Wow, what a trip it's been so far. So much done, and yet, I feel like I've only touched the surface of what is Borneo. There is so much to explore and so little time. So I asked Vincent what the best thing to do was and he said to do some Snorkelling on the islands nearby. So I heeded his advice. Actually he wanted me to do diving, but that would take more days and I don't have that. He does some awesome diving trips, so maybe next time I come to borneo I can do a diving trip and get certified.
Anyway, today we got up and he drove Michelle and I to the Jetty to get boat to Sapi Island. On the way we passed a water village. The water villages here are villages of houses/shacks on the water on stilts. But Vincent says in a few years they won't be here anymore. That makes me sad. He says the people aren't really being compensated for their houses. Instead they are being forced out and they getting discounts on apartments or other new houses. Not sure how I feel about that. Anyway, we get to the island and it's a gorgeous island jungle/paradise island. Not many people, white sands, and crystal clear water. Not to mention that it's very hot. Also, the crazy thing we found out was that 3 people have died at Sapi. One drowning, one some other way (don't remember), and one person was stung by a deadly jellyfish. They had signs up warning that it was jellyfish season.
So I find a trail on the island and decide to hike it. It's a 1km trail and it circles the whole island, so decide it's not too bad. Anyway, it turned out to be great and found even more secluded beaches. Wonderful white sand/crystal clear water beaches. Nicest I've seen in quite a while. So after the hike, I get some snack food and head to the beach. I still haven't decided whether to snorkel or not and whether it's worth it. Even though it's only like $5. Finally I decide to snorkel, and I snorkeled for about an hour. It was nice. The coral wasn't the prettiest, but the fish were there and they were nice and it was fun to swim among them. Again, it was just incredible to see God's creation in it's purest form.
So after the island we went back to the lodge and greeted some of the new people that got there today. Then I went with Ronald and two of the new people who were actaully on the mountain with me to the airport. We went there to change a plane ticket for the two new people Oh yeah, Ronald. I haven't mentioned him yet. He works for Vincent. He's a nice guy. He's 26, grew up in the jungle and doens't have his parents anymore. But he's a down to earth guy and was fun to hang out with. Anyway, then in the evening we went to go eat more stingray down by the waterfront and did. Very good. Also, went to the night market again and I picked up some stuff, and then went back to the lodge. Oh yeah, Vincent was able to find me a Malaysian flag, so that was awesome.
Well, as you can see, it was quite the trip. The flight back was normal, like any flight, except late at night which always stinks as I never get enough sleep. So yeah, what a blessing to be able to go to Borneo. Like I said before, if you ever go to Borneo, stay at the Tropicana Lodge. It's a great place to stay. The people of Borneo are among the nicest I've met. Malay sounds a bit like Spanish. Their alphabet is nearly similar in prononsiation. The people are beautiful as well with being such a large mix of cultures. The weather is incredible. Hot and sunny and rain every once in a while in the afternoon. It's hard to be back in Korea where it's still in the 40s. Oh well, I know God called me here as well. I do hope to be able to go back to Borneo though and do some Diving and also check out some of the other stuff, like Elephants and Monkeys. So much I haven't explored yet. I'd need at least 2 weeks more.
So, thanks for all your prayers. They were there in the travelling, in the hiking, in the swimming, in the waterfall exploring, and in the chitchatting with people. I pray that the people saw something different in me. That they saw Christ shining through me. Join with me in praying for these people that I met. Especially vincent and the situation with his son.
Thanks guys and blessings.
Pictures and videos below:
Sapi Island/Last Day
Malaysia Videos
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Rafflesia Tour
Alright, so today we started off by going to bfast as a group. Me, Michelle, Rahmat, and Najjif as the two guys were leaving. So we have bfast and say goodbye to them. And then we go back to the lodge and get ready for the Rafflesia tour.
So, Vincent then drives us about an hour and half to the Rafflesia center. We get out and meet the guide who will take us to find the Rafflesia. If you don't know, the rafflesia is the worlds Largest flower. It can get to be fairly huge. They are hard to find though.
So you know how I said I wouldn't hike anymore. Well, it ends up to find the flower, the guide took us through the forest on a trail that went down probably about a 1000 ft and 2 km. So I did more hiking. Anyway, this was probably my least favorite part of the trip. I mean really, hike this far to find a flower. Anyway, we get to the bottom and find one Rafflesia that has bloomed. I suppose this is good though because they say it's hard to find them in bloom. They take 8 months to go from bud to bloom. That's crazy, eh? So we got a picture of the flower and hiked back up all sweaty again. When I got to the top I looked down at my leg and saw something on it. Ugh, it was a leach so I don't know what to do. So Vincent grabs the leech and pulls it. Luckily it hadn't been on there too long because it left go after a while and the spot started to bleed a little.
In reality, I thought it was pretty sweet. A leech was sucking my blood....that sounds adventurous. Supposedly there are a lot of leeches in the deep forest. So after the rafflesia tour, Vincent drives us to the town of Tambanan. This is a beautiful town that reminded me of Belize in a lot of ways. It's a poorer town, but Vincent said it's a strong Christian town. The countryside here was absolutely beautiful. So we stop here to have lunch. We stop at this place and have rice, some pork and some Wild Boar meat. Mmmm, wild boar meat. Very delicious. As we leave, Michelle says that I have to try this stuff called Bau. It's bread type stuff with meat and cheese in the middle. It was delicious.
One of the sad things was that when we left, the one kid at the restaurant was smoking. He was probably on 14 or 15. Sad.
We left here and went to see the "Magic Stones". We get to this place and there are these stones that are large and have smaller stones on top. Anyway, the large stones are hollow inside. So when you bang on them with smaller rocks, it makes a chime sound. It was pretty neat.
After this we then went to Crocker Range National Park. About a 8km drive through some rough roads. Then we get to the park and walk about another 500 meters to the waterfall. We get there and it's so refreshing. We hang out, take pictures, and then we walk behind the waterfall and tried to take pictures there too. Quite amazing trip.
To top it off, we get back to the lodge around 7 and Vincent makes dinner for us. So we had garlic vegetables, and we each had a barracuda steak. If you've never had Barracuda, you need to try some. It's awesome.
