tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70599476608448634152024-02-18T21:45:15.808-08:00postcards from north borneoMy state; as how i see it.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-72644699522558920492011-05-28T05:16:00.001-07:002011-05-28T05:16:39.768-07:00Saw this old tool of the trade at the Frankincense Cafe and it brought back some memories ...<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PN8nENVQUTPd-PfGP7xAsPeFLtLbgOEbNfIJhJBA9j1IWSnWplIj68JKi5PoH7sBijb5sGmXxDH7FB_DbzlnwXv6973nMnNLpmItTZysbeT08bk6cHwIq-Op7XFJ1TYU4bs9KACVBkTo/s1600/28052011%2528001%2529-799769.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PN8nENVQUTPd-PfGP7xAsPeFLtLbgOEbNfIJhJBA9j1IWSnWplIj68JKi5PoH7sBijb5sGmXxDH7FB_DbzlnwXv6973nMnNLpmItTZysbeT08bk6cHwIq-Op7XFJ1TYU4bs9KACVBkTo/s320/28052011%2528001%2529-799769.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611739848045539058" /></a></p>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-64764959114594460872011-05-02T05:12:00.000-07:002011-05-01T05:14:56.171-07:00A basket full of goodness. A man carries a load of rice and yam wrapped in leaves or linopot to be served at the Tamparuli Kaamatan fest.<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZ8Pu5qL4m6yxkpHGM4LOM6nXvLt8vKA0nF_o8kpl43V1hfpG2MkRHX0fyvYbi2ffRYVMZj0wLNFccY2nxnm3vUtet99VBezRKx5aKdRkYvmn0d7C-2gkE2kTIRmtvOWgVJck5j0UGsyj/s1600/02052011%2528003%2529-796178.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZ8Pu5qL4m6yxkpHGM4LOM6nXvLt8vKA0nF_o8kpl43V1hfpG2MkRHX0fyvYbi2ffRYVMZj0wLNFccY2nxnm3vUtet99VBezRKx5aKdRkYvmn0d7C-2gkE2kTIRmtvOWgVJck5j0UGsyj/s320/02052011%2528003%2529-796178.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601720102102091890" /></a></p>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-29980517183582078192011-05-01T20:40:00.000-07:002011-04-30T20:48:49.127-07:00The ''real'' Tamparuli noodles in Tamparuli. Yumz is the word!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SLIT2uGXmw8/TbzYITMIxqI/AAAAAAAAAko/94WZSDpLiow/s1600/02052011-729132.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SLIT2uGXmw8/TbzYITMIxqI/AAAAAAAAAko/94WZSDpLiow/s320/02052011-729132.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601589673643787938" /></a></p>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-11019044425117220312009-10-20T08:07:00.000-07:002009-10-20T08:12:39.979-07:00Seafood haven<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBToB3WB0-P181qOZoIalyQVjpAU_5HTleYY8ZpXv1DdQRVHMVuDSaf_RfZY3O0oJgMR9HOkBNP4pPA7WP3O5CKqavbtxJDS2hzO5_hhHwESkdpMU4wUWesL6s6wIUQO_AsqR16D36Tk5/s1600-h/18102009(002)-759980.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBToB3WB0-P181qOZoIalyQVjpAU_5HTleYY8ZpXv1DdQRVHMVuDSaf_RfZY3O0oJgMR9HOkBNP4pPA7WP3O5CKqavbtxJDS2hzO5_hhHwESkdpMU4wUWesL6s6wIUQO_AsqR16D36Tk5/s320/18102009(002)-759980.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394700372818350434" /></a></p>As their land where the South China Sea and Sulu Sea converge at its northern tip, Sabah fishermen have always returned home with bountiful harvests.<br>It is no wonder that the state has developed a reputation as a seafood mecca.<br>And it's easy to see why. Freshly landed fish prawns, fish, crabs and all manner of shellfish are not only in the realm of seafood restaurants but can be found grilled and ready to serve in open air markets.<br>But be prepared to dig deep. The grilled tiger prawns on display at this stall in the Kota Kinabalu market were going for RM20 each.<br>As the saying goes, good things don't come cheap...Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-49516145552764073122009-09-13T06:54:00.000-07:002009-09-13T07:22:41.110-07:00A tale of two bridges<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAHS6YDI8ZqDk2WgTZlnyMWvM1jtzqSHHxYDeBBAH1CScGwhXYDu8zRVRdIImJLgaG1mNd6gCMPyz_fU7VFb7D7sKpD2u3BmKYsDbeGeA6keaPShGBR3bv65GCjAVWOlXjZ_1AFdioa6E/s1600-h/tamparuli+bridge.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAHS6YDI8ZqDk2WgTZlnyMWvM1jtzqSHHxYDeBBAH1CScGwhXYDu8zRVRdIImJLgaG1mNd6gCMPyz_fU7VFb7D7sKpD2u3BmKYsDbeGeA6keaPShGBR3bv65GCjAVWOlXjZ_1AFdioa6E/s320/tamparuli+bridge.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380950699725466962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAHS6YDI8ZqDk2WgTZlnyMWvM1jtzqSHHxYDeBBAH1CScGwhXYDu8zRVRdIImJLgaG1mNd6gCMPyz_fU7VFb7D7sKpD2u3BmKYsDbeGeA6keaPShGBR3bv65GCjAVWOlXjZ_1AFdioa6E/s1600-h/tamparuli+bridge.JPG"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />Tamparuli is like one of the many smaller towns around Sabah. It started as a small settlement where traders and indigenous farmers meet regularly at the<a href="http://postcardsfromnorthborneo.blogspot.com/2008/05/off-to-market.html"> tamu</a> to barter trade goods. A township evolved as shops and markets were built in the area.