Isn't it interesting how it is that you don't seem to see any interesting skies for a while and then all of a sudden you see a whole series of them on the short drive home from work! This happened yesterday evening. And my spirit soared.

Could it be that I had not been paying attention of late as a number of 'heavy' issues had been weighing on my mind. Like most people I sometimes get affected by negative people and situations when I forget to guard my thoughts and attention - in otherwords I forgot to look up! Like they say, it's a either a drought or deluge! If that being so; I am focusing my thoughts on a deluge of blessings. Irregardless here's wishing that there's a good balance in your life!

And may a miracle happen for you today.

Labels: Kuching Skies, Life, Photography

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Well if its life insurance that you are looking for, then Financial One would be able to help. Naturally there are conditions and restrictions that would apply - but you have a chance to get some sort of cover instead of being rejected outright.

To understand this more, fill in the form at their site for an agent to contact you. Nothing could be simpler. And if you are looking for cover, what is there for you to lose?

And for the rest of us who are ‘insurance agent phobia’; the existence of Financial One should give pause for us to perhaps not take our insurance needs for granted but instead dwell on the thought that they may actually be doing us a good service. That does not mean that all you insurance agents reading this should construe that I’m a prospect! I’m quite fully covered thank you!

Labels: General

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Labels: Kuching Kayaking

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photo by gette

Labels: General

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At the slightest movement of the tree branch holding the delicate looking nest, the baby birds would instinctively open their mouths fully wide expecting a feed from mummy. Kinda like some of our corrupt political leaders and business people here; who are ever eager and ready to grab the latest government contracts or tenders. But I really shouldn't insult these innocent creatures here and how I wished the later would simply fly away and disappear from the face of this planet ... *sigh*

Labels: Photography, Rantings

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I just love being out alone in the middle of a jungle river or a deserted coastline as the sense of being at peace and one with the universe has to be experienced to be appreciated, felt or understood. Neither words nor photos can ever adequately convey this completely I think. And it’s also something you would want to re-experience over and over again; to soak in the timelessness of it all.

However the next best thing for me is to share this discovery with loved ones, friends and others to gently introduce them to this wonder and the beauty of nature. And I was fortunate over the last few days to be able to do this over the Chinese New Year holidays.

And no matter who and where we are – we all enjoy and crave for peace of mind, love and happiness. This is how I find mine; and I hope you find yours too. Be Well.

Labels: Kuching Kayaking, Life, Photography, Rantings

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After some waiting hiding inside my car (and munching on CNY goodies) , I managed to take few snaps of the mother bird with my humble compact 4.0 Megapixel Pentax Optio 43WR camera through the windscreen. A fast long zoom lens on a DSLR would be nice but this would suffice. Can any of the bird watchers out there identify this lovely bird for us?

Later I again climbed up a ladder to take a look inside the nest. And I’m pleased to report that the second egg has hatched! However looking at it’s much smaller size compared to its sibling which was born just a day earlier, I'm a little concerned if it would be able to survive if the bigger sibling monopolise all the food that mummy brings back to the nest. I suppose we'll have to leave it all up to nature. Here's wishing that I'll have happy stories to report in the days ahead! Beats watching Television but perhaps not the silliness of American Idols!

Labels: General, Life, Photography

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A lovely black on top and white underneath bird has built a beautifully constructed nest on one of the 'madras thorn' trees right outside our house and has laid two eggs one of which hatched on the second day of the Chinese New Year!

Here's the picture of the new born which I had to use a ladder in order to get a good shot. I felt like 15 instead of 50 while doing that! I hope that the other egg will hatch soon and I'll try to take a photo too of the mother bird; which would fly away as soon as you approach the tree. I think this baby bird is cute, featherless and all! Don't you?

Labels: Life, Photography

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It’s only the second day of the Chinese New Year of the Pig and already I’m behaving like one – overindulging in the goodies of food, cakes, sweets, candies, drinks and etc. So a little bit of exercise is in order to shake off the sluggishness and so when there I was a short respite from the visitors and blessed with wonderful weather for the past two days, I quickly sneaked out for a short paddle in my new kayak. Arrhhhhhh ...... much better!