More Pictures Below:
Rafflesia Tour/Waterfall/Fun
So, Vincent then drives us about an hour and half to the Rafflesia center. We get out and meet the guide who will take us to find the Rafflesia. If you don't know, the rafflesia is the worlds Largest flower. It can get to be fairly huge. They are hard to find though.
So you know how I said I wouldn't hike anymore. Well, it ends up to find the flower, the guide took us through the forest on a trail that went down probably about a 1000 ft and 2 km. So I did more hiking. Anyway, this was probably my least favorite part of the trip. I mean really, hike this far to find a flower. Anyway, we get to the bottom and find one Rafflesia that has bloomed. I suppose this is good though because they say it's hard to find them in bloom. They take 8 months to go from bud to bloom. That's crazy, eh? So we got a picture of the flower and hiked back up all sweaty again. When I got to the top I looked down at my leg and saw something on it. Ugh, it was a leach so I don't know what to do. So Vincent grabs the leech and pulls it. Luckily it hadn't been on there too long because it left go after a while and the spot started to bleed a little.
In reality, I thought it was pretty sweet. A leech was sucking my blood....that sounds adventurous. Supposedly there are a lot of leeches in the deep forest. So after the rafflesia tour, Vincent drives us to the town of Tambanan. This is a beautiful town that reminded me of Belize in a lot of ways. It's a poorer town, but Vincent said it's a strong Christian town. The countryside here was absolutely beautiful. So we stop here to have lunch. We stop at this place and have rice, some pork and some Wild Boar meat. Mmmm, wild boar meat. Very delicious. As we leave, Michelle says that I have to try this stuff called Bau. It's bread type stuff with meat and cheese in the middle. It was delicious.
One of the sad things was that when we left, the one kid at the restaurant was smoking. He was probably on 14 or 15. Sad.
We left here and went to see the "Magic Stones". We get to this place and there are these stones that are large and have smaller stones on top. Anyway, the large stones are hollow inside. So when you bang on them with smaller rocks, it makes a chime sound. It was pretty neat.
After this we then went to Crocker Range National Park. About a 8km drive through some rough roads. Then we get to the park and walk about another 500 meters to the waterfall. We get there and it's so refreshing. We hang out, take pictures, and then we walk behind the waterfall and tried to take pictures there too. Quite amazing trip.
To top it off, we get back to the lodge around 7 and Vincent makes dinner for us. So we had garlic vegetables, and we each had a barracuda steak. If you've never had Barracuda, you need to try some. It's awesome.
More Pictures Below:
Rafflesia Tour/Waterfall/Fun
Mt. Kinabalu (Day 2 and 3)
Alright, so on the second day in Kota Kinabalu I decided to go to Mt. Kinabalu to do the climb. I decided to stay at a resort the night before, near Mt. Kinabalu so I wouldn't have to endure the bus ride the same day as my climb. So on Sunday, Vincent drove me to the bus stop so that I could go to my resort. So I get in this little van that will drive me to Mt. Kinabalu. The experience in the van was good. It reminded me of being in a third world country very much so. I say this mostly because the people in the van along with me weren't tourists and that was good. It was a lady with three kids. One of the kids had snot running down his nose and the one kid took a pee just outside the van. Why do I say this? I say it because I had compassion for them. I wanted to speak to them, but I didn't know Malay. I wish I did. Anyway, the family was beautiful, and I'm sure God saw them as beautiful...even when most people would just write them off.
So I took the van ride for 2 hours or so up mountains and around corners and roads without guide rails. Again, this trip was covered in a lot of prayer. Mostly when travelling :-) It was pretty much constant as well. So we get to kandansan where my resort is supposed to be, so the van drops me off and I ask "Kinabalu Pine Resort" and the driver kind of points off to the right. So I go to the right and go up this hill and don't find it. Mind you I'm in the country now and there aren't many people. So I stop by this nice looking place, and I see this guy and ask him about Kinabalu Pine Resort and he points from where I came from and then points down the road. So I walk about 500 meters down the road and find it. It's a beautiful place and I check in. Then the rest of the evening was pretty much restful. Dinner was included and was huge. I had crab soup, sweet and sour prawns, cashew chicken, and garlic celery. Mmm, it was so much food and soo good. Also had fresh sqeezed pineapple juice again.
So I slept the night there and then in the morning got a shuttle bus from there to the mountain. At the mountain I signed in, got my permit and got my guide. My guide's name was Bungin. He was a great guy. He was a smaller guy, but looked like he had climbed the mountain many times. He didn't know much English though which was a little hard. So we then get a shuttle bus to Timpohon Gate, the start of the trail up the mountain.
Then we hike up the mountain to the rest house about 3km shy of the peak. A little about the trail. The trail up the mountain is mostly comprised of stairs. Yes, 2500 according to one guide book. So it's a tough climb if you don't like stairs. Every km or so there is a rest area where you can sit and get some water and use the bathroom if you need to. Of course I stopped at most of these. But I did make it up to the lodge in about 4.5 hours. Which is quite good. We passed a lot of people. I give credit to my guide as he was always telling me to pass people. Ugh, I was so sweaty though and my clothes were disgusting. On the way up though, I did meet some really nice people. I met a group from a Christian church in Kota Kinabalu. They invited me to church, but I wouldn't be there another Sunday. Maybe if I'm ever in Kota Kinabalu again. The trail was fun as well because you would pass through different types of forest and clouds and such.
So I get to the top at about 1:30pm and realize I have till at least 7 to chill. So I change out of some of my sweaty clothes and go to hang out at Laban Rata. Laban Rata is the main lodging up on the mountain. Not where I was staying though, but there was a restaurant there, so I got some delicious Sabah coffee. I then hung out and talked to an English couple up there who has been touring SE Asia for the last few months. They are looking for TEFL teaching jobs though, so I told them I'd send them some info about teaching in Korea.
