Rainy Days April 26, 2004

Finally it rains. And almost every day for the last week. The rain does smell good. So earthy. So fresh and unpretentious about it being pure. Makes you forget how dumb or angry or frustrated or whatever lah you felt earlier… coz you look forward to bedtime when it rains at night :)

Anyway. I hope it won’t rain much in June. Or at least not the first week when we plan to climb Mt. Kinabalu. Was reading this article about the climb via Mesilau trail. Waah… like I can smell the same earthy good smell already. Can’t wait to experience the grueling ascend or the muscle strain. Haha. Hmm, I wonder if Wendell/Trixie/Flo wants to join…

Rambutans April 14, 2004

I’m still amused about what happened a couple of days ago. We were having breakfast, kampung style, in Aldeny’s house. No tables, no chairs, everyone sat in a circle and had their meals on the floor. Across me was this guy sitting down with both his knees up. He had shorts on but you know how the flares would gap when you sit that way kan? Well, he had real loose flares and that his something-else was also on the loose. “Odoi dogo!” I thought, “Are those what I think they are?” I saw that dude’s ballies! Everyone else seemed busy eating or chatting away. Or maybe they pretended not to see since with that kind of display only the blind won’t see… I don’t know that guy very well but I doubt he’s an exhibitionist. He seemed oblivious to any wind or cold air or whatever. I felt kinda embarrassed for him. But what and how do you tell someone about something like that without embarrassing him? “Excuse me but your balabaks are showing”? Nahh…

Pitas Trip April 11, 2004

The last two days felt like a week. On Friday I decided to tag along with my bro and a convoy of 4WDs to a remote village in Beluran district for a goodwill visit. The journey, I was told, use to take about 22 hours through rough, uncivilised roads. But within the last 12 months most of the roads were paved which cut down the travel time to about 4-5 hours from Kota Marudu. And so I was intrigued by the idea of spending a day or two inside some ulu jungle (and definitely outside Kg Pengasaan’s Beverly Hills – haha!). The ride up the coastal highway towards Pitas was interesting. You know how you always hear about logs and loggings in Sabah? Well, I haven’t seen one real balak except in pictures and never imagined how big a tree could grow until I saw the massive size of the timber yards and factories. As huge as a football stadium oh! Apparently the gold trees are now gone since the buildings were empty and left to rot. I kinda mourned over those giant trees. At the same time I wondered which fellas got pig rich. There were only modest fishing villages occupying the coastline now. No signs of evident prosperity nor pig rich fellas anywhere. Although there were more jungles to look at further up but they’re not the best specimen of virgin forests since you know they’ve been milked out of mystery by pig rich fellas.

The last decent town we went through before traveling deeper into the interior is Pitas. Don’t remember much about that small town except for its flat terrain and oil palm tree estates. Estates upon estates of ‘em. I think it’s prevalent that more and more lands in Sabah (esp northeast and southeast) are being turned into similar mass plantation sites. As for the rest of our journey, the view kept pretty much same: young jungles, swamps, ongoing road constructions and more plantations. Finally, we reached the village safe and sound though coated with dust from head to toe. The village is small with less than 50 families, most if not all farmers. The Sungei dialect is being spoken there. No similarities with any other dialects that I know of although their “mangalai” (the traditional dance) was a bit like the “mongigol” (Rungus) and their use of kulintangan (tiny gongs) reminds me of the Bajaus.

A few of us stayed for the night(s) with Aldeny Bukah, a pioneer for the church and who have been living with the people for the last six years. We learned from him about the local’s animistic way of life laden with superstitions (e.g. no planting of banana trees on newly-cleared new lands or else a serious disease harm the family) and black magic practices. Most recently children were being possessed by demons. That didn’t make good bedtime stories but I was captivated anyways. It’s 2004 and you’d think people should get smarter by now. Unfortunately for them, the oil palm estates reached them first before amenities (electricity, proper roads) schools and clinics. It was an eye-opener for me as to the nature of progress in Sabah or at least that part of motherland. On a funny note I couldn’t taih the whole time I was there. The makeshift zinc toilet had too many holes and always paranoid of prying eyes my bowels understood my anxiety. Heeh.

In 10 April 5, 2004

The past three weeks in 10:

1. Attended Florita’s wedding in Goshen. I bump into her every half-decade or so. She was in SAUC too for a short while. We may address her as Mrs Chester Little now :)

2. Sometimes I find it amazing how most of my friends transitioned from childhood to adulthood to marriage-hood (later to parenthood) so effortlessly. I, on the other hand, am still not serious about growing up.

3. Went to an audition for some choir’s pianist in town. The man who auditioned me said my accents are excessive and that my dynamics aren’t dramatic enough. Heeh. He could be desperate since he took me in anyways.

4. Yes, I did go to the voting booth. It was my first. And my chosen candidate lost. Hehe.

5. I miss Oprah. No ASTRO for one week now because no one paid the bill. And yet everyone’s waiting for someone to pay. (I can’t be that someone, I’ve got no 100 bucks).

6. I think I almost had a boil. Had two zits, two *pikot bites and two knife cuts about the same time. Right now am sniffling over a canker sore on my lower lip. Maybe I’m being punished for something.

*a fly-like insect that bites and leaves nasty bumps that itch even days later

7. There’ve been too many hot days without rain.

8. “In Harmony” CDs are out again! Our all ladies singing group did a recording two years ago but didn’t quite finish the production process. We finished packing 100 units yesterday and it’s selling for ONLY RM22 each! Will try to get a sample or two of songs here soon. The girls have started practising regularly again after almost one year break for the new mommies to recuperate.

9. Eureka! Kurupuk mundok padas (Spicy tapioca chips): Bake sliced (use potato peeler) tapioca in oven for 5-8 minutes or till crispy golden in slow fire. Blend dried chillies (soften in boiled water), garlic, shallots, soy sauce and anchovies together. Fry blended ingredients in some oil till the aroma fills the whole kampung. Add brown sugar according to your taste. Also some water if too dry. Dump tapioca in and bathe the chips in sauce as evenly as you can. Serve. Man, it’s sooo good you’ll feel your ears twitch.

10. This little bambino will be 7-months old in April :)