Cougar Town

It has been a while since the last time I've updated my blog. I wont say that I've been busy that I cant write - it's more towards being lazy actually. Plus I just feel that it's better to write less at this point of time since most of the words I've used in my entries are somewhat not appropriate for this Holy month of Ramadhan.

Anyway, I kindof missed my blog & therefore I'm gonna rant something un-important today. Last week I got the chance to watch the first 3 episodes of this TV series called Cougar Town. Downloaded the whole Season 1 a few weeks ago but only got to watch it last week now that I'm done with all the 6 seasons of Sex & The City - love this series so very much - except for that slutty couple, Carrie & Big! See, it's only the 2nd paragraph & I've started cursing already - I knew this bound to happen and my intention to write less this month is proven right !

Anyway, back to Cougar Town. Before I proceed, let me define the word "cougar" for those who are not aware of the meaning. Cougar as defined in the Urban Dictionary is an older woman who frequents clubs in order to score with a much younger man. The story revolves around Jules (Courtney Cox) who recently divorced & tries to jump back into the dating pool in an effort to make up for lost years.

The thing is, I dont really like this series. Courtney's acting was okay - it's the storyline that I loathed. I just dont like the idea of a 40 year old divorcee being so sexed up. It is not wrong in any way for a divorcee to have her own life but this Jules woman is a bit too much - a bit of a desperado, I would say.

I just felt that this series would give a wrong impression to a single mum in their forty - like me, for instant. People who watch this series would think that it's only sex that we have in mind. It gives the wrong picture to the audience of how a mid-aged woman would react from her divorce. The way I see it, is like an insult to me & other single mother out there.

People might say that I am overly sensitive but before you wanna say that, try to be in my shoes. Even without this TV series, the society would always looked down on divorcees - that is a fact nobody can deny. And I'm quite sure some of us who watched Cougar Town would have a good time bitching and agreeing on the part of a divorcee being so desperate.

Another thing about this series that I dont like is the title. It is called Cougar town when there's only one cougar in it. So what's with the "town" then? On top of that, I really hate the concept of “cougar.” It makes older women who are single as sexual predators. It’s just so ageist. And why arent there any special names or terms for an older men who date a much younger women? For me it's easy - I just called them old prick (honestly, I have an uglier name which I better keep it to myself for now, in fear that I might end up fasting for nothing today ).

Last but not least, watching Courtney Cox flaunt her gorgeous bod is so depressing. First I'll be looking at her. Then I'll be looking at my ownself in return. And the next thing, you'll see me jumping out of the building! Damn, I envy her. They shouldnt have casted her for the role - I'm quite certain lots of women in their 40s out there would be feeling very depressed watching her. It's not that I dont love myself but looking at something so gorgeous like hers just kills me !

So, tell me how not to hate this series? Damn ! Damn ! Damn ! ( And there goes my fasting too! )

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A & J Budget Hotel

I still have a few more stories about Kota Kinabalu that I havent shared with you, readers. However, since yesterday I was infected by the most powerful lazy bug that I dont feel like doing anything at all. All I wanna do is to go home & lie on my bed, which wont be possible as I'm working with Dresser rather than "Rahim's" (my dad's name).

Anyway, to wrap up my KK stories I strongly feel that I need to write about the hotel that we stayed in KK. It was a budget hotel called A & J. Whoever intents to visit KK in the near future, I would highly recommend this hotel.



Not only the location is strategic, the price is fairly cheap too. This hotel is located right in the middle of the town - exactly across the infamous Filipino Market. Gaya Streeet, Kampung Air, markets & restaurants are all just a walking distance from this hotel.

We took the family room which can occupies 6 persons & we only have to pay RM90/night. The room is good - fully air-conditioned, towels & soap for each person & they have Astro too. Hot & cold water are available just outside the room. It is a new hotel ( started their business early this year ) & therefore everything still look new & nice.

For details on the address & rates of the hotel, you can visit their website here.

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Tamparuli Bridge

Honestly, there's nothing special about this bridge. The reason most of the people knows about it is because of the famous Kadazan's folk song "Jambatan Tamparuli" in the70s. Then, Marsha Londoh (a Tamparulian herself) of AF3 brought back its popularity when she sang it live during the 7th Akademi Fantasia season 3 concert.

The picture of the old bridge ( Source )

The Tamparuli bridge that I've been to that day is not the original bridge actually. The original Tamparuli hanging bridge was washed away in the biggest flood ever to hit Tamparuli in January 1999.




We were brought here that day to just see the bridge. At least now if I were to hear the song, I can always say, "I've been there......".

