3rd Sabah International Folkdance Competition Part 2

Bites Tale : I enjoyed the show very much.. but i dropped my gold necklace there... luckily i found the necklace but i can't find the heart pendant... sob sob... mum said : "nevermind la, money lost means bad luck gone (破财消灾)!!!"... speechless me...

The part 1 of the show was so good that we rushed our dinner to attend the part 2 of the show on 07 September 07... (actually we could arrived earlier, but i finished baking cupcakes and cleaning up only at 6.30pm, so was late for dinner.. luckily we were just in time to catch the 1st dance!)

I enjoyed the show very much... except that i thought the performance by Thai and India was good that one of them deserved to win the 2nd runner up place; i thought Singapore/Russia will win the Best dressed title, but they didn't. However, i think everyone who went to the show would definitely agree that the performance by Russia was really really good and no question asked when they were announced the winner of that competition! (I clapped until my hands are numbed...)

Some of the pics i took that night! (This time i remembered to bring my camera... hehehe...) :-

1st up was performance by Saudi Arabia... the dancer in the middle and on the right hand side (1st row) were very cute!

Next is Brunei... i think this is the most "normal", "nothing to shout about" dance for that 2 nights! but the dancers are the youngest compared to the others dancers... so i guess i can't expect too much from them.. however, it will be a very good experience for the young dancers.

Then comes Thailand... i think they were very good... i love the drummer especially!! The whole bunch of them are very lively! Thumbs up to the background players who make the whole performance extra interesting!

Poland... they were good... very "polished" ... they really can "hop"! i love it when there is interaction between the performers and the audience... we laughed so hard!!

I actually think Singapore is quite good... but i prefer the dance in Part 1.. more interesting.. this dance seems to be a normal malay dance.. but still they are one of the best malay dancers i've seen... and pretty as well.. look at their kebaya... simply lovely!

The performance from Japan was actually very nice.. but may be the pace and music was too slow compared to the performances from other countries.. so alot of people was saying it's boring..

Russia!!! The Winner!!! They were awesome... wonderful... magnificent... whatever you wanna describe them.. i think my eyes refused to blink watching them.. just in case i'd missed the best part.. hahaha... of course it's impossible.. but my eyes never wandered around...only stared at them!! They were so good that you would wanna keep looking at them and wish the music never stopped!

Next, performance by dancers from Latvia... i thought the dance was a bit like the dance from Poland.. even the "ribbons" they used... but the dancers were older.. so there were not much of "tricks", just normal folklore...

The dance from China... it was really nice... but like Singapore.. i think the performance during the Part 1 on the night before was better and more interesting... i.e. more "wow" effect.. if they performed the 1st dance in Part 2 of the show, may be they could win at least the 2nd runner up award.. because 1st night performance is 30% of the total mark and the 2nd night performance is 70% of the total mark.
Hahaha... India... (Tell you a secret... i love indian dance... i think they are "merry".. colourful.. and happy!!) . The guys are really funny and put up a very good show!

The last contestant... from Kazakhstan... the girls are very, very pretty... most of them are with Chinese look... i don't know where is Kazakhstan actually... but it must be a very beautiful countries with lots of good looking girls around.. kekeke... the dance they performed was quite nice... very "graceful"... i think the way they moved are like waves... my mum likes the dance very much.. however.. so-so to me only.. may be because the music was very soft.. compared to india.. kakaka... feel like a big difference suddenly.. and partly.. i can't sit still at that time.. because i was looking for my pendant.. sigh...

Next up, performance by our very own native dance from Sabah, the Murut tribe's dance, as a special performance by the Host country and while waiting for the result, they were great.. especially the 2 kids who started the dance.. (you should know what i am saying if you were there.. kekeke)
Here's the winner list!

The best dressed and the 2nd runner up ~ Kazakhstan... (One of the dancer from Kazakhstan also won the best female dancer award! but the name is too hard for me to remember.. paiseh!)

