Scenic Bridge/Crooked Bridge

When I read about MH and Serene's trip down south and was told of the scenic railway and scenic cable car, I was reminded of our proposed Scenic Bridge in JB which some refer to as the Crooked Bridge. Fortunately, this has been scrapped. It could have been another great civil and structural engineering feat or architectural wonder. But then, the damage to the future generation probably will far outweigh the benefits that can be derived.

How is one to explain such a weird bridge design if a child is to ask the parents for an explanation. As I see it, It would reflect none of the cooperative spirit between two neighbouring countries that we so often boast about in all the political talk. It would also reflect the pursuit of one's personal agenda irrespective of what the other say and feel. It is a lasting symbol of arrogance and non-cooperation in short.

Thank God, beside the millions of Ringgit saved, many Malaysians would not have to face the eternal consequence of an unwise move.

Tip of Borneo

Finally, we made it to the Tip of Borneo on 30 May 2006. This reminded me of our trip to Agusta, the Southern Most Tip of Australia. Unlike Agusta, there is something lacking here. Yes I mean the light house. It would be nice to have one. The bare and worn-out massive rocks do remind us of the great forces of Sulu Sea and the South China Sea ravaging this tiny corner on earth.

 

Harvest Festival 2006

My wife, who is the school principal of SMK St. Mary Papar, is occasionally invited to attend functions outside of her school duties.

SMK St. Mary, located along Jalan Limbahau, falls within the constituency of Papar. Naturally, she would be invited to community events such as the Pesta Kaamatan (Harvest Festival), organized by the KDCA Pantai Manis Branch. Thanks to her courtesy, I had the privilege of accompanying her to this particular celebration. It was, in fact, my very first experience attending a Pesta Kaamatan.

Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the Branch Chairman, Johnny Mositun - a familiar figure in Sabah politics. A former State Assemblyman during the PBS administration, he now serves as the Youth Chief and Information Chief of PBS. (He’s the gentleman wearing the traditional Kadazan-Dusun headgear in the photograph.) Coincidentally, he was also the contractor responsible for constructing one of the new school blocks at SMK St. Mary Papar. I found him to be a genuinely pleasant, approachable, and down-to-earth person.

The afternoon grew even more memorable when I was given the rare honor of being photographed with none other than the former Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who was also at the function. It was an unforgettable moment, adding a special touch to an already meaningful occasion.

1st left: Johnny Mositun,
2nd left: Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

This is One You Will Smile

Our greatest natural resource...........................Our youth

The greatest "shot in the arm"..........................Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome...................Fear
The most destructive habit................................Worry
The greatest joy...................................................Giving
The greatest loss.....................................Loss of self-respect
The most satisfying work...................................Helping
The ugliest personality trait...............................Selfishness
The most endangered species..................Dedicated leaders
The most effective sleeping pill..........................Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease.....................Excuses
The most powerful force in life...........................Love
The most dangerous pariah................................A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer..............The brain
The worst thing to be without.............................Hope
The deadliest weapon...........................................Tongue
The two most power-filled words......................"I Can"
The greatest asset..................................................Faith
The most worthless emotion................................Self pity
The most beautiful attire......................................Smile
The most prized possession..................................Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication...Prayer
The most contagious spirit....................................Enthusiasm

I am Not Stupid 2

I have been going around quite a number of the video shops looking for the authentic non-pirated copy of "I am Not Stupid 2". Somehow, I had not been successful. This morning, My wife and I were in a Coffee Shop in old Inanam having kon low mee breakfast. A peddler came along and offered a stack of pirated DVD's to us. It has not been my habit to look at these CD's or DVD's because it's not my policy to buy these pirated stuff. Somehow this time, I scanned and I found one and only one copy of "I am Not Stupid 2" inside the stake. After much struggle, I bought it.

It turned out, this 2nd series of "I am Not Stupid" is really a very moving movie. I found the part when the father pleading with the school principal at his dead bed for a 2nd chance to be given to his son to go back to study most touching. His son was earlier expelled for beating up a teacher.

I must confess, Mediacorp does produce good movies!

By the way, we recently bought a DVD/CD/MP3 player. Reason: To play the DVD on "The Da Vinci Code - Fact or Fiction" in the Cell meeting in our house.

Jesselton Condominium

Sam, does this look familiar? This project was finally launched in the local newspaper on 12 May 2006.

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The following is added on 5 September 2025:

This 15-storey condominium completed in 2009 is considered one of the earliest condominium projects in Kota Kinabalu. Situated adjacent to Taman Kim Leng, where I once stayed, it offers views over Teluk Likas Bay and Mount Kinabalu for those facing the east.

Google photo of the finished condominium.

Just For Laugh

George Clooney.

Sean Connery