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Cows & Their Umbrellas

I was at the market yesterday morning, of which I believed was the wrong day to do so. On a wet & cold morning like yesterday, I should have enjoyed the moments snuggling under my warm blanket & stay on bed the whole morning. Instead, there I was on my red scooter fighting against those tiny rain drops, like needles poking on my face. All that in the name of love - for my daughter, of course and not for any stupid man ( only God knows how much I love saying this ) that is.... duuhhhhhhh !

Am not gonna talk about the market today - it's the rain that I'm into this time. Well, not exactly about the rain but more on the effect of the rain on human. Again, not any human but those stupidos which seems to outnumber the smart ones nowadays - especially among one particular gender (do I need to mention which one?)

Rain is good. I love the rain, whether I'm inside or outside. I love the feeling of rain falling on my face on a cloudy day. I love sitting inside, watching the rain trickle down my window, as I listen to my favorite music.

The only thing I hate is how stupid people react to it. Yesterday morning at the market, as I was mentioning earlier, it was raining. As it is, I was not in my best state of mind as I wont be able to enjoy the rain the way I wanted it. Things get worse the moment I walked in a pool of people in the market. Imagine, being squashed in between of not so happening people (it's the market, what do you expect?), waters dripping from above, dirty water puddle got splashed everywhere on the feet - very, very messy indeed. I'm not complaining, I mean that's how a market is, isnt it?

What pisses me off is this one kind of heartless ( or rather brainless) people who doesnt seems to care about others. I know it's raining but do you really have to use the umbrella? We're not talking about an open market here. Though there's no proper roof but there are lots of big umbrellas being put up by the vendors. It may not be enough to keep you dry but at least you wont get soaking wet.

And these selfish people would just walk in with their umbrellas open. It's ok to use your umbrella in an open space but not in the small & closed-up place like the market. Dont they know how hazardous it is to be walking in a crowd with an open umbrella? Somebody might came out from the market with his eyeball hanging out from his head, for God's sake. One thing I observed is that those people with umbrellas don't really bother to maneuver their umbrellas so as not to poke into one's eye. It's the people around them who have to scoop down or move away from them in order not to get poked. What a selfish bastard, isnt it?

This is not the first time I've encountered such a situation. I've seen it so many times & it really boils me up seeing it. How can people be so selfish? Dont tell me they dont even notice the damage they've done. Or maybe they knew but simply being selfish. Whatever it is, these are the dumb ass that doesnt belong to the society. These people should be sent to the Amazon to live with the anacondas instead - that's if they are not being swallowed by one from being mistaken as a cow !

Listen here people ( or should I say "cows"?)......if you dont like to get wet, just stay in your house till the rain stops. Dont walk around with an umbrella, blinding people up. Otherwise, put on your raincoat & visor helmet like me - you may not look cute or vogue but at least, people wont hate you !

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Overwhelmed

Guess what? I just came back from Low Yat Plaza......oh yes, I did ! I finally did it. Though it is not as what I've wished for but then, it's good enuff. Good enuff to carve that big smile on my face leaving me feeling very contented.

I went to Low Yat Plaza with one mission - to get myself an external HDD. My existing 320 GB HDD has long reached its maximum capacity. This is the thing with having an external HDD. Knowing that you have the capacity, you just go all out. If I were a DVD pirate, with the amount of movies that I have in my collections, I would be staying in an expensive condominium already by now. 252 movies in total of which less than 5% I've finished watching. 252 movies & still counting......... and that doesnt even includes the TV series, for crying out loud !

Not enuff with the movies collection, I am now back to my old hobby - scrapbooking. That's why I need another HDD - to store all my scrapbook stuffs which have exponentially increasing (since I keep on downloading the materials every freakin' day). Downloading things from the internet can be really addictive. Trust me - I've been there for so long & I couldnt seems to find the way out. It's like being possessed or something where there's this voice inside of you telling you to do it. Download......download......download......damn !

Anyway, scrapbooking is nothing new to me. I've stopped doing scrapbooks a year or two before - which is about the same timing I started Red Scoot On The Move. Didnt know what actually triggered me that I've started picking up on scrapbooking again. All I know, it gives me some kind of pleasure & satisfaction looking at the end results. God, if only I have more than 24 hours a day !

One of the scrapbook I've just finished doing

You see, that's why I cant have a man in my life - where would I ever find time to squeeze him between all these important things in my life. I mean, c'mon......why on earth would I give way to those rats when my hobbies would 100% give me all the happiness I wanted, without a slightest doubt ! And dont make me start talking about that disgusting species again, especially in this Holy month of Ramadhan - coz once I start, I just cant stop !

So, this is what I got :

A Western Digital 500 GB portable HDD. My dream is to actually grab the 1 TB capacity (greedy, am I?) but it's way over my budget. I bought this 500 GB for RM 199 & a 1 TB HDD would cost me between RM400 - RM500 depending on the models / brands.

