Kota Kinabalu Trip (Padas Water Rafting)

Padas river is located in the interior of the sourthern part of Kota Kinabalu that is only accessible by train. Basically,  a white water rafting paddler needs to sign a life certificate as this river is class as grade 4 river. (grade 4 river is actually the highest and most extreme grade for non-trained paddlers)

Simon is the photographer

It all started with 7 USM Engineering brave survivors who boarded a van from Kota Kinabalu and transit at the Beaufort train station to board an old British Colonial steam train named Thomas.

 Having KFC as lunch at Tenom Town.

Thomas is the oldest train in Borneo and its’ railway track is just along the padas river. We were told by our guide, JJ that this water rafting covers a distance of 10km that holds 7 exciting and tough rapids. These rapids carries amusing names such as Merry Go Round, Break Point, Scooby Doo, Cobra, Curve, Lambada and Head Hunter. Each rapid will give us the feel of the motion as what the name means.

After going through the first rapid, my heart started to beat very fast. I told myself that there is no turning back. The only thing i can do is to listen to the instructions. So as our guide-JJ bellowed: “ Everybody, paddle harder!”, all of us did so without thinking. Well, everything went well until we met Washing Machine. Before we meet the Washing Machine, JJ already warned us that she’s quite cruel. So we paddled even harder and harder. Then...we saw her. Standing there arrogantly, almost tall like our lembaran hostel. I just stared at her, my mouth open wide and my paddle stand still. The very Next second, i felt a thud on my head...then whoooosh! There was darkness and i heard “brrr...brrr..” as i realised i was totally submerged in the water and being push down by the current. At that moment, i had no control of my body. I was struggling and tried to grab something around me. Unfortunately, all I could grab were paddles. For a moment, i felt an extreme *(calmless) that i have never experienced before. I could remember JJ telling us during the safety briefing that “ if your boat capsizes, and you are drowning,dont panic. Keep calm and just let your body float. However, theory and practical are two different things for me at that moment.

After struggling for sometime, i decided to surrender. However it just took place for a few seconds as an inner voice shouted at me: NIC, how can you die at such a young age? There are so many thing in this world waiting for you to accomplish. I told myself, girl..you need to help yourself out from this. Finally I managed to catch the life line but at the very next second i heard JJ shouting loudly asking us to let go of the life line as they wanted to over turn the boat to the normal position. Hearing that, I just let go and in the mean time i managed to catch a breather. Then I heard a familiar voice. My friend, Janice was crying. I was estatic at this point as this indicates that i’m not alone anymore! I was the third person who was pulled back into the boat. We were all feeling panic and held on to the life line. So it took quite some time to overturn the boat. And we actually passed through the fourth rapid as well which was the Merry-go-round. Simon and Jason were far behind the boat and we only managed to retrieve 3 paddles back in the boat. This was insane! All we know at that time was to save the two and to get back the rest of the paddles. After everyone got back to the boat, we were scolded because we didn't follow instructions by not letting go of the life line at once. That experience taught us to paddle in the right way for the rest of the journey but also terrified us. Then he told us that there are another few more big rapids which might cause our boat to overturn again. Oh no God, please don’t let this happen again. I prayed to God. After passing through the break point, we met Cobra which is the most extreme rapid in Padas river. At one moment, i could feel that our boat was literally flying in the air. Everyone shouted like crazy..God please help us..come on dude we can do it.. and at the same time we paddled with all our strength.  When everyone was united it overcame our fears ...Yahooo! we managed to do it. Then he told us if our boat overturns in the Cobra rapid and we are trapped by the current, we might keep turning there if we do not know how to come out. Crazy man.. Shock of my life..Thankfully, After the Cobra rapid, the rest are just mild ones. 

JJ, our water rafting guide

Wow, it was wet and wild! Two hours passed by quickly and our hearts were still pounding when we alighted from our raft. Rafting in raging waters is no laughing matter. My heart literary “stopped” when I tried to picture the two big drops along the river. Anyway i thank God for His protection and also for giving us the chance to experience capsizing during white water rafting. ..It would be utterly if our boat had not overturn..If you ask me have I conquered my fear towards water? Not really. Will I do it again? Maybe, just maybe.
  

