The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Kenyah seamstress finds niche in Bidayuh costumes Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:10 PM PST At a corner of a small wooden "bundle" shop in Bau town, a petite, fair-skinned woman was seen busy sewing. She is a seamstress, who makes a living sewing and selling Bidayuh traditional costumes in Bau, about 40km from Kuching. However, Ludia Apoi herself is not Bidayuh. She is of Kenyah descent (a sub-group of the Orang Ulu people) and hails from Long Banga, Baram. When asked why Ludia chose to make traditional Bidayuh costumes over Orang Ulu costumes, she said it was because of marketability, time and the costume's elaborateness. "The Orang Ulu traditional costume is more elaborate and requires more time to complete. I am also running my business in a Bidayuh-majority area, so the market for Orang Ulu costumes is limited." Ludia said as the traditional Bidayuh costume was easier to make, she was able to complete at least 18 costumes a month. Each Bidayuh community had its own traditional costume that differed slightly from the other, especially in colour. "Although I make more traditional costumes for the Bidayuh from Bau, I am also taking orders for those from other areas. If they provide samples, that makes my job easier." A traditional Bidayuh costume set for women comprises a short-sleeved or sleeveless blouse, jomuh (skirt), and matching accessories such as selapai (sash), pangiah (bead necklace), porik (copper/ metal belt) and sipiah (headgear). The men wear a tawuop or tahup (long loin cloth wrapped around the body with one end hanging in front and the other in the back), the burang sumba (headgear) and occasionally, kima (armlet). Although there were quite a number of tailors specialising in traditional Bidayuh costumes in Bau, few make the complete set as Ludia does. "Some only make the clothes and headgear, but not the accessories." She said the ability to make the accessories gives her an edge over her competitors. "I have always been interested in sewing, but only had the opportunity to learn it during a course held at the Suarah Bau Hall in 2000," said Ludia, who has been living in Bau since her marriage in 1993. The mother of four said the six-month course was beneficial, as she was able to sew well enough afterwards to earn a living. "At first, I worked from my home in Kampung Belimbing. I accepted orders for traditional Bidayuh costumes, baju kurung and baju kebaya from nearby residents. Eventually my business grew and I moved to a shop." "I think it is an inborn talent, although it manifested itself rather late," said the 48-year-old teacher. He said he supported his wife's endeavour by helping her source materials to make the costumes such as cloth, beads and threads from Kuching. – Bernama, December 20, 2013. |
| For pre-diabetics, just 2,000 steps a day cuts heart attack risk Posted: 19 Dec 2013 06:52 PM PST A large international study of people with a condition called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) - a precursor to diabetes - found that taking an extra 2,000 steps a day over one year cut the risk of serious heart illness by 8%. IGT affects around 344 million people worldwide, or almost 8% of adults, and this number is projected to rise to 472 million by 2030 as populations grow and age and unhealthy diets contribute to increasing rates of diabetes. "People with IGT have a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease," said Thomas Yates of Britain's University of Leicester, who led the research. "While several studies have suggested that physical activity is beneficially linked to health in those with IGT, this is the first study to specifically quantify the extent to which change in walking behaviour can modify the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular-related deaths." Yates's team took data from a trial covering more than 9,300 adults in 40 countries who had IGT and heart disease or at least one cardiovascular risk factor. All the participants were given a lifestyle change programme aimed at helping them lose weight and cut fat intake while increasing physical activity to 150 minutes a week. Using a pedometer, researchers recorded usual walking activity over a week both at the start of the study and again 12 months later. After adjusting for a wide range of confounding factors including body mass index, smoking, diet and use of medication, the researchers used statistical modelling to test the relationship between the number of steps taken a day and the risk of subsequent heart disease. They found that for every 2,000 additional steps a day the start of the study there was a 10% reduction in risk of heart disease. On top of this, the risk of heart disease and so-called cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes was further reduced by 8% for every extra 2,000 steps a day between the start of the study and 12 months later. "These findings provide the strongest evidence yet for the importance of physical activity in high risk populations and will inform diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention programmes worldwide," said Yates. "Changing physical activity levels through simply increasing the number of steps taken can substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease," he added, noting that the benefits of extra walking showed up regardless of a person's bodyweight or the level of activity they started at. - Reuters, December 20, 2013. |
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