Among other brands of the same capacity, this one seems to be the cheapest. No shiny, glimmering housing & such - just a bland & boring black square. Nevertheless, like us people, accessorizing does make a different. With just one simple, shocking pink casing, boring is now "happening" !

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Roasted Lokan @ Sulaman

For those who didnt know what "lokan" is, well it's a type of clam found buried in the stiff mud of the landward fringe of mangroves. Honestly, I dont know what is it called in English - or maybe, it doesnt even have one. However, scientifically lokan is known as Polymesoda expansa - what a name, huh?

This roasted lokan is a must-have while you're in KK. For as far as I know, nowhere else in Malaysia you would be able to find this special cuisine. I came to know about it while browsing for KK's local attractions in the net. From all the forums I've read, this roasted lokan has been receiving lots of good reviews which makes me decided to include it into our itinerary.


The place which sells this lokan is situated in Jalan Sulaman i.e. the KK - Tuaran road. It is a few meters ahead the KK Polytechnic, if you're coming from KK town. You wont missed the place as there would be rows of cars parked in front of the many road stalls there.

Right in front of each stalls are the the piles of fresh, raw lokans waiting for the customers to be picked. The large pile is priced at RM12 while the smaller ones are RM7/pile. Since there are 7 of us altogether, we took the large pile which consist of 20 big lokans.


Apart from the lokans they also have BBQ crabs but we didnt go for this since our intention lies only on those lokans at the moment. While waiting for our lokans to be ready, we tried their icy cold, superlicious coconut jelly. What makes it so special is how it's been presented where the coconut acts as the mould for the jelly. I've never had a coconut jelly before but this particular ones are really awesome. The taste is simply out of this world. Each of this jelly is sold at RM4 per piece and RM2.50 for the ones in small cups.


As for the lokans, they are not bad either. Those lokans are grilled with a special gravy & a bit of grated coconut. It tasted something like mussels but a bit more chewy. I would certainly come back to this place if I were to visit KK again - not for the lokans though but definitely for the mouth watering coconut jelly.

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Poring Hot Spring

Poring Hot Spring, named after a tall bamboo plant that is abundant in that area, is one of the famous Sabah's tourist spot. It is a natural spring where hot sulfurous water emit from the ground which is believed to be good to the skin.


The entrance fee is RM 3 (adults) & RM 1 (children) and is open daily from 7 am to 6 pm. According to Kak Wok, this place is always packed with both the locals & tourists over the weekend to relax while enjoying a soothing bath in the hot tubs (indoor or outdoor). Besides the hot tubs, accommodations & restaurant are also available here.


We didnt plan to soak ourselves up in the tub but rather dipping our feet in the warm sulfuric water.


Later, we decided to take the challenge of the canopy walk. The canopy walkway is a 157.8m long suspended bridge and has an average height of 41m. One has to climb up the graded trail (which is quite steep) of 250 m long before reaching the bridge. Another entrance fee is charged upon entering the area, that is RM 3 (adults) and RM 1 (children). And if you intend to bring your camera along (which you obviously would), another RM5 is added to the fee.



The moment we're there, right in front of the bridge, Marsya then started to cry. Marsya is acrophobia that is afraid of height. She didnt realize that the canopy walk is gonna be that high until she sees it for herself. That's when she started feeling scared.



After 10 minutes of persuading & coaxing, I managed to convince her to go ahead with it, with an assurance that I would walk closely to her. Poor girl !



Personally without the canopy walk, there's nothing so interesting about this place - not unless if you like to immerse yourself in the warm water tubs. Other than that, it's just a common picnic area like anywhere else.

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Kundasang War Memorial

The Kundasang War Memorial was built in memory of the thousands of British & Australian soldiers who died during the Second World War at the prisoner camps in Sabah as well as along the forced marches from Sandakan to Ranau dubbed The Death Marches.

Of the 2400 British and Australian prisoners of war captured, only 6 survived to tell the tale of the physical torture they had to endure during captivity. Countless locals who tried to assist the soldiers were also killed by the invading Japanese army. Only six Australians survived to tell the horror. There were no English survivors.

The ‘fort-like’ design of the Memorial was by local resident architect, J.C. Robinson. It has 4 interlocking but separate gardens built on ascending levels along a hillside, to represent the homelands of those who died.

The first of which is the slightly bare looking Australian Garden but with a cute signboard though .......


From here, you'll have to climb a flight of stairs which will take you to the English Garden - with a few of different roses greeting you.




As you continue walking, you'll get to the third garden which is called Borneo garden with its displays of Borneo's native plants.



Last bu not least is the Contemplation Garden with a reflection pool & pergola - the best of all four for it's serenity & fabulous views.



