THE STORY BEHIND "A Bambangan like no others" in Daily Express



My good friend Emmanuel and I were just making a round of the Tamu ground of Donggongon ( Badi in Kadazan) just taking any photo of interest and hunting for any favourite fruits when we came across Jenip Gubal who calls himself a Dusun from Kg Batu Apar, about 10 km from Tenom town.

He claims to own the only tree of this Bambangan species which he called Raja Bambangan or King of Bambangan and inherited from his late father who planted it at his backyard 20 years ago.

He asked us to publicised his ware and even gave us one sample each.
So I took a few pictures during the in-situ interview while my friend took live videos for YOUTUBE.

Gubal says that his Raja bambangan tree is the only one in the Tambunan, Keningau and Tenom areas.  Not all the seeds will grow and the tree bears fruit only once in 2 years, making this fruit rare, he claimed.

So I took my sample fruit home to eat but not before measuring its vital statistic, it was in the shape of a rugby ball and the larger diameter was 9 inch and weight exactly 2 kilos. So I showed it to my sister who proceeded to cut it and it was ripe for eating. I ate half and gave the other half to my niece and husband to try. It was sweet with an added sour tang just like some mango however the fibres are rather thick.

I kept the seeds in order to try and plant it but hunt around in the internet for more information though this is the fruit that I practically grow up with, but the ones we had was much smaller in size and mostly sour and good only for making Nonsom or Pickled bambangan.

I came acrossed Datuk Rayner Stuel Galid's blog called "Frog on a wire" and he said the scientific name is "Mangifera Pajang" and the tree is rare because only big animals can help to disperse its seed and since elephants and other big animals are now rare and so this tree is becoming rare. So the good Datuk urge people to plant this tree in their land.
I posed a question on his blog to ask for his advice on the best chance I can grow the seed and he immediately gave me a reply from his iphone.

Thanks Datuk for sharing, I will try and plant the giant seed.

The Wikipedia has a very short info in this Mangifera and say that this tree is listed by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre as one of the threatened species in 1998. Not surprising because the one that used to grow at my mothers land which my mum called "Kovili" had to be chopped down to make way for my sister's house, another in Donggongon town was cut down to make way for a building and the third one near Dambai Bridge ( please follow my other blog "dambaibridge.blogspot.com" ) will soon be dead to make way for the new bridge.

If only I have an orchard land, I will definitely plant more of this raja bambangan because I believe I still have another 10 years to live, sure can wait for the fruits.

Finally I thought the Daily Express news may like the story and told the editor, if the article is not worth it, maybe we can just share a laugh at the photo where the two fruit he is holding is larger than a lady's breast. Haa ha ha ha

Well, the editor like it (human interest category)  and became a feature in Daily Express yesterday, 30th Aug 2014.  Hey go and read it there.  Yeah, and I believe this is my happy story for MERDEKA for the year 2014.

Cheers to all of you.  And please go and plant one Bambangan tree if you have space in your backyard, so we can preserve our traditional food of nonsom bambangan and contribute to the oxygen for our environment.

More photos here:

Gubal's Bambangan fruit on sale on the ground, just like that

 Close up of an open bambangan flesh to show the quality and the fibre



 

This Bambangan tree near the construction project for the new Dambai Bridge at Penampang will soon die or chopped down because of the upgrading of the road and the bridge.  Pity, probably 20 years of age and fruiting but it will die because the clay soil has been laid on top of the roots.

OPENING OF 1 MALAYSIA INTERNET CENTRE BABAGON 12 AUG 2014

It is one of those things when I have backlogs of events to write about.

This internet centre at Kg Babagon was supposed to be opened on 9th Aug but was postponed to 12th. Still the District Officer was unavailable so his deputy Henry Idol performed the duty on his behalf.

Also in attendance was the Sabah Director of MCMC Jussly Ellis, managers of nearby internet centres such as Kg Inobong, and district chief Bryan Matasing, local JKKK leaders, Wakil anak negeri from Penampang and a bunch of local police to provide security, not that there is any threat during this small event. Nice occasion really, good food and good company. Seems everyone knows one another and nice peaceful village where one can make new friends on the spot too.

So after two short speeches from Jussly and Henry, the official symbolic opening was carried out as in this photo.

Officials in attendance, sitting on far right 2nd row is Bryan Matasing

 Sumazau performance by Babagon children group

 

 

 Henry and Jussly on the ribbons

 

 

 Henry signing the plaque witnessed by Jussly right, and Emily the Babagon internet manager with her assistant Missda.

Two of the above pics were sent to the newspaper but they weren't interested so I publish them here in this blog.


Yet, of the official story I sent to the papers, the official news did not interest them, but the one below about the genious bamboo musician, En Malius Gintal shown here playing the bamboo flute, well it made headlines at Daily Express.

So I don't like to repeat the news here, find that from the newspapers.

In brief, En Malius not only plays the music but teaches the youth on how to play their own traditional intruments and also teach them how to make all of these.  The workshop is given free to the villagers under the sponsorship of the Yayasan Sabah rural development section.

