KATRINA, THE AUTHOR OF WOMAN 724. IS MY GUEST WRITER ON
" LIFE IN THE REMOTE OIL PALM AND COCOA PLANTATIONS, LOCATED IN THE DEEP JUNGLES OF BORNEO..."
" LIFE IN THE REMOTE OIL PALM AND COCOA PLANTATIONS, LOCATED IN THE DEEP JUNGLES OF BORNEO..."
A VIEW FROM MY BALCONY- SEE THE MOUNTAINOUS BACKGROUND |
JUNGLE CLEARING MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION |
We had the very basic of facilities. Electricity driven by generators or oil lamps. Rain water from roof gutters, collected into deep wells for treatment, later pumped into our homes for daily consumption
Communications was bad. A twin otter plane serviced twice weekly, if weather permits. By land access was through Tabin Forest Reserve jungle tracks, hours of slippery, bumpy dirt roads. Upon heavy rains, these tracks may just get washed out and disappeared. Log bridges used can get washed away too, by the fast waters
We had to endure three similar river crossings (above) to get to the nearest town, if weather permits. If it rains, it was near impossible to get across the river due to the heavy traffic.
We may be cut off for weeks. So we had to turn to the rivers for our fresh fishes/prawns supplies. From the jungles, abundant supplies of fresh meat; deer, jungle buffaloes and porcupines are available and for Non Muslims, endless supplies of the wild boars.
We grew our own fruits and vegetables including pumpkins. We (barter) exchange of foodstuff; Our product harvests were distributed to everyone and likewise, the others did the same to us. Food was plentiful, fresh and free.
Maids picking long beans.. Fresh, crunchy and yummy |
Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, is one of the largest rehabilitation centre in the world for Orang Utan |
....My gardener was a strange man. Kind of too attached to each tree/plants around the house compound. Few months I requested that he trimmed off the unnecessary branches, some even spreading on the ground. He silently refused, and just let them grow. The trees and plants around our bungalow were like his family, I suppose!
I got some young boys from the estate to help him clear the area. Asked them to chop and clear off those branches, and the curry tree was huge (should have been just shrubs). The gardener was coining up all sorts of excuses; not this branch, not that, leave that one alone etc. When the boys finally chopped off these branches, he almost fainted!
There are so many varieties of food preparation here, including those of the ethnic sabahan communities, the malays, indonesian, chinese and indian ways of cooking food. We were so closely knit and very helpfull to each other, where most basic necessities are by way of barter trade between us- in our own world. Sometimes i miss this kind of life very much
I plan to include an article on “Plantation Life” with many more pictures (from way back in the 1918’s) later in my blog @ http://www.woman724.blogspot.com/.
Cheers to all
THIS POST IS LISTED BY GOOGLES as follows
Life in the oil palm/ cocoa plantations- About 176 k results – PAGE 1 # 1
Life in the oil palm plantations- About 347 k results – PAGE 1 # 7
Life in the cocoa plantations- About 2,88 m results – PAGE 1 # 6
Oil palm plantations in borneo- About 289 k results – PAGE 2 # 8
Cocoa plantations in borneo- About 289 k results – PAGE 1 # 1
Life in the oil palm plantations- About 347 k results – PAGE 1 # 7
Life in the cocoa plantations- About 2,88 m results – PAGE 1 # 6
Oil palm plantations in borneo- About 289 k results – PAGE 2 # 8
Cocoa plantations in borneo- About 289 k results – PAGE 1 # 1
No comments:
Post a Comment