Scary Experience

Scary Experience

Hi everyone,
Just a note to apologize for the short break in continuity with this blog. While travelling on our usual 4WD vehicle along the keningau-kimanis highway my husband noted a slight wobble as we passed a steep incline going towards Kota Kinabalu. We thought the wobble was due to the strong gusts blowing from the south china sea as we drove downhill. Little did we know that this was a critical signal that something terribly wrong would occur shortly ! And it did !

Our right rear wheel of the Nissan Safari we were driving was apparently loose and as we avoided a speeding oncoming car the errant wheel flew off in a tangent directly towards the ravine ! Needless to say, we were in total shock as the vehicle came to an abrupt halt on the side of the road scraping the bitumin for a distance !

It seemed like forever before we realised the gravity of what was happening. All we could do was nod and gesture.. we certainly had a very narrow escape! We were lucky the accident did not happen high up in the mountain highway !

We continue to thank our guardian angels for the way we were looked after. It could have been worse and we know it. Every day is a beautiful day now !

Our Nissan Safari is now taking a good rest as we ponder new options. For regular travellers, please take that extra care to do a full check on your vehicles before going on your journey.

You can view some pics at here

Rafflesia Information Center

Rafflesia Information Centre

Learn more about the largest flower in the world !

Located along the Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan highway,many local sabahans often just drive past this gem of a center called the Rafflesia Information Center. Maybe its because its always there and the interest to visit can be postponed to another more convenient time. But for tourists and first time visitors to Sabah, this is really worth a visit because the rafflesia information center offers one of the most comprehensive source of interesting information about the Rafflesia ! It is after all the largest flower in the world !

Richard and Maria at the Rafflesia Information Center

Apart from the obvious attraction which is when the rafflesia is in bloom, the center also showcases many other nature related attractions. Visitors can see and appreciate the local native trees which are conveniently grown both naturally and planted by nature minded individuals.

The official Sabah Tourism site is a good source for information about this center and you can check it out here

Some details regarding how to get there :

Rafflesia Information Centre
Tambunan
Located at the roadside of the edge of a forest reserve is the Rafflesia Information Centre. This centre is set aside for the conservation purposes of the remarkable rafflesia flower. The Rafflesia Information Centre is situated about an hour’s drive away from Kota Kinabalu. (source:Rafflesia Information Center)

The Rafflesia Information Centre is open daily to visitors from 8am to 3pm. Here, visitors can look forward to a jungle trekking adventure to look for the rafflesia flower. It is advisable to wear comfortable trekking shoes in the attempt to trek through the RIC’s challenging terrain.

Richard Smeets and wife Maria, from the Netherlands recently visited the site with Aunty Doris and found the place to be really beautiful and informative. Be prepared to do some trekking if you happen to want a close look at a raflessia flower in bloom. Information on the latest bloom can be obtained from the site managers.

This center is just a small part of what is available to visitors to Sabah. You can explore the many adventures and activities by checking in with the official Sabah Tourism Website of course, but you can also email me if you are looking for any particular information on Sabah.

Sabah Agricultural Park, most beautiful and restful destination!

Sabah Agricultural Park, most beautiful and restful destination!

First time visitor to Sabah?

If you have some extra time and love nature, orchids, exotic flowers and unique native plants you should plan to include a visit to the Sabah Agricultural Park in the interior part of this beautiful part of Malaysian Borneo as a part of your Borneo experience ! This Sabah Agriculture Park is huge ! so be prepared to allocate some time if you can. You can get additional information about the place from their website but it really is worth a visit .

serene and peaceful and just the kind of place for nature lovers

My home in Keningau is located about a hour away from this magnificent hidden nature jewel and I have always looked forward to such a trip every time we plan to go and be fascinated by the wonders of nature. We have since visited the beautiful sprawling park on many occassions.. sometimes with my family and other times with overseas guests.

An introduction to the park is beautifully summarised in their main website but words will not do justice to the real thing so I encourage any one who is passionate about nature, orchids and anything tropical to make that enjoyable visit.

About Taman Pertanian Sabah

Background

Taman Pertanian Sabah is part of the 1,500 acres of the Agriculture Research Station, Lagud Sebrang Tenom which is administered and owned by the Agriculture Department Sabah. It is a complex consisting of the Agriculture Research Station, seed Production Centre for Cash Crop, Farmers Training Centre and Taman Pertanian Sabah itself. The Park sprawled over an area of 500 acres.

