0:00:02 > 0:00:04South-east Asia.
0:00:06 > 0:00:11Where ancient religions jostle for space with superhighways.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13One of the most rapidly-changing places on earth.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21That was genuinely amazing!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24'My fellow comedian Ed Byrne and I...'
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I don't understand anything that the board says.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28'..are on an epic adventure...'
0:00:28 > 0:00:30It's difficult to get the rhythm right!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33'..to three of the most vibrant countries in the region.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:36This is an astonishingly beautiful sunset.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39'From the economic powerhouse of Malaysia,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'the holiday paradise of Thailand, to Myanmar,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'a fledgling democracy unlocking its doors to the world.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:50- That's a lot of people. - There are lots of people here.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'It's a journey that takes us over 3,000 miles,
0:00:53 > 0:00:58'from Kuala Lumpur across the Malaysian Peninsula to the historic
0:00:58 > 0:01:00'city of Mandalay.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:03This is a taste of real Malaysia now.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- Ladies.- It's a nice feeling, isn't it?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09This could prove to be a very long night.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'We want to explore how Thailand is
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'sinking under the worst excesses of tourism...'
0:01:14 > 0:01:16To me, Phuket is now like the Titanic.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19We are moving to a huge iceberg ahead.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'..meet the indigenous tribes of Malaysia, struggling to survive.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:25They are really shy of new people.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27We're going to be just as shy.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29'And discover how Myanmar is
0:01:29 > 0:01:32'grappling with its new-found freedom.'
0:01:32 > 0:01:34The perception was that I was watched,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and I could be thrown into jail any minute.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40'We want to understand how the clash between East and West,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43'the traditional and the modern, is
0:01:43 > 0:01:46'transforming these countries forever.'
0:01:46 > 0:01:49It does seem odd. It felt like I'd stepped into a time machine.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Do you know what this trip needs?
0:01:51 > 0:01:52A giant golden Buddha.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Would there be one of them nearby by any chance?
0:02:04 > 0:02:07'We begin our journey in Kuala Lumpur,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10'capital city of Malaysia.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12'I've always joked about the fact
0:02:12 > 0:02:14'that I like to be in different places,
0:02:14 > 0:02:15'but I don't like getting to them.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17'But with something like this,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'it's all about seeing as much of the country as we can.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22'We're at this very start of the journey,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25'because you're arriving somewhere which is completely different to
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'your everyday life, and that's very exciting, but also slightly scary.'
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Ah, there they are. Look over there.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33That's the Petronas Towers there.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37'This is a city of fast cars and high finance.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40'But on this journey we're going to go far beyond that.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44'And I, for one, have come prepared.'
0:02:44 > 0:02:46There's about five guidebooks here.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Between your standard, kind of like, you know, tourist guidebooks,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51there's some cultural ones there,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53a few phrase books. There's another one in Thai.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55So I want to learn something so that I can say, you know,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59"Oh, I know about this. I read about this. Oh, Ed..."
0:02:59 > 0:03:01And there's nothing I enjoy more than telling Ed things.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05And there's nothing Ed enjoys more than learning from me.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07'My head is already bursting with facts.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09'The Petronas Towers, for example,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'are still the tallest twin buildings in the world.'
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I hope interesting and exciting things are going to happen.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19And I hope me and Dara aren't going to fall out.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26'Central KL is mainly a business district,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'but there's over 1.5 million people living in the city.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33'So we're heading downtown.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'This food market has been trading for generations.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43'But we're not here to do the weekly shop.'
0:03:44 > 0:03:46We are here for chicken.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48OK. Well, you know...
0:03:48 > 0:03:50We're here for a slightly luckier chicken than this.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53OK. I would like to have a lucky chicken.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58'Hidden away behind the meat stalls is the usual crowd,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01'doing what Malaysian blokes do on a Saturday afternoon.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'Hanging out, admiring the birds.'
0:04:06 > 0:04:08What have you brought me to, Ed?
0:04:08 > 0:04:10A beauty pageant.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12- OK.- Essentially.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Ed, that's a bit sexist, if you don't mind me saying,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- in this day and age.- Hey, how are you doing? Ed. This is Dara.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21'Lee is the Andy Warhol of the chicken world.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:24This is a serama competition in Malaysia,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28which we hold it regularly, every week.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'A brief encounter between a
0:04:30 > 0:04:33'Malaysian wild fowl and a miniature Japanese chicken
0:04:33 > 0:04:39'resulted in these tiny but muscular seramas back in the '70s.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41'Coached by their owners,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44'the most pumped up chickens can be worth thousands of pounds each,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46'and can earn big prize money.'
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Do you have to train them or is it just all breeding?
0:04:50 > 0:04:51They're natural.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54They just naturally stick out their chest?
0:04:54 > 0:04:56If they have it, they have it.
0:04:56 > 0:04:57Otherwise, zero.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- OK?- At what age do you know whether a chicken's got it,
0:05:01 > 0:05:02you know...
0:05:02 > 0:05:04"You ain't got it, kid."
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Some as young as two weeks.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08You can see the way they stand.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- You can just tell?- Yeah.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11'And Lee knows exactly what to look
0:05:11 > 0:05:14'for in these miniature body-builders.'
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- Longer legs.- Longer legs.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18And a little bit more of the body.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And then look very slim and tall.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Make sure when they stand they push their chest out.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Ah, OK.- Look like a warrior.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- To look like a warrior, as much as a chicken possibly can.- Yes.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33There's a lot that's weird about this,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35but, you know, one of the weirdest things about it is
0:05:35 > 0:05:37that surrounded by all these chickens,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41that man there is eating chicken.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44The equivalent back home, I think, would be racing pigeons,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47homing pigeons. I think that seems like the sort of...
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Because there isn't an agricultural element. You don't eat them.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'Seramas are bred purely for show.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'And it's competition time.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58'They'll be judged on their presentation and poise,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02'but must remain on their table for a full two minutes.'
0:06:04 > 0:06:05OK, best of the best.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Come on, make it count. Make these two minutes count.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Does it have a name, this chicken?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15No. Oh, lovely, lovely work. This one is flaring.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17'But as tension mounts, two of them
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'take a dive and get shown the red card.'
0:06:20 > 0:06:22That boy's doing great. That's it.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Oh, don't go off the table. Don't go off the table.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Oh, no, don't, don't, don't! Turn around, turn around.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33'It's amazing how enthusiastic you
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'can get about a small chicken on a table.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- By the power of Grayskull! - He's doing it on one leg!
0:06:39 > 0:06:42This is a chicken that can win on one leg.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45It's almost over. Almost over.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47'After a lot of encouragement, time's up,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50'and one little serama is crowned king of the coop.'
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Congratulations. Well done. You came up against a good chicken.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- Serama B!- There we go.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Would you like to be part of this success?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It's been great. Don't block the trophy.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01Don't block the trophy. Thank you.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08'It's hard to get around the gridlocked roads of KL,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12'where 93% of the country own a car.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'So we're swapping four wheels for two.'
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Morning, how are you? How are you.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- Nice to meet you. - Show us our steeds.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24'We're meeting up with cycling activist Jeffrey Lim...'