Anyway, I then have dinner up there and go to bed around 7pm. Yes, 7pm. It's already cloudy on the mountain and I realize I have to get up at 2am to start the hike to the top around 3am. So in the morning I trek down a bit to Laban Rata to have bfast and to meet bungin. We meet around 3 and start the hike up. Note...this hike up is in complete darkeness besides having a headlamp. So there is a line up the mountain of lights. It was quite amazing. There were probably a good 100 people hiking up that morning. Anyway, most people started at 2:30 in the morning. We started at 3, but began catching up to people, so like normal Bungin fasion, we passed them. The last 2km of the hike to the top are on pure granite. It was a clear morning so there wasn't any problem with weather. On the granite there is a rope that you can hold on to or follow. We just followed it as it's quicker that way. Parts of the trail in the morning were scary as it was complete darkness and you don't know how close you are to the edge. In reality we weren't too close, but we didn't know that. Stamina was key for this part as the last two km are killer as you just want to get to the top but don't know where it is. I swear my guide said 300 more meters and it turned out to be another km. Finally Bungin and I reach the peak in complete darkness and somehow we are the only ones up there. Did we pass everyone? Well, if nothing else, we were the only ones atop the 13,000+ ft peak. I got a few pictures and waited for the sunrise. Yes, I had to wait 45 minutes up there for it. We got to the top around 5am. It was cold though. I had my sweater on, a long sleeve shirt, my long john shirt, a beanie, and gloves and I was still cold.
It was soo worth it though when the sun came up. Everything came into light and it was mind blowing how beautiful everything was. Truly spectacular. Even at the top I couldn't help but thing how Amazing God is with creating things like he has. By the time the sun came up there were lots of other people up top with us.
So after about an hour and half up to Bungin and I take a few last pictures and then head back down the mountain. This part wasn't so bad. I get back to Gunting Lagadan and grab my bag and tell Bungin we'll do the last 6km down the mountain at 9. So at 9 we head back down. This part wasn't bad for the first 2km. Then the last 4km were killer. Going down so many steps kills your legs. And I was sweating and thought I'd get heat stroke or something. Luckily I didn't. But by the last km I just wanted to quit. But we kept pushing. We got down to the bottom by about 12:45 and the guy at the shuttle bus said we came down fast. Thanks Bungin :-D So I went back to the HQ and got a certificate that said I successfully climbed Mt. Kinabalu. After this I told myself I wouldn't do any more stairs or treks. You'll find out later that I lied.
So then I went to get a bus back to Kota Kinabalu and found one, then got back to the lodge sore and was welcomed by everyone at the lodge. Then in the evening I went with Najjif and Rahmat to the waterfront to see the sunset. It was a nice sunset. We also walked through the Philippino market to see crafts. Then after this we went to the fish market. Here there are tons of vendors grilling their fish. We find one vendor and we hit the jackpot. The fish here is sooooo cheap. We get a thing of tuna steak, some squid with squid roe in it, and stingray. Mmmm, it was so good. So we eat there, without silverwear which was great and talk to this couple that's sitting with us and he is a pilot for Malaysia Airlines. Nice couple. Then we went back to the Lodge and just chatted the rest of the night away which was great.
Also, I talked with Vincent about what to do the next day and he recommends the Rafflesia tour. It's one that he'll take us on and it's a cheap price. So Michelle and I end up telling him we'll go on it as the other two guys leave tomorrow.
More pictures below, now of the climb:
Mount Kinabalu Trip
So I took the van ride for 2 hours or so up mountains and around corners and roads without guide rails. Again, this trip was covered in a lot of prayer. Mostly when travelling :-) It was pretty much constant as well. So we get to kandansan where my resort is supposed to be, so the van drops me off and I ask "Kinabalu Pine Resort" and the driver kind of points off to the right. So I go to the right and go up this hill and don't find it. Mind you I'm in the country now and there aren't many people. So I stop by this nice looking place, and I see this guy and ask him about Kinabalu Pine Resort and he points from where I came from and then points down the road. So I walk about 500 meters down the road and find it. It's a beautiful place and I check in. Then the rest of the evening was pretty much restful. Dinner was included and was huge. I had crab soup, sweet and sour prawns, cashew chicken, and garlic celery. Mmm, it was so much food and soo good. Also had fresh sqeezed pineapple juice again.
So I slept the night there and then in the morning got a shuttle bus from there to the mountain. At the mountain I signed in, got my permit and got my guide. My guide's name was Bungin. He was a great guy. He was a smaller guy, but looked like he had climbed the mountain many times. He didn't know much English though which was a little hard. So we then get a shuttle bus to Timpohon Gate, the start of the trail up the mountain.
Then we hike up the mountain to the rest house about 3km shy of the peak. A little about the trail. The trail up the mountain is mostly comprised of stairs. Yes, 2500 according to one guide book. So it's a tough climb if you don't like stairs. Every km or so there is a rest area where you can sit and get some water and use the bathroom if you need to. Of course I stopped at most of these. But I did make it up to the lodge in about 4.5 hours. Which is quite good. We passed a lot of people. I give credit to my guide as he was always telling me to pass people. Ugh, I was so sweaty though and my clothes were disgusting. On the way up though, I did meet some really nice people. I met a group from a Christian church in Kota Kinabalu. They invited me to church, but I wouldn't be there another Sunday. Maybe if I'm ever in Kota Kinabalu again. The trail was fun as well because you would pass through different types of forest and clouds and such.
So I get to the top at about 1:30pm and realize I have till at least 7 to chill. So I change out of some of my sweaty clothes and go to hang out at Laban Rata. Laban Rata is the main lodging up on the mountain. Not where I was staying though, but there was a restaurant there, so I got some delicious Sabah coffee. I then hung out and talked to an English couple up there who has been touring SE Asia for the last few months. They are looking for TEFL teaching jobs though, so I told them I'd send them some info about teaching in Korea.
