I was in Kuching for the first time the last 3 days attending a convention on Applied and Creative Arts organised by UNIMAS. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable trip, meeting new people from the academic side of design and basking in the history and culture of the city.
Overall, UNIMAS has an interesting array of programs with a diverse academic body. We were even treated to a fashion show by the Department of Textile and Fashion. Although I stereotypically enjoyed the papers by the foreign academics a little more, it was a good convention all in all and hope to be able to attend more in the future. Learned quite a bit and hope to put it to use in the college.
Kuching is quite laidback city and although highly colourful at night, leaves much to be desired in terms of activity. Being quite spread out, although in a manageable area, the city seems to be in a perpetual lull. No one here seems rushed, even the service staff of the hotels and restaurants, and it can be quite disconcerting at times!
The river is in many ways the heart of the city. This is where the tourists and locals gather and it's a wonderful place to walk and relax. The river is beautiful both during the night and day and it's a wonderful sight.
Just by the riverside is a row of shops, mostly selling tourist'y stuff. My colleagues and I spent a good half day here shopping for souvenirs. As usual, I got the decorated and ceremonial Pua Kumbu cloth, bead necklaces for mom and sis, and ethnically decorated batik print shirts.
Food in Sarawak isn't as good as Melaka or Penang. Shown here is the Kolo Mee which tastes to me very much like Indomie. It's very savoury and a tad oily but not too bad. I can't say the same though for the dish below.
This is the Belacan Beehoon that a local colleague was raving over. It's a strange concoction of rice noodles, squid and vegetables in watery liquid topped with belacan and this gelatinous sweet brown glob. My colleague aptly describes it as eating noodles with seawater.
I've also heard lots of SugarBun's dominance in Kuching. I think it's a weird franchise concept and it has obviously not done well in the Peninsular. It's quite thriving here but I have to say, the food, at relatively high prices is just not worth it.
Kuching is a beautiful city, with obvious signs of metropolitan modernity yet holding strong to its deep seated culture and heritage. It's as slow moving as the river in many ways but there's an appeal to the city that's difficult to describe. The whole 3 days there felt home'y... I can never say the same when I visit other places like Penang.
It would be nice to come again and this time, I'll be prepared with loads of empty luggage. Souvenir shopping in Kuching can be very theraupeutic and delightful!
