Happy New Year!

So Sunday night was Chinese New Year. This is a big event in Malaysia. We celebrated New Years Eve in Kuching and went out for a seven course meal. One of the traditional ways to start a big New Years Eve supper is with the “Make it high” task. The first dish served is a type of salad, so everyone gets their chop sticks and all at once we all start to toss the salad into the air. The idea is to “Make it high” as a sign of prosperty for the year to come. At least that is how is was explained to me, for all I know it was just a big practical joke on me (haha).

Touring the main shopping centre in Kuching

Salad before “Make it high”

Salad after “Make it high”

Shark fin soup

Half a pig grilled to perfection

More pig (This was my favorite dish)

Nyik’s neice really enjoyed the pig hoof (Made her mother cringe)

Touring Kuching and the Sunday Market

On our next day in Kuching (Saturday) we decided to just take a walking tour of the downtown of Kuching, the waterfront, and also the Sunday Market. The Sunday Market is a huge outdoor market that happens every Saturday and 3pm and goes until 3pm on Sunday. You can buy absolutely anything at the market and if you want fresh seafood this is a great place to get it. The market was very crowded, but still easy to get around. The best part was trying out food samples from a number of vendors.

A couple I met from Edmonton. The only other Canadians I met in Kuching!

Another cat monument

Touring the Chinese museum

Kuching’s new city hall, still under construction

Touring the Sunday market

Enjoying a snack at the Sunday market

Mmm, noodle bowl for lunch!

The Cat Museum

After the Cultural Village, we checked out of our resort hotel and drove back into Kuching were we went to “The Cat Museum”. The city’s name Kuching comes from the Malaysian word for cat which is “Kucing” which is why Kuching is known as “The Cat City”. Kuching has always had many Cats, and Cats are believed to be a symbol of prosperity, there is a much longer story about the name, but that is pretty much all you need to know. The museum was very interesting, it covers anything and everything to do with cats. From a famous king who had his life saved by a cat that stopped him from entering a room, where an assassin was hiding, to how cats are house pets today.

Entrance to the Cat Museum

Aww

Damai Beach Resort and Cultural Village

On our third day in Kuching after spending the night at a beach resort in Damai, we went and toured one of the main tourist attractions in Malaysia which is known as the Sarawak Cultural Village. It is a huge village demonstrating the traditions and daily way of life many of the diverse tribes in Sarawak.

Damai Puri Beach Resort

Start of our Cultural Village tour

Crossing a tradtional bamboo construction bridge

Trying out a blow dart gun

Tim and I at the Cultural Village

Gecko

Traditional Malay dance performance

More of the dance show

Orangatang skull with tusks from a wild boar

Traditional home known as a “Longhouse”

Nyik and I touring the Cultural Village

Tim trying out a wood instrument. Each piece is cut to a different length and hollowed out in the back to make a different note

Taking a break

Relaxing on the balcany of our resort hotel room

Beach Resort

Arrived in Kuching

Nyik and I spent four days in “The Cat City” Kuching. Kuching comes from the Malay word Kucing meaning “Cat”. We had a great time. I finally had the chance to meet all of Nyik’s family. She has a hugh family with two parents, two brothers, two sisters, two sister in laws, three nieces, and two nephews. Our second day in Kuching we drove about an our out of town and had dinner at a little seafood restaurant with the entire family, then Nyik and I stayed at the Damai Puri beach resort for one night.

One of four Cat monuments around Kuching

Brian and Nyik at the cat monument

First meal in Kuching with Nyik and Tim (Chicken and Beef satay)

Beach Resort in Damai

My first meal after recovering from food poisoning (I was really craving a salad!)

Nyik’s brother Ricky and his family (They live in Taiwan)

Seafood restuarant where we had our first big family dinner

I finally had the chance to meet Nyik’s entire family!

Nyik’s neices and nephews (From left to right) Clarence, Yolande, Malinde, Ken, Clarissa.