From KK to Kualo Pilah:Things Seen, Heard and Sensed

KK

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Working plus holidaying at K.K Sabah

Jungle trekking @ Poring Hot Springs with Mak and Ayah 

So proud I am with Pakcik Baharum and Makcik Mariah

We canopy-walked for the first time evah!

Note: canopy-walking @Poring was thrilling and fun. I trembled a lot, stopping here and there for a while to gain strength to finish the long line. Defying height with my ageing parents was a cool experience-me and mak with a handbag, ayah with his kemeja and slacks?. you guys rock, mak ayah!We were not told of these activities..just gave it a go..the greens???subhanallah..truly amazing and breathtaking..worth the sweats, vertigo etc..hahaha..rasa mau panjat lagi bah...

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On the way to Ranau numbers of boards I saw

Churches of St. Martha, Augustine, Piaus, Seventh-Adventist and Juliana 

Going down the highlands before touching the floor

I then met Houses of Sidang Injil Borneo, Yesus Benar, St. Thomas, St. Philip and St. Maria.

Note: I saw a lot of Christian prayer houses on the way to Ranau. What captivated my mind the most was the female names of the churches like Gereja St. Maria, Martha, Juliana. I asked a friend: Does this mean the people led by and follow certain female saints? "Not necessarily", my friend said. "She could be the religious leader's most admired/loved/respected woman, possibly his mom" This reminds me of Jesus' Mother that I saw in "The Passion of Christ"...Ermm...I will ask more about this from my Christian friends, Adry and Carol later..

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Monday@Pasar Filipino grilled susu fish, squids, kerabu mempelam muda and tentacled seaweed I ate

Tuesday@UiTM Sabah had I nasi kunyit, ayam masak merah, white rice and lauks on my plate

Wednesday nite got a combo of vomits, diarrhoea and tummy pain as I was food-poisoned!

to Permai Polyclinics I went, in the middle of the nite, my strong will was finally beaten.

Note: A great "eater" I am.. savouring the tastes @ new places is one of  the first activities I will do whenever I go places..I was over confident, I believe, while chewing  seaweed, gulping avocado smoothies, putting in my tummy everything that had turned my appetite on! Over-confident that my tummy was good, nice, tolerant, friendly and understanding enough to welcome strangers inside..hahaha..I thought I knew my tummy really well..but..nah..I was totally wrong!that variety of foods had poisoned me..quite terribly..thinking that it would go worse and jeopardize my presentation the next day, I was cab-rushed to Permai Polyclinics- a common sight there in KK just like Klinik Sulaiman in Semenanjung...the drive I felt sooooo long..the pain playfully twisted my tummy..it came and went as it pleased..duh...Ayah accompanied me to the clinics in that wee hours...syukur he was there with me...ampun 'cause I had disturbed his sleep. I have to admit that MY patin-tempoyak-ulaman-cencalok-belacan-budu-ikan masin mixed tummy doesn't mix easily with the Sabahan seafoody and weedy friends..Haiyyo!Not nice laaa Mr.Tummy..You should mix well with the Sabahan foods lor..not easy maa to fly to eat seafood at Saba..haiyya!

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Of black, brown, white and grey-colored canines I often saw

With a split-second sight of a resting paw

E're I could hardly get a meow of a cat

I terribly missed Cikus, Simba and the rest of my pets :(

Note: A lecturer friend admitted this.Stray dogs are abundant here, the way stray cats are in Jengka. I even met a black dog running here and there @ Poring Hot Springs. He must be hungry as he sniffed some plastic bags and food containers brought by the picnicking visitors ..pity that hungry guy..at that time, I had nothing in my hands to offer him. So sorry, Mr. Doggy...Even though I might feel a tiny discomfort when ever I see dogs, honestly I have no prob walking side by side with this symbol of loyalty. By the way...Where all the cats gone???I could hardly see any here..the cats might be afraid of the dogs, I think..maybe..maybe..

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Radio Sabah I listened to for five days

Sweet and soft talking Sabahans I talked to, smiled to and met

"Mauk kemana, Mauk berapa, kakaq?" I was politely asked nights and days

soooo deep the "K" sound of a taxi boy I paid.

