Monday 25 July 2011

MY FINAL CLIMB!!!

Mount Kinabalu (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the east Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the tallest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the fourth tallest mountain in the Malay Archipelago after Papua's Puncak Jaya, Puncak Trikora and Puncak Mandala. Mount Kinabalu is also the 20th tallest mountain in the world by topographic prominence.
In 1997, a re-survey using satellite technology established its summit (known as Low’s Peak) height at 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level, which is some 6 metres (20 ft) less than the previously thought and hitherto published figure of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft).

Gosh....I didn't realised that ...20th in the world and I conquered it three times!
I should have given myself a pat in the back for making it up the second time.... but the third?
Ha... but I'm soooooo relief and satisfied that I made it all the way up and all the way down.
( I'm not comparing with Jo's feat of nine times....yeap... believe it.  No wonder she wasn't at all keen to come along when I told her about the trip)
This last climb will be my final climb....period!
I'm done with  mountain climbing. This one in particular.
It's not really at all about the climb, it was more of the coming down part that's hard to bear. .
I'm still aching all over while writing this. Walking is really a task....then again to be exact, any movement is such a task.
I just feel like laying down and not move anything. ....which infact makes it more unbearable once I try to move later.
aaaarrrrrrrrrrr....I really dislike this feeling of 'helpless'  and with the 'mess' around the house....eeeeeee
The worse thing the maid could do now was not turning up today ... and that exactly what she did.
double aaarrrrrrrrrrrr.... I had to do all the priorities with my 'babies'

Blinky 'stink' and so does Chalaga ( baby pup) from being 'caged' during the days that I was away.
But no way was I am able to give them their badly needed bath today.
I was told the ache will be over within four days....but so far I feel that it's aching more by the day.
Hopefully that saying is true .

Overall, beside the aching.. the trip was really a wonderful 'get together' time for me and the girls.
It was fun doing it with them. That is actually why I agreed to the idea in the first place.

THE CLIMB
We started out journey on thursday. Took the 2pm bus from Sandakan to Kundasang. By the time we made it to the motel that I have made booking days earlier, it was already almost eight pm. Weather was really cold and misty. To my suprise, Andrew was there waiting for us with some warm clothings ( our winter clothing that was kept in KK) and some medication for high altitude sickness .
I kind of guess he was worried I couldn't take care of his girls :)
He didn't stay long thou, he left just as we finish our dinner.

Posing in their warm clothings :)

Dinner....wan tan kui tiaw
 We stayed a night here before the day of climb, Friday 22nd July. We walked about 300m to the National Park headquaters for our permit to climb.
 The six ladies ( plus the photographer)  who went on this quest.
Right at the starting point with Eliz
 This is a must photograph....the first waterfall you'll see. That one 'thing' that will always remember along the trail

Along the steps to 'heaven'?
Getting steeper and steeper....the fact that it rained the whole way up didn't make it easier.
Once you get wet it gets colder
Trees getting shorter as we move upwards

The much waited dinner at Laban Rata. Now managed by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, it was all 'hotel food' buffet style. This was my dinner....after 6km of climbing..it was like the best food ever.


The long lone walk upwards...as breathing gets more difficult
Yona hiding in the 'kick ass' mask just passing the South Peak
At 8Km..it's only 700m to the top
so near...yet so far.
 I made it.....so did the girls and the gloves in my jacket.
Yona dropped them  while climbing the ropes. My pouch was full so I just slipped it in my jacket.
Pictures taken during descending


I made myself take this shot . Initially I wanted it taken on the top....I have forgotten since it was so darn cold and crowded there. We only stayed a few minutes as we have to leave by the given time . 
 I found out later, none of the girls also took any pictures while on top :(




  By 11 am....Starting the long walk down

Again.... the fact that it rain heavily halfway down didn't help the situation. The normal three to four hour walk down turned out to be almost six hours for me.
As with the previous climbs, its always comes back to my 'bad' knee.
I said goodbye to the many steps I stepped and passed by....for I know this was to be my final encounter with them.  Compared to yesterday upwards climb of 6Km, today I had walked a total of 11.4Km.....2.7Km up to the summit plus the 8.7km down to the starting gate. All I can say was Pheewwww!!!!!!  DONE!


As agreed earlier, Andrew was there waiting to take us home. The three other girls
caught the 8.30pm bus from KK back to Sandakan.
Unlike us three, only one of them came back with a 'full' cert.
Which we were unable to collect that day as the office were already close.

We stopped over at Mountain View Lodge cafe for dinner before making the journey home at around 9pm.

The hot( two kind of hot) food that awaits us...
 Dinner was steam boat before continuing our journey home

We made it safely to Sandakan at almost one in the morning. 
Took the much needed bath and went to bed.....aching all over.
What a wonderful weekend it was. Tiring yet fulfilling.
-
TWO DAYS LATER........
Tadaaaaaaaaaa........!!!!!!!!!

MOM'S BIRTHDAY

Well... actually her birthday was on sunday.
We wanted to come over and celebrate with her then with the usual cake and KFC but she said she was not feeling well and was going to bed early.
They had a gotong royong at church in the morning and I guess that kind of contributed to her not feeling so well.
Anyhow we told her that we would do it the next night then. To which she said alright.

