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Wet Visitors since 1st Dec 2005!
As if to remind me that I'd not given them near enough attention the past weeks or so, the skies put on a wonderful sunset display on my way home today that made me sit up and look up.
Do have a Wonderful Weekend, either sitting up or laying down!
Stumble It!
Paddle away with me from all these worries, troubles, aches and pains. Stumble It!
Sometimes all by oneself is all that one needs to be. Stumble It!
So I was quite excited when Marvin messaged me in my chat-box late last night that he has completed the painting and posted in on his blog; and I eagerly checked it out. I was absolutely charmed with what Marvin had done with the photo producing such a delightful painting. Amazing.
Take a look folks. Enjoy.
Stumble It!
Patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait; well to the seagulls at Kuala Salak at least!I am a patient man.
I wished my life was as simple as these seagulls! *sigh*
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One of our old fridges (we had three in the house; don’t ask me why!) we had finally died and we went out shopping for a new one last night. I’m not particularly attached to fridges but my other half does! So it was a serious exercise in trying to find the right fridge of the right size, capacity, colour and brand. Hmmm I survived the exercise by looking interested and making the right and appropriate intelligent comments at the right time. The newly married should be taking notes now! Are you reading this Danny?
Anyway she found the fridge with stainless steel finish she liked and I signed the purchase (with clenched smile) despite the less than knowledgeable sales assistance who after we had made the purchase steered us to have a look at the latest (and pricy) microwave oven imported from Japan. He proudly claimed that it could make ice cream as well! Huh? My knowledge of basic science is taking a pounding here. So I asked for a brochure or manual to verify this but it was not available. The guy then gleefully pointed out the sign on the microwave oven that shows the wordings “-10 degree Ice Cream”.
"See uncle - it makes ice cream!"
I hate young they-think-they-know-it-all punks.
So I went back that night trying to figure out whether I was really ‘out of it’ with the latest gadgets and technology. Have I been living in Kuching for far too long this time? I really felt deprived that I am not getting ice creams out of our microwave oven!
Then it dawned on me. Silly me! Microwave ovens cannot make ice cream! It just means that this particular model of oven can defrost even ice cream that had been frozen down to minus 10 degrees! Thats all - microwave ovens cannot make ice cream! No way! But then again who would in the right mind would want to defrost an ice cream?
Or are there really microwave ovens that can also make ice creams! Tell me I'm not stupid okay?
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As I landed on the beach at Bako National Park Entrance, a group of young kids spied my arrival and rushed to greet me or rather my kayak which is a novelty to them. I left them to ‘play’ with it while I headed for the café next to the park information office for a hot cup of morning coffee. When I returned to the kayak, I found that the kids have piled sand inside it probably trying to build a sand castle, complete with small baby crabs they had found on the beach! They looked at me sheepishly half-expecting me to scold them for their antics.
Was I mad with them for 'messing' my kayak? Far from it as I was grateful to them for making me laugh on a Saturday morning! And we had fun cleaning the sand and tiny crabs off the kayak. I'm a little kid at heart and I love kids!
Stumble It!
Kompia is truly unique to Sibu and a visit there without eating one is sacrilegious! And I'm a god fearing person.However I do not want to eat just any ordinary kompia but the most authentic and best that Sibu has to offer. And you cannot get more authentic than the ones served at Lrg Tiong Hua 26 where Mr. and Mrs. Yeo had been selling them there from that location for the past 36 years! And it is still considered to be the best and most popular place for authentic kompia in sibu. The local foochows swear by it (and loudly too!).
Kompia is basically unleavened bread and here it is served in a delicious herbal broth with thin slices of pork. Definitely not halah nor recommended by your friendly cardialogist. The trick is to finish eating the kompia before it becomes soggy with the broth. Then you quickly order another round! It's one of those cheap and delicious things in life that one can enjoy. Some of the regulars have been coming to this stall since they were primary students at the nearby school.
So there was a steady stream of people leaving and going to this corner house turned into a food place. We found an empty table and our orders were quickly taken by Mr. Yeo. I walked over to chat with Mrs. Yeo and to ask for permission to take some photographs.
In typical (loud) Sibu fashion she bellowed out.
"Aiyah! No need lah! We are already femes and have our photographs taken by visitors from all over the world!"
So I meekly returned to the table and waited for our kompias. When Mr. Yeo came over to serve us the kompia, we chatted and discovered that Mr. Yeo knew both my late father and uncle very well as before he came to Sibu, he worked for 4 years at my uncle's softdrinks factory in Kuching! What a coincidence and both Mr and Mrs Yeo were absolutely delighted that I'd came all this way and time to taste and enjoy their delicious kompia. And before I left they insisted that I take some kompia back for my family in Kuching to enjoy as well.
