Sabah Adventure 2008 : Day 3, 4, 5, 6

That was 17th, 18th and 19th of June...
Basically, the last three days was filled with lessons to get my PADI OWD license...

OMG diving is awesome...love it...the thing with people is that, when they go for a world scout Jamboree, they vow that they'll DEFINITELY go back, or they go for OBS and VOW to definitely become a C.A. or blablablabla...

Just hope that my loving diving now wont be a blablabla thing....that I'll really go around the world clocking in 'bottom-time' hahahaha...

Good thing is at least a few friends are divers, so It'll be easier and less boring...
Btw, the first day of OW lessons was a theory/video thing, which is OMG so so boring..
But then again, I was so so sleepy from the night before that I'm sure I slept through quite a substantial amount of it... Luckily even in a haste, doing the paper, passed! On the dot....

Boring Video

Getting on at Sutera Harbour Jetty

Before we put on the wet suits

I am so round!!

First dive was crap, Sapi Island...not that Sapi sucks, I suck.
I have a problem sinking, when we had to take out our equipment underwater, I kept floating all over the place!

Second Dive was also Sapi Island, much better dive actually but still sucks for me.

Third Dive was also Sapi, this was when I started to really dive properly...It was the last of the 3 days of the PADI OWD course....8 Koreans came onboard to just leisure dive...apparently they are like damn pro, got dive-master amongst them... Did talk to them a lil, but it was so so hard....language problem...

Fourth Dive (last) was the best, got a hang of how to sink and float without moving any limbs...and since I'm a 'floater' I keep trying to sink, cos with a small kick anywhere, I'll flat up...btw it was at Hanging Gardens, Pulau Gaya... The reefs were like a small bukit that slopes upward underwater...will have pics later...one of our friends had a underwater camera...we're supposed to be capped at 18m, but I swear it was somewhere around 25-30m cos I'm one of those idiotic 'kiasu' divers who keep checking my gauge all the time...

But nevertheless, not for that depth, we'll see nothing la.
Saw like colourless lighting up squid, lots of live corals...fishes...the nemo kind...and I dun even know what are they so I cant say....previously at SAPI everything was like dead...cos we were muck-diving near the shore, lots of sandy storms due to inexperienced flippers blasting sand all over the place...

View from Wisma Sabah (Dive Training Centre)

First night after the theory part, Fiona and I ate at a street market...it was drizzling, so dinner was this nasi campur ala kampung style...nice to eat actually...We were in search of the 'famous' philipino market actually, but ended up at this random market...it was drizzling...eat lo...

Nasi Campur Melayu

The following night we finally got to the Philipino market with another backpacker we met, Nazrin from SMK Sultan Abdul Samad. Currently we just moved from Borneo Global Backpackers to Tropicana Lodge...I like BGB, but its just too far...So we're currently sharing a six bed dorm room with him...

Filipino Market

Our Squid(RM7) and Tenggiri Bakar(RM7)

Our Ketam (RM5) and Sotong Kecil(RM5) Bakar

Sting-Ray(RM6) Bakar

The last night after we got certified, one of our fellow diving batch mates, Toby who's native Sabahan from Lahad Datu took us for Chinese Seafood..yay yay yay!!! I was good...really good...and cheap too... I dunno what it is but for some reason all Sabahan guys have this thing that they MUST pay for girls...puzzled...We ate like a kilo of large prawns(RM52) and 1/2kilo soft shell crab cos Nazrin cant take hard shelled (RM25+) and a steamed fresh 'sepan yu'-800gms (RM50) and a Sabah Local Vege...

The freakin big plate of prawns...

View from Tropicana Lodge's Jungle RoomZZZZZ

Random pic...omg they have AMOS too?

Sabah Adventure Day : 2 (16th June 2008)

Didn't manage to blog yesterday cos we were out late...or more like early...

Yesterday was an eventful day, very very eventful in-fact.

We realised our accom. Borneo Global Backpackers is a good value for money place...everything is perfect about this place, cleanliness, staff, facilities, practicality...only 1 major setback and a minor one..

