Donggongon Tamu

I just love tamu's'. When growing up, every Wednesday was eagerly awaited as that was (and still is) tamu day in Tamparuli. It was the best day of the week and it felt like a holiday whilst Tuesday, the eve.

On Tuesday evening, natives from the interior with loads of produce would start streaming in filling up the tamu ground. Mum would do most of the marketing on the eve as tamu day itself would mean a busy day for her too in our sundry shop.

Meals at home for the following two days take on a more exotic theme...fresh water fish, kampong chicken, pork and buffalo meat or sometimes, wild boar meat! I remember the local 'jagung pulut'- glutinous corn which the natives would cook in the tamu and sell them steaming hot three in a bundle....always loved those.

The best beef soup stall in the tamu would start serving on the eve's evening too.

As it is always near impossible to get to the Tamparuli tamu nowadays, I occasionally end up in this tamu nearer to home...
This is the weekly tamu in Donggongon. Although the Kota Belud tamu and the Gaya Street Sunday market are better known in Sabah, visitors to Sabah should not miss out on this Donggongon tamu which is just outside KK, only about 15 minutes drive from the city. It is held on every Thursdays and Fridays.
For most of the native folks this tamu is more than a weekly market; it is a social event that offers them the chance to meet, trade food, goods and news. This tamu actually starts on Wednesday evening when villagers from afar starts arriving with their produce. Most will camp in the tamu ground itself.

One can get almost anything in the tamu as you can see as we stroll through...

One of the many entrances to the tamu ground

Look at all these produce that were laid out on the floor as all the stalls were taken up.

trading in progress...

Dried seafood section
Dried squid, dried shrimp, dried fish, ikan bilis...

Anyone for fresh water eels?..These are very popular with the natives

and so are these...clams...

Brinjals the size of peas

These are very rarely found in Sabah, are mostly used for Thai curries.

Chopping boards, the biggest one on the left is about 2 1/2' in diameter!

For sale - orchid in full bloom

and all these too..

Traditional costume of the Kadazan

In the same stall, gongs, metal hip belts for the costume, beaded jewellery, bamboo wares...

rattan baskets, hats

In the midst of all these activities, this baby, oblivious to all the hustle and bustle of the tamu, slept soundly cradled in the most comfortable cot ever invented - the spring and the sarong.

The young father sells onions, garlic and potatoes by the side

A young mother changing her baby's diaper (a disposable!)....

...on top of the the stall she was manning

-- it had only 2 bottles of homemade chilli sauce, 2 packets of tuhau, chilli padi, and some medicinal leaves on display.

tuhau, shoots of a ginger family

pickle tuhau, an acquired taste

yeast for making lihing (rice wine)

A certified medicine man!

with his various remedies for any ailments you might have

Jo