You have to walk up all the way to the last garden as this is where the real gems lie. We nearly missed this interesting part of the park as we thought it would one common garden like the rest. It's from this point where you'll be able to see the view of the whole of Kundasang town - a view worth seeing.



The entrance to this park, by the way is not free. The entrance fee is RM3 for adults & RM 1 for children and is open daily between 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.

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Desa Dairy Farm

A trip to Kota Kinabalu wont be complete without visiting Kundasang. Kundasang is the closest village to Mount Kinabalu which has a panoramic view of the mountain. Its location provides the place a cool climate & a wonderful refreshing cool air. Personally, I find Kundasang full of simplicities. The life of the people's here is very laid back & they take life as it is.


Among the attractions in Kundasang are The Desa Dairy Farm, Kinabalu National Park & the War Memorial. Besides these interesting places, Kundasang is also a famous spot for fresh fruits & vegetables due to its cool climate.




The first place we went to upon reaching this town is no other that the Desa Dairy Farm. This is a dairy cattle that produced pasteurized fresh milk & is the largest contributor of fresh milk in Sabah. Fresh milk are available here at a much cheaper price. Anyway I cant comment much about the milk though since I am not a milk-drinker. However according to my dad, they are damn good !




This dairy farm I would say, is the best place in Sabah to be at. It's a must-see place that shouldnt be missed in anybody's itinerary for their Sabah trip. Desa Dairy Farm is located at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu. A herd of the Friesian cattles wandering on the fields somehow or rather makes me feel as though I am in New Zealand instead. The scenery of the green meadows stretching as far as to the foothill of the mountain offers a magnificent view - so beautiful that you might forget to breath for a few seconds seeing it !

Smart cows, aren't they?

If you are coming from Kota Kinabalu, head over to Kundasang War Memorial & go straight downhill and uphill while keeping your eyes to the left. You'll then see a small wooden guard post that sells the entrance tickets. When you see the Desa Dairy Farm signboard just turn left and you are on the right track. The place is quite secluded & hidden.

The milking process

This farm is open to public between 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, with an entrance fee of RM3/person. Besides the view, visitors can also see the milking process done at the centre. I'm not quite sure of the milking hours though, but we were lucky that day as we got there just on time. It's in indeed an impressive sight seeing those cows obediently lining up to the milking station without having anybody to guide them.

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TM Resort Kundasang

This is where we stayed while in Kundasang - TM Resort Kundasang a.k.a Sri Intan Kundasang. It was pre-booked by En. Kamis for us. This particular hotel is one of the many hotels owned by Telekom Malaysia. It is situated in the middle of Kundasang town - just on top of the hills nearby the vegetables stalls.




Thanks to En. Kamis for getting us a cheaper rate for the chalet. We paid RM 90/nite for 1 Queen bed + 2 singles, which is very, very reasonable. Though the chalet is a bit run down, but it was not that bad. For the price we pay, it is considered more than worth it - especially with the wonderfully beautiful views from the balcony. For TM's employee, the rate is much, much lower - as low as RM30/nite, I've been told.




Among the facilities that is provided in the chalet are TV (with Astro), water-heater, electric kettle & towels. Noticed that there's neither air-conditioning nor fan being provided. The weather there is chilly enuff that you dont need any of those at all - especially at night. I dont think anyone of us would even dare to touch the water should no heater being provided - it was like ice water, for God's sake !

View from the balcony

Those who are planning to visit Kundasang, could consider this place as one of the options for the lodging. Details of the resort can be obtained here.

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Kota Kinabalu 2010 - Part II

A glimpse of the mountain - pic. taken from the car on the way to Kundasang

I was planning to continue writing about my recent trip to KK over the weekend but then I was so into the relax mode that I couldnt even turn on my lappie. This weekend was one of the best weekend ever - after many, many long & tiring weekends before. It's a weekend I'm so looking forward to. I finally managed to stretch all my tired & restless muscles for two solid days ! Such a wonderful week !

Ok, back to my KK stories. As mentioned earlier, the journey from KK town to Kundasang would take approximately 2 1/2 hrs through a winding road up the hills ( or mountain? ). It pretty much resembled the road from Simpang Pulai to Cameron Highlands of which in both events had make me really sick. This is a common problem to a person who normally sit behind the wheels. The moment they became the passenger & had to sit at the back, their body systems get haywire.




Our first stop is at Pekan Nabalu - a very small town with lots of stalls selling handicrafts, fruits & local products. It's the right spot to stop for a short break. Not too far from this place, we were then brought to this one clear & open area where we could could clearly see the tallest mountain in South East Asia - Mount Kinabalu. It was such a remarkable sight that no words could ever described it. Looking at it gave me a sense of satisfaction & pleasure, now that I could tell the whole world that I've seen it with my own eyes - the MOUNTAIN, that is. I just wished I could climb it some day........

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