Anyway, I then have dinner up there and go to bed around 7pm. Yes, 7pm. It's already cloudy on the mountain and I realize I have to get up at 2am to start the hike to the top around 3am. So in the morning I trek down a bit to Laban Rata to have bfast and to meet bungin. We meet around 3 and start the hike up. Note...this hike up is in complete darkeness besides having a headlamp. So there is a line up the mountain of lights. It was quite amazing. There were probably a good 100 people hiking up that morning. Anyway, most people started at 2:30 in the morning. We started at 3, but began catching up to people, so like normal Bungin fasion, we passed them. The last 2km of the hike to the top are on pure granite. It was a clear morning so there wasn't any problem with weather. On the granite there is a rope that you can hold on to or follow. We just followed it as it's quicker that way. Parts of the trail in the morning were scary as it was complete darkness and you don't know how close you are to the edge. In reality we weren't too close, but we didn't know that. Stamina was key for this part as the last two km are killer as you just want to get to the top but don't know where it is. I swear my guide said 300 more meters and it turned out to be another km. Finally Bungin and I reach the peak in complete darkness and somehow we are the only ones up there. Did we pass everyone? Well, if nothing else, we were the only ones atop the 13,000+ ft peak. I got a few pictures and waited for the sunrise. Yes, I had to wait 45 minutes up there for it. We got to the top around 5am. It was cold though. I had my sweater on, a long sleeve shirt, my long john shirt, a beanie, and gloves and I was still cold.
It was soo worth it though when the sun came up. Everything came into light and it was mind blowing how beautiful everything was. Truly spectacular. Even at the top I couldn't help but thing how Amazing God is with creating things like he has. By the time the sun came up there were lots of other people up top with us.
So after about an hour and half up to Bungin and I take a few last pictures and then head back down the mountain. This part wasn't so bad. I get back to Gunting Lagadan and grab my bag and tell Bungin we'll do the last 6km down the mountain at 9. So at 9 we head back down. This part wasn't bad for the first 2km. Then the last 4km were killer. Going down so many steps kills your legs. And I was sweating and thought I'd get heat stroke or something. Luckily I didn't. But by the last km I just wanted to quit. But we kept pushing. We got down to the bottom by about 12:45 and the guy at the shuttle bus said we came down fast. Thanks Bungin :-D So I went back to the HQ and got a certificate that said I successfully climbed Mt. Kinabalu. After this I told myself I wouldn't do any more stairs or treks. You'll find out later that I lied.
So then I went to get a bus back to Kota Kinabalu and found one, then got back to the lodge sore and was welcomed by everyone at the lodge. Then in the evening I went with Najjif and Rahmat to the waterfront to see the sunset. It was a nice sunset. We also walked through the Philippino market to see crafts. Then after this we went to the fish market. Here there are tons of vendors grilling their fish. We find one vendor and we hit the jackpot. The fish here is sooooo cheap. We get a thing of tuna steak, some squid with squid roe in it, and stingray. Mmmm, it was so good. So we eat there, without silverwear which was great and talk to this couple that's sitting with us and he is a pilot for Malaysia Airlines. Nice couple. Then we went back to the Lodge and just chatted the rest of the night away which was great.
Also, I talked with Vincent about what to do the next day and he recommends the Rafflesia tour. It's one that he'll take us on and it's a cheap price. So Michelle and I end up telling him we'll go on it as the other two guys leave tomorrow.
More pictures below, now of the climb:
Mount Kinabalu Trip
Trip to Borneo, Day 1 + Day 2
Alright guys.....how do I do this? How do I describe such an amazing trip in just a few short pages? Well, I may not take a few short pages. It may be longer, but please understand this trip was incredible. It was more than I expected it to be and that is awesome because God is cool like that. He'll take stuff that we have expectations for and make them even greater. Now this won't always happen, but when it does, it's awesome. So please bear with me as I write out my thoughts and put down what all happened. It may be boring for some of you, and for that I'm sorry, but if you ever have the chance to go to Borneo. Do IT!
So, the trip there was smooth and it was fun. I got to spend the flight there with the missions team from our school that was going to the town of Tawau. It was neat to be on their flight and to experience a little bit of their excitement. I myself was going to the town of Kota Kinabalu which was the first stop for the plane. Kota Kinabalu is a town of 200,000 on the coast of Borneo, Malaysia. More specifically Sabah.
Sabah is a state on the island of Borneo and is comprised of many different ethnicities. Philippinos, Chinese, Korean, Malaysians, Thai, and Indians. Very cool mix indeed. What I didn't know until I found out later is that Christianity is pretty much the main religion in Sabah. I always thought it was Islam, but I was corrected by my hostel owner and some other people who said Islam comprises about 40% and Christianity is a bit more.
Anyway, that's the background for where I was. Also, Borneo is comprised mostly of virgin rainforest with much wildlife.
Now for a background of people I might name drop on here.
The first person I'll talk about a bit is Vincent. He was the hostel owner of the place I stayed at. A nice backbacker place. He is half Japanese, half Malaysian. He's a very nice guy. Anyway, my first impression of him was when he came to pick me up at the airport. We met and got in to the 4X4. He says that we have to go to pick up some other guys that are staying at the lodge and we have to pick them up from the jetty because they were at the islands. Anyway, on the way there, he is driving and drinking a tiger beer. Hmm, okay. Also, at the same time he is smoking and talking on the cell phone. Dear Lord, please keep me safe I think. haha, Praise God, I was safe. Anyway, he really is a great guy though. In fact, if you think about it, pray for him because he has a son who has Lukimia (sp) and is in the hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Anyway, the day before I left, he got a call that they needed him to donate his bone marrow for his son as he was the only match. So he was going to fly up there. Also, right now, money is tight for him as he said medications are really expensive for his son. So please pray for him.
Other guys I'll probably name drop are Rahmat and Najjif. They were the two guys we picked up. They were from singapore. They were 27 and 28 and on vacation in Borneo. Very nice guys and liked nature a lot and conservation. They were such a blessing to me though because they took me to places I probably wouldn't have gone to by myself, but they always invited me along which was nice. They also bought a lot of strange things for me to try. Oh yeah, these guys are huge fans of the Durian fruit. It's the smelliest fruit in the world and I don't think it tastes that great, but these guys love it and had me try some. For that, I'm grateful.
Finally, one other name I might drop is Michelle. She was a lady from England who had just gotten to Malaysia, but has been travelling for 2.5 years! She had a wealth of experence with travelling and had a million stories from other countries.
