Chris Goes To Cannes

Published May 2009

Sabahan film director Chris Chong is currently a very happy man. I suppose you would be too, if your first full length feature film was selected for screening at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight and has been nominated for the highly coveted Camera d’Or (Golden Camera) - awarded to the best debut feature film of the festival. This puts Chris in the same neighbourhood with past nominees and winners at Cannes such asFrancis Ford Coppola, Mira Nair, Anton Corbijn and Tran Ahn Hung just to name a few.

Chris's film "Karaoke" tells of protagonists Batik's trials and tribulations of life and love in a karaoke joint set in the estate of a Malaysian oil palm plantation, and the early buzz on it seems to be strong and postive.

Now it has to be stressed that not only is Cannes the oldest, most respected and sophisticated film festival on the planet, but Chris's offering is the first Malaysian film to show at Cannes in over 14 years. Realistic and down to earth, Chris's nod to his home town roots are evident in the choice of moniker for his film company, aptly and wittily named, Tanjung Aru Pictures. All in all, a truly inspiring achievement from someone Malaysia has every reason to be proud of.

Congratulations on your latest achievement. How does it feel getting this amount of recognition for your work?

CC:  It's been so overwhelming that I have not had time to really understand what's going on.  Because of the rush to get the film done in time for the official screening, I've not celebrated yet nor understand the recognition.  I'm stuck in the studio most of the time so it's hard to know what's happening in the outside world.  I can't wait to get to Kota Kinabalu to celebrate with my friends and family there. 



What got you into the film industry in the first place?

CC:  The film industry is very new to me.  It's only been in the past 2 years that I've jumped into doing bigger festivals.  But showing films in festivals doesn't mean that it is part of the industry where big business is done.  Festivals are really mostly to support art house films that are different, challenging for the audience, and breaks boundaries.  So in a sense, festivals are part of the film industry, but more for the showcase of unique films that are hard to see anywhere else.  Actually, I don't feel like I'm in the film industry.  It feels quite far away to me because I make films not to make money, but to make new kinds of films.  Unfortunately, to make films, you need money, so it's a real dilemma for filmmakers. 
 


Tell us a little more about yourself. What would you like readers to know about you?

CC:  It's best not to know too much about people who make films.  Sometimes bad people make good films (laughing). I've always wanted to be a professional international badminton player.  Mixed Doubles.
 


What projects are you currently working on, or are planning for the future?

CC: I'm excited about my next feature film because it will be shot in Kota Kinabalu.  It is a small film, but it's a dream for me to shoot in my hometown.  I'm also working on another media installation project early next year.  I've been fascinated by architecture the past few years, so that's my direction right now. 



In your opinion, how are Malaysian filmmakers perceived internationally?

CC: Malaysian filmmakers have a strong unique voice internationally right now.  The reason is because of the wide range of works that are really adventurous.  Malaysian independent cinema is definitely being eagerly watched by the world today.  The only problem is, it's not being watched by Malaysians. 
This is due to the lack of support by big businesses and creative industries.  Anyone and everyone working in the creative fields should be supporting artists of all kinds, not just film.  Hopefully this will change when Malaysians believe that life is about being part of the arts and culture around us.  Without it, what do we have to look forward to?  What do we share with our families in the future?




Given a chance, name your dream cast of actors you would love to work with?

CC:  I don't have a dream cast because my desire to make films starts from 'objects and places'.  Actors and the film crew all work together to make these 'objects and places' into something cinematic.  It's a wonderfully challenging and satisfying process to make something out of common things we all take for granted.

What do your family and friends think about your chosen profession?

CC: My family have always been supportive of what I do, and my friends just laugh at me and pass the microphone to me to sing another song at the karaoke.  When I make my own personal films, it is not a profession because I don't do it to make a profit.  So I think my friends and family are still waiting for me to get a real job.  (laughing)




Any advice for budding filmmakers out there? Some tips perhaps?

