Of Snickers, Skubalon, and Fun in the Sun....

Last week was the beginning of flaps again...i was on call on Tuesday...and Wednesday was flap OT...and i left the hospital at about 230am on Thursday morning...after about 44 hours plus spent in the hospital...which is quite the usual...but i thank God that Thursday has come and that i was going on a girls weekend trip to across the border to Golok with Sharon and Suet Lai...but when i went out for dinner with them on Thursday evening, they told me that they decided not to venture across the border just yet in view of us not being familiar to the place...so we ended up deciding to go to Perhentian Kecil instead...was a bit disappointed coz i really was looking forward to a good thai massage after a long week...but a weekend island getaway sounded just as good...

We had dinner at Four Seasons...afterwards, we dropped by at 7-11 coz Sharon wanted to stock up on her painkillers...and i saw a bunch of Snickers bars on the counter and just had to get one...it has been ages since i munched on a Snickers bar...so i went home and packed...and enjoyed my Snickers bar at about 11pm...such unholy hour to be eating such energy-laddened food...which was why it was so gratifying...the small luxuries in life...hehehe....

Woke up late for church on Friday morning...good thing made it to church before they finished worship session...we were starting a series on Galatians and Dr Chew talked about Paul's background...and we all learned a new word in sermon...a Greek word: skubalon...which according to Dr Chew, sounds like abalone but is a far cry from it...coz skubalon actually means dung/ shit...so now i have a new word to use...and it won't even sound like a swear word...hahahaha....

After church i went home to collect my bag and the taxi with Sharon and Suet Lai in it, came to pick me up...as usual, i was sleeping all the way to Kuala Besut...hey, i only slept about 14 hours for the last 3 days...i have my extra baggy eyebags in my photos as prove...we had lunch at a restaurant opposite the jetty and took the 230pm speedboat to Perhentian Kecil...initially we thought of staying at Bubu Long Beach Resort again but in the end decided to try some other more budget place...

We ended up staying at this place called Panorama Chalets...got a family room with 2 double beds, AC but cold shower for RM150 per night...very basic, smells of cigarette smoke and has a leaking basin...but otherwise it was liveable...and they provided dinner for 2 persons...so we only had to fork out money for another person's dinner and drinks...so after we settled in our room, off we went to the beach to soak in the sun...i bought my bible along...thought it'd be a good time for reflection and all...after reading Psalm 22, totally dozed off (actually was already dozing off towards the end of Psalm 22)...used the bible to shade my face some more...tsk tsk tsk...

After about 2 hours on the beach, we decided to go for a walk along the beach...went to check out another resort at the end of the beach which has chalets along the slopes of the hill facing the ocean...and the rates were quite reasonable...i would love to be staying in one of those seaview chalets although my 2 others friends thought that any place that needed a hike up a hill isn't worth staying at...we went back to bathe and it started to rain...we wanted to wait for the rain to stop before we went for dinner but it didn't stop even by 830pm...so we decided to just shield ourselves from the rain with the towels and made our way to the restaurant for dinner...

We had our seafood dinner...Suet Lai with her King Fish, me with my barraccuda and Sharon with her squid...nothing to shout about...but the drinks were amazing...the 2 girls ordered chocolate banana milkshake which was just absolutely heavenly...and i ordered a Snickers milkshake which was great too...the ang moh waitress actually told us there was a bar called Black Tip Bar down the beach which has ladies night every Friday...and all the ladies (and men who wore dresses) get a free cocktail...would have loved to get my fix of cocktail if it weren't for the rain...so we went back to the room instead and chatted away...

Woke up about 9am...got ready and packed and went for breakfast...thought of trying out the massage at the guesthouse next door but they only opened at 11am and we were catching the 12pm boat back to Kuala Besut...so after checking out, we just lazed at the beach while waiting for our boat...came back to KB, wanted to find a place for a good massage...but couldn't find a place which would give us a massage....sigh...guess my massage will have to wait till later...

So i've enjoyed my weekend instead of studying...now it's time to get back to studying...dreading tomorrow and the rest of the week...coz it's flap..and then on call...and flap again...Lord, give me the strength to carry on...

My first mountain torq via ferrata climb...as a farewell gift to myself...

Over the weekend i went up to Mt Kinabalu again (yes, for the 4th time) to do my first mountain torq via ferrata climb...since i'm leaving Sabah soon, it was now or never...but after a most gruelling climb, it was definitely the first...and last of via ferrata for me...i went up with 5 other guys from my department on Friday morning..the initial ascend via Timpohon gate wasn't too bad...me and 2 other guys reached Pendant hut (just a bit above Laban Rata) at about 115pm...definitely not as fit as i used to be...tried to sleep while waiting for the mountain torq briefing...but sleep just wouldn't come....

Thank God for heated shower...at least i could bathe and wash my hair and feel more comfortable...after the briefing and some practical session, we went down to Laban Rata for our buffet dinner...it was raining the whole evening till night...but praise God that the rain stopped somewhere close to midnight...as usual i couldn't sleep the whole night...i blamed it on the dexa i took but this time i only took very small doses...and even 2 tabs of piriton couldn't make me fall asleep...urgh!!! so i was tossing and turning....listening to the rain...and the snores...and sleep-talking...

Finally it was time to get up for our ascend to the peak...hardly slept a wink...started our ascend to the peak at about 2am...me and 2 other guys were walking together...taking our own sweet time...coz no point getting to the peak too early...the sun ain't gonna rise sooner...and it's bloody cold up there...so we were watching the stars...the sky was so clear...i even managed to catch 2 shooting stars...so we finally made it to Low's peak at 520am...just in time to catch the sunrise...but it was so cold...and my shoes and socks got wet on the way up...had to get one of the guys to sit on my shoes to keep me warm...hehe...