Labels: Kuching Kayaking, Photography

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We had a lot of lovely and wonderful visitors to our place on the first day of Chinese New Year; but none as pretty as the one who arrived the first thing in the morning in the Year of the Boar!

Labels: General, Photography

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Here's wishing Everyone a Very Happy, Lucky, Healthy and Wealthy New Year in 2007 in the Chinese New Year of the Fire Pig or more politically correct word - Boar. And here is the picture of a fine specimen that I took just a few days ago but which unfortunately is destined for the BBQ; animal of the year or otherwise!*sigh* The owner (the local headman) did barter trade with the Indonesians for it when it was still a little piggy over a year ago; the longhouse village being just a couple of hours trek from the border.

All the very best and may your fate be considerably more happy!

Labels: Uniquely Kuching

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People pamper themselves with new clothings, shoes or handbags for the Chinese New Year or they would buy new curtains or sofa sets. And those with money to burn or had been lusting for the longest time would buy themselves new car(s). But not Ian Chung or FH2o – we are lot more sensible than that! We buy ourselves new kayaks!

Here’s wishing you all Good Luck, Health, Wealth and Happiness in the Year of the Fire Boar!

Labels: Kayaks

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Personally I choose to celebrate CNY to let our children know the importance of our tradition and culture. And it is also a time when my friends can have the opportunity to visit and catch up with us. Somehow CNY would not feel like CNY if we’re in Rome!

But will there come a time when most of my friends would be away on holidays in Rome or wherever during the CNY period? Well in Rome do as the Romans do I suppose and due to the convenience of the internet, I can very easily search for as well as book my hotel and find out the room guide and any specials that maybe available then.

BTW, does this post sound like a paid entry? Let me know as I find it rather interesting and it does pose a creative challenge to blog something that has been ‘assigned’ to you rather that out of your own choice and not to appear to have sold your arse soul for a couple of dollars! But life is about learning and trying out new things and not necessarily for monetary reasons. Though I had never had any real difficulty in coming up with stuffs to blog about on a regular basis, this does in a way make it even easier though at the risk of losing one's 'blog personality' if there is such a thing! Irregardless I'll still continue to blog what I like to blog previously. This will be an 'extra' or something I may even drop completely.

And to all my friends and friends-I-have-yet-to-meet in Kuching, I’ll be around this Chinese New Year and not in Rome; so do drop by for a visit and if the tide is high enough then, we can even go for a short Chinese New Year paddle!

Labels: General

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Labels: Kuching Kayaking, Uniquely Kuching

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In the kampungs or remote areas outside Kuching town, you don’t go to the supermarket, the supermarket comes to you! In the form of a van packed to the hilt with all the food stuffs you expect to find in a supermarket.

I spotted this van at Bengoh where we went kayaking on Saturday. This is the first time I had seen a van with this much variety of fresh food and vegetables.

Even in the housing estates in Kuching, you still get these vans selling dry goods, vegetables, meat, fish and all kinds of food stuffs; going around and from the numbers of them that I had spotted, they must be quite popular with the residents. They had been around since I was a little kid.

The prices are higher than those at the normal shops or markets but you sure can’t beat the convenience. That’s why I call them convenience vans! And now everyone can shop! How I wished Chinese New Year shopping would be that convenient! Off to face the traffic jams later in the evening! *sigh*

Labels: Uniquely Kuching

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My kids made this birthday's valentine card for their mother today. I think it’s beautiful, sweet, thoughtful and most loving of them; and would like to share it here with you all. Actually my daughter alone made the card but let her younger and elder brothers (who are too busy playing computer games) share it!

Here's Wishing You All a Happy Valentine's Day. And Happy Birthday too if it happens to be your birthday as well!

Labels: Life

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Although I must have seen these graceful structures dozens if not hundreds of times on my numerous river trips, I’m still in awe of these amazing single-pole bamboo foot bridges built by the bidayuhs to get across rivers or ravines on the way from one longhouse to another or to the nearest road access. An amazing feat of engineering considering the heights and spans of some of these bridges and they all made out of bamboo commonly available from the rainforest jungles. Functional, economical, eco-friendly, honest and beautiful - qualities we could well emulate in our modern designs and structures.

