Indonesian Beauties

Look at that. From the left, Ratu Felisha, Claudia Cintya Bella and Masayu Arastasyu. Absolutely gorgeous. Indonesian actresses, currently in Malaysia in conjuction with the 50th Asia Pacific Film Festival. To be honest, I've never heard of them before and how I wish I did. I think this reiterates the notion of how Indonesians can be of stunning beauty. I may be a less patriotic but right now I couldn't think of any 3 Malaysian actresses that could match this mesmerizing ensemble. Sure we do have some beauties but most of them are originally models who turned out to be not-so-good actresses. I don't know about these girls either but on presence alone, I'd give them pretty high marks. And very beautiful names to go along with them, don't you think?

My 'Sarawakian' Tennis Star Friend

I love airports. Especially KLIA. I guess it transcends from my love with commercial aircrafts. I’ve been fascinated by them ever since I was a child when I first lay my eyes on them. Even though you could only catch glimpses of the Boeings and the Airbuses at KLIA, every trip there is always an event for me. So when Jes asked me to send her to the airport earlier today, that little boy inside of me once again sprang to life.

Jes had been on a sports tournament trip, bearing under the name of Petronas to an Asean Oil and Gas Tournament. She plays tennis, of course, and guess where she went. Jakarta, Indonesia. Quite a fancy trip for a tennis tournament, don’t you think? Kudos to her but God, I am so awfully jealous. An all expense trip to Jakarta. Would you pass it? I think not.

Anyway, she got third. Commendable for her efforts despite being beaten by an elderly Indonesian which may well be over twice her age. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and ask Jes about it. She wouldn’t give a pleasant answer, I’ll give you that. She’s totally pissed about it.

Anyhow, she just got back to Malaysia yesterday and staying at her sister’s at Kota Damansara. Since every one else is busy managing their professional lives, I was the only viable option for company. So I was to pick her up form her sister’s at 10, have a supposedly glorious breakfast, drive her to the airport and sing to her Kumbaya while waving a white handkerchief with dreary eyes as she departs through the boarding gate. But things don’t always turn out as you hoped it would.

I have never been to Kota Damansara (why would I? I don’t know anyone there) but based on Jes’ sister’s considerably easy guide, I thought, this shouldn’t be a hassle. I could make it in no time. Well, I didn’t. As a matter of fact I got lost in Kota Damansara – for one and a half hours. How I managed to do that still baffles me. It drove Jes absolutely bonkers. I finally met her 10 minutes before 12. The fact that her phone is barred didn’t help either. We weren’t actually late but the glorious breakfast had to be skipped. So off we went and along the way I asked Jes all about her trip to Jakarta. And she told how Jakarta women are absolutely gorgeous and the motorists there are literally out of their mind it made Chow Kit Road laughable. And she also told me how she fell ill the night the rest of the squad went out partying at HardRock. Poor girl. But apart from that, I think she enjoyed herself.

After checking-in, it was time for our “glorious breakfast” which has now turned into grabbing a nibble at Café Marche. And for the first time I realized what awfully large croissant sandwiches they serve there. There were so massive I bet you can have a whole chicken as a filling. It frightened me as far as not to order them.

After having a few sips of orange juice and guava and enjoying our sweetened pastries all the while talking about life, it was time for Jes to leave for her 2 o’clock flight to Bintulu. I didn’t sing Kumbaya nor did I have a white handkerchief with me but I do have love and gave her a hug. It is always sad every time to see Jes leave. My meetings with her have always been brief lately. As I watched her descended down the escalator, I wondered when will be the next time I’ll see her. She said she’ll come to KL come Raya. I just hope I’m in KL too at that time.

