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2012 in review

Posted on by Mar

Happy New Year 2013!!! :D

8 as is a good date as any to write my first post for 2013, but as usual before things can start, others must end…

Thus here are the milestones of my 2012 (both in the blogging world & off)…

At the beginning of 2012, I said I would live in the moment & trust God more and I think 2012 was just that:

I came to a more concrete realisation of my dreams of being a writer (quite unplanned)

By February, my blog was chosen as Blog of the Month and an article of mine appeared in a local (Sarawak) paper. And though not because of my writing (but it was print media so it denotes an honorable mention :P ) I also made an appearance in a Brunei local paper.

In April, I applied for a travel writing scholarship and though I did not get that, I did get 2 awesome opportunities (major highlights of my year!) – I had the opportunity to actually cover 2 big-scale events on a media pass!

See me in the press pit? ;) STILL one of my fave photos of the year!

They were the Borneo Jazz Festival in Miri in May & the Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching in July - these 2 events encompassed all that I love: music, travel & writing. It was awesome!

Through a series of events, I also sat for a journalist exam with a local paper. If it is to be, I will be called for an interview next. Trust God. :)

Living in the moment meant I was up to whatever life presented…which led me to some very interesting things..

In April, I joined a Run & ran 5km – with less than 1 week of training at that! ;) If future me had told me in January 2012 that I’d be running in 3 months I wouldn’t have believed myself.

On a whim (bought the tixs the night before I flew), I finally went to Kota Kinabalu (prior to this it had always been just passing through) in August & in September, for the first time, I stepped foot in Penang. While the former can be checked off as “done”, Penang requires another more proper visit. :D And since I’m on the subject of travelling, Labuan was “done” in April 2012 and Bintulu in February.

With those, I guess 2012 was a “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia” year for me…plus the multiple trips to Miri & at least 3 trips to Kuching.

Life & work caught up with me towards the end of the year (thus my blog was on halt from Sept-Dec) but if I could summarise those months into a blog title it would be: “3 Weddings & a Conference” – 1 of those weddings was that of a very dear friend of mine. :’) Congrats to all 3 couples!

And so ends my review of 2012 (in general).

It had been a great year filled with memories & experiences money can’t buy…no matter where I went or what I did, it was those who were with me (be it physically or in spirit) that made them special.

Thank you for journeying with me in 2012 & I look forward to more adventures together in 2013. ;)

Leaving you now with a review of Perfect Imperfections for 2012 from the guys at WordPress.com:

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 11,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 18 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Chat with Pandelela, first Malaysian woman Olympian medalist

Posted on by Mar

Yahoo! Malaysia conducted a live chat session for Pandelela Rinong with her adoring Malaysian fans this morning.

Our newest Malaysia sweetheart is such a sweet girl – with a sense of humour! ;)

Check out her reply when a fan asked her if she was single, if she would go out on a date (with him) and what she thought of “that guy” called Pain. She also confirmed that she did not have a twitter account (as a fake one was made soon after she won) and that she will be coming home to Kuching this 21st August and arriving at 12.30pm, where adoring fans are excitedly waiting to welcome her! :D

Oh and by the way, she answered YES to a wedding proposal!!! – with a catch. ;)

Here’s the complete chat session (copied from here):

Question Time with Pandelela Rinong
Thursday August 16, 2012
9:35
Yahoo! Philippines:

Testing…
9:35
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Good morning!
9:36
Pandelela:

hello everyone,this is pandelela rinong
9:39
Comment From Eve

Good Luck girl
9:39
Pandelela:

thank u
9:40
Comment From del1007

Gud morning pandalela
9:40
Pandelela:

gud morning
9:41
Comment From Guest

Congrats Pandelela. I’m a fellow Sarawakian and you are our Pride & Joy!
9:41
Pandelela Rinong is in the house yo! pic.twitter.com/2RXqb7d6
9:41
Pandelela:

thank u. im proud to be sarawakian too
9:42
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Good morning everybody! Welcome to Yahoo! Malaysia’s Question Time with Malaysia’s sweetheart Pandelela Rinong.
9:43
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Before we begin, we’d like to offer up a HUGE thank you to gtalent.myfor organising this Q&A session with our Olympic hero!
9:43
Yahoo! Malaysia:

And our first question is in Bidayuh
9:43
Comment From Eve

lela,sindiak parik kuching?
9:44
Pandelela:

