Kuala Penyu Short Visit

Went to Kuala Penyu to assist Zhuang Wubin’s personal project, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing to do with his project, I’m just the driver. Based in Beufort, with minimal contact in order to get information Wubin looking for, we go back and forth for 2 days to Kuala Penyu. It is actually not a new name for me as I always passed by this town since I was a child. I can still remember how we need to put our luck on the Ferry Operation Status notice showing if the ferry is Good or Under Maintenance.  The ferry is actually operated by chains connecting Kuala Penyu Township to the other side which lead the way to Kota Kinabalu (an alternative route to Kota Kinabalu other than Beaufort), it took about 15-20 minutes to cross about 150 meter river. I can still remember how busy the town was. However the ferry is no longer in service since a new bridge was built. When we had our lunch at Kuala Penyu, a gentlemen claimed it was the longest bridge in Sabah. I have no idea about that.

The pictures below is not related to the story about the Ferry that I mentioned above.

Tadau Kaamatan – Portrait Series

“The Kaamatan festival is an annual event in the cultural life of the Kadazandusuns of Sabah since time immemorial. In its deepest sense, Kaamatan festival is a manifestation of Creator and Creation relationship, as well as Inter-Creations relationship. It embodies the principal acts of invocation of divinities, appeasing, purification and restoration, re-union of benevolent spirits, and thanksgiving to the Source of All. It is part of a complex wholesome Momolian religious system centered on the paddy rites of passage and the life cycle of Bambarayon – the in-dwelling spirit of paddy”-wiki

The peak of Tadau Kaamatan is on 30th & 31st May, most of the time, the event took place at KDCA, Penampang. This is the only day where the traditional houses arround the KDCA are fully occupied by its own native with their traditional costume, products, and some even performing traditional dance. I live near to KDCA which is just 3-4 kilometer away but this is my first time to visit KDCA during Tadau Kaamatan after about 4 years live in this area. I just had about 2 hour to walk arround it before i need to leave to do other things. Tadau Kaamatan gives a lot of portrait opportunity which i have set my date to be here next year for 2 days. In the mean time, this is some of the portrait that i managed to shoot during my 2 hour visit.

Dusun Tindal

Dusun Tindal

Dusun Tindal

“Dingkuh” from Tamparuli

Rungu Native with Sigal (Headdress)

Rungus Native performing Sumandai Mongigol

Rungus Native leading Sumandai Mongigol dance/ritual performance

Rungus Beads (Pinakol) & Sopilang

 

Native from Pitas

Feel free to view more images in my flickr set

“A still photograph is something which you can always go back to. You can put it on your wall and look at it again and again. Because it is that frozen moment. I think it tends to burn into your psyche. It becomes ingrained in your mind. A powerful picture becomes iconic of a place or a time or a situation.” – Steve McCurry