Category: Public Events

Public events reports.

Pepsi Harvest Celebration Anthem (Happy Gawai Kaamatan) & Limited Edition Bag & Can Design

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Get ready to celebrate Hari Gawai & Hari Kaamatan with Pepsi and TVS’s latest musical hit sensation, starring local celebrities Ramles Walter & Dabra Sia.

Kuala Lumpur, 29 April 2024 – Get ready to celebrate this year’s Hari Gawai and Kaamatan with Pepsi as they proudly announce their dynamic collaboration with TVS, teasing the launch of a music video that encapsulates the beauty and diversity of Hari Gawai Kaamatan in East Malaysia! The reveal was held at one of Kuching City’s historic landmarks, the Old Courthouse, with cultural performances and dances from Sarawakian and Sabahan ethnic groups.

This collaboration aims to honour the region’s traditions and artistic heritage while showcasing its unique cultural identity to wider audience. For the 2nd year running, Pepsi continues its tradition of honouring and engaging with the vibrant cultural heritage of Borneo. With a deep-seated passion for fostering unity and appreciation for cultural diversity, Pepsi’s collaboration with TVS serves as a platform to amplify the voices of East Malaysia’s talented artists and entertainers in what is considered the most significant festival in East Malaysia.

Entitled ‘Happy Gawai Kaamatan – Pepsi Harvest Celebration Anthem’, the music video showcases inspiring imagery and melody that tells of a familiar story that many East Malaysians can relate to; a story of anticipation and eagerness to travel home to their hometowns and celebrate with their friends and family in Thanksgiving for the bountiful harvests of the year. Featuring some of East Malaysia’s most celebrated artists, such as Ramles Walter and Dabra Sia, the music video is filmed against the stunning backdrop of East Malaysia’s landscapes and vibrant festivities, encapsulating the spirit of Hari Gawai and Hari Kaamatan.

The music video is set to premiere on 10th May 2024, just in time for the many East Malaysians residing in Peninsular Malaysia to embark on their journey home and those in East Malaysia to get into the spirit. Pepsi hopes that this festive melody will serve as the perfect companion for the festivities of Hari Gawai and Hari Kaamatan, where the celebrations are filled with good cheer.

Amy Gan, Vice President of Marketing at Etika, expressed, “Pepsi’s journey in East Malaysia has been driven by a genuine commitment to preserve and promote the region’s unique traditions and artistic heritage. Over the past 2 years, we’ve been privileged to support and enrich the local creative community. Today, fueled by a shared dedication to authenticity, inspiration, and heartfelt expression, we are thrilled to offer a glimpse into Pepsi’s tribute to Sarawak and Sabah through the launch of Pepsi’s Hari Gawai & Kaamatan 2024 music video.

She continued, “Our partnership with TVS exemplifies this dedication as we celebrate the diverse talent, passion, and beauty that define East Malaysia. The Harvest Festival resonates deeply with Pepsi’s mission to ignite the vibrant spirit of Hari Gawai and Kaamatan and share it with households across the nation.“

In addition, Pepsi has unveiled 2024’s Limited Edition Harvest Festival Pepsi Cans, which are exclusively available in East Malaysia. Designed by the talented East Malaysian artists Daphne Siaw and Charles Mawan, these visually striking cans feature intricate patterns and symbols unique to Sarawak and Sabah, seamlessly blending the diverse indigenous cultural motifs beloved by all. Inspired by the rich tapestry of Hari Gawai and Hari Kaamatan, they feature motifs like the golden paddy fields and intricate patterns reflective of local arts and crafts.

At the base of the cans, the depiction of paddy rice symbolises prosperity and abundance—a cherished theme in Sarawakian and Sabahan folklore. Meanwhile, the vibrant array of colours reflects the traditional hues found in the rich tapestry of arts and crafts crafted by local artisans. Beyond being a limited edition, these cans serve as Pepsi’s heartfelt tribute to the diverse cultures of Sabah and Sarawak.

Mr. Mohamad Sardon Bin Zainal, Chief Media Officer of TVS, said, “We in TVS are proud to witness the culmination of our partnership with Etika and the remarkable journey we’ll be embarking on together. Today is not just about launching a new anthem or showcasing special edition cans; it’s about celebrating the spirit of Borneo, its rich culture, and our unwavering commitment to this beautiful region.”

He continued, “The Pepsi Harvest Celebration anthem is a testament to the vibrant tapestry of Borneo’s traditions and the joy of coming together in celebration. It’s a melody that resonates with the heartbeat of this land and the warmth of its people”.

Pepsi is excited to offer even more to our friends in East Malaysia! Purchase two cartons of 24-can Pepsi packs or RM50** at participating Hyper and Supermarkets and receive a complimentary non woven tote bag featuring Daphne Siaw and Charles Mawan designs. Alternatively, receive a designed canvas bag with the purchase of a 24-can Pepsi pack or RM30** at participating stores.

Make your way to the nearest supermarket and pick up your Limited Edition Harvest Festival Pepsi Cans today, but hurry while stocks last!

