Thursday, March 16, 2006
3/16/2006 06:43:00 AM

'Sakai' Tourist (A Tribute To Robin!)

posted by Francis Ho


Kuchingites are frequently amazed (politically correct term for - 'shocked out of our freaking mind!') by foreign tourists who seem to be so fascinated by things and sights that the locals frequently take for granted. We often muttered to ourselves that it must be symptoms of untreated heat stroke or just plain craziness - 'suku siaw ang-moh!'

The word ‘sakai’ was previously a derogatory term (it's now no longer derisive) reserved for the people from the interiors who upon stepping into the capital city for the first time are confounded by everything they see.





Life in the jungles do not prepare them for the concrete jungle. However these days with much improved transportation modes, televisions and communications; you hardly see these ‘sakais’ anymore; or rather they don't behave so 'sakai' anymore.

However stepping in their shoes now are the … (drums roll please) ta da - ‘sakai’ foreigners! And what better illustration(s) for this than our visitor from kiasu-land, Singapore!

So ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the worldly and widely traveled Robin playing his role as ‘sakai Singapore tourist’ in Kuching-is-so-big, the world-is-so-small land! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

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  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Anonymous Anonymous said:

I feel that everyone should be "sakai"; be a tourist in their own hometown! I do it once in a while. Rent a room at the local hotel, do what tourists do. It's wonderful.

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Wuching said:

i did the sakai thing too when i went back to sibu, it was fun! i wanna do the sakai thing in kuching too, unka be my tour guide?

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Chen said:

hahhaha, being "sakai" occasionally can be fun too :P

wonder how many pict Robin took altogether?

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Selba said:

Hahahaha.... What a great day to start with this "Sakai kiasu Robin" post. Thanks a lot unker!!! If you just can see me right now, you will see a really big smile on my face :D

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

Everytime I'm on a river for the first time and I encountered locals, they would inevitably assume that I must be a "super-sakai foreigner" 'cos NO locals in their right mind would be interested in some godforsaken crocs-infested rivers!

Now of course I'm a 'permanent fixture' on the local rivers near my place.

Would be my pleasure to be a 'guide' for my sakai 'from away' friends! It's nice to see and experience old familar places again for the 'first time'! :)

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Selba said:

Eeeh.. unker, what camera did you use? Am wondering because how come Robin looks so skinny and so young (aged around early 20s)in your pics but then when you see his pics in his blog, he looks chubby and old (aged almost 50 years old)? kekekeke...
Your camera must be really good quality one leh. ;)

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Robin CHAN said:

haha.. when did u take so much pics of me??

Yes, for a city boy like me, going back to the jungle is certainly a different experience.

I live life and enjoy it!

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

flaneur - I'd often wished that if only the powers-that-be could see the rivers through my eyes. I supposed if they chanced upon my blog, they would. I'm glad that in my small way, I'm 'showing' 'em our rivers and i feel gratified that the readership is slowly but surely increasing. Quality readership I might add! :)

selba - I'm sure by now u're aware of my skills/talents with the camera *ahem*. I make everything/everyone looks good - I can't help it!

robin - my kids don't call me "papa-razzi" for nothing! So be afraid - be very afraid! kekeke ;)

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Robin CHAN said:

Selba, I am modest and always want to look older mah...

and BE NICE!!!!!!!!!!!

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Fashionasia said:

somehow the word "suaku" come to mind.
:)

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

robin - in addition to being a "sakai", fashionasia is calling you a "suaku" as well!

How apt! heehee

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger iml said:

Excuse me, some people just have the eye for intricate details. To see more than the ordinary people fail to see.

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Robin CHAN said:

Sakai or Suaku, it is good to be labelled once in a while.

IMLS.. yes, that's me!

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger gus said:

Ay, is that an ice pack between Robin's legs. I read the trip was exciting but it couldn't have been that 'hot'. Or maybe i'm wrong.

Maybe you had to kick Robin out of his 'sakainess'. Ouch, how hard did you kicked?