As I walked away and mentally listing the pros of having a stewardess as a wife, I came across a sign that read ‘Viewing Area’. Every time before this, the people that I came with, be it family or friends, they are always in a rush. Coming and leaving. Which left me no opportune moment to visit the Viewing Area. Now, with me alone, what better chance I have? So in I went and it was a sight to behold. The tarmac of the local flight gates were presented in front of me and farther out is the satellite building for international flights. To the sides are the 4 giant runaways, 2 on each side. It was a momentously majestic view. Strangely though, only a few people were around. Almost deserted. There are even airport staff catching a few winks between shifts on the row of chairs. But who cares? Let them be. What intrigued me was, if I could see the gates for the local flights then I can surely see Jes’ airplane. Sure enough, a walk across the hall brought me into view the 737 parked at gate B2. I decided to grab a seat and stay with her. In the meantime I watched the airport people refuel the jets, load them with food, luggage and even pets. And how I love seeing the buggies pushed the aircrafts out of the parking area as it has been prepped for take-off.

Jes’ plane moved out onto the tarmac a little bit past 2. Even then, a whole lot of other planes were waiting in line for take-off. So her plane only came onto the runaway around 2.15 pm. Only when the plane hits full throttle and lifts its nose into the clouds above did I wave Jes a final goodbye. The airport suddenly felt a little emptier.

As I made my way back, a thought occurred to me. I’m becoming quite the escort man. Think about it. Minus the sex, of course. Every time a friend of mine needs company in the middle of the week, chances are my name would probably pop up. Because they know I’m practically free all the time. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. Anyway, it enlightens me every time it does happen. This Jes favour is one of many. Sometimes when Sasa takes a Wednesday, it is usually me who accompanies her to the movies. Although, it has to be her choice of the movie. When Tomok was admitted to the hospital, I was one of the first to visit him. And it became my duty to ensure everyone that despite everything, Tomok still hasn’t lost his sense of humour.

Saint? Rescuer? Nah, I just happen to be available.

Midnight Rambling Session

It’s 1.05 am on the 27th of September, 2005. If you’re awake at this time and happen to glance over KL Tower you will come across something quite interesting. The people over there has apparently shut down all its lights, except for white flickering ring around the top and a huge light cast, going up and down along the pillar. One look and you’ll immediately think that there’s a large UFO hovering over KL. I did. But of course, that’s not true because a closer look will reveal that it’s only the KL Tower. I don’t know whether those responsible for the lighting of the tower meant it to be as a joke to the Malaysian public, to themselves, or maybe the real UFO’s (?). (X-Files theme song playing in the background). But one thing though, it definitely looks cool. Once you’re certain it’s not a spacecraft of another life form, attempting to disintegrate the people of Earth.

It’s a Guy Thing has achieve another milestone today. It has surpassed the 2000 hits mark! Yeay~! It’s good to know that there are regular readers out there for my blog. Although some popular blogs don’t even see 2000 hits as anything significant. They get that almost everyday. But I’m not complaining. 2000 in 3 months is sufficient for me.

Winning Eleven 9. An absolutely beautiful game. I used to thought that the FIFA Soccer franchise is THE soccer simulation game but now, I might not even bother purchasing FIFA 2006. But truth be said, I still suck at it. I have friends who grew up with the game long before I even heard of it. So naturally they are sodding good at it. For me, who had began his interest when the 7th edition was released, my playing skills are still not up to mark. In one game my Spain was trounced 5-1 by England. Pathetic.

Earlier today I went for jalan-jalan around KLCC and I came across Siti Sarah and I was perplex-ly surprised because she looked so fair. Which in turn made her suddenly very attractive. So I began to wonder. Does being on TV makes your skin complexion look darker? Then I remember seeing Sarimah in real life and she too looked way fairer than she is on the screen. So maybe it’s true. But it seemed to have no effect on Nora Danish. Either that or I was too intoxicated by her fragrant smell to notice.

That’s it for this edition of Midnight Rambling Session. If I’m up to it, a Breakfast Show will ensue but that’s unlikely. Maybe Wednesday morning. Oh maybe not either, because it’s a European week. Oh yes. Gentlemen, get ready for a battle at Anfield. So that means the next show would probably be next week, which will also mark the beginning of Ramadhan. I hope you girls have all patched up last year’s ‘hutang’s.

