Keningau Trip

Yesterday we went down to Keningau and it's Gabe second trip to Keningau. Our journey went smoothly and Gabe didn't even doze off on that 1hr 45minute journey, it's was quite tiring with him moving around the car then again what do I expect with an active and energetic boy like him :)....so....I just have to bear and keep pace with him.

Keningau Highway

We reached Keningau around 3.30pm and hungry, so we went to a shop that selling Nyu Chap(beef soup) which my poppa friend recommended. We ordered two bowl of Nyu Chap, tea-C ping for me and tea-tarik for my poppa , wellll....guess what others may find tasty and delicious would not be with us coz it all depend on our own taste bud, so I guess it was not the kind of taste that I would like in a soup which were too sweet for me so my conclusion is you got to taste it for yourself. Then again being disappointed with the taste didn't mean I didn't swallow my food... I did! I was hungry what do you expect! hahaha But only drink bit of the soup. I was hoping my tea-C taste would taste better but I guess I was expecting too much LOL Like my food, I just drink it hehehe I don't want to complain so much for there are people in this part of the world that doesn't even have a scrap to eat...I should be thankful to have what I just had :)

My nyu chap & tea-c ping

the shop

After filling in our tummy we checked in New Grand Central Hotel and went for my favorite ABC Special (air kacang) which is about 50 meters from our hotel. I like the ABC Special here for the taste is just right for me...not too sweet not too creamy and it's a mixture of all my favorites hahaha. After having it, Gabe and me went back to our room while poppa went for his golf which was the sole purpose of us going down to Keningau.

ABC Special

Peace and Tranquility...

How many people have the chance to wake up in the morning and being greeted by a beautiful and peaceful view follows by a fresh breath of air? Not many I guess :) BUT as for me I'm blessed, God is kind and merciful for we still able to have and experience all of these, I still have a kampong and my mum cottage to come home after we reluctantly sacrifice our family house which our parents built and raised us up for the past 32 years for the sake of giving a way to development. No doubt compensation was given by the government but no amount of money can compensate the memories we had there what more now our dad is no more with us. It tore our heart whenever we see the demolished concrete whenever we passed by as if we trash our dad sweat and blood on the ground that builds the house.

Enough with me being melancholy (I've shade enough tears already hehe), I've made a promised to myself that I won't look back and appreciate what we have for I believed God has better plan for our family, He has something better in store for us and most of all we still have each other AND as the eldest in the family I've to be strong for everyone esp for my mum. As for now, while waiting for our new family house being built my mum lived in our dear old cottage which is by the paddy field, it may not be big but it's surrounded by a beautiful view.

I can't remember ever taking a picture of a paddy field or paddy itself, so I decided to pick-up my digi cam and take a shot at it and capture the memory that it's giving me right that very day for who knows one day this will be taken away from us as well.

Here are the snapshots of the paddy field and paddy...tidak lama lebatlah buah padi ni and time tu lah sengsara mau halau burung pipit and punai...belum lagi case gaggau kena serang oleh serangga perosak...hmmm. But best time time gini coz leh smell the aromatic smell of the paddy hehehe

my mum pokok sireh hehehe

Isaac birthday...

Gabe and me went back to kampong last Saturday. The weather was fine as we left our house but as we reach Menggatal all of the sudden it started to pour heavily and I could barely see the road (have a poor sight esp in this weather), if it hasn't been for the white line I would not be able to stay on my side of the road and thanks God most of the road has been repaired and sealed other wise I would be a victim to the pot holes which is quite famous on this part of the road.

It continued to rain heavily until we reach to Tuaran and good thing Gabe is asleep by now otherwise I would have another problem on the other hand(as always). It was a relief when I saw the junction to mum cottage , thanx God(which I normally missed in a dark rainy day) and finally we are safely in my mum doorstep at 6.40pm hahaha. It has been a while since I came back and it's good to be back home and I missed rainy day smell in kampong, it gave me a kind of peaceful feeling ...do you know how I described the smell? 'Greenly smell'...Yup! bercolor-color lagi hahaha guess the rain has a different kind of smell when in kampong especially when it's just a few feet away from the paddy field and the paddy just sprouting out. Before I can start reminiscing and being nostalgic, my sister reminded me we have to leave for our nephew Isaac birthday (1st cousin Alfred son) which will be at 7pm, dreading to drive Gabe and I squeezed into their Kenari hahaha.

3 years old Isaac

Isaac with mum and dad

Project kulupis

I believed everyone still remembered when I mentioned in my last post regarding the kulupis thingy and I'm sure lot of you knows what is it but for those who are clueless to what is this kulupis thingy your curiosity will be answered through the picture snippets that I'll sharing. But it got to wait for a while for I need a little bit time to upload the pictures hehehe. Patience is virtue wakakaka

Here are the pictures as promised...

Yes, this is what you need to have in order to make a kulupis. 'Silad leaf'(anybody knows what is silad in bahasa or English? LOL), glutinous rice and grated coconut.

and this is what we need to do....

glutinous rice

Preparing the 'silad leaves' while waiting the glutinous rice to cook...