CC:  Making films is not the only way to express yourself.  Being socially responsible to the environment, taking care of families, helping your community are all experiences you can use to express yourself.  Film is only one very small part.  Seriously, making films is not important.  If you're not passionate about the world around you, then you'll have nothing to say. 
I think filmmaking is kind of like a personal diary.  You write down your experiences in the busy crazy outside world after a long day and it is never spoken.  But when you start to share your experiences, people will listen because they want to know your point of view on the same world you share with them.  This is how cinema can speak to everyone. 

To find out more on Chris's work visit www.tanjungarupictures.com

Miss Masala

Published April 2009

Mallika Basu is a name that is fast becoming popular in kitchens all over the UK. Food enthusiast, blogger and author, Mallika's site, Quick Indian Cooking, has pretty much taken over the blogosphere as she captures the quintessence of the travails of Indian cookery with an aptness not many are able to rival. 

Her kitchen prowess, coupled with a sharp wit and humorous writing style has also led to a book deal with Harper Collins. Mallika's handbag sized book "Miss Masala" is due out in March 2010 and has already been described by those in the know as a perfect spice-laden blend of Madjur Jaffrey meets Sex And The City.  

* Tell us a bit about your background, what got you blogging about Indian cooking in the first place?

MB : I started my career as a journalist and then went on to work in Public Relations. During this time, I taught myself how to cook Indian food. I missed it so much in cold and grey England, away from my family home in Kolkata, India. I came across a real misconception among people that Indian cooking is time consuming and difficult. I spent my days finding gaps in the market for client, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to explore a possible one for myself. That is, a normal girl next door who cook and eats home cooked Indian food and lives life to the fullest. The blog was born to change these misconceptions about Indian home cooking through the everyday stories of someone that everyone could relate to.

* Due to the success of your site do people recognize you on the street?

MB : Not yet, but I have a false beard and a blonde wig for when that does start happening.

* Must-Have Indian condiments for a kitchen?

MB : Mango pickle, microwave-friendly papad, frozen ready-to-cook flatbreads like naan and rotis and yogurt. That's a full basic meal. And then you can venture to the spices. I started my Indian cooking efforts by buying all the ingredients listed for the two simplest recipes I could find –Chicken Curry and Keema Mattar – and I built my spice collection from there.

* What is your earliest and happiest food memory?

MB : Running around our enormous Kolkata flat in my pants with a ripe mango half in my mouth and half dribbling down my chin. Summertime back there was mango heaven.

* Congratulations on the upcoming book. Could you give us some details about that?
MB : Thanks! It's called Miss Masala and is a lifestyle narrative cookbook. So it'll be full of anecdotes and irreverent observations from my life, my personal learnings combined with simple recipes for even the most novice Indian cooks. It's being published by Harper Collins in March 2010 and they have grand plans to make it a bright and funky handbag-sized feast. I can't wait!

* Funniest kitchen mishap?
MB : Probably when I stuck a tin of baked beans in the microwave, which then exploded. Or more recently when I dry roasted semolina and took the Teflon coating off a non-stick pan with a lifetime guarantee. Seriously, there are way too many mishaps. I religiously burn, scald and cut myself in the kitchen. Even staying sober until the food is cooked for my own dinner parties is a real challenge most of the time.

* What would be the biggest misconception about you?

MB : That I am some academy trained, serious, food intellectual. I believe food is one important slice of a full, fun and vibrant life and want to spread the love about delicious Indian home cooking without the frills.

* All-time favorite Indian dish that you couldn't live without?
MB : It would have to be Tarka Dal. Dal is a lentil curry we eat with virtually every meal and tarka refers to the spices tempered in hot oil that are poured into it. This buttery yellow concoction is so comforting. I often have this with steaming hot Basmati rice and some chilli pickle.

* Apart from Indian food what other types of cuisine do you enjoy on a regular basis? Any thoughts on Malaysian food?

MB : I eat dim sum every Sunday and regularly go out for Japanese, Thai and Malaysian food. I absolutely love the taste and texture of Malaysian food and my favourites are the coconut milk chicken curry, Beef Rendang, Pandan Chicken and  Penang Laksa. I've also tried making Nasi Goreng at home and it wasn't too bad. Although I wouldn't serve it to my Malaysian friends yet!