Till next time, good night and good luck.

The Breakfast Show

I have gained a new perspective on marriage. Apparently it’s not just about love and sex. Well, it is about love and sex but there are other big issues to consider. One of which is children. This topic first came about when my brother and I had a dine-in with an uncle at Kenny Roger’s at Mid Valley who came all the way from Kota Bharu to attend a meeting. He said, “Nikoh awa skik. Toksoh tunggu pah 30. Siye anok (Kahwin awal skit. Jangan tunggu selepas 30. Kesian anak,”. Translation – get married early. Don’t wait til your 30. Pity the children.
Or more specifically, don’t follow his footsteps. He got married in his early 30’s and his eldest is only entering his third-year at the university. And he has about 5 more little brothers and sisters behind him. Considering my uncle is entering his 50’s and retirement is staring right in his face, that could prove to be a financial burden later on, among the least.

Yesterday, my aunt Melor also had something interesting to say. “When your child hits 10-years-old, you have to decide how old you want to be,”
And his husband jokingly added, “You also have to give the chance to your mother to be ‘young’ enough to become a grandmother. Easier for you to have someone taking care of the children should you be away or something,”
That being said, getting married at 40 and having your eldest aged 10 when your 50, is not at all a clever thing to do.

All this while, when a friend had set a deadline of getting married, no matter what, by the time he reaches 28, had me puzzled. Some even set a timeline of getting a husband in 3 years time, which means finding a suitor and getting engaged during that timeframe. That had me baffled. I mean, what’s the rush? I didn’t get it. Now, I do. That one word – children. That’s the rush.

Marriage is not just about being in love and getting laid. Children has to be a very big concern as well. Unless you don’t want children but who wouldn’t? Basically, we’re just mammals. It’s our instinct to reproduce. Or at least having fun trying.

So it seems that getting married before you reach 30 is the viable thing to do. Unless I want some future regrets, that is the huge master plan. Find a wife, get married, have children. Ain’t that just grand?

Do-Hickey

I wish one day when a girl asks me, "What's that on your neck?", I could answer by saying, "I bit myself shaving"
And when she says, "That's why God invented turtlenecks," and I would say, "No, that's why God invented Charlene (or whatever girl's name that can be mentioned)"
Unfortunately, this thing on my chin is a real cut. And I have a blood-spotted tissue to go along with it.

The Breakfast Show

Answering a phone call that rudely awakens you in the morning is probably one of the most annoying things that can happen that one could think of. But if the person one the other line is a fine looking woman then it changes the whole story. Suddenly that call becomes the most welcoming. The fact that she too was in bed making that call makes it kinda sexy. Especially with both of us having that scruffy morning voice when we were wishing our ‘hello’s and ‘good morning’s. I usually get those kind of calls from my mother every time I find myself waking up someplace else other than my home. Be it Bangi, Ampang or even Tomok’s house near Sri Gombak.

Well, it’s another boo-tiful morning. Another fresh new start. To sum it up, the trip to UKM last nite wasn’t really cantik, menarik nor tertarik and definitely no bombs. My suspicions were unfortunately confirmed. They are no hot chicks in UKM. Well, they are a few but of course, they are either stuck with the wrong guy or just plain snobbish. They probably have this perception of these stall people being some sort of low-life creatures. Little do they know how each of this hip and savvy-looking stallers selling nasi briyani possesses a bachelor’s degree in their own right. Cewah.

For today I was looking for a date but I have to run a few errands with Cipoi. We have to first to Batu Caves for something about his EP for his band DTR. Then we have to move to Shah Alam to check out tickets for this Sunday’s FA Cup Final.

That’s all for today’s Breakfast Show. Join me again next time. Daa.

