In July 2007, I accompanied my boyfriend, Su'a Sulu'ape Freewind, to the Second Borneo International Tattoo Convention in Sibu, where he was an invited guest artist. The convention was organized by our friend Ernesto of Borneoheadhunters Tattoo Studio in Kuching to bring together native tattooists and their counterparts from the rest of Asia, Europe and America.

We departed Los Angeles on a Tuesday and arrived in Sibu, a small city in central Sarawak (part of Malaysia), on Wednesday evening, 31 hours later. Friends of Ernesto's met us at the airport and arranged cabs to take us and two other artists to our hotels. I caught my first glimpses of Sibu as we sped through the darkened streets--semi-developed, yet still lush and tropical. We checked into the Premier Hotel, a modern high-rise hotel, which also served as the base camp for the convention staff.

Our room was simple yet luxurious, especially by local standards. In the days that followed, we came to look forward to the complimentary breakfast buffet, which included both local Malaysian and Chinese dishes like curried noodles and jook (rice porridge), but also Western foods like scrambled eggs and baked beans.

The convention was scheduled for Friday through Sunday, so we were on our own for our first full day in Sibu. After a hearty breakfast, we decided to explore the town. My attempts to make sense of the map were quickly abandoned, and we just let our feet wander. We soon found ourselves in the open-air market, which offered an impressive array of fresh produce, fish and shellfish, live fowl, spices, dried legumes and spices, toys, clothing and more, on row after row of tables and stands. I bought some fresh sugar cane juice: refreshing and delicious.

The convention started the next morning. We piled into vans for the drive to Bukit Aup Jubilee Park on the outskirts of Sibu. This beautiful park features several open-air pavilions linked by wooden walkways and staircases, arranged on a lush green hillside. I got a good workout climbing up and down those stairs each day!

The opening ceremonies featured speeches by local dignitaries and convention organizers, as well as traditional dancing and drumming by representatives from the local Iban community. The indigenous people of Borneo, which includes the Iban, Dayak and Ourang tribes, have a native tattooing tradition that goes back thousands of years. The purpose of having a tattoo convention there was to both promote the traditional tattooing arts of Borneo as well as to connect that tradition to the larger world of modern tattooing.

Su'a Freewind was the only artist doing traditional hand-tattooing at the convention aside from Ernesto. On the second night of the convention, Ernesto arranged for him and Spike, a tattoo artist from England, to do a tattoo demonstration at the Borneo Cultural Festival, which was going on simulaneously in the Sibu town center. They collaborated on a single piece, using both machine and traditional hand tools.

The Borneo Cultural Festival was a huge event taking place over a week or so and featuring native arts, traditional music and dance, modern bands, local foods, crafts, and throngs of people. We were able to watch a beauty pageant with local beauties competing in both Western evening dresses and traditional costumes, and sample a local specialty called pansuh, which is rice, fish or meat cooked in a hollow bamboo tube. We also discovered the indigenous drink called Tuak, or unfiltered rice wine.

On our last day in Sibu, Ernesto arranged for his friend Andy to take me and Lisa, Spike's wife, to visit Andy's ancestral longhouse, where his family still lives. Andy's father is the chief of his village, and the walls of their modest house are hung with his ancestors' spears and painted shields. His mother welcomed us into her home and showed us her beautiful, intricate weavings--a dying art.

In all, it was a wonderful introduction to this fascinating corner of the world. Because tattooing is a tradition shared by so many ancient cultures, it can be a great way to experience those parts of the world. It gives people a way to relate to each other across language and cultural barriers. I just wish we had been able to stay longer and see more of Borneo, or at least Sarawak.

http://borneotattooconvention.com/sibu/main.htm