New Year Wishes

... May God Bless All Of Us For This Coming New Year...!!!

Christmas & Family Gathering 2008

I know it's a bit late but anyway, Merry Christmas Everyone!!!...

Like the years before, I was in Ranau during the recent Christmas celebration and it's just feel great to be celebrating it this year since we're almost a complete family (without my two brothers who's still in Peninsular Malaysia) when we (my family members) gathered for the celebration and family gathering this time around.

My older sister, Giding (nama kampung) and her husband with their children were already at my parent's home earlier when we (me + my brother) arrived home on the night of Christmas's Eve. My younger brother,Wel is back in Sabah on holidays leave for two weeks and we have been aramai tie since he first landed ...Hahaha...1st night sudah kalapik...Alalala...Dewa aramai tie Penang tewas di Sabah juga...Hehehe. It has been 2 or 3 years already I think since his last trip back in Sabah and sampai saja already kena poisoned... Hahaha... Inda rugi balik bah kan... My younger sister, Indut (also nama kampung ni) arrived on the 26th with her bf after celebrating Christmas in Tambunan with her bf's family and with everyone at home, the house felt like alive again, especially with my sister's children around.

The highlight of this year's Christmas would be the grand family gathering (on my father's side) which was held at my auntie's house (my father's younger sister) in Kg. Marakau, Ranau. Met (al)most all of my uncles, aunties,cousins, nephews and nieces there. Some of them were familiar faces whereas some were new faces to me.. and there are so many of them. I really need a lot of time to catch up and remember about all the 'new' relatives that I've just known.

A funny and good thing was that it turned out that my two uncles whom have been working together at the same place in Telupid without realizing that they are actually related until they met up each other again on that day...Sad but true kinda story jugala ni. It's that kind of situation what the family gathering was all about...getting to know your own roots so that everyone know each others as to keep the family ties strong through the generations.

It was only the 2nd such family gathering being organized after the 1st gathering was initiated by my parent at our house last year and it would be a an annual event in years to come. Among the activities were gotong-royong for preparing food and dishes, eating lunch together, brief 'sembahyang', families introduction (suai kenal), families photo session with me being the 'official' photographer..matai la, our grandfather's (the only one left) birthday celebration and finally exchange gifts. It was both exciting and tiring experience...

Even though not everyone was there, it was still a successful gathering considering being only the 2nd time around and we are expecting it to improve over the next gathering at Kg. Bongkud (my 'new' datuk's house) in year 2009.


P/S: I'm still going through all the pictures that I've taken and will post them here once I'm done.

Sabah F2000 World Cup Powerboat Race 2008

Just some (crappy) pictures I've taken during the recent Sabah Powerboat Race event held along the KK waterfront esplanade (in front of Promenade Hotel) recently. Didn't bring my zoom lense on my 1st day and totally missed the action on the last day. Planned to test my zoom lense actually for the final but somehow woke up late and later cancelled the trip as I had to travel to Papar in the afternoon.

The entrance to the stage & VIP seating area

One of the race schedule banners as put up along the street

Some of the stalls/tents being setup for the event. Not many
visitors around and some of them still empty...


The demo powerboat being displayed next to the organiser's stall (tent)

One of my favourite toys..they are NAZA bikes but
the one I'm interested in ..NAZA GTR 150 was not on display

It was around noon time when I was there and the sun was really hot. I saw the souvenir umbrella was selling like hot cakes due to the hot weather. So, I just had a quick tour around the area, snapped some pictures and made my way home...Really cannot tahan the hot sun these days...

16th Dec...Last Trip to Sandakan in 2008

Just came back from outstation trip to Sandakan yesterday for another project's meeting there and it came across in my mind that it's actually my last trip to Sandakan in this year... which I think worth penning it down here.

There will be still more Sandakan's trip to come next year but let that be another chapter left to be told when the time comes. Was it the 7th or 8th trips altogether already since I was assigned to handle this particular project when it started a few months back?...I seem to have lost counts already the exact number but this one would surely the most unforgettable one as I was 1 HOUR LATE this time around...Quite an embarrassing experience.

The story started the week before when the 1st notice of meeting was issued to be on 2:30pm but last minute the client changed it to 10.00am with another notice issued on Friday's afternoon, being the reason... oleh kerana desakan kerja yang tidak dapat dielakkan (typical government department reason). The office already booked my flight earlier at 9:05am KK-Sandakan based on the 1st notice, so I was thinking no need to change as I thought I still can make it on time not realizing that my flight was MASWings (fokker) which took longer flying period (55 minutes) and I only knew then that it has a bad habit of being 'delayed'. So, when I arrived at the airport after rushing from office-home-airport, (I didn't sleep the whole night as I was busy preparing drawings to be given to the contractor), to my disappointment our flight ( I was with the C&S engineer on that same plane) was delayed to 10:10am...Matai la...Didn't expect such thing would happened when to our assumption that the sudden meeting was supposed to be a 'strict' one since the project's work progress was not so good during the last recent meeting (actually only about 2 weeks ago). We were expecting the main contractor including us, the in-house consultants would be under fire for the slow progress on site. Everything seemed to be wrong from the beginning and my hunch was that something really 'bad' going to happened in the meeting.