Midnight Rambling Session

Have you ever stopped to think? I practically do it all the time. The toilet is my favorite place. Though I do spent a lot of time thinking onboard the LRT. But the cruelest time has to be when I try to go to bed early. When I’m forcing myself to sleep, I’d prefer my mind to be blank as to ease the transition to dreamland but you see, the human mind is one naughty thing. It is when you’re most comfortable and relaxed that it’s in its best form to go into overdrive. It refuses to shut down. A few days ago, I was lying on my back, staring into the ceiling when my mind keeps popping questions more than it could produce answers. My range of thoughts linger from sports cars to my fantasy football team and how on earth could I get a date with Nora Danish, which I now confirm is virtually impossible.

Smell the roses they say. But since this is Malaysia, it’s practically difficult to find any within a 5 mile radius.

Do you know what’s been troubling me lately? Women my age. I used to view them as harmless but recently I have a whole new perspective of them. They scare me.

Women my age wants to get married, like as soon as possible. And if they are not, chances are, they are already married. Some even have babies. Thank God I was in an all-boys school, if not some of my former classmates would have personally experienced labour. And that is a petrifying thought. I didn’t expect this to happen for at least another 2 years. Wait, I think I said that 2 years ago. Wow, now that’s troubling. Talk about memory deficiency and time lapse. Well, I couldn’t blame them. Apart from the fact that all of their other friends are getting married would explain the drive to join the bandwagon. But the most astounding reason behind this, as I found out recently is biological. It’s been found that the best age for women to give birth is when before they hit 30. Not meaning that above 30 is bad, just that below 30 is better. So if one plans to have 4 kids and humans could usually produce one offspring a year, that means they have to get married, well you do the maths. Man, all this women talk is tiring. Let’s cut this midnight rambling session short.

I will be at UKM tomorrow, chilling at a friend’s store who’s selling nasi briyani sempena UKM’s Pesta Konvokesyen. My motivation to go all the way to Bangi is to catch a few glimpses of UKM’s chicks. Generally they are not that hot but hey, I have nothing else better to do.

The air is cold. And deathly silent. fin.

Horoscope

Korang sure penah tgk horoscope kat friendster tu kan? Lately ni asik pantek je prediction die. Smlm time aku nak gi amik result die suh aku cari "comfort in chaos". Arini die kata ni lak - Double-check your accounts --your bank may have made a boo-boo in your favor. Lancau kan? Tau aa bank account aku ade bape sen je, lagi nak buat fun of aku. Dem yu la horoscope!

Morning

The day of reckoning. Today would be the day for the brief visit to PAAC. A cold dawn welcomes me to the world. As if a grey mist is being uplifted while a cool, soft breeze accompanies a light glow from the horizon. The sun is coming out. The sounds of nature excitedly announcing the new day. The city itself is awakening after a quiet slumber. Even the neighbor’s cat has joined the party, as it tread gingerly across the tiled roof.

It’s a brand new day, even though it will be very nerve-wrecking for me later on. And I can’t believe I’m blogging at 6 o’clock in the morning.

Cold Feet

On Monday morning, I was awoken by the sound of my cellphone. It was Quincy. When it’s Quincy, it could only meant one thing – the results are out. When I hung up moments later, my suspicions were confirmed. I have cold feet ever since.

I could be standing inside PAAC, having a conversation with her in less than 50 minutes if I wanted to. But I chose not. I keep avoiding it. I woke up late. I watched TV. I played computer games. I even finished a Dan Brown book in one and a half days. After a solemn Champions League night, I think the time has come. It’s momentously disturbing. The revelation could either make or break my day. No, make that years or even months. But knowing me, I maybe even delay the trip for yet another day. Well, I do have the new season of The O.C that I haven't watched. That would take a good one hour to take my mind off this thing. As mush as I try to experience it right now, I could never quite grip the meaning of 'ignorance is bliss'. It's foolish but bliss? Chocolate sprinkled, whipped cream with cherry on top banana split is bliss but ignorance? Memo me on that, will ya?