So, if you are going to frequent Mr & Mrs Yeo's kompia at Tiong Hua Road, don't forget to mention that FH2o sent you and who knows, you may get extra helpings! *ahem*
Stumble It!
Some places are so wonderfully beautiful and peaceful to be in that you wished if only you could share it with loved ones and your friends. Stumble It!
I came across these mangrove trees forest along the coastline on my paddle to the 
It’s pretty amazing how these trees can grow and thrive in such a hostile environment of salt water and being constantly battered by the wind and waves from the sea.
Now, if only we can be that way too.
Resilient, steadfast and strong in the daily onslaught of what life can often dish out to us sometimes.
*sigh*
Stumble It!
Early Sunday morning we set out to look for dolphins with an eager and excitable group comprising Joel, Nicholas, 
We saw seagulls, sea eagles, jellyfish, fishermen and their catches and of course dolphins!
The weather was perfect as it was overcast with light breezes and the sea was calm. There were no swells and we all had a swelling time! Dolphins watching anyone?
Stumble It!
I saw soaring sea eagles.
I saw a bearded pig.
I saw pretty wild red flowers.
Amazing rocks formations.
Beautiful crab's sand art.
Stunning skies and sceneries.
I feel very fine. I am fine and glad to be alive.
I love you all.
Stumble It!
I cut my face just now when I was releasing the bungy cord to untie the kayak and the rubber coated metal hook came loose and flew across my face and I suffered a nick just to the right of my left eyebrow. There was a lot of blood and I thought for sure that I would need a few stitches for sure as blood stream down my left hands to the elbow as I instinctively reached out to press down on the cut. But no stitches were required and I’ll survive the shock of the sight of so much blood and the sharp pain. It looked worst than it actually is and I’m okay. But I'm going to call it a night now.
Stumble It!
Marilyn Ten, on her second kayaking experience when she went along with Alfean on Sunday morning obviously enjoyed herself and was quite gleeful that they all stayed dry except for the ‘captain’ by the caption of her story – ‘Mine didn’t capsize …’ Hmm, just you wait for the next trip Marilyn!
But thanks for featuring us and writing such a nice and wonderful story and if Marilyn, a Tai-Tai or ‘Datin’ can do it (and lived to tell the tale), so can all the rest of you folks!
I’d retyped the story below for easier viewing. Have a Nice Weekend! What a week!
“MINE DIDN’T CAPSIZE….”
By Marilyn Ten
marilyn@easterntimes.com.my
My first kayaking experience: the screaming was deafening. As the kayak bobbled down
It was my first ride on a kayak and, boy, all I could think of at the time, was to pray that the kayak would not capsize. Oh, it wasn’t because I couldn’t swim. I’m a great swimmer actually. The main reason for my incessant whining was that I did not want to get drenched from head to toe for I had forgotten to bring a set of clothes to change later. Yes, how dumb and selfish I was! My partner in the kayak (and the one doing all the paddling) could have cursed me under his breath and wanted to strangle me after we got off.
One year and four months later, another kayaking trip came up after meeting Francis Ho at a party organised by a good friend. You see, Francis, who is an architect by profession, loves kayaking. Initially, the down-to-earth lad only solely fished from his kayak during his free time. Soon, he discovered kayaking was more fun, and so decided to organise kayaking tours.
“You’d be surprised by the number of people who signed up. Most of them did not even know such an activity existed in Kuching,” he said.
So when he invited my friends and I for a trip, which he promised would be a splashing good time, I thought to myself: “Why not? What have I got to lose?”
So, plans were made and last Sunday, we arrived at Francis’ stylo house (which comes with a private jetty) at 7.45am sharp, and immediately proceeded to our destination: Sungai Sarawak Kanan! Tagging along on the trip (apart from Francis, of course) was Azmi, Francis’ assistant, who is a State representative in kayaking. Beverly, a good friend of Francis, and two of my press colleagues, Alfean and Georgette.
Our first stop was at the
Earlier, we were warned that the outing might be cancelled due to the heavy downpour the night before which may have caused the river currents to surge. Fortunately, it was given the A-OK!
The next pit stop? Krokong, where three of Francis’ bright orange and yellow tandem kayaks were unloaded and carried down to the river.