*Terms and conditions apply.
**Participating brands: Pepsi, Mirinda, Revive, Kickapoo, Mug Sarsaparilla, 7up, Tropicana, Calpis, Goodday in variants of 200ML/ 320ML / 350ML/ 400ML / 500ML / 1L/ 1.5L/ 320ML x 24’s / 320ML x 12’s / 325ML x 24’s/ 1.5L x 2

Public Events

Mooncake Festivals in Kuching 2023

Posted on By sweet surrender No Comments on Mooncake Festivals in Kuching 2023

It’s that time of the year again. Mid-autumn Festival is around the corner. With that, there are two Mooncake Festivals happening in Kuching now. One at Carpenter Street and the other one at Batu Kawah.

I don’t understand why they called it “Mooncake Festival” instead of “Mid-autumn Festival”. There is no such thing as “Mooncake Festival” elsewhere except in Kuching LOL!! Do not expect to see mooncake showcases in the Mooncake Festivals. There’s none. Even the festival in Chinese is called mid-autumn and not mooncake. Go figure…

I’ve visited two of them. The following are the posts I made on Instagram.

Kuching Intercultural Mooncake Festival, Carpenter Street

Date: 20th-29th September (Evening)

Batu Kawa Mooncake & Lantern Carnival

Date: 23rd September – 1st October (Evening)

Anyway, you still have a few more days to visit the festival. There’s no harm in having a look and feeling the fun of the festival. I would say to go early. As early as 5 pm if you want to avoid the crowd and to get a better parking spot. However, Kuching people seemed like no need to work haha! They will show up even by 4.30 pm ;p

Food Porn, Public Events, Uniquely Kuching

Kuching Festival 2023 (28 Jul-20 Aug)

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The annual Kuching Festival is back! As usual, it’s located at MBKS Community Hall. This year, it runs from 28 July to 20 August. I didn’t go on the first day. Instead went on the third day, a Sunday. Not even 5pm, looking for a nearby parking space was impossible on both sides of the road. People had been pouring in since 4.30pm.

Kuching Festival 2023
The main entrance…

The entrance to the festival ground is hideous! It’s like the arc used for a funeral setup. They shouldn’t put that two little roofs on top of the pillars. That’s the main issue. Why can’t just have the mascot and balloons cutouts decorating the top? It gives a more festive and cheerful mood.

Many stalls but nothing fancied us

There are over 300 stalls this year. Unfortunately, many stalls that used to be there were no more. We went there and wanted to get some of the familiar food but they were not there anymore. We spent 1 1/2 hours walking the whole festival ground and even made 1 1/2 rounds, we still couldn’t decide what to get. Too much fancy food and food prices have increased so much! It’s really not worth it to spend that much money on them.

Kuching Festival 2023
What an experience!

We ended up just buying Taiwanese sausage (RM10 for 3) for the sake of buying something. If we didn’t buy anything, that would be a record! We would go back empty-handed for the first time. Thinking that it’s the safest food to buy as it’s something we’re familiar with. Apparently, the sausage was contaminated, got worms! Only knew after eating it. That was also due to someone on my Instagram alerting me about it after I posted it on my Instagram story. Otherwise, I won’t know. Had also sent the hi-res photo to people who are familiar with such things to confirm and indeed it’s worms! It’s not skin! It’s worms! Not gonna share the photo here. If you know, you know.

I didn’t even see the dead worms when I took them out to take a photo. After taking the photo, I put it back into the bag. Maybe the “roasted” worms were shaken/rubbed off into the bag when we took it out again to eat. That’s why we didn’t see the worms when we ate it.

We had also seen the doctor and showed the photo to the medical professionals there. We were given deworming medicine. Even though the tapeworms seemed “cooked”, we’re not sure the temperature inside the sausage was high enough to kill whatever it was inside. Hence, we’re eating the medicine as a precautionary measure to kill off whatever was not “killed” by the heat in the sausage. I don’t know how many people were affected by this and how many days it’s been like this.

Update from the relevant department (2/8/2023)

A complaint was lodged on Talikidmat on 1st August. They are very efficient. I got the feedback on 2nd August with this reply:

Dear sir, the sausage casings are made of natural animal intestines, in the process of making sausage, the external fatty tissues and inner submucosa of the animal intestines are removed or break and washes. The “white strips” could be the remains of the submucosa left after the washing process. It is found on a few of the sausages shown to us. To conclude, the white strips are not the tapeworm as per reported. Case closed.

This is also the reason why I don’t post the photo on this blog or do a full post on it on my Instagram or Facebook. I wanted to make sure that it is really not worms. If the specific post was done, I’m 100% sure it would get out of control.

With the response given, for those of you who were lucky to see it in my story, are you convinced? if you are not, there’s nothing much that can be done. I don’t have the sample for them to test, just a photo. They went to check and that’s what they found. All I can say is just be extra alert with what you put into your mouth at festivals like this. Do spend and eat at your own risk. If you really encounter any issues, do report them.

Kuching Festival 2023
No plastic bags

Do take note there are no plastic bags given. Therefore, you have to bring your own bags so that you can carry your food around. Some stalls even charge you for paper bags! Like… Excuse me? You don’t charge for plastic bags last time when plastic bags were allowed but you are charging for paper bags now. What’s the logic?

