Life In Borneo

Posted by Daniel on September 14th, 2008 in Events

On the 31st August 2008, Malaysians throughout the country commemorated the 51st Hari Merdeka (or Independance Day). Each year on this date, every state in Malaysia will celebrate this day with a march-past, and Kota Kinabalu is no exception - a Merdeka Day parade was held in capital city of Sabah at the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront, with hundreds of participants and spectators attending the event.

31st August 1957 - Independance Day
It was more than half a decade ago when the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, made the official proclamation of independence at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. The proclamation was witnessed by a score of international dignitaries and royalties including Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. It marked the start of a new era for all Malaysians - a new era of freedom and democracy. 51 years later, Sabahans in Kota Kinabalu still honour this day with other Malaysians nationwide.

The theme for this year’s Merdeka Day celebration was Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan, which means “Unity Is The Core of Success.”

The Merdeka Day Parade
The parade began with the arrival of the guests of honours, among whom was Sabah’s Head of State Yang diPertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Shah Abdullah. It then proceeded with the inspection of the guard, followed by the march-past of more than a hundred contingents.

After the march-past, several performances was held in front of the dignitaries; there was a cultural dance show, a martial arts of Silat Cekak demonstration, and an awe-invoking performance by the Fifth Infantry Brigade of the Royal Malaysian Army.

Merdeka!! Merdeka!! Merdeka!!
In this modern age, we tend to take for granted the peace and prosperity that our ancestors have laboured so hard to obtained.

We at Lifeinborneo.com salute the heroes of our country who fought and bleed for our independance and for our freedom. And to all Malaysians, may the years ahead be as peaceful and as prosperous as ever.

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Posted by Daniel on August 28th, 2008 in Events

Hundreds of cat lovers went to the Borneo International Cat Show at the Sabah Trade Centre in Likas on the 23rd and 24th of August, 2008. The event, organised by Borneo Cat Club and Cat Fanciers’ Association (USA) and sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, was the first International Cat Show ever in to be held in Sabah.

The Borneo International Cat Show 2008 was originally intended as a one-day event, but due to overwhelming response from the public the organisers decided to make it a two-day event instead.

The event was officiated by Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Yahya Hussin. It was an event of two days of cats galore, 4 Rings All Breed with 2 Rings open on day 1 and another 2 Rings on day 2.

The Borneo International Cat Show 2008 is part exhibition and part competition, where the cats themselves are the centre of attraction. More than a dozen cat owners from Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak participated in this event to show off their beloved feline pets to the public. Cats of many different breeds and colours could be seen on the exhibition floor, ranging from the Persian Longhair to the sleek Siamese.

While the cats on display were the main spectacle for the visitors, it was the cat competition that were the main focus of many of the participants. The cat competition had four categories in which the cats were judged in, which are the Championship Class, Premiership Class, Kitten Class and Household class. The competition also seperated the cats into two groups: the longhaired cats and the shorthaired cats.

The competition was held on both days, but on the second and final day of the competition the scores of all the cats were tallied to see who won the top three spot.

There were also special awards such as Best in Colour, Best in Breed and Judge’s Favourite where each judge nominate their favourite cat in the show. The panel of judges were Becky Orlando, Wayne Trevathan and Diana Rothermel from U.S.A. and Rod U’ren from Australia.

A collections of awards to be grab for cat lovers

The first ever Borneo International Cat Show had a pleasently warm reception, proving that a show such as this is always a welcome event in Kota Kinabalu. We hope to see the Borneo International Cat Show return next year with more people and, of course, more adorable cats.

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Posted by Xander on August 20th, 2008 in Events

Ultimate test of courage, almost nothing is more true than jumping off a 30-storey building and have nothing else between you and an imminent death except the strong winds of the South China Sea. Tun Mustapha Tower, (formerly known as Yayasan Sabah Tower) was that particular building on 9th & 10th August. The jumpers converged at the tower for this momentous event to showcase their skill and of course, bravery.

As the crowd gathered, the accumulation of locals and tourists can’t help but feel awed by the whole show. One of the brave-souls even almost landed among the throng of people gathered but with sheer skill and a little luck; he managed to maneuver himself a few feet away from any spectators.

We had to admit it obviously takes more than just a raw nerves to be up on that tower. Being on top of the 2nd tallest building in Borneo could be a very daunting to normal folks. And for the lifeinborneo.com crew; just being around the jumpers was somewhat comforting and perhaps a little envious of the their level of courage and calmness. To see them simply shrugging-off any fear or doubts and make that leap off the edge was astonishing.

It all started back in 2004 where only a handful of these courageous men trying out the jump from the Tun Mustapha Tower. Since then it has gained popularity and they have been organizing this event; one in 2006 and another in the year 2007.