So, we flew from KK-Sandakan on time (finally) and it was raining when we arrived at the airport. Only the main contractor's supervisor was there to pick us up and went straight to the meeting place. As expected, all the others already arrived and were waiting for us... the 'YB'... as they jokingly 'greeted' us when we arrived. So I just put up my widest smile (sambil tahan muka tabal la ni) and apologizing to everyone for the unexpected delay...apa bole buat kan. Luckily, the client was 'lenient' in their remarks and though the contractor's progress was still behind schedule during the presentation, we were left spared from anymore 'verbal embarrassment' during the meeting...nasib baik inda kena tembak lagi... The client's return flight was on the 2.00pm plane, so the meeting was conducted quite fast considering that only a few minutes left for a quick lunch at their favorite place (kedai mamak) before making their way to the airport...leaving me alone behind with the contractors' geng since my return flight was on 6:50pm...huhuhu.

Went down to MPS at the town centre with the contractor to submit drawings for other project then later we lepak at the Servay Supermarket somewhere along Batu 8 (if I'm not mistaken)...minum-minum...just to burn some time before finally the contractor sent me to the airport to go home..That's how my last trip to Sandakan this year was like and maybe I'll be rambling more about this particular project next time as it got something to do with preparation for a big event next year, June 2009. So, stay tune...


P/S : I meant to post this right on the night after I arrived home from the airport, but I felt asleep halfway through..hehehe. I really need the sleep after staying up the whole night before.

What Type Is Your Blog?

Found this interesting tool over the internet called 'Typealyzer' which analyze a blog for the blogger's so called 'self-percieved personality'. Here's mine:

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type(1). They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells(2). They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves(3).

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way (4). They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions(5).

This is what I think about these so called analysis :

1. Guess so,.. I''m more like the quiet type actually but depending on the mood (aramai tie la ni ), I can be 'really' entertaining and friendly but mostly among friends la... (Too friendly lain pula orang bilang, bikin malu ja)

2. Guess so,.. I like creative and good things in life and that maybe include the soft fabrics,...etc.(sounds macam pondan ja ni..alala)

3. Not really,.. Though I'm enjoying my present life as orang bujang now, I do have plans ahead. If not, I wouldn't be at where I'm now.

4. Yeah,.. Who wouldn't like such work? Helping to shape Sabah into a better place would have been my ultimate goal if I become a successful architect. (planning ni..hehehe)

5. Yeah,.. I'm just a simple, peace loving guy, but does it really affect one's performance as a leader?...mmm

Interestingly, the results do resemble most of my so called 'qualities' even though its note did mention that writing style on a blog may have little or nothing to do with a person´s self-perceived personality. So what type is your blog?

Freedom

Quicksilver's tag line at 1Borneo.
Loved the idea of being free to do anything and don't mind getting dirty for the sake of having fun.But at the moment, feeling more like...
Freedom is 'Cuti-cuti Krismas'...:)

071208 Gathering

Boleh Bah!... That's my first expression when my two friends, Ray and Edmund contacted me when they wanted to arrange for friends gathering at another friend's (Alveen) house in Putra Jaya, Telipok during the recent weekend(7/12/08). Actually just last month, we also had a small gathering there when Alveen and his wife just finished moving into the house and that day we finished off 1 and 1/2 bottles of his chivas for the house warming... :) Anyway, for this 2nd gathering I 'm supposed to prepare the special Tambunan tajau (my auntie's home made special) for the ocassion...You see they all already kena 'poisoned' during our previous visits to my auntie's house back in Tambunan...As one of my chinese friend used to say 'kick leher' ba minum... Hahaha...Tajau jugala menjadi pilihan...Sekali mensiop mau lagi...2 kali mensiop terus kondem...inda jerah-jerah dorang ni...Hahaha.

Back to my two friends, so who are they? My two 'cikgu' friends who have just finished their KPLI program at Maktab Perguruan Tawau and this gathering is something like a celebration for finishing the program and finally becoming 'cikgu'...something like 'Prison Break' jugala ni because the place really-really secluded (tengah-tengah oil palm estate ba) and damn boring according to them. Anyway, congratulation to them for escaping from 'Alcatraz' and back to civilization...Hahaha. They are enjoying their holiday now until early January next year when the school break is over and maybe go separate way to their respective posting place...Hopefully, they all kena posting dekat-dekat Sabah juga as personally I think being away too long from your 'beloved' ones is really frustrating and tempting at the same time...Huhuhu.

Other close friends who also joined in the gathering were Agang (nickname ni) and Kiong (ngam ka ni ejaan ni?) who drove down from Ranau to KK on that day and the last person to came quite late that night was Stanly with his bakuteh sup especially tapau from Foh Sang. Not forgetting, our 'new' friend (sorry I cannot recall his name) whom I got to know that day, Alveen's colleague which also happened to be Edmund's long lost friend during university days last time. What a small world!...Kecik ja ni Sabah rupanya.