Mount KK

After cough for more than two week, mister Ashma came to visit me on the fourth day of KK trip. Mum and dad keep on warned me not to risk me life for climbing mount KK. It was hard to me to give up as i have gone through months training for this trip.

I guess mum pray very hard, I had to give up at the third station. Well, maybe this is not meant for me and at least i had tried my best. I had to learn accept it. Great to hear that five of them manage to reach the peak on time.

On the sixth day, mister Ashma leave me! Arghh..if he could leave me two days before, maybe i manage to make it for the climbing. Haiz..since all my friends were stull on KK mount, i spend my own sweet time to explore kk city.

One of the street taylor at Filipino Market

Yummy beef noodles

Shi Liang (yeeting's relative) at One Borneo. By far, One Borneo is the biggest mall in Borneo.

Artificial Raffesia in One Borneo

KK Hill, where we can see whole kk town from here.

Since they have yet to come back, i decided to took a taxi to Tanjung Aru beach.

Having yummy roasted chicken wing and coconut drink on beach.

Kota Kinabalu Trip (KK City)

We stayed the rest of our five day in this Hostel. Here we met a few backpackers from European country. They were cool and cute as well. Overall this hostel provide a very good service, reasonable price, cozy and the location is in center of KK city. Well recommended.

We spend our third day at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park which took 20 minutes speed boat from KK city. Due to time constraint, we managed to visit two island, Sapi Island and Manukan Island. We just spend a little time in Sapi Island as it is not much thing to do on the island.

On Our way to Manukan Island :)

Roasted chicken wing by five star chief.

Manukan Island

Manukan Island Jetty.

In the evening, we met up Fun Kee in KK city. It has been quite a long time never meet up with him since industry training in IJM.

Before meet up with Fun Kee, I managed to taste one of a malay noodle which i never heard the name before in penisular malaysia. I just cant forget the taste. thumb up !

We met Fun Kee and his girl friend at about 9pm. As a "local", he recommended a few good foods in KK. One of them is fried dumpling. This is the best fried dumpling i have ever try before.

UMS Jetty

Since Fun Kee is from UMS, we managed to visit this 5 stars university. As known, this is the most beautiful university in whole Malaysia. The reason is the university is just beside beach. Stundent may have beach life in their uni life. How come we only have abandoned lake in our campus. Authority claimed USM as APEX uni, we really doubt at this title...

Kota Kinabalu Trip (Kudat)

Before it is too old to do anything, seven of us decided to take the challege of Mount KK climbing and Padas Water rafting. In addition, this trip has been consider as our farewell trip. Since yeeting, my dearest room mate is from kudat, Sabah. Hence, we spend our first two days in Kudat.

Half of us were sick in Kudat

We took about three hours journey from airport to Kudat. Along the journey, everyone were so hungry. We thought that journey to kudat just take about 1 hour. Everyone spare the stomach for seafood in Kudat. Sweat! By the time we reach there is about 9something. Upon on our arrival, we were treated a great seafood meal by yeeting and her friends. Too bad, due to extreme training and hectic days, i was so sick to enjoy the meal.

Tip Of Borneo is located 40km to the northwest of Kudat town. The tip is the meeting point of Sulu and South China Sea. This place is quite popular among tourists.

A bunch of people acting cool on the tip. Well, I would said we are kind of shiok sendiri person.

 Posting at The Tip Of Borneo landmark with yeeting and her friendly gang.

After the Tip of Borneo, yeeting brought us to a so called mysterious beach which she claimed that it was her childhood favourite beach. I found this picture from one of the website. What i can say is this is really the best beach i been before. The beach is in the interior part of Kudat, only local people knew about the existence of the beach. Hence, it is quite clean and quiet.

This was my first time to "walk' on the water. Haha..As shown, in between the main land and small island, there is a narrow sand beach. We tried to walk to the small island on the sand beach. To our amazed, left side of the water is cool and another side is warm. When the both side water meet together, the temperature of water is just nice. Amazing !

the small island

Sand walk which connected the main land to the small island.

