THE statewide Kaamatan Festival in Penampang may have come and gone on May 31 but for Terian, in Ulu Papar, it had just ended.
We spent some time with a family in Terian to experience their preparations for Kaamatan last Saturday and what it means to them.
Terian is about two hours’ drive by 4WD or a four-hour hike from Donggongon. But in bad weather, a 4WD drive may take a lot longer.
“The last time, it took us seven hours by four wheel drive,” said Teoh Shu Woan as we watched CTing Sipail, who drove us to Terian with his family members, revved the engine to drive out of mud at 10 in the night.
“This is why I prefer hiking,” Shu Woan said.
Shu Woan is doing her masters in marine conservation at University Malaysia Sabah. Her research focuses mainly on Irrawady dolphins.
Originally from Puchong, Selangor, she celebrated Kaamatan and New Year’s Eve in Terian two years running since her first visit there with a Mercy mission in 2010.
“She’s part of our family now,” CTing said.
Trees and starry nights
The road we took was partially built by loggers and the government. It is mostly red soil and there are several rivers to pass as well.
At one point of the journey, the Kota Kinabalu city scape could be seen but most of the time, the view is limited to trees and, if you travel at night, stars will fill the skies. A rare sight if you’ve lived in the city your whole life. If you were lucky, you could catch a falling star!
When the road got too difficult, CTing’s cousin Roy would jump out of the 4WD cargo with a shovel to clear mud for CTing to drive over.
This happened a few times on our way up to Terian but it is not something new to them. Roy and CTing know exactly where the most difficult parts of the road are and what needs to be done.
When we arrived at Terian, the only source of light we had, aside from our flashlights, were from the starry heavens. I caught sight of two shooting stars when we got to Terian and even the milky way could be seen. We carried our bags and walked up to the Sipail residence.
The Sipail family consist of 13 siblings and their oldest brother, Blasius Sipail, is the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK).
Seven of the Sipails were there to celebrate Kaamatan, including their mother who lives in Terian.
According to Diana Sipail, the rest of the siblings were with their husbands and one was in labour.
The family have been living in Terian for generations.
“My mother was born in 1935, and she’s been living here ever since. The family lived through the Japanese occupation and British colonisation,” she added.
Three-day event
Kaamatan is not your typical harvest festival. It is celebrated on different dates in different villages and each village has its own unique tradition.
Terian’s Kaamatan is a three-day event with sports events for the children, football competition for both girls and boys apart from Best Dish, Best Tapai and a lucky draw.
As simple as they may seem, these events involved everyone from the community and I had this feeling everyone in the Terian community was part of one big family.
Even by just living in their house, they treated me like family. They were not trying to hide anything and were completely comfortable with the presence of a stranger.
They offered me more than I could ever ask for and treated me as one of them. The sense of belonging is the most wonderful gift anyone could give a stranger.
Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: A memorable Kaamatan Festival at Terian, Ulu Papar
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