Bandar Seri Begawan - The Tamu Kianggeh or Kianggeh Market located at the heart of the capital is well known for its varieties of items that are sold in abundance.
Other than local fruits, fresh vegetables, locally made dried food, dried seafood and medicinal items, the market is also known for selling a variety of local and traditional products.
Somewhere in the middle of the market, a number of vendors can be seen selling many types of traditional items and products. Majority of them are made from wood and other natural resources.
Among them are the oars or known by the locals as "Pengayuh". Unlike most modern oars produced in the West that are usually made of plastic and synthetic materials, the oars sold here are made of wood and come in various sizes, shapes and lengths.
With a starting price of $10, the oars can fetch as high as $20 each. In the old days, before the invention of boat engine, oars were the "engine" for all boats in the famous water village.
Today, however, the oars are mainly kept in the boat to be used only for a minor manoeuvre.
The traditional fish trap device locally known as Bubu is also sold in the market with different sizes to choose from. It is traditionally made from bamboo but nowadays synthetic materials are also used.
Basically, Bubu is an enclosed cage that has a conical shape or narrow entry where the sharp or the narrow end is pointing inward to make it impossible for the trapped fish to escape.
One item that is quite ubiquitous here is the Gegawi or spatula. Again, it is made of wood and comes in many sizes. It bears a strong resemblance to an oar but comes with a neck that is usually longer than the blade.
Ladle, a family of spoon, is also sold in the market. The ladle, which is made of coconut shell and wood, is priced between $5 and $10. The specially made ladle is used to make a local dried food called Kueh Jala, when translated to English is called the Net Food. When the flour to make the crispy Kueh Jala flows through the hole of the ladle into a hot frying pan, the Jala is eventually shaped. The wooden spoon is then used to flip the Jala before it hardens.
The traditional "Candas", similar to the chopstick, is also quite common here. Like most local products, this very Bruneian eating utensil also comes in various lengths. It is made from bamboo and in the final stage of its production, the body has to be smoothened to remove the sharp edges. "Candas" is specifically produced and used for eating the Brunei traditional food, Ambuyat, which is made from the sago plant.
Meanwhile, apart from wooden products, one vendor also sells Nyiru, which is used to separate rice from paddy during harvest. Except for the framework, which is still widely made of rattan, nowadays, most of the plaited strips of some of the Nyiru use synthetic materials.
Another traditional item found in the market is the Penyapu Lidi, a traditional broom made of fine fibres of the coconut leaves. Interestingly enough, the broom is produced by the vendors while waiting for customers. By Sham
Source: http://www.brunei-online.com (September 12, 2008)
