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Nevio (centre) tries out the kulintangan while Claudine (right) decides to beat on a traditional drum when they dropped in at the Kota Belud House during the festival.
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3rd June, 2009
KOTA KINABALU: A couple from the grand duchy of Luxembourg in Europe arrived in Sabah for the first time recently and was impressed not only by the natural wonders of the state but the Kaamatan festival which unites the many ethnic groups in celebration.
“We are happy to be here not only because we have the chance to visit many beautiful places like Mount Kinabalu and the orang utan sanctuary in Sepilok but also to have met friendly people.
“The Kaamatan festival is a truly exciting event. You should be proud to have this kind of celebration which brings together all the ethnic groups in the state in a joyful atmosphere,” said Nevio Salciccia.
He commended the state government in its effort to preserve the cultural heritage of the people.
Nevio and his wife Claudine came to know of Sabah through the social networking website, Facebook.
Their decided to take time off from their busy schedules to meet their new friend Mama Anne who is the caretaker of the Bukit Harapan charity home in Inanam.
“We are here to get to know Mama Anne in person with whom we have become acquainted through Facebook. We also want to have a closer look at the home for needy children that she runs.
“Besides my job as a fireworks expert, I am also an active Rotarian in my country. This is also one of the purposes of our visit here … we want to see for ourselves what situation the home is in so we can sort out the kind of assistance that we can offer,” Nevio said.
The first thing the couple will do upon their return to Luxembourg is to raise as much funds as they can for Bukit Harapan and its residents.
The couple left for their home country yesterday after a two-week stay in Sabah where they enjoyed among many interesting places, the two-day Kaamatan Festival at the KDCA Penampang last weekend.
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