cny @ kampung tombovo

balik kampung we did just like the year before.
so i'll let the pictures tell the story...

i told the boys to stand beside the firecrackers
after it was being hung.
an gave me a worried look & kept his distance
but still wanted to be in the picture.
han,on the other hand, got candid with the lil explosives
& pretended to take a bite of it. that boy!

talented lee brothers at the back of their house
preparing the auspicious & delicious cny lunch.

the kampung style of boiling whole chicken.

arrangement of oranges, pamelo, leafy greens & cans of beer
for the lions to feast on.

host checking on the lions & making sure they finish
the allocated cans of beer!
these fellows must've trained bottomless pits
to be able to consume that much alcohol
& perform afterwards! gosh!

sat through the incredible acrobatic lion dance performance.
it surely transported me back to my childhood days!

great shot lion! thank you for looking my way :o)

now how do you suppose they did this?
the lion is virtually curved into a C!

kampung tombovo's next top model finalists!

gong xi fa cai & happy chap goh meh (9 feb) y'all!

brunei bulletin

we made a brief visit to brunei recently for my cousin's wedding.
it was a short & sweet family getaway,
a nice break from our daily routine.

'is that our airplane?'

hubs having a man-to-boy talk with han.
my guess is that it was more of a discipline talk,
the dos & don'ts.

someone would much rather have his eyes closed
during the take off. poor baby!

the beautiful couple, cheryl & hock hsu.

both came from singapore to celebrate their wedding in brunei.
my cousin cheryl, had the dinner planned earlier
for the benefit of her loved ones & friends.
who would've thought that the week it was to be held
brunei underwent a massive power failure
due to heavy downpour that had most areas flooded
including some main power stations.
their wedding dinner was therefore carried out with only candles,
one on each table.
an unfortunate timing it was for the lovely couple,
nevertheless their big, happy smiles & bright spirits
sparkled through the night!

dark clouds hovered over the power plant.

breakfast with uncle nico at the taurean café.
the boys have their uncle to thank
for showing us around throughout our stay there.

an liking the golf buggy at the empire.

boys just wanna have fun!

i was specifically instructed by an to take this picture.
he wanted the mural as the background.
now they're telling me what to do!

got out of bed early the following day...

...shhh! everyone was still asleep
& mommy sneaked out quietly to...

click! shoot! snap!

i sure had a great morning stroll!

took delight in the gorgeous gardens at the empire.

we lived in the waterfall building & waterfall we got.
you could hear the soothing sound of water from everywhere.
love the exquisite interiors!

got to see the breathtaking sultan omar ali saifuddin mosque on our last day.
wish to go back for a closer view :o)

han not wanting to go home so soon.

an was teased about bringing the rain & flood to brunei, him being noah.
the shot above was however captured without my knowledge of the rainbow til later.

God hath made a promise by putting His bow in the clouds,
a promise He made to noah & a promise He intends to keep!

fin.

adiós 2008, hola 2009!

on the road we were on the last day of 2008
heading to kampung beriawa, keningau,
to join hubs' uncle & family in their annual get-together
on welcoming the new year.
it was the 2nd trip for the boys to the interior
which proved to be as much fun
as an recalled roads & landmarks along the journey.
we took the tambunan road on a cloudy, moody last day
that came with rain in the late afternoon.

han relaxing in their beautiful wooden lodge.

what's a new year's eve celebration without drinking & merrymaking?
hubs having his fair share of the tajau...

...which can subsequently lead to poco-poco!
hubs was definitely feeling the groove that evening! way to go hubs!
i didn't wait but to snap him in action (chuckle).
you sure could sway those hips of yours like a pro. haha!

lil uncle ethan & his older nephew an were inseparable.
both are huge fans of ben10,
so it was them & the omnitrix fighting the villains all night long!

the most anticipated event besides the countdown
was the lighting of the firecrakers.
its loud, noisy sound, blinding bright light & smoke
accompanied the new year 2009!

beautiful display of fireworks from the hillside came next
& a treat it was for everyone!

red bits of paper from the firecrackers strewn all over the staircase,
welcoming a promising, prosperous & prayfully a peaceful new year.

taking time to unwind on the veranda after a late night
before hitting the road.
i love the stillness of life in the kampung.

heading home on the 1st day of 2009 via the keningau-kimanis road.
the view you'd get from this highway is superb,
nonetheless damaging to car radiators due to its steep slopes.