* What would you recommend to first timer looking to start experimenting with preparing Indian cuisine?

 MB : The number of spices can be a bit daunting for a first timer so I would remind them that you can easily leave an ingredient or two out if you don't have them. The trick is to make sure you have most of the ingredients, and the one that gets a mention in the recipe name. Also, practice makes perfect. If you don't get it right the first time just try again.

 www.quickindiancooking.com

Humour Synonyms

Published November 2008


Not too long ago I was conducting an online interview with a one Mr. Nury Vittachi. Easily South East Asia's most prominent columnist and general poker of fun at all things Asian-centric, I asked Mr. Vittachi what inspired him when it came down to finding the humour in everydayness.
"In Asia, you don't have to make up jokes," he replied. "You just have to follow the news and write it down."
A sound bit of advice from a man who was a joy to interact with and whom I learnt a great deal from. But he got me thinking in the way that writersdo, if you may permit me a small bon mot. Okay then let's be realistic. I'm a budding scribbler with daydreams of becoming a published author in my own right. But in the meantime I get to flex my figurative muscles and somewhat predictable wordplay out on the gentle readers of this fine column who are quite possibly groaning aloud by this point my inconsequential fluffing. Cough.

I suppose what I am trying to get at is that I would like to be a better humour writer. Comedy isn't easy guys. Believe me when I say that as I have a whisper of experience in this department. Sometime last year I had signed up for a 10 week online humour writing course with New York based and world renowned Gotham Writers' Workshop. My dalliances with comedy of the literary sort were truly an experience that I still have very fond memories of. And the open praise from my lecturer Siobhan Adcock in stating that I was the "reigning gross-out master of the class" is a moniker that I still have fond memories of. As I was reminded several times over, humour is a skill that requires effort, study, work and lots of practise. And a pretty bizarre take on life I suspect.

Not too long ago I was given a quote which I play over in my head every so often : "Everyone likes to think that they have a sense of humour. Just as they like to believe that they are good drivers." I conducted a little experiment of sorts on several upstanding individuals and the results were interesting to say the least. Now whether or not said individuals are indeed fine comedians and possess the skills and prowess that would put Massa to shame on the F1 circuit is irrelevant. The point to my little analytical observation on the human psyche is that the above-mentioned statement is indeed true to a point. We all think we're pretty funny. And that and we're awesome drivers too.

Whenever I'm feeling a little blah and a bit too serious (which never helps budding comedic writers unless you're Woody Allen), I turn to a fine, shining example of writerhood ; Mimi Smartypants.
Ms. Smartypants is a pseudonym for quite possibly the most hilarious Chicago native unleashed on the literatti in a very long time. A wife, mother and author of her very own book, The World According To Mimi Smartypants, (solely based on entries from her blog) publishing house paragon Harper Collins felt she had enough chops to be put on paper and so they went ahead and the rest, as they say, is history. Mimi Smartypants exhibits humour, hangovers and a touch of hypochondria all rolled into some very easy, laugh-out-loud-variety reading.

A small excerpt from one of her recent postings :

"Today I decided that I really hate my laugh. I was laughing at something and for one terrible self-aware moment I clearly heard myself, and I had the high-pitched giggle of an unhinged Muppet. So I played around a while with ways to change it, but I quickly ran out of funny stuff to laugh at so the experiment was abandoned. Right now I am alone in the house and drinking a lot of tea, having a maniacal typing and reading marathon. Something struck me funny in the middle of this caffeine-a-thon and I found myself laughing by actually saying 'Ha Ha Ha'. This is not an improvement over the Muppet thing so I give up."

Mimi Smartypants may be found at www.smartypants.dairyland.com

A Row Of Lights

Published October 2008


Monday October 27th marked quite possibly the largest Indian festival celebrated across the board; The Festival Of Lights. Diwali or Deepavali as it is more popularly known here in Malaysia, signifies different things for the wide range of Indians who observe it. On this day a large number of Indian household will have lit candles and diyas (clay lamp) in and around their homes.

Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Nepali Buddhists in particular are the main religious groups for whom Deepavali holds special significance. For our Hindu friends, this day marks the battle and subsequent triumph of Lord Krishna over the evil demon Narakasura, exemplifying that age-old adage of good toppling evil. Another legend of note is Lord Vishnu's defeat over King Bali who was banished to the underworld to pay for his misdeeds.  

Deepavali represents the return of King Rama, the King of Ayodha, after a fourteen year exile in battle in which he destroyed the demon king Ravana. Upon hearing of his return loyal subjects lit oil lamps to light the way for the return of their king as he traveled from South India back to his home in North India. The lighting of these lamps (deepa) in a row (avali) gives us the name Deepavali, which when translated into Hindi becomes Diwali. Both terms are perfectly acceptable and are merely a geographical indication of the origin of the speaker, nothing more. The journey of King Rama back to his kingdom could also explain why in certain parts of South India, Deepavali is celebrated one day earlier compared to North India.

Sikhs consider Diwali to be a very important religious holiday as it was on this day in 1577 that the first stone of the Golden Temple, the bastion of the Sikh religion, was laid. Diwali was also the day that Guru Hargobind and 52 Hindu Kings were freed from political imprisonment on October 15th 1619. To give thanks for their release devotees lit oil lamps in the city of Amritsar to honor and welcome the Guru home.

Jains too consider Deepavali as their holiest of festivals as it was on this same day that their Lord Mahavira achieved Nirvana, the highest attainable level of enlightenment.

Indians, regardless of religion or faith, acknowledge Deepavali to be their main festival and it is one that is celebrated with equal pomp and circumstance. And unlike other fixed-dated religious holidays such as Christmas, Deepavali will always fall on the first day of the lunar month of Kartika which is usually in either October or November.

It would be inaccurate to state that there are concrete practices and habits to celebrate Deepavali as some begin religious preparations up to three weeks prior. It is however safe to say that a large majority will make their way to their respective temples and places of worship early in the morning after a traditional oil bath. New clothes and bright colors are the norm with the exception of black which is deemed to be inauspicious. A festive mood is a must with family, friends and food. Indian sweets such as ladoo and barfi are prevalent as are other delicacies associated with this occasion.

Most Hindus will usually observe the four to six day Deepavali festival, each day representing a different tale or legend, culminating again in the defeat of the bad by the good and highlighting the positiveness brought by illumination into hearts and homes signified by a small oil lamp.
Certain faiths like Jainism however mark Deepavali through fasting and meditation, taking a more restrained and ascetic approach to an otherwise boisterous and bright celebration.

Deepavali is celebrated the world over given the vast migration of Indians. Due to this reason several countries have gazetted Deepavali as an official public holiday in their respective calendars.

It is safe to say that Deepavali or Diwali holds true to the simplicity of good versus bad. A reminder, irrespective whether it be fact or fable, that light eventually vanquishes darkness. An amazing lesson packed to the brim with rich history, signified by the humble act of lighting a small clay diya.

When Writer's Block Strikes

Published August 2008

I will be honest. Up until the 11th hour and at the risk letting my very understanding, very kind (and by now somewhat ready to drop kick me across the room) editor down, I resigned myself to the fact that I was suffering from a severe form of writer's block. I spent the last few days heeing and hawing about possible topics that would hopefully not render readers into a zombified deep sleep brought about by sheer boredom - but instead be deemed as interesting. Or at best, funny.

When writing for this column I try my best to be as politically correct and as inoffensive as I can - which is usually an uphill task for me. In real life I am regularly unPC and interestingly offensive in person. But somehow I manage to get away with it. Either I'm better looking than I think and people find it charming (sadly unlikely) or I have some very kind friends (which sounds more like it).

A fellow writer recently suggested that I should treat this column as if it were an extension of my blog. And for today, that idea goes down very well with me. I have decided to share snippets of my life by way of interesting observations that have either sparked my interest or simply tickled the figurative funny bone.

