Colour of Time

Sunday, June 07, 2015

Sunset Music Fest 2015 at The Tip of Borneo

The Sunset Musical Fest held at the Tip of Borneo would be remembered with a mixture of happiness and sadness. It was held on 5 June 2015, the day Ranau in Sabah was struck with the most catastrophic natural disaster it has ever faced – the 6.0 magnitude earthquake on Richter Scale.

Soon after we felt the aftershock tremors in the morning of 5 June 2015, we did not think much of its severity and decided to proceed with our driving to our destination, Kudat to attend this Concert which was planned quite some time ago.

In fact, while we were on our way to Kudat, our friends in Sarawak and West Malaysia had been trying to contact us via the Whatsapp Chat to check whether we were affected by the earthquake. However, I was not aware of it because I was busy on the wheel concentrating on my driving. We were finally contacted through a phone call from a friend in Sarawak when we were about to check into the Resort in Kudat. We wasted no time to keep our friends informed that we were alright.

Sunset Music Fest held annually at the Tip of Borneo is Sabah’s biggest open air concert. Since its launch some nine years ago, it has allowed music lovers to be serenaded with classical music, songs and contemporary tunes. This concert used to feature both foreign and local artistes. But for the concert we attended, all performers are locals.

As the concert name implies, the stage is set in such a way to allow audience to enjoy simultaneously the music as well as the panoramic sunset view of the northern most point of Borneo where the Sulu Sea meets the South China Sea.

The artistes are all well known local singers. But since we are not great fans and followers of local singers, they were all newbies to us. They sang a great variety of songs in English, Malay, Kadazan and even Chinese. As far as I am concerned, the most impactful among them is a group of young men who called themselves "The La Cantabile". They did well when they performed “The Phantom of the Opera”.

Photo's from Sabah Tourism Board - What it is liked to be a spectator of the Concert.

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Waiting for the concert to commence.

We last visited the Tip of Borneo in 2006 (Read here). There was hardly any noticeable change in the area. But the fact is, we have changed because we are definitely much older after a lapse of nine years!

In Kudat, we stayed in a new little beach resort called North Borneo Biostation Resort which is owned and run by a Russian. This Resort is situated at quite a distance from Kudat town centre. Unless one has a car, it would be quite inconvenient to stay there. We chose this place when we browsed through Agoda.com for a place to stay a night after the Sunset Music Fest. This location is quite ideal as it is only about 13 Km southeast of the Tip of Borneo.

Even with our faithful Garmin, we still had some difficulty in locating this place. This Resort is tucked inside a coconut plantation and is built on a beach front at an elevated platform some 30 feet above the sea. This hide-away place is ideal for people who want to totally get away from the city and spend a couple of day in “isolation” to enjoy nature and the sea. However, people who hate hot weather and high humidity may find this quite unpleasant and even annoying.

The restaurant is huge probably because the owner expected all guests to eat-in rather than travel great distance to look for food outside. I found the food reasonably good and charged at very reasonable price.

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Unusual rock formation at the adjacent Bak-Bak Beach

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After the Concert, we had our dinner at a place called the “Howard’s Place” which is just about one Km from the Tip of Borneo. This outlet is also operated by a Caucasian whom I believe loves sunshine and the tropical sea. I believe he chose this strategic location because of its proximity to the famed Tip of Borneo and the equally famed Beach of Pantai Kalampunian which is also not very far from the rear of his restaurant.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Time with Grandchildren in Singapore

Sam's wedding in Singapore on 1 May 2015 provided an opportunity for our WHOLE family to meet up again. The whole family last met up in December 2013 in KK. Unfortunately in our latest gathering, we failed to have a complete family photo taken!

I had a really wonderful time spent with my two adorable grandchildren, Nathan and Grace. Nathan's charm is ever so contagious that it is just not possible not to like and love him. Though I know that carrying him is a task that will become more and more strenuous because he is a growing boy, it is my pledge that I would love to carry him because it just seems cruel to carry the younger one and ignore the older one.

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Grace is undoubtedly the cutest and most adorable little girl one would ever wish to have. Her big eyes, occasional giggles and passionate hugs truly lighten up my heart. Her spontaneous desire for grandpa's hugs and affinity to her grandpa will forever be a soft spot in my heart.

Grace, an "avid" food lover is surprisingly dexterous in handling all the eating utensils at her age.

Getting ready for the down hill ride by Luge

Preparing to enter the 4D Cinema, Universal Studio.

Madagascar Carousel, Universal Studio.

With Minion

Inside a Dinosaur Egg at the Jurassic Park
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At the Trick Eye Museum, we had so much fun capturing mind-boggling photos. The place left us with so many beautiful and unforgettable memories.

Monday, May 04, 2015

Sam is Married!

While the rest of the world was celebrating International Labour Day, my son chose to tie the knot with his soul mate, Rachel on 1 May 2015.

This occasion was particularly precious because this would be one of the rarest of the rarest when the whole family could be reunited. I had great time spending with the family of Serene and the grandchildren.

This photo is probably the last picture Sam took with the parents at 8.30am just before he went off to gate-crash the bride's house. In exactly 10 hours' time, he would transit from being a bachelor to becoming a married man. There were moments when I did feel a sense of loss when I was reminded of Genesis 2:24 - A man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. But that thought quickly vaporized when I knew that I would actually be gaining a new "daughter".

The wedding was held in an old Gothic-style magnificent chapel built in 1904 now being referred to as CHIMJES.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Photo with compliment from Elliot Ng

Abstract of wedding speech:

Marriage is the beginning of a new life, the beginning of a journey of togetherness. We are so glad that our son, Samuel has found a lovely lady, his bride, Rachel to hold his hand all his life and make the journey of life together, to discover the mystery and splendour of marriage life. Of course, it would be dishonest if we say that there will not be tough and trying moments. There will definitely be quarrels and disagreements.

When we first met Rachel, we found out what a smart, strong and independent girl Rachel is. But even more so, we find her to be a thoughtful, caring and compassionate woman. We wish to express our appreciation to her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Chong Kam Wah, who have raised her up so well.

Samuel is one of our three children, second child after his older sister. One of the incidents that I could never forget about him is that I forgot to pick him up from school after the school day ended during his primary education period. I think he was in Primary 2 at that time. Normally, I would send him to school in the morning and pick him back after school during lunch time. That particular day, I was so caught up with some work that I totally forgot about picking him up. I also forgot to notify my wife about this. By the time my wife returned home in the late afternoon, she discovered Samuel was not yet home and she called to ask me where Sam was. I said. "Wow, he must be still in school because I forgot to pick him up!". I rushed to the school immediately and to my great amazement, he was lying on the pavement alone by the road side where children were usually picked up. He showed no sign of distress and in spite of his hunger, he did not cry or grumble. His patience indeed was remarkable. I felt really bad and of course got a lecture from his mother.

That quality of his patience and perseverance is probably how he could carry on a long distance relationship (Singapore and England with a time zone difference of 7 hours) and finally won the heart of Rachel.