<br />It is also the last town travellers heading up to the Kundasang highlands or to Kiulu, now known as one of the white water rafting sites in Sabah.<br />Coming back to the bridges. Other Sabah bloggers have written about these structures, among the most informative is this <a href="http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/jambatan-tamparuli-the-bridge-and-the-song-its-based-on.html">piece</a> by Ben Godomon.<br />This is my take on the low lying bridge. I was talking to an Englishman who had worked in Sabah many years ago. He was talking about the low lying bridge and said "only an Irishman could design something like that."<br />I asked him why he said that and his reply was that only a person of Irish descent would design a bridge that was impassable after a heavy downpour due to floods.<br />It was interesting to see the disdain some Englishmen have for their Irish counterparts reaching a small town in BorneoRuben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-25036945203106324192009-08-05T00:46:00.001-07:002009-08-05T02:32:20.227-07:00Interesting reading.<a href="http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14140818">This </a>is for those who always felt that Malaysians are finding themselves between the devil and deep blue sea.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-74714860622438024482009-08-04T01:18:00.000-07:002009-08-04T01:19:22.976-07:00A hazy period.<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKLRI_E0LZmnqdggfLSswfsylGm7PkdrrNGLJaeX1FwFiPINnTpYbmVeaO1uCueKjS8uhFSfnbULqYNRMYNuPH62tI7qrlxHSTdtTPba5yD79TJsMNY39OPFgW3h1HrMI7SzlIINcL_C4/s1600-h/04082009(001)-762977.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKLRI_E0LZmnqdggfLSswfsylGm7PkdrrNGLJaeX1FwFiPINnTpYbmVeaO1uCueKjS8uhFSfnbULqYNRMYNuPH62tI7qrlxHSTdtTPba5yD79TJsMNY39OPFgW3h1HrMI7SzlIINcL_C4/s320/04082009(001)-762977.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366020314977026226" /></a></p>The dense primary rainforest at Gaya island off Kota Kinabaluis shrouded in a haze that enveloped the state capital.<br>Air quality and visibility dropped as a burning smell permeated throughout the city.<br>The haze is said to be due to open burning as part the opening of large tracts of land in Borneo.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-9029545271674853232009-07-22T22:17:00.000-07:002009-07-23T05:29:01.726-07:00New found fame in death<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtkOlbGxUD1Fzj332pCsVeH6P0sD2daTK94FSBJ-xy9Oj96C0ey7jVxokPp0jQfGSRkMuSoKQ_1JSJEvbsmiVnBIfM5Wz7JT1PZfCojM8UsTL7XY0-SiFmgB-hb5g5Yzx3jnq-itlHbvb/s1600-h/mj1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtkOlbGxUD1Fzj332pCsVeH6P0sD2daTK94FSBJ-xy9Oj96C0ey7jVxokPp0jQfGSRkMuSoKQ_1JSJEvbsmiVnBIfM5Wz7JT1PZfCojM8UsTL7XY0-SiFmgB-hb5g5Yzx3jnq-itlHbvb/s320/mj1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361520599573506386" border="0" /></a>DVDs of dubious origins featuring the music videos of Michael Jackson are once again the "hot sellers" following the singer's death on June 25.<br /><br />It reaffirms the notion that an artist or artiste is usually worth more in death. But the intense media spotlight on Jackson, his sudden demise at the age of 50, his children and family and seemingly bizarre lifestyle, has created a new and young fan base.<br /><br />Seldom is there an entertainer whose popularity transcends so many different generations.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-50080113538456123832009-07-15T12:09:00.000-07:002009-07-26T02:09:20.208-07:00A goodbye note<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTVbNXQZmS9dXo6ad69VXOWRXYNFQoy3l2kKHZ-ZhAvh66l-i1R8szuZxI8npiZdzqgd2fYvxxpdB_lVHjZhABaQgocZZ7YP0Z_l9gVaAprropIqasI1N_mQcCTI4ucebBXmQL2JIVwci/s1600-h/note.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTVbNXQZmS9dXo6ad69VXOWRXYNFQoy3l2kKHZ-ZhAvh66l-i1R8szuZxI8npiZdzqgd2fYvxxpdB_lVHjZhABaQgocZZ7YP0Z_l9gVaAprropIqasI1N_mQcCTI4ucebBXmQL2JIVwci/s320/note.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362693348623026898" border="0" /></a>I'm sitting here watching your remains in an ornate box, seeking therapy by typing out at 2am some of the thoughts churning through my mind since that Sunday.<br />Thoughts of what drove you to end your life.<br />And thoughts of that message you sent out on June 29 to those listed as your so called ''friends'' including me. Looking back, I now realise it was a plea for help.<br />A plea I should not have ignored and should have known better as someone you called 'uncle.'<br />For that I seek your forgiveness and pray that you have found peace.<br />Like the rest of your family, I will continue on with my life with a hope that I will be more sensitive to cries of help in the future.