Kota Kinabalu

This Christmas was a Christmas like no other. With us being so far from our family, staying in Brunei just didn't seem like an option. So we decided to head to Kota Kinabalu (KK) in Malaysia. KK is only a 20 minute flight from Brunei, but it is said to be on of the best places for scuba diving and snorkelling. The hotel we booked was about 40 minutes out of KK. Here we were able to enjoy the beach which we had almost all to ourselves.

On Christmas Eve, we took a taxi into the actual city of KK. From the waterfront in KK there are five islands that you can visit for snorkelling. So off we went to Jesselton Point to catch a ferry. On this day we headed to the island called Manukan Island.

Besides being a little bit touristy, the island itself was beautiful and the shore was littered in coral. The boys were amazed at all the fish we saw. I have been snorkelling before, but never have I swam with so many fish surrounding me. Of course we saw Nimo, and that was a highlight of the day for Evan. Before we knew it, the time to catch our ferry back was near. We gathered our treasures we found on the beach and caught our boat back. It was a fabulous day! We finished off the evening by eating in our "new" favorite local restaurant.

Kota Kinabalu Cont...

More Photos from Manukan Island

On Christmas morning we had decided to have a relaxing day enjoying the beach at the hotel. After breakfast we noticed that the tide was out so far that it made the island opposite us accessible. It took us just under an hour to walk to the island. As we approached the island all you could hear was the sounds of the jungle. I can imagine if you were to spend the night on one of these islands these awesome sounds would be a little unnerving in the dark. Actually the island to the left of the one you see above is the actual island that was featured on the first Survivor show. I did want to visit it, but time got away from us. Soon after the tide started to come in, so we headed back before we had to swim. We had a nice lunch on the deck of our chalet, then cleaned ourselves up for our Christmas dinner.

For Christmas dinner we again headed back into KK. We booked a table at one of the ritzy resorts whose Xmas smorgasboard was meant to be amazing. And amazing it was! I have never seen such a spread. They had traditional Christmas food from all over the world. As well they had a whole row of seafood including lobster, crab, oysters, salmon and much more. I always wish I were a man when I eat at a smorg, as I never seem to have room for it all! The boys jaw dropped when they saw the dessert counter. They had about 30 different cakes, assorted cookies, icecream, and a chocolate fountain.

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The following day we decided to leave our hotel and stay in the city. That way we could walk most places and not have to have the 40 minute drive at the end of the day. We booked into a hotel right on the waterfront and spent the day wandering around the city.

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On the 27th, we had previously booked a snorkelling tour. So again we boarded a boat excited for our day on the water. This time we went to an island called Sapi Island. This island is the most popular for snorkelling. We jumped in the water right off the boat and had an amazing time exploring the reefs. I can't tell you all the amazing sights we saw. The fish were vivid and beautiful and until recently thought I'd only see them in fish tanks. There were many times when I seemed to be swimming within a school of these beautiful fish. This is definitely a place I will be taking anyone who wants to come and visit me!

Christmas 2010

With our plans to be away over Xmas we decided to celebrate Xmas early this year to avoid packing the gifts to bring with us. So in the early hours of December 20th the boys were eager to open their presents. Shopping in Brunei is very difficult to get quality presents. So we were able to get the Ripsticks brought over from the U.S. by one of Rob's work friends. The rest was a combination of mail order and hunting around the shops. I think the boys were happy with all their gifts!

In the evening we had a few people over for turkey dinner. The ovens here are quite small and unreliable. So this year, as many others living here do, we decided to try and deep fry a turkey. It turned out well, but I missed the smell of the turkey roasting throughout the day. We had a nice time visiting with friends. But I find this holiday season only emphasizes the distance we are away from family. I hope you all had a wonderful Xmas! Thinking of you as always :)

:: Bubbles ::

Instead of fun in the sun, the monsoon season has brought fun in the rain! The boys who seldom have played on their trampoline that we brought over, found a new use for it. They had a great time pouring dish soap on the trampoline while the rain lathered it up. With all the slipping and sliding it was amazing that no one got hurt.

Christmas Traditions

With us being so far from our home, Christmas this year feels quite different and to be honest not Christmasy at all. So as I sit down to write this post my house is filled with the sweet smell of Ginger Snaps baking in the oven. The smell alone makes me think of Christmas! I guess this is a family recipe since I got it many years ago from my cousin Tracy. The Ginger Snaps are soft and chewy. They never seem to last long in our home! So here is the recipe...

:: Ginger Snaps ::

2 Cups of flour :: 1 Cup of sugar

3/4 cup of margarine :: 1/2 cup molasses

1 1/2 tsp. ginger :: 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda :: 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

( I usually double the recipe)

Combine all the dry ingredients. Mix molasses, egg, and butter together, then combine with the dry ingredients. Once all mixed, place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. I usually mix this the night before and save the rolling of the balls to do with the boys the following day.

Once chilled form the balls the size of a walnut. I use a great tool by Pampered Chef. I think it is called the medium scoop?? Roll the balls in regular white sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Place in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 9 minutes. It is better to under cook these.

Leave the cookies on the tray for a couple of minutes prior to removing to cool. The doubled recipe should make about 40 large cookies.

Voila!! A full cookie jar, but not for long....

Lately...

