Hill rice, blow pipe and traditional fire starter of the Semais in Kampung Kenip; Final part

‘No nails’ step ladder into the villager’s hut

We were ready to head back when some of the Kenip villagers asked us to join them for lunch. This ‘detour’ gave me a firsthand experience with the Semai’s hill rice, blow pipe and traditional fire starter.

It is impolite to decline so we made our way to the hut. Already, the hut was buzzing with activity. I took small, careful steps climbing up the stairs. The last thing I wanna do is to break parts of the hut.

Inside the hut, we were followed with curious eyes. We took pictures of them and shared it with them, a sure way to put smiles on their faces. The stale rather vacuum stage suddenly came to life with laughter and giggles all around.

Semai children enjoying pictures- pic by Jan

As the atmosphere warmed up, we were handed a plate of cooked hill rice. The rice tastes a bit sweeter than the normal rice I am used to but I like it. I can get used to this I told myself. On one side of the house, I noticed sacks of unprocessed hill padi. I can imagine that it is really hard work to plant, harvest and process the padi.

My first taste of Semai hill rice

Sacks of unhusked hill rice waiting to be processed

As we were enjoying the rice and the company of the Semai children, Pak Dollah stood and reached out to the shelves in the hut for what looks like a long piece of wood. Turns out it is the hut owner’s blowpipe. This is a genuine Semai blowpipe, still in use for hunting. It was more than a hunting tool to me. It is a work of art! The entire length of the blowpipe is at least 3m. It is made from Temian bamboo and has intricate carvings on it. What a wonderful piece of art!

The carvings on the blowpipe

The hole in the mouthpiece is covered to prevent insects like spiders from entering

The joint of two pieces of Temiang bamboo

Pak Dollah then dismantled the blowpipe into two. He removed the smaller diameter piece from the ‘outer’ shell. The outer larger diameter Temiang bamboo gives the inner piece (where the dart actually travels in) more rigidity and protection.

The inner piece of blowpipe and the outer one

I also noticed a blowpipe dart container hanging on the wall of the hut

I was even more curious now. I wonder how much of their traditional knowledge and skill still remains. So, I asked one of the men in the hut if he knows how his people started fire before the introduction of matches and lighters.

“Tak tahu la…ada peninggalan datuk tapi saya tak tau guna”- “I don’t know but I have something that has been passed down to me but I have not used it before”. Soon, he took out two pieces of object from a bag. Turns out it’s a piece of metal and a piece of rock, possibly river rock. He showed us how the two pieces are held. I guess it is the percussion method, striking the two pieces together to produce sparks that will then be caught in some sort of tinder which will eventually grow to a fire.

The two pieces, one metal and one stone to start a fire, possible?

This is how it is done

It a shame we did not have the tinder, otherwise we would be able to try striking the two pieces together. Something of a heirloom, I sincerely hope he will not sell or trade the two pieces together. He said he will try to get it going again and when he is successful, he will send word for me. Now THAT is a good reason to come back.

Continue reading previous parts…

Part I – A visit to Semai’s village at Pos Betau

Part II – The remote Kampung Kenip

Part III – The walk to Kenip Falls

Part IV – The waterfalls at Kenip