Officially, year 2008 marks the 3rd year running of such an extreme sports event. Luckily there were no incidents occured this year and hopefully we get to see them again next year.

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Posted by Daniel on August 6th, 2008 in Events

Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008 (mainly sponsored by Nuffnang and Exabytes Network), the most anticipated bloggers meet on the Sabah calendar, went down successfully last Saturday night on 2nd of August 2008. It was formerly known as KK Bloggers Meet when it was first conceived back in 2007, but this time around the organizers decided to include bloggers from all corners of Sabah, hence the event’s renaming.

The gathering was held at the Roof Restaurant on top of Imperial International Hotel, with an attendance of around 150 people - triple the number of participants compared to the previous year. It was an event that the crew of Lifeinborneo.com wouldn’t want to miss.

Welcome to the Sabahan Bloggers Gathering!

The event started with the emcees DJ Selina Light (from Sabah Vfm) and DJ Fara (also commitee). Then, welcoming speech from a member of the organizing committee, Daniel Franklin Gomez, followed by Robb Chew, the representative of Nuffnang. After that, an inspirational speech from Louis Pang - Sabah’s own international award winning photographer, who is also an active blogger.

DJ Fara and DJ Selina Light of Sabah Vfm

Daniel Franklin Gomez - Blogger Extraordinaire

Robb Chew of Nuffnang

Louis Pang - International Award Winning Photographer

The first performance of the night was by members of the Sabah Institute of Art or S.I.A. The group brilliantly performed two acoustic pieces, one of which was a cover of Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight. There were performances by other local artists on that night as well, namely Locust Day Dream, Richado Tawith and Terry Peter, all of whom performed their own original compositions.

Musical Group from S.I.A.

Terry Peter

Lucky Draw prizes were given away throughout the event, which were sponsored by companies such as Exabytes Network and Nuffnang, the two main sponsors of the event. Unlike the previous year, the event this year received sponsorships from many parties; other sponsors that generously supported the event were Canon, Vedablu, GoShop!, Mango Cafe, Scream Video, Hot Pots, Jofanna Bridal, Louis Pang Studios, KK Box, Olumis Borneo Batik House and Yong’s Color Digital Lab. Imperial International Hotel sponsored by hosting the venue.

Click on the images to zoom

Attire for Jacq and Wei Chuen sponsored by Olumis Borneo Batik House

The night ended with a farewell speech from the organizers and group photo sessions.

The Organizers: Fara, Dinoza, Jacq, Wei Chuen, Imelda, Daniel, Papa Joneh and Julian

Wonderful Tonight indeed

If this year’s Sabahan Bloggers Gathering was a song, it will be akin to a well-written ballad played perfectly by a soulful performer, and those that attended the event would be the listeners who closed their eyes and entranced themselves listening to the mesmeric tune. Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008 was indeed a wonderful event, especially so to the community of webloggers that inspired this event in the first place. We enjoyed every moment of it, and we look forward to attend the next bloggers gathering. See you next year!

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Posted by Daniel on July 31st, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

Last Sunday was the conclusion of the 9th Gambus Festival (Pesta Gambus) 2008. Sipitang was the host for this year’s three-day annual festival that celebrates the musical culture of the Brunei community in the West Coast of Sabah, with the Gambus instrument as the central theme.

The crew of Lifeinborneo.com went to visit the windswept coastal town of Sipitang on the third day of the event to witness the Gambus Competition Finals, where Gambus troupes from seven zones of the state of Sabah compete to become the state-level champion in the Group Performance category. The 9th Gambus Festival 2008 was held inside the Sipitang Community Hall.

Sipitang, host of this year’s Gambus Festival 2008

The sun shone brightly during the day, but the cool breeze from the ocean kept the crowded town of Sipitang alive and bustling with activities. Rows of tents were setup around the area leading to the community hall. Some of these tents were selling locally made foods and handcrafts, including some handcrafted Gambus. The tents eventually lead up towards the Sipitang Community Hall, where the main event of the day was to be held - the Gambus Competition in the Group Performance category.

Group performances from seven competing groups

After the delivery of the opening speech by the representative of the Chief Minister of Sabah, the event started with an opening musical presentation from the combined performing members of the Association of Sabah Bruneian Society (PMBS), followed by the performance from each of the competing groups, one group at a time. Each group must perform two musical piece selected from a pre-determined list, one of which must be from the compulsory list.

The result for this year’s Gambus Competition in the Group Category are as follow:

Champion - Papar

First Runner-Up - Beaufort

Second Runner-Up - Sipitang

The Gambus still plays on…

That’s all for this year’s Gambus Festival 2008. We hope that the next one will be bigger, brighter, better and somewhere within an hour of driving at most. Until then, we bid our Bruneian brothers and sisters to keep strumming the instrument of cultural unity. See you all next year!