Silently, I was actually thankful too as I was much too much in pain  to really  want to go out anywhere.
 BUT it was her birthday and the gesture would mean so much to her I know.
I had no choice but to make the effort since none of her chirldren (my siblings!) were here other than myself.
Mom on her 69th birthday... a very 'big' number to achieve

 I always said I was the lucky one ... I have my parents with me all the time.  All my girls grew up knowing their grandparents.
 Mango,Laichee cheese cake....it tasted as good as it looks.

We bought her a cake from Novelty and some KFC at Kim Fung.
I guess it wasn't the cake nor the food that matter to her....it was just the knowledge that we remembered and we cared enough.
'HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM'...I love you ..... will always love you

Wednesday 13 July 2011

AND AGAIN....

Yup... and again I say , another dog picture of mine made it to SmartHeart Dog Malaysia's FB profile picture.
This time it's ( or was?) the alfa male UKU.
The first 'real' dog I ever own.  He's unlike all the ones before .
Actually,  there was only one before him. :)
Before, I was more of a cat woman than dog.

Uku was bought from a pet shop for a price I wouldn't believe we paid.
I  fell in love with him just as everyone because he was so 'different' from the ones we have seen before.
He was afterall a known breed. A rare one to be found here too.
He was actually sold together with his brother, who had a beautiful red/tan coating.
I had wanted him earlier because that colour is so much unique than the normal black/tan that we always see even in other breeds. Unfortunately we were told he was already taken.

We came back to the shop a week later and found him still there. Apparently the buyer had changed his mind and was taking a German Sheperd instead. I immediately opted to buy him instead but the lady shop owner said she was going to keep him herself.
I was all teary when I made the offered after seeing the condition that he was in.
 He hardly grew any bigger than when I saw him last and comparing him to my Uku....it was really sad.
I remembered him now as he was then and I still feel that sadness. Hopefully he's in better condition now.
UKU ..my miniture Doberman Pincer.
And again this picture was taken by Andrew.
As it appeared on Facebook

Tuesday 12 July 2011

RED VELVET MORNING

I woke up early today as I went to bed much much earlier than I normally do last night.
Since I did not endulge myself to that extra hour of sleep when the girls have left for school as usual,
.... and the fact that I back off at the last minute to do my much needed morning jog,
I had therefore some free time to do something that would show some 'results' ...something like cooking.
Not the normal cooking at my online cafe but more reality cooking.

Baking would be more to the word as that is more to my passion nowadays.
I wanted to do some cheese tarts as I remembered I had a kilo of cream cheese still in the fridge waiting to be use.
Running through my recipe file, I came across this one red velvet cup cakes recipe which again I found online with awsome feedbacks.
I had wanted to do it for a long time but the recipe called for buttermilk which I do not have.
I had since gone online for alternative substitute.

Nevertheless, I still made my tart dough but kept it in the fridge.... for another day.
Today, I would be going red.

Results: The cakes were a totally success story. They turned out just right although I must say the taste must be aquired because it was a little strong for me personally. Probably the soda's or the colouring?...
The cream cheese frosting helps a lot. Everyone loves cheese.

While the two older girls said the cakes were..so so la...Lydia loves them.
She ate four cakes at one sitting.
Probably she'll be the one to finish them all too.

Look at that....I have never baked a cake this red. The recipe asked for 2tblsp of red colouring  but I pandai pandai reduced to just one.

Made 24 of the medium cups. They look so waterly that I had my doubts they would ever rise.

Everything turned red

Twenty minutes later...all done

Almost perfect one

Oooooo....red

Made some cream cheese frosting for the topping



With coloured sugar for the camera...

Monday 11 July 2011

BROWN BROWN ...MADE IT TOO

Horrey again.... I had sent in another dog photo to SmartHeart Dog Malaysia Facebook page two days ago and today I found out that it too made it as their current  profile picture.

This time it was BrownBrown....smiling for the camera. ...hahaha
Again this particular photo was taken not by me but Andrew , although his watermark was not inprinted anywhere on the photo.

hehehe...he looks so funny ... mean/cute look?

As it appeared on SmartHeart's Facebook account.
As with Blinky's, I took a shot for remembrance.

Saturday 9 July 2011

ANOTHER JOG ON A SUNDAY

I was awake long before my alarm clock rang.  I  waited for Andrew to make the move to go for another of his early morning jog . I had made plans to join him for his jog at the sports' complex.
He had other plans though. Instead of getting ready, he went back to sleep. 
I tossed and turned awaiting for the day to be a little brighter.
Outside seems so 'night' at five.
 I woke up the girls around six. Lydia without any trouble but the older two needed much effort. Tisha  a little better compared to Yona...who kept on mumbling that she doesnt need to train as she she had done her part by walking and climbing staits at school everyday.

Once Tisha was up, she was more interested.
As with my yesterday jog, we went round the immediate lanes and branched out to Tyng Garden playground.
Today I made eight rounds along the walkway...a far better number from yesterday's three.
Dissapointed with the girls though...instead of doing the jog , they practise on with their dancing.