Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Iban, in particular, like to honour their
guests by offering meat on special occasions.
Vegetarians and vegans should be clear about
their dietary restrictions as vegetable dishes are
often served in a chicken sauce. Meals will be
plentiful no matter what, though it is not con-
sidered rude or disrespectful to bring your own
food, too. Two important things to remember when eating with longhouse residents: don't
put your feet near the food (which is always served in a communal fashion); and don't
step over anyone's plate if you need to excuse yourself from the eating area.
After dinner, when the generators start clicking off, it may be time to hunker down with
the evening's bottle of bootleg spirits:
tuak
. The ceremonial shot glass will be passed
from person to person amid chit-chat and belly laughter. Drink the shot when it's your
turn (you won't really have a choice) and pass the glass along.
Tuak
may taste mild but
some types are pretty potent, and you can expect a stunning hangover the next day. When
you reach your limit, simply press the rim of the glass with your finger like you're push-
ing an eject button. If you don't want to drink, you can claim a medical condition - but
make sure you don't get caught sneaking a sip later on! Smiles, big hand gestures and
dirty jokes go a long way, even in your native language (and it'll all be second nature
when you're nice and lubricated).
Dayak ceremonies feature a variety of traditional dances. Accepting an invitation to
join the dance and making a fool of yourself are sure crowd pleasers.
Many Dayaks take their Christian faith very seri-
ously, so much so that some communities have
banned alcohol - including
tuak
(rice wine) - en-
tirely.
