Traditional Food and Cultural At Sabah

Entry 11:

Okay!! Now we moved to Traditional Food at Sabah!!

Sabah has many ethnic comprising Kadazan, Bajau, Bugis and more. Bugis is the largest tribe in Sabah, especially in Tawau, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu. Among the famous traditional food in Sabah is Buras. Buras is a traditional food for the tribes of bugis. Buras often eaten with Ayam Masak Lengkuas. Ayam Masak Lengkuas was chicken cooked with ginger. 

So this is Buras and Ayam Masak Lengkuas, The taste is so yummy!!

This is AMPLANG (bebola ikan)

Amplang is the most famous dried food in Tawau. It has two flavors that made from fish and prawn. The price is depends on the size of the Amplang. If you want to try, you can buy for RM5.00 only per package. People usually tend to buy this Amplang because the taste is so good. You can enjoy your snack while you are in flight, vacation or even in event. Students that study far away from their hometown normally buy Amplang for their late snack because this snack can make you full. In the other words it can be categorize in healthy food because there are no including artifical colors. So, if you are in Tawau, this is the famous dried food that you need to buy as a souvenir . I bet, the taste is so good for you, friends or even your family. 

Okay Moved to Traditional Food of Kadazandusun which is Butod (Ulat Sagu)

Butod (Ulat Bulu) Goreng

Butod is come from Ulat Sagu which is Makanan orang Kadazandusun. Butod is usually eat with vegetables or else you can eat them freshly from trees, where the Butod (Ulat Sagu) lived. Butod is traditional food for people in Ranau, Tamparuli, Kundasang, Tambunan and many more. Normally non-muslim will eat them and sell the Butod at market. So please beware of these foods when you come to the market that near Kundasang. The name of the Ulat Sagu will trick you since you don’t know the other name of Ulat Sagu. Before you buy, you should ask first. It is because the minority of people lived in that area are Non-Muslim. 

Butod (Ulat Sagu) eat with vegetables

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Entry 12:

OKAY! we moved to culture in Sabah

Pesta Kaamatan

Okay this is Kadazandusun's cultural. Normally they will celebrate this event on 1 May in every year. There are various preparation are made for the community awaits the Pesta Kaamatan. Preparation is just not focused on Keningau, Tambunan, and Ranau (minority of Kadazandusun) but also involves all areas of the country.

Every year, the people of Sabah commemorate this sacrifice by conducting various ceremonies, particularly the Magavau Ritual which is performed on the first day of the festival by the High Priestess to invoke Bambaazon. There are also many cultural performances held throughout the month, and the offerings of food and rice wine to the spirits. 

This is the traditional clothes of Kadazandusun that they must wear during the Festival.

At this festival, we can see and feel this attendance, participation and commitment of the other ethnic races not only in making this festival succesfull but also to make us better understand, know each other and accept the culture as well.

The more cheerful moment when celebrating Pesta Kaamatan will be graced with beauty pageants, singing and various other events.

Beauty contest known by the name of “Unduk Ngadau and the song is called “Sugandui”. They will show you the showcase of new talent in the community.

A Harvest Festival celebrated by all Sabahans to thank the Gods and Spirits for their blessings and a good paddy harvest. 

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Entry 13:

Now moved to the other culture but still the same which is "Tarian Sumazau" (Sumazau Dance)

Sumazau word comes from "Sazau" which can be viewed by hand when dancing. Tarian Sumazau is taken by old people. Sumazau is a traditional dance of the Kadazan Dusun dance is usually performed during festivals and ritual dance on (Bambaazon)

The uniqueness of the movement of the feet, heel meets the heel, toe meets thumb. This makes the dance more interesting and unique as well. Dancers perform their dance in pairs. Both male and female dancers began to dance to the rhythm of a gentle and slow by gongs.

Costumes worn by the dancers are dressed in black with yellow stripes of gold. The women wear Tangkong, Tinggor and Himpogor while male dancers wear Sigar on their heads.  The dance is usually accompanied by Gongs or Togungg

This is Tari Kirana fromTarian Sumazau. 

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Entry 14:

Okay Let's move to the other beliefs and culture at Sabah which is "AKI NABALU"

Aki Nabalu means “the revered place of the dead”. But some of Dusun’s description of grandma – a mother widowed at a young age – told a young me as she looked longingly towards the mountain.

Aki Nabalu is a named of Dusun’s people. The Dusuns are the ancestral guardians of the mountain, and part of how we still uphold that role, even in this time of modernity, is to observe the practices that our ancestors have put in place order to safeguard Aki’s sancity.

This is the beliefs of Kadazandusun if their did not follow the rules when they climbing. This is based on true story. 

In this mountain, there are many rules that you are not allowed to do. For example, do not make the things that can make Aki’s angry, do not take anything up in the mountain and please respect the mountain as well as you in the top. Respect her for what she represents, and what she means to those who lives, histories and identities are so closely bound to hers. We are Sabahan believe that the cultural and spiritual. The ears of the Mount Kinabalu, that is represent Aki’s Nabalu. 

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Entry 15:

Proceed to the other Festival which is "Regatta Lepa-Lepa) Semporna, Sabah

Regatta Lepa-Lepa is a festival was held in Semporna, a small town in Sabah. It is one of the major important events that people will celebrate especially Bajau.

Lepa means “Boat” it is the beliefs of Bajau’s cultural.  The uniqueness about Regatta is full of color and excitement. The Bajau Laut people are seafarers at heart and well-known for their Lepa, which is traditional single-mast sailing boat used in their daily lives.

The Bajau seafarer’s proud maritime heritage came alive in this annual festival of Regatta Lepa, featuring their boats. Their boat was decorated with bright color sails known as Sambulayang and tapis (small triangular flags) as you can see at the pictures. At this festival, everyone can join them to win the race. 

The Regatta Lepa-Lepa is an annual boat race of Malaysia especially Bajau in Semporna Sabah. To be held from 24th April to 26th April in every year. The festival will feature a fleet of multi-colored after anchored on the coast of Semporna. Unique cultural performances are among the key highlights of this three-day carnival. Regatta Lepa-lepa is a water festival held since 1994 to commemorate the tradition of the Lepa-Lepa, the wonderfully decorated beats by the Bajau fishing community.

Bajau fisherman make use of wooden sailing vessels known as Perahu Lambo for voyages to the Timor Arafura seas. The construction and launch of these craft are ritualized, and the vessels are believed to have a spirit of Sumanga 

Bajau are also noted for their exceptional abilities in free-diving, with physical adaptations that enable them to see better and dive longer underwater. Some Bajau intentionally rupture their eardrums at an early age in order to facilitate diving and hunting at sea.  

So guys, you can watch this video on how they celebrate The Regatta Lepa-Lepa in Semporna, Sabah

"This is the ritual of Bajau Laut"