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Right, you change gears here.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29'..who in the last two years has been campaigning to get KL's
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'residents to ditch their cars for bikes.'
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- I don't have a bell? - You're going to risk your life.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- Do I just have to yell?- You've got to yell! "Get out of the way!"
0:07:38 > 0:07:40"Get out of my way, I'm going cycling!"
0:07:40 > 0:07:43BELL DINGS
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Get out of the way! There we go, that works, yeah.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48That's better than a bell.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49- Cycling! - ALL: Yeah!
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Cycling! ALL: Yeah!
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Cycling! ALL: Yeah!
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Ring your bells, guys.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57BELLS DING Let's go!
0:07:58 > 0:08:00You'd better lead the way. I don't know where I'm going.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02We're not from KL, we don't know.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06'These mass cycle rides take place almost every Sunday.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11'Jeffrey's plotted a route for us that shows off what a diverse city
0:08:11 > 0:08:13'KL has become.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Just keep on my left, I'll protect you.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18The cars will bounce off you before they get to us, will they?
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Yeah, I'm going to yell at them.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23'60% of Malaysians now follow Islam.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26'But within just a short cycle ride
0:08:26 > 0:08:30'there's a line of Buddhist monks to welcome us too.'
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Hello.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36'Buddhism is now the second most popular religion in Malaysia.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:39All of these temples are right beside each other?
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Thank you very much.- Nice of them to turn out like that for us.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44This is very, very pleasant.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- That was the head priest. - That was the head priest, was it?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50The area that we are cycling in is kind of the gateway to the city
0:08:50 > 0:08:52for generations of different immigrants.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54So therefore there are temples
0:08:54 > 0:08:56sitting right here for all the different communities
0:08:56 > 0:08:58that have arrived into Malaysia.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00'And nestled beneath the skyscrapers,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02'an elaborate Hindu temple,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05'thanks to the thousands of Indians who migrated here over the
0:09:05 > 0:09:08'centuries across the Indian Ocean.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:12TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Definitely, the Hindus have got the edge.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20There was music, there were smiles.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- They put on a show.- There was people with their tops off.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25It's great!
0:09:27 > 0:09:29'Malaysia's real cultural mix,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31'reflecting its long history of
0:09:31 > 0:09:35'trading with exotic places all over the world.'
0:09:35 > 0:09:39That was like the opening scene to a TV show about Malaysia.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It was like a primer. It was like, "Coming up, we've got...
0:09:43 > 0:09:46"We've got Hindus. We've got Muslims.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47"We've got Chinese people.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49"We've got Indian people."
0:09:49 > 0:09:52We just saw them all in one whistle-stop tour.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54We almost don't need to do the trip now.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I feel like we've already seen Malaysia.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57I've sort of booked in other things.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Yeah. Now that we're taking the time away from home,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02we may as well do it.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04OK, we might as well do the trip.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- It would seem churlish not to. - That seems like a mission statement.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08We might as well do the trip.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14There's a reason they get comedians to do these kind of journeys.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16It's because we're actually quite curious anyway.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19You don't become a comedian without wanting to find strange,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21quirky things in the cultures you visit.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22So we tend to be looking for little
0:10:22 > 0:10:25things that we can make a joke out of, fun, and latch onto,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27little cultural differences.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Every guy on a motorbike has their jacket on backwards.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32That's a very curious thing.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36That is, apparently, to keep bugs of themselves.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41'Before we leave KL, there's one thing Ed and I can't resist.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43'So we're heading for an evening at
0:10:43 > 0:10:47'Malaysia's first ever dedicated comedy club.'
0:10:47 > 0:10:50It's a great way to get under the skin of a city,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and to find out about its people
0:10:52 > 0:10:54is talk to the people who make them laugh.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56We're quite good company.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Comedians enjoy each other's company rather a lot.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00And so we have a tendency to hang out together.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03And then, when we're away from other comedians, then we're kind of
0:11:03 > 0:11:06a bit depressed because, you know, other people are less fun.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08What you want me to say? Other people are less fun.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Comedians are the most fun in the world. Sorry.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15'With censorship laws tight, stand-up has never really existed
0:11:15 > 0:11:18'here and has struggled to find an audience.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22'But recently, a few comics have
0:11:22 > 0:11:24'found a place to make their voices heard.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31'Hidden next to a pound shop at the wrong end of town is The Crackhouse.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35'And we've been invited down on one condition.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37'That we both get up on stage.'
0:11:37 > 0:11:39They did say to us, "Do you want to go on?"
0:11:39 > 0:11:41And like we were ever...
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Did we not say, "Can we go on?"
0:11:43 > 0:11:45They came to me and said...
0:11:45 > 0:11:50I'm pretty sure I said, "Is it all right if we get up and do..."
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I just presumed we want to go on and do a gig here.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56I think I'll probably just do my, you know,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59lost luggage routine.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Hey, how are you? Good to see you.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04The resident stand ups now play
0:12:04 > 0:12:07three nights a week to a new generation of Malays,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09eager to share a few laughs.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12You have a particularly interesting mix of races here.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14I mean, can you tell a joke that starts,
0:12:14 > 0:12:20"A Malay... a China, a Chinese man and an Indian walk into a bar..."
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Yes, Singapore and Malaysia, it's
0:12:22 > 0:12:24kind of like the India and Pakistan,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26or the Australia and New Zealand.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Or the England and France, and England and everyone else...
0:12:30 > 0:12:35Yeah. Do the different races mix very, very happily in Malaysia?
0:12:35 > 0:12:37You know, I've got friends who are Malay, Chinese and Indian.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40It doesn't matter. Everybody laughs at everybody else.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42When I do Muslim jokes there are
0:12:42 > 0:12:44ladies in headscarves, laughing away.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47And the Chinese and the Indians are going, like...
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- Offended on their behalf! - What are you doing?
0:12:49 > 0:12:50Yeah, offended on their behalf.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56On issues of morality and religion,
0:12:56 > 0:12:57it's a strongly religious country.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00It's going to be different. The attitudes are going to be different.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02But it's just an issue of degree, really,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04in comparison to what we have at home.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06I think Tamil is such a sexy language.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07It's got so much character, right?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09See, Ramu, when I just greeted him just now, I said...
0:13:09 > 0:13:11HE SPEAKS TAMIL
0:13:11 > 0:13:15That long sentence just means hello.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18HE SPEAKS TAMIL
0:13:18 > 0:13:21# Is it me you're looking for? #
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Two years ago, they had a riot in Singapore.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25They had a riot in Singapore.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28And basically what happened was 27 Indians overturned a car.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30LAUGHTER
0:13:30 > 0:13:32They called that a riot?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35How cute!
0:13:36 > 0:13:38In Malaysia we call that Tuesday, you know!
0:13:39 > 0:13:43In India they call that a wedding.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46A country, kind of, doesn't exist until you've told jokes in it.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48And you've got some laughs off the local audience.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50You don't know what it's going to be like.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52You've no idea how they're going to be.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Sometimes, the kind of stuff that would be considered sophisticated
0:13:55 > 0:13:58back home might not play at all and the stuff that might be considered
0:13:58 > 0:14:03very broad and crowd-pleasing will probably be what will work best.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05The problem with me is that I will spend
0:14:05 > 0:14:07probably the rest of our time in Malaysia going,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10"Oh, I should have done a joke about that."