The Unrequited Love

Last Wednesday I forgot where I parked my car at a shopping mall. It took me 15 minutes to realize that I was at the wrong basement. Valerie was parked another level below. I am not sure whether that is a sign that I haven’t been to a shopping mall in a long time or is it because of the woman trouble that I’ve been having lately. Yes, woman trouble. Me, of all people. Well, it can’t be the former because I could remember quiet vividly I went to Suria last week. Although not in my own car but on a friend’s ride but I DID remember where HE parked. So most unfortunately it could be the latter.

I swore to myself to never have these disturbing thoughts again. Well, not until I got a decent career going on first. But it seems fate has other ideas (doesn’t it always).

So here’s the situation, but first, let me ask you people something. Do crushes have a timeline? I mean, how long does a crush, is a crush? Because, in a dictionary, it says that a crush is a “strong but often brief feeling of love for someone”. Should I highlight ‘brief’ or ‘often’? How brief is ‘brief’? A day? A week? A month? How about years? Because that is my case – years. Some find that hard to believe, including me. But I’ve managed, during all this time, somehow.

I guess this is what unemployment does to you. Your mind wanders off to ridiculous thoughts. Out of boredom, out of curiosity, and certainly out of stupidity.

Okay, so here’s the situation. I have a crush on this girl, love, whatever. Point is, look up any romantic stories and they will say “Just do it! Confess your love to her” or something like that. And they will back it up with something like, “You have nothing lose” or “What have you got to lose?”. Well, apart from rejection I have another thing to worry about – the price of friendship. I saw something similar last night on One Tree Hill and it raises the question whether you would sacrifice friendship for a relationship. Rationally, I would vote for friendship because it’s a better long term investment. Having said that, it’s not a decision that is easy to live with. Sure when you’re out with your friends you say to yourself, why should I even be bothered with a relationship? I’m happy as I am. But sometimes that feeling does get to you. Like the last weekend. I was bored out of my mind. I had no plans and no one to chill with. It was during these times to you begin to wonder what is she doing right now. And you could only wish that she was beside you. Even if it’s just sitting on the couch in front of the TV watching the Discovery Channel.

You think that’s bad. Well, the fact that she’s seeing someone just made it a lot worse doesn’t it? As someone who has a crush on her, I should be broken-hearted and filled with jealousy (which I am) but I can’t display these emotions because as a friend I have to be supportive and happy for her. Smile and “understand” everytime she blew me off for her boyfriend. Once, I even gave suggestions how to spend a romantic evening with her significant other. Oh God, I even weave my own sad story. Why do I even bother telling people about this.

Anyway, let’s end this. This blog, I mean. For this entry, that is. I’m not gonna quit blogging for heaven’s sake. Valerie’s good. She got a new engine for her belly. A used one but much better than the previous. I had an awesome Merdeka celebrations. Another one of my basi stories. I went out for 24 hours. I left home at 11 am on 30th August and came home 11 am on the 31st. Most of those time I spent chillin’. At one point, even at a parking lot. About 4 hours of sleep, 2 hours of eating and the rest, talking and making obscene jokes. A high school friend held a barbeque feast at his home at Bukit Antarabangsa which I had a lovely supper and quite a fantastic view of the city when the clock struck midnight. And nope, no UFOs were visible this time. Although I do think that the fireworks display were last elaborate than last year’s. Cutting costs, I suppose.
Puteri Shariza got married a while back and although I received a personalized invitation, and had it delivered to me personally, I didn’t go. Just because I had nobody to teman me to Teluk Intan. I’m feeling absolutely guilty about it. Nak jumpe Puteri selepas ni pun rase cam segan. Do you know that in Malaysia, an average of 20% of invited guests do not attend to the kenduri they were invited to? Yes, a wedding planner told me that. So the next time you receive a kenduri invitation, do try your best to attend. Even though I just broke that rule only 2 weeks ago.
Apart from that, everything’s fine. Just that I’m craving for a date but I don’t have the financial resources to do so. That’s the only downside about being unemployed. Other than that, it’s fabulous. Especially when you want to go to the movies. Totally deserted. Even at the busiest of places. Well, till next time, arriverderci.