<br />May you rest in peace.<br />Farewell for now Joedee.<br />May 25, 1966 - July 12, 2009.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-26371686234995876432009-07-05T19:43:00.000-07:002009-07-06T03:35:26.224-07:00Getting rare<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyp8dqkVUssqjnRQH2KFgqc8TDXlpMi0XkmIDDYtc4H7pjFMAmRY4mpT1RtOuw7cjsAoUmLqiEMWA-bF02Dshj26f1_o59LMyiJdBkAMlcyMDsVuJ-9QzYH1s1ZbWo6ym2XcPeXHWiuLKW/s1600-h/padi1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyp8dqkVUssqjnRQH2KFgqc8TDXlpMi0XkmIDDYtc4H7pjFMAmRY4mpT1RtOuw7cjsAoUmLqiEMWA-bF02Dshj26f1_o59LMyiJdBkAMlcyMDsVuJ-9QzYH1s1ZbWo6ym2XcPeXHWiuLKW/s320/padi1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355173971663466050" border="0" /></a>A lone hut dots a paddy field in Penampang district that is fast becoming the suburb of Kota Kinabalu. The new road linking the city to Donggongon town bisects what used to be lush paddy fields.<br />As building space runs short in Kota Kinabalu, surrounding districts like Penampang and Tuaran are where the new houses and shopping centres are built.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEv8jOh_MH90KfQoib9L39wwHANWLPBhUMxrTlfXDjnmqM6cNDMLHYyMGypc1nXJ78AlCY5S-xhtxUg86qIgeZrQEQWelI8iaTXj2PNbqKd4Gjh9nomKtSnuzgA7rXtb8ldNHUt7Q7t06/s1600-h/padi2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEv8jOh_MH90KfQoib9L39wwHANWLPBhUMxrTlfXDjnmqM6cNDMLHYyMGypc1nXJ78AlCY5S-xhtxUg86qIgeZrQEQWelI8iaTXj2PNbqKd4Gjh9nomKtSnuzgA7rXtb8ldNHUt7Q7t06/s320/padi2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355172859266567970" border="0" /></a><br />The paddy fields are are filled up like this area in Penampang and in less than two years a new housing area comes into existence.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ccviAY1KnAc/SlFlP_TBqyI/AAAAAAAAAO8/li6GhyLp53Q/s1600-h/padi3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ccviAY1KnAc/SlFlP_TBqyI/AAAAAAAAAO8/li6GhyLp53Q/s320/padi3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355172757283908386" border="0" /></a>A recent report stated that Malaysia is losing about 3% of its agriculture land, primarily paddy fields to developments like housing estates and shop houses. If this continues, will our children end up living in concrete jungles?Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-61598326881087717662009-07-03T00:59:00.000-07:002009-07-03T01:01:07.962-07:00A gift from the heart<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCW6_6g7GawazQ2zSK6K4nfaNcMAFjY57hkofNo503ub0IRPmVrVVWepW48-X_kAZ7ZEHYCrk9jLPqHtDAEzMNCj4N6Zw4Ffsya2Be30ClKmPbjZCsK_sYX4dkMAP0hgrV8hbZPo8cNw3L/s1600-h/03072009(003)-767963.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCW6_6g7GawazQ2zSK6K4nfaNcMAFjY57hkofNo503ub0IRPmVrVVWepW48-X_kAZ7ZEHYCrk9jLPqHtDAEzMNCj4N6Zw4Ffsya2Be30ClKmPbjZCsK_sYX4dkMAP0hgrV8hbZPo8cNw3L/s320/03072009(003)-767963.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354140885133801378" /></a></p>The house went quiet and my 6-year-old daughter was no where to be seen. <br>After much calling, she appeared clutching a basket filled some yellow flowers that grow profusely outside the gate. <br>She said she plucked the flowers as a gift for her mother who was sported a big smile upon receiving them. <br>Such is the priceless value of a gift from the heart.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-7936364974735095042009-07-02T20:24:00.001-07:002009-07-02T20:52:05.282-07:00A fishy tale<div style="text-align: left;">I was at the Lido market earlier today and my jaw just about dropped to the very wet and dirty floor when I came across this scene. It must be the season of the giant grouper fish locally known as karatong.<br />This one according to a fish monger tipped the scales at about 120kgs and came with a hefty price tag as well - RM4,000.<br />Believe or not this fish was already taken.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGD-fBQjtGEEm4zUB2FLqkOrpXusj1m1DdzF-hyP0jZWOxyG4mD2id5YzizQk-zTlqlBNrIpL7LENEVdivbcMjfwOr4G3IqqwXYKqukfI7b-OaUd6ATsZQlC_DGHKyzTdRFWxUe5ecnDv/s1600-h/fish+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGD-fBQjtGEEm4zUB2FLqkOrpXusj1m1DdzF-hyP0jZWOxyG4mD2id5YzizQk-zTlqlBNrIpL7LENEVdivbcMjfwOr4G3IqqwXYKqukfI7b-OaUd6ATsZQlC_DGHKyzTdRFWxUe5ecnDv/s320/fish+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354072916746242242" border="0" /></a><br />Earlier on, another fish monger cleaned a smaller karatong that weighed about 92kgs and cut it up and selling its filleted flesh at about RM58 per kg.