Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Nyuk Pau Beef Soup (Ngau Chap)

After I passed the town padang, I went up Signal Hill to take a panorama of Kota Kinabalu City Center. Unfortunately the DBKK (City Council) had allowed some trees to grow very tall and obscure part of the view from the Observation Tower.

So I took a partial panorama. It was used for the photo in the header to this blog.

I went down to Kolombong (Nounton Industrial Estate) to Nyuk Pau for Ngau Chap breakfast. He was situated at the end of the second block. An Alliance Bank branch was at the beginning of the first block. The Maybank branch was in front of the Alliance Bank branch.

He started in Menggatal, then he sold the business. Later he re-opened in Menggatal and now he had re-located to Kolombong. He sells only Ngau Chap (Beef in broth; meat & organ meats).

He is very serious about cooking (You Can TELL!). If I remember correctly, a long long time ago, he was selling beef at Tanjung Aru meat market. Then decided to go into the more lucrative prepared food. So he really had the authentic and "kau" broth (in the old shop in Menggatal, he had a giant pot with the broth being prepared from all the beef bones).

It was still good and tasty, but not as "kau" as before. Note that he charges RM7 - 9 per bowl (from small to special). He told me he is open everyday, except for the 5 days beginning from Hari Raya.

Before he opened the stall here, I used to eat the ngau chap at the Yii Siang (shop directly opposite). They sell Hainan Ngau Chap.


Don't Play Play! They appeared on "Ho Chak!" on Astro AEC.

New Buildings Under Development in Kota Kinabalu

Behind the Padang Merdeka stand was the re-development of the Natikar Building.

Turning to my right, could see the re-development of the old Cathay Cinema site. If I remember correctly, the cinema was destroyed by fire. There were a number of food stalls on the ground floor, and those poor folks suffered total losses. I googled, but no hits. Perhaps it happened before the internet!

Merdeka Day / Malaysia Day

It was a rather confusing day today. For sure, it was a public holiday. But what? This year the Federal and the state governments decided that Merdeka "Month" is from 1 August to 16 September.

The official events started in Perlis on 1 August 2010, then Merdeka Day at the Stadium Putera Bukit Jalil (KL) on 31 August 2010, and ending with Malaysia Day at Kota Kinabalu on 16 September 2010. Both 31 August and 16 September are public holidays.

The local newspaper said that the state-level Merdeka Day parade would be held indoors at the Likas Sports Complex. With the Army Honour Guards and 82 contingents for the march pass, the whole complex (especially the car parks) would be filled up by the participants only.

If we are celebrating 16 September as Malaysia Day, what is the Merdeka Day to Sabah?

UPDATE : Sabah was given Self-Governance on 31 August 1963, while Sarawak got it on 22 July 1963. So I suppose it can be said Self-Governance = Merdeka.

This was what Padang Merdeka looked like this morning. I assumed that the events on 16 September will be held here. No official announcements yet on the celebratory events and venues. The Tourism Sabah website still had 16 September as The TYT's Birthday Celebration!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Lok Kawi Wildlife Park

I visited The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park as it was just beside the venue for the Tuhun Tavakas Contest. This was basically our Kota Kinabalu Zoo. It was set up by the Wildlife Department. It looked well-managed with all the animal exhibits still there.

The Park was laid out over a 280 acres site. So it can be a full-day family outing.

The Wildlife Park main gate. There is a big parking area before this entrance; to the left.

The Park entrance. Pay and Go. Entrance Fee is RM20 (adult) / RM10 (child), but discounted by 50% for Malaysians and discounted 100% for the disabled visitors.

They was an White Bellied Sea Eagle, a Yellow Crested Cockatoo, some parrots, and other birds in cages. Most looked dis-interested; I supposed even we would be too; if caged up.

Some Chital deers (found in the Indian sub-continent); reddish with white spots.

A Sumatran Rhino (critically endangered species), buried in the mud.

The Sumatran Rhino is the smallest of all rhino types and has 2 horns.