21st itih
9:44
Comment From Alexius Barieng

We watched the finals and we’re so excited watching all your dives. How did you feel on competition day? Was gold on your mind?
9:44
Pandelela:

thank u for stayed up the night. i felt very excited and just wanted to do my very best!
9:45
Comment From Jane

Love your t-shirt!!
9:45
Pandelela:

thank u.
9:45
Comment From Eza Rashid

Dear Pandalela,Malaysians so proud of you.Thanks for the bronze medal!Many times I keep replaying your video(final) on you tube!PROUD!
9:45
Pandelela:

thank u…please take care of ur eye
9:46
Yahoo! Malaysia:

The team at PC.com magazine wanted to ask you this: You have mentioned that you loved playing console games at the Olympics Village. What are some of your favourite games?
9:46
Pandelela:

wii games.. huhu
9:46
Comment From liew fk

What you to become if you are not athlete?
9:47
Pandelela:

cheerleader or air stewardess
9:47
Comment From waniejjang

How you make yourself calm during the dive? U look so cool on your last dive! kekeke
9:47
Pandelela Rinong is live now!She says thank you Malaysians for staying up to watch her compete at the finals,3.30am is very early she knows!
9:47
Pandelela:

im listening to Big Bang songs after every dives
9:48
Yahoo! Malaysia:

What other KPop bands do you like?
9:48
Pandelela:

2NE1 and B2ST
9:48
Comment From Stacey

Are you going to further your studies ?
9:49
Pandelela:

Maybe but all from my coach decision
9:49
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Can you explain further?
9:50
Pandelela:

if my coach stay in kl then i just study here
9:50
Comment From zetty

who is your idol?
9:50
Pandelela:

i have alot.. one of them are Dato Lee Chong Wei..
9:51
Comment From Jackson Richard

Hi Lily..bila mau datang Sandakan?
9:51
Pandelela:

Lulu akan dtg x lama lg… hehe
9:51
Comment From Stacey

Is this the real pandelela? :D

9:52
Pandelela:

no.. im lulu g dolphine… of course this is the real pandelela! hahaha
9:52
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Why are you called Lulu GDolphine anyway? How did the nickname start?
9:53
Pandelela:

its the combination of anime+kpop+dolphin… creative right?
9:53
@Heartmerene Your comment is now in queue :) We’ll try to run your comment/question soon
9:53
Comment From Guest

since how old have you been training for this?
9:53
Pandelela:

age of 8
9:53
Comment From Yen

What is your coming tournaments?
9:54
Pandelela:

i dont know yet. no planning yet
9:54
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Here’s a quick question from our friends at Malay Mail: How did you feel about the fact that your mother was unable to stay until the finals as she had to go back earlier due to financial considerations
9:54
Pandelela:

very very sad… because she is my motivation
9:55
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Are you going to ‘belanja’ your parents anything to celebrate your success?
9:55
Pandelela is a big fan of K-pop music, and she listens to Big Bang after every dive#QuestionTimePandelela
9:55
Pandelela:

of course but must be something special
9:56
Comment From Stacey

i have a cute dolphine for you, where should i send it to?
9:56
Pandelela:

is it real? hehe.. u can send via poslaju
9:56
Comment From Zoe Rosalia

did you leave mark on your medal after you bite it?
9:56
Pandelela:

no.. i havent bite it yet
9:56
Yahoo! Malaysia:

You seem to be a tech-savvy person. What sort of gadgets do you use?
9:57
Pandelela:

Samsung S3.. great gadget!
9:57
Comment From mell

pandelela,,i read during olympic you had meet dato’ lee chong wei (in person). so what is his advice to you?and what is your advice to him?..:)
9:58
Pandelela:

we didnt advice each other that day. we congratulate each other and taking pictures
9:58
Comment From miszeeZa

What scares you the most? :)

9:58
Pandelela:

leech,yucksss!
9:59
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Not many in the pool though, eh?
9:59
Yahoo! Malaysia:

;)

9:59
Pandelela:

if have i dont want to dive anymore,huhu
9:59
Comment From peter

hi pandelela…r u still single?
10:00
Pandelela:

no and yes,huahuahua
10:00
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Sedang menunggu…
10:00
Pandelela Rinong was asked is she is still single, she is blushing!:)
10:00
Comment From Khleo

hai lulu. you understand iban language? what other language that you master? :)

10:00
When asked what she is afraid the most, Pandelela answered: “Leeches!”#QuestionTimePandelela
10:01
Pandelela:

i can listen well and speak iban,others are chinese.
10:01
Comment From Jackson Richard