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ccviAY1KnAc/Sk18zKrLI4I/AAAAAAAAAOk/NKeDw6O9-Pg/s1600-h/fish+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ccviAY1KnAc/Sk18zKrLI4I/AAAAAAAAAOk/NKeDw6O9-Pg/s320/fish+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354072750494000002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And this is the head. I wonder how many servings of fish head curry can be had from this one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGq2yndvbQOmcW4B4UNScbIwGlT8tPJbteO0SPuQw939xipDpCWIXyD47HRalVTMNr-DeykS1ipU2JsQWgP8Itiwbabxol4688W5DMjkPUJQeLaodrgxCdEBMuE6NCrisPXmWYFFCqBGc/s1600-h/fish3-(03).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGq2yndvbQOmcW4B4UNScbIwGlT8tPJbteO0SPuQw939xipDpCWIXyD47HRalVTMNr-DeykS1ipU2JsQWgP8Itiwbabxol4688W5DMjkPUJQeLaodrgxCdEBMuE6NCrisPXmWYFFCqBGc/s320/fish3-(03).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354072542378563682" border="0" /></a><br />As I returned home I recalled the first fish monger's remark that this type of fish is becoming more difficult to come by. I wonder if pictures like these will one day be the only evidence that creatures this size swam in our seas.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-87720397354229464292009-06-30T22:25:00.000-07:002009-06-30T22:26:50.282-07:00In my element<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigirFY1S9HM3264sx6AR7Ev_VG_7yQHniiHbAxCv_dYneni148XE6pmDicuXhq2iOSURKAUlKDof4tk7pfVid9MSIZ8utfdKqKtOzfCA5qyL1iD-wty8lDY4ROmua0nY-2iAEoJyoJflH2/s1600-h/Starbucks1-710283.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigirFY1S9HM3264sx6AR7Ev_VG_7yQHniiHbAxCv_dYneni148XE6pmDicuXhq2iOSURKAUlKDof4tk7pfVid9MSIZ8utfdKqKtOzfCA5qyL1iD-wty8lDY4ROmua0nY-2iAEoJyoJflH2/s320/Starbucks1-710283.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353358953082364482" /></a></p>A laptop and a cup of coffee are tools of the trade.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-1640205437593439352009-06-27T08:38:00.000-07:002009-06-27T08:47:34.219-07:00A man and his toys<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpLdtPVUfwK6oJJMpmaW0mXklYQ-xlfWYTXmuwagfPQYRsms1Cz6_kVEY0Eym64EJd-sBC4OhznGM0fVd65wvYssRs-DCZqcUyuhC0EO_ImpVwdSs40MD5xi9WqCnMmYaTRFNQypVfuEv/s1600-h/masidi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpLdtPVUfwK6oJJMpmaW0mXklYQ-xlfWYTXmuwagfPQYRsms1Cz6_kVEY0Eym64EJd-sBC4OhznGM0fVd65wvYssRs-DCZqcUyuhC0EO_ImpVwdSs40MD5xi9WqCnMmYaTRFNQypVfuEv/s320/masidi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352033835447125058" border="0" /></a><br /><span id="ucPreviewMsg_lblMessage" class="PreviewMsgText visualIEFloatFix"><pre><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sabah's Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Masidi Manjum has become among the first members of the state cabinet to</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">tap into the online social network Facebook.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Masidi who signed up for a Facebook account just over a week ago has so</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">far 200 “friends” in the network that he said was a way</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">for him to keep tabs on what ordinary folk were thinking or talking about.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">“This is a way for me to keep my feet firmly planted on the</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">ground. There is a danger of losing touch because positions we hold could</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">isolate us from the man on the street,” Masidi told The Star here</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">yesterday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">He said Facebook was thus a forum for him to discuss various issues even</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">petty ones with his “friends” in the network.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">“Sometimes it is these trivial matters that could have great</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">implications,” said Masidi who prefers to update his Facebook</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">account via his Blackberry mobile phone.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">He said his youngest daughter Farhana, 17, encouraged to sign up for</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Facebook which has also become a showcase of his amateur photography skills.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Masidi who has eight digital cameras, the latest being a Nikon D5000 said</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">his travels around Sabah as a minister had presented numerous</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">opportunities to photograph the state picturesque locations and its people.