Tribes Connexion [Part One]
When I was a little girl - I took part in Maori dance, the Poi Dance... and fall in love with it and then my childhood best friend, Wendy, taught me Ngajat dance (it's Iban tribe dance) but then I grow up in line with the modern world and forget about it...
It's all started back in 2001 (or 2000.. I can't remember) when my Bidayuh friend brought me to his village for Gawai Celebration (Harvest Festival) - my first exposure to other culture. The first ritual I've attended was about Gawia Sowa - I was told that this ritual would be extinct in near future because less elderly people who still practise animism left at his kampung (village) - they're called tukang gawai (shaman) and dayung borih (female shamans). During that time, few villages already stopped holding Gawia Sowa due to limited tukang gawai anymore. Furthermore, there's impossible for every kampung to do Gawia Sowa all at the same date or even time because the only way for each kampung to have these sacred rituals are by borrowing or hired these special people. (okay... out topic - just to reminiscence the good old days) Ever since I'm really into the culture. I just love to see and experience it - using the greatest camera ever... Canon DSLR my own eyes!
Part of it, I love tattoo... but not because I want to have it tattooed on my body but because of the art, the skill and sometimes the stories behind each tattoo... It's not easy to do it without a steady hand and a creative mind.
The first tattoo convention I have had attended was Borneo International Tattoo Convention 2002 (if I'm not mistaken around 1st - 5th May 2002) at Sarawak Cultural Village. It's so nice, really colourful, really laid-back! I remembered seeing an ancient blessing ceremony to start the event which involved the food offering, the sacrifice of a rooster, ngajat performance, Iban war dance, and much loved by attendees for sure - tuak, Sarawak's home-brewed rice wine. It's not just about a tattoo - more like an exhibition of culture. Really superb... I'm still smiling just by thinking about those days!
Anyhow, I've missed attending the second Borneo International Tattoo Convention in 2007 due to work and the over-protective boyfriend location of the convention (held in Sibu). Until then, I've been waiting for the next tattoo convention and hopefully will be located somewhere around Kuching this time.
Thank you to Sarawak Bloggers for the opportunity - Gathering Of Tribes 2011 was held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on January 14 - 16.
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| Still trying to convince even though I've got it already... hahaha |
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| I love this poster... |
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| My 3day pass and Opening Ceremony ticket... yay~!! |
[ ...NeXt PaRt... ]
NTGravity: Suddenly missing that someone... *Emo Mode*
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