So the first day I got to the resort, I met these people, and then in the evening the guys from Singapore invited me to dinner with them. We went to a seafood area where all these vendors tried to get our business. So the one we finally decided served us some delicious stuff. We choose some Peanut Chicken, some fish (I don't remember what kind), some delicious veggies, and some fried squid. Mmm, it was soo delicious. Plus, I had fresh squeezed pineapple juice. I also got to try some chilies which were very hot!
After that, we went to the night market which was on one of the streets. The night market here had everything from Jewelry to fake Nike's, to crafts. There weren't a lot of vendors this night though because it was raining.
Then we decided to go to a coffeehouse near our hostel. It was Michelles recommendation. The place was good and I got some hot Milo. It's basically like Nestle Quick. They also served toast there that they toasted over charcoal and had coconut jam over it.
So that was the first day. Quite an eventful first day. Anyway, the next day in the morning, Rahmat, Najjib, and I went to the Gaya Street Sunday Market. This is a massive street market with hundreds of vendors selling everything from spices and food, to animals, to crafts. I was able to pick up some things. It was fun to be with the guys from singapore as they knew how to speak Malay and would ask the vendors what some of the stuff was. They also introduced me to some interesting Malaysian snacks. Mmmm....more food. Anyway, after the market we went up to Signal Hill. This is a place where you can get a good view of the city. Then we decided to go eat lunch.
We had lunch at an Arab restaurant. I had some rice and some other stuff, I can't even remember. It was spicy and very good. I felt a little out of place though at this restaurant as it wasn't touristy. Haha, I felt so white and it felt good to be out of place. It changed my perspective a bit. It's nice to not always be the majority, ya know? The food here was very cheap too, got it all for like less than $1.
After that we went back to the lodge to get ready for our trips. For me I was going to do the Mt. Kinabalu climb and the guys were going to do a Long House experience.
Below are pictures from Day 1 and half of Day 2.
Malaysia - Day 1 2
So, the trip there was smooth and it was fun. I got to spend the flight there with the missions team from our school that was going to the town of Tawau. It was neat to be on their flight and to experience a little bit of their excitement. I myself was going to the town of Kota Kinabalu which was the first stop for the plane. Kota Kinabalu is a town of 200,000 on the coast of Borneo, Malaysia. More specifically Sabah.
Sabah is a state on the island of Borneo and is comprised of many different ethnicities. Philippinos, Chinese, Korean, Malaysians, Thai, and Indians. Very cool mix indeed. What I didn't know until I found out later is that Christianity is pretty much the main religion in Sabah. I always thought it was Islam, but I was corrected by my hostel owner and some other people who said Islam comprises about 40% and Christianity is a bit more.
Anyway, that's the background for where I was. Also, Borneo is comprised mostly of virgin rainforest with much wildlife.
Now for a background of people I might name drop on here.
The first person I'll talk about a bit is Vincent. He was the hostel owner of the place I stayed at. A nice backbacker place. He is half Japanese, half Malaysian. He's a very nice guy. Anyway, my first impression of him was when he came to pick me up at the airport. We met and got in to the 4X4. He says that we have to go to pick up some other guys that are staying at the lodge and we have to pick them up from the jetty because they were at the islands. Anyway, on the way there, he is driving and drinking a tiger beer. Hmm, okay. Also, at the same time he is smoking and talking on the cell phone. Dear Lord, please keep me safe I think. haha, Praise God, I was safe. Anyway, he really is a great guy though. In fact, if you think about it, pray for him because he has a son who has Lukimia (sp) and is in the hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Anyway, the day before I left, he got a call that they needed him to donate his bone marrow for his son as he was the only match. So he was going to fly up there. Also, right now, money is tight for him as he said medications are really expensive for his son. So please pray for him.
Other guys I'll probably name drop are Rahmat and Najjif. They were the two guys we picked up. They were from singapore. They were 27 and 28 and on vacation in Borneo. Very nice guys and liked nature a lot and conservation. They were such a blessing to me though because they took me to places I probably wouldn't have gone to by myself, but they always invited me along which was nice. They also bought a lot of strange things for me to try. Oh yeah, these guys are huge fans of the Durian fruit. It's the smelliest fruit in the world and I don't think it tastes that great, but these guys love it and had me try some. For that, I'm grateful.
Finally, one other name I might drop is Michelle. She was a lady from England who had just gotten to Malaysia, but has been travelling for 2.5 years! She had a wealth of experence with travelling and had a million stories from other countries.
So the first day I got to the resort, I met these people, and then in the evening the guys from Singapore invited me to dinner with them. We went to a seafood area where all these vendors tried to get our business. So the one we finally decided served us some delicious stuff. We choose some Peanut Chicken, some fish (I don't remember what kind), some delicious veggies, and some fried squid. Mmm, it was soo delicious. Plus, I had fresh squeezed pineapple juice. I also got to try some chilies which were very hot!
After that, we went to the night market which was on one of the streets. The night market here had everything from Jewelry to fake Nike's, to crafts. There weren't a lot of vendors this night though because it was raining.
Then we decided to go to a coffeehouse near our hostel. It was Michelles recommendation. The place was good and I got some hot Milo. It's basically like Nestle Quick. They also served toast there that they toasted over charcoal and had coconut jam over it.
So that was the first day. Quite an eventful first day. Anyway, the next day in the morning, Rahmat, Najjib, and I went to the Gaya Street Sunday Market. This is a massive street market with hundreds of vendors selling everything from spices and food, to animals, to crafts. I was able to pick up some things. It was fun to be with the guys from singapore as they knew how to speak Malay and would ask the vendors what some of the stuff was. They also introduced me to some interesting Malaysian snacks. Mmmm....more food. Anyway, after the market we went up to Signal Hill. This is a place where you can get a good view of the city. Then we decided to go eat lunch.
We had lunch at an Arab restaurant. I had some rice and some other stuff, I can't even remember. It was spicy and very good. I felt a little out of place though at this restaurant as it wasn't touristy. Haha, I felt so white and it felt good to be out of place. It changed my perspective a bit. It's nice to not always be the majority, ya know? The food here was very cheap too, got it all for like less than $1.
After that we went back to the lodge to get ready for our trips. For me I was going to do the Mt. Kinabalu climb and the guys were going to do a Long House experience.
