Mantanani Island, Sabah

I was sick they day before we left for Mantanani. Earlier , we had made arrangements with the resort staff. Although the place was fully booked, they could accommodate our big group by putting us in tents.

The pick up was at 7.30am and we all managed to get onto the bus, having left most of our luggage at the hotel in Kota Kinabalu. There were a few stops before we were on our way, travelling north to catch the boat from the Kuala Abai jetty.

Rick and i had made an earlier trip to Labuan and Sabah in June 2010 and had rented a motorbike to ride around. We took an excursion north to Kudat, and passed by the jetty on the way up. We had read abut this place but there was only one resort on the island and had to be pre-booked. Now, here we were, on our way there again with a bunch of Spanish friends and family!

Our last trip to Sabah in June 2010. We reached Tanjung Simpang Mengayu, the northernmost tip of Borneo, after 4 hours on the motorbike.

When we arrived at the jetty, the sea was flat and it was scorching hot! There was a bit of apprehension about the tents and shared bathrooms but we were so glad to be off the bus and in the sun!

The boat trip took us about an hour but what greeted us upon arrival was a breathtaking paradise. White beach and traslucent water. We were so happy to be at this picture-perfect paradise that everything else just melted away.

This beautiful sight greeted us when we finally arrived.

Our 2 nights and 3 dys on the island were spent exploring, snorkeling, lazing around on the beach and eating!

We found this huge piece of driftwood while walking along the beach.

On the way to explore under the water. We saw very little fish and live coral.

There used to be Dugongs sighted in the sea off Mantanani, but when we went snorkeling it was clearly apparent why these creatures had left long ago. The coral was decimated from dynamite fishing. There was rubbish washed up in several areas and the fishing community didn’t look like they had adequate waste disposal facilities.

Views of the vast sea flanked in the distance by Gunung Kinabalu greeted us at sunrise, and the sea was so clear, it was like sitting in tap water!

Gaya and Naira, enjoying the clear water.

Sunrise from the fishing village.

A beatiful island that is sadly straining to cope. It is a mere shadow of its past beauty, and what an amazing beauty it must have been.

Saying goodbye to Mantanani Island

 

 

Car for Sale

2008 Honda City idsi

We placed an ad in some online sites to start selling our car about 3 months ahead of our departure date. We assumed that that would allow us adequate time to find a buyer, agree on a price and handover date, and complete the transfer before we left.

The first prospective buyers who came to see the car were a lovely couple. The whole family took the car out for test drive with Rick and they seemed genuinely interested in buying the car.

After a couple of days, we received an sms from the couple offering a price that was less than what we’d hoped for. We thought about it but decided to wait. 2 weeks ago, i called the first couple again to see whether they were still interested, and as luck would have it, they were. We quickly agreed that the car would be sold to the couple at what they had offered earlier, and a huge burden was lifted off our shoulders. We turned away quite a few interested buyers after that and took down our online ads. It semmed as if everything was just falling into place.

I had printed out the necessary forms and was ready with the necessary documents and information as we were to transfer ownership before we leave for Langkawi next week.

Today, on the way back home from Aman’s Aqiqah, we got an sms from the buyers saying that they had changed their mind and couldn’t afford to buy the car now.

We were supposed to meet next week to arrange for the sale. I was under the impression that we had already had an agreement, albeit a verbal agreement.

Doesn’t anyone’s word count for anything anymore?

A cynic myself, I thought they could be trusted, and they seemed so nice. Our fault for hoping for a little good in the world.

It seems that everything didnt fall into place at all now.

Car for sale.

Day One

Much of the morning was spent on the computer waiting for the husband to wake up! We had planned to go over to Jules’ house for lunch. Not only were we late, we had a huge adventure around Shah Alam to find some vanilla ice cream.

We met Zeeds and baby Zarya who were sitting and chatting with Jules and her mum. Zarya is the cutest, sweet-mannered little girl.. she even joins in the conversation in the cutest squeals ever.

Me, Jules, Zeeds and baby Zarya in Jules' beautiful garden

Brunch was served and we ate and ate and chatted away. Before we knew it, it was already 4pm and time to go home and get ready to meet Mika and Elina, our Finnish friends on a stopover between the Phillipines and Indonesia.
We had met up earlier in the week and had taken them to Bukit Gasing for a hike. They managed to do better than the rest of us!