Life-jackets, a necessity definitely, were fastened on and all our personal belongings were kept safe and sound in a dry bag. Francis then gave a quick introduction to “Paddling 101” and what to do in case the kayak overturns. Eep! It was déjà vu all over again. Three words to remember, folks – Do not panic!
Before I could say “I changed my mind,” we were off! I was paired with Beverly, a process engineer who loves sports and even participates in triathlons, Georgette with Azmi, and Alfean (my-kayak partner during my last trip in Terengganu) with the captain himself.
The first few minutes down the river was quite surreal for me. I, whom my friends call Tai-Tai or “Datin,” have finally taken the first step into exploring the outdoors. And it wasn’t that bad. Paddling took a while to get used to but as what
She was right. Before long, I was simply paddling along the river, flanked by the calm and serene ambiance. Trees of various sizes gave us the much needed shelter from the sun while the breathtaking scenery would definitely old even the non-environmentalist in awe.
Overall, the sight is not something you get to see everyday. Along the way, we even stumbled upon the root of a tree, which has grown so long that it hung from the branch like a hangman’s noose. That’s nature’s wonders for you.
However, not everything about kayaking was all calm and relaxing. There were definitely challenges ahead, and one of them involved passing through a gap between a tree trunk and the water.
For a moment there, I was about to panic as I watched my friends “limbo-ed” themselves and disappeared from my sight.
“I am never going to fit through tat small gap!” I told
“Yes, you will. No worries!” she assured me and paddled towards the gap. As soon as we were in close proximity, I lay down as far as I could and within seconds, we were through to the other side. So cool!
The water level of the river varies each day creating slight (and sometimes strong) currents, thus making every trip an unpredictable one.
Since Beverly and I were trailing behind, we watched Team Azmi and Team Francis contemplating what route to use. Left or right? Team Azmi was first to go and chose right, easily manoeuvring along the river. Team Francis followed suit. But within the blink of an eye, their kayak overturned suddenly, and Francis and Alfean vanished into the water before bobbing up again two seconds later.
As they quickly pulled themselves together, saving the paddles and the kayak, Beverly and I braced ourselves for what was in store for us. A quick shout-out from Francis – warning us about the log that caused their capsize – helped us through that obstacle. Though for a moment there, I thought we were about to go under as well.
Luckily with
As we approached the
The kayaking trip had come to an end but my love for the sport has only just begun.
For further information on kayaking tours with Francis, visit his website at www.kuchingkayak.com.
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Visiting Sibu and not eating the kampua mee there is like visiting Kuching and not trying the kolomee here (or taking the rainforest kayaking trip … *ahem!*)! Kampua mee though similar to kolomee differs in texture, the way it is cooked and that vinegar is not used. So when I arrived early morning in Sibu and after checking in at the downtown hotel and with some time to spare before my appointment; I quickly went in search of this famous Sibu noodle to satisfy my stomach and taste buds. I spotted this busy coffee shop and promptly ordered a bowl and sit back to take in the sights, smells and sounds of Sibu.
Finally I garnered the courage to meekly ask him if he minds if I take a closer look at his intriguing tattoos. He didn't and proudly told me that he had it done in
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Now if only they would add in this section “Adventure On The Rivers” to their “Adventure Paradise” which lists ‘Adventure On Land’ and ‘Adventure In The Sea’ only. That would be perfect!
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When I managed to ‘retrieve’ Alfean, Azmi was already back on the sandy river banks and he has not only rescued the kayak paddle but also a gecko who was stranded on a rock face. The gecko must have been grateful to have been rescued as it allowed me and ducky to get so close to it. Meanwhile Ducky’s guardian, Georgette is safely hiding behind some kayaks!
Now, if only I can get up close and personal with the dolphins! Swimming with them? That would be a blast!
So, which and what’s the closest you’ve ever got to a creature in the wild?
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Not to be outdone by the imported oranges from So the next time you are in Sibu - do yourself a favour and try some 'Sibu' branded oranges proudly grown in the oya area. This is one of the sweetest things you can do for yourself in Sibu!
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Aady enjoyed his first rainforest kayaking trip so much (despite the swims!) that he wanted to make sure that he shared it with all his friends; especially those who are working overseas and are back in Kuching for holidays. And Kueh enjoyed kayaking so much, that’s what he’s going to do on the weekends when he’s back in 
And this time round, I was the one who was swimming instead of him! Aady, I’m sure your girlfriend is duly impressed!
Trust that the rest of the gang Wan Ying, Johannes, Timothy, SiewMing, Marcus, Hian Yaw and Kueh are also impressed with his initiative, planning and choice of friendship bonding activity. That’s what friends are for!
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