Gawai continue

So here I am again, after my stomach is fill and the dish are wash & I manage to take a walk, at least 1.5km. I try to take a walk everyday for at least 2km because I am terrified that when I am back to KL, my friend will say the unwanted comment...you gain weigh? Don't we all hate those remark cum question.

Anyway, here my Gawai story. As we reach the longhouse, it's rather quiet for a Gawai celebration. My auntie was entertaining some guests when our car reach the front 'porch' or ruai as it called in Iban. We were asking our auntie why it's so quiet. She said...

"Orang dah lelak bergawai maya orang kawin tok tadi. Pagilak bisi gak org kawin. Nyak meh saritok org diau dirik ajok." (People already started the party two days before Gawai because there was a wedding. Tomorrow there will be another wedding so today everyone just want to relax).

You see, when you held a wedding at a longhouse, everyone is involve. I literally mean EVERYONE! Every unit in the longhouse will cook some dishes, which will be serve to the bride/groom entourage during the feast. Therefore, the bride/groom's family from our longhouse will not be burden with the task of cooking for numerous of people. This amount sometimes can go to more than 100 guest and that's not including the people living in the welcoming party's longhouse. So, you can imagine how much one have to cook if it was only  one party cooking. Guest also can go inside any unit or bilik in Iban, in the longhouse and of course as a good host, you need to have foods and drinks.

As you can see, wedding in a longhouse involve a lot of cooking and entertaining and it really is a community work as everyone, young or old, will have a task on that day. In my case, there are two wedding at my dad's longhouse within a close gap. So, it is no wonder that they prefer to sleep in & just watch tv instead of go visiting on Gawai itself. Nevertheless, my brother and I start our visiting 'journey' at 6pm. Just right after dinner and we manage to go to at least five bilik. Man..my stomach was full and it's difficult to walk after.hahahah..

But before we both left for our makan journey, suddenly the Gawai group came to our bilik & there goes our plan. We have to stay for a while because it is rude for the host not to entertain the guests.

 Yes, the group fill up our living room and some of them are already drunk.Hahha..

 My dad gave a glass of tuak to the 'chief' or Penghulu after his lovely speech.:)

 The funny thing is, his wife decided to wear a wig! Hahhaha

 My brother posing with the 'chief' 's wife. The next time we saw that wig, it was at someone else head! hahaha...

That night we visited our relatives (basically almost everyone is related in a longhouse either through blood or marriage) and go home with a really full belly. I don't normally go visiting alone when we're in the longhouse because I don't really know anyone and they also don't really know me. I am the least from my sibling to visit the longhouse so I am not surprise no one really know me & vice versa.:)