WHILE IN THE ELEVATORI work in a prominent building in the central business district in Kota Kinabalu. Not only does this place have a ton of offices under its belt, there are also about a million people who make their way here on a daily basis to shop and to eat. While crammed inside the elevator the other day I spotted a man and a woman canoodling and cooing to each other. While this is not an unusual sight, what grabbed my attention were their respective shirts. The woman was wearing a top with the words "He Is My Prince" proudly printed across it. Not to be outdone her male counterpart's shirt read "She Is My Princess".
I stifled a condescending snort and tried hard to look elsewhere.
In the same elevator I then spotted another woman wearing a badge that read "Lose Weight Now. Ask Me How!"
I'll be honest and admit that I truly did want to ask her how. If only she looked as if she was losing some weight that is. Yes, she had girth.
I'll also admit to feeling a bit left out as I don't have shirts with slogans on them or attention grabbing badges. I then made a mental note to go shopping. Fashion police be darned.

YOU'RE JUST NOT THAT CUTE ENOUGH
So the Olympics are upon us. And China has done its best to exhibit, with all the pomp and circumstance it can muster, just how it can kick it Asian style to the rest of the world. Dalliances with human rights groups and topics of air pollution were, for a limited time, downplayed as everyone settled in to watch and appreciate some truly stellar levels of sports.
 I'm sure millions of people tuned in to the opening ceremony and I'll admit to being wowed by the sheer amount of planning that went in to it. A visual feast, that was.

Sadly however, we were made aware of certain distasteful goings-on behind the scenes.
I'm sure we've all heard that little Lin Miaoke who performed China's national anthem "Ode To The Motherland" at the opening ceremony was actually lip syncing. The reasons given for this were that

a) The original singer Yang Peiyi was deemed 'not cute enough'

b) The child on camera “should be flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression,” stated officials.

The reason behind all of this? “National interest,” they said.

Somehow this still leaves me with a very bad taste in my mouth as it clearly seems to undermine the true nature of the Olympic Games, the solidarity and humanity of it all. Not cool, China. Not cool at all.

WHILE ON SKYPE TODAY
Anyone here not familiar with a certain computer software program called Skype? Right a brief introduction then. Skype is very simply a communications tool that allows you to send instant messages online, as well as make phone calls. Many happy hours have been spent by yours truly, annoying office colleagues with burning questions such as "What time are we having lunch?", "Can we eat soon?", "Are you hungry yet?" and the like. I'm sure you get the drift. Some very serious and highly technical banter indeed.

What I had not encountered until only a few short hours ago was Skype spam. No not the processed meat in a tin but junk mail. Usually advertising some get-rich-quick scheme or another. I was reaching for the delete button when I noticed the last paragraph in the spam message :

"Start your Journey With Us Today!
(If you are not interested, thousand sorry for disturb!)."

I had visions of unleashing a thousand sorry-for-disturbs on innocent, unsuspecting individuals. Could you even begin to imagine the amount of pandemonium I could cause? A very pleasant thought indeed as I rub my hands together with some measured level of glee while I try to reign in my imagination before it runs awry.

MEN, CATCALLING AND STRATEGEMSCountless women friends have relayed stories on the unsmoothness of men and the efforts put forth in attempting to gain the attention of the fairer sex. Apart from the whistling, childish posturing and general noisemaking, men seem to be applying the singing technique. What is it? Imagine you're just walking along, doing your thing. One guy spots you and in an effort to get you to notice him, will sprout off and display his vocal prowess. Usually cheesy, annoying love songs are the picks of choice. It doesn't matter if this chap has a voice that could scare off Genghis Khan and the invading Mongol hordes, he will sing and do his level best to make sure you take note of him at the very least.

A blogging friend relayed a story the other day about how she was walking to her car while being serenaded to by a gentleman who was clearly trying to get her to notice him.

"Did he stop?" I asked

"No," she replied. "He sang louder. What did he expect me to do? Am I supposed to come to a stop, giggle, bat my eyelids and twirl my hair with a finger and coyly say, "Why hello there stranger."?'

The lady had a point.

There simply has to be some secret classes being conducted out there which  teach the lads on how to approach women with these superfly smoothness techniques. Love Songs Butchering 101? How To Get Any Woman You Want Simply By Making Annoying Kissing Sounds?

