zealand from China is also helping.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/75693880/nearly-50000-chinese-tourists-arrive-in-nz-for-februarys-golden-week.html

Puffer fish

I am a scary cat, you will never get me to eat the puffer aka fugu fish. It is a delicacy in Japan. you also hear of people dying because they ate ill prepared fugu fish. Once, I had an opportunity to not only see it but to eat it.

A friend was given a fugu fish and she took it to the restaurant for the chef to cook it.

No, No way, Jose, was I going to eat it.

This fugu aka puffer fish will not be added to my menu, No matter what antidotes the cooks add to the dish.

 The irony was those brave hearts who ate it survived.  I am missing my home and where I could eat all these exotic food.

My Ah Kung's spring Onion.

My Ah Kung used to grow spring onions in basins, and he was very careful when he harvested them. He told us to peel it down.

I experimented growing spring onions without a pot or growing them directly into the ground.

I bought baby onion plants from King's garden centre.
and a bag of potting mix.
I cut a rectangle out of the bag lying it face down.
I transplant the baby plants into the bag of potting mix.
Water them everyday.
These two pix were taken two weeks apart.
See how much they have grown.
Soon they will be ready for the table either in my cooking or in my salad.
Nothing is better than your own organically grown food.

This batch, I experimented with bought seeds. They grew very well.

The Sibau fruit

Common Name: Pulasan,Sibau fruit.
Botanical Name: Nephelium natubile
Specimens From: Malaysia
I was born in Sibu, in Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

My grandpa explained that Sibu was named after the local Sibau fruit. This fruit is similar to the hairy rambutan fruit that people cultivate. The Sibau fruit is a wild tree that grows in the jungle.

The natives pick them and sell them at the road side stalls. My grand dad did a lot of trade with the natives in upper Rejang river and we exchanged the Sibau fruits with Grand dad's grocery and other items like fish hooks and sinkers. It looks like an egg size hedge hog. The skin is thick and you open the fruit with a twist.

One day when I was living in Singapore, I saw the fruits in the market. I was full of nostalgia and bought some and shared my joy with my neighbours. They have never seen a fruit like this.

Ten years later, it has become a fashionable fruit tree. In West Malaysia, people were growing them in their back yard, and the markets in Singapore were selling a lot of them. Most people didn't however know what its name is. Of course, it is a grafted type, and the fruits are much bigger than the jungle ones.

In West Malaysia, they call it the Pulasan which in Malay means twist.

The grafted ones were sweet with a tangy taste but not as nice as the rambutan. When I saw them last July, I bought them for nostalgic reasons. They were also very difficult to twist to open. Full of sap, so I put my hand in a plastic bag, and used a knife to cut it open.

My West Malaysian friend teased me that my Sibu fruit was of inferior quality.

Jetie Ambin Buah sibau is wild rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum). Its cousin is buah mak or meritam or pulasan (Nephelium mutabile. When we were young, our parents brought to go shopping in Sibau. I would say 'Sibu' derived from 'Sibau' I love Sweet Sibau.