Lulu..what’s ur favourite food?
10:01
Pandelela:

sambal petai udang or ikan bilis,yummy!
10:02
Back to the ‘Are you still single?’ question, Pandelela said: “Yes and no”. So, it’s a yes then? ;)  #QuestionTimePandelela
10:02
Comment From Jerry

after your historic feat, what are your next goals in life?
10:02
Pandelela:

i dont know,huhu
10:02
Pandelela:

my next goal in life to make my country proud
10:02
Comment From Julina

Were there any days that you feel, “I feel tired of doing this again and again”?
10:03
Pandelela:

many times but after every winning i feel it worth it
10:03
Comment From Cool City Cat

Not many dare jump from a platform 10m high. What made you so confident?
10:03
Pandelela: “My next goal in life is to make my country proud” #QuestionTimePandelela
10:03
Pandelela:

because of my active lifestyle when i was small
10:04
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Do you use social media often?
10:04
Pandelela:

yes facebook & instagram is my favourite
10:04
Yahoo! Malaysia:

What kind of support, training does Malaysian divers like yourself need to progress further?
10:05
Pandelela:

supports from every malaysians.
10:05
Comment From mingxhin

What was going through your mind up on the platform during your last dive?
10:06
Her favourite social media platforms? “Facebook and Instagram” #QuestionTimePandelela
10:06
Pandelela:

just said to myself :”1,2,3 jump”!
10:06
Yahoo! Malaysia:

How heavy was the Jalur Gemilang you had to carry during the opening ceremony?
10:07
Pandelela:

it felt heavy but after came in the stadium it felt very light
10:07
Comment From Ronald

Do you have any planning in love life?
10:07
Pandelela:

yes,everybody need love
10:07
Comment From HILARY

What is the characteristics of your ideal partner?
10:08
Pandelela:

have interests in kpop and funny as well
10:08
Yahoo! Malaysia:

In London, did you meet the Queen? Or better,did you meet Prince Harry or William?
10:08
Pandelela:

i saw the Queen in Olympic village and the royal couple in aquatic centre
10:08
Comment From KL man

Hi Pandalela, u ni single lagi ke? i nak ajak u blind date mlm ni boleh tak?
10:09
Pandelela:

sorry hari ni saya busy
10:09
Comment From Yen

Whos is your fav singer in Malaysia?
10:09
So, in case you’re wondering, Pandelela likes guys who “have interest in k-pop and funny as well” #QuestionTimePandelela
10:09
Pandelela:

dato siti nurhaliza
10:09
Comment From liew fk

Do you think about organise a fans meeting???? haha
10:10
Pandelela:

urrr… its my pleasure if there are people who want to organise,huhu
10:10
Comment From Lee

What kind of super power would you like to have?
10:11
Ooh, someone just asked Pandelela out on a date tonight! ;)  #QuestionTimePandelela
10:11
Pandelela:

can change to different kind of people
10:11
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Who would you like to change to?
10:11
Pandelela:

Big Bang G-Dragon,cool
10:12
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Recently there was a fake Twitter account set up under your name. Do you have a real Twitter account and FB page?
10:12
Pandelela:

i dont have twitter,only facebook page @pandelela rinong official
10:12
Comment From Kooching

what city do you want to visit the most?
10:13
Pandelela:

seoul,korea!! :)

10:13
Comment From Guest

can i hve your winning bikini??huhu
10:14
Pandelela:

i dont have bikini only swimsuit but bayar laa!!! just joking,hehehe
10:14
Comment From Gan

Did you manage to make friends with other athletes in the Olympic games?
10:14
@Heartmerene Not necessary! If you have interesting question, bombs away ;)
10:14
Pandelela:

yeah,they all very open and supporting!!
10:14
Comment From aliek

why when i dive 10m it always my legs dive first?
10:15
Pandelela:

because u not aiming properly and not learn diving yet
10:15
Comment From Guest

Say something in Korean to us :)

10:16
Pandelela:

anyeonghaseyo.. :)

10:16
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Hi everybody, we are getting a lot of questions and queue-ing as many as we can. Please bear with us yeah. :)

10:16
Comment From malaysianboy

if you given a chance to change a rules in diving, what it would be?
10:17
She just gave us a diving tip. If you dive and always land feet first, it’s “because you have not learn diving yet” #QuestionTimePandelela
10:17
Pandelela:

every judges must be fair n square,the one not fair get kicks
10:17
Comment From mingxhin

