The Longhouse

We left in two cars at about 9.00am for the Longhouse located at the bank of the river “Sungei Kemena” about 50 kilometers away from Bintulu. Part of the distance, about 30 kilometers, is on a dirt road or a temporary untarred road, that is uneven and can be bumpy at some places. Shaffik had arranged for one MPV from a friend and we used the other car as well to travel to the Longhouse. The MPV is slightly larger than the Proton that Shaffik is using. It has a space behind the back seat where Shaffik had placed a ‘futon’ and padded cushions and on which the children can sit or lie down. It was not as comfortable as the normal car seat but at least all of us going to the Longhouse can be accommodated in the two vehicles.

Dedek was his usual talkative self right from the time we left the house in Bintulu. His first comment was, “Daddy, this is a very nice car to sit in”. Then he rambled on as usual on anything and everything that he sees along the way. When we reached the bumpy stretch of the temporary untarred road Dedek was suddenly quiet. But not for long. After only a little while he said, “Hello! Is everybody ok?.” Mini replied, “yes we are, and what about you?” “Oh I am ok mummy!” he replied, “Its bumpy mummy but Dedek ok”, like a real grown up. Hifzhan was quiet all the time.

We arrived at the Longhouse (see picture) by about 10.30am.

After a short rest and chat Mini’s father proceeded to the jetty at the riverside to collect the lobsters that he had caught days earlier and kept in a box-cage at the jetty. Shaffik went to help and the rest of us trooped along to the jetty as well. The lobsters were cleaned, some were roasted while the rest were cooked in a soupy dish. The ladies picked three different types of wild vegetables from behind the Longhouse and cooked them in simple preparation. They call it ‘sayur terjun’ which literally means ‘vegetable dive.’ They boiled water, and when boiling they put in the vegetables, and other ingredients like onions, garlic, ginger dried shrimps, dried anchovies and other stuff into the boiling water. The concoction was allowed to boil only a little while just so that the vegetable is softened and then taken off the fire. Another type of vegetable, the shoots of tapioca, was pounded into pulp, heated without oil over a hot frying pan, stirred until dry together with garlic, ginger and anchovies added in. Shaffik did the roasting of the lobsters. It was worth noting that not a grain of salt was used in these cooking. Lunch was indeed very heavy for all of us. We had our fill, abnormally more than our regular lunch.

It rained for a while just after lunch and we just relaxed at the verandah of the Longhouse while waiting for the rain to stop. Once the rain stopped we dressed up for a venture into the woods to view Mini’s piece of land that she and Shaffik are planning to rehabilitate. The land is on a hill side of undulating terrain. It was covered with jungle trees and shrubs and they had all the trees felled and the shrubs and undergrowth cleared as much as possible. This job is still ongoing. They plan to plant fruit trees, pepper which is what Sarawak is famous for and other economically viable plants.
Shaffik and I climbed up the hill through the undergrowth and the felled trees. Other than that we visited the rice fields belonging to Mini’s parents and viewed their rubber plantation from a distance.
As it had just rained, we had to walk through muddy paths leading to the piece of land or to the rice field, but it was fun. We were prepared for it.


It was very pleasing to spend time in this place. It was serene, cool, relaxing. The sound of birds, crickets, and other jungle insects was a welcome respite from the honking of cars, the purring of motorcycles, the screaming engines of the heavily and overloaded trucks and trailers trying to climb up inclined roads and so on. The greenery, the leaves of different sizes and textures, the plants and trees of different sizes, heights and species, some moving towards the ray of the sun while some others continue to hide under the shade of other bigger species, was a welcome sight for me. It is very pleasing to the eye. The scenes of the jungle even from its fringes, the view across and up the river, of passing paddle boats and motorized boats was antidote to a tired mind and body. It was a very nice place to revisit. I sat at the river edge pondering and wishing that time will move slowly for me at least for the day….. but alas, evening soon came and it was time to return to the hustle and bustle of the town. Shaffik does not want to delay our return much longer lest we get caught in the evening getting dark, at least not when we have to travel on the temporary road and in darkness too. Our day at the Longhouse ended, pleased that we had spent a good day there, thoughts raced in my mind to the next venture I can get to be there again. When? ……. I do not know and I just wonder. I may have all the time in the world to return but the others in the family have other priorities. I will be content with the hope that I will be strong enough to do the things I did today the next time I visit the Longhouse………




MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Bintulu