Weekend Tamu at Giant Hypermarket Kolombong

last Saturday was a school off day for our girls, reluctantly they tagged along to the tamu (open market place) on their daddy request.  After breakfast, we finally arrived at the tamu, finding parking it's always a problem at any tamu market places, one of the option is to double park and be alert to make way for the cars that we blocked at any time.

 

the ones that caught our girls' attentions are the cats and puppies.  We bought our dog named Lucky at this tamu many year ago.

 

Live crabs for sell. 

  

there are frogs too..big and masculine ones 

 

dried fish 

 

orchids and plants  

 

dessert rose roots, the colours and types are shown on the stickers.  We bought 3 types of colours at RM25.00 each 

 

the well grown dessert roses priced at RM180.00 per pot 

 

Soursop fruits are hard to find.  I bought 2 at RM8.00 per kg here.  I was told that regular consumption of soursop could cure many diseases.  

 

My better half came for this.  Fertilised black soil for our plants.   RM2.00 per pack. 

Day trip to Kundasang & a night at Kasih Sayang Health Resort

This was a weekend away from home in June this year. Plenty of photos to do the talking.

We took a day trip to Kundasang in the morning, stopping by the town of Tamparuli for its famous mee as usual.  The coffee shop was not opened yet when we reached there before 9am, we waited for the shop to open at 9.30am just for the mee.  

Tamparuli mein with stuffed pork blood (bought from other shop)

We continued our trip to Kundasang after having our breakfast.  We had another stop at Pekan Nabalu, which is 67km from Kota Kinabalu city. Nabalu is a very small township with shops and stalls selling local fruits and produces, souvenirs, and a great view of Mt. Kinabalu on a clear sunny day.

souvenirs stalls at Pekan Nabalu

Local produces - ground nuts sold in many forms

Our famous Sabah Organic Tea, sold in sachet, powder or dried leaves form.  Also sold in major supermarkets nationwide.

Local produce Pure Honey

Tourist coaches stop by here for their tourists to buy souvenirs & local fruits and produces on their way back to the City.

Monkey soft toys, protected animal

Out of the many trips to the Kinabalu National Park, this is the first time we drove up to the climbing point of the Majestic Mount Kinabalu.  If you want to conquer the highest mountain in Malaysia, Pondok (shelter) Timpohon is the starting point (only climbers with pass are allowed to go through this check point).   After which there are 7 pondok (shelters) to stop by leading you all the way up to Laban Rata, situated at 3,272.7m above sea level.  Laban Rata is the resting point for the night before proceeding to the summit of Mount Kinabalu at dawn the next morning

We could find the squirrels come around looking for food on top of Pondok Timpohon, children are amazed seeing the squirrels coming near them.

This squirrel is so tamed 

expecting some more biscuits

The weather was very cloudy that day, I only managed to capture Mt Kinabalu on our way back in the afternoon.  We spent the night at Kasih Sayang Health Resort, Menggatal.  I finally utilised the complimentary stay at the resort, a lucky draw I got some 2 years ago.

Night view from the resort

we had our dinner at the resort's restaurant

the day view from the resort

plenty of green

the view of the Mount Kinabalu is visible from the resort too...

rabbits at the resort

breakfast provided in the morning

partial view of the resort

Interest in Beading crafts

Like mother like daughter, Crystal shares similar interest with me in many areas.  One of it is the beading works.  At one time, I was very into beading projects.  I invested in tools, beads, findings, books and time just to pursue my interests.  

I used to follow the patterns from the books to get bracelets done from night till dawn.  I have made myself many earrings and necklaces which I still use them when I am out and about.  I also gave many of my handmade necklaces, earrings and bracelets as presents for birthdays and Christmas.  It's fun but I have no time for beading projects ever since I started my full time job some 3 years ago.

But my tools, beads and findings have not gone to waste.  Crystal has been asking me to let her do some beading works when she was still small, I disallowed her because she couldn't handle the bits and pieces then.  Since she is bigger girl now, she can handle the beadings pretty well after giving her a few steps guide. I bought some glass beads in different colours and sizes for her to mix and match.

 Some of the beads, findings and tools 

 beads

 and findings

Now she would start her beading projects whenever she has got the mood in it.  She did 3 necklaces over the weekends.  I help her with the opening and finishing part of it, the rest is all up to her creativity.  She did a pretty good job in colour matching.  

she designed this necklace for me with faceted glass beads, I told her I need a longer necklace, this is what she came out with.  A design with tear drops beads.

faceted clear and blue glass beads necklace and rainbow glass beads necklaces (named by Crystal)

3 necklaces designed by Crystal.

She used this rainbow necklace to tuition today. 

the necklaces are stored in this organza jewelry bags  

Golf club memberships

After months of delay, we finally filled in the forms to register us, the three ladies as members under Clet's golf club membership.  Our girls can instantly enjoy the facilities in the club while I will have to wait for at least 2 weeks to get my membership approved.

The main reason lead us to register as members is the swimming pool and the gym facilities.  Our girls have been nagging their daddy to bring them to the swimming pool each time they go to the club while I really need some exercise.

Due to our busy working schedules, house chaos and their heavy school works, we really have to find a suitable time to exercise.  Hopefully being members now, I can allocate time to do some exercise in the club's  workout room and our girls can have fun and exercise at the swimming pool.  

 Pearl dipping herself in the children's pool

 Crystal is trying out at the adult pool

 They made new friends at the pool, their new friend, Hana, is dipping in the pool, she have a little swimming skills better than our girls.

 We were killing our time by having a glass of Kopi Kampung at the cafe just beside the pool

 Besides taking photos of our girls and watching other people have fun in the pool, I have nothing much to do, let just take a snapshot of my new shoes, bought on sale from Bata....

 Playing water in the pool burnt out very fast, Pearl appetite increases, she shouted hungry right after coming out from the pool.  Couldn't wait for mummy's cooking at home, so we had simple dinner at the club's restaurant. 

Since our girls love to play water at the pool so much, we are planning to let them have swimming lesson during this coming school holiday.  Who knows they can be the next Olympic swimmers or divers for our country!!! I believe many of us are motivated by the achievement of Pandelela Rinong!!!