TRAVELLING BACK HOME

Last weekend it's finally voting day. We took a week off to fly back to hometown KK and boy, wasn't it hectic! I've heard all sort of crazy ways how everyone is going back home to vote but I really think mine beats a mile! If a bus back to Johor  Bahru from Singapore and a flight from Senai to Kota Kinabalu isn't thrilling enough, because right on the election day brother and I voted at town, and later on we fetched mum at airport (we have different flights, I came first), and headed to Kudat, and that means 3 hours of mountainous journey from KK! Noted all the commas? Ok wait, it doesn't just end like this. After mum voted at Kudat, we took a trip to the northernmost tip of Borneo, then head southeast to stay overnight at Mount Kinabalu, which is another 3 hours trip! Now talk about patriotism and avante garde!


Each time I landed back on this beautiful land I took time to really appreciate how life is much slower and beautiful in its own way here, and to tell myself that I'm always proud to be a Sabahan. Though the election is well... I guess you all know the results, actions and reactions by now. Regardless of how the future may shape Malaysia, this will always be my home. And yes, seeing these pictures below makes really good postcard reminders that there's really no place like home.

Northernmost tip of Borneo at Kudat. If you look at the map, it's the 'dog's ear'!



Wake up real early the next day to catch two things: 1. The latest news of the election. 2. Many glimpses of the breathtaking giant Mount Kinabalu. Obviously option 2 is to cure the reactions of option 1.



Appreciating beautiful little lives while wandering in the woods.



Daydreaming under the chilled mountain trees.



Local flowers that look like that they're bursting with joy and singing cheerfully.



And for the first time in my life (though I've been living here for so long), I saw the amazing Rafflesia! It's a 70cm giant beauty! It took 4-5 years to grow, 9 months from bud to bloom (yes, sounds like pregnant), can't get in touch of too much rain or shine, attaches specifically on a type of tree and it blooms for only 4-6 days! What a princess and the pea!



And no, it doesn't smell like corpse when it's blooming!