The park was first opened to visitors in October 2000, and was officially launched by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on the 25 March, 2001.

serene and peaceful

Aunty Doris and American Visitor Leah at the Park

Leah Barr from the USA

gets a closer look at a Coffee Plant

With its rich biodiversity, the Park has a magnificent collection for indigenous and introduced plants species. It is also a conservation centre for the native Orchids of Borneo. This park would become a heritage for the next generation and this will help to educate people in nature conservation and the preservation of natural rainforest through cultivation of trees, shrubs, plants and flowers.

Aunty Doris and American Visitor Leah at the Park

The lush greenery, multitude species of plants / flowers of endemic to Borneo Island and very rare, panoramic view of the lakes, captivating landscaped gardens provide an excellent base to expand your knowledge and ideal environment for those who seek peace, quiet and tranquility away from stressed and urban noise. This park also provides a great trekking ground as well as nature walks and jungle activities. The park is blessed with mother nature’s treasures.

The park is a showcase of integrated activities carried out by all the Departments and Agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Food Industry. It also serves as a training and education centre for agriculture, horticulture, apiculture, seed production, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry. It is divided into five key areas:

Agriculture
Living Crop Museum
Demonstration Farms
Agro forestry
Bee Centre
Germplasm Collection
Fisheries
Freshwater Fishing

Horticulture
Native Orchid Centre
Hybrid Orchid
Evolution Garden
Model Garden
Ornamental Garden

Animal Husbandry
Animal Park
Animal Farm

Objectives of Taman Pertanian Sabah

1. As a major Agro-Tourism centre in the state
2. To provide demonstration farms for Agricultural activities, Animal breeding and
Fisheries
3. To serve as a centre for training and demonstration on Agriculture, Horticulture,
Fishery, Apiculture, Seed Technology, Forestry and Animal Husbandry;
4. To provide facilities for nature-based recreational activities
5. To promote awareness and love for nature.

Cakes for all your dreams celebrations !

Its almost a universal desire to celebrate an important occasion with something extra special and for many it often means bringing in a symbolic celebration cake ! Whether its a birthday, a wedding, a reunion or something more engaging like an engagement party, the cake plays a very important main event. Usually it is the focal point of the evening ! And the more beautiful and creative the cake, the better memories can linger on for years to come !

Here in Sabah, the tradition is no different. It seems that everyone loves a piece of cake after dinner or just as a way to enhance an already special event. No wonder then that there are so many cake shops and bakeries to cater for the increasing demand for good quality cakes ! Commercial brands are easily available and in some cases home deliveries are arranged.

One exciting part of this industry is that anyone who wants to learn skills in making pastries, cakes and related activities can do so with relative ease. One can enroll in the many institutions around Malaysia and graduate with the required skills to either set up a cake business or enjoy making cakes for friends and family for the sheer thrill of being appreciated for a job well done !

The availability of cake making hardware and accessories have also contributed to the steady growth of homemade breads and cakes all over sabah ! There is one thing that seperates each homemade cakes .. Its the passion and creativity of the Baker of course!

Emma Lee is a good example of the passionate cake maker who bakes each cake with a very personal touch. What started as a simple hobby has developed into a very interesting home based rewarding career in the creation of designer cakes for whatever occasion you need the cake for !

I was very fortunate to visit Emma on one of her Off days when she is relaxing away from her ovens. Apparently Emma has been baking cakes for more than 10 years ! Its no wonder that she is so passionate about her cakes ! She still remembers her first oven and how it all turned out ! Now she sits in front of her laptop computer reading email orders for her latest designer cakes which is personally crafted and delivered for local weddings, engagements, birthdays and even for special reunions of corporate and industry events ! Her latest cake creations made it to the local paper as a custom designed cake with the iconic Kadazan Gong sitting on top of a beautifully decorated base being admired by members of a Sabahan Cultural Organisation! The cake was made especially for the Harvest Festival Celebration and presented to the TYT of Sabah ( Governor of Sabah , Malaysia )

A very creative person, Emma is always lookng for new ways to enhance her cake making ideas. She has hinted in providing training for interested students as an option for the future.

Conveniently located in Kota Kinabalu, Emma is now available to deliver your dream cakes to your special events to help enhance the gathering of friends, business associates or any other occasion.

For those of you who are interested to get more information of how you can make your event more memorable, you can visit Emma's Website at http://www.pinkrosescake.com/

You can also call Aunty Doris of course !
Click here for a Cake Making Course ?

Beautiful Belian Wooden home in Sabah !

Beautiful Belian Wooden home in Sabah !

