Gaya Street Market

there is something special about this tamu (market), though its in the middle of the town, once you entered the tamu, you r taken to a different dimension. its like walking thorough something mystical. hahhaha.. crazy u may say, but thats wat i feel everytime i go to tamus.. How many market, street market that is, that you can walk down the street and smell the freshly roasted coffee beans being grounded and packed rite infront of you.. and as you walk further down, you hear the unmistakable sound of kulintangan (a gong like musical instrument, smaller that the normal gong u see, how did i forgot to snap that photo? i was mesmerized by the sound la.. hahaha). This two things, the coffee and kuintangan.. it has its own stories.. well, the coffee, will always remind the sabahan of Tenom, the town that is situated in the interior part of sabah.. and if you r in sabah for more than 2 weeks, everytime u smell that aroma, Kopi Tenom sure cross your mind.. and kulintangan is always played in functions like weddings or other special functions, usually by the bajaus.. and other races too.. but i think its well known among the bajaus and the sungais.. and on the other side you'll hear someone singing some malay songs, seriously, you'll know its totally out of the tune.. Simon Cowell with have a heart attack the minute he hears it, but if he sees the person singing the songs, i think he would probably stay for a while until it ends.. for the singer is a blindman, trying to live a life singing in the street, no matter how out of tune it may sound like, at least he is not like some mat rempit snatching away people's money and life..

Then, you'll see something that any dog lovers & cat lovers hate to see.. puppies n kittens in cage with some price tags on it.. but this is part of the lifestyle here. Rabbits, guinea pigs, fishes & even tortoise has its price. Small kids as well as adults will be all around this cages, looking at the innocent looking puppies and cute kittens.. wonder who is incharged of controlling this pet trades.. someone need to look into the matter.. one pup reminds me of shadow, my lil newfie puppy..

And you'll continue walking, curiousity takes you further down. wanting to see wat stores at the end of the market.. but somewhere in the middle, you'll stop.. yea, you will.. if you r into art/drawings that is.. you will stop. For who would not stop to see the handwork of the local painters, telling the stories of their land in a piece of canvas?

The tamu simply has so much of life in it.. some many aromas and sound that each has its own unique stories to tell. The story of sabah.. mystical land beneath the wind...