Kuching Festival 2023
Roadblocks

Tomorrow, the 1st of August, there will be a roadblock at the Kuching Waterfront area starting at 6am until the end of the event. This is in conjunction with the commemoration of the 35th anniversary of Kuching achieving its city status. It will happen at 10am at the compound of Square Tower at the Kuching Waterfront.

Next, there will be a Kuching Street Parade in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of Sarawak Independence this coming Saturday evening (5 August, 7pm). There will be roadblocks this coming Thursday and Friday for rehearsal. Then, another roadblock will be Saturday morning till the end of the event. So do avoid Padungan until Padang Merdeka area these three days unless you wanna join in the fun.

A Special Tent
Kuching Festival 2023
Kuching Festival 2023

There’s a special tent this year. Many creative fusion food here. There’s pansuh siobee some more. It’s cooler to sit here but the place is limited. If people decided to smoke or vape in here, you are pretty much trapped inside inhaling all of those.

Garden Show & The Stage
Kuching Festival 2023

How can one miss the Garden Show and the series of performances on the stage on the lake?

Kuching Festival 2023

The Garden Show these few years had been scaled down a lot. Not many surprises there. It’s pretty much what you get every single day.

Kuching Festival 2023

There are two wishing wells here. One is a well, one is a cat. So, wish at your own risk *LOL* You believe your wish will come true by throwing money inside?

Trade Show
Kuching Festival 2023

The indoor trade show is in the hall every year. Back then, there were outdoor ones too but now no more. Its space was taken by food stalls. It’s no longer as exciting as it used to be. Even many booths were empty. Not rented.

Conclusion
Kuching Festival 2023

Be prepared to brace for the crowds and the heat. It’s hazy these days too. Be sure to stay hydrated. Also, make sure you check your food before putting it into your mouth. Don’t expect to find your usual Kuching food there. Aside from that, there isn’t halal and non-halal segregation. That’s the beauty of the festival.

Feel free to go and join the fun. As for spending money on food, spend it at your own risk.

On a Side Note

By the way, Sarawak is hosting the national-level International Museum Day at Sarawak Cultures Musuem from 31 July to 5 Aug. There are a series of activities there. Do note that the parking there is closed. So you have to park somewhere and walk there to join the activities. You can check out further details on their official FB Page.

Food Porn, From My Angle, Public Events, Uniquely Kuching

Sarawak Museum Special Tour 2023 (Limited Time Only)

Posted on By sweet surrender No Comments on Sarawak Museum Special Tour 2023 (Limited Time Only)

The Sarawak Museum closed its door to visitors in 2017 for renovation and restoration works. This year, they have this special tour for those interested in having a sneak peek of the old museum. You can do pre-booking. You have to walk in to secure a spot.

Just head over to the Borneo Cultures Museum and book a slot. There are two slots, 10.30am and 2.30pm. Each slot only has 15 spots. Hence, it is on a first-come-first-serve basis. You’ll have a better chance in the morning, on a working day, and not school holiday. We were fortunate to be the first to register for the morning slot. This is actually my second attempt ;p

Meanwhile, the tour is free of charge. The museum staff will conduct the tour in English. They will use Malay if everyone knows the language (it depends on the staff’s discretion). However, English is still the main language.

On this tour, they will only show you the first floor. The ground floor is still not accessible as work is still in progress. You will have to remove your shoes to go in.

Do note that the museum is currently empty. All the old exhibits were moved. Some of them still can be seen in the other building, Natural History Museum, just down the road. With the empty museum, you will get to see the murals clearly. The murals have a history of its own.

Lastly, I have to remind you that the tour will end this month end. I’m not sure of the exact date but better go there before 20th July to be safe. They will close the museum again until further notice. Maybe for another 3 years.

Public Events, Uniquely Kuching

Museum of the Moon at Borneo Cultures Museum

Posted on By sweet surrender 1 Comment on Museum of the Moon at Borneo Cultures Museum

I was curious about what is Museum of the Moon at Borneo Cultures Museum was all about. Saw many people posted about it. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to visit it with a friend from West Malaysia.

Many wondered how they got such a big item into the museum and hung it so high up. It’s actually an inflatable sphere. You can imagine it as a gigantic beach ball printed with the moon’s surface. As simple as that. Hehehe…

To see it, you will have to pay like usual to visit the museum to see the moon. It’s not confined to a small place for itself. It occupies the whole museum. Since I’m a Sarawakian, I paid RM10 for it. Check out the entrance fee in the photo carousel.

The inflatable moon is hung high up there. The best photo spot would be on the 4th floor (at least for me) instead of the 5th floor. The 4th floor has excellent natural lighting albeit being a bit far from it. As for the 5th floor, it’s quite dark and everyone wanted to take their photo from the 5th floor because they didn’t know they could get good and fun photos from the 4th floor too.

Have you been there? If you are interested, better go now before it’s too late. You still have over a month to see it. It will end on 5th August 2023.

Public Events, Uniquely Kuching