Below are pictures from Day 1 and half of Day 2.
Malaysia - Day 1 2
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Happy White Day
Happy White Day from the great country of South Korea. Yup, today is White day. It is the day where the guys give the girls something this time around. So any guy that received something for Valentines day is usually obliged or blessed to give the girl back something. So, I didn't really have anything to give anyway. Haha....although one of our guys did something special for his girlfriend. He had two lines of candles leading to his room (the tea type candles), and then in his room he had a big heart of red tea candles. Man, it was so classy....so he lead her to the heart. He said she almost cried. As for what other guys did...I'm not really sure.
Things here have been going pretty good....not too much going on, doing the same old same old with the dorm. I think guys are getting anxious for this quarter to end as it just seems that the stress has been a lot higher. Yeah, not much going on. Monday we did sound for chapels, which was fun. I was able to edit video for the chapel this week of clips of the kids being asked what they thought about truth and what is truth. It was intriguing to hear what these kids said. Some very relativistic answers and some very religious answers. Across the board. Also, for middle school chapel I got to play electric guitar for it. That was a lot of fun. Man, I love being able to praise God with the electric guitar!
Oh, this evening was fun as I had a game night/dinner at my apartment. Well, we were going to go out to eat, but then someone recommended Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup. So we quickly ran to the store and got some stuff to make it. Then we came back to my apartment and made grilled cheese and soup. It was quite good. Then played Uno and Dutch Blitz, quite fun, although my final score of 20 in dutch blitz wasn't exactly the best. So that was my White Day.
The rest of this week is chill as I only work tomorrow and then have Friday and Saturday off. Looking forward to that, and then one more week and I'm gone to Malaysia. Exciting stuff. Everyone is so shocked when they hear I'm going by myself. I think it'll be good. As much as I'd love to share it with someone (which I would've loved if someone could've gone), it'll be fun to climb a mountain and do some snorkeling while during that time also focusing on God and how to grow stronger in Him. I'll probably take along some books to read as I have some good reading right now. So yeah, please keep the dorms in prayer and the students. We can all use prayer and just pray for the kids in general as this quarter is finishing up and we are going into fourth quarter. Pray also for the seniors that they don't slack during this last quarter even though most have been accepted into American Universities already. Well, that is all. I'll leave you with some photos of the game night and my apartment painted. Blessings, Mike
In the photos, 1st one is of from L to R (Suzanne, Nikole, Amy)
Things here have been going pretty good....not too much going on, doing the same old same old with the dorm. I think guys are getting anxious for this quarter to end as it just seems that the stress has been a lot higher. Yeah, not much going on. Monday we did sound for chapels, which was fun. I was able to edit video for the chapel this week of clips of the kids being asked what they thought about truth and what is truth. It was intriguing to hear what these kids said. Some very relativistic answers and some very religious answers. Across the board. Also, for middle school chapel I got to play electric guitar for it. That was a lot of fun. Man, I love being able to praise God with the electric guitar!
Oh, this evening was fun as I had a game night/dinner at my apartment. Well, we were going to go out to eat, but then someone recommended Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup. So we quickly ran to the store and got some stuff to make it. Then we came back to my apartment and made grilled cheese and soup. It was quite good. Then played Uno and Dutch Blitz, quite fun, although my final score of 20 in dutch blitz wasn't exactly the best. So that was my White Day.
The rest of this week is chill as I only work tomorrow and then have Friday and Saturday off. Looking forward to that, and then one more week and I'm gone to Malaysia. Exciting stuff. Everyone is so shocked when they hear I'm going by myself. I think it'll be good. As much as I'd love to share it with someone (which I would've loved if someone could've gone), it'll be fun to climb a mountain and do some snorkeling while during that time also focusing on God and how to grow stronger in Him. I'll probably take along some books to read as I have some good reading right now. So yeah, please keep the dorms in prayer and the students. We can all use prayer and just pray for the kids in general as this quarter is finishing up and we are going into fourth quarter. Pray also for the seniors that they don't slack during this last quarter even though most have been accepted into American Universities already. Well, that is all. I'll leave you with some photos of the game night and my apartment painted. Blessings, Mike
In the photos, 1st one is of from L to R (Suzanne, Nikole, Amy)
Sunday, March 11, 2007
2 Months
Wow, so I've now been here 2 months and man has time flown. I mean it's already been a week since I've last posted and so much has happened in between there. Where should I start?
Well, on Monday for chapel practice I found out that I would be able to partcipate on the worship team this week for chapel. So that made me very excited to be able to play my guitar for worship again. So on tuesday I played my electric guitar for the first High School chapen, and then did acoustic and vocals for the 2nd High School chapel and the Middle School Chapel. It was so much fun.
Also, this week, it's been freezing and cold and we saw some snow as well. Figure that one out. So yeah, I want warm weather now that it is March. But hey, in two weeks I don't need to worry about it as i'll be in Malaysia sweating my butt off.
This week was a little rough in the dorm. Things are changing around here and we are starting to lay down the law a little more than we had. If you can pray for the dorm and just for us as a staff to still Love on the guys and yet crack down a little bit more that would be great.
Wednesday was my day off again, and so I went out to eat at that Duk-Bol-Ki place again and then went and hung out at Paris Baguette for a bit. It was a fun day off again. Gotta luv um.
Ugh...Friday. Friday was my most challenging day here in Korea so far. Let me explain. First off, I tried to cram way too much into my day to be able to acomplish it all. So in the morning I had to set up for the Middle School Spelling Bee. Like setting up sound and stuff. So I set that up and then make sure the sound sounds good during the spelling bee, I go to lunch, come back, and then ask if it's okay for me to leave to go do some stuff at the bank. At the bank I wanted to sign up for internet banking and transfer some money to a hotel I'll be staying at in Malaysia.