The Kinabalu Trip

Okay, now here’s the basi story – the Kinabalu trip. I intended to write something earlier but I guess the enthusiasm just wasn’t there. If it was, I’d probably channeled it elsewhere. Anyway, here’s the light version of it.

What made the journey TO Kinabalu so interesting is because the day I was suppose to fly to Kinabalu, which was the Monday after my convocation, I was still in Tronoh that morning. I just woken up at 7 am and I was suppose to be at Sabah before sunset. My flight was at 3 pm. That’s the goal. Kinda daunting isn’t it? But not exactly impossible. But slip in a car breakdown in the middle of the equation and suddenly all hell broke loose. Yes, Valerie had a breakdown. 8 months of trouble-free service and then suddenly she decided to go bonkers. It was the crankshaft, yet again. At Gua Tempurung, on the North-South Highway, of all places. On the day I was in a rush, of all times. One can only imagine my despair and anguish. I was looking at missing the trip entirely. And that, was really painful.

And so came the tow truck and everything. The plan was I was supposed to arrive home before 11 am and then the whole family would push off to KLIA and would arrive there around noon all spick and span, checking-in and have a nice walk to the departure gate. Since this unfortunate incident had happened, at 12.30 pm, I only managed to get as far as Rawang. The panic button had long been pressed. I arrived in Gombak at 1.30 pm. I have to put my ass in an airplane seat in under in an hour and a half. I was already late.

A guy was suppose to send me home from the workshop and I had to drive the Pajero to the Taman Melati LRT station, park it, take the train to KL Sentral, take the 2 o’clock KLIA Ekspress and presumably be there by 2.30 pm, just nice for a last-minute check-in. Exciting? Only if I could make it.

So, I had only 3 minutes to pack some clean underwear, no time to even glance at lunch and I arrived at Melati at 1.33 pm. A few more anxious moments and I DID NOT make the 2 o’clock KLIA Ekspress train. So I had to board the 2.15 train. Now things has just gotten tighter. The check-in counter closes by 2.45 pm. The train and I were suppose to arrive at KLIA 2 minutes before that. Well, I only arrive at KLIA at 2.50 pm because the bloody train had to stop somewhere in Serdang. But miraculously, my mother managed to check-in for me after some desperate persuasion and the whole family end up running for gate A5. We were all huffing and puffing and I got leg cramps but we made it in the end. Yes, ladies and gents, we made it. We were the last passengers to arrive and they were some unfriendly stares but we made it.

But what’s all that had to do with Steve Martin and John Candy? Well, it was on the KLIA Ekspress that I remembered a movie titled ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ in which those two Hollywood actors starred in that had Steve Martin in a familiar position that I was. Trying to reach his family for the holidays in time by means of various types of transportation – planes, trains and automobiles. Valerie, KLIA Ekspress and Air Asia, in reverse order for me. The only time that had me chuckling until I managed to buckle myself on board the 737. I could finally relax and decide what would be my first meal of the day (that is, whatever crap they have on board until I can get a decent one upon arrival). The plane bursts to full throttle on the runaway and took off as I kissed au revoir to Sepang as it disappeared under the clouds.

***

I stayed at the Pacific Sutera at Sutera Harbour and it is such a momentously beautiful place. It’s a 5 star hotel so I was every bit pleased. They say Tanjung Aru is equally good but I didn’t have the chance to check it out so I wouldn’t know.