Unforgiveness

Lord, i just cant forgive it, every words he had said. Maybe i just refuse to do it because it might protect myself in future, sorry for not trusting you. Too much to doubt, i have lost my confident in him, lost my confident in this relationship. Lord, the only way i can do is to forgive, but i just cant..really hurt. 

Dear Lord

Dear dad:

Was having a serious talk after dinner, this time is about family background. To him, family background play a big role in relationship, to be honest, me too worry about that. I try to do something to works out on this matter. But he always finding something to escape it instead finding way to solve, not to be courage enough to face the circumstances. I dont think i can able with this man for whole life if he continue behave like this. In another word, he is an unsteady man, double minded man. Maybe before the talk, i have really commit to you, that's why i dint cry for this. Just fully surrender to God, i hope i will continue this faith, fully trust in Him. Seriously it is very hard. We are just good in everything, besides family background, common interest. It this possible to find a perfect partner without work hard for that? I really dont know the answer, and i dont think it is possible. Anyway, this time i want just want to rest till i get the answer from God. I will not to continue until i get further notification. To a critical period, i was hurt by his word, he told me that his parent not really supportive in this relationship. I really care for the family blessing in relationship. To my selfishness, if i really get the confimation in this relationship, i think i will change my thought. I will not do anything for this relationship. Maybe just because the hurt or the pride? Now we are in cooling down state, praying For God's peace if it is His will for us to be together.

Fruit Cake Story

A couple days a go, i was attended Passion Conference (World Tour) in Kuala Lumpur where there was thousand of uni students came and worship together. The conference had Louie Giglio, Christ Tomlin and his band. It was a great time to worship, singing contemporary music and new version of hymm (Amazing Grace). It was even more exicting that we had a prayer time, listened to the word of God and the story of Ashley and the fruitcake. I just have to share the story that read by Louie from Ashley's journal because i was really blessed by it.

Ashley is a student of University of Florida, the Top party school in the States. Now you can imagine what happens when the parties would start. She is an unbeliever, living in an apartment with her boyfriend. She was in her senior year when one day she went home and caught her boyfriend sleeping with another girl; of course she was devastated. She broke up with him, kicks him out of the apartment and posts an ad at school about needing a new roommate.

A girl named Christa found it and later on became Ashley’s roommate. While Ashley was on her depressed mode, she wrote about how screwed up her life is and every once in a while mentioned details about her new roommate Christa, how she acts crazy and is a freako believing in God and all that Christian stuff; Ashley says: WHAT A FRUITCAKE ?!

Ashley gets more and more intrigued at how her roommate lived her life, there was a day Ashley was wallowing over her situation crying whole day and eating ice cream, and her roommate took time to ask her if there was any problem. The roommate sat beside her and started eating ice cream too. Ashley told her roommate what happened and she said she never heard the response she was expecting to come out; no condemnation but genuine care and sympathy. The roommate asked if she could pray for her but of course, Ashley refused. Ashley’s Mom and step brother are Christians. She said she would have expected her brother to be good to her, but it’s puzzling her that Christa, the fruitcake, acts that way with her.

Ashley becomes all the more bothered how Christa had been living her life which was opposite of how she lives. It was obvious that the roommate didn’t drink, and when asked if she slept with her boyfriend whom she’s been with for three years she said she’s still a virgin. That was crazy stuff for Ashley who could sleep with a guy she’s only been with for three weeks. She asked why Christa was living her life that way, and the answer was a desire to please God in all that she does.

Christa shared about how much Jesus loved her. Ashley kept writing on her journal, and just can’t accept that God could forgive her. God is just not for her type. Ashley was on her moment of unbelief. But it was funny how Christa would share about her experience at a Passion conference and even had a DVD of Louie Giglio sharing a sermon. Ashley writes about how crazy that was.
 

To Ashley, God just can’t forgive a crap like her but God was working in Ashley’s life, and Christa is doing her work in being a good witness of God’s love and grace. As they lived together and the days passed by, Christa had shared about the good news of God’s grace that forgives, even to the worst of all people, even Ashley. She saw that love in “fruitcake” and wanted that for herself. One day, Ashley finally believed and gave in and she said in her journal, “that was it”, the day she became a Christian; the unconditional love of Jesus flooded her heart with peace. She experienced this love and grace that God has for everyone.