I wished I could say the same about the fugly footbridges and flyovers I see daily on the drive to the office.

Labels: Uniquely Kuching

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Kuching is a relatively safe city by Malaysian standards; but somehow some people are just not convinced by the statistics that car thefts are on the decline and would rather take their own home-made preventive measures in securing their prized vehicle regardless of its vintage or condition. It may be prudent to do likewise especially those of you living in big cities and major towns.

Labels: Uniquely Kuching

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Silliness by FH2o. Photos by Wendy

Labels: Kuching Kayaking

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Can you imagine someone taking the rainforest kayaking trip and was disappointed that they did not see any dolphins ‘as expected’? What the kayak paddle is this person talking about? Expecting to see dolphins swimming up and down the jungle river while orangutans swing from vines to vines overhead?

And not just a lay person or a foreigner mind you but someone local and in the trade – an executive director of a tour and travel company from Penang to be exact. Perhaps they over-pressurise the cabin on the inaugural AirAsia direct flight from Penang to Kuching? But more likely I suspect that this person could just be pretending to be confused while in actual fact is just full of crap by 'squeezing' a free ride out of us and then later on pretending to be dissatisfied with the trip as not what they had expected while never having the intention to sell or promote our kayaking trips in the first place ... *sigh* I could be wrong but I doubt it having encountered all sorts of people over the past 5 decades. Luckily this sort of people are a minority but they do pop up once in a little while; serving I think to remind us not to take for granted the truly pleasant, nice and wonderful people we encounter in our daily lives.

Labels: Kuching Skies, Rantings

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If they can do so much with only a paltry 32 numbers of rivers – imagine what we can do with the literally hundreds if not thousands of river we have in Sarawak alone! But sadly the authorities who are supposed to manage our rivers and water bodies are only paying lip-service in carrying out their duties much less having any big dreams or the visions to create such a wonderful environment for living, recreation and sports. As a Malaysian I feel anger, shame, sadness and frustrations with our ‘elegant silence’ in not getting anything done and I sense most of us are losing heart about really moving ahead towards Vision 2020. I supposed we would move ahead faster and definitely in great comforts cosseted in private yacht and jet plane. *sigh* Do you know that you cannot even get hold of a river map of Kuching and surrounding environs from our river board? Pathetic in the most positive light, but in the light of truth; truly sad and depressing and I feel a sense of dread for the younger generation who has to inherit such malaise and incompetence from this generation.

And at the speed that the Singapore government can usually get things done unlike tak-boleh-land (where despite claims to the contrary - corruption still rules); it wouldn’t be too long before they’ll realized the vision of Singapore being a land of gardens and water. Then I might emigrate to live and retire in kiasu-land. I can’t believe that I’m actually saying this! But the vision is really so enticing. I’ll envy Huey then as he is envying me now living in the “land of rivers”- where the rivers are under appreciated as well as under taken care of. Meanwhile I'll just drool me a river ...

All images are taken from PUB-ABC Water Bodies Plan:
www.pub-abc.com.sg

Labels: General, Kayaking

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Fortunately some of those who joined us on the kayaking trip were getting high not from the spirits but up on the trees collecting rambutans from a tree that had almost fallen into the river. And there were 3 Richards with us on Sunday morning but there was only one Richard who was sober could climb but not paddle! – Richard Goh. Thanks to him and George Pei we all have free rambutans to enjoy that morning!

Richard Goh subsequently showed us his climbing prowess again by easily scaling up the hanging vines further down the river making him our best ‘tarzan’ so far.

Labels: Kuching Kayaking

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In contrary to the images above and below, we do not condone the consumption of alcohol on the waters. But we do have some recalcitrant local kayakers, who tag along with us on our trip on sunday from Bengoh to Kg Semadang, who do.

We would have ejected some of 'em from our group if they weren't half as sexy pretty or fun. *sigh*

Labels: Kuching Kayaking

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