While Kieran and I were in Kuching he came down with an ear infection. We experienced a Malaysian hospital and thought all was said and done. Well a week into the antibiotics and the ear was not improving, but getting worse. His ear was almost closed entirely from the swelling and he had a huge swelling behind his ear. After two more emerg visits and another Dr visit we were finally referred to an ENT specialist. Rob raced him up to Bandar to see the specialist. They wanted to admit him there as the infection had spread into his brain. Since we lived an hour from Bandar they agreed to let him have his treatment in the KB hospital. We arrived in the hospital shortly before 5 and tried to prepare him mentally for the IV he was about to receive. If any of you know Kieran closely, you would know he doesn't do well with the dentist or any medical procedures. So as willing as he seemed to be brave about the IV, when the time came for the needle to be inserted he freaked. It took 5 nurse and 2 men to restrain him. It was a horrible but necessary scene! Since then we are at the hospital 3 times a day getting IV antibiotics. He now is miraculously better and should be done treatment by tomorrow. He will still be on oral antibiotics for awhile, but thank God he is better. We're hoping his ear will be totally healed by Xmas so he can still take his scuba diving lessons.

::Painted Cracks::

Here I sit in the wee hours of the morning. What has prompted me out of sleep? The chatter of the insects, the rain against the roof, or possible God himself. Whatever or Whoever it is I have this urge to step out of my comfort zone and share something about me with you. I am a Christian and have been on somewhat of a God quest for many years. However, I don't hide this about myself nor do I let my lamp shine for all to see. You see my perfectionistic side of me thinks I need to know all about God in order to be a good model of what a Christian should look like. But unfortunately my life and me for that matter are not perfect. I have many thorns in my side that perhaps keep me pressing for more wisdom from God. I have had a few moments in life where it has been near impossible to doubt that God exists. I have also had far too many times when the mysteries of God seem so hard to reach and leave me doubtful. But what I do know to be true is that each life from the outside is painted in such rosy colours that it causes others to doubt that any cracks exist. We all wear masks in order to hide the real person beneath as if it were something that needs to be hidden. My life may look rosy on the outside, but I too have struggles that at times seem unbearable in day to day life. So I believe that the author of my life has blessings and pitfalls around each corner in order to bring me to where I'm meant to be. If nothing at all this brings me hope. I'm here for a reason. So as I reveal my vulnerablilities out of obedience, I hope that is was meant for someone to read at a moment when they need to hear it.

Trip to Kuching

This term for Science Kieran and I have been studying Ecology. His final assignment was to research an ecosystem. So since we live in the Borneo rainforest we chose this topic to study. We decided to fly to Kuching, Malaysia as I had heard there is a great place to stay where you actually sleep in treehouses in the jungle. The above pictures are of the actual city of Kuching. It is known as the city of cats which is what Kuching means in Malay. We arrived at our hotel around 1pm and did a little shopping and touring of the town before dinner.

The following morning we went to a Orangutan Santuary. There are about 20 orangutan's who live in the wild in the sanctuary. There is no fencing separating you so we were able to see them up close. On the one hand it is neat to see them so near, but as we were told orangutan's can be quite unpredictable. A mom and her baby actually attacked one of the feeder's from the sanctuary. They really are such neat animals. I could have watched them all day!

After a 45 minute taxi ride we arrived at the Permai Rainforest Resort. This was to be our home in the trees for the next two days. Upon arriving and after checking in we walked along the boardwalks to find our treehouse. The resort is built in such a way that it blends in with the jungle. You really feel as if you are in the thick of the jungle. From the ocean side the resort is totally invisible. Our room was amazing. My favorite part was falling asleep with the doors open hearing the ocean beneath with ceiling fan lulling us to sleep.

At the resort they had a high ropes course that Kieran wanted to try. I'm not a big fan of heights but decided to give it a whirl. After we were harnessed, I bravely lagged behind Kieran. The only part that was sheer panic for me was when I had to cross a 20ft long pipe with little to hang on to. We finished the course with a trip along the zipline.

(Remember to click on any photos you want a closer look at)

Kuching Cont...

After our high ropes course we headed to the beach to explore. As it turned out the monsoon season brought with it big waves on the beach. We must have spent a good 2 hours letting the waves carrying us on the shore in it's current. This was Kieran's favorite part of the trip. I must say that we had sand filling every crevice of our bodies, but it was fun. We headed back to the room to get showered before dinner.

The next morning as we had feared Kieran's earache had turned into a full blown infection. Our resort was really in the middle of nowhere. So after figuring out how to get a shuttle in, we headed to the hospital. The hospital was really nice. We were given an appointment with the ENT specialist, got the medicine and the bill. The sad thing about the bill was that I paid the same amount for the shuttle in as the doctor made.

Once we got back to the resort, we headed over to the Sarawak cultural village. This is village that you can visit to get a feel for all the tribes current and historically that live within the rainforest. There were about 10 houses representing how the different tribes live that you can walk inside. Once inside they have cooking demonstrations, carving, music, and dancing. In the area where we live the Penan tribe still live. They are a nomadic tribe who due to cutting back the rainforest have been forced to move closer to the cities and live in a more permanent village. In order for them to sustain their village a number of charities collect clothes and canned good and also help them to sell their handicrafts. I recently visited a sale of their goods. I purchased a shadowbox with a set of their traditional earrings displayed.

Pictures from top left... 1. An Orang Ulu longhouse. These longhouses were built to last for many generations. 2. A lady making tapioca cookies. I was unaware that tapioca comes from a root. It looks similar to a yam but white. She grated the roots, added sugar, and then deep fried it in oil. It was quite tasty. 3. Melanau tribe home. This tribe traditionally lived near the sea, hence the houses were elevated 40 ft above ground. 4. Kieran trying the antique rice grinder 5. Bidayuh traditional house. They built their homes high in the mountains usually tacked to a steep hillside. This was partly for protection and partly for access to the pure, fresh water.