Who is the most handsome guy you met at the Olympics ;p
10:17
Pandelela:

nick mccrory from USA,hehe
10:17
Comment From marlystra

can u speak iban? let me ask you simple question in iban then, kemaya nuan pulai ke kuching? hahaha
10:18
Pandelela:

21 st
10:18
Comment From anon

pandelela have u heard about johari pain? any “wisdom words” for him? (:
10:19
Pandelela:

yes,he very famous,hehe… just be careful next time and think through brain,hahaha
10:19
When asked who was the hottest Olympian she met at London, she said: “Nick McCrory from USA”. Cue blushing! #QuestionTimePandelela
10:19
Comment From Ron Kuchnig

How did you land yourself in Diving? Interest ? or by chance? When did you start the diving game ? did you start with basic swimming first?? Lastly congratulations to you. We are proud of you.
10:20
Pandelela:

get selected by coach in primary school by change. start when i was 10.
yes i started swimming yet.thank u
10:20
Yahoo! Malaysia:

We notice that you’ve been wearing this “I’m famous because of my mom” t-shirt about. What’s that about?
10:21
Pandelela:

its P&G mom campaign. and i love it very much!
10:21
Comment From liew fk

Will you come out your own autobiography like Dato Lee?
10:22
Pandelela:

no,i am not that good as Dato Lee,i still have a lot to learn
10:22
Yahoo! Malaysia:

If there ever is a diving videogame, can you imagine yourself being part of the line-up? Why / why not?
10:23
Pandelela:

ermmm, i will make fun of my own face.
10:23
Comment From Guest

hows london?? did you go for shopping or to famous place there?
10:24
Pandelela:

cool! the weather is ridiculous.. i went to oxford street only
10:24
Comment From Mirza

Macam mana saya nak jadi macam awak? Umur saya 6 tahun sedang belajar berenang teknik freestyle.
10:25
Pandelela:

HI Mirza,umur u mmg sesuai utk terjun. keep training hard
10:25
Comment From titi

how many places you have travel in your life, pandelela?
10:26
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Wait ahh…she’s counting
10:26
Pandelela:

hard to count,more than 30 places
10:26
Comment From Alexius Barieng

Do you think about becoming a Datuk? : )
10:27
Pandelela:

i dont want to be old yet,huahuahua… but its an honour to receive that
10:27
Comment From Pak Jamal

what you love to do when during free time?
10:27
Pandelela:

listening to music,watching movies,sleeping etc
10:27
Comment From Guest

what do u think Chen Roulin have, that you don’t? That you want to improve in order to be perfect and lead?
10:29
Pandelela is all smiles, giggling and laughing while answering your questions. Comel sangat! #QuestionTimePandelela
10:29
Pandelela:

she is a full time athlete while im training while studying. she has a very very strict coach while my coach is more gentleman,huhu… keep training hard
10:29
Yahoo! Malaysia:

This question just came in on Twitter, from @AminAshaari: What’s the short term for Pandelela? We think he’s asking if you have a nickname?
10:30
Pandelela:

short term is Lela
10:30
Comment From Jai

What kind of anime or manga that you reading right now?
10:30
When asked what she likes doing, she answered: “Listening to music,watching movies, sleeping” #QuestionTimeWithPandelela
10:30
Pandelela:

one piece!!! love it
10:30
Pandelela:

and campione
10:30
Comment From Ajmdaz

No question i only wanna say thanks for the medal
10:31
Comment From Stacey

I am 13 yrs old now and I would like to join the malaysian diving team, but have not been exposed to diving, but swimming yes :) What should I do ? will it be too late to join now?
10:31
Pandelela:

thank u
10:31
Comment From Guest1

what injuries are common in diving?
10:32
Oh, she loves anime and manga too! Her favourite manga? “One Piece”#QuestionTimePandelela
10:32
Pandelela:

yeah i guess so as 13 is too late.. just focus on swimming ok? :)

10:32
Comment From Kayan Boy

Hi! Are you really going to the high tea with Prince William and Kate Sep later?
10:32
Pandelela:

ankle,back,and neck,and hand wrist
10:33
Pandelela:

Dato Lee n i was invited and im very happy
10:33
Comment From Wadell

Oni (what) is your favorite Bidayuh song??
10:34
Pandelela:

forgot ady,huhuhu… too much kpop songs
10:34
Most common injury for a diver? “Ankle, back, neck and wrist”. Ouch!#QuestionTimePandelela
10:34
Comment From pauline

how many siblings do u hv?
10:34
Pandelela:

