What do you expect the Amis family house to look like before coming here?
Originally, I thought the typical type of indigenous dwelling houses were those made of stone slabs. The stone slab houses have left a deep impression on me because in the past, wherever I went for sight-seeing or school outings, they were the only kind of dwelling to be showcased. We were taught that it’s customary for indigenous people to bury their deceased family members beneath the stone floor in their houses. So, I had no idea and was eager to know what a “family house” was when you talked about it in the beginning. I thought it was the name of an institution or organization.
What do you think when seeing the Amis family house for the first time?
It’s very special because I have never seen a genuine one like that in real life. As I imagine based on what I’ve seen on the screen, the house might have a thatch roof. But at first glance, I thought the hut looked much like a film set. I even shared it on my Instagram story, which got many of my friends asking what kind of big project I’d been shooting because they all thought it to be scenery. I think this is partly because the interior of the house is somewhat too well-planned and organized with every corner and space designed for a clear purpose. To me, this seems to be lacking a “sense of real life.” But maybe this is because I seldom have an opportunity to come in contact with an indigenous building like this, which is built entirely with bamboo. Even the furniture and utensils are made of natural materials that are rarely seen.
“Lacking a sense of real life,” is it because you feel like it’s being introduced as a kind of cultural venue?
Yeah, kind of. I think few people would be willing to give up technology and live in a simple house like that. It’s just like almost no one can do without smartphones, right? By the way, is there any outlet inside? It’s really hard for me to imagine someone should choose to live a life with neither electricity nor the convenience of modern tools. It also makes no sense to me that someone would deliberately do so in today’s society with advanced technology and science. But after the home tour and introduction given by Akac Orat himself, I realize that he has made the decision with careful consideration, which I think is very good and can agree with. I agree that indigenous culture needs preserving, but if you do it too deliberately or meticulously, take replicating the house, for example, the result would appear contrived. That’s why so many people thought I was shooting a film because such a primitive way of life, which is true to the real thing, is nowhere to be found except on a film set.
What’s the difference between this time and your previous experiences visiting indigenous communities as tourists?
In the past spring vacation, I’ve been to an indigenous village with my family for sightseeing. I found the entire community was deliberately set to create a sense of indigenousness, with traditional stone-paved streets mixed amid modern buildings, which seemed rather odd to me. And there were shops and vendors selling slate barbecue or souvenirs everywhere, making me feel that local residents intended to highlight their indigenousness as a selling point, which made me ill at ease.
But today’s experience is different. It’s very realistic. Akac Orat’s demonstration gives me an understanding of what it’s like to live an indigenous life. This is the way he lives and he’s doing it for real. But he does not make it a point of using only primitive tools. After all, such a tough way of life is not what we want. And it’s because of this that human civilization has evolved to its current level; there is no reason for us to seek to return to a primitive life, which is only possible in reality shows. When it comes to real life, you don’t have to force yourself to stick to the traditional way. It’s not wrong to use modern tools, anyway.
Is this your first time cutting bamboo? How do you feel about that?
Yeah, my first time, I think. But it has never occurred to me that I should be so clumsy with a machete. I always thought it was a piece of cake, and I was dumbfounded! You cannot imagine how panicked I was when seeing myself unable to aim the machete at the same place. “Am I really that clumsy?” I thought to myself, which was really abnormal. So, I got very frustrated this morning because I’d always thought I was athletic and a quick learner. Plus, I love watching online videos on wilderness survival, which leads me into thinking that bamboo cutting is easy. But I was totally wrong. It was damn hard! I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been put up with my frustration since this morning and thought the level of this task might have been too challenging for me. I rarely had a moment of self-doubt like this throughout my life. I thought I was like Morikawa Aoi, the genius Japanese actress, but it proves that the reality is far from my imagination.
Since you have much experience in camping, what do you think when seeing Akac Orat use a wood fire to grill food?
I’ve already told my friends that we need no flame guns anymore for future camping. I’d like to challenge myself to make a fire simply with a lighter. In fact, I’m longing for such a natural way of fire-making without the help of modern tools. When there is no firewood available, we can make do with tree branches. I also want to buy myself a pocket knife. I fell in love with it the moment I got to use it today. Fire, or flames, are particularly fascinating to me because I’m a visually-oriented person who likes to see things in motion anytime, anywhere. Someone told me that in ancient times, fire was like primitive people’s TV. When you have nothing to do in the wild, you can watch the burning fire in the darkness of night and appreciate the ever-changing play of flames.
Do you remember how many wild plants you’ve encountered this afternoon?
To be honest, I’m more of an animal person and have a poor memory of the names of plants, which tend to go in one ear and out in the other. But I do like such a self-sufficient way of life as gathering food or raw materials from the wild. Now I only remember the medicinal plant for wounds because its flower is of the same color as the purple herbs for replenishing the hit points in RPGs.
How do you feel after playing tug of war with the Yellow Rotang Palm today?
It was intense! I’ve never been as exhausted as I was today in any of my previous experiences of outdoor sports. I could not help but wonder if anyone else could bear the toil like me. Although it was frustrating, still I tried desperately to understand how it works by feeling through the body. This is indeed a lesson that must be learned through firsthand experience instead of simply by watching as a bystander. These two ways of learning are completely different. The human body is a tricky but intriguing thing. Just as Akac Orat says, “Your brain is smart, but the body is clumsy.” What you think is far different from how your body feels. There are many things that require you to familiarize the body with the details before getting it to work in sync with your brain, and it’s easier imagined than done. You can never learn the ropes without gaining enough practical experience through hands-on practice.
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