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">“Nothing gives me greater pleasure than showing tourists the</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">pictures I’ve taken as way of promoting Sabah,” he said in</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">adding that his favourite subject was Mount Kinabalu in whose shadows he</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">grew up in his native Kampung Karanaan in Ranau district.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">“There is something about the mountain that is almost magical.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Each time I take a picture of it, there seems to be a different facet of</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">it,” said Masidi in noting that his camera equipped Blackberry</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">phone contained more than 50 pictures of the mountain.</span><br /><br /></pre></span>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-1632398113616465082008-11-19T08:10:00.000-08:002008-11-19T08:59:07.179-08:00Old faithful<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12LdV1YNb6Si-wuOlRM-csMXoTbb__C63bqhdunkLORpvb1gVFwI4OiJwAiUEqjgY5Y-V7-dGovuTpD2MQfDNVX_uceIMDJFQpVauSvMOakuP5afMEI8MzB_PwRuN9_Ar_214s26iwtRM/s1600-h/rover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12LdV1YNb6Si-wuOlRM-csMXoTbb__C63bqhdunkLORpvb1gVFwI4OiJwAiUEqjgY5Y-V7-dGovuTpD2MQfDNVX_uceIMDJFQpVauSvMOakuP5afMEI8MzB_PwRuN9_Ar_214s26iwtRM/s320/rover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270401911573431218" /></a>Plying through the remote back roads of Sabah travellers are likely to come across Land Rover four wheel drive vehicles like this one.<div><br /></div><div>First introduced to North Borneo by the British colonial administration more than half a century ago when paved roads were too few and far in-between major towns, these vehicles definately proved their worth transporting people and goods into Sabah's moutainous interior.</div><div><br /></div><div>With Sabah becoming a partner in the Malaysian federation, the Land Rover continued to be used extensively. Rural folk realised how dependable the vehicles were and many bought them in used or second hand condition.</div><div><br /></div><div>So fond are rural folk of the Land Rover that they have given these vehicles unique monikers, one of which "garabak (wagon) Siam." I absolutely no idea still as to how the Thai component got into that name.</div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-2699636851485870122008-11-04T08:53:00.000-08:002008-11-04T09:13:04.669-08:00Rural rhythms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCBfO_2qzmRoQu4WBTqfgz_mDaSz6QlYM8xkMXG-Q3vS5hl1ZliBrhYRCGOfjY1ogWVqf1kd2ExKYZyo7HmBd_v3FJ_1veGhKpHjrD-OGInGU-A67vH5B3DPZeugczIpySHM6SO6YyDpF/s1600-h/lanun13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCBfO_2qzmRoQu4WBTqfgz_mDaSz6QlYM8xkMXG-Q3vS5hl1ZliBrhYRCGOfjY1ogWVqf1kd2ExKYZyo7HmBd_v3FJ_1veGhKpHjrD-OGInGU-A67vH5B3DPZeugczIpySHM6SO6YyDpF/s320/lanun13.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264848183057278914" /></a>I came across this lady and her brood of four while on an overnight camping trip at the upper reaches of the Kiulu River along the Crocker Range. <div><br /></div><div>This Kadazandusun ethnic family were just returning home from harvesting fruits including bambangan (a type of mango, usually to be pickled or used for cooking) and naturally growing vegetables such as wild ferns locally known as pakis.</div><div><br /></div><div>After carrying the heavy load for more than a kilometre to the family simple wooden house, she would carefully pack the produce and hitch a one hour ride in a van or four-wheel-drive vehicle to sell them at the weekly tamu or traditional farmers' market at Donggongon town in Penampang district. Just like what her parents had done.</div><div><br /></div><div>For some of Sabah's rural folk, their rhythm of life remains unchanged.</div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-85533370723566897582008-10-15T20:01:00.000-07:002008-10-15T20:38:44.803-07:00Into the sunset<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFWgReRs5NxKJZVeQnYYZbqoXOJo4_R3l3OsG1lS9tnjq_N8ZnnYOK2JehsrFBqDUp0QebeTpYTfiW8zi54tMlF9FJ6DCCETHSShItM9yTdQpkNPJEfysoHhTmMregqpS8U5MqAooZT12/s1600-h/fokker.jpg"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFWgReRs5NxKJZVeQnYYZbqoXOJo4_R3l3OsG1lS9tnjq_N8ZnnYOK2JehsrFBqDUp0QebeTpYTfiW8zi54tMlF9FJ6DCCETHSShItM9yTdQpkNPJEfysoHhTmMregqpS8U5MqAooZT12/s320/fokker.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257582342976075394" /></a>The sun broke through the clouds as I was about to board a flight from my east coast hometown of Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu revealing this glorious scene.