So I get to the bank and the point for me to go upstairs to do this. So I tell the lady that I want to sign up for internet banking. I do this in English and she understands a little. Anyway, she has me fill out this form. So she's trying to tell me what each part is because the form is in Korean and for some of the stuff she doesn't know what it is, so she starts to get frustrated because she has to ask the lady beside her. Anyway, I finally fill out the form. Then she takes me to their site on her computer to show me how to register now. The registration process is crazy. You have to fill out all these forms and stuff online. So by this point she becomes even more frustrated. Because she can't explain it to me in English. So a guy comes in (a guy who wanted to do some banking like me, but he's Korean), and she asks him if he knows English. He says a little, and then she talks to him in Korean for like a minute. Then he turns to me and explains a little bit of the form in broken English. Seeing that I don't understand, the bank teller then calls the school and tells the office secretary that I'm there and that I signed up for internet banking and for her to explain the online process for doing internet banking. Phew. So then I try to do my money transfer. I fill out the form, do everything I need to do on my end, and then when she types in Malaysia, she says I can't send money there and that's because there is an Embargo. An Embargo?! I doubt that, but maybe there is. Or maybe she didn't want to deal with me anymore...which I can understand. So best part....
The guy who knew a little English then asks if I'm a Hagwon at Hannam University. That means english teacher. And this bank is very close to Hannam. So I tell him no and that I'm a RA at TCIS. He says, okay, how long have you been here in Korea. I tell him 2 months. He then says "Oh, that's why you don't know a lot of Korean." Then he said "This here, doesn't happen a lot." As in Americans coming into the bank by themselves trying to do banking without knowing Korean. So then I say thank you and sorry to him and the bank lady, and then tell them the next time I stop by I will know more Korean.
So, I need to learn some more Korean for sure.
Then this weekend, didn't really do too much. Watched some soccer games in which our teams dominated the field....sweet. Then on Saturday night I went out to Bennigans and had an awesome sandwhich, went to the Norebong (Karaoke), and watched the latest American Idol. So it's been a good weekend. Today was pretty chill.
Now it's on to another week. Oh, today I painted the rest of my apartment. I'll try to get some photos up of it really soon. I wanted it to be a Deep Red and Grey, but instead the gave me a skyish blue...instead of Grey. The deep red is sweet, but the sky blue is going to have to grow on me. Also, I've been working on some video stuff for the school for Chapel this week. It's clips of the kids here being asked "what is truth", "what is important to you", and "is truth important to you?" Their responses are interesting. Some very post-modern, some very religious responses. Quite a mix. Anyway, chapel this week should be interesting.
Wow, so this post is long. Sorry, I should update more than just once a week.
Keep in touch,
Blessings,
Mike
Well, on Monday for chapel practice I found out that I would be able to partcipate on the worship team this week for chapel. So that made me very excited to be able to play my guitar for worship again. So on tuesday I played my electric guitar for the first High School chapen, and then did acoustic and vocals for the 2nd High School chapel and the Middle School Chapel. It was so much fun.
Also, this week, it's been freezing and cold and we saw some snow as well. Figure that one out. So yeah, I want warm weather now that it is March. But hey, in two weeks I don't need to worry about it as i'll be in Malaysia sweating my butt off.
This week was a little rough in the dorm. Things are changing around here and we are starting to lay down the law a little more than we had. If you can pray for the dorm and just for us as a staff to still Love on the guys and yet crack down a little bit more that would be great.
Wednesday was my day off again, and so I went out to eat at that Duk-Bol-Ki place again and then went and hung out at Paris Baguette for a bit. It was a fun day off again. Gotta luv um.
Ugh...Friday. Friday was my most challenging day here in Korea so far. Let me explain. First off, I tried to cram way too much into my day to be able to acomplish it all. So in the morning I had to set up for the Middle School Spelling Bee. Like setting up sound and stuff. So I set that up and then make sure the sound sounds good during the spelling bee, I go to lunch, come back, and then ask if it's okay for me to leave to go do some stuff at the bank. At the bank I wanted to sign up for internet banking and transfer some money to a hotel I'll be staying at in Malaysia.
So I get to the bank and the point for me to go upstairs to do this. So I tell the lady that I want to sign up for internet banking. I do this in English and she understands a little. Anyway, she has me fill out this form. So she's trying to tell me what each part is because the form is in Korean and for some of the stuff she doesn't know what it is, so she starts to get frustrated because she has to ask the lady beside her. Anyway, I finally fill out the form. Then she takes me to their site on her computer to show me how to register now. The registration process is crazy. You have to fill out all these forms and stuff online. So by this point she becomes even more frustrated. Because she can't explain it to me in English. So a guy comes in (a guy who wanted to do some banking like me, but he's Korean), and she asks him if he knows English. He says a little, and then she talks to him in Korean for like a minute. Then he turns to me and explains a little bit of the form in broken English. Seeing that I don't understand, the bank teller then calls the school and tells the office secretary that I'm there and that I signed up for internet banking and for her to explain the online process for doing internet banking. Phew. So then I try to do my money transfer. I fill out the form, do everything I need to do on my end, and then when she types in Malaysia, she says I can't send money there and that's because there is an Embargo. An Embargo?! I doubt that, but maybe there is. Or maybe she didn't want to deal with me anymore...which I can understand. So best part....
The guy who knew a little English then asks if I'm a Hagwon at Hannam University. That means english teacher. And this bank is very close to Hannam. So I tell him no and that I'm a RA at TCIS. He says, okay, how long have you been here in Korea. I tell him 2 months. He then says "Oh, that's why you don't know a lot of Korean." Then he said "This here, doesn't happen a lot." As in Americans coming into the bank by themselves trying to do banking without knowing Korean. So then I say thank you and sorry to him and the bank lady, and then tell them the next time I stop by I will know more Korean.
So, I need to learn some more Korean for sure.
Then this weekend, didn't really do too much. Watched some soccer games in which our teams dominated the field....sweet. Then on Saturday night I went out to Bennigans and had an awesome sandwhich, went to the Norebong (Karaoke), and watched the latest American Idol. So it's been a good weekend. Today was pretty chill.
Now it's on to another week. Oh, today I painted the rest of my apartment. I'll try to get some photos up of it really soon. I wanted it to be a Deep Red and Grey, but instead the gave me a skyish blue...instead of Grey. The deep red is sweet, but the sky blue is going to have to grow on me. Also, I've been working on some video stuff for the school for Chapel this week. It's clips of the kids here being asked "what is truth", "what is important to you", and "is truth important to you?" Their responses are interesting. Some very post-modern, some very religious responses. Quite a mix. Anyway, chapel this week should be interesting.
