*pls click on the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the intro page

So, it’s May. You should really check out Sabah in the month of May. 30th and 31st of May are public holidays in Sabah because of the traditional Kadazandusun celebration of the Harvest Festival. This celebration and holiday is pretty self-explanatory, you celebrate the harvest which in this case is the paddy or rice. The greeting term is “Kotobian tadau tagazo do kaamatan” which means Happy Harvest Day. This time of celebration means (keep in mind, everything is traditional) lots of dance, beauty pageants, food bazaars, eating, drinking, music, and more drinking. The Kadazandusun may be likened to the Irish or the Mexicans when it comes to drinking. And, do gear yourself up for the local liquors of Sabah. They’re generally rice wine but there are others as well. If you’re ever interested you can mention these beverages, “talak” or “bahar” but if you prefer your old classic beer, you’re in luck because “beer” is universally understood by Sabahans everywhere. And the term Aramaiti directly translates to “there are a lot of people here” but has been transformed to a slang in the Kadazandusun community which means “let’s party” or “let’s booze up”.

Just to share some details on the rainy seasons in Malaysia. Since it’s May, it’s best that you know that May – Sept is when the south-west monsoon pays us a visit. The other of the 2 monsoons blows typically from Oct – March. This is called the north-east monsoon. Though don’t be surprised if some days in any one of the periods mentioned are scorching hot days.

Traditional Kadazandusun dance

A lady playing the "Tagung" or gong

An interactive traditional dance

Traditional beauty pageant

traditional food

Traditional wine

Demonstrating the harvest

*pls click on the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the intro page

Location: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Time: 12:24PM

Imagine being awoken a few times in one night by the rain, thunder and storm. Yep! it felt like I was in a Charlotte Bronte novel minus the mansions and moors. The weather last night was (past 12am which technically makes it today) so harsh, none of the neighbourhood dogs even dared to howl. And this morning brought with it a cool and dominant breeze to bring down the rest of the temperature for today.

*pls click on the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the intro page

Another thing i never take for granted about Sabah is it’s well-roundedness. You’ve got the city, the islands, the interior which is surrounded by the tranquility and beauty of nature and just that good old Sabahan charm. Malaysia’s leading t.v. satellite provider is Astro. You’ll often see Astro dishes equipped on the most meagre looking houses of Sabah. I see some form of irony, you can’t afford to upgrade your homes but Astro is definitely affordable to almost any Sabahan, rich or poor. Or you could also think of it this way, the average Sabahan loves his home more than his house. Perhaps a Sabahan never really forgets his roots despite the affects of technology and modernity. That’s why in my eyes, I see a Sabah that is old and new, traditional but modern, conservative but liberal; all at the same time. Check out the images below to see what captured my heart during my trip in to the interior of my Land below the wind.

An Astro dish latched on to a traditional wooden village house in a Sabahan village

One of the flowers in the garden I visited

Typical Sabahan flower

Stored away straw mats

*pls click on the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the intro page

The reason I’ve put off writing about Suria Sabah is because since it’s launch in 2009, it’s still in essence bare inside. A departmental store called Metrojaya is open and I suppose because it is a departmental store, it’s a center for almost anything from clothes, sports gear to home decor. And to the mall’s management, this probably sufficed to launch it so soon. Even its movie theaters will only open as early as May/June of 2010. Though sparse, some other shops are already running and fully functioning in Suria Sabah. Perhaps, if you like a quiet stroll through a mall, Suria Sabah’s the place for you.

Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

On a good note, Suria Sabah does have a beautiful view of the South China sea. Built right next to Jesselton Point, the view boasts of a view of the city, city lights and the port. At night, the view is romantic from inside the mall. The boats docked by the jetty is reminiscent of chinese sailors from the 19th century.

Do visit this link for more information:- http://www.suriasabah.com.my/

*pls click on the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the intro page

There are so many reasons to be proud of Sabah. Its islands are a great escapade from the bustling city life of Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Sabah in itself is a laid back haven of interesting foods, people and relaxing hang out spots but its islands are another story. With a strong tourism industry, the Sabahan government has focused a lot on developing its tourism industry. Hence, the beautiful traditional islands with decent infrastructures. And, not forgetting there are an abundant of activities available on all of these islands including adventuresome and thrilling water sports.

Below is a listing of some of the islands:-

*Pulau is a malay word for Island

1. Pulau Manukan
2. Pulau Sipadan
3. Pulau Mamutik
4. Pulau Sapi
5. Mantanani Islands
6. Pulau Gaya
7. Pulau Gayana
8. Pulau Mataking
9. Pulau Mabul
10. Pulau Layang-Layang

Do visit this website for more detailed information:- (http://www.etawau.com/Island/index.htm)

*pls click on the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the intro page

Location: Kota Kinabalu (KK) Sabah

Thursday morning guys! The rain hasn’t started yet. Looks like this past week, we’ve seen sun shiny mornings and rainy late afternoons and evenings. Well, it’s 11.55AM now and it’s looking to be a quiet, fairly warm day. It’s 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) in KK right now. I hope you guys have a fun filled day out there. If you’re in KK right now, try hitting the islands and beach this weekend. It’ll be an interesting weekend of sunny 1st half of the day and rainy 2nd half of the day.