Note: There is something special and unique about the people and the Sabahan Malay dialect. They are heterogeneous-of different tribes and suku kaum with Kadazan Dusun being the majority (if i'm not mistaken). There are also Bajaus and Suluks..I could comprehend quiet well if my Sabahan friends spoke "perlahan-lahan"..but once they raced up the words and phrases..there could be no way for me to be in the conversation..I admire their soft-toned voices-be they the gentlemen or ladies..they are soft-spoken people who can soften your drums and melt your hearts!there is no way for me to compare my tone with theirs..they could go deaf with my "loudness" and heart-broken with my sometimes-high-pitched tone!hihihi...I wonder what makes me go loud and high-pitched, yaa???is it in my genes???ermm..maybe..

Kualo Pilah

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Relieved and jet-lagged I left LCCT

 Outside my Adik was searching

Saturday@ UiTM Kualo Pilah I need to be

the UiTM Pahang CITU lecturers, for me, were waiting.

Note: Touching down the ground I felt a big relief!It was just a few minutes before we landed that the jet had kissed a group of clouds. It bounced a bit and that made me all blue, afraid of any misfortune..nak jadi cerita lah kan...I juz read an article about "ditching"- a plane water landing written in an on-board magazine..hahaha..but Alhamdulillah landing was just fine..jet-lagged?I might sound "poyo" and "mengada-ngada" for admitting having a jet-lag as the journey took only 2 hours and half..but the truth is I'm not used to jet travelling..My travel to KK was the second flight I ever experienced in my 32 years of breathing..the first one was way back in 2009...I rarely travel far...let alone jet-travelling... both: bouncing jet and painful legs are new things to me - a jet-traveler to be..huhuhu...by the way..the pain in my legs could always be the results of yesterday jungle trekking, rite???Again, jet-lagged?Could be YES...could be NO laaahh...Jet-lag kunun!

Heading to Kualo Pilah....I am neither a SUPER-BUZY or WORKAHOLIC teacher..but there were times when I wished I could have more than 24 hours per day..this is especially so when I was meeting certain deadlines for conferences and writings and admin works..argghhh!!!!I love doing the first two but not the last one BUT being a gomen staff, you can never get a sweet escape from admin thingys..My work+holiday trip to KK ended on Friday but to be continued with a sharing moment with my CITU friends who organised a special programme at UiTM Kualo Pilah, Beting Campus. I was scheduled to share a bit of knowledge that I have on APA Referencing Style.Not that I'm really good at it but being single makes me easily available for that weekend slot. I have no husband to ask a permission from..no kids to stop me from going..touching down, I had another job waiting - "kongsi ilmu" with my friends from CITU @ Kampus Beting.

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Empty belly needing to feed

Eateries-hunting along Seremban

My angry tummy made really loud beeps

Thank God, I found Restoran Warisan

Note: On our way to UiTM, we found a grand-looking restaurant named "Restoran Warisan". It looked really great in the dark. I even asked myself whether this was a "real" restaurant while my eyes appreciating the istana-Melayu like architecture of that eatery.. my nose could even catch a sweet smell of flowers from the beautiful landscape..approaching the entrance, we found the truth!hahaha.Yup it was the real place to eat we call a restaurant! We had our long-time-missed meal there: a set of nasi putih, veggies and the signature dish-Daging salai masak lomak!Ayoo...really mouth-watering laaa...coupled with mentimun, sambal bolacan and ikan masin..the meal was truly haven!yup...I was in a food haven after being deprived of Melayu food - for five days..Wanting to visit Restoran Warisan? It's just 25-30 mins from Pilah Town..I'll definitely go there in my next trip to find an Ujang @ Kualo Pilah..Jang ohhhhh Jang....kemana kamuq???hehehe...

Home Sweet Home

@ Jengka Haven

I'm finally home!!!

Am finishing this long entry..I could have waited till tomorrow to have all this blog-recorded..but I'm afraid my still-fresh memories will fade just like seconds fading away from minutes, minutes disappearing from hours and hours flying away from days..good or bad..sweet or bitter..with all the food poisoning and series of vomiting and toilet visiting...am here now before my PC, blogging this..appreciating the moment spent with Mak and Ayah and friends@ KK and Kuala Pilah..enjoying my work to the fullest for I just love what i'm currently doing-educating, writing, presenting, publishing, researching etc..


P/S: Whatever it is..where ever I go..I'm always accompanied by this one uncertainty, intact still in my mind, safely sealed in my heart ..that one thing...yes..that one single thing that might be 100% mine or shared with someone..that uncertainty could be something..it could turn out to be absolutely nothing..as for this moment, I just pray that I'll be given peace and composure while dealing with it...Deep down in my heart...I know...Allah knows best!

Ciao..my bed is calling!!!