'silad leaves' being washed and wiped

One of the thing about kulupis making is that, it's being done in crowds beside making the work lighter and fast its fun. I'm not very sure where it is originated from but I came to know about it the day I got married for it is one of the delicacy being served and I loved it. I was informed that it is normally being prepared for a special occasion like wedding or grand festival by the Kadazan in Papar but later I came to learn that even the Bruneian Malay in Papar does the same. I guess the very reason why it is only being prepared occasionally is that, beside glutinous rice being expensive it is not easy to find the silad leaves which only grow in rare places for it's not something that you plant like a flowers or fruit trees which I think somebody should start thinking of doing it before it extinct. So in the kampong, it is not a rare sight when you see everyone is there during
kulupis making and that's the beautiful about them for they don't need to hear about any speech regarding unity(politician hot topic lately which can't hardly be seen in some...duuuhh) in order to have it...they practising it all these while.

And this is what we were dong as we help one of our dear friend who wants to have kulupis for her Raya celebration tomorrow, we are continuing the spirit of unity which we were brought up with regardless of races and religions among us and at the same time having fun especially for the newbies in kulupis making hehehe.

and here are part of the kulupis crew

this is what we do to the glutinous rice when it is cooked
then fold it...and...

tedaaaaa....all ready for steaming

Well...that's all about it and whatever sharing I've had here is out of the information that I've acquired from people around me and whatever I amiss as well as wrongly shared I deeply apology for it and I would very much welcome comments and willing to be corrected. If anyone interested on the ingredients don't hesitate to ask...I can ask my friend whom the expert hehe What!?Me? I'm only the crew, remember? wakaka

Josephine's Birthday

Month of October is really a month of birthday in our family for we've several members of our families who is celebrating their birthday this month and today is my sis-in-law Josephine birthday. Age??? ....hmmm secretlah kunun...empunya badan and yang memang sedia maklum ja tau wakakaka. Oklah Nun(nama glamour ni)...may the good Lord bless you with an everlasting joy and a good health always...luv to you always....kissy...kissy...kissy and barney love hug...Stay vass and fun always ;)

Nora's Birthday.

Last night was my sis-in-law Nora 41 years old birthday... don't worry girl you look younger than your age and a long way to M size which is not an easy thing to maintain after mothering a 3 wonderful children hehe. She didn't change much since the last time I knew her which is 26 years ago hehehe. Ooops! corrections! She did change BUT for the better, she has grown matured and wiser which is the best thing one can have in life.

We've have a simple but wonderful gathering which were among the families only but still the joy atmosphere were felt and we enjoyed the food served(makan lagi!) which was prepared by our nephew Azriey and his mum(our residence cook hehe) and of course the wine and beer is not being left out...hehehe So apa lagi...beraramaiiti lah but still within limit...kan kena gi kerja the next day.


For more pictures click here

long overdue update...

My planned was to share my Raya rendezvous after the Raya holiday but then again true as the saying, God will be done not mine hehehe. After the Raya holiday Gabe and I had a great time visiting the doctor(in a sarcastic way)...yup! Gabe went down with a fever for about 5 days which were quite alarming coz the lowest it went was 97.2c and shot up to 98.5c which finally settle down on the 6th day after his doctor gave him an antibiotic on the 5th day. While me, due to gluttony it shot my cholesterol level(wasted my so called detoxification programme) that high that it attracted my good friend...migraine hehehe. Back at work, I thought I can update a bit of my blog during lunch hour but again it's not my timing for my computer kaput pula...hmmm...it's ok...it makes my life much more interesting and colourful (devilish grin ni..)...ya!

Ok...don't want to beat around the bush for I'm excited to share something interesting which I saw during my Raya visit to my 1st cousin Anna house. Well...it might be noting big to some people and I wouldn't be suprised if there is a 'duuuhhh' remarks BUT I don't care...bersemangat juga mau share ni wakaka. I know somewhere out there or some of my readers are as clueless as me and appreciate this...cheewaahhh!(berat jua bakul yang aku angkat ni LOL).

I make it a bit dramatic sikit ahh...hehehe

Scene 1

On the way to Anna's house.

Wifey : Wahhh luas juga kawasan rumah dia kan? And the best part is that they planted a lot of fruit trees.

Hubby: (silent...not respond.. kepenatan angat anaklah tu)

Then walking under one of the tree and a few feet above the wifey head, there it was...danggling a bunch of roundy thingy and in another spots a same view except it has flowers at the end roundy thingy, terkejut beruklah si wifey...

Wifey : Eeiyerrr..! What's that? Buah apa tu? (then turning to the mother) Maa...urwaa nunu iti?(aha! this is a Dusun-Lotud language LOL) - Maa..what is this fruit?

Mother: Usak noh pokilahan boh ino! - Its a durian flower bud

Hubby: Yalah...bunga buah durian pun kau tida kenal...urang kampung apa kau ini ohh!

Wifey: Eeii...I never seen, yang I selalu tingu buah dia trus. I never thought the bud will look like this (bah...banyak duri bah tu durian tu, kan?)

Hubby: Tulah...tau makan ja..tida pandai tingu2 (kena lagi...)

Mother: Ari noh...taahgon nopo mongoi intong diri pokilahang amalas (bukan lagi double dose but tripple dose sudah tembakan ni) - Serve your right for never bother to check on the durian

Wifey: Yalah...yalah...I take picture of it coz it looks so beautiful (standard excuse to cover an embarrassment ni)

So here it is the beautiful durian flower bud(inda tau ngamkah tidak panggilan dia..anybody know the correct one?) which was just right infront of me and can you imagine in a few months time how this would look like. Ahhaa! doesn't it excite you? (mischevious grin). By the way, my cousin-in-law Roslan told me that he will call me when it's time to baham the durian which won't be long hahaha mind you they have quite a lot of durian tree(jangan jeles...)

Some raya picture here.