“Tabi’ Medting Lem Bawang Miri.” Welcome to Miri, as Andy greeted us in the Kelabit language. A simple phrase, yet it opened a window into something more profound: a place where people, land, and language still hold one another close.
Andy Pian Lemulun, Executive Assistant Manager at Pullman Miri Waterfront, carries this spirit. We sat down to chat with Andy and he shared about the hotel, its connection to the community - and about his journey in hospitality.
Hailing from Bario and working up the ranks since, he now leads the Pullman Miri team in opening doors for the next generation — from students to young professionals — showing them that hospitality is not just a job but a profession rooted in care, connection, and culture.
Later that evening, I took a walk through town to St. Joseph's Cathedral, passing by the old Residents' Office building (built between the 1950s and 1980s), now no longer in use. A father and son were crossing the street — framed by a backdrop of the old and the new. Most shops were shut, as people claimed the last sliver of rest — before the grind restarts on Monday.
When I first arrived, I felt an urgency — to understand to know the many peoples of Sarawak. I still don't, not fully, maybe even barely. But standing here, under the same sky, breathing the same air, I've come to realise that knowing each other begins with slowing down. Giving each other a chance. And in those moments, discover that we may be more alike than we think.
As we each head home, we carry pieces of Sarawak with us — 4 towns, over 800km, six days - that's quite a few pieces into our "Life" puzzle.
Well, that's a wrap.
Over and out — as the sun sets in Miri.
