Miri

I'm in Miri for now waiting for one of the semi-regular flights in tiny twin otter planes, that frequently get cancelled due to the weather: Apparently it rains quite often, and heavily, in the rainforest. Or so they claim...

After Erin left Kota Kinabalu, it became clear that if I wanted to get to Bario any time soon, I would have to go from Miri in Sarawak. The flights from Kota Kinabalu are even less reliable. So onward to Miri, just on the other side of Brunei from KK. Malaysia was celebrating it’s 50th year of Independence (One Brit commented “It doesn’t count if we gave it back without a fight”) and Miri was to be the focal point of celebrations in the State of Sarawak, so I didn’t mind so much that I would have to stay there for a few days waiting for my flight.

I was very curious about what the party would be like. In Sabah, there was a suspiciously large number of flags everywhere. It seemed that they were the result of a government campaign, rather than an outpouring of nationalistic fervour. This seemed more plausible after conversations with the locals, all of whom were unhappy with the way the government operated, and many of whom felt there was nothing to celebrate: being a part of Malaysia was not what the people in Sabah I spoke with considered “independence”. Culturally, they felt very distant from their Muslim King.

In Miri then by contrast, I first noticed the relative lack of flags. But the boys going around town on their scooters, horns blaring out tunes, made me hopeful for some kind of party atmosphere. So as the clock counted down the hours to midnight, I joined the crowds gathering at the town's open air amphitheatre where a stage was set up.


I was very surprised. Everyone seemed to be waiting around, very bored, as different acts took to the stage. I heard the MC starting to chant “Merdeka!” (Independence!) at the top of his lungs, but the response he hoped for never came. The first four rows cried back, and no one else. Maybe everyone else was just trying to act cool.

Then the Prime Minister arrived, apparently. I was told by a local that he was walking beside me, but I couldn’t figure out which of the men in colourful shirts he was supposed to be. A security was, well, they let ME walk beside him. Come on guys! I lived in japan. Clearly I'm a Ninja!

Everyone else from the Hostel decided to call it a night, but I stayed out until the fireworks at midnight, which turned out to be a damp squid. Back to the Hostel I went, a little deflated, and feeling very sorry for the MC.