Sabah has always been a very important exporter of logs and sawn Timber. However, the timber resources are now being strictly controlled and instead of just exporting raw logs and timber, more local companies are encouraged by the government to get involved with downstream processing of timber products such as doors, furniture and other timber related .

For local sabahans, the availability of timber meant that it was easy to build homes using this abundant material. But that was then. Now it seems, the price of timber has gone up steadily and it is relatively cheaper to construct homes using bricks and cement.

The beauty of timber homes is obvious especially in a tropical setting. The home is much cooler and the elegance of natural timber has a special attraction. An old friend , Jules Stephens recommended that I visit his Uncle Richard Baxter who has a beautiful wooden home in Tenom, Sabah. So I was very fortunate to visit such a home today in the beautiful farm owned by the Baxter family of Tenom, in the interior of Sabah Malaysia.

Mr. Richard Baxter is a very prominent planter based in Tenom Sabah and loves to share his years of experiences in agriculture and outdoor lifestyle .He lives with the family in the beautiful timber home that was built by his father in the 1950’s and to this day is proof of the quality of the native sabahan timber, especially the local hard wood belian which is used as the pillars of the stately home! Belian is known to last for many many years and is the preferred timber for building timber homes in Sabah.

The timber home is surrounded by matured tropical fruit trees such as Durians, Mangosteen, Pamelo and Dragon fruits and many others. Flowers with colorful blooms line the cemented pathways while orchids grow in specially fenced areas around the 55 year old home making it a living paradise ! A cluster of giant orchids grows near the entrance of the home and has been named the 14 sultans orchid ! Apparently this unique orchid was transported all the way to Kota Kinabalu for display at a special event where VIPs were impressed by the beauty of the giant orchids ! The beauty of the place is equally matched by the great hospitality of the hosts, Mr and Mrs Richard Baxter who kindly gave me and my friends a grand tour of the whole property !

We ended the tour with a nice evening of refreshments served on a unique polished table that is made of solid timber measuring some 8 in thick , 3 ft wide and 12 ft long !! Its quite a sight ! We really enjoyed our visit to the Baxters home and learned many great ideas and shared experiences from our jovial hosts. We wish to thank Jules and Anna Stephens for helping to arrange the visit and of course our big thank you to our wonderful hosts Mr. and Mrs Richard Baxter and family !

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Great Computer bargains at Karamunsing Shopping Complex!

Great Computer bargains at Karamunsing Shopping Complex!

Are you looking for the latest laptops? Notebooks? Bargains?

Aunty Doris shopping for notebook computer at Karamunsing Shopping Complexs

Here in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah the best place to go for all your computer needs is no doubt the Karamunsing Komplexs located very close to the city area. This shopping complex is one of the first building that offered shopping mall type of facilities to shoppers offering a great variety of goods and services. But since renovations on the whole complex begun, the format has attracted even many more new shoppers especially those that are into computers and related computer and electronics accessories !

The bargains are really something that attracts many to the revamped shopping area. Indeed, some Vehicle Parking spaces have been converted to more shopping area because of the great demand! Aunty Doris was there recently to check out the latest bargains too..

Aunty Doris shopping for notebook computer at Karamunsing Shopping Complexs

For those of you thinking of buying a new notebook or laptop there are many different brands available and the prices are very competitive as well. A typical notebook can be bargained for anything from RM890-00 upwards !

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Best Pau in town !

Aunty Doris buys pau from her favourite pau seller , Mr. Ah Hui .

How many of you love Chinese buns ? yes those delicious white buns called Char Siew Pau or just the generic name Pau filled with a variety if yummy stuffings from black beans paste to mince pork with eggs !

In almost all towns in Sabah you can find these steamed cooked buns sold at many outlets and now there are also mass produced pau versions that is made and distributed to all the local coffee shops . I have always loved homemade char siew pau somehow and if you know where to look, you can get them while they are still steaming hot !

Ah Hui is my favorite pau maker. And he is very popular with his variety of paus.. He makes Char Siew Paus ( Chinese buns with mince pork stuffing ) , Labu Pau ( Pumpkins stuffing ),Patai Pau ( this one is a very potent stuffing ;)

For those of you who love chinese paus, you must try Ah Hui's special ! Call him for the latest Pau at 019-897 3065 Mention this blog and you might just get a good discount !

If you want to try making some pau yourself you can get some tips from the video below:

Ah Hui makes his pau very affordable at RM1.50 each and gives very generous mince pork fillings unlike some of the commercial versions and that is probably why he is very popular. Assisted by family members Ah Hui makes some 300 pau daily which he sells every morning at 7:00am to regular customers !