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Yeah, you know, that whole thing of you remember the great line on the
0:14:12 > 0:14:14stairs as you leave. That's...
0:14:14 > 0:14:16That'll be the rest of the trip now, spent doing that.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19He's one of the world's best, and definitely one of Ireland's
0:14:19 > 0:14:21favourite comics, ladies and gentlemen, so
0:14:21 > 0:14:22put your hands together for a very
0:14:22 > 0:14:25special guest appearance from the one and only Ed Byrne.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27CHEERING
0:14:27 > 0:14:28'It's a brave comedian who attempts
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'brand-new material in foreign lands.'
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I've only actually been in Kuala Lumpur for 24 hours,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36but I feel I'm blending in already.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40It's strange, I actually came on the bus.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Honestly. Who was the first guy who
0:14:45 > 0:14:47decided to wear his jacket backwards on a bike?
0:14:47 > 0:14:51I want to know, was he hailed as a genius?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Or did everybody think he was a mad prick?
0:14:54 > 0:14:55I want to know.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Joy, beyond joy to be messing around with you on the stage,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03because just to see the vibrancy of the cultures here, lads.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And to see the way all you mix.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It's fantastic. We've had mixed marriages as well.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10I know you're excited to hear the excitement of two cultures,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13two distant cultures coming together.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16We were told that you couldn't mix Protestants and Catholics.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19They'd never breed. You'd get some sort of sterile mule child of some
0:15:19 > 0:15:23description. Just good for carrying cases and little else.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25But, no, mixed marriages, one half of the room in burkhas,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and the other with sombreros,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30that, my friend, is a mixed marriage, right?
0:15:30 > 0:15:33If you attend a wedding in which half the room have a giant
0:15:33 > 0:15:37dragon that they're running from one side of the room to the back,
0:15:37 > 0:15:38and the other half are leaping,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40leaping up and down to attract a mate,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43that, my friend, is a mixed marriage.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Those Kenyan-Sino relationships
0:15:45 > 0:15:49are notoriously difficult to keep going after the honeymoon period,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52you know. You can take the boy out of the Masai Mara,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54but he's going to want to kill a lion eventually.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59CHEERING
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Truly a masterclass, gentlemen.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Thank you for the education.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07'I'm quite proud of how we negotiated our way seamlessly
0:16:07 > 0:16:09'through a night of Malaysian laughter.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12'And it's great to see there are people here who see the funny side.'
0:16:15 > 0:16:19'So with some new jokes in our back pockets it's time to leave
0:16:19 > 0:16:22'Kuala Lumpur and head for the hills.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26'Our road will take us over the Highlands,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29'through the Taman Negara rainforest at the heart of the peninsula and
0:16:29 > 0:16:34'onto the rarely visited East Coast and the city of Kota Bharu,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37'before circling back to the former British colony of Penang.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42'And I'm already getting excited
0:16:42 > 0:16:46'about what we'll see along the next 3,000 miles.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Will it be like that, people just chatting and waving at us in the
0:16:49 > 0:16:50streets? I hope there's that.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- You hope there's some good waving? - I do. I hope there's, like,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56people stepping up from their agricultural work to wave at us.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59You'd put your audio-visual tablet down for that, would you?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02I would. I would remove myself from this cosseted world I live in.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06'Our next stop is 40 miles away in the Genting Highlands,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09'a hilltop escape from city life.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14'But it's 6,000 feet above the jungle.'
0:17:15 > 0:17:20We've done plane, we've done car, we've done van, we've done bicycle.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Next up, cable car.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Oh, I hate them. They're really scary.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27You take the fun out of everything.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Why do you always bring me on things that are really scary?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Like this.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- Oy!- That's a nice feeling, isn't it?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37No, it's not.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41'Only when there's no turning back do I find out
0:17:41 > 0:17:43'I'm on here for the next two miles.'
0:17:43 > 0:17:46People ask, "What's unpleasant about being in a cable car?"
0:17:46 > 0:17:48The danger of falling.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49Falling to your death.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The danger of it just coming off the wire, you know?
0:17:52 > 0:17:55It's only on a thin rope.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57And then... And the drop.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59People say, you know, "It's...
0:17:59 > 0:18:01GRINDING
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Oh, my God! It's not the heights that are bad,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05but it's the drops that'll kill you.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08You know, this is not how I want to see the jungle, plunging through it.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Plunging through it in a metal box,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15while the monkeys shrug.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Oh, this is horrible.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19I hate cable cars.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22I like a cable car. It's exciting.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I like the fact that we're heading towards a city in the clouds.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- That's pretty impressive. - Look at that!
0:18:28 > 0:18:30'In fact, this huge complex on top of the mountain
0:18:30 > 0:18:34'hosts the world lion dancing championships, and tomorrow,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36'we've got front row seats.'
0:18:37 > 0:18:40GROWLING
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'We're just in time for the final rehearsal of the current defending
0:18:44 > 0:18:47'champions, Malaysian team, Kun Seng Keng.'
0:18:47 > 0:18:49PERCUSSION
0:18:57 > 0:19:01'Hugely popular, this death-defying acrobatics on stilts was originally
0:19:01 > 0:19:03'brought here by the Chinese.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10'These dancers are the star acrobats who make up the lion,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13'and have been training since they were ten.'
0:19:16 > 0:19:18This is Malaysia team.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Kun Seng Keng lion dance troupe.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Welcome today to see our rehearsals.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Thank you very, very much.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Do different teams have to do the same things?
0:19:27 > 0:19:31No. Every team will not the same movement and jump.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- All different?- OK. - But there are certain movements
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- that have to be done. - Have their own storyline.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39- They have their own storyline. - Oh, really.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42How long... I mean, is it a routine you describe it as
0:19:42 > 0:19:43or a performance?
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Time is about 12 minutes...
0:19:45 > 0:19:49- Wow, a 12 minute long routine.- Yeah.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00He's standing there, lifting the other guy up.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03They're doing that at speed, and that isn't even the full costume.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05And also, presumably, with his hands,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08he is moving the mouth of the Dragon and the eyes of the Dragon?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10- Yeah.- The lion. - Sorry, lion, excuse me.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14So he's a puppeteer and a gymnast at the same time.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- Yeah.- Can we see what it's like? Can we stand on the podiums?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19- You can try.- I can try.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- OK, I can do that pole. - Be very careful.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Oh, they're very sturdy though.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26And there's a mat on them.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28It's like a gym mat on the top,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31so the grip will be quite good.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Do you want me to push you up, Ed? Do you want me to push you up?
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- See, that's already...- Careful.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37..not pleasant.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- Really?- Support yourself. - Hang on. Hang on.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47And now I'm going to throw you to there, Ed.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- That's not going to happen.- OK. I'm really...
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Well done. Well done.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58I don't think either of us is cut out to be even half a lion.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59To the left.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02To the right. To the left.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Looking around, looking around. Where are you?
