Mount Kinabalu Adventurous Climb

I had always wished I could climb the highest mountain of Malaysia, from my opinion conquering something as high and extreme like Mount Kinabalu would be one of the unforgettable achievements/highlights of my life, which is something to tell to my children when I'm old and rotting, how interesting and adventurous my life has been when I'm younger and hyperer.

So as I marked this date 20 Oct 2010, (20102010 - nice date huh?), accompanied by my new Deuter hiking bag and my most favourite partner in crime, MHB, I left two small-sized-5 foot prints from the base to the top of Mount Kinabalu.

The journey started at around 10am, we actually reached the base starting point quite late. I admitted that I underestimated Mount Kinabalu. I thought it's gonna be an easy climb, I mean hey, what so hard about climbing a mountain anyway? Any other mountain would be easy I must say, but Kinabalu really put me in an extreme both physical and mental test.









With continuous climbing up the stairs and paths to the peak of 8km distance, it was one of the most HELL-NO thing I ever did in my life. I did think of turning back couple of times during the climb, but since I already paid for it (and apparently NOT CHEAP!), I pushed myself again and again to take one foot at a time up the neverending stairs.



There were few times that I actually fell down to my butt, exhausted and mentally drained, crying out loud, "I'm gonna die, I really gonna die!!" but thanks to MHB who constantly encouraged me and physically pushed me from behind to move up and up and up until we reached the top. (Kheili mamnun, kheili kheili ziad)

Finally after almost 8 painful hours, we reached Laban Rata, which is the resting area before we head again to the peak of the mountain.



We had our dinner there as the weather turned extremely cold I had to cover myself like those eskimos in the north pole. There's no hot shower or any hot water back at the cabin, so imagine how me and MHB is cursing everytime we get our hands touched the water to wash our face and do our business there.

After getting ourselves a two hours not-so-good sleep, we gotta get up and geared ourselves up for the next mission, which is the peak! My body is so painful and the weather is so extremely cold, this is where I lost to Mount Kinabalu --> the scorching coldness. This second climb though is shorter distance than the previous but it's tougher. With barely any trees around to shield us from the unmerciless cold heavy wind, I hugged myself climbing up to the peak.

We managed to reach the Donkey Ears Peak, when at last I blurted to MHB;

Me: Do you wanna carry on? (cause I know I had enough already)
MHB: NO
Me: ~laughing~ seriously?
MHB: Yeah, I had enough, this is so crazy, not worth it.
Me: ~continue laughing~ oh thanks God

So we just sat there, enjoying the sunrise and I sang,

"If I die here, if I just die here, would you die here with me and just forget the world..."
~adapted from Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars





At last we made it on Mount Kinabalu, though not reaching to the peak, but it was close enough. Both of us think it was the best we can do and we're proud of it still.
Then down the mountain we go.



Mind you, going down is not as easy as you think.
We got our asses beaten by a group of old grandma and grandpas from China, how embarassing is that? VERY...

Mount Kinabalu --> CHECKED

Beautiful Sunset at Tanjung Aru Beach

It was just another beautiful day in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
After being deserted by the crew for our river cruise (they left out our name from the list, sob sob), for apologizing, they sent another crew to take us on a ride around Kota Kinabalu Town.

First stop is Bukit Bendera (I know Penang has one too, but this one don't have any tram going up the hill).









We took few shots then went to the next destination which is Tanjung Aru Beach.
We were lucky that we managed to reach the beach just before sunset and the weather was just awesome. Enjoy the pictures peeps!



















Dancing at beach during sunset --> CHECKED!

White River Rafting: Sungai Padas

One of my aim goal for this year is to explore what the land of Sabah might offer me in terms of adventure entertainment. So without any doubts, I booked tickets to Kota Kinabalu and even booked some of the sports package offered online and one of them are white river rafting.

I must say that I am very excited about this, I haven't done anything crazy for long (have I done anything crazy?), I mean out of my norm. Come to think of it, I should have done all this kind of activities long ago, I must admit that I got the adrenaline rush to endanger my life at such a late stage of my life. But come again, to pull out all of this stunts, I must have good liquid cash and awhole tonnes of courage. I was a little scared chicken during my teens and early twenties, still a chicken now, only that I dare to fly though I ain't got the proper wings to.

So back to the white rafting adventure. We left Kota Kinabalu town at around 7.30 am which was quite late, blame my sleepy head that is, the package we bought was inclusive of a bus trip straight from Kota Kinabalu town to Beaufort Train Station, which is about 2 hours ride.





Then from the train station itself, we took a train ride heading towards the head of Sungai Padas, where the base of rafting club is. The train ride, which was quite interesting, only one way train, take us through a jungle at the side of the river, which offers us spectacular views of river rapids and the wild.