The only disappointing thing about the place is that it only had a small portion of the beach to offer. So small the space that nobody even bothered to take a dip in the saltwater sea. Most of them just prefer to chill at the pool, which was fantastic as expected. It even has Koi ponds with little bridges over them in tiny parks scattered in the surrounding area. But what impressed me most is the marina. It looks like a smaller version of Monte Carlo to me (as if I actually been there). I was so jakun, admiring all those delightful little yachts. There was no 300-ft, Abramovich-esque yachts but nevertheless equally enjoyable watching them. With an added touch of some sea breeze you could only wonder when you’ll be able to afford one of those things.

The city of Kinabalu – well, I must admit I had high hopes for this experience but was left virtually unimpressed. It’s a city, yes, but more structurally rather than geographically. It does accommodate some moderately-high buildings but the span, goodness me, not that big I’m afraid. I have been to larger townships in my lifetime. I think backpackers would be incredibly surprised at how fast they can cover the whole city area. Even I, with a bit of determination, can cover the whole city, end to end, in less than a few hours. But why go through the trouble, right? I only had the energy to bask in my arrogance. So my plan of spending a whole day ‘exploring the city’ had ended by midday. I visited every so-called shopping complexes in KK and none of them can even beat Alpha Angle at Wangsa Maju in terms on coolness. The only cool thing at KK was the waterfront which I spent about an hour watching a few local women catching small fishes using bamboo rods. It was really fascinating. They must doing that for everyday as a source of livelihood. Makes you feel guilty for every fish that you membazir at home just because they taste tak sedap. These people work so hard that even fishes the size of handphones can be a source of income.

I continued walking around the waterfront while my brother tries to bargain some pearl bracelets from the Filipino Bazaar. It is such a calming place, that is until nightfall.

At nightfall (that’s 6.30 pm for the people here), the waterfront bursts into life. It was like a pasar malam, with an ethnic Borneo touch. People were selling all kinds of different foodstuff and even seashells but my favorite is the area behind the Filipino Bazaar where some hawkers set up dining tables and offer fresh ikan bakar from catches of the day. You just pick which ones of the offerings that you want, take a plastic stool, have a seat while they put a plate of nasi putih in front of you, a plastic glass beside a jug of ais kosong and a jar of sambal. Wait a few minutes until your fish arrives and bon appetite! Old school dining. Makan selekeh-selekeh pun tak kisah because, honestly, I don’t think anyone bothered. Sure the complimentary breakfast at the hotel is awesome but this too is equally satisfying. If you want, you can add a few more tit bits from the ‘pasar malam’ next door like I did. I had a load of chicken wings and they were quite good too. Nasi putih, ikan bakar, chicken wings, di bawah sinaran lampu mentol, by the waterfront, isn’t that cool or what?

Tired of the city, the siblings decided to do a bit of nature as the next form of activity the next day. So we decided to check out the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. What is that? Well, let me paste something…

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is a State Park created to protect the natural enviroment, including the coral reefs, marine life, the fauna and flora. This park is lying from 3km to 8km off Kota Kinabalu which comprises of 5 islands. They are Gaya Island , Manukan Island , Mamutik Island , Sapi Island and Sulug Island. During the British rule in 1882 , a trading settlement was set up in Gaya Island by British North Borneo Chartered Company. This company later shifted to the mainland Kota Kinabalu. After 92 years , finally in 1974 ,Gaya Island and the whole of Pulau Sapi was gazetted as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park , named after the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.. This gazetted place covers an area of 8,990acres (3,638 hectares). In 1979 , it was increased to 12, 185 acres (4,929 hectares) with the inclusion of the other 3 nearby islands such as Manukan Island, Mamutik Island and Sulug Island.

Capische? Okay, so due to financial and time constraints, we weren’t gonna go to every island. So we picked two, the biggest one – Manukan, and a slightly smaller one – Sapi. We took a very bumpy boat ride to the island and I couldn’t help but think to myself, since I left for Kinabalu, I was in a car, in a train, on a plane and now on a boat. Land, air, rail, water – I did it all. Quite a feat.