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- Oh, you're already... - I'm right behind you.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- To the right.- All we're saying is, it's our first time.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Do you have any cash?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14No, he's beyond...
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Really? This, this is what we're getting for that?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22What? You're tough.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24You're inscrutable, I like you.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Apart from hosting international lion dancing competitions,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34the First World Hotel has its own claim to fame -
0:21:34 > 0:21:36it's the largest hotel in the world.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39And to get into it, it has its own underground street.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41This is more like it. This is...
0:21:41 > 0:21:44You know, it could be any time of day.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47That impression that it's night-time.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50No idea if it's sunlight outside, no view of the outside,
0:21:50 > 0:21:51that's what we want.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59But next morning we find ourselves above the clouds.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06We are peering down onto the Petronas Towers.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11And, as usual, Dara's checking the guidebook.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14This is the largest hotel in the world!
0:22:15 > 0:22:187,351 beds.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21You get out of breath very easily at this height.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23That would be unexpected, if you trained at sea level
0:22:23 > 0:22:24and then you come up here,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and 11 minutes into your 12 minute routine...
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- You suddenly run out of breath! - Yeah!- I didn't factor that in!
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It's like, towards the end of the storyline,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35the lion became quite exhausted and heaving for breath a lot.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Lion dancing has a huge following amongst
0:22:42 > 0:22:44the seven million Chinese who now live here.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48But it was the Malaysians who turned it into a sport in 1983,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52as they introduced the idea of the lions leaping from pole to pole.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58The best teams in the world are competing today in the grand final.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18They've all got one thing in mind -
0:23:18 > 0:23:21trying to knock our Malaysians off the top spot.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24- BOTH:- Oh!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Now that we've seen people fall, there's genuine peril.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38This can go wrong.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41So instead of it just being like watching acrobats at the circus
0:23:41 > 0:23:43where you're going, "Oh, we know they'll do this."
0:23:43 > 0:23:45They might not do this.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50One of the chief rivals is the White Lion of Taipei.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Yeah, nailed it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14That is, without doubt, the best lion dance I have ever seen.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16- Yeah, me too. Representing Taipei.- Yeah.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Malaysia are about to start, and have been set a challenge, I feel.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23I'm sending my children to the University of Taipei, I've decided,
0:24:23 > 0:24:24because they really know their stuff.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27They'd get an excellent lion dancing course there.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- The faculty of lion dancing is great.- Wahey!
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Finally, we're on.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34But Malaysia have got a lot to live up to.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Come on.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I'm a bit nervous.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42We will hope no accident happens later.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Nice work.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55There you go. Yes, yes.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09Nice!
0:25:14 > 0:25:17First on the tightrope. No-one else has used the tightrope.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Come on!
0:25:21 > 0:25:22How is he going to get out of there?
0:25:26 > 0:25:27Oh, look at that.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Very good.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37LION GARGLES
0:25:37 > 0:25:38DARA LAUGHS
0:25:47 > 0:25:52Our guys have just been head and shoulders above everybody else.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Little touches and flashes of crowd-pleasing carry on
0:25:55 > 0:25:58that nobody else has employed.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02MAN SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:26:02 > 0:26:04CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Yes!
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Well done!
0:26:08 > 0:26:09They are the winners.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Yes! This is great.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15- Our team won.- Our lion won.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18But there's still one unfulfilled ambition.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21One of us has to wear the hat.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Well done, all of you, that was very, very good.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Well done. I've always said if I ever get to be a pantomime horse,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Ed gets the rear end.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32There we go. How's that?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35- Am I looking bashful? - I don't think I can lift you.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48From the tranquil Genting Highlands,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50we're now heading 150 miles north into
0:26:50 > 0:26:53the remote heart of the Malay Peninsula
0:26:53 > 0:26:55towards a tiny village of Gua Musang.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02We're on our way to the Taman Negara jungle,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06one of the oldest rainforests in the world.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10This is home to some of the 18 indigenous tribes of Malaysia.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14We're hoping to meet members of the Batek tribe,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16to see how life is changing for them,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18and we can't go empty-handed.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Hello, sir, hello, how are you?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- Can I just have...? Can I have a whirl?- You try.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26This is durian fruit, an Asian delicacy.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Do you know, weirdly, I think I have eaten it.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I think I'd remember if I'd eaten it.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33It's a very interesting texture, the flesh.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Oh, hello. There's large stones and everything.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39'And be warned, it's an acquired taste.'
0:27:39 > 0:27:45Oh, that's strong! When is a polite time to dispose of a tasted durian,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48when you've really not eaten that much of it?
0:27:48 > 0:27:51I was going to go for the throw over the shoulder thing.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- I'm just going to put it back in the box.- OK.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59There we go. Now my fingers are all durian-y.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I guess, 12?
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Oh, you're giving them in a plastic bag.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07That seems risky with that particular fruit.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08You bag away.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11If this is the way you do this, that's fine.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I wouldn't... There's times I'm in Marks & Spencer
0:28:13 > 0:28:16and I wouldn't put a pineapple into a plastic bag.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19It does seem odd to me that we are taking fruit to the jungle.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22I think they at the moment don't have any durian
0:28:22 > 0:28:23and we're bringing them a gift.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25It would have been, in many ways,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27better had we arrived with strawberries.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30And we'd gone, "We have brought you some Cox Pippins."
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Please...
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Six Pink Lady I picked up in an M&S in Chiswick before I left.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38OK, grand. Thank you very much, sir.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41That's great. Don't put them anywhere where they can puncture me.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Because they will puncture you.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Ow! Don't do that!
0:28:48 > 0:28:50That's going to be a fun game to play.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Three hours later we arrive in Gua Musang,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59a Malay village on the edge of the jungle.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04The Batek tribe lived a nomadic existence in this rainforest
0:29:04 > 0:29:05for hundreds of years
0:29:05 > 0:29:09until deforestation took away their way of life
0:29:09 > 0:29:11and they were forced to live in settlements.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16The tribe have become very mistrustful of the outside world,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20even of Azi, a community worker who is trying to help them.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- Hello. Hi.- Hi, Azi. How are you?- I'm good.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25- Hi, Azi.- Ed. - How are you?- Hi.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27What is life like for the Batek people?
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Right now they are in a transition between the modern
0:29:31 > 0:29:33and how they used to be because, like,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36a few years ago they used to live in the forests.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40But because of the deforestation and people want
0:29:40 > 0:29:42to develop their land and so forth,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46so the government placed them in one village where they can settle from
0:29:46 > 0:29:49the previous generation to the current generation,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52they lost a bit of their culture and history there.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Most of the adults, they are actually quite happier in the forest
0:29:56 > 0:29:59because they didn't have to deal with money,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01they didn't have to deal with outsiders and so forth.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03But they kind of have to move there
0:30:03 > 0:30:06because the government told them to.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08The Batek have agreed to meet us,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11but only in the forest, where still feel more at home.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Are you disappointed that nowhere
0:30:19 > 0:30:21isn't as far from somewhere as you'd like it to be?
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Yeah, but I feel like we're getting further away from somewhere now.
