Mungkosilad River

Sunday...OK, I might just get the spelling wrong but it sounded like that. It's located just after Babagon River, near Kg Moyog just at the foot of the hill going up to Gunung Mas. We did a semi wild goose chase to find this place but eventually we did. Right after we promised the local lady we'd buy her pineapples if she gave us directions. Well, we eventually found the place and it was worth the drive. Our journey started bright and sunny but soon as we reached Babagon, it poured buckets.

"Satu Ringgit" said the local guy, looked and smelt of locally brewed wine, Tumpung. Still raining, I rushed back to the car and grabbed RM3.00. Gidong was too hungry to make the 10 meter dash for cover, ended eating his chicken rice in the car. Mesh was first to reach there and to our surprise, they have 'pondoks' or huts. Sweet. Word of advise though. Please do not use any hair cream if you plan to go swimming in the river. I thought sweat and mud was trickling down my face. I could have sworn it tasted like something from the Asian Food Channel's Extreme Gourmet programme on thursday nights. "Dong, mari bawa tu makanan sana sebab ada pondok". So we carried our stuff and food, running frantically through the rain whilst me catching few glipmses of the tumpung served in half cut plastic bottles. Hmmm.. macam sadap but I was in no hurry to get myself all tipsy at 12 noon. And they greeted our arrival with a semi drunken sumazau. I felt to welcomed but when we left they were caught dancing again but they stopped soon after they saw us coming. So I new the the 'welcome dance' was not really for us after all. Well at least I knew how a celebrity felt like even for a moment..kavagu!

Two huts occupied with groups of people, a family at the far end and a bunch of teenagers nearest to us. The river was well kept, somewhat. Like a bunch of Smeagols from LOTR, the three of us ravaged the tapaus we bought, "my precious!!!" Hey we were hungry from driving and looking for the place. 5 minutes passed by, and we decided to move upstream to see what was in store for us. Lush greenery, beautiful fauna, crystal clear waters and small cute wild animals at the river bank sipping water. Aaahhhh.. Think Snow White & Walt Disney? Sorry, nope. We were greeted with milky tea coloured water. But the greenery was right though. No small cute animals as well except for two kampung dogs scavenging for leftovers. However, the landscape was rather nice. The rocks were smoothly chiselled by the flowing water, eau de naturale. So, the rest was history.. We waddled, swam, laughed and posed for 200 shots!! Tyra Banks would have been proud with some of our poses..hahahhaa.. After over an hour of fun, we finally decided to go home and Mother Nature decided to be funny. The river water suddenly turned clearer. Daymn. Nevertheless, we will definitely get the others to join the fun next time. Sweet. Ciao for now.

People Magazine

Dear friends,..naah your friend has been nominated as one of the 100 most beautiful People on earth!!! hahahahhaa..... How I wish. But it's fun to play around though. Masuk bakul angkat sendiri.. but of course. If nobody's gonna tell you, you're special, then you'd better start telling yourself you are, coz we all are. Happy Sunday y'll. And wishing PS & Josie a great wonderful birthday.. muaaahh.

Kung Fu Panda

Damn,..know what? I didn't sleep since yesterday. Dunno why..just couldn't. It's 11:2opm and now...yes!! I'm feeling sleepy and tired. But not before watching Kung Fu Panda with Mesh & Arteo. It was actually a good film. Loads to funny moments and I just loved how they managed to get Po's facial movements so damn convincing! Really funny guys. Go and watch it. As for me. I'm going to bed now. I have a flight to catch back to Sandakan tomorrow. Night y'all. Love to All, Hatred to None.

Moving On

After the tearful farewell of our friend and brother Clarence, I believe that he would want us to move on, happy. So, I've changed the song in my blog, for starters. And I decided to move on and be happier. But it also gave me a reason to take better care of myself too. I am trying hard to stop smoking on weekends..I don't on weekdays ,funny, I suppose but when you go out and having a drink or so, the urge to light a cigi is somewhat too much to decline. Heck, there goes the will power. So, I'm back to my get healthy times. I've started with doing weights again. I think after one year since my collar bones snapped out, I'm ready to do some strength training although the shoulder is nothing like it was before.

