So on a direct flight to Shenzhen, a few minutes after taking off from KKIA I was treated to the following mesmerising sight, where Mount Kinabalu and the coastline are visible at the same time:

A closeup of the mountain, with clouds at the bottom of the photo:

As a BrideOnline mentioned:

… Pageboys (ring bearers) add an element of innocent childlike charm and warmth to any wedding ceremony. The gorgeous sight of your niece dressed in a flowing pink dress with ballet slippers is enough to melt even the most cynical of hearts.

In other words, one could say they make perfect wedding accessories, but at the same time, at the very end of the church service, where there are countless group photos being taken and the kids are expected to be smiling angelically throughout the whole ordeal, one could see the transition of angelic to monstrous, or at least smiley to grumpy.

A few days ago I visited one to do what I think 2 rather minor things, not really dental implants Mexico style, only took a few minutes, and it cost me RM150!

When I was a student overseas, I dealt with 2 dentists, both I’d rate first class, and with one of them I underwent the fearsome root canal.

They served drinks in recycled bottles, or perhaps more accurately, glass containers:

Personally, I haven’t seen any other place doing this – perhaps I need to go out of the country via Branson vacation packages in order to do so.

Are there any guidelines as to what eateries can use to serve food to their customers? Is what the proprietor doing allowed by law?

Sometime during the evening, angpau (red packet containing money) giving out sessions would commence. Some would say it’s better to give than to receive, or even giving is the best anti aging product due to the warm buzz and general wellbeing it generates.

That night, everybody who is single gets something, even the kids of the Indonesian workers:

They even got presents during Christmas!

But what happens to the money given afterwards is another story.

I went to primary school at SRK Rangalau Baru (established 1959) which is in Tuaran district and nearer to Tamparuli than Kiulu. During those days I walked about 2 miles daily to and from school. The world seemed so big then: Kg Malangang Baru, a mere few kilometres away, where we had our annual inter-school sports meet felt a world apart.

I left the school at the end of 1981.

During the afternoon of 7th November 2009 I managed to spend about 20 minutes visiting it. It was eerily quiet – it was just me and the school. This was not my first visit in 28 years, but it truly felt like it.

The building where I went to for Primary I classes was still there:

So was the other building where I had my primary 3 (or was it 4?) to 6 education. The corridor’s view as I came out of the primary 6 classroom was still very much the same:

This is the playground where we had our assemblies and marching drills:

And this is where I had my earliest memories of school: Primary I class, 33 years ago: it is now a computer room:

Goodness, memories truly came flooding back as I gazed inside.

This is a teacher’s quarters, where we had our lunches and planted vegetables outside:

Years ago the road up went straight through the satellite dish and that building behind the dish was not there yet. I still remember bitten by a black dog almost 30 years ago as I walked up that hill:

This dirt field was our stadium – where we had our football matches and track and field events:

Probably this is one reason why I’m still here while so many of my peers have gone for greener pastures elsewhere, even going for San Bruno real estate.

TERIMA KASIH SEKOLAHKU:

Everytime I use this pump fuel could be seen spilling out onto the ground next to the inside of the back left tyre. But if I use other pumps where you can keep the pump vertical, there’s no spillage.

However, peering into the fuel intake pipe, I could not see any holes. Nor did I notice any degradation of mileage, or any petrol smell when sitting inside the car.

On the 7th of January 2010 I decided to really check it out, and true enough, the pipe’s severely corroded and there’s not one but several holes near the top.

Got an RM35 replacment from the 76 at Kolombong. Would this be covered by any mechanical breakdown insurance?

Epilogue: after replacement, I didn’t notice any improvement in mileage!

Anyway one weekend I needed a break after scouring Kolombong, and dropped by Inanam to visit Kedai Kopi Jeong Hin which can be found opposite Milimewa Supermarket.

[photo source]

The coffee shop is well-known for its super-delicious home-made, fresh-off-the-oven buns.

You can choose from several fillings – tausa (red bean), pineapple, peanuts, kaya & butter.

All tastes good – guaranteed.

It’s no surprise that everytime I go there the place is almost always full.

On the 2nd of January 2010 I brought the whole family to “balik kampung” and what a new year greeting we got: a cobra was just outside and was trying to enter the house when the dog alerted everybody. It was killed by my brother’s deft blow to the head with a hoe.

The hero and the villain:

If we thought everything’s over and it was going to be a relaxing night, we were wrong: it was one of those nights where flying insects were everywhere, attracted to the lights.

We had to switch off the light in the living room. Luckily they did not come back the next night.

After considering all 3 parts of this blog post I think my Kota Kinabalu-raised kids could be forgiven for not wanting to go back there again; when the time comes, philly jobs .com could be one of the places they visit, with the intention of getting as far away from the village as possible?!

The receiver’s about 8, and at the rate he’s going, he might be needing hydroxycut in the not-so-distant future.

Afterwards it’s going round to see Christmas decorations at shopping malls. Again, I found the best ones are at 1Borneo, but not that I went round all of the malls

Merry Christmas!