<div><br /></div><div>The scene, I suppose, also serves as visual metaphor for the Fokker 50 aircraft which is flying into the sunset as it is being replaced by the ATR72-500 turbo prop aircraft after about 20 years of service in Malaysia Airlines' domestic air services particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whenever I look at a Fokker 50, I reminded about how one <a href="http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19950915-0">crashed</a> into a squatter colony near the old Tawau airport in Sept 1995. It is something that I hope never to write about again.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-85069421555980290002008-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:002008-10-06T10:07:30.215-07:00Under threat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFS0WlFCQfrAuQB4aTHvoAJhY1Txd0oDoiUCCSMPaAZq4hHyapyFBI-GtMh0-O685Cv5qTycSzZ_0rg1z75-e5NqDR3_64yhMarSX28Icg7hQEJ-fGV42RVlnAr6imtH3CG_3VVXUnZrt/s1600-h/hornbill1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFS0WlFCQfrAuQB4aTHvoAJhY1Txd0oDoiUCCSMPaAZq4hHyapyFBI-GtMh0-O685Cv5qTycSzZ_0rg1z75-e5NqDR3_64yhMarSX28Icg7hQEJ-fGV42RVlnAr6imtH3CG_3VVXUnZrt/s320/hornbill1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254083151629906018" /></a>I've always believed that any appendage to a wild animal is almost certainly a death sentence to it, as in an elephant and its tusks, a rhino and its horn or a deer and its antlers.<div><br /></div><div>When I took the picture of this rhino hornbill at the Lok Kawi zoo, I recalled what a friend told me. Apparently some people believe that the eye catching horn on this bird has "medicinal" properties.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is supposed to be a cure all for everything from asthma to stomach ailments. With such a perverse belief, it will be no wonder if this creature could eventually face the same predicament as its four-legged namesake. <a href="http://www.wwf.org.my/media_and_information/newsroom_main/index.cfm?uNewsID=3620">Wildlife experts reckon there are no more than 50 Sumatran rhinos left in the wilds of Borneo</a>. </div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-33381881468392939512008-10-04T09:07:00.000-07:002008-10-04T09:18:49.699-07:00Crop revival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq06l9d3m-oZiyQzCdn2FJMCo7u5cFX4PY3dUH-ZO0xF9Z_uI1z-2Hd9IXfgFCdzw9gxi727YM6iyLx2ULmRyHr6rWmDIes5weBRYsCHtT_nUHKQ57W8Qrz-4rbl_3wfnW61shIhdN2pM/s1600-h/kudat+copra.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq06l9d3m-oZiyQzCdn2FJMCo7u5cFX4PY3dUH-ZO0xF9Z_uI1z-2Hd9IXfgFCdzw9gxi727YM6iyLx2ULmRyHr6rWmDIes5weBRYsCHtT_nUHKQ57W8Qrz-4rbl_3wfnW61shIhdN2pM/s320/kudat+copra.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253331146039098002" /></a>On a recent trip to Sabah's northernmost town of Kudat, I followed my nose to a row of old wooden shops where I spotted these two gentleman packing a sack of dried cocunut flesh that I assumed would eventually be used to extract its oil.<div><br /></div><div>Coconut has been the agriculture mainstay of Kudat district for decades with thousands of hectares planted with the crop. But like in many other parts of the state, coconut groves are giving way to oil palm plantations. After all, palm oil is now one of Sabah's main economic mainstays.</div><div><br /></div><div>But coconut may be making a comeback thanks to the advent of virgin coconut oil. More about <a href="http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/14472">here</a>. So perhaps these gentlemen will still be packing more dried flesh of coconuts for years to come.</div><div><br /></div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-79848535866719336162008-10-02T08:14:00.001-07:002008-10-03T09:23:49.646-07:00My workhorse<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ8ykSf9pMQ-IizBBKWsTZg0Xfg3Pi_0234dTEhDBr2SAz3mmGWN6yBfgrNzS7VY5P0xl_K50w2GHq_JeGhFJM12RS2LLO63hARWbXm9qov89FiD8EdbyfGGZ1HpdA1UTNNGL5q02FXah/s1600-h/ranger2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ8ykSf9pMQ-IizBBKWsTZg0Xfg3Pi_0234dTEhDBr2SAz3mmGWN6yBfgrNzS7VY5P0xl_K50w2GHq_JeGhFJM12RS2LLO63hARWbXm9qov89FiD8EdbyfGGZ1HpdA1UTNNGL5q02FXah/s320/ranger2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252575304619022930" /></a>Five years ago, I jumped on the four-wheel-drive pick up truck band wagon when I bought a Ford Ranger. It has become something of a Swiss Army knife for my family and I.<div><br /></div><div>Like the famous Swiss switchblade knife which is also a fork, nail clipper, compass, spoon, fork and the list goes on, our truck has been very much a multi purpose tool.</div><div><br /><div>For daily use it is a school bus for my three kids and taken me to some remote locations in Sabah for my work. It has also been used to transport everything from bags of cement, stones and sand, bricks, wooden planks, tiles when my house was being renovated. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then there are the occasional holiday excursions for the family. With this truck we have been back to my hometown of Sandakan, Kudat, Sipitang, Ranau-Kundasang and lots more places.</div><div><br /></div><div>We have also used it to shift furniture and much of our belongings when we moved house as well as stuff for my missus' shop. And it done all this in return for regular maintenance and the occasional tyre replacement.</div><div><br /></div><div>Like a Swiss Army knife, our Ford Ranger will be part of the family for many years to come. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wonder if I can now claim some sort of endorsement fee from the nice folks at Ford Malaysia?</div></div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-11943553182719238812008-10-02T08:06:00.000-07:002008-10-02T08:08:03.667-07:00UpdateAnd oh yes, I'm back ... again.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-5249312535016946032008-10-02T07:56:00.000-07:002008-10-02T08:11:56.310-07:00Accessible internet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73NRw6ieA2xDDNF4uOZRnSssHVtOGNXvfpcxT6NVbJmkcaJ9pEgRGiUnuK4zDpP-b2_-c5gMagcwzF-H_M6zpWxgFWgbMCPvvrCCMJAAXsFlTqSqIpRUCMDcIvKhlEGBuNbMco2p2VkQh/s1600-h/wifi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73NRw6ieA2xDDNF4uOZRnSssHVtOGNXvfpcxT6NVbJmkcaJ9pEgRGiUnuK4zDpP-b2_-c5gMagcwzF-H_M6zpWxgFWgbMCPvvrCCMJAAXsFlTqSqIpRUCMDcIvKhlEGBuNbMco2p2VkQh/s320/wifi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252572366646080082" /></a><br /><div>Connecting to the internet via wireless access or wife in public places has always been a hassle or an expensive affair.<br /></div><div>The usual places the service were available were cafes - think Starbucks or Coffee Bean. So for the price of a capucinno or frapucinno or a brew of today's blend, you could use a laptop to surf the 'net to your heart's content.</div><div>Not so long ago however, I spotted this banner outside a coffeeshop in downtown Kota Kinabalu. Ahh, so now internet acceess is available with a cup of kopi-o at a fraction of a cost of a capucinno. Hopefully, other coffee shops will jump on the free wife bandwagon and internet acceess will be more readily available.</div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-20554599958491006062008-05-13T08:53:00.001-07:002008-12-09T17:06:06.816-08:00Subtle message<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeHF_qlZhGfqR6iZbAxa36zd9vKi2xMOO2OF_OuhFGXe_FRrLCwWC_trA8ZGHhS9X3ulmwoPW-wPZM2uqeq8kGCxv9tdUt-0FPWIKel1kgCJ-A4Drp0cwoOatUyJt5_kxhmujhX-grAmA/s1600-h/dacing.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199891460173622050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeHF_qlZhGfqR6iZbAxa36zd9vKi2xMOO2OF_OuhFGXe_FRrLCwWC_trA8ZGHhS9X3ulmwoPW-wPZM2uqeq8kGCxv9tdUt-0FPWIKel1kgCJ-A4Drp0cwoOatUyJt5_kxhmujhX-grAmA/s320/dacing.jpg" border="0" /></a> Visiting my in-laws in the northern Kota Marudu district recently, I did a double-take after coming across six white sacks with a very familiar looking logo on them.<br />It turned out that the sacks contained fertiliser distributed to farmers by federal government. (As in what appears to be still a precarious Barisan Nasional-led government.)<br />But I think Sabahans are no longer contented with hand outs. I reckon it's about time Sabah leaders become more <a href="http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/13/nation/21232176&sec=nation">assertive.</a> <a href="http://themalaysianinsider.com/mni/pak-lah-heads-off-crossover-threat.html">More here. </a><br />For too long, the Borneo parts of the Malaysian federation have been taken for granted (some may even say taken for a ride.)Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-86447970744296490132008-05-07T02:59:00.000-07:002008-12-09T17:06:07.940-08:00Off to the marketThe tamu or traditional market is a weekly institution in many Sabah districts. Despite the advent of supermarkets and the like, the tamu still gets a good following whether it is in Kota Belud, Donggongon, Pekan nablu, Sipitang or Tamparuli.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div>I was at the Kota Belud recently and came home with these impressions.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197576061113018066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhUsYk9JyYscth130hm1HZ61u2DuzFP1Umu7e6Mus5Zh63KfcNUX7TksQ-k7TPsjomfyhmlP8Zil3fcgEAh3wUou_1M_SYzKZ1MiBZO88qMVVLbW6rvYzgC_f7wzhD0DxBWr5XI-fT94E/s320/tamu.JPG" border="0" /></div><div><em>Locally grown and cured tobacco known as siggup has been at the tamu for generations. The Kadazandusuns, Bajaus and other ethnic communities have been rolling the tobacco in dried leaf called kirai and smoking or simply chewing it.