Wow, so this post is long. Sorry, I should update more than just once a week.
Keep in touch,
Blessings,
Mike
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Forgot
I forgot, yesterday was a lot of fun. I went out to eat with Nikole, Craig, and Laura. We were celebrating Nikole's bday. Anyway, we went to eat at this place called Chin Chins. At least that's how it's pronounced. So I had some delicious pasta there. Oh, I forgot, on our way there we saw this homeless lady, or just a lady begging and so we stopped to talk to her. Well, I didn't talk, but Nikole and Craig did. We asked her to come to lunch with us, but she refused and pointed to her ankle and said she couldn't walk there. We really wanted to take her to lunch and treat her to a meal. But she didn't, so this disappointed us a bit. Anyway, after lunch we walked around, went to a couple stores, Nikole got her ear pierced (fun experience to be there for that)...and then we stopped and got bread and a meal to go, so that we could give it to the lady we met. Anyway, we walked back and the lady wasn't there.
So we walked around, trying to find homeless to give the bread too. So, after not too long we find a man lying on the ground and we offer him the bread. He says he doesn't want it. But we leave it there beside him anyway. As we walk away, he throws it at us, but we keep walking and hoped that he would eat it anyway.
So yeah, it's tought being an "ordinary radical" here in Korea. But we are trying and that's what matters.
The phrase "ordinary radical" comes from Shane Claibornes book "Irrisistible Revolution." If you haven't read it, I encourage you to read it.
Anyway, after all this we went back to Nikole's and baked a cake and made some awesome icing (okay the icing didn't turn out right, but was still good), and then I went back to work.
Well, just wanted to give you a story of life here in Daejeon. Hoping to find more opportnities to be an "ordinary radical" here. The sermon today was really encouraging as it was from Acts 3 and the healing of the man who couldn't walk.
Which makes me think, why can't we just tell people who are begging and can't walk to just get up in the name of Jesus Christ and walk? We have the power to do this and more. Why don't we use it? What makes us so scared to believe that God can actually heal?
These are just questions going through my head. I wish I knew these answers.
Blessings,
Mike
So we walked around, trying to find homeless to give the bread too. So, after not too long we find a man lying on the ground and we offer him the bread. He says he doesn't want it. But we leave it there beside him anyway. As we walk away, he throws it at us, but we keep walking and hoped that he would eat it anyway.
So yeah, it's tought being an "ordinary radical" here in Korea. But we are trying and that's what matters.
The phrase "ordinary radical" comes from Shane Claibornes book "Irrisistible Revolution." If you haven't read it, I encourage you to read it.
Anyway, after all this we went back to Nikole's and baked a cake and made some awesome icing (okay the icing didn't turn out right, but was still good), and then I went back to work.
Well, just wanted to give you a story of life here in Daejeon. Hoping to find more opportnities to be an "ordinary radical" here. The sermon today was really encouraging as it was from Acts 3 and the healing of the man who couldn't walk.
Which makes me think, why can't we just tell people who are begging and can't walk to just get up in the name of Jesus Christ and walk? We have the power to do this and more. Why don't we use it? What makes us so scared to believe that God can actually heal?
These are just questions going through my head. I wish I knew these answers.
Blessings,
Mike
More About Korea
Well,
It's been a while since I posted, so I'm sorry for that, but it's actually been fairly uneventful since I got back from Japan. I have been to some awesome restaurants though. But what's new.
Let's see, as for restaurants, I went to this awesome pork bbq place with some friends, and mmmm, it was so good. And also, the one night I went to this Morroccan/Indian place and had chicken Tandorri, and some thing that had ricepaper/egg/tuna/spice. It sounds weird, but it was really good.
As for other stuff I've done, I have painted my apartment and now it definately feels like home. I'll have to post some pictures soon of it, but it looks a lot better I think. What color did I paint it? Well, you'll just have to wait.
So yeah, these weeks are flying by. In like 3 weeks it will be spring break and I'll most likely be traveling by myself to Borneo, Malaysia. I'm excited as I'll be climbing a 13,000 ft mountain and do some snorkeling. It's an amazing area.
Anyway, now for things Korean.
Did you know....? Korea used to spelled Corea! But when Japan invaded, they wouldn't let Corea keep the C, so they changed it to K because K comes after J in the alphabet. As in the J in Japan.
Well, yeah, there is tons of history stuff here. So next time I'll post another. Anyway, know that I care deeply about all of you that read this and thank you for reading it.
Weather here is getting better. Today it is like 60 something, but tomorrow goes back into the 30's. So yeah, it changes a lot.
Blessings,
Mike
It's been a while since I posted, so I'm sorry for that, but it's actually been fairly uneventful since I got back from Japan. I have been to some awesome restaurants though. But what's new.
Let's see, as for restaurants, I went to this awesome pork bbq place with some friends, and mmmm, it was so good. And also, the one night I went to this Morroccan/Indian place and had chicken Tandorri, and some thing that had ricepaper/egg/tuna/spice. It sounds weird, but it was really good.
As for other stuff I've done, I have painted my apartment and now it definately feels like home. I'll have to post some pictures soon of it, but it looks a lot better I think. What color did I paint it? Well, you'll just have to wait.
So yeah, these weeks are flying by. In like 3 weeks it will be spring break and I'll most likely be traveling by myself to Borneo, Malaysia. I'm excited as I'll be climbing a 13,000 ft mountain and do some snorkeling. It's an amazing area.
Anyway, now for things Korean.
Did you know....? Korea used to spelled Corea! But when Japan invaded, they wouldn't let Corea keep the C, so they changed it to K because K comes after J in the alphabet. As in the J in Japan.
Well, yeah, there is tons of history stuff here. So next time I'll post another. Anyway, know that I care deeply about all of you that read this and thank you for reading it.
Weather here is getting better. Today it is like 60 something, but tomorrow goes back into the 30's. So yeah, it changes a lot.
Blessings,
Mike
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