We’re Going to the Rainforest World Music Festival

Rainforest World Music Festival, July 8-10, 2011

038944 STB0019-Rainforest World Music Festival_POSTER.ai

Despite being the 4th largest city in Malaysia and the capital of Sarawak, Kuching is a relatively quiet town (especially compared to the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur).  Not much in the way of world-class events comes to Kuching.  But one event, the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) had its start in Kuching in 1997 and has been held here every year since.

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Recipe for Bubur Cha Cha

No, “bubur cha cha” isn’t a type of dance. It’s a sweet, coconut-based soup that we enjoy quite often here in Malaysia. But the recipe is a bit different from our Honeydew Sago Dessert recipe, our Indonesian Es Teler recipe, or the cendol that we enjoyed back in Penang. Bubur cha cha is a Nyonya dish made with different types of sweet potatoes and yam (or Chinese taro). To the sweet potatoes, you add a little pearl tapioca for a textural counterpoint.

Bubur Cha Cha

Bubur Cha Cha

In Hawaii, you could find something similar in Vietnamese restaurants except that their versions were more pudding-like with more tapioca pearls than sweet potatoes. And I believe in the Philippines, they add bananas to their version.

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A Hawaiian-Style Wedding Reception

Following my sister’s Hawaiian-style wedding on the grounds of the Ko’olau Golf Club, we went to the Club’s main ballroom for the Hawaiian-style reception. I say “Hawaiian-style” because we include facets from the many different ethnicities that make up Hawaii, yet in a uniquely Hawaiian way. Case in point is the framed 1001 cranes artwork that was commissioned for her wedding:

1001 Cranes Artwork by Cathy Lancaster of Classic Cranes

1001 Golden Cranes

The design is made up entirely of 1001 hand-folded, gold foil origami cranes. Ancient Japanese tradition was that a bride-to-be would fold 1000 cranes in order for a wish (such as long life or good fortune) to be granted. Japanese in Hawaii do it one better for extra luck!

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Making you hungry for the good things in life