That's pretty much it for this week. In next week's column I'll be interviewing Jen Pinkowski, noted freelance writer and contributor to that pantheon of great writing, the New York Times. Jen is in town for a few days as a tourist and from what I understand is enjoying her first visit to Sabah a great deal.

Showing Up

Published August 2008


Freelance writer and independent journalist Jen Pinkowski made a stop in Sabah recently on one of her many travels and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to sit with her and pick her brain a little. New York Times contributor and world traveler, Jen aims to experience as much as possible and share her thoughts and opinions with others.
I could go on about her globetrotting accomplishments but I think the following introduction on Jen's website does a far better job :


"Egypt answered her questions about the cult of a boozy, lion-headed goddess. Thailand scared the mosquitoes off her with an entomological smack. China hosted Jen's look into ancient bronze technology; squat toilets and street food; and ways to stay two steps ahead of Ed Norton while hiking. Kashmir simply grabbed Jen by the shoulders and gave her a damned good shake. And that's just part of the reportage.

Closer to home in New York City, Jennifer has written about the post-9/11 crackdown on illegal immigrants; Pluto, paleontology, and poetry; homeless veterans and teenage prostitutes; censored books and freedom of information; and how infomercials are the epitome of American televangelism.
Jennifer has devoted 2007 to a solo global reporting adventure through a dozen countries in Asia and Europe, and then sorting through it all back home in NYC."



THIS IS YOUR FIRST VISIT TO SABAH. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO HEAD OVER HERE?
An old friend invited me. She said she had plans to come here and I think that was a good enough reason for me.I've been to China, Vietnam, India and Indonesia but never to this part of Malaysia.I think Malaysia is my 20th country to visit. But there are a lot of places that I still haven't been to.


YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, ARCHAEOLOGY MAGAZINE AND DISCOVER MAGAZINE AMONGST A LOT OF OTHERS. WHAT WOULD YOU BE WRITING ABOUT WITH REGARDS TO SABAH? ANY BROAD STROKES?
Archaeologically speaking I will be writing about ancient coffins that have been found around Sabah. I would also like to write something about scuba diving that would incorporate ecological issues such as unsustainable fishing. Another thing would be my recent trip to Danum Valley. I'd like to write about the unusual wildlife there, particularly ants. There is this ant behavior that only happens in Sabah and in the Amazon jungle, just these two places in the world. It's basically two different ant species sharing the same nest.It's a phenomenon called parabiosis. It's sometimes called mutualism. I'm still in the exploratory mode and I'm still trying to process everything.



TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF - YOUR BACKGROUND, HOW YOU STARTED
I've been living in New York for half my life so I'm a qualified New Yorker now. Someone told me it takes eight years before you can call yourself a true New Yorker. I don't know why but it's a very arbitrary number. I graduated from a small liberal arts college called Sarah Lawrence. My degree was in Fiction Writing and Photography. I then went to the Columbia University Graduates School of Journalism. That was in 2001 and I had already worked for some small magazines and publishing houses. I've been a staff writer, editor and also a freelancer in various magazines. From Cosmopolitan to Discover, Business Traveler and Archaeology to name a few.
I'm married. No kids. Three cats.My family is very water oriented. I grew up by a lake and now my parents live by the ocean. That is what I've really enjoyed about being in Sabah, everything is so coastal and I enjoyed being by the water. And even in Danum Valley there was a river there which was great. I also do photography, of nature more than anything else. I would like to pursue photography more as a professional but it always takes a backseat to the writing as I have more experience in writing and editing.But I have certainly gotten some wonderful shots since I've been here, mostly of the natural beauty.



ANY TIPS FOR WOULD-BE WRITERS?
I guess it depends on deciding what kind of writer you want to be. I still like to write fiction sometimes but it's extremely difficult to make a living as a fiction writer. That's probably the first bit of advice; have a day job.
Also just keep writing. Write stories that compel you, that entertain you in some ways. Read a lot. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to be a writer, because I love to read. And it's the best way to learn how to be a writer, learning about structure and how to tell a story, which is probably the most important thing.
Learn how to tell just one story because there are so many stories that it's easy to get off track, which is something I'm always struggling with. That's part of the process of defining your narrative. And that applies to both fiction and non-fiction writing.