It's always best to take care of oneself's health though. I hate jogging though! I enjoy the thought of running and sweating your brains off. But I simply dread when the time actually comes, finding your shoes, putting on your running shorts or shirt. Aduh...susah. Damn hard man! So, running is not really for me. I'm sticking on the trekking instead, slow walk uphill and downhill of course. Ahh.. no running like a mad cow (do cows run?). No competitiveness involved. Guys do this though. When we run or jog, you will always get one or two guys trying so hard to impress. And I bet the girls aren't even looking. If they (guys)had horns, they'll probably honk. They would always and enjoy the overtaking bit, it's like those little Perodua Kancil cars overtaking bigger vehicles, so proud. And when they do overtake you, they'll make sure they give you a 'wow, look at me , I am so strong and fast' kinda look. Idiots..hahaha. Like do we really care? I don't bloody care if it was the CM who pass me by, nope. 'Please feel free to overtake, sila, sila'. I just want to complete my run and rush for water. The last time I had a run with Mesh was at the Likas Sports complex lake. Two rounds and I'm done. If there was a taxi service there, I'd hail one down. No joke.

Did you know one Big Mac is around 400 calories. Do you know how many rounds you'd have to make to burn the bloody thing off? Well I don't.. but I'm sure its more than a 10 minute run. But I suppose if you spend 2 hours walking in a mall, would that burn enough calories for another burger? Hmm.. But then again, I'm vain. I am proud to say that I am a big time Metrosexual. Hey, I am in the same congregation as David Beckham, George Michael and Brad Pitt. So, there. But it's a good thing though, well to me that is. It keeps me well 'oiled' and tuned if you know what I mean. So I wash, tone and moisturise, but it keep me looking clean and good..(ooh I do hope so). Playing tennis,Aikido, gym, swim and trekking keep me healthy and fit. So, I ain't gonna complain. A friend told me that it is the society and fashion magazines, pour homme or elle especially influence you to want to look like an Angelina, a Nicole Kidman, a Brad Pitt for that matter. I guess it does but it depends on how you look at it. Me? Health comes first. If all these keeps you away from the doctor's office, and why not? If it keeps your BP on an optimum level,..I say get those Nikes and keep running boy! If you get compliments on having good skin and looking young..ger , well heck, keep moisturising! ooohhh..you could actually use oatmeal, honey and white egg. Its a good mask..ermmm..well that's another story.

People, no one has the right to tell you to stop maintaining good health and looking good. Tell them to fart in the helmet and smell it! Or tell them to douche himself/herself with clorox! To me, if someone ever tells me that, I just remind myself, that, I earned it. No one pays my bills or put food on my table but myself. So, there!! Say what you like b*%$h!!! Ooopss.. it's 5:30am.. damn..Sorry people, time for my beauty rest.

My tips to simple rules in life though, there are five (05):
1) Eat well, (go easy on the fat).
2) Exercise when you have the time(make time people!)Kickboxing is good.
3) Don't sweat over the small stuff. There are better things to worry about in life than to worry about getting ketchup spilled on your shirt or the kids are crying or you left your favourite cd on the car dashboard and it melted or your girlfried/boyfriend/husband/wife slept with someone else (well at least they have some form of exercise, right?..if this happens, apply rule number 2. Kick ass!
4) Take vitamins A,C & E - antioxidants..very good!
5) Learn to be happy for yourself and others. Smile

and 6) Have enough sleep and sex! . Oh did I say 5 rules? Well I lied.

Keep moisturising y'all ! Good morning...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Clarence's Final Farewell

Clarence Laiyap Goduli was laid to rest on the 14th June 2008. May his soul rest in peace. We will all miss you dearly.

Closure

1998. Albert introduced me to Clay. "Clarence, nah kawan baru dari Brunei." Hi, Junior. Hi Clarence. "Ko pandai main daun?" Hahaha..not really. It's ok , I'll just watch you guys play.

2008, last week. "Clay, this is my Malay song yang saya mau kasi masuk dalam album saya nanti." I played the song and sang, he held the lyrics. He said he liked it.