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Posted by Eshark on July 13th, 2008 in Events

Venue : Sabah Trade Centre, Likas, Kota Kinabalu Sabah
Date : 23rd & 24th August 2008
Rings : 4 Rings All Breed
Judges : Rod U’ren (Australia), Becky Orlando (USA), Wayne Trevathan (USA), Diana Rothermel(USA)
Master Clerk : Dick Kallmeyer (USA)

Contact person :

Mr. Ben Hsu (Organizing Chairman) : benhsu@borneocatclub.com
Mr. Ken Wee Kwong Ho (Entry Clerk) : +6012 6804045
Mr. Nor Arisham Bakar (Asst. Entry Clerk) : +6016 2782988

or email your entry at : entry@borneocatclub.com

For more info : borneocatclub.com

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Posted by Daniel on July 1st, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals, Promotionals, Travels

The World Harvest Festival 2008 was held at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong, Sarawak on the 24th and 25th of May. Lifeinborneo.com took this opportunity to cover the two day annual Borneo cultural event which featured ethnic music and costumes, locally made products such as food and handicrafts, an Ethnic Beauty Pageant and a spectacular theme play based on a Bidayuh folklore.

In the fourth and final part of our coverage of the World Harvest Festival 2008, we have the Miss Fair & Lovely 2008 Ethnic Beauty Pageant, where 14 young and beautiful contestants vie for the honour of being chosen as the fairest of them all in this year’s World Harvest Festival.

All 14 contestants

their special performances before the result announce

Ms. Siti Rokiah Abdul Majed, Miss Congeniality 2008

Ms. Pearlycia Brooke, Miss SMS Voters 2008 and Miss Best Traditional Costume 2008

Ms. Fatin Syahira Yusuf, Miss Beauty Photogenic 2008

Ms. Ramdaniza Hasbi, 2nd Runner-up

Ms. Cassandra Daniel Manja, 1st Runner-up

Ms. Pearlycia Brooke, Miss Fair & Lovely 2008

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Posted by Daniel on June 23rd, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals, Legends

The World Harvest Festival 2008 was held at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong, Sarawak on the 24th and 25th of May. Lifeinborneo.com took this opportunity to cover the two day annual Borneo cultural event which featured ethnic music and costumes, locally made products such as food and handicrafts, an Ethnic Beauty Pageant and a spectacular theme play based on a Bidayuh folklore.

In the third part of our coverage of the World Harvest Festival 2008, we have a theme play based on a 500 year old Bidayuh legend, titled Panglima Kulow. The show was played out at the Sarawak Cultural Village’s lake at night, with an army of casts and a display of impressive special effects worthy of a movie.

Once Upon A Time, In The Land of the Hornbills…

The theme play for World Harvest Festival 2008 was titled Panglima Kulow - The Saviour of Bung Bratak. Several generations ago in Sarawak, Panglima Kulow was the leader of the Bidayuh village of Bung Bratak, which have prospered peacefully for generations. He guided his people in time of prosperity, in times of hardship, and in times of rebuilding and renewal. This theme play retold that epic story, using Disney-like special effects and dozens of actors and actresses to play out the tale in front of live spectators.

Lights Off. Silence Please.

As any show would do, the theme play started with the telling of the origin of Panglima Kulow’s tale. But what caught our attention was HOW they start off the show.

Before they began the theme play, they turned off the lights. The entirety of Sarawak Cultural Village was covered in total darkness. Only the whispers of the audience and the creaking chatter of insects could be heard.

Blind as a mole and with only the staffers’ flashlights to illuminate the walk path, we made our way to the guest seatings while imagining how they were going to perform this theme play. As we reached our destination, we discovered that the seating was positioned directly overlooking the lake. It was at that moment that a realization set upon us: they were going to use the lake and its surrounding as their stage.

A Legend Re-enacted

Seven fireballs flew down from the night sky like meteorites, each one trailing after another, and splashed down into the lake in front of an audience of hundreds. A spotlight then moved to highlight the rooftop of one of the longhouses by the lake, where seven dancers were dancing in a graceful and hypnotic motion.

That was how the show’s introduction went off - it gripped the audience’s attention right from the start.

Watching the theme play was like hearing those mystical stories your grandparents used to tell you about, only that it was actually happening right before your waking eyes. Suffice to say, we have never seen anything like it before (in person at least). The amount of special effects that went into this production must have been immense; without those visual effects, the theme play would not have been as jaw-dropping or as memorable.

And they lived happily ever after

The essence of the story, I believe, was unity. Panglima Kulow held his people together in times of hardship throught the unity of his people. Towards the end of the theme play, he united two communities together through the marriage of his son and the daughter of the other tribe. Like the bedtime stories our grandparents used to tell us, the tale of Panglima Kulow’s mystical pull was that it combined entertainment with storytelling in the most surreal way. And like those bedtime stories, there’s always that moral-of-the-story at the conclusion of the tale, and in Panglima Kulow, the point of it was unity. Take out all those visual effects, all those colourful props, and you’ll find a story that teaches you the virtue of living in harmony.