WHAT'S A FAVORITE TRAVEL STORY? 
There are so many, I'm trying to think. My favorite story is maybe a little inappropriate but I've been entertaining people with it lately.This has to do with a Hungarian anesthesiologist I met on a train to Budapest. We were drinking some wine and he started to hit on me. He had his hand on my knee and after I explained I was married he grabbed my foot. And shoved it in his mouth. I guess he liked feet. I extracted my foot from his grasp and told him I had to go. That's not really illuminating about traveling though.

I could tell you my favorite story about Sabah from being on this trip and that was in Danum Valley. My friend and I were going to a limestone cave when we came across some large elephant prints in the mud. One set of prints were small, so they were from a juvenile. And elephants are known for being very territorial and protective. We did not want to get in between mama elephant and baby elephant but there was this excitement of following that trail, whether we were going to encounter these elephants or not. We were excited to be doing it and we did not know what was going to happen, even though we were a little terrified. It was so much new stimulus, of the experience of dodging leeches and the heat and the humidity. I think travel for me is about not knowing what is going to happen and being excited by it. A bit scared sometimes and unsettled but getting through it and testing boundaries.



YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ENJOY TRAVELING ALONE
When I'm with another person, my focus is on them. When I'm traveling alone, I don't really have to talk to anybody. And maybe I don't really want to compromise what I want to do. Traveling alone makes me far more approachable to other people. A lot of people start conversations with me, adopt me for a little while and take me around. I think partially that has to do with being a woman, which can be a really good thing or a really bad thing. It has its own set of challenges as well. Particularly being a western woman in non-western regions, there are certain images about who western women are, what they do. But for the most part I think that traveling alone makes me more approachable to other women who would be less inclined to approach a single man because that might be problematic. This has given me a lot of experiences that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Sometimes you can learn the most about a culture simply by figuring out the bus system and getting on one and getting lost. Like here in KK I took the wrong bus and got lost. Somebody helped me out and pointed out the right minibus for me to take. I observed minibus life and that was okay. It's better than having somebody put me on a bus and direct me to the site that they think I should see simply because I'm a foreigner here and that's what I'm supposed to see.



AND YOU'RE WORKING ON A BOOK ABOUT YOUR TRAVELS, "SHOWING UP"
Well Woody Allen once said that ninety percent of life is just showing up and I'm a pretty firm believer in that. You don't have to have a plan all the time and you can't control everything. I may not know what's going to happen and I may not have a firm plan about it but you never know where things are going to lead to and you couldn't have anticipated it. The whole world is connected and there are various relationships that can be made. There are so many options.

"Showing Up" is a working title of my book and it's based on the idea of me being a long term resident of New York city and I felt that I was at a crossroad in my life. I wanted to travel and just shake up my perspective. I wanted a new perspective. I wanted to show up at the rest of the world and that's pretty much what I did. I took a four month trip around the world from New York to Reykjavik and spent most of my time in Asia. So the book is basically a travel memoir of the past year and a half and the effect a place can have on a person and how that forms an identity. I think that's a question we're all kind of asking ourselves : "Why am I here?". And I wanted to know what that meant for other people so I tried to explore that with others and also explored that within myself, how I defined myself. I think we're always looking for our identities and over time they change, not necessarily drastically but the experiences and relationships that we have all form our objectives and how we see ourselves. 

Ideally I would be a free floating brain without a body or cultural attachments, not just an American journalist, so that I could be culturally immersed and truly see how people think and feel. We have different cultural manifestations of who we think we are but everybody is essentially the same. Anger, sadness, excitement and all of those things. And around the world how these emotions manifest is different a lot of the time and is interesting but it all comes down to the same thing. Utter difference and utter similarity for me is one of the most fascinating things about travel.


