The trip across the sea...
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Day 1
Right so the trip across the sea was pretty good.... I would say... reached the Kota Kinabalu Airport at 9.30am I think then waited around for the guide to fetch us... then we headed for Kinabalu park which is about 2 1/2 hours away... slept most of the way there and man the dude drove really fast....
On the way there, there were some parts of the road that were covered by the mist... so we drove through it... kinda reminded me of "Gorillas in the mist" hehehe... it was raining when we reached Kundasang so there was virtually nothing to do.. since we didn't bring any raincoats or ponchos... besides the walking trail we were supposed to go was obviously wet so we couldn't go anyway... went to the Hotel and couldn't get a room which faced Mount Kinabalu... Even if we did we wouldn't be able to see it since after checking into the room.. mist virtually covered the entire area.... so a look out the window is just white stuff hanging around...
Day 2
Got up early to go to Poring hotsprings and the canopy walk... Before breakfast went and see Mount Kinabalu and my oh my wat a beatiful sight... The canopy walk was pretty scary because the bridge kindaa swayed a lot... after walking for awhile went to the hotsprings... didn't really throw myself into the spring... just soaked my legs thets all... man was it comfortable.... hehehe only me and me dad soaked our legs.. my mum for certain reason wat so ever didn't want to... so there we were soaking happily....
On the way back to Kundasang, * the hot springs was in Ranau if my memory serves me right* saw Mount Kinabalu in a different light... it was a spectacular view.... only the upper part of the mountain was clear of clouds... the bottom was covered by clodus that is... so Mount Kinabalu appeared to be floating on air... It was like a fortress in the sky.... nice nice...
Reacehd Kundasang and went for the walk we couldn't take the day before... it was basically a jungle trail and a environmental lesson... There was a guide that would show us stuff thorugh out the trail... there was a short briefing before the walk started but the only thing I remember hearing is that "Here we can only see trees, trees and more trees" she repeated that a couple of times and I thin it was some kind of joke that no one understood.... saw a couple of orchids though really small ones.. cause it ain't the blooming season....
After that went for lunch and headed to Kota Kinabalu.... reached the Promenade Hotel at 5pm I think... hanged around in the room until 7 cause me mum wanted to watch "Triumph in the Sky". At dinner at the seafood reastaurant next door... It's called Ocean restaurant... we had prawns, crab some sort of shell thing and.. yeah that's it... man was it satisfying.... the crab had so much meat.... hehehe and the seafood was really really fresh... which made it all the more satisfying.
Day 3
Today had to wake up freaking early cause the guy was gonna pick us up at 7.30am.... we were heading for the tip of borneo today which is a 3 hour drive from KK. WE stopped at the Parang making place in Kota Belud first.... the place was actually featured in National Geographic before... the knife made was pretty amazing.. they had long knives, short ones and apparently they also do samurai swords to cater to the Japanese tourists.... spectacular... the sword had carvings and the case of the sword had carvings too.... must cost a bomb ....
Next we went to the Bee Farm and tasted fresh honey.... so freaking sweet.... then I started chewing the candle of the hive thingy... *U are not suppose to eat it.. just take the honey and throw a way thr candle* so after chewing for some time I spit it out after realising ur not supposed to eat it..
After the bee farm we went to see a little gong making... to sum it all the gong making was really noisy.... oh there was this really really big gong... taller than a man at the gong making area... its for the official opening of dunno wat for the Universiti of Malaya Sabah....
Next up the original Runggus longhouse to have lunch.... the longhouse is pretty nice... nice bamboo flooring... it's actually quite cool the bamboo flooring... anyway there were like 7 dishes presented to us.. 6 vegetables and a chicken... never eaten so much vegetables in me life.. for a single meal that is... anyway it wasn't so bad.. quite nice actualyl.. maybe because it was really fresh.. just like the seafood on the second day... yum yum...
