LONG-TAILED MACAQUES IN THE CITY

As I was parking my car at Shangri-la hotel Downtown yesterday afternoon, I noticed something interesting. It was a group of long-tailed macaques swinging down from the trees near the hotel. This mother carrying her baby stopped right in front of me as if she wanted me to have their picture taken.

Below are some of pictures captured

Can you spot the monkey in this picture?

Shangri-la Hotel Downtown

JAPANESE 屋台 "YATAI" IN KOTA KINABALU

This is probably the first Japanese "Yatai" 屋台(Hawker stall) in Kota Kinabalu. I discovered this 屋台 (Hawker stall) when I was dinning in the city Hawker centre last week. It is a genuine Japanese 屋台 as the owner cum cook, Endo Yugi, is a retired Japanese chef from Yamagata-ken. Endo san told me that he has been in Kota kinabalu for 7 years and has worked in a seafood restaurant before deciding to open this stall. He sells all sorts of Japanese food ranging from Sashimi (raw fish) to yaki mono (cooked food).

RAMADAN BAZAAR

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting in which all Muslims do not eat or drink anything from dawn until sunset. This year, Ramadan started on 01 September and is expected to be over at the end of this month. Hari Raya Aidil Fitri or Hari Raya Puasa will be celebrated to mark the end of Ramadan most likely on 01 October.During the month of Ramadan, food bazaar is set up to cater for Muslims to buy food to break their fast. It is also the time for non-Muslims to join in to savour the freshly prepared Malay cuisine like ,rendang, satay, curry, BBQ chicken, fish and dessert .
This evening, I visited a Ramadan bazaar in the city and took these pictures.
An array of colourful and interesting Malay cakes


Kuih Lapis - Layered cakes









Green and red angkoo
(cakes stuffed with peanut or red bean paste)




A selection of other Malay kuih (cakes)







Home made pudding


Some of the best dessert for breaking fast.
I came across this new local franchise "ROTI JOHN".

A big wok of Malay fried noddle!

I "Ta Pau" (packed) my favourate and headed for home>

A DAY TO REMEMBER

16September is a day to remember. 45 years ago on this day, British North Borneo,(now Sabah) together with Sarawak, Singapore and the federation Malaya joined hands to form a new country called MALAYSIA. However, the Federal Government of Malaysia has since then ignored this important date and instead declared 31August as the National day. They even declared that Malaysia was 51 years old on 31 August 2008 (basing on the year Malaya gained their independence in 1957 from the British). As a Sabahan, I do not agree.

To me, there was no country called MALAYSIA before the 16 September 1963. Malaysia is actually 45 years old.

To remember this important day, only the State government of Sabah and Sarawak has declared this day as a public holiday each year since 1963. To the west Malaysian states, it is a working day!

This morning, we decided to drive to Tamparuli, a small town situated about 40 minutes drive from the city to spend this "National Day".

Driving into the town via this single lane bridge across the river of Tamparuli. On the left is the "Hanging bridge" used by the locals to cross the river.
Old wooden buildings lined the streets of Tamparuli like other small towns in Borneo. It was worthwhile to visit the local market. Varieties of local products ranging from fruits,vegetables and even salted fish.

Local delicacies like banana fritters and yam cakes.

Water melons





Bananas

Fresh Yam

Local pumpkins




Young gingers

Sweet potatoes

Fresh hot Chili (Chili padi)

Fresh prawns

Fresh fish & squidsLeaving Tamparuli via the same bridge.
One of our stops on the way home: Pottery factory

Beautiful cacti in the pottery factory

SHANNON - MANGO EATER

Shannon has been with us when she was a puppy in 1999. She loves mangoes. Every mango season, we have share the fruits with her. Shannon knows when a ripe mango would drop from the tree and nearly always beat us to it.Here she was ..waiting for the mango to drop!

She got one and enjoying it!

SEPILOK JUNGLE - SANDAKAN DAY TRIP

I normally do not get up early but made an effort to get out of bed the other day at 06:00 to catch the first MH flight to Sandakan departing at 07:30. By 08:10, I was walking out of the Sandakan airport. This was my first trip to Sandakan after two years.
After a good local breakfast with my friend from Sandakan, we headed for the famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and arriving there just in time for a video presentation. Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation centre with rain forest at the back ground.

Walkway into the Sepilok jungle

Crowd waiting near the feeding platform

I caught the picture of the first 2 orangutan swinging-in from the jungle at about 10:30

This naughty one was showing off its acrobatic skill

An orangutan was "escorted" back to the jungle by a warden after it joined the crowd (unexpectedly).
Orangutan enjoying their bananas on the platform

The cafeteria in Sepiloik

After Lunch, we visited the biggest Chinese Temple in Sandakan.

The view of Sandakan from the temple

The new Sandakan Central market situated in the town center has almost everything from local product to imported ones.

The Observation Pavilion over looking Sandakan town

I took the opportunity to check out the Japanese cemetery near the observation pavilion.

My final stop was this water village before taking the 18:30 MH flight to Kota Kinabalu.