0:30:24 > 0:30:30I am approaching a satisfactory level of isolation now.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32This is a taste of real Malaysia now.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Finally off the beaten path.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Why is this rainforest so wet?
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Jesus! I thought that was something jumping out.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44After several miles of track
0:30:44 > 0:30:48and the onset of a monsoon deluge, we arrive.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50And there's not a Batek in sight.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56I can't imagine it's too rainy for the people who live in the forest.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57So the gist is that we don't know
0:30:57 > 0:30:59if they're going to be able to meet us.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- No.- It's been rained off.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03The meeting with people who live in the forest.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Well, apparently they are genuinely a very shy people
0:31:07 > 0:31:10and not that trusting of outsiders.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Then, suddenly, led by Azi,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25four of the women from the tribe appear.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27We have... We have contact.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29We have contact with the Batek people.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33- Repeat, we have contact with the Batek.- Fabulous. They're here.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35"Let's get them good and wet," they said.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37"Let's..."
0:31:37 > 0:31:39"Let's see how badly they want to meet us."
0:31:39 > 0:31:43- Yes.- "Let's see if they'll take a soaking."
0:31:43 > 0:31:47But even though they've turned up, they don't seem to notice us.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- Job's a good one.- We'll let you go on and then we'll come down.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Yeah, OK.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55AZI SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:31:59 > 0:32:01OK, they are here.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03We're going to follow them to their campsite, yeah?
0:32:03 > 0:32:05It's just a short walk.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- OK.- The campsite is this way?- Yeah.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11They are really shy of new people.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13- So...- Well, so are we.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15We are going to be just as shy.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18In our own small way, through you, have we gained their trust?
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Yeah. This they understand is
0:32:21 > 0:32:24exposure for the Batek because not many people know about them,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28so they would like to share it with other people, outsiders.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32Originally nomadic hunter-gatherers,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35there are only about 1,500 Batek left.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Many of the adults still disappear into the jungle for weeks.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40And today, they want to show us
0:32:40 > 0:32:43some of their traditional survival skills.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45The one thing that we've always been told about the Batek
0:32:45 > 0:32:46is that they're a shy people.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49And certainly in the greeting there was no,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51"Hey, welcome to the forest!"
0:32:51 > 0:32:53It was, you know, "You're here,
0:32:53 > 0:32:55"so we're going to carry on walking, so you can follow us."
0:32:55 > 0:32:58"I'll be your Batek guide for today.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00"Let me show you to our humble abode."
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Yeah. But, no, there's been hardly any communication at all, really.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08"We're going this... And you... You can tag along if you want?"
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Do you know, these boots are slightly more waterproof
0:33:10 > 0:33:11than I thought they were.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Oh, don't say that. I'm quite pleased with this as a purchase now.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Do you want me to come back and carry you over on my back?
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Yeah, would you, please? There we go.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22- And now...- Would one of you ladies like to carry him on your back?
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Great, the last bit of me that wasn't wet is now wet.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31So they cook, like, chicken, fish, rice, inside the bamboo.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33They just stuff it in, put some salt,
0:33:33 > 0:33:35and then you put it in the fire.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39- The whole tube is just used as a... - A cooking vessel?- Yeah.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41But whilst they are happy for us to watch,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43the Batek keep us at a distance.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47If I offered to help with the chopping of the bamboo,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51would that go in any way toward scoring brownie points with them?
0:33:51 > 0:33:53- They would just laugh at you. - They will?
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Laughter is good, laughter is fine because we'll be very bad.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59OK.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02After a night in Gua Musang,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Dara and I are wracking our brains
0:34:05 > 0:34:07to find a way of connecting with the tribe.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10With the adults being so reserved,
0:34:10 > 0:34:11perhaps we can get the children onside
0:34:11 > 0:34:13with a few retro village games.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17- Eggs.- Straightaway, there we go.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Did you bring a spoon to test them?
0:34:19 > 0:34:21- Of course I've brought a spoon to test them.- Nice work.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26They are various sizes. They don't grade the eggs by size.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Well, we're not in the EU here, are we?
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Where everything is all standardised.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32I feel slight misgivings about stepping into
0:34:32 > 0:34:34and telling them to do,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37to basically play Western kindergarten games,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39which is what we may do.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41That's the only kind of misgiving I have,
0:34:41 > 0:34:44that we might misjudge this.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45Thank you.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Ow!
0:34:50 > 0:34:53- Mind yourself on that! - Yeah, small people's country.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02The tribe have struggled to adapt to their new way of life
0:35:02 > 0:35:05and have withdrawn from the outside world.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09There we go. That's nice.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- Best sports day ever! - What did you get?
0:35:12 > 0:35:15So to start off we're setting ourselves up on a field
0:35:15 > 0:35:17half a mile down the track.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20I really didn't need to bring spoons.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23AZI SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:35:23 > 0:35:26Whilst Azi is spreading the word in the village school.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30AZI SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:35:33 > 0:35:38And it seems like the children, at least, are keen.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41God, this feels like one of those Apprentice things.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46ALAN SUGAR IMPRESSION: I want you to run a kid's entertainment company in the Malaysian jungle.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50- ALAN SUGAR IMPRESSION:- Who makes the least amount of fun for Batek children will be fired.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Kids will let you know if they're not having a good time.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Oh, my God! Kids make the worst hecklers in the world.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Hello. Hi, there. Nama saya "Dara".
0:35:58 > 0:36:00That's a funny name. Dara.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Nama saya "Ed".
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Hi. Hello. So who would like to play a game?
0:36:06 > 0:36:07Oh, hey!
0:36:08 > 0:36:13I need six young men who want to have a race.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Three, two, one, go!
0:36:15 > 0:36:17This is working very well.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Ba-doing! Ba-doing!
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Ba-doing! Ba-doing!
0:36:25 > 0:36:27And you're over!
0:36:27 > 0:36:29This is fantastic. A sack race is a great leveller.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32I mean, a certain amount of aerobic fitness is required but, really,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34it's just the will to win
0:36:34 > 0:36:37is the most important thing in any kind of sack race.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39So they're getting into it straightaway.
0:36:39 > 0:36:45The next race, put the egg on the spoon like so...
0:36:45 > 0:36:46and then run.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Mine is not hard-boiled. Look at that.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Thank you. Champion of the Batek village.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Ah!
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- Oh!- OK.
0:37:00 > 0:37:01That is good work.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03You can't put your finger on your egg.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- Look at this!- Champion!
0:37:09 > 0:37:11- OK.- You can do it!
0:37:11 > 0:37:13You can do it.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15The wheelbarrow concept didn't really seem to work.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19And once they'd gone down, they didn't get back up again.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- Only one of them crossed the line for that.- That's all we need.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24We may not have explained that one well.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26I will leave with very fond memories of the Batek.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28I would love to know in ten years' time
0:37:28 > 0:37:30what memories of the five-year-old boys
0:37:30 > 0:37:33have of the day we spent here.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36I wonder how they will tell this tale to the others.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40They'll be like, "Well, there was one point in our transitional
0:37:40 > 0:37:43"generation as we moved from nomadic forest people into village
0:37:43 > 0:37:47"dwelling folk where two very odd-looking pale men
0:37:47 > 0:37:50"came and just made us run around."