After lunch we headed for the tip ... yippee... the road condition was terrible... it wasn't a tar road mind U... reached the tip of borneo and man was it beautiful.... the sea was beautiful the place was beautiful.. everything about it was beautiful... I was even tempted to just dive into the peaceful sea... but alas I didn't. I didn't even touch the sea water.. sad stuff... Climbed down to the last piece of land for the tip of borneo... in actual fact it was more rock than land.... more beautiful scenery down there.... wanted to wait for the sunset but that would be quite impossible since we had to go back to KK and it was a 3 hours drive...
after leaving the oh so beautiful tip of borneo heade for KK on the way back stopped and a stall selling bbq corn.... it's jsut like the normal grilled corn... but it wasn't half bad anyway... reached the Hotel at apporximately 6.10pm and rushed upstairs to catch "Triumph in the Sky". -.-" oh btw... we couldn't get a hotel room facing the sea too... :( saddening stuff...
anyway for dinner that nite we walked about 20 mins to a different seafood restaurant and man was it unsatisfying... the crab was so freaking small.... and well.. the crab was so small..... and we had to walk 20mins to find the place.. and the atmosphere wasn't very good either.. at least there was some bbq chicken wings to compensate a little... went back to the hotel and asked for a tiramisu.... but it was ok only.. nothing to shout about... *only good enough to blog about... teehee*
Day 4
woke up quite early to buy stuff.... Walked to the central market, filipino market and other places enarby which I don't think have a name.... bought dried sea cucumber and stuff... bough frozen abalon...... *mmmm... yum yum* conch meat and another one I forgot... oh well... I expect some seafood for dinner tonite.. wahhahaha... after shopping we were ahead of schedule for lunch so went back to the hotel and I watched "When Harry Met Sally" and the game between the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings... but left before I found out who won.... it was a pretty close match... they were in overtime when I left...
Went for lunch at the restaurant we went the first day. *for a more satisfying lunch* had dim sum and some noodles... Mmmm the dim sum was delish *is it spelt that way* the "har gao / prawn dumpling" was simply wonderful... so many prawns and fresh too... mmmm..... all thier dim sum ahd prawn in it... even the freind popiah which has the "har mai/ dried prawns" had fresh prawns in it.... whoopeee... I guess I thought that made my day.... but wat made my day came much much later.....
After lunch... heade for the hotel lounge for the "welcome drink" while waiting for the guide to pick us up.... WE only took the welcome drink then cause we were the freest then... *grammatically, there ain't such thing as freest* ok so reached the airport at 4.30pm and on the way had a last glimpse of KK... hanged around till 6.30pm before the plane took flight.... couldn't see the sunset from the plane cause the sunset was on the right while I was sitting on the left... :( oh welll... things are gonna look up soon... fell asleep when they turned off the lights.... then I woke up suddenly as my head banged the airplane wall...
Looked out the window to see wat I could see and my oh my oh my oh my.... *that's a lot of oh mys'* the sky was filled with stars.... it was pretty close to since the place is like so much higher compared to when ur on the gorund... I spent the rest of the flight staring out at the stars... about 45 mins... hahahha beautiful stuff.. simply beautiful.... now tgis simply made my day and oh saw some thunder too....
upon reaching the airport, I saw circuits of lights... saw the entire Kl.. I think... all the lights were on.... everywhere was lights lights lights.... beautiful stuff that words can hardly explain.... I highly recommend a night flight next time so U can see these stuff... wonderful stuff really....
First thig we did upon arrival was to eat our dinner..... went to Salmon Steak at Subang. ah.. chicken au chambertain was just right for a quite wonderful day.....
Oh an afterword... the Promenade hotel played rather odd usic I would say... they played midi versions of chinese songs like Wilber pan's bu de bu ai, ronald cheng's mo lai and even a song from the full house soudntrack.... wahhahaha I first for me this thing... they played it during breakfast only...
Robbstar froze at 11:49 am
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Flight Out
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Oh soon in about erm... pretty much 12 hours from now I will be seating in a plane looking out at the world beneath me.... Seeing all the cars as ants, people as sand, houses as..... fried lard? ehehhe nah probably I will still be on the ground waiting to board the plane and looking out at the plane.....
Right... well I'll be going overseas..... not like internationally... just over the South China Sea and touchdown at Kota Kinabalu.... Wonder what I'll do there.... Climb Mount Kinabalu?