The 1st runner up ~ Poland

The Winner ~ Russia

Interesting, isn't it? RM10/ticket is really, really worth it!! I can't wait for the 4th Sabah International Folklore Festival... it's in another 2 years time.. i hope there'd be more countries joining!

Pic : Sumazau dance by all the contestants

Borneo Proboscis River Lodge

Bites Tale : We enjoyed ourselves there except that water runs very small at night for shower.. the scenery was great.. did a lot of picture taking.. we even saw monkeys mating.. but the weather didn't allowed us for night cruise to watch fire flies... and we didn't managed to see hornbills.. they said one must be very lucky to spot a hornbill... may be next time!

It's his idea to come to this lodge located at Klias, Beaufort... that is approximately 100 km from the city. It took us about 1 hour and 45 mins to reach there.

A good choice indeed.

It's really nice to get out of town once in awhile and enjoy such breathtaking view!

Pic : This is where we stayed overnight at... Bamboo/wood hut.. not bad.. except for the shower!

Pic : How the place looks like...

Pic : Nice view... can't wait to hop onto the boat!

Pic : Warming up the boats...

pic : Off we go...

Pic : The boats can go very fast...

Pic : This boy is really cute... i love this "father & son" pic!

Pic : Can you see there are 2 monkeys hugging each other?

Pic : Monkey sighting... this one sit still while others jumped away...

Pic : Boats from other lodges also doing the river cruise...

Pic : Nice pic? I'm considered lucky b'cos managed to take this pic before they all ran away!

Pic : Morning view on 09.09.08... the river is so calm.. air is so fresh here... so relaxing...

Pic : Aww.... the river looks like a mirror!!

Pic : Monkey looking for her breakfast!!

He took the RM150/pax promotional package (normal price : RM300/pax) which comprises of :

2 days 1 night stay (if you want air-conditioned room, a surcharge of RM100 per room)

3 river cruises, i.e. :-

sunset cruise ~ proboscis monkeys sighting
night cruise ~ fire flies sighting

Next morning
morning cruise ~ off at 6am, to see monkeys and birds waking up and looking for food

5 meals i.e. : -

4pm onwards
~ high tea
(malay kuih-muih + banana fritters + coffee & tea were served)

6.30pm onwards
~ dinner
(there were more than 10 dishes - vege, meat + crabs)

9.30pm onwards
~ supper
(we didn't have supper that night as we rest early because the cruise was cancelled due to rain)

Next morning
6.30am onwards
~ breakfast
(there were banana fritters, sunny side-up eggs, fried mee hoon, french toasts & sausages

12.00 noon
~ lunch
(we didn't stay long enough to have lunch as we drove back to KK around 9am)

Not bad huh? You can opt for day trip which comprises of 2 river cruise (monkeys & fireflies seeing) and dinner at RM 185/pax (normal price)


Contact :-

Borneo Proboscis River Lodge
Kota Klias Wetlands

Tel : (6)087-209221

Website : http://borneowildlife.org

Happy Birthday!!!

Bites Tale : No wonder they are selling like hot cakes in KL even though they are pricey... all the hard work and time needed bukan alang-alang...

I've been trying my very best to think of something special to give him for his birthday...

So, instead of buying him something... i made these for him! Though they don't really look impressive... and "ugly" should be the word here.. but i hope he really likes it!

Pic : I actually planned to cover them with white choc and dark choc topping before decorating them with icing... but the 1st one i tried out looks so ugly that i've to let go of the idea! and my writings are so ugly.. just look at the "B", "H" & "Y"!

When i took the cake box out, he thought i bought him a cake... he was so surprised when he opened it he said "awww......" (i hope that doesn't mean he think i'm cheap giving him cupcakes only!)

Appreciation Note :

A friend volunteered as my assistant yesterday and I couldn't have done it on time without her! (thanks!!! muacks muacks!!!)

Show not to be missed!

Bites Tale : You should see how the dancers from Saudi Arabia dance "Sumazau-The state dance of Sabah"!