0:37:50 > 0:37:54"They made us use our arms as legs. What is wrong with these people?!"
0:37:55 > 0:37:59But whilst the children here seem to be opening up to the wider world,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02the adults remember how things used to be.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06The leap from being a tribal people into a modern life
0:38:06 > 0:38:09may be just too big for some of them to take.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14The future of the Batek will depend on these kids.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17They may not have known quite what to make of us,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19but the durian is going down well.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Who is dropping bombs over there? Who was that?
0:38:23 > 0:38:27LAUGHTER
0:38:27 > 0:38:29When in doubt, make a fart.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30Farts are universally hilarious.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32They are in every culture.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Oh, wow! That is a handsome view for a train station to have.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42It is. I was going to say, I fell asleep on the Bakerloo once
0:38:42 > 0:38:45and it gets a lot like this towards the end.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48We are halfway through our journey across Malaysia
0:38:48 > 0:38:51and we are heading to Kota Bharu.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Look at that.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55See in the underground, that would be a rat.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57That's a cat who just doesn't care.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Yeah, it's a cat who breaks the rules.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01It's a maverick cat. Hello!
0:39:01 > 0:39:03There we go.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08The jungle train is a vital link to the other side of the peninsula.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10It will take us four hours to cross the interior to
0:39:10 > 0:39:13the north-eastern state of Kelantan.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Bloody bag!
0:39:15 > 0:39:17What did I pack? Too many lead weights.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Hiya!
0:39:24 > 0:39:27So now it's your turn to be startled by a butterfly.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Hopefully we're going to see a lot more jungle now as we pass through it.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35We will, we'll go through the jungle, all right.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36That's our last stop in the jungle.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Now we go...here.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41So we are off to Kota Bharu?
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Kota Bharu. A very Muslim part of the world.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49- Hi, can I get a nasi goreng, please?- Yes.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51One, please.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54It's the same as the sandwiches on every train in the world, my friend.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Sorry.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59- I'm saying...- Yeah.- I think I've seen those exact sandwiches before
0:39:59 > 0:40:02on a train between Manchester and London.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Train beats car every time because you travel among the people.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09So we have a hint of what we are going to go to because
0:40:09 > 0:40:12we are going to a place called Kota Bharu
0:40:12 > 0:40:15and Kota Bharu is a strongly Muslim area.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19So even the carriage we are in, there are more burqas and hijabs
0:40:19 > 0:40:23and the traditional Muslim dress is much more evident.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25We are among the Malaysians now.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Whereas in your car and your van you are in your little bubble
0:40:28 > 0:40:30and you don't really get to see the people.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Although Malaysia is a Muslim country,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Kelantan is the only Islamically governed state.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Kota Bharu, the capital,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48immediately feels a million miles away from the multicultural cities
0:40:48 > 0:40:50of the west coast.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55Strict religious laws here have had a huge impact on the way of life
0:40:55 > 0:40:57and traditions.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Wayang kulit, the art of shadow puppetry
0:41:02 > 0:41:04based on famous Hindu epics,
0:41:04 > 0:41:09has been renowned in Kelantan for over 200 years.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10But in 1990,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13the Islamic party introduced laws against Hinduism
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and traditional animist beliefs.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Performance of shadow puppetry was banned.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24The restrictions have since been relaxed
0:41:24 > 0:41:27and master puppeteer Pak Dain
0:41:27 > 0:41:31has been searching for ways to make wayang kulit popular again.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- Hello.- I am Ed, this is Dara.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Hello. How are you? It's lovely to meet you. How are you?
0:41:37 > 0:41:39'We have heard that Pak has come up with some novel ideas
0:41:39 > 0:41:42'to give his puppets a new lease of life.'
0:41:42 > 0:41:47I am a qualified master puppeteer, we teamed up
0:41:47 > 0:41:50to try to find a way how to revive wayang kulit.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54What we are trying to do is try to put in...
0:41:54 > 0:41:58some pop culture, some sci-fi stuff into this.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02So what did you put in? What did you choose to include?
0:42:02 > 0:42:05The first one was a Star Wars inspired wayang kulit.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07I'm interested why you would choose Star Wars.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Obviously, it's very popular.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12What we are trying to do is just bring another way
0:42:12 > 0:42:14of trying to revive this art. Nobody has done it before,
0:42:14 > 0:42:16taking something so traditional
0:42:16 > 0:42:18and obviously something so future and sci-fi.
0:42:18 > 0:42:24Do you yourselves have quite a sort of master and apprentice,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Jedi and Padawan sort of relationship?
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Is he the Obi-Wan to your Luke Skywalker?
0:42:29 > 0:42:31I'm always on the light side!
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Pak has been granted a special licence
0:42:37 > 0:42:39to stage a wayang kulit show in town tomorrow,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42and we've got a five-minute slot.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Right, I'm going to show you the puppet
0:42:44 > 0:42:47that you guys are going to be using for tomorrow.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48OK, great.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51It's something of the future and a little bit different.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52OK.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Oh, my God!
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Hi, guys, what do you think of the puppets?
0:43:00 > 0:43:02I like Ed's a little bit more than I like mine.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05That is beautiful.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07To compare it with Punch and Judy,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- I have got quite the Mr Punch face.- Oh, my God!
0:43:10 > 0:43:11And with our puppetry experience so far
0:43:11 > 0:43:14only amounting to the odd run-in with Sooty and Sweep,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17we'll need all the help we can get.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20So is this sort of arrival quite important
0:43:20 > 0:43:22that it has to sweep in like that?
0:43:22 > 0:43:24The character must stand up like this.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Oh, I see, don't press too hard against the curtain.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Try not to make it look like it's got a broken arm.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32It's a lot more difficult than it looks.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34It seems like it's just one moving part,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36it's just the arm, but it's not.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39It's actually the way you sort of curve it
0:43:39 > 0:43:42against the screen is vital.
0:43:42 > 0:43:48So our transformation to puppet masters begins very slowly.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52I think we would at least, like, not to disgrace ourselves
0:43:52 > 0:43:55and not, like, to have the entire audience go,
0:43:55 > 0:43:57"What was that in the middle?"
0:43:57 > 0:44:00The minute we went into the rehearsal room I spotted the problem
0:44:00 > 0:44:03that Pak just coiled his feet underneath himself
0:44:03 > 0:44:07and he is apparently content to sit like that for three hours.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08I don't do that regularly,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11I come from a chair-based culture where we like to have
0:44:11 > 0:44:14some support and we like our long legs spread out,
0:44:14 > 0:44:16and the notion of doing this
0:44:16 > 0:44:19is actually literally impossible for me.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23That is a kind of a child catcher kind of a face, isn't it?
0:44:23 > 0:44:25It's pointed.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Lollipops!