autobot, transform & roll out!
'daddy, daddy, chase the lorry!'

after a well rested afternoon from the day's travelling,
we made for the signal hill observatory platform
to view the 1st sunset of 2009.
a beautiful chapter it was to end our day!

primary one

& an is...
in like with it for now...hopefully (all fingers + toes crossed) for the definite schooling years to come!
able to wake up at 6am or so without a fuss...thank goodness!
not intimidated by the bigger & much crowded school...phew!
enjoying his ol' & new schoolmates which is a major relieve.
able to part with hubs or myself when we leave his classroom in the mornings.
having too much fun that he forgets to eat what i'd packed for him during his 20-minute recess.
telling me to fetch him 3 hours later after school & mommy said, 'no!'
in negotiation with mommy so that mommy fetches him slightly later.
wanting to spend more time playing & talking to his newfound friends after school.
adapting & growing up.

a week of new hectic schooling schedule has passed & mommy is...

thanking GOD for his smooth transition to primary school.
seeing how he's becoming quite independent & doing more on his own.
very proud of her big boy!

the only one thing that mommy isn't so pleased with is...
the icky, mucky, soiled, white-turned-black school shirt, socks, shoes
& his super soaked, sweaty self that he came home in for the last 5 days*!

* i'm just so glad that he's not in an all boys' school
cos i can picture him coming home beyond comprehension.
the clorox company is (i'm very sure) sending me a thank you note pretty soon
for diligently using & will be supporting their products for yonks!
better still, they can cast me in one of their commercials anytime
cos i truly, with all my heart, in the last 5 days, understand what dirty laundry is!
this is no joke!
(ta66y's current facial expression: dead serious)

nikon academy

hear ye! hear ye! all ye nikon enthusiasts!

i thought i'd share this with nikon newbies (like meself) who have yet to stumble upon nikonian academy & nikonian academy forum. i find these sites very informative & practical, be it for a point & shoot or dslr camera. interested in photography classes, workshops or seminars? you'd get all the current updates on nikonian academy. most unfortunate for the shutterbugs of borneo, all classes are conducted in the peninsular (lucky yous). as for super handy tips, there are oodles of those obtainable from the lively nikonian academy forum. be sure to register yourself as a member today & gain so much more from the seasoned pros! yup, that's free advertisement coming from a budding nikonian :o)

* this post is for you otta. haha!

from ta66y's ark with love

GOD be thanked for that
good & perfect gift,
the gift unspeakable:
HIS life, HIS love,
HIS very self in Christ Jesus.

maltbie d. babcock

zen garden resort 19-21 december 2008

we loved the zen-ness of last year's trip
that we came back for more & stayed for 2 nights.
what bliss!

the lodges were all taken this time round,
so we settled in one of the iris suites which is as comfy.

i feel zenned when i'm here :o)

woke up at 6am to capture these shots.
it pays to get up when all is calm.
love the natural lighting of the early morn.

ahh...peace & quiet...

if you're not looking to go far for meals,
the restaurant provides pretty decent food.

a quick glimpse of the beautiful mount kinabalu
on our 1st morning before it got all foggy again.

we made our very 1st visit to the sabah tea plantation.
funny how sometimes we take our own places of interest for granted.
i know i do! cuti-cuti sabah here we come!

mayesha loves the camera & the camera loves her back
that's for sure :o)

we also visited 'tagal' sungai moroli, kampung luanti, ranau,
known for its fish massage & cleansing properties.
hubs & the kids didn't go for a dip as it was drizzling quite a fair bit.
one of the places to return to next year!

besides chilling out, i turned my boys into models.
not an easy task as they get restless easily!

an kept asking, 'mommy are you done yet?'
i'd have to give them an A each for at least trying.
haha! poor boys!

'ok, look up! smile! no, DON'T move or else...!!!'

han would occasionally poke at the lens or turn it this way & that.
i'm sure he thinks mommy is no fun at all
especially when she always has that thing pointing right at his face.

hooded han in da house!

they'd much prefer to wrestle, whenever & wherever. sigh!

hello mellow yellow!

'mirror mirror on the pond, who's the fairest of them all?'

'o where art thou my prince charming?'

it rained the 2nd morning, thus producing lovely rain droplets.

i like the matching bin & textured stone wall.
keep clean & keep green :o)