Crocs in the Suburbs

For those of you who are into prehistoric reptiles, pay a visit to the famous Jong's Crocordile Farm in the suburbs of Kuching City. The farm is located about 30km south of the city, you can get there by driving south along the Kuching-Serian Road and take a left turn at a junction just after you pass through Siburan township (see map attached). The signboard is not too great, so be sure to slow down once you pass under an overhead crossing and a Chinese school on your left side (Siburan town is on your right).

My wife and son were there a few months back. Apart from crocs, they also have other animals such as the bear cat, wild boars and jungle fowls. Be sure to keep your hands in your pockets!

Nathan and the Songbirds

On Monday 2oth my family and I went to a Christian Charity Concert in town, organised by the SIB (Sidang Injil Borneo) Church and their associates. Some of Malaysia's top young performing artists were there, i.e. Jaclyn Victor, Juwita Suwito and Evenstarr. It was quite an ok show (ok because I thought the minus-one sound system didn't do justice to the singers, i.e. the sound system sucked big time) and the performers were very friendly indeed. Here are some photos of my son Nathan with Juwita and Jaclyn.

Seafood's Good If You Know Where To Find a Good Restaurant

Talking about seafood, almost everyone I know love crabs. It's hard to find someone who wouldn't want to get their hands into a good crab dish. I for one love it, and whenever I get the opportunity, I'd go and feast on a good order. The most recent crab meal I had was on the 1st day of Gawai, where my family and I had dinner at a seafood restaurant called Teo Seafood at Kg. Buntal at Santubong, about 20 km from Kuching City. Crabs of an assortment of size and weight, you can choose them in a big orange plastic basin as they scrambled along with their two free hind legs, the rest of their limbs all tied up including their most voracious pinchers. Tell the cook how you'd want them to be prepared, e.g. crab in black pepper sauce, crab fried with eggs, steamed crab, crab in sweet and sour sauce. Whatever the flavour, I love their natural taste and that sea-like smell as their fresh flesh breaks out of their red-brick cooked shell, or exo-skeleton.

Other than crabs, Teo Seafood offers fish, prawn, sea cucumber, oyster, mussels and other seafood dishes at very affordable prices. The food is very fresh, I've never been disappointed ther. Have a trip there one of these days.

The Triple H (HHH) "Hash" Run

I don't really know the full history or purpose behind this hash culture of running in the woods but I'm informed that it started way back some 30 or so years ago by ex-patriates who came to Sarawak and brought in the idea of running in the woods to be a healthy recreational activity. It's also an international thing, with some very ardent hashers who spend time running at different parts of the world. I know Miri town north of Sarawak has their own runs, plus Sabah too.

The runs in Kuching City are conducted 3 times a week I think, in the afternoon around 5pm. It's on every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. I've only been to 2 runs so far, once in 2004 and once this year in July (a very difficult one that). The runs are about 10-15km and the ones I've been to are a mix of undulating terrains, small trails, across rivers, flat surfaces at some spots.

If you want to do the hash run in Kuching (well not in Kuching but the outskirts), you may contact a friend of mine, Chris Martin (012-8492187). He's part of a group of regular hashers who organise the routes for the Wednesday runs. Fee is a minimal RM10 - 15 per run.

By the way did I mention there's a mandatory beer-downing session at the end of the runs? Plus dinner if you're up to it.

TV Dinner Outside of Home

If you fancy watching a soccer match while dining with a loved one under the protection of proper roofing with some rather pleasant interior decorating and furniture arrangement plus some warm welcoming ambience (not forgetting a cheap price to pay for the reasonably good food to be served), then pay a visit to Great Kitchen Cafe at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce. It's just behind McDonald's, a corner lot. You can't miss it. The place used to be called Nice Cafe (during my heydays it was one place where the younger generation used to dine, well after midnight). They also serve alcoholic beverages and smoking is allowed inside (they use ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning). No pets allowed though.

Not So Cheap place for Good Grub

Eating out in Kuching City tonight are we? What about trying some Vietnamese food? If you happen to be in an area called RH Plaza/BDC, try a meal at a vietnamese restaurant called Little Saigon. I know, probably not the only restaurant outside of Myanmar to be called that name. The food is quite good for the price you are paying for. It's dead cheap for anyone who normally deals in US dollars, but for Kuching City standards it's a bit on the dear side. Easiest way to get there? Take a cab. Else take a mate who knows his or her way around the City. Know no one? Ok. Try some local food then.