As soon as we reached the base, we were given briefings about rafting and safety precautions.
The rafting will take us 2 hours to finish depending on the current. Luckily the weather was clear and river rapid doesn't look so angry today.

So we started of the journey with a bunch of KL chinese-adventure-hunger guys, who turns out to be crazy and wild, I'm glad we catch a hike with those bunch, it made the rafting even more interesting.

Since I was the only girl in the group, I was given the privilege to sit in the middle of the raft like a queen, no rafting involve, means I have to just sit and enjoy the raft ride.




Of course I'm not happy with this, I made a-not-so-happy face to the guide, and after few runs of rapids, he let me exchange place with one the guys. Adventure at last!









Though I don't know how big my pedaling impact did to the raft during crazy rapids, but I keep on pedaling as if my life depends on it. I didn't fell out from the raft like the others did, probably I'm better at balancing myself on the raft unlike them, I don't know, but I was dying to get myself out the boat but I just couldn't even at the craziest rapids. So I requested to the guide then I want the boat to flip and guess what? We flipped the boat and everyone fell to the river. I think I was panicking for awhile there cause I can't swim but luckily we had the life jackets on. So we kept on floating on the river for few hundred meters.



Sungai Padas is a level II-III white river rafting, so it can be good for beginners who wants to experience rapids. It is a worthwhile experience, especially the part where we just laying floating in the river, enjoying the view of the jungle and sky. It was a very refreshing escapade.

White river rafting --> CHECKED!

Girls Day Out : Bandung

Me and the girls had always wanted to have a girl-only vacation, it's just one of those fetish where we feel like we need to have our blonde moments and imitate the Carrie & friends from the "Sex & the City".

So after looking at cheap air tickets (we are a bunch of cheapskates!), we booked a 5 days holiday to Bandung, plus non of us went there before so it should be a girls-day-out-on-a-unfamiliar-place. Sounds exciting right?



First day arrival, the girls said I've been checked out by the immigration officers and local people, and they started calling me, "Hot Indo Chick" cause according to them I can stop the traffic should I wanna cross the road. LOL! We arrived at night, exhausted and excited with the hotel room which apparently has a see-through shower. Of course no one would dare to use it without the pulling the bind down.



Since we hired a driver to take us around, he brought us to famous shopping places around Bandung. Bandung is famous for shopping, so pardon us for being girls, we certainly CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT resist SHOPPING! Bandung is the land of branded factory outlets, there's alot of branded outlets here which you can't find in Malaysia. The handbags imitations are also like 95% looks like real and cost only 10% of the original price! That's where I fell in love with the Gucci bag, I didn't bought it though just because I'm not much of a handbag person but darn I regret for not buying it now. Famous outlets that you-must-go-if-you-are-in-Bandung --> Rumah Mode, Toko Tiga, lots more cannot remember the name, but there a whole stretch of them along the road, you can just ask the taxi drop you down on that road and go shopping for the whole day.













Next day, we went for sightseeing in Bandung where we were surprised by the overwhelmed tourist guides who kept on following us along the climb to the dormant volcano called Queen Crater of Tangkuban Perahu Mountain. Luckily I didn't wear heels like the others, it was definitely a long walk to the crater but it's one of the place of nature that you must visit. And make sure you ask the locals to tell you the legend of the Tangkuban Perahu itself, it's interesting!










The few days retreat to Bandung was worth it for shopaholics.

 

Oh not to forget that we watched the FIFA 2010 final in the hotel lobby where my favourite delicious Spanish footballers won the match of the year!

 

 

 Made our way back to hometown safely. Wanna go again? You betcha!



Oh don't forget to try the Avocado Juice and Ayam Penyet there! They are yum-yum!

The girl who can't be moved

Going back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move
Got some words on cardboard, got your picture in my hand
Saying, "If you see this guy can you tell him where I am?"

Some try to hand me money, they don't understand
I'm not broke I'm just a broken-hearted girl
I know it makes no sense but what else can I do
How can I move on when I'm still in love with you?

'cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving

Policeman says, "Girl you can't stay here"
I said, "There's someone I'm waiting for if it's a day, a month, a year..."
Gotta stand my ground even if it rains or snows
If he changes his mind this is the first place he will go

'cause If one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving,
I'm not moving, I'm not moving

People talk about the girl that's waiting on a guy
There are no holes in her shoes but a big hole in her world

Maybe I'll get famous as the girl who can't be moved
Maybe you won't mean to but you'll see me on the news
And you'll come running to the corner
'cause you'll know it's just for you
I'm the girl who can't be moved

Going back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move...



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Click here to listen to my version --> The Girl Who Can't Be Moved

Adapted from The Man Who Can't be Moved by The Script

Eenie meenie mynie mo...