Cheers and happy music jamming boys..

Hmmm and btw, I am a great fan of the music too, tried playing the xylophone but since I am not a keyboardist, kinda did not make it.  ha ha

Here is one video of his music ! !

SABAH CREDIT CORPORATION CSR - HARI RAYA 2014

In a true spirit of 1 Malaysia, more than 100 golden citizens of Penampang who are registered with the Corporate Social Responsibility division of Sabah Credit Corporation celebrated Hari Raya Aidil Fitri at the gymnasium floor of SCC headquarters at Donggongon Town.

The members of the golden citizen club are those 60 years and above by definition although a few who are just a few months away from their 60th birthday also joined as associated members.

SCC has been sponsoring these senior citizens every Wednesday between 9 to 11 am for many types of dance and exercises suitable for their age as a way of keeping fit both physically and mentally, providing the facilities and light refreshments and also staff members for the events.

Last Wednesday 6 August was great fun for the members with two games.

The first game was creativity with multi-coloured plasticine to create their image of Hari Raya. The members were divided into 5 groups which must consist of both male and female.
Group 5 won in the first game because there was 100 % sense of participation and they created the most sophisticated designs with their plasticine.

In the second game of Hari Raya dress fashion and joget dancing, the couple from group 5 was expected to be the winner because they had a Mr Lim who is a well known motivator speaker and expert joget dancer.

The food from the potluck was really great and definitely all of them were Halal.  I wish I can eat them everyday !

Before the event closed for the day, the youngest member with a ukulele pressed upon two young staff of SCC, one male and one female, to sing live in a duet the famous song "Suasana di Hari Raya" by Anuar and Elina.

Well, these two staff can really sing live with just one instrument which showed their immense talent. I think they can qualify to join the Akademi Fantasia.

Thank you SCC for making the lives of the golden citizen around Penampang so meaningful and worth going on until they reach a century.

The Senior Citizens should also make themselves useful by imparting lots of their knowledge stored in their grey matters to the young generation.

First on my list is for the seniors to teach the present young generation all about our own traditional cultures such as gong beating, costumes and food.
Otherwise, our younger generations might lose out if these knowledge are not passed down to the youths.

My pick of the photos.

 Result of the creativity game.

 Joget dance competition

 

 Golden Citizen all dressed up for the party posing with the Head of SCC Finance Division

 

 

Most Handsome Staff of SCC responsible for CSR

Janet and Erica

 

Here is the proof that they can really sing.




While the seniors are naturals at the joget. They do that most of the time at their own family parties anyway.


 

 

CHEERS,  Now looking forward to the next Christmas Party,  keeee hoooi

 

 

Os Woz

KAAMATAN AT BABAGON AND MADSIANG ON 7 JUNE 2014

Here we go again, another event that I kinda forgot to blog even though I had priceless photographs to share.

So here goes my reports and comments.

I was invited by the village chief Ephraim Sipodo Lojingon to attend their late Kaamatan at Madsiang. He is the elder brother of my classmate OKK Gundohing Bryan Matasing Lojingon who was appointed District Chief of the Native Court of Penampang earlier this year. In effect both of them informed me about their village event.

I arrive at the Balai Raya at 9 am only to discover that the celebration here will only start at noon because other villages are having their kaamatan too and the invited VIPs are officiating at the 3 other villages. So I drove to Babagon and was told at a small shop that Babagon village is just about to start their kaamatan so I drove down to the river side of this very beautiful river bank where they have a small community centre and supplemented with additional camp roofs. UPKO Penampang Chief Datuk Donald Mojuntin opened the celebration there and after sampling their magnificent traditional food, I then left for Madsiang, thus missing on their beauty queen contest and other events. However I did manage to get videos of the scenic river.

 Donald checking out the traditional food, all them yummy and I would give 100 percent marks each but I only ate those fish and vegetable dishes.

 Donald checking out the handicrafts on display

 Donald testing the Bamboo Top toy.  He was very good at it, after all he too grew up as kampong kid.

One for the photo album with the scenic Babagon river behind

In fact I even manage to try singing with the Babagon Band but I am not going to show you that silly attempt, instead show you the beautiful Babagon river instead.




Afterward I drove back to Madsiang just before noon and stayed there until the event was completed at about 9 pm.  Hmmm, I was even appointed one of the judges for the traditional food and arak ( rice liquor) competition.
Again I enjoyed the food so much, all free for me !!

 The VIP table with District Officer William Sampil who opened the celebration at Madsiang. Thumbs up from Terence and Bryan

 This is my Priceless Pic with Opposition YB Terence Siambun with the happiest smile my lenses ever captured. This was published to at the Bahasa Section of Daily Express.

 A beauty from Madsiang

 Cute kid queens

 KK Ephraim presenting the trophies to the kid queen

 District Chief Bryan presenting trophies to the teenage queen

Highlight of the day as usual.  Hmm now when can I marry one of these !!