Home For Year of RAT

Back Home to ~ Land Below The Wind – SABAH…

Let me share with you on my Chinese New Year ‘08 trip back home in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
.
During this trip, I planned to have tons of mom’s recipes for my blog’s update. But I was struggling to keep up with the preparation of the dishes, and worse of all, I totally forgotten to take photos as I was overcome by the aromatic and mouth watering dishes. All I know
during that period of time was to eat when it was freshly served!

Well, at least I manage to take some priceless sceneries and fresh seafood which I really love. .
.
Mt. Kinabalu
It is world famous mountain and the tallest in South East Asia.
It is about 2.5 hrs drive from Kota Kinabalu city. Throughout the journey, it’s all paddy field countryside.

.

.

.
Tanjung Aru Beach
Panda and I went to the famous Tanjung Aru Beach in K.K (Kota Kinabalu). Weather was hot… Panda wanted to go for Cool Drink.

Don’t surprise if you hear beer in Sabah is cheap and unbelievable! No doubt… we order a big bottle of Heineken. The waitress told us RM24 a bottle and she persuaded us to get another bottle because they charge only RM25 for 2 bottles. Unbelievable right!

It is only 10 min away from my house. Sitting outside the Bar… holding a glass of beer in the evening and looking at people playing water ski. I bet we will never find this scene in the City of K.L.

~ RM24 (1 bottle), but RM25 (2 bottles)

.

~ Enjoying the natural Beach … lovely sunset!
.
TAMU (Morning Market)
In Sabah, we call the Morning Market as TAMU, and we normally practice going to TAMU for fresh food market shopping. Fresh Vegetables, Seafood, Meat and etc… Prices are cheaper and better quality compare to those normal markets.

The best part is … BARGAIN and BARGAIN and BARGAIN!!!

..

.
Here are some Unbelievable Prices: ~

~Prawns~
11 big prawns cost only less than RM20.
* Mom complaint, normally she only pays less than Rm15… huh…

~Look at those Prawn Roes

.
~Fishes~
1kg “Sek-Pan” (Sea bass) cost only less than RM15,
1kg “7 Xing-Ban” (Grouper) cost only less than RM40.
*Mom said, price increase is because of Chinese New Year, if not she normally pay less than RM10 for 1 fish.

..
~Crabs~
A bunch of crabs (8 crabs) cost only RM15.
*Dad grumble because he normally only pay RM8 for 6 fresh crabs.

.

.

.

.
~Cockles~
A bunch of medium size Cockles cost only RM2.
Take 3 bunches cost RM5 ONLY!!!!!

* My brother said if we are willing to spend sometime to go to the seaside near the mangrove area, we can more of it for Free!!!!

.

Manukan Island
This island is famous in KK among the locals. It takes about 15 min by speed boat.
It has soft sand and the clarity of the water is wonderful.

.

Stilt Houses
Most Sabahan stayed in this kind of houses before.
But these houses are coming to an extinct as there is so much development in the city

2008 Year of RAT

Chinese New Year is now right at the corner…
This coming Chinese New Year is the Year of RAT. According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, Year 2008 is a Chinese Brown Earth (Soil) Rat Year.

Here come our Chinese Friends… I know some start doing home decoration soon. I’m sure there are things that we will have to be sticking on the wall of our home like Spring Calligraphy, Couplet, Chinese Lime Trees and etc…

In the markets out there… sure there are people start selling Mandarin Oranges and Year Cakes (Nian Gao). Some of my friend’s parents even making their own Chinese New Year Cake. This is a type of food prepared from glutinous rice and consumed in Chinese Cuisine. It is traditionally most popular during celebrating the Chinese New Year. It is considered Good Luck to eat Nian Gao, it symbolized “Climbing Higher this coming Good Year”.

In Lam Garden, Panda’s parents are now preparing all the stocks for Chinese New Year shoppers too. Plants like Green Bamboo, Mei Hua, Money Trees and Wealthy Trees are all symbolized Wealth and Health.
.

.

.