12th June 2008. Clarence Laiyap Goduli passed away in his loved ones presence. Ivy even made it on time. I was in Sandakan. I took the next flight back to KK at noon and made it to his family house. I stayed up all night not being able to sleep. Landed and we, Mesh & myself drove to his house. My heart of pounding not knowing how to react. I started to remember how we had lunch together back in 1999 when I was finally transfered to KK. I picked him up at Jabatan Tanah Ukur's bus stop. He didn't have his car then. The lunch was then made as a regular event.

He has so many group of friends, friends in the creative side, Martin, Boy Petrus and the late Sean. Then he has the regular company of Walter and Max and the gang. Then he had me. The music side. We went to choirs and a symphony (it was free at that time). We sang and laughed. He was such a great music/choral arranger. Then the Betty La Fea fever swept and he jumped on the band wagon. Imagine me, working in Inanam, drive all the way to his house in Taman Kemayan, Penampang at late noon just to watch Betty? And drove back to the office just to punch out at 5:30pm. Hahahaha...

Then the Lilian Too fever caught us like a whiplash, quick and painful later. Painful,.coz we were buying so many stuffs! We bought bracelets, brass horse, oxen (he's the year of the ox), the lucky knots, jades, crytal balls etc. I bet Khan must have thought Clay was opening a Feng Shui shop at his home. Then the car came. We spent a week car hunting. Went from one house to another to see the best value for money. But fortunately there was a Proton on sale at our branch, a traded-in unit. We got it resprayed and he had a new green proton saga! He was proud of the car.

There were just too many memories I had with this guy, lots of ups and we also shared our share of downs together. Its just too many to put in one blog. Funny though, but we never quarelled, not onced. We had one of two disagreements but that was about it. 2:50pm, I finally reached his house. All night I held back tears. I was almost in tears, crying rather at the Sandakan airport. But when I saw his mom, that was it. Khan gave a braveface and pointed the casket. My eyes swelled and I didn't care. There he lay, rested finally. Finally not in pain as he was on morphine for over 1 year and 2 weeks. I cried and cried what seems like hours. Greeted by his sisters, I nodded speechless, still holding back tears.

All I could remember was him saying "bah nanti kita masuk studio ah, for your recording." He never did make it (sob). "Clay, why didn't you wait for me!" I said as he laid still, crying while Mesh and Khan comforted me. Is it unfair? I started to question God's intentions. He was too young. I ran to a corner of the house and cried my eyes out. Something I have not done for many, many years. Then a warm hand touched my shoulder. "It's ok, junior." He is now in a wonderful place, resting, happy." Clay's sister comforted me.

Clarence, I miss you so much brother, my friend. We will all dearly miss you. Your legacy of music and support for me to sing will continue. My promise to you. My next few posts will be of this wonderful and great individual, a dedication to a wholesome person I am so proud to call a friend.

Kaamatan Open House Day

It was pouring, raining cats & dogs, raining men whatever you called it. It rained heavily. Arteo had a badly case of craving a siopon. I have ordered 2 from a friend but unfortunately at the very last minute it was forgotten. I don't blame him, busy guy.

Nevertheless, Me & Mesh managed to find one or two around Babagon area. At 8 p.m the dinner started with a gong. My kampong people was aplenty but lets put it this way when it comes to gong beating. You can tell from the sound that it is coming from our kampung because we suck! hehehe. There was live music as well and some of our older folks started doing their best Elvis, Engelbert, Elton, Sinatra and the whole 60's gym gang impersonation. I'll let you imagine the scenario... Yup, you can almost hear them sing right.?

My friends ended up in my den and we started drinking. no water and soft drinks allowed. I had Vodka, JW Swing, chivas, Mango Rum and the Siopon. These guys and gurls finished evrything!! daymn! Initially some didn't have the balls to take the challenge on the siopon. Its reputation of being near lethal was overrated I guess. But..having said that, after a few rounds of Swing, everyone started giving the harmless teracotta jar a bit of a sip or two. Now the party is official on!

We started from 8:00pm and finished almost everything from my bar except for the Tequila and Baileys and few bottles of wine. We left and moved to Island Bar..Imagine that! Did we had fun? Araimai tiiiii...

Open House, Kaamatan

Can you believe this?? I posted a blog to inform you guys that I will be having an Open House yesterday 7th June at my family's house. Guess what? The blog didn't get posted.??? I remembered checking it back i.e. View blog and it was there. Anyway, so sorry all.