We stayed till about 6am plus on the peak...then we started descending down to the meeting point where we would proceed with the via ferrata Low's peak circuit descend...made it there at about 715am...after securing our harness and setting up everything, we started our descend at about 8am...right from the start i was terrified...i hate heights...actually lost my footing at one point and was hanging onto the cable...i know i had my safety harness and rope...but it didn't stop me from feeling that i could have fallen to my death...shudder at the thought...

We had an initial 300m of vertical descend...and then we had to cross a bloody hanging bridge...which dropped quite a way down....and the 2 guys in front of me were taking their own sweet time taking photos while i was bloody stuck at the bridge...i just wanted to get it over and done with but they just wouldn't go...i was yelling at them to go coz i could feel a panic coming over me...those idiots actually asked me to get a grip...men can be such bastards...so in the end i cried...but i guess the cry distracted me so i managed to walk through the bridge anyway...

And then there were more descend...and another bridge...a 3-wired bridge...by then i think i was too exhausted to feel fearful...or perhaps it was becoz the drop wasn't too high...and then we finally had a break from climbing...we had to walk through about 300m of jungle...before that, we had our toilet break au naturel....at least the bush-walk was a welcome break...though i was quite down to my last energy reserve...then it was more descend...one last bridge to cross...a single-wired one...a bit too taxing for my upper limbs...good thing i didn't slip...and the last of the descend was really the worst for me...horizontal descend...i was praying that i had suddenly developed spidey's ability to wall-climb coz my limbs were failing me...and i felt like i had to plaster myself to the wall....

Finally, after about 5 1/2 hours descend...we finally reached Pendant hut again at about 130pm...our american breakfast (more like lunch by then) was waiting for us...but some idiots from a group that just came up ate our food...well, at least the management cooked more for us...if not, there'll definitely be a complain letter to the management...so after stuffing ourselves and packing up, we started our journey down to the foothill at about 3pm...pretty late by normal standard (as in non-via ferrata climb)...and the descend would take about 3-4 hours...considering we were all dead tired already....

One of the fitter guy ran down all the way...he reached about 6pm plus...another guy tried to run and busted his right knee...so he was basically handicapped after the 1st km down...i was walking my own pace...another guy was following another guy to help him keep up with the pace...and another guy actually had himself carried down with a stretcher for the 1st 3 km down...my knee was hurting quite a bit by the time we were halfway down...and as if one busted knee wasn't enough, another guy also said he couldn't go on coz his knee was hurting...so one of the guy accompanied one of the injured guy...and i had to accompany the other injured guy...

The other pair reached the foothill about 8pm...which i would have reached also if i had not bothered to accompany the other injured guy...so the 3 guys who reached first decided they would drive home first...leaving me to drive the other 2 guys home...so the other guy and i reached the foothill about 9pm plus...and the last guy only reached at 10pm...i was so tired that i could have just slept there...but i had to drive 2 grown men home...on a foggy night...on dark winding roads...thank God that i didn't doze off and drove off some cliffs...or else my department will definitely be short-staffed come Monday...

After this trip, i have lost respect on men in general...i should have known better...but i guess reality doesn't sink in until it happens to you...some men are bloody irresponsible, selfish, ungentlemanly pigs...next time, oh, there will be no next time...i'm leaving KK already...well, it was definitely an experience...going mountain climbing with men...note to self...make sure you only go climbing with gentlemen who are fit enough...

Miri...

I was at Miri over last weekend with Elaine and Siang Lin (The Foos), Jasmine and Flora..we went to visit Ai Wei and Alisa (who happened to be back for the weekend from Sibu)...it was supposed to be our last reunion before the Foos left for Singapore... but it turned out to be a celebration since the Foos will still be around till next year...so i'll still have my karaoke kaki ;)..anyway, it was a good reunion.. really missed Ai Wei and Alisa..

We stayed at Ai Wei and Kenneth (her husband)'s house...their house is called the SLim house..for Sim (Kenneth's surname) and Lim (Ai Wei's surname)...their house was amazing..it was like a show house, except that ppl actually live in it...every room has a different colour scheme and is colour coordinated...just like out of an Ikea catalogue...very nice...Flora and i slept in the Blue room..the Foos took the Orange room..and Alisa and Jasmine had the Green room...
After Ai Wei and Alisa picked us up from the airport on Saturday morning..we dropped our stuffs at Ai Wei's place and headed straight for breakfast...then we were off to Brunei (thank God i brought the right passport) for lunch...it was about 2 hours drive from Miri to Brunei..it took longer that day coz of the health check point.. everyone's still on the AH1N1 alert...We had lunch at this japanese restaurant called the Excapade Sushi...apparently this is THE place to go for sushi around town..and we weren't disappointed..the sushi were huge and fresh...everything tasted good..and for the quality of food, the price ain't too expensive...very satisfying.. yummy...

We went to see some show houses near where Ai Wei stayed...the whole area is still being developed and the developer were coming up with new phase of houses..i found my dream house...it's called the Alyssa..unfortunately, it wasn't open for viewing when we went there..i guess it was for the better..coz when i see the inside, i might just have bought it straight away..even though i couldn't even afford the down payment..hehe..
Sunday night we went for karaoke at Rex Box..well, i think i still prefer K-box coz at least the rooms didn't reek of cigarette smoke...and Rex Box didn't have as many Khalil Fong's songs...but it was still fun and we sang for almost 6 hours..hehe..i think we're turning into karaoke junkies...Monday morning we slept in...ah..it was good to know that i didn't have to go to work on a Monday...so then, it was time to go to the airport to catch out flight back to KK...sigh..i'll miss Miri..settling down in Miri is an option...see how lah..