0:44:27 > 0:44:30All free today.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Shadow puppetry was traditionally performed outside,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38but due to the religious conditions
0:44:38 > 0:44:41it can only now take place inside a licensed theatre
0:44:41 > 0:44:43and must be over by dusk.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53PAK SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:44:57 > 0:44:58And when we arrived,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01the stormtroopers certainly seem to have pulled in a big crowd.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22It turns out that the fight against the dark side fits seamlessly
0:45:22 > 0:45:28alongside the good versus evil in Pak's beloved Hindu epics.
0:45:30 > 0:45:31Ah!
0:45:33 > 0:45:34Ah!
0:45:45 > 0:45:47APPLAUSE
0:45:47 > 0:45:50But even with the help of the Galactic Empire,
0:45:50 > 0:45:51Pak is worried about the future
0:45:51 > 0:45:54and what effect the religious rulings might have.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58People, they want to spend a lot of time to learn something
0:45:58 > 0:46:03which is very difficult, a skill, to qualify,
0:46:03 > 0:46:07but yet when they qualify they don't have a place to perform
0:46:07 > 0:46:09and they can earn money on it.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12I hope you are not the last generation of master puppeteers.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14So I'm scared,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16I'm scared very much.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20I don't want... I am... I will be the last.
0:46:21 > 0:46:22Are you ready?
0:46:23 > 0:46:25As ready as I'll ever be.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28So what we are going to do now is we are going to show you something
0:46:28 > 0:46:31special, and there is Mr Dara. And Mr Ed.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38Hello. Dara, how are you?
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Hello, Ed. Do you enjoy travelling, Ed Byrne?
0:46:41 > 0:46:45I do not enjoy travelling, I enjoy being in different places,
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I do not enjoy the travel part.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51But they say getting there is half the fun.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56If getting there is half the fun, you are having a bad holiday.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58If getting there is half the fun,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01surely getting home again would be the other half of the fun?
0:47:01 > 0:47:04You are having no fun where you are going.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05Go somewhere else next year.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12The one time we got a good laugh was when I smacked you in the face.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14- Yeah, yeah.- We should have done more of that.
0:47:14 > 0:47:19It has been an absolute pleasure to play a beginner's role in this most
0:47:19 > 0:47:21beautiful and ancient of arts.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25And now you have been part of our continued Asian adventure.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Onward and above!
0:47:27 > 0:47:30APPLAUSE
0:47:31 > 0:47:34- Oh, my God!- Is there a back way out?
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Let's never ever show our faces again here!
0:47:38 > 0:47:41We hope we haven't, you know, killed off the art form.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43No, I would say enjoy.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45- I would be intrigued... - And they understand!
0:47:45 > 0:47:48That's the important thing. OK, I'm not sure if they did.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52You sure you're not now yearning for the days when this was banned?
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Generally, when amateurs try out stand-up,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02they go better than we just did there.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04I have to say!
0:48:04 > 0:48:09We... Our have-a-go attitude crumbled very early on.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16We are approaching the end of the Malaysian leg of our journey.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Processed cheese cracker sandwich?
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Are you making canapes?
0:48:20 > 0:48:22It's very refined here.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26If you are going to throw a wine and cheese party
0:48:26 > 0:48:28in the back of a minibus, Ed, put some effort in.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31- Well, some wine would be good.- Yeah.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35From Kota Bharu, it's three hours to Penang, our final stop.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40In huge contrast to Kelantan,
0:48:40 > 0:48:42Penang is a melting pot of people
0:48:42 > 0:48:45and was known as the Pearl of the Orient by the British.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Penang's fortunes were founded on trade
0:48:50 > 0:48:53from China, India and Britain.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56It was once a crucial seaport, only second to Singapore.
0:48:59 > 0:49:00George Town, the capital,
0:49:00 > 0:49:03has inherited much from those colonial days.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Our journey through this patchwork nation
0:49:06 > 0:49:09has already been filled with so many ethnicities,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12but we've come here to meet one of the oldest cultures
0:49:12 > 0:49:14unique to the Malay Peninsula.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20Michael Chia's family is one of the original Peranakans,
0:49:20 > 0:49:21or Baba-Nyonyas.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Descendants of Chinese immigrants
0:49:23 > 0:49:25and the British and Portuguese settlers,
0:49:25 > 0:49:27they are fiercely proud of their history.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32I'm Baba Michael.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33Ed. Dara.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35- Baba Michael, how are you? - Yes, I'm Baba Michael.
0:49:35 > 0:49:36- Come in with us.- OK, sure.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38What does the actual word Baba-Nyonya mean?
0:49:38 > 0:49:41The Baba-Nyonya is actually an Anglo-Indian word.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44Baba is the Indian word for father, lord or master. And Nyonya,
0:49:44 > 0:49:47the word actually came from Portuguese Eurasian,
0:49:47 > 0:49:49you know Malacca and the Portuguese?
0:49:49 > 0:49:52- Yes.- So Nyonya means young maiden, a highborn maiden.
0:49:52 > 0:49:53So it's a mixture of Portuguese...
0:49:53 > 0:49:58Portuguese, Indian, colonial Britain and Chinese.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00All the races are in my family,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03because Baba-Nyonya is like the multicultural Malaysian.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05We are the true one Malaysia, as they say.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08- Right. You are the most typical Malaysian?- Yes.- You are...
0:50:08 > 0:50:11We have been looking for the most typical Malaysian
0:50:11 > 0:50:13for the entire trip here.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18The Baba-Nyonyas borrowed elements from their diverse heritage
0:50:18 > 0:50:22to come up with their own Peranakan look.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24In terms of this fusion, this building here,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27which at first glance looks very Chinese,
0:50:27 > 0:50:30but the floor tiles are the same tiles that
0:50:30 > 0:50:32I have in my house in London,
0:50:32 > 0:50:34I couldn't help noticing on the way in.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37And the stained glass, you've drawn everything,
0:50:37 > 0:50:40is that true of all types of Baba-Nyonya culture?
0:50:40 > 0:50:41So we have the best of the best.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44The best type of furniture from China, the building is Chinese.
0:50:44 > 0:50:50But here, the tiles, the cast iron from Edinburgh.
0:50:50 > 0:50:51So we have the best of the best.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54And the stained glass from Nancy in France.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57And we wear the British tuxedos and others for functions,
0:50:57 > 0:51:01with the top hat. There is one photograph here, my grandfather.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03And what is he wearing?
0:51:03 > 0:51:06He is wearing a mixture of the Baba jacket, like what I'm wearing,
0:51:06 > 0:51:07and a Malay sarong.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09You see, a chequered sarong.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Yet another thing to add to the confusing mix
0:51:11 > 0:51:14of trying to find out the people of Malaysia.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Just when you think you've got a handle on Malaysia,
0:51:16 > 0:51:18another curveball comes along.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21- Thank you very much. - OK, thank you, thank you.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23Michael is hosting a special Peranakan feast
0:51:23 > 0:51:27for us later on today, but for now, we've got a few hours to kill.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29This trishaw driver's going to be delighted
0:51:29 > 0:51:30when he gets a look at you.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32- Get on, just get in. - The size of him.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Has he just made your day, huh?
0:51:34 > 0:51:36He doesn't get paid any more.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39- He doesn't get paid by the kilo. - No, I was being sarcastic.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42Right.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44You are not a fun person to share a trishaw with.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47We're there. That's where we are now.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Can you at least cool it with the manspreading?