Have you ever come across a situation where you have to make a critical decision?
Or a situation when you actually have to make a choice either this or that?
And upon that decision, your whole future life will be affected of it?

We make decision every single second in our life...
We decide whether to wake up or sleep...
We decide whether to drive slower or faster...
We decide whether to drink iced tea or hot coffee...
We decide whether to work or play...

But that's not related to my topic here...

You see, I have always been someone who's having a hard time even to decide to buy my own pair of jeans...
It's not about being choosy or over-analyzing...
It's about not being confident of your own decision...
Scared of choosing the wrong or the bad one and throwing away the supposed to be the better choice...

One of my bad habits is already decide but at the same time still thinking would it have been different should I choose the other way round...
That's bad right? Not able to let go...
So no matter what, I won't be satisfied still no matter which decision I took...

That's when close friends, family comes to the rescue...
Cause they help in assuring us of the decision we made...
The most important thing is that we trust them for seeing things that probably we missed, the factors of the decision making...

Still no matter what others tells you, what your own hearts and instincts tells you are the most important...
I'm one of those who has always listen to my instinct...
Most of the time, my instinct never betray me...
But sometimes usually for the most critical decision, my instinct would always have conflict with my brain...
Endless arguments and fights between those two can get me insane at times...



Choose
The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open hand held out and waiting.

One ship sails East,
And another West,
By the self-same winds that blow,
This set of the sails
And not the gales,
That tells the way we go.

Undecisive still.

How to be HAPPY?

I bet that alot of people will be questioning ourselves on how to be happy?
How to make ourselves feel alive?
How to make ourselves feel content?

Life is indeed short.
Please don't waste it on making enemies, doing harm to others...
Instead, enjoy every moment with the people you love and doing the things you love...

If you ask me how to be happy, my answer would be easy...
Have dreams and live it...
Have goals and aim to achieve it...
That way you will live everyday life fulfilled and satisfied...

The goals or dreams can be as simple as wanting to buy yourself a good pair shoes even...
It doesn't need to be complicated dreams like wanting to be a billionaire or wanting to save the planet or so...



Focus on things that makes you happy, as different people has different priorities...
As for me, adventure and traveling makes me feel alive, so most of my goals are related to that...

Keep yourself a list of things you wanna do before you reach certain age and commit to it...
Like myself, part of my list will be:
- hugging an orang utan
- swimming with the dolphins
- conquer mount kinabalu
- explore the pyramids
- wrestle with a baby panda

It's fun trust me...

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.

Spend life wisely...

Lives, like money, are spent.
What are you buying with yours?
Ever thought of that?

I've been thinking about life and death lately.
It's true that I have been living for 25 years now, but during those period have I done anything that I can be proud of?
Nothing came to my mind.
Zero...

We never know how much time we have left to actually breathe and touch the people we love.
We don't even know what is going to happen to us in the next few hours also.

Just to mention about death, definitely it will terrify anyone.
I have learned not to fear death, as it is out of our control.
What I can do is try to live life as much as I want to.
Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.

So I'm telling myself...
Take a break once in awhile...
Go travel to those places I wanted to....
Go and explore all the wonders of the world...
Go get myself wet, play and dance in the rain...
Reward and spoil myself with the things that I desire...
Spend and buy gifts to those that I love, make them smile...
Less time in front of computer, more time playing outdoors...
Treat everyone as if they're my brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers...
Run across a sea of fresh flowers and lay down at the middle of a jungle...

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars.

We make a life by what we give

One of my sister's friend is very in need of a kidney transplant but no donor seems to come along to help her in these past 2 years...

I think I did offer her mine few months back but she refused since she said she doesn't wanna risk anyone who is close to her...

But right now, her wound for dialysis always becomes infected...
She has been into countless of operations to clean the wound up...
Imagine have to go through all of that since the age of 2, and she is only 18 now...

I wanted to give half of mine to her... I wished I could...
We shared the same blood group...
But I'm underweight...
And it is risky...

I had always wanted to do good deeds to people...
I believe that each people was born in a purpose to help others...
Giving money is easy, same goes of giving advice and wisdom...
But your own body part which also will affect your own life?
Not so many are very sincere of doing it...

Come to think of it, when I think twice, I do think I'm selfish...
I wanted to help her if I can, but I'm worried of what will happened to me...
I have to sacrifice my active life, I can't go do extreme sports that I love so much...
I can't eat all types of food like I used to...
I really have to take of my other kidney well since I only left with one should I agree to donate...
So there we see what kind of person I still am...

SELFISH

==========================



But she will always have my prayers though...
I am grateful to GOD for blessing me with a healthy and perfect body...
With this, I shall put them into good use, and never complain on how bad my own life is...

Happiness is not so much in having as sharing peeps.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.