Upon arrival we were greeted by a sign which is now has become my mother’s favorite phrase – take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. Suddenly you feel all that ‘protect the environment’ vibe. But that’s exactly what we did – just chillin’ on the white sandy beach. Mainly because you even have to pay to go into the water. And if you want to go snorkeling but don’t have the gear, you have to rent them, and they are ridiculously priced. Man, we even had to pay just to BE on the island. So in the end we just sat on the beach and tengok orang. That was Manukan, our first stop. We spent an hour and a half there before we shifted to a cozier Sapi. On the boat ride to Sapi I managed to board alongside a vivacious Italian girl, wearing a one-piece black bathing suit, covering her flawless bronzed skin. Unfortunately she was with her whole other family and her father is a really intimidating figure. A 6-ft, well-built, white haired Italian that goes by the name of Carlo. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is a bona fide Roman consigliere. But let’s get back to Sapi.

Sapi is also a delight. Less spacious than Manukan but nevertheless enchanting. We were suppose to spend 2 ½ hours on Sapi so right after having a simple lunch I dozed off on the beach. It was really relaxing. The cool, soft sand under your back, the caressing sea breeze, the faint sounds of children laughter in the background, the swaying of the trees, aah no wonder I crept into dreamland. By the time I woke up, the beach was almost deserted as people had started to leave. I had my feet dipped into the water just to get the feel. Pocketed a few dead corals washed ashore as a souvenir. I wonder if that’s illegal. But anyhow, the nature trip was good. Even though the view of the fishes from the jetty in the crystal clear water is impressive, I remembered I had a better experience at the Pulau Payar Marine Park at Langkawi. There were a lot more fishes and corals, and they even had a ‘feed the sharks’ session, which I personally thought was really cool. It reminds me of Sherman.

But since my stay in Sabah is only for 4 days and 3 nights it was soon time to leave. A few more chillin’ time at the pool and more visits to the ‘hip’ town centre made up for the rest of our free time. Geez, I even had time to watch Gol & Gincu at Kinabalu, such is that my mati akal tak tau nak buat apa. And the movie theatre is not that good either. It’s a refurbished old school cinema house. It’s clean and decent but there’s no padding on the wall so the sound echoes from the movie. That’s among its many flaws. And it was suppose to be the best GSC in the whole of Kinabalu! Enuff said.

Upon leaving, it is now official that I have visited every state in Malaysia. All 14 of them (that is, if you exclude Labuan. I don’t think I even want to go there. What’s in Labuan anyway? People say it’s like Brunei where by 8 at night, everybody went home already and all the shops in the city dah tutup kedai. Ish lagi la mati kutu camtu). It took me 23 years but I finally made it. The only regret that I have was that I didn’t have the chance to visit Mount Kinabalu. Quite ridiculous, isn’t it? To visit Kota Kinabalu but not to Mount Kinabalu. Macam tak cukup syarat lak. Tak cukup masa maa. It’s a whole day event. Kena sewa van la, 2 jam travel la, and not to mention a few hundred more terbang melayang. Takpe la. Maybe some other time. But overall, a good time. I enjoyed my vacation. But if next time an opportunity to visit the island of Borneo should arise, I would like to visit Sarawak. I couldn’t even spell my name the last time I was there. So young I was. It would be interesting to see what’s been brewing for the past two decades. People say a lot people, especially the people from Semenanjung, underestimate the beauty of Sarawak. I think I’m one of those people, and I would glad to be proven wrong. Maybe I could even hire Jes to be my travel guide. That is, if I wanted a tour of Bintulu. She’s only been there a few months so I think any attempts of venturing out of Bintulu would result in both of us getting lost. Yep, it’s confirmed. I SMSed Jes and she doesn’t even know where Mulu is. So, note to self: Jes as a travel guide – confine only to Bintulu town center. So, till next time posse, cheers.