The ladies present were Alveen's wife ,Agang's fiance and Ray's girlfriend. Me?...I prefer lone ranger for this kind of occasion...Hahaha. Alcohol consumed were tapai Tambunan ( unfortunately, only mensiop for awhile as somehow it became ahanau sudah after several rounds, salah atur la punya pasal ni mangkali..:( ) 1 botol of Chivas and 1 botol of Swing (compliments from our 'new' friend). Aramai tie session started as early as 3.00pm and lasted until about 10.00pm because no more drinks...macam air ja ba tu kalau haus...Well, have to stop anyway as some of us still have to drive back to KK. The rest slept at the house before going back to Ranau the next morning. Below just a few candid snap shots (taken by my friends) of us having fun that day.

Kiong, Edmund & Alveen-3 dewa in action

The ladies yang always setia menanti

Ray & Girlfriend-Yearghhh... Ancol punya ini.... Hahaha

Alveen & Wife - Expecting their 1st child soon.
Knock-knock, who's your daddy?

Agang trying to look cool while Stanly
always with his happy smile

Me & Agang...Mau ngantuk or 'kick' sudah ni?...

Alveen & our 'new' friend- Empty bottle for the winner
& a good sleep for the loser ....0-0
As always either one of these 3 guys musti kena 'rogol' &
that day it's Agang's turn...Hahaha

One of Kiong's body tattoos... do you see the resemblance?

A big big thanks to both Alveen and his wife for having us there and being so sporting in organizing the gathering at their house. Next gathering will be on the 20th before the Christmas Celebration at the same place and this time around we're expecting more friends to join in the fun with more drinks (tuan rumah sponsor 2 botol chivas) and more happenings. Balakang rumah belum rasmi BBQ lagi tu, so that will be the best time for it... :)

Architecture Makes Me BALD!

It's December , the last month of this year and this entry is about self portrait as remembrance of myself in year 2008. I've been in this architecture profession for almost 8 years already now and beside the ups and downs over the years, I'm glad to say that my career has been constantly improving and evolving. But all that time spent or wasted is not without any sacrifices and in this particular case, it's more like a side effect on my head. All the pressures, stress and headaches that I've endured all these times have finally taken its toll on my head. Architecture makes me bald!!!... and this self portrait is taken the day after I've went to the barber shop to get the usual no.3 haircut. There were times when I even tried the no.2 in the past but later stick to no.3 only after a funny experience when I was mistakenly thought as some guy looking for 'amoi' in segama (or was it sinsuran?) area when I was actually looking for a shop around the 1st floor area there... silaka ... Do I looked like a sex maniac ka ni?...hahaha. Being me, not wanting to waste money on those lengthy and expensive hair treatments , it's the only solution as I'm gradually losing my front hair...huhuhu... so I have to do something or else I'll become like 'apek' before I reach 50 years old...hahaha. By now, I'm used to it already after 3 years with this 'botak' look (I'm getting more 'botak' after each passing years) and being 'botak' does have its own advantages. No more hairstyle/ haircut nightmares and no need to buy those expensive hair gels and shampoo anymore (lap ja pakai air for the wet look) In short, Bald head is hassle free, low maintenance and always in trend ... :)

Becoming a Wedding Photographer?

Me...Becoming a Wedding Photographer?.. I just laughed at the idea of it when my friend ( owner of the BROTHERHOOD) asked me to take pictures during his sister's wedding day a couple of weeks ago and I quickly declined his offer saying that I've just recently bought my DSLR camera and I'm way-way far from ready for that kind of photography yet ( baru balajar ba ni). Anyway, My friend, Steve was free to help out and he's the camera cum video man during the wedding day on 29-11-2008 recently. It was on Saturday and since I left home quite late, I drove straight from KK to the SIB Pekan Ranau Church where the wedding ceremony was being held. It was almost to end of the ceremony already when I arrived there and I only managed to take some shots while the newly wed couple made their way out of the church and returned to the bride's house at Kg. Marakau for the wedding reception. I've taken many wedding pictures with my compact camera in past but somehow I still felt like nervous a bit while taking pictures with my DSLR camera. Anyway, I just hantam saja so here's a few snap shots during the wedding day for sharing here.




On that day, I've just realized that my friend, Steve actually making some good side income from doing this part time job as a wedding photographer and he just started serious photography not too long ago. Just so happened, I was chit chatting with him when this person approached us and asking him about his service for his coming wedding day. I overheard my friend saying that his service is around RM500 like that (photos including video) and bla,bla,bla as he went on with the details of his service to the guy. Whoaa... that's really lucrative for someone who just started doing this business and looks like a pro already while explaining about his service. Unfortunately, the timing was not right as the guy's wedding date clashed with my friend's next job. So, again my friend recommended me and same thing,.. I declined also..hahaha.