Ashley attended one of the Bible studies where Christa attends. The youth didn’t act in a crazy way but were interested at her and were genuine. So they sang and Ashley didn’t know the song but she really liked it and felt like raising her hands too, but she didn’t. When she got home, she googled the lyrics of the song they sung and it just communicated to her so well.

Ashley and Christa talked about how God’s children worship Him and that’s one of the ways. Ashley made her family know about her being a Christian and her mom cried and her step brother was so happy to see her changing. Their prayers were answered. Ashley emailed Louie about her experience, and Louie shared this story to many people, even writing it to the passion blog and it’s being heard in their podcast. Ashley was thrilled that many people can know of her experience, that of God’s unconditional love forgiving her and changing her.

Louie scanned through the pages of Ashley’s journal and jumped to a couple of pages near the end where Ashley was very excited for her graduation. Louie wanted to see and know that she graduated, but there were empty pages. No words were written about her graduation….and the journal was handed on to Louie by Ashley’s father….
 

Ashley died in a car accident, but her story and God’s love that changed her life for 3 months is now being known all around the world. It took a “fruitcake” for Ashley to know about this love and grace, and Louie reads her nicely written story in their Passion tour.

After heard this story, i had a mixed feeling.We never know when is our last breath.Ashley past away in such a young age and yet she had leave a wonderful legacy to our Heavenly Father. On the other hand, i was greatly inspired by fruitcake who never gave up on Ashley and never thought herself highly or better than others. Fruitcake was'nt a perfect girl but she tried to live out her faith and shined for God. It then strip me is no matter how small or insignificant of our actions we think, it does play a role. Lending a listening ear, eating ice-creams along with Ashley, trying to heal her broken heart or even offering a simple prayer. It does play an important role.

Singaopre Trip (Day 3)

This was my last day in Singapore. Since all of them have to work, I decided to make my last day as adventure as i can. With a backpack, i just took MRT to explore a few places in Singapore.

Wall Tile Art along MRT station.

China Town

China Town was my first stop. There, I can strong feel the chinese new year atmosphere. 

Tu Tu Kueh

This was my first time to heard about Tu Tu Kueh. The taste is almost same with one of the nyoyah kuih in Penang. Anyway, I like it :)

Sui Ying, I saw your name here !!

After that, i did stop by at Little India. But, tt seem quite quiet, hence i took another train to Orchard Road. This properly would be my last stop as i need to catch my bus in JB.

Singapore Trip ( Day 1)

Here am I !

Lia, my dearest sister in christ since my second year in uni. It has been about six month we never meet each other since her graduation. Hence, before Chinese New Year, I decided to visit Lia, Max, Efei and Ewei in Singapore. All of them work in singapore right after graduation. The trip was great and awesome. And I was treated like a princess.

Bugis Street

After having lunch in Ikea ( this is my first time being to Ikea),we headed to Bugis Street. Bugis Street is the largest shopping street in Singapore. It consists of more than hundreds shop of funky fashion and lifestyle products. Compared with Petaling Street, i prefer Bugis Street maybe due the atmosphere and variaties of products.

Singapore City Harvest

We joined an afternoon worship service at City Harvest Church. If not mistaken, City Harvest Church is the biggest church in Singapore. This would be my first time to attend service on Saturday instead of Sunday. The church is huge, ocuppied by thousand of people. Praise and worship section was awesomed, but i cant really enjoy it. Maybe it is just not meant for me as i found it like a concert which i cant really have an intimate moment with God. Other than that, everything was good and awesome !

The lovely couple, Max and Lia

 After the service, Max and Lia brought me to Changi International Airport. We had our dinner there. It was the most memoriable dinner for me because we had our wasabi competion in Sakae Sushi.

Posting with Mr President at Changi International Airport

Me and Lia at Merlion

As a first time visitor to Singapore, visiting Merlion (singapore mascot) is a must. This was our last stop for the first day. Frankly, there is not much can do in Merlion Park, besides taking picture.

Good night my dear Lion City