0:51:49 > 0:51:52Oh, for God's sake! It's not the tube we're on.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55And my trusty guidebook has come up trumps again.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59It turns out, that in 2008, parts of George Town were awarded
0:51:59 > 0:52:02UNESCO World Heritage status, and to celebrate,
0:52:02 > 0:52:05several young street artists were commissioned to create murals
0:52:05 > 0:52:07in the colonial centre.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Their interactive graffiti has now become world-famous.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15That's one there, that's one there, over there.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19- Oh, yes, I see.- Hang on, we'll get a photograph of it.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21- Shall we just...? - We'll move in there, yeah.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24This is what you're supposed to do, you see. OK.
0:52:24 > 0:52:25Thank you.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Lovely. Come on, we haven't got all day.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33I can't see it, you're blocking the art.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35- Well, I'm the money shot anyway. - Move across.
0:52:37 > 0:52:42Lovely, you're in, grand. Come on, next one. Next one, please!
0:52:42 > 0:52:44- Move over! - And we accelerate off.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48Feeling increasingly guilty for this man pushing this bicycle.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50"This is no eight-year-old I'm pushing here!"
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Ladies!
0:52:55 > 0:52:59- How do you do?- Welcome to Penang.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Stop here for a second, thank you!
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Right, good work.
0:53:05 > 0:53:06Nice. Oh, that's really, really good.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10- You're interacting with it.- Where can I get some action in this town?
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Lovely, and again.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14- Perfect, very good. - Thank you very much.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Oh, I feel bad about this.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18- I just...- How are you coping?
0:53:18 > 0:53:20How are you bearing up? He looks...
0:53:20 > 0:53:21- He doesn't look happy.- Yeah.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23Yeah. Do you know what, I have an idea.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28And this will be the famous street art of George Town.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33Perhaps you two would like to take a souvenir photograph at this point?
0:53:33 > 0:53:37- Here you go, champ.- OK.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39- Ha-ha.- There, beautiful.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Lovely. Back in you get.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45Right, let's find some more street art.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50George Town was originally built in the 1880s...
0:53:50 > 0:53:51Less of that, more of that, please.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53OK, sir.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Being a trishaw rider is the toughest game in the world.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59You know, I've been doing it man and boy now, for all of...
0:53:59 > 0:54:00- 10 minutes?- 12 minutes, I would have said,
0:54:00 > 0:54:03and that's including the time I'm taking off here.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05But it felt like you'd been doing it man and boy because my life flashed
0:54:05 > 0:54:08before my eyes and I saw myself as both a man and a boy at some point.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Oops, sorry, pet. My first day, pet, don't be judging me.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Oh, dear. Hang on, I'm feeling nervous.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16I call this piece "red pipe, blue pipe."
0:54:16 > 0:54:18It's one of my more industrial works.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Our last night in Malaysia,
0:54:23 > 0:54:27and Baba Michael has promised us a true Penang farewell.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31But he's asked that we dress up for this evening's celebration.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35I can't get over thinking this looks on me like a dressing down.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37But you, you are the belle of the ball.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39You don't think it makes you look fat?
0:54:39 > 0:54:43No, I would be proud to have you as my date.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45I would be proud to attend any...
0:54:45 > 0:54:49international karate tournament that you hosted on your evil island.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Oh, it's definitely more kung fu.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53- Really?- Yes, I'm hoping, I'm hoping a ruck breaks out,
0:54:53 > 0:54:57so I can bust out some of my white tiger moves.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59This would be amazing, if it ends,
0:54:59 > 0:55:03and I'll sit just smoking a cigar in a long ebony holder.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06I look like, yeah, I could be your bodyguard.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Michael and the Baba-Nyonyas
0:55:17 > 0:55:20have organised a traditional Peranakan long table feast
0:55:20 > 0:55:23at their cultural centre.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26An honour reserved for very special occasions,
0:55:26 > 0:55:28which will send us on our way with prosperity,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31long life and safe travels.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Ah, the Baba-Nyonya to me is everything.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37The best of the East, the best of the West, we have English things,
0:55:37 > 0:55:38we have Chinese things,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40we have Malay, we have Thai, we have Myanmar,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44we have Burmese, all different cultures amalgamated into one.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46The colours of Malaysia.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49The flowers of Malaysia and the spices of life.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51So to me, I'm so, so excited!
0:55:53 > 0:55:57VIOLIN PLAYS
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Amongst the great and the good from the Baba-Nyonya community,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06our outfits are starting to feel a lot more in keeping.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Malaysia is an interesting place to visit.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23It's a very difficult country to get a hold of.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25It's quite a grab bag.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28People came here down the Malacca Strait
0:56:28 > 0:56:30in order to bring their spices from China
0:56:30 > 0:56:34and all those places, so they created this distinct community.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40Bravo, very good, well done.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42Thank you very much.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Even eating here is done Peranakan style.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46And so, shall we feast?
0:56:46 > 0:56:48I'm not seeing any chopsticks at all here.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51No, no, chopsticks, they're Chinese.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54No, no. So Baba-Nyonya, we're very British. These are the cupcakes.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58Pink cupcakes. Your daughter will love it, it's pink, it's pink.
0:56:58 > 0:56:59Like little pink fairies.
0:56:59 > 0:57:00Yes, it's a cupcake.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02In many ways,
0:57:02 > 0:57:05the perfect way to finish a trip around Malaysia is with a feast,
0:57:05 > 0:57:08and a feast of varied foods, of different influences
0:57:08 > 0:57:10because that's what this country is, essentially.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13On your plate, there are no borders on a plate. Rice has no passport.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15What is this made of?
0:57:15 > 0:57:17This is made of mung beans covered in a paste of rice flour.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21- Delicious?- Mmm! Mmm, yeah!
0:57:21 > 0:57:25- This tastes Asian. - Yes, this is Asian, is Asian.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28And long may the celebration of cultures last here.
0:57:29 > 0:57:34If you want to see all of Asia, come to Malaysia, because it's like,
0:57:34 > 0:57:36it's like a buffet of all the different...
0:57:36 > 0:57:38A pick and mix, if you will.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41Yes, all the races and all the different cultures in one country.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43And that's, I mean, you can see that on the plate.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45Of course now we're going to Thailand
0:57:45 > 0:57:46and they just have Thai food.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49This is the "may your wish come true bun,"
0:57:49 > 0:57:51so may all your wishes come true,
0:57:51 > 0:57:55may you come back to Penang again and have a safe, pleasant journey.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Thank you.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01Next time, we are in Thailand,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03a tropical paradise where mass tourism
0:58:03 > 0:58:05is pushing life to the brink.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08This is one of those places which is a kind of once-in-a-lifetime
0:58:08 > 0:58:11experience, and we've done it once.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15And a battle is being waged to save its oldest residents.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17The turtles are at their most vulnerable at
0:58:17 > 0:58:19the bits where they intersect with our life.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21Frankly, this is exactly what we should be doing.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23- Here comes a wave.- Godspeed.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26It's an emotional thing. I've have sunscreen in my eyes.