4,im the 2nd
10:34
Comment From aliek

What car are you planning to have now?
10:35
Pandelela:

AUDI car,WOOHOO~
10:35
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Which model?
10:35
Oh, and she likes being called ‘Lela’ for short :)  #QuestionTimePandelela
10:35
Pandelela:

THE LATEST ONE :)

10:35
Comment From _guest_

I see in tv that all the diver don’t talk to each other, men’s too…but did all of you talk in the locker rooms?
10:36
Pandelela:

we talked during warm up and after game as everyone wanted to focus
10:36
Yahoo! Malaysia:

This is from Cyril Dason on Twitter: Pukul kudu iyoh nog Kuching? Koih miak sambut.
10:37
Pandelela:

21 12.30pm,please be patience ya,hehe
10:37
Comment From tmot

what is ur favorite big bang song?
10:37
She’s planning on getting “the newest Audi car” soon ;)  #QuestionTimePandelela
10:37
Pandelela:

lie,bad boy n fantastic baby
10:38
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Ahhh…does that mean you like bad boys? ;)

10:38
Pandelela:

not necessary,teehee
10:38
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Why do divers wear those funny coloured and funny shaped tape, is it for medical reasons?
10:39
Pandelela:

its fashion dont u think? no la,its ecause they have injuries and the tape is too lesser the pain…
10:39
When asked if she likes bad boys (oooh la la!), she giggled: “Not necessary”#QuestionTimePandelela
10:40
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Okay friends, we’ve only got about 5 minutes left before Pandelela has to shoot off.
10:40
Yahoo! Malaysia:

:(

10:40
Comment From Arsyad

Ooo..by the way you look stunning during carry Jalur Gemilang on opening ceremony
10:40
Pandelela:

yeah,thanks to OCM for the uniform
10:40
Comment From tmot

lela, r u going to big bang concert this october?
10:41
Pandelela:

i hope so but i cant buy the tickets as all sold out,anybody have extra? huhu
10:41
Comment From navis

did our CM, Taib ring personally to congratulate you?
10:42
Pandelela:

no. must be busy i think :( but its ok
10:42
Comment From liew fk

haha…. i got !!! i got extra ticket…. but the cheapest 1… you want??
10:42
Pandelela:

yay!!! ok also
10:43
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Here’s another one from Twitter
10:43
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Wan @khumaini85: during your child time, have u try diving from bridge at the river?
10:44
See, told you guys Pandelela is having fun chatting with you guys! Still not too late to send in your Qs pic.twitter.com/nRzTzkw7
10:44
Pandelela:

yeah,it was fun then not like real official diving
10:44
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Okay, just three more questions folks!
10:44
Comment From Stacey

Can you drive already?? :D D
10:44
Pandelela:

no. i have a phobia in driving
10:45
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Alamak! How are you gonna get that Audi then?
10:45
When asked if she ever tried diving from a bridge into the river when she was young, she said: “Yeah, it was a fun!” #QuestionTimePandelela
10:45
Pandelela:

ask someone to drive for me,teehee
10:45
Comment From Cyril Dason

complete this sentence: I am a proud to be a Sarawakian because…
10:45
Pandelela:

of their fighting spirit that will never give up!
10:46
Yahoo! Malaysia:

And for our last question…
10:46
Yahoo! Malaysia:

How long do you intend to remain in competitive diving?
10:46
Pandelela:

as long im still alive,keep listening Big Bang “ALIVE”
10:47
Yahoo! Malaysia:

OMG, we couldn’t resist this one more question:
10:47
Comment From Wangdu

will you marry me?
10:47
Pandelela:

YES IN the SIMS. be my neighbour!!
10:47
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Hahahahahahaha!
10:47
Yahoo! Malaysia:

And with that, we have to say goodbye to Pandelela for this time.
10:48
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Thank you very much for appearing on our Question Time session
10:48
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Thanks to you as well, dear friends, for your questions and comments
10:48
Yahoo! Malaysia:

Any last words Lela?
10:48
When asked to complete the sentence “I am a proud to be a Sarawakian because…”, she said: “…of their fighting spirit!”
10:48
Pandelela:

thank u very much u all! :)

10:48
Yahoo! Malaysia:

And lastly, thanks to gtalent.my for helping us make this happen
10:48
Pandelela:

keep supporting malaysian athletes!
10:49
Yahoo! Malaysia:

We hope you had as much fun as we did. :)

10:49

RWMF 2012: Highlights

Posted on by Mar

The 15th Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) has ended, but apart from the fact that the Festival was (and always is) AWESOME – see and listen for yourself:

Video source-superadrianme1 : intro by Le Trio Joubran followed by Danyel Waro playing the kayanm/kayamb or as I described it – “winnowing“ ;) , Diplomats of Drum, Le Trio Joubran playing the oud, the String Sisters, Khusugtun‘s throat-singing, Raiz de Cafezal, Cankisou, Mamadou Diabate’s Percussion Mania, Kanda Bongo Man and ending with the Finale!

- it’s also the experience and memories made there that make people come back year after year.

I had expectations (and for the record, every single one was met! ;) ), but personally, it’s the unexpected that made the sweetest of memories! :D

Like when meeting new people and they end up being good friends:

(L-R) Fiqah, Fatimah, me [Photo c/o Ben]

The @SWKBLOGS media team! I know who to look for the next time I’m in Kuching! ;)

Or bumping into/meeting old friends you hadn’t seen in a while, mainly by chance:

Kenneth

Karen

Fab & Domi

I was at RWMF with Fab 4 years ago, and it was good to see him again on Day 2. Apparently, he has never missed a single RWMF for something like a decade! WOW! Au contraire, this was the first time for his friend whom I just met, who was involved in the Capoeira Workshop.

Other first-timers included:

My own sis-in-law (and bro who took this photo)

And Ben, who went with me this year:

By the looks of it…

…it won’t be his last either. ;)

There were a few others like my ex-colleague, friends from Brunei and friends-that-are-practically-family, but I forgot to snap a photo with them. Heh.

But the most unexpected and most memorable experience happened on Day 3.

I had just arrived at the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) and was waiting in the performers’/media van to take me to One Hotel Santubong (OHS). A few minutes later, a performer climbed into the van and he sat beside me. It was a Hey-I-Just-Met-You moment. ;)

As the van brought us the short distance to OHS, I managed an unofficial interview with him. I was gushing about how talented a sape player he was and he was very humble about it. He shared how “someone” had brought a sape back to the States and how he had learned to play it and that it is not played like a guitar and that these instruments should not be played as if they were one and the same. Care to guess who he was?

Meet David – incredible sape player and Zee Avi‘s bandmate! ;)

And he was so kind to introduce me to the “someone” who had brought a sape back to the States - Zee Avi herself! :D

As you probably know already from Day 1, I really enjoyed their performance so it was quite an honour to meet her in person. Fondly referred to as Zee, this Mirian singer-songwriter, guitarist & ukelele player is a Sarawakian treasure, putting Malaysia (and especially Sarawak) on the musical map – all the way from the United States where she is based.

Zee & her “sapelele” (sape-designed ukelele)

Apart from a photo with her, I also got her autograph. :)

And if that ain’t enough, I was even able to chat with her for a bit – she’s such a sweet lady!

Prior to the RWMF, she was in Miri for a Homecoming Concert but before that she said she’d been away for 13 years!

Zee Avi & JC, her bass player

Those few minutes spent with her was priceless.

“Balit sitok gik kelak. Iboh tunggu 13 tahun…” I said as I left her to enjoy her privacy. :)

*in the local Sarawak Malay language, meaning, “Do come back again. Don’t wait for 13 years…”

Thus, I would like to thank Sarawak Tourism Board and Sarawak Bloggers again for making the experiences of the 15th RWMF a possibility for me!

While going for all 3 days was nothing impossible in itself, the media pass really opened up a whole new side of the Festival for me.

Perks of the “job” – I LIKE!

Too bad I wasn’t able to claim the free drinks from Day 1

Then I’d get 3 of these instead, but 2 is cool. :)

The only photo taken inside the Heinekebana apparently. ;)

For a more in-depth coverage of the 3 days (and a behind the scenes look), do check out my RWMF 2012 series of posts and for videos, do drop by my youtube channel. Last but not least, here’s a photo that I think says a lot about the spirit of the RWMF:

Aaaaawww~

Photo source: Travillion’s FB compilation album

So,

RWMF 2013 anyone? ;)

Note: ALL photos/videos in my RWMF 2012 series of posts are those taken by me, unless otherwise stated as that from the Sarawak Tourism Board, the @SWKBLOGS Media Team or other sources.