I'm definitely not going to miss the traffic in KL

On the way into KL to see Mika and Elina, the roads were so congested. One thing i’ll definitely not miss about living here. We had a great night in Chinatown. Excellent food and cheap beers, while all mayhem was going on around us.

Mika and Elina who are in Sulawesi, Indonesia

After saying goodbye with a final beer in the Reggae Bar, we rushed to catch the LRT back to the car, and on home…

All in all it was a good first day…

Bukit Gasing

 

Dad, Kitt and Rick, my husband, at the Suspension Bridge

We started hiking at Bukit Gasing a month or so ago. It is basically a green hill in the bustling suburb of Petaling Jaya.

A favourite spot for people from all walks of life and of all ages, it is a healthy, relatively easy hike. I must admit i have to make stops during some of the steeper slopes just ot catch my breath though. ‘Heart attack’ slope, christened by my husband, has only been attempted once, and it showed me just how unfit i had become.

On one of our hikes we met a nice uncle who was sawing the trunk of a tree that had fallen across one of the trails, to clear it. He said he had been hiking in Bukit Gasing for about 30 years and regularly clears debri from the trails so everyone can enjoy them. He and his wife must be retired already, and we have seen them in almost every visit.

We go relatively late in the morning, when most of the crowd has thinned out so we have a quiet, peaceful and calm walk under the greenery. The canopy is shade enough, but nothing compared to the jungles of Borneo. Most of it used to be a rubber estate, and you can still see cracked nuts beside the trails.

Much of the hill has been cut away for development. There’s even someone’s backyard next to the suspension bridge.

Although its highly unlikely that Bukit Gasing will remain in its present state for much longer, it always makes first-time visitors pleasantly surprised at its discovery.

The gang at the new gateway

 

Choose your route

 

Saying Goodbye

The empty Workstation, waiting for its next occupant

Today was bittersweet. A lot like how i had imagined it would be. More tears, while clearing up my final pieces of paperwork. The day passed by too quickly. And before i knew it, it was over and i was emotionally drained.

I’m sad to leave good people behind me, but when i got home my husband was so happy! And it rubbed off on me. Spanish class was postponed to tomorrow and me and the husband had pizza to celebrate!

My Last Day at Work

 

Me and the gang at my workstation

Tomorrow will be my last day at work, and if i was being overly-dramatic, the last day of life as i know it!

No more setting the alarm at 6.15, only to curse it when it goes off, then turn on the snooze button countless times to get that extra couple of minutes of sleep. No more sitting in traffic and inching along while your mind is still asleep. No more meetings, presentation packs or brainstorming sessions.

Though i’ll miss the marmite toast prepared by Jules for breakfast on the go. The feeling of relief the moment you get the chance to sit on the lrt, and the warm feeling of giving up my seat to a parent with a child. The silly communicator messages between all of us who sit just a stone’s-throw away from each other.

I’ve said a tearful goodbye to my boss, who won’t be around tomorrow. I have a few assignments to clear and a whole load of farewells to wish. I am embracing this change with an open heart, and learning to let go of overly analytical apprehensions.

Saying goodbye to all you perceive as usual is not easy, but saying hello to the unknown future is exciting and surprisingly, it comes naturally.

Clearing the Clutter

Me at my workstation in 2009

Today marked the first day i started to pack up my things. Nothing major, just some things for Dad to bring back home to Sibu. Clothes mostly. It got me thinking about what  the next month has in store.. basically ‘clearing clutter’.

Deadline 10th March 2011. We have rented out our house for a year, so we’ve cleared one large hurdle. A relief not to have the financial burden, while not generating any income, but daunting to know we’ll soon be effectively homeless. I’m getting used to the idea, and starting to get excited at the prospect of the unknown.

Car comes next, then we should just have the house and personal belongings to condense down to 20kgs of luggage.. and today was the start of me whittling down our belongings to that weight.

I have almost completed packing up my stuff at work. I panicked when i counted my number of working days left a few days ago, and realised i only had 8 more days of corporate life left. Only 8 more days of sitting in traffic, sitting in meetings and sitting at my desk! I decided to look for a picture of me at my workstation and when i found this one, i realised how much clutter i had on my desk. Its a complete contrast to how it looks now, and i felt a sense of achievement at having cleared it all.

Not many people get the chance to completely change their lifestyles.  i am so thankful to be able to have the chance to start something completely new. What exactly that ‘something’ is, i’m not exactly sure, but whatever it is, i’m certain the journey getting there will be amazing!