Bundles and Harvest Time

         The bundles tamu (market) is the big monthly event of Ranau. It is always on the last day of the month and the first morning of the new month . By 2 p.m. they have all packed away leaving only the debris behind. The first time Andrew and I went, we wondered why everyone was so excited about bundles of second hand clothes. However when one starts to look more closely and scan over the rubbish you can find some really lovely clothes. The sellers buy these bundles from charity shops all over the world and travel around Sabah on a monthly timetable. The clothes mostly come from Japan, Singapore and Korea but there are American and European rejects too.  In and among everything , a few expensive designer names appear, some interesting vintage clothes, ski wear, children's clothes,toys, leather jackets, underwear, shoes and lots of bedding.... Everyone seems to go and it is as much a meeting place as well as a search for a bargain. As my fellow Foire a Tout enthusiasts know, it is not that we are looking for anything in particular but it is the thrill of finding something that you never knew you wanted until you see it! Now I understand why some of the ladies working in the padi fields seem to be wearing very chic designer gear and as far as I can see everyone seems to benefit in Ranau.

The Bundle challenge

Just watching

   The 1st of May is also a public holiday here and also marks the beginning of the month of the  Dusun harvest festival known as the Pesta ka'amatan. This is a Sabah festival that traditionally begins after the first full moon after the harvest is finished and  each village spends a few days in celebration and thanks of a successful harvest.The joyous thanks to the rice spirit, known as Bambaazon , are led by the Bobohizans, who are the ritual experts and nearly always women. I believe it is a very intricate and meaningful ritual which I have to find out more about.The celebrations include sports, feasts,drinking large quantities of the rice wine (tapai), dancing and singing and there is a a beauty contest held in each village with the final held in Penempang on the 30th and 31st of May ( more public holidays!). I intend to find out as much as I can about the various rituals and traditions. It is a reflection of the very laid back attitude that the Sabahans have to their new religions of Christianity and Islam. The ancient beliefs and traditions still seem to be very strong.

Harvest over! .

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