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

agus - our 'sakai robin' is totally unprepared for the waters; so I had to lend him one of my dry boxes so that he could keep his fancy digital camera and (wait for this) - his hand towel, dry! *sigh*

(I shall make NO mention of his Shishedo Whitening Cream ... ouch!) heehee ;)

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Chen said:

shishedo whitening cream?
mmm..
what else he kept inside the box? kekkeke....

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Selba said:

OMG... *echo chen* -> shishedo whitening cream?
Robin is already so fair loh... wanna be a zombie or what? hahaha...

Hand towel for what?

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger gus said:

Very classy if you ask me ;)

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Robin CHAN said:

aiyo, in case I meet a crocodile, I can at least pretend I am a white ghost mah!!! And you forget my hammer too!

Thanks Agus, you got class too!

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Robin Wong said:

I agree !! Kuching is so big, the world is so small.. ahahhahaaa

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Jeremy C said:

aiyo, liddat i dun dare go kayaking ledi lor - later unka blog abt me being sakai, how? me shy ler... :P

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Chen said:

robin,
u bring hammer for what purpose?
want to knock whose's head? :P

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger 9lives said:

Agus, didn't even noticed the box till u mentioned it. So observant ah.

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger Desmond Douglas Jerukan said:

Be it the real jungle or concrete jungle, have to admit in the concrete jungle I am very sakai. Flying from Kuching to KL at one time, the skyscapers in KL never fail to amaze me....i walk along the City Streets and Highways with my neck strecthed trying my best to get a peek at any lady's skirt at the top of all the highest skyscraper....

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger gus said:

9lives, I scrutinize every picture for all it is worth. Some things are better left unsaid and some are so fun to manipulate...ehehe

Desmond, sakai is not exactly the word in your case...May I suggest 'kanji'...

Robin, where'd you put your metal table? No?

Run Agus, run......

  At Thursday, 16 March, 2006 Blogger The Moody Minstrel said:

Beware of "sakai" middle-aged Americans. They are not only confounded by everything around them, they tend to stop in the middle of crowded sidewalks and wildly gesture about when they are. They can be quite dangerous.

When I was in London for my honeymoon I got walloped in the face three times by fat, middle-aged (and very noisy) American tourists that were standing there pointing around and saying things like, "No, wait, Mabel, I think it's that way!" ***WHACK***

And they didn't even apologize...

(Hey, shaddup...I'm not quite middle aged yet! And Panda, no offense!)

  At Friday, 17 March, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

Heads up folks!

Moody's commenting here - so all of u'd better give him a wide berth ... unless u wanna get WHACKED in the face by this sakai ang-moh! kekeke ;)

Btw, thanks for dropping by. :)

  At Friday, 17 March, 2006 Blogger HappySurfer said:

And that's a 'sakai' visitor to your blog. ;)

  At Friday, 17 March, 2006 Blogger Robin CHAN said:

hehe.. my next hobby would be hide under my metal table, holding my hammer and whacks the middle of the leg between the knee and the heel.

This must be fun!!!

  At Friday, 17 March, 2006 Blogger Lam Chun See said:

Hi. Actually, I do not qualify as 'Sakai' becos I been to S'wak many times. In fact I know the Kuching airport inside out; becos many occasions wait for 3 hrs for connect flight to Bintulu. For sure I know S'wak better than many W Malaysians.

  At Saturday, 18 March, 2006 Blogger Francis Ho said:

lam chun see - well, u know what?

Time to be 'sakai' again as we have a new "KLIA-wannabe" Kuching International Airport!

Most people I spoke to love the new airport but I absolutely 'detest' it for its absolute lack and consideration of identity and originality (it could have been anywhere else in the world!).

  At Monday, 20 March, 2006 Blogger Lam Chun See said:

I heard that even Bintulu has an international airport now. But I really liked the cosy small one.

Hope your Cat Intl Airport has the sense to separate the smokers and non-smokers this time.


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