Went to the 3rd Sabah International Folkdance Competition Part 1 at Cultural Centre Penampang with him last night.

Ticket is only at RM10 each! And i must say... it's really, really worth it!!

The performers are from Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Japan, China, Brunei, Thai and India; and they really put up a great show last night! i enjoyed so much that my lips felt so sore as a result of too much smiling and laughing during the show... i'm also really impressed with the vocal of our very own Unduk Ngadau 2007 (Sabah Harvest Queen), Joanna Sue Henley Rampas... she really got a beautiful voice!

The show was so good that we are going again tonight!! at 1st, i've planned not to go for the Part 2 show because we have dinner date tonight, but it was not to be missed, so we call our friend to push the dinner earlier and then go to the show together... even my parents are going with us!

Can't wait for the Part 2 show tonight!

(P/S: I forgot to bring my camera last night, so no pics!)

Sigh... again...

Bites Tale : I really want to celebrate the day with him happily... but my mood is like "fighting cock" these few days... got a feeling we might end up quarreling again...

His birthday is coming soon.... i mean, reaaaaallll soon...

And i still don't know what to give him or how to celebrate it with him...

Go for a short trip? - I can't... I wanted to... but can't... so he said cancel, in order not to upset anyone...

Go makan? - where? he has no preference at all... he is those "eat whatever you feed him" type!

Buy him something?
- A watch? (No, he doesn't wear), A necklace? (he doesn't wear)... so i can categorize "accessories" as something out of the list, safely!

- A small vacuum? (so, he could use it to clean his car / clean his work area after he finished with his "crafting" work... i tried to ask him how he clean his work area... whether he has a small vacuum.. he said: "huh? what you mean a small one? i've a big one! better not to use anything at all with a small one!")... so that one is out of the list too!

- How bout some tools? (good idea, but I know nothing about tools and i don't know what tools he needs! don't wanna end up giving him something that he doesn't need!)

- A shirt? (Umm.. he only wear white shirts... and he told me previously he's got lots of them at home... and it's not really special to get him a white shirt.. i mean.. that's only the last resort, right?)

Special programme? - Apart from makan & movie... there's none that i could think of!!

Sigh... I'm really lousy in arranging programme... forget about giving surprises!!!

Hopeless me!

Sigh....

Bites Tale : It sucks... really..

Sigh... I hate it when i can't get him through the phone when i need to look for him..

It feels really bad...

SMS him... No reply

Call him... Went straight to voice mail

He said it's his phone... always rebooted on its own..

Gosh.. that's a new phone he bought months ago..

What's happening to Nokia phone?

Altogether there are 3 friends i knew who are having problems with Nokia phone...

Their phones always hang... hang... hang...

Why ah??















Pic : Feels like wanna throw durian at him!

Monday blues... Post-Holiday blues...

Bites Tale : Most men don't understand.. why women shop so much... my reason : "i'm stressed, i shop and i feel better!!" though i ended up with a hole in my pocket!

I could have more of this holiday...

It was so good...

1st day ~ Merdeka Day
Wake up late, had my favourite instant noodle for breakfast, do a bit of chores, shower and went high tea and sleep from 4 pm - 8pm...

2nd day ~ 1st Sat off
Wake up late, shower, pick up my friend and go breakfast and then shopping... then to class... accompany him to meet up with his friends at night...

3rd day ~ Sun
Wake up early, breakfast, do cleaning... went out dinner and shopping with family...

I must say "Shopping" was heavenly... there were so many nice things to see, to choose and to buy... I really enjoyed the whole process... only concentrate on what's nice and forget about all work and stress... so happy!! If i have unlimited $$$ to spend... damn syok man!! (To gals : you know how it feels sometimes when you got $$$ to spend but there's nothing that you fond of, right?)

Feel like wanna get out of the office... NOW!!!

Can't wait to go home...


















Pic : Nothing beats a hearty breakfast before shopping!!! it cuts down the risk of impulse buying instantly!