</em></div></div><div><div><br /> </div><div><em></em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197577581531440866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlk0fr-DowGTahhyaH3o82MXXd1rMRt6V21R_fOvKGiHLBBwu37v1H2dE1jB6VuMx35tsQIj9h9xjf7qWdp6CDPUEC2QNFWXRx4j7SlGY5W4AmXudQPWbnw10TZP1WjTrx-HYNkk5Z47t/s320/tamu+(4).JPG" border="0" /></div><div><em>Handicrafts such as these tudung duang food covers woven from dyed pandanus leaves are also for sale at the Kota Belud Tamu.</em></div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197578698222937842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboQWccG3CkRPBuRwgfkHM4TTpQ7pNlZ_oGzfBh3ayZRy7Bo9O10GWX4y_5XzI1yNbjvn_fUMLwdASvzO6MrlBbZGkhj67pk40Zq0yvE2LaUuDN3jfryDGf8qYzyHaWmwGbmnkJTirhp36/s320/tamu+(6).JPG" border="0" /> <em>For the musically inclined, the tamu is the place to go to in search of gongs and mini gong sets known as kulingtangan.</em><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197580545058875138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_ug0kh9qMHWzoruCjXaiYL6Xl7qjgNQ1JIfTsdnQdiWLuNwKqXk2nHTOMIcElYfa6K0G88lzEX74Otjk-vZKwltPYC4JyjvFEX8R7fFzVHS48WklRAXd99sJUG_ayMyFLdWz-z2_mROh/s320/tamu+(7).JPG" border="0" /><em>The tamu has become an open air boutique with a seemingly endless variety of clothes and used shoes available. I was flabbergasted to see what appeared to be a winter jacket or two being sold at the Kota Belud tamu.</em> </div></div></div><br /><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197581910858475282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRBIKuSIIANhrfKMeJhixwHREjhiJpbgPc2BNZCoTR7NUa0pzD5i6qidwcrl16uL1Dk1UL-dkvxv9iX0bufh4PLT-gt2j7XPuEF3r3-lxwXyA2TVi6IICEtivg3iFNN9TlDb-LhVZOf7q/s320/tamu+(2).JPG" border="0" /><em>Green peppers, cabbages and leeks are just some of the highland vegetables trucked in from neighbouring Kundasang to be sold at the Kota Belud tamu. </em></div><em></em></div><br /><div></div><div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197584006802515746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSSC0LoOi1ZqKKfKdPXmiWTa8hdoRop81p85A8sbj7VguvDZaNCTp43qBqRLBhe9dR1MjW9QbR_pfhn4uEBK0-z4DPvbKhgQidEfpJbLjXclC9MGAlu96Dk28Ou_hn3KZZo-Gfq58ioEB/s320/tamu+(1).JPG" border="0" /> <em>As proof that his wild honey has not been adulturated with sugar syrup, this farmer brought the bees nest he had collected from a jungle in a bucket and with defet hands poured the honey into glass bottles as his potential customers watched, fascinated. </em><div><em></em></div></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197586987509819186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIRngc55hTWoZpDlB8SV0UbeBEnTpJLKIKw4zWZ9dQkv1N3KJqKMM8dJ4gAk9O0OJaLMG8AAUfu7Lr_wekwRCnF2wHPGF75eo5urPj8ZBNkHwpA-8n_BfDAQJgODqT_07Il0poYW9hZvz/s320/tamu+(5).JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197587666114651970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrPwVKqr6udtGHhAZm4vXlFlNdNz9gjPJaMoHqXrOICuQNf4Bb59AepeXXuwYwB8_yKd3CiAKRGbXQGddJ4vRuZiApTEQW-pjyjot_eSnHOanctR6j61ttnq3HDNz3UY_obYlo5caGew2/s320/tamu+(8).JPG" border="0" /><em>A must have treat at the Kota Belud tamu are these shallow fried pancakes called kuih pajaram. Made from rice and wheat flour as well as palm sugar, this concoction is best eaten warm accmpanied by a cup of black coffee.</em></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><em></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059947660844863415.post-79682988646536013382008-05-05T19:47:00.000-07:002008-12-09T17:06:08.113-08:00When a sidewalk will do<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeErj906VP9WNuQ1iwJgMFLYPuhBNRDs4YG2ySbBoXdo9AyDop6f8X6qgT-R57ned_1Xy9k-ELtopE6Cyq8oNXvHUtksyBjKuplWg1fMwQV5ZM3_p-CtOXG0_oC35sqJr8wgQ1NGyfgSui/s1600-h/chess.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197091897232329698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeErj906VP9WNuQ1iwJgMFLYPuhBNRDs4YG2ySbBoXdo9AyDop6f8X6qgT-R57ned_1Xy9k-ELtopE6Cyq8oNXvHUtksyBjKuplWg1fMwQV5ZM3_p-CtOXG0_oC35sqJr8wgQ1NGyfgSui/s320/chess.jpg" border="0" /></a> I've always thought of the game of chess as a game either for cigar chomping gentlemen in their stuffy clubs or nerdy types sweating it out in a competition.<br />However this scene outside a coffee shop at the Sinsuran area in downtown Kota Kinabalu a few days ago corrected my perception about the game.<br />This is also a rare sight in this day and age when so called online electronic games such as DotA or Defence of the Ancients.Ruben Sariohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966542282009651378noreply@blogger.com3