Oh out of the question.... fyi, I have low stamina.....
Won't be able to go white water rafting at the Pedas River either since I was promised for the Selangor one instead.... Besides... me Dad doesn't want to go so the Peak of Borneo it is..... Aish... poor white water rafting.. though in Malaysia it can be yellow water rating or muddy water rafting....
bye bye white water rafting...
Wonder what's there to buy anyway.... any ideas.... no use telling actually since I won't be able to read this until I get back... hahahahha I'm getting myself prepared for some seafood madness.... hehehhehe *pure joy* at least I won't have goiter.... thought seafood can have high cholesterol... oh well... enjoy while u still can..... righty ho....
Uh.. lazy reporting about the couple of days..... kinda sleep anyway.... Karaoke was transferred to monday so I can't really go.... Have fun there people who are reading this blog and are going as well as those that don't read this blog but are going anyway..... don't get a sore throat shouting into the mic.... teehee
Right... ok... I guess I'll give a brief summary of my trip when I get back.... I still haven't done the "10 things U should do before U die" thingy yet.... maybe I won't do it after all.... anyway... ciao.... have a fun time in college, at home, shopping mall, erm.... roadside... where ever U are....
Robbstar froze at 9:09 pm
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Naoto Fukasawa....
Saturday, April 15, 2006
A quick update bout me.... finished me finals and waiting for people to ajak me out.... wahahhahaha just kiddin.... anyway came across the said guy as me title when I was looking through some magazine.... He has some pretty cool designs.... anyway I'll let them speak for itself....
I was especially attracted to this cd player.... It only has a button for volume control and is a wall mounted cd player.... open faced to.... means U can see the cd spinning and spinning and spinning.... and spinning.... *hehe just wanted to add the extra spin* 79 pounds for this thingy over here..... foo..... I could get a home theater system if I bought this.... a cheap home theater system.... heheh
now wat do U think this is?
It's a humidifier.... cool eh? it cost about 15,000 yen.... no idea how much that is in Ringgit... besides, I ain't in need of a humidifier.... anyway this humidifier seems really artsy.... I thought it was some kind of seat... wahahha....
Now this soft looking thingy here looks like a pillow eh??? it ain't! it's a pouf... so I guess it's pretty big in reality.... U know how much this thingy here cost??? 1,645 pounds man..... I could get like 2 laptops with that money.... well this poof IS rather special... it actually has a wood structure and it's outer layer is leather...
oh my..... this is one freaking cool watch.... seeing is believing indeed.... each angle represents and hour... which means this watch has 12 angles.... by the way.. the watch is appropraitely named "Twelve" Naoto Fukasawa designed this watch for Issey Miyake. From his description of it, I seriously think it's made of crystal.... phew... must be costly... click here if U want to read what he has to say about the watch.
Found other of his works but wasn't my cuppa tea.... so I just left it there.... he designed 2 lamps for swarovski before too... there is also a flat screen tv for NEC...... Won 50 prizes for his designs....
I especially like his plywood logs which he used to design the lounge for the Stockholm Furniture Fair.
The logs should be one of his designs... U can see the pouf in the foreground, the mat on teh floor is one of his designs, the cd player is on the wall.... dunno why I'm so attracted by the plywood logs.... I feel it's pretty cool... though I won't be able to lean back in it... but it seems comfortable enough.....
Oh well enough for now..... I should sign off. Naoto Fukasawa actually has his own website but I couldn't get in... *sob**sob* sad... sad.... well at least I got to see soem of his designs... which are pretty impressive I must say....oh while looking for stuff on Naoto Fukasawa, I came across this building.
the architect of this building is Makoto Yokomizo.... I feel it's really cool that U can see the lights and all. And the way the building is separated is pretty cool.... this building should be in Japan... not very sure though... If my guess is right... this should be the MEM building in Japan... oh.. don't ask me wat MEM stands for...
Right now time to sign off... see U soon.... I think unless I'm too caught up with me gaming and all...
pictures taken from www.designboom.com, www.mujionline.co.uk, www.panik-design.com and www.yankodesign.com
Robbstar froze at 8:11 pm
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