Entertainment, art, culture, teaching - all creatively woven into a brilliant theme play.

Up next, the most unique ethnic beauty pageant…

Stay tuned to lifeinborneo.com as we bring you the final part of our coverage of World Harvest Festival 2008, where we have the Miss Fair & Lovely Ethnic Beauty Pageant.

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Posted by Daniel on June 21st, 2008 in Events

Qu Yuan would have been delighted to know that his final act of protest against a corrupt government have inspired an internationally-renowned watersport that brings out the best from ordinary people. On 15 June 2008, The 23rd Sabah Dragon Boat Race 2008 had just that, when a team of ordinary local fishermen won this year’s Sabah Head of State’s Trophy, despite facing an ocean of a task of defeating the reigning champion Brunei. There were 57 teams altogether that took part in this year’s event, including each from the Philippines and China.

The race went on, come rain or shine

Rain did not stop the participants or the spectators from coming to see this event. People started filling up Likas Bay beach as early as seven in the morning. Hawkers set up food stalls to the delight of the spectators, as food is always a welcomed sight whenever there is a six hour event going on.

The event was officiated by the Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Seri Tengku Zainal Abidin, Organising Committee Chairman Yang Berbahagia Datuk Irene B. Charuruks and the President of Sabah Chinese Cultural Association Yang Berbahagia Datuk Chau Tet On. Among the dignitaries that attended the event was the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment of Sabah Yang Berhormat Datuk Masidi Manjun, the Chief Minister of Sabah Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman and Sabah’s Head of State Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah bin Abdullah.

0:01 seconds.

That was the amount of time that separated the third, the second and the champion of the Sabah Head of State’s Trophy for the 23rd Sabah Dragon Boat Race 2008. Despite having only two weeks of training, the Pertubuhan Peladang Tuaran dragonboat team managed to beat reigning champion Brunei and bring home the grand prize - a trophy and a cash prize of RM 4,000.00.

The Brunei national team only managed to get a third place in the Sabah Head of State’s Trophy, as the second place was won by another local team from Tuaran, Sabah.

Here are the final results for the 23rd Sabah Dragon Boat Race 2008:

Sabah Head of State’s Trophy

First - Pertubuhan Peladang Tuaran

Second - Terayung, Tuaran

Third - Brunei Darussalam National Team

Sabah Chief Minister’s Trophy

First - Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort B

Second - Pekayuh Skim Remaja, Brunei Darussalam

Third - Tuaran F1

Sabah Chinese Cultural Association President’s Trophy (Men’s Open Category)
First - Penang Forward Sports Club
Second - Persekutuan Persatuan Cina Tawau
Third - Persatuan Teo Chew Tawau

Sabah Chinese Cultural Association President’s Trophy (Mixed Open Category)
First - Sabah Chinese Cultural Association
Second - The Federation of Chinese Association Sabah
Third - Hokkien Association Dragon Team

Sabah Dragon Trophy
First - Mengkabong Mix Team, Tuaran
Second - Nexus Resort Karambunai
Third - Tam Villa, Tuaran

Sabah Tourism Trophy
First - Shan Sui Golf and Country Club Resort B, Tawau
Second - Tay Travel (B), Kota Kinabalu
Third - Shan Sui Golf and Country Club Resort A, Tawau

The race ends for 2008

Congratulations to all the winners of the 23rd Sabah Dragon Boat Race 2008. We hope to see all the participants again next year.

Sources:
Qu Yuan reference from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu_Yuan
Results from http://dragonboat.sabahtourism.com/2008/results.html

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Posted by Raz on June 19th, 2008 in Events, Hot Spots, Night Life

Chivas held a party for 2 nights (29-30 May) at the boardwalk of Waterfront Kota Kinabalu. The nights were fun filled with entertaining performances like breakdancing, fire breathers, local cultural Magunatip Dance, street magician and funny antiques from a very tall clown (on stilts)

Breakdancing by the Chivas International Dance Team. They consist of dancers from The United States, Belgium and France. Awesome performance by them dancing, head spinning, hand stands etc.

The guy above is not part of the professional dancers, he is one of our local “b-boys” who was called up to join on the spot. Not bad huh?

The Magunatip is a local traditional dance where bamboos are clapped together and the dancers must step between them but avoid their feet from being caught. The tempo goes faster and faster and it becomes more difficult to step through.

Finally, the Body Care “Fire Eaters” group performed a modern tribal dance. Also featured in this dance, is spectacular fire-spitting performances.

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