1) major : it is not in KK town...if you walk its 15minutes away...kinda inconvenient for girls you see...this is Malaysia! and its hot. There are buses from here to town for 50cents tho...but they stop at 8pm....BGB provides free shuttle to Centrepoint mall at 7pm and back from there at 10pm..

But I'll give this place a 90% anyways...

2) minor : the rooms are quite stuffy, it gets better once u turn on the fans high speed and open the door for a while...

Anyways, yesterday we did not start on our OWD PADI course...instead tropicana lodge's owner Vincent called us up in the morning to offer to bring us around.. Yea if you're wondering, he's kinda the hippie kind, so yea, if u have good 'aura' he'll be very very nice to you. So I guess we're one of those with good 'aura'. And maybe cos we walked far and wide searching for his lodge in search of our friend the day before...haha

He came and picked us up... and then went to his lodge to meet his 'friend', a professor from University of Montreal, Canada : Stephane Bernard... that guy is a kind sweet Dr.....but you'll think he'll be PHD (permanent head damage) like Dr Goh Seng (maths wiz) but nope, this guy is a whacko, at least whilst on vacation I guess... He and Vincent were drinking toger beer like Sabag ran out of water. In the car, In the hostel, In restaurants, at the waterfall... Oh btw, we went out of town to the countryside (courtesy of Vincent) to the KionSom Waterfalls, no tourist there...only locals.

Vince said its a local secret, he don't just bring anyone here...haha...lucky us...but it was beautiful!
The water was cold...and the current were strong but yet it doesn't push you far enough to fall to the next pond....and deep enough for diving...but scardy cats like me, can't do that.

Locals taking a dip

Fiona by the main water-source (no swimming here)

Vincent and 'Dr' Stephane Lunch, Prawn Tomyam Noodle..so darn fresh!

Tamu
Ikan Todak
Sashimi-able fresh Tuna... Vincent bought one for RM27 only!
Sea Grapes RM1 per basket
Somekind of sea fungus/algae/seaweed

We went to Vincent's house to put up a small Barbe for the Tuna...The girls did the salad with the sea grapes, some mango, chillies, lime and simple syrup and cooked 'Nasi Bukit' found in Vince's Cupboards...red in colour....really really good rice.

View on the way back from the waterfall
Vincent's Lodge
The salt baked Tuna
Tuna flesh...some parts semi cooked...yummm!
Sea-grapes salad 'ala' kerabu

Ok, thats all for yesterday, Vince is coming to pick us up for our OWD PADI in like 15mins...i better get off....

Sabah Adventure 2008 : Day 1

Getting on the plane today was pretty emotional, unexpectedly so...
I didn't think planes were like special or something if you're thinking that's what I'm coming to.
Today (yesterday) was Father's Day, and I didn't even know it was Father's day we are flying out on until Fiona realised and told me so...ooopppsss Sorry Uncle Yew....

But anyways, being on the plane, and it being MAS brought back some memories that I thought I already forgot... I looked at the stewardess and thought back to my flight to LA back when I was 5... I thought back to the time when I woke up in the middle of the night asking for a blankie cos it was cold. Then a stewardess Jie Jie handed me one.

Then I thought back to my plane rides as a kid where I remembered I always demanded for fresh milk on board all the time regardless of breakfast, lunch or dinner. When they were serving only juice, dad would requests for fresh milk for me... I guess those stewardess obliged since I was such a cute lil kid.

Basically, just random flashbacks occurred 20,000 feet in the air, nostalgic memories...
Then I realised I miss you dad...Happy Father's Day...cheers XD

Fiona and I on board (she's chatting with some ang mor dude next to me now)

Colourful MAS cabin

My tea foodpack....which was ermmm okok

We were looking to meet up with a 'friend' who doesn't own a handphone, we knew where he was staying but didn't possess a map. A few lessons learnt today if you're attempting backpacking anytime soon :
1) always get a map (free) from the airport
2) never book accom. in advance for 5 days via credit card because, it takes two working days to clear the transaction and u end up paying cash first to obtain a refund later!
3) do not walk at night in malaysia in shorts!
4) do not even walk in malaysia if you're a girl...rempits are rampant!!

Our Bak Kut Teh dinner after a 2 hour hike around KK (still failing to locate the 'friend')

Fiona is happy to be fed though...

