of paddy fields...and buffaloes..

21 Dec 2009

dear Mark,

Anon bala?... :) still remember these words?

it's really nice to be back in Ba' Kelalan.. you should have come with us.. the 'keluarga angkat' is asking about you..


thank God the ride was alright - this time we took a different route.. passing through some villages like Long Luping, Long Semadoh, Long Tanit, Long Beluyu & Buduk Aru (where the Theology Seminary is located)..our driver this trip is a young chap from Long Langai.. prob not as skilled as Agung but he did bring us safely to Buduk Nur.. :) overall it was an uneventful ride... only 'exciting' event was to get out of the vehicle when crossing 2 particular bridges that is not completed yet..

Ferdinand is turning into a fine young man..taking after his dad.. think he's going to look very 'yeng' in the near future.. he's going to Std 1 when the new school term begins on 4th Jan 2010. Guen has also grown into a fine little lady.. she doesn't remember us but she warms up to us pretty quickly. Her brown cute bear is still around though she's more fond of another bear nowadays.

some parts of the house has been renovated - especially the bathing and toilet facilities thus making the stay even more comfortable :P

oh oh..there's MAXIS connection now at the village.. but since I'm not a Maxis subscriber, doesn't make any difference to me la.. i guess the mobile phone accessibility will make the village similiar to any other place now...'reachable'... 'connected'...

in search for (3)....

waterfalls!

@Kampung Sikog

it's been such a long time since i swam at a waterfall...it was a fun day indeed! :P

in search for (2)....

seafood kolo mee...

corner shop at kota padawan (10th mile)...

such a wonder...

such a wonder the Lord Almighty answers, when I call...
such a wonder the King of Kings should call me, His own...
such a wonder that He who holds the future, holds my hand...
such a wonder I'll never be too far away from love...

in You I find my refuge
in You I find my strength
in You I find my promises
Lord, in You I find who I am...

(by J B S)

the cat next door...

Cumi..

died on the 11th of June 2009..

if all dogs go to heaven, does that include cats as well?

a day in the 'wild'....

Kubah National Park is about 45 minutes away from Kuching town.

The park offers a few different trails, one of which leads up to Gunung Serapi. Since I've already taken that trial, my friends and I decided to explore the trail that leads to the waterfall. It takes almost an hour's walk to reach the waterfall.

Matang Wildlife Centre is located off the national park and houses some endangered wildlife like the sunbears and civets.There's orang utans too!

The condition of some enclosures in the centre seemed to have deteriorated over the years. I think there were more animals during my visit to the centre two years ago. I do hope they will continue to upgrade the facilities and house more animals at the centre. :I

3 Fs...the continuation...

venue: Oregano Restaurant
usual suspects: ling, chai, mary & me...






salmon pasta - the salmon was slightly overdone..









the cod was quite good.. i loved the mash potatoes.. haha..










Verdict: Good food albeit pricey, interesting drinks & nice ambience :)

the 3 Fs....

...friends...food...fun/fellowship...

good friends & good food - one of the best chillax activity that can be done on a weekend...

that's what ling, chai & me did one Saturday night few weekends ago..

the question is always "Where to eat?"...and ling being the most updated (at least among the 3 of us) with the food scene in Kuching suggested 'the Living Room'...

the Living Room is located somewhat between Bla Bla Bla and the Junk.. (ah yes...they have very interesting names for restaurants in Kuching)... the Living Room concept is pretty interesting - it doesn't have a kitchen (probably that's why it is called the living room)... and the food choices can be made from the Bla Bla Bla's menu (asian cuisine) or the Junk's menu (western cuisine)...

the lobster pasta I had.. it was really good.. but kinda expensive..

ling's lemon grass chicken...

the fisherman basket that chai ordered is actually enough for 2-3 people!

VERDICT: the food's bit pricey, but excellent dining atmosphere! :)

gayu guru gerai nyamai....

....which means....

LONG LIFE, HEALTH & PROSPERITY…

...a phrase often used among the native ethnic groups of Sarawak celebrating Hari Gawai.

It can be quite a tongue twister…but after practising a few times, you'll get the hang of it :P

I celebrated this year's Hari Gawai in Kuching...visited a total of 5 houses (some as far as Serian!) and feasting on the abundance of pansoh manok and babi :)

pansoh babi

pansoh manok (chicken cooked in bamboo)

a rather modern method to cook the pansoh

p/s: BTW, Hari Gawai is celebrated on 1-2 June of every year. This post is long overdue... hehe.. :)

who am i...

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..

(by Casting Crowns)

in search for...

You can't live in Sarawak and not eat kolo mee... Kolo mee @ mee kolo is somewhat the national FOOD icon for the state of Sarawak.

Sarawakians, in general, are very passionate about kolo mee & sarawak laksa. So when my colleague talked about the 'greatness' of a certain kolo mee stall at the Batu Kawa Bazaar, a few of us decided to check it out. (food is probably the only reason I wake up early on a Saturday morning...:P)











batu kawa main bazaar - only 2 rows of shophouses















looks like it's a family-run-ed business

















the much talked about batu kawa kolo mee

the hunt is over...

Verdict: it was worth driving all the way to the Batu Kawa bazaar! :P

Big portions, generous helpings of 'toppings' & cost only RM3.50 per bowl.

how many...

How many guys does it take to fix up a DIY 5-tier book case?

FIVE! :)

thanks to KK who gathered the ‘manpower’ to come help me assemble the bookcase last Monday.

Now I have a bookcase to put my books. Yay! :P

thanks guys for helping out! KK, Phoebes & me had fun watching you all assemble the bookcase… haha..