.jenpinkowski.com

Air Charters With An Altitude

Published September 2008


Not too long ago I was given the opportunity to tag along on what was my first helicopter ride. Never having been in one before I felt a little nervous yet pretty keen at the same time. The experience could not have been more enjoyable as it gave me some truly unparalleled views of Kota Kinabalu city and her surrounding islands. Organized by Sabah Air Aviation Sdn. Bhd. and briefed by Ms. Tova Waage, Sabah Air's Marketing Manager, I did feel a little precious walking to the waiting Jet Bell Ranger and tried to soak up and observe as much as I could as we whirred off for a city tour. 

Tova was kind enough to sit with me for a bit and answer some laypersonlike questions I had about Sabah Air and helicopters in general, joking "We offer air charters with an altitude".


Could you tell us a bit more about Sabah Air's history?
Sabah Air began operations in 1975 and was then a solely owned company. The government now owns 51% of the company but the management is new and is going to take Sabah Air to a new level. We have basically come up with an updated logo and branding which is something fresh and exciting for the company. We are also going to redo every single helicopter and aircraft with the new logos, a rebranding of image.

At the moment we do mainly aerial surveys and government work but we are starting to do more tourist transfers from hotels. We also do a lot of work underslum, which means that if the government builds a school in the interiors of Sabah the helicopter would transport all the material there - which then has a low impact on the enviroment. You wouldn't have to build roads to ferry the materials, you could just use a helicopter.



Who would you say are the niche market segment that Sabah Air is gearing towards with your rebranding?
We want want to cover every possible angle, whether it is construction, aerial surveys, VIP transfers, we want to be there for everybody at a reasonable rate. I have actually looked at other helicopter charter sites worldwide and to be honest we are a quarter of the price compared to what is charged in places like Australia and the UK. So we are very reasonable and very competitive.



What are some of the highlights of seeing Kota Kinabalu by air?
It gives you a whole new perspective of things, looking down below as opposed to standing on the ground. It is easier to get your bearings, to get the layout of the land. And what a great way to enjoy places like Mount Kinabalu and the countryside. We offer twenty minute joyrides around the city based on 4 passengers that works out to be around RM260 per person. We also offer Mount Kinabalu aerial tours which are an hour long.



Helicopters can go anywhere and everywhere?
As long as you give us a landing space the size of a tennis court, that's all we need. 



Any interesting requests from passengers?
Yes there was this young man who wanted to propose to his girlfriend. So together with this young man and a local resort here we decided to write his proposal in the sand for the lady to read. 
This was a surprise and the lady knew nothing. The helicopter went to pick them up, off they flew and backed over this message in the sand. The young lady then cries and agrees to marry the man and it's all very exciting. But the captain was afraid and asked me beforehand "What do I do if she says no?". I told him to just keep flying. 

And it's small things like that which are fun where we get to be flexible. There are a couple of helicopter flights in October where we are going to be working together with a local tour operator where we will transfer people from a resort here to a restaurant. The thing is that the guests all think that they will be transferred by bus. So the plan is to have the buses conveniently break down right by a clearing. There will be lots of irritated people, some screaming and shouting especially when they are told they won't be able to get another bus. 
Then the organizer will call me, the helicopters will fly in and take these guests off to dinner as a surprise. 



What does Sabah Air offer by way of services in the tourism market?
We actually offer short flights to places like Kudat where there is an extremely short runway on which only certain aircraft may land. We also fly to Layang-Layang island which is one hour and twenty minutes by flight on the Nomad which can seat about 10 people. 
For the helicopters we have the Bell Jet Ranger 206 which can seat 4 people and the Long Ranger which can seat 6 people and can get you from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat in 40 minutes. 



What would you like the public to know about Sabah Air?
We are committed to highlighting the beauty that Sabah has to offer. It's all so picturesque and scenic. That we are also flexible, that we can follow pretty much any request you have provided it doesn't go against aviation rules and regulations. And that helicopter charters are not as expensive as people think. That has long been fixed in people's mindsets; that helicopters are only for VIPs and that they are expensive. We want to change this because that is just not the case 



Sabah Air Aviation Sdn. Bhd.
Locked Bag 113
Kota Kinabalu 88999
Sabah, Malaysia
Telephone : +6-088-484733 / 484326 / 484687
Fax : +6-088-484557