Walking the Dog at Night

Last night I was out with a friend of mine walking another friend's dog. A pup to be exact. We were walking through a rather posh part of the City at about 10.30pm and the weather was quite accomodating despite the fact that le haze was still at large. It's been quite a long time since I went out for a walk in the City, let alone at night, since most of the time I'm either racing through the streets in my car, or stuck in front of the pc in my office, or resting in front of the tv, or strumming my Tele nonchalantly, or doing tens of push-ups in my living room (with my 3-year old son riding on my back). So last night was a bloody whole new experience for me. After a very long time. One and a half solid hours of walking through a small part of Kuching City at night. Try it. You see more of what's around you than you could ever imagine if you even had the time to do it from the comfort of your car, whether you're driving or not. The feeling is that of subliminal awe and constant surprise, I was always saying to myself as I walk, hey I didn't know that this thing was here....this thing was there...etc. Learning new things everyday.
For enjoyable, free and meaningful walks in Kuching City, try the Reservoir Park area after 8pm on a weekday. Bring a dog or two. Or if you don't have access to dogs, bring a friend or two. At least you don't have to leash them all the time.

The haze is clearing a bit

I've not been posting anything for nearly 2 weeks now, been busy with work and family and all other stuff. The haze down here in Sarawak hasn't helped much either, it's been giving me an almost constant flu and dry cough. But thankfully the sky has cleared a bit now, with the air pollution index averaging about 75-80 in most parts of the City. Hell before that it was way over 100 and even up to 150 at some point. I'm at a cyber cafe now somewhere in the middle of town, a place called Cyber City. It's just behind Hilton Hotel actually. Ok gotta go, grubbing time.

Caves near Kuching City

More on caves. If you just happen to stop by in Kuching for a short business trip and can't really spare much time and money to go gallivanting across the state, then I suggest you take a trip up to a town called Bau (pronounced "Bow"), approx. 25-30 Km from Kuching City centre. Just on the outskirts of this small town there is a cave system known as the Wind Cave and Fairy Cave. I've been to both but that was quite some time ago. Quite easy to walk through it because elevated wooden walkways have been built inside the caves. Except for some parts which might be inundated with water, if it has been raining heavily the previous night. You got to pay a minimal entrance fee to go in (just a few Malaysian Ringgit, wouldn't burn a hole in your pocket) and remember to bring a good torchlight and a hat or a jacket with a hood. Check my link "Useful for Travellers" for some more info. See photo in this link which shows one of Wind Cave's entrance (http://www.flickr.com/photos/39657093@N00/25268588/).

Kuching City, with Sarawak River on the foreground

I live in this city. It's clean, beautiful and very far from hectic. The sky isn't always as blue as you see it but I'm not complaining. Nuff said. Enjoy the photo, courtesy of the internet. I'm still learning how to use my camera to take photos such as this. Maybe it's time I get the 350D, at the very least.

Kuching City and Sarawak River

The capital of Sarawak is Kuching City, located on the southwestern end of this largest state in Malaysia. Kuching City has a population exceeding 300,000 in year 2006 and is expected to grow up to 500,000 by year 2015. What makes this city very unique, among a host of other things, is that a river meanders right through the heart of the city, almost dividing it equally in half. The river, known as the Sarawak River, meanders through the city and flows west-easterly to meet another equally-sized river, the Kuap River. The photograph (source: www.community.iexplore.com) shows a very famous and rather historically significant landmark along the river, that is the Astana, i.e. the official residential of the Governor of Sarawak. This building was built more than a 100 years ago by the "white rajahs" of Sarawak, the Brooke family. They came over (an English gentleman named James Brooke sailing in his ship, The Royalist) sometime in mid-19th century to the then younger Sarawak, landed here, loved the place, made some deals to take it over from a member of the royal family of the sultanate of Brunei (who apparently owned Sarawak then) and subsequently became "rajah" or king of Sarawak. Fantastic story for some, less fascinating for others.
Today, this river has become Kuching City's most celebrated and well-known sight-seeing location for both local and foreign visitors alike. With the construction of a beautiful esplanade along the southern bank of the river for as long as 1 km, completed in 1993, this has added much vigour to the peaceful settings of the river as it moves along down to the sea.