*Please click on the Getting to Know Sabah tab obove to get to the intro page

I live 10 minutes away from the beach. In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah there is one commercial beach (Tanjung Aru Beach) that is divided into 3 sections. There’s Beach 1, 2 and 3. There’s basically a road that leads right up to the 1st beach and that one’s been developed with a restaurant and the hawker stalls have been reorganized under one structure. To enter the area you need to get through a gated area complete with a parking booth and all. Meaning, when you exit there’s a parking fee to be paid. The restaurant’s called BB Cafe and overlooks the ocean and you can actually walk right up from your table to the beach and at night a live band serenades you with all kinds of music. It’s one of my favourite places to be. Meanwhile, the 2nd beach is quieter and has one malay restaurant called Taman Selera (Appetite Park 😉 and for anyone who fancies skating, a skating rink’s been set up there as well. I like to go here when I prefer to have a quiet meal plus the seating arrangement is really interesting. There’s one area where you’re literally on a hut on stilts, facing the sea and when the tide’s up, the water reaches right underneath your hut. I find it a pretty romantic spot actually. And the 3rd beach is all beach except for one or two mobile stalls that sells drinks and snacks and tidbits. The 3rd beach to me is where one can go have a solitary time, just you and the sea. Lovely! And maybe it’s obvious by now that I really do like the beach.

Aside from the beaches, Tanjung Aru also has a 5 star hotel. And yes, it is one of the best hotels in Sabah, if you ask me. It’s called Star, a name that replaced the old name Beach Hotel. Today, you can still use the old name especially if you’re talking to anyone who’s 25 yrs old and above. Please visit their website for more information. http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/kotakinabalu/tanjungaruresort. Not far from the hotel is a residential area that boasts of beautiful colonial style homes and if you’re up for it, you can drive right up to one of those colonial homes and what do you know, it’s a Korean restaurant. You can see the sign which says RESTAURANT at the entrance of the driveway to the neighbourhood. When I went there, I LOVED it, had goosebumps all over my body. Number 1, the old house itself sent shivers through my body because I was that excited. Number 2, the waiters and waitresses are actually dressed in traditional Malay garb which only adds to the mystical aura of the entire place and Number 3 it’s a Korean restaurant that serves authentic Korean cuisine and that’s run by actual Koreans. It’s a myriad old cultures fused into one.

Further down from Star, past the neighbourhood, are two County Clubs. They are The Kinabalu Golf Club and The  Kinabalu Yacht Club. Here’s the official website of Kinabalu Golf CLub (http://www.borneo-online.com.my/kgc/). The Kinabalu Yacht Club (KYC) is located right next to the Kinabalu Golf CLub (KGC), so much so that you might not be able to tell the two apart. The buildings are joined together. But here’s the official website for Kinabalu Yacht Club (http://www.kinabaluyachtclub.com/public/intro.asp).

The Third Beach (Beach 3)

A part of Star (Beach Hotel)

*pls click on the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the intro page

TIME: 11.50AM

LOCATION: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

One word, to be repeated over and over again. Hot, hot, hot! It really is too much. Well, currently it’s not so bad at 32 degrees Celcius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) plus there’s a bit of a cool breeze.  All of the beginning of this week was horrendous heat and too much for human living conditions (temperatures almost hit 40 degrees Celsius). I know, air conditioner is an option but not when you’re trying to keep the high electricity bills at bay. I hope the weather today only gets better. Good day to everyone :).

*If you wish to, please click on the Getting to Know Sabah tab above to get to the introduction page

Word on the street – Civilian style is a section I opened up where I can put down local advertisements from Sabah. It can be on anything from a place to stay, pets to buy, events to attend. A classifieds of sorts. I will also include anything interesting that’s being said by Sabahans out here. This is so that anyone reading this blog/site will feel like they’re part of the Sabahan community. My way of trying to make them feel like they’re really here. That should count for something, for someone who’s never visited Sabah. Perhaps they could also use this as a way of dabbling in the Sabahan community spirit. By the way, there’s also a WEATHER JOURNAL I started here which I’ll try to update everyday or at least weekly. Please look for it from the drop-down menu or THE BUREAU:ENTRIES menu on the right hand side of the page.

To anyone who needs it. Either keep your chin up, cheer up, Carpe Diem and as Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With The Wind said “After all, tomorrow is another day”. Good day everyone 😉

*If you wish to, please visit the Getting To Know Sabah tab above to get to the introduction page

Walking around my hometown of Kota Kinabalu, I notice a lot of tourists have opted for car rental as opposed to taking taxis. Understandably so because car rental in Sabah is pretty affordable and the chances of being swindled by the taxi drivers are lower ;). Rates vary from RM250 per day (24 hrs rental) to RM478 per week. Here are links you might find interesting:-

http://realadventures.com/listings/1197931_BUDGET-RENT-A-CAR-IN-KOTA-KINABALU-SABAH-MALAYSIA

http://www.kinabalurac.com.my/

http://www.travelborneotours.com/car_rental.html

A useful tip for anyone looking to rent cheap is to rent domestic Malaysian cars. There are two Malaysian car manufacturing companies. They are Proton (http://www.proton.com/) and Perodua (http://www.perodua.com.my). I’ve personally driven a Gen-2 from the Proton line and a Myvi from the Perodua line. Perodua manufactures smaller, city cars. If you want to go for a car that’s easier to drive around the city I highly recommend the Myvi. And a lot of my friends from overseas have also told me that they really like driving the Myvi. But the Gen-2 is cooler :), in that the one that I drove was a sports edition so you can imagine the speed and how smooth the handling was. The size is close to what a Chevy Malibu is. Well anyway, there are a few to choose from and you can pick one that suits you best.  Happy travelling!

Gen-2

Myvi