Our dining hall upstairs (Borneo Global Backpackers)

Lounge upstairs(BGB)

Btw, alas we found our 'friend' at Tropicana Lodge, Australian Place....His place was way funner, but our place was more spacious and practical...But anyways starting OWD PADI tomorrow... Nice guy Vincent, owner of Tropicana Lodge...gave us a lift back to Borneo Global Backpackers...
Going for diving with him tomorrow....although tomorrow is classroom only...

haha...am just happy i'm done with this post...cheers!

Sabah Adventure 2008 : Day 0

Its 3.30am and I've officially 'just' finished packing for my KK-Labuan adventure.
Just to note things down. I'm flying by MAS because its a sub-zero fare, either way I'm still quite glad that it's MAS, not that I have anything against AirAsia, but isn't it like comparing a good pair of Pallas Jazz and a Converse?

Got my flight tics for RM240. I've booked accom for 5 nights at Borneo Backpackers for RM12 per night. Dirt cheap, apparently they won some award so they are offering this promotion to celebrate. I found out tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. If I Knew earlier, I would have booked an earlier flight.

I have yet to register for a scuba course and I'm due to start Monday...shites....
Wisma Sabah is where I'm rushing to the moment I land. Sabah Divers most probably...
I hope we make it though....We land 5pm, they close 5.30pm.
I hope my luggage gets out fast enough!

Here's my check-in bag (a fake 70l NorthFace my sis bought in Langkawi 6 years ago) and my brand new deuter act trail 24 'hand-carry' in red.


Labuan would be 20th June and Mount Kinabalu would be 25th June...Wish us luck...Oh btw I'm scuba-ing, travelling and climbing with Fiona...and travelling & climbing with Chong Jyn...and Climbing with Yih Wen...yea i knoe...weird arrangements yea? dates and all...

Exams are over....

I've never understood this phrase "exam stress" till now, thanks to I not only understand it, I embraced it....wallowed and drowned (almost) in it....


The days between exams were filled with feelings of tightness in my chest, blood pumped through my arteries so quickly, I can literally feel my blood pressure rise. My days were spent so pathetically, I feel sorry for myself thinking about it. Library in the day, I look forward to dinner time at 6.30pm. My favourite part of the day, 7pm, because some lousy Singaporean Drama series will be on but heck, its the best thing to chill with at 7pm. I'm back in my room 8ish...trying to get something in my head till 10pm...I'll give up, run downstairs to grab a drink...by 11pm, all my books will be moved down to the dining hall.

The most productive part of the last minute preparations, 11pm-3am...my mind is a sponge...a whole years' worth of everything is sucked in, hopefully retained for at least the next 10 hours, in time to be spat out for the morning paper. By now I've downed 2 bottles of Brand's Essence of Chicken, I'm wide awake, but my head is throbbing....like hell....

I tell myself I need to sleep, so I 'sleep' and 'rise' at 6am. Last hour to take in all the loose bits and pieces, by 7am, I zoom out of the house.

Hillsongs would be blaring in the background, I'll soothe myself in it as I blaze tru the roads..I chant to the chorus "Jesus you are my Bestfriend!" and feel my muscles relax....Feeling chilly, the aircon is switched off.

Armed with a small old exercise notebook containing summaries of everything I can summarize, I glue my eyes to the scramble of words (ie, MRTS, MRT, MPL etc etc), hoping they would safely adhere to my brain, afraid they would fall off as the train rocked and swayed where I stood. By now, I'm wide awake courtesy of my 3rd bottle of Essence of Chicken....my heart pumps extremely hard and my blood unusually hot...heats up my entire body as it flows all around.

Time ticks by slowly, very slowly as I approach the somewhat dilapidated sign of UUM KL. I enter and wait for the last final 15minutes to pass before I log myself pass the double doors of the examination hall only to find my body instantaneously freeze to the core. What the heck, I could survive 3 hours in this freezer, can I? .....

I'll repeat this torturous ordeal 4 times in 2 weeks, I'm sure the only happy person is the chinese medicine shop who sold the essence of chicken to my mum.

I'm so so so glad its all over!!!!!....I can finally heave a sigh of relieve......yay yay yay....
Low's Peak, Here I Come.....