Of course there were our Borneo Pygmy Elephants. Now identified as a separate sub-species and WWF estimated total population left of about 1,000 in Sabah. Only juveniles were in the front of the enclosure.
They were used to give rides to the visitors.

See, it was all those wrinkles that made them looked old and WISE.

The adult elephants were chained up in a building at the back of the enclosure. I am no animal expert, but some of the elephants were just standing still and swaying their heads left and right. It was similar to the action portrayed in those mental asylum patients in the movies. Could they be having MENTAL problems?

A male Rusa Deer (Javan Deer). He looked just like a reindeer; Rudolph?

A Cassowary bird with ostriches at the back. They are considered the same family species (also the emu).

There were quite a few snakes; a reticulated python.

They mostly looked asleep. Probably too well fed.

A Green Pit Viper.

One that I didn't take note of the species name.

There were crocodiles, monitor lizards, and turtles.

There was a net covered aviary. You can walk inside and bird-watch. I didn't want to spend time searching.

There were 3 young sunbears. Black with yellow patch on the chest and around the muzzle; very hyperactive.

Some tigers (Sumatran Tigers?). Great roars! You could hear them way before reaching their enclosure.

Of course, the ubiquitous Orang Utans. I noticed they too had weird behaviours; two of them kept digging holes with sticks. I wondered again if mental problems affect these wild animals when stuck in an enclosure.

A male Proboscis Monkey (Monyet Belanda - literally a "Dutch" monkey - must be those foreigners with their big noses!).

The females did not have the big noses.

A male Tembadau (also Banteng); a wild cattle that can be domesticated.

The Kijang (Barking Deer). Not that Toyota Unser in Indonesia lah!

Kinda reminded me of the velociraptor from Jurassic Park (except for the hair).

It was an Emu (Australian).

There were Gibbons; who only swung around on the bamboos when I put down my camera!

A male Ankole-Watusi Cattle. Its an African Species with those distinctive horns.

If your are TOO LAZY to walk, you can take the tram for an extra RM2 per person (scheduled 4 rides a day, if I remember correctly).

JBORNEO Tuhun Tavakas Challenge 2010

The JBORNEO Tuhun Tavakas Challenge 2010 was held on 28 & 29 August at The Native Village at Lok Kawi (next to The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park / Our Kota Kinabalu Zoo).

The view from the other end. Tuhun Tavakas means "Strong Man" in Kadazan.

The Banner says "Challanges"; must be our sab-glish (kiasu mah!: we can't let them Singaporeans have their Singlish!). The 3 "challanges" yesterday were Car-lift, grip endurance, and tyre-flip. Today's events were lorry-pull, farmer's walk, and the Atlas stone lift. The stones were in the photo above; the one in front was the smallest at 90 kg.

When I arrived at 11am, the lorry-pull event had ended. Spectators were allowed to try; hampers to the successful ones.

HE DID IT! I think he qualified for the 2011 Tuhun Tavakas contest!
The guy with the rope wore a T-shirt with "Marshall" on the back. I thought that was his name until I saw that ALL of them were called Marshall! More sab-glish!

The Overall Winner!
No lah! It's my friend Michael checking out the trophy.

The cars arrived for the drift event to be held in the afternoon.

Those of us, knowing nothing much about cars, peered into the engine bays.

The start of the Farmer's walk event. Each of the metal tube weighed 100kg (Question: How many farmers do you know that are carrying 200kg of produce to the market?).

It was really tough-going.

"You mean I have to carry it BACK as well?"

"That's IT! I give up!"

Do support our local events. There is apparently a "1Malaysia Toughmen 4 Charity" event said to held on 18 & 19 September 2010. The official Sabah's Strongestman Challenge 2011 will be held in February 2011.

UPDATE : The Overall WInner was Geinod Lozitin with 28 points from the 6 events (He is a local Heavy Weight Body Builder), Alfred Magabis was Second (27 points) and Third was Mark Allan Mogindol (25 points). It was a close fight.