OKS 2012 - Orang Kuat Sabah (Sabah Strong Man Contest)

The Orang Kuat Sabah (OKS) 2012 contest was held Saturday and Sunday at our Padang Merdeka. There is another Strong Man contest called the Tuhun Tavakas (see my post of 29 Aug 2010).

I did not have the time to go "look see" on Saturday, but on Sunday I did managed to go; although somewhat late (after 11am). I noted some competitors from Brunei.

The event being held at that time was the Truck Pull.

Each competitor wore a harness attached to the bus/truck and was allowed to pull on the rope ...

... that was attached to a land cruiser.

This guy was unable to complete the pull despite all the "encouragement" from the Megaphone Guy!

I found out later this was the media team from a Taiwan TV station ...

... so watch out for the program on the chinese channels on Astro.

If I am not wrong, this guy was Honesty Angandoi (a very strong competitor, a local boy). He did complete the truck pull.

I think the Strong Men need to have mass (very different from the bodybuilders with the muscle definition).

As I was late going downtown, it was pointless looking for parking near Padang Merdeka ( what with the Gaya Street Sunday Fair in full swing). So I parked in Suria Sabah and walked through the Gaya Street Fair to Padang Merdeka. On the way home, it was lunch time, so I "tapau" lunch at the Food Court ...

... and took this photo of the view towards the port piers. Note the reclamation next door for the new Jesselton Mall. My only concern is that the current horrendous traffic at peak hours on the single lane road fronting Suria Sabah will become impossible with another mall in the area.

A Round Trip to Tongod and Nabawan

I made a round trip to Tongod and Nabawan with my colleagues on our regular visits to two oil palm development. From KK, we drove to Tongod via Ranau and Telupid. It was about 200km to Telupid (3.5 hours in the very early morning), then the 65km to the project site in Tongod took 2 hours. At this stage in the development, the river crossings were still required ...

... luckily a fine day and low level on the river.

Terracing on the hilly terrain ...

... with oil palm planting started.

How long will this be the view?

In the late afternoon, we drove to Keningau via Ranau to Tambunan, than Apin Apin (also about 200 from Telupid). The next morning, I took this photo of the Keningau Town Mosque; note the land clearing behind the Mosque compared to the photo I took for the posting in Oct 2010.

That morning we drove from Keningau to Nabawan via Sook (about 90km). Again, we see the terracing on the hills ...

... and an over-enthusiastic excavator operator from one of the contractors.

Roads within the area always need to be connected; ...

... using the hardwood logs felled within the development area to construct the bridges will provide the lowest cost; and will last for many many years.

Of course there are also flat areas; this one now being planted.

This tree is replaced ...

... by this oil palm for the next 25 years. We drove back to KK from Nabawan in the afternoon (about 200 km)

Book Fair - 2nd Time Around Books

I went to a second-hand book book fair at 1 Borneo yesterday (from 10 Mar - 18 Mar 2012).

The flyer given out at the book fair said that these books came from Texas. They were sold mostly at prices ranging from RM3.90 to RM12.90.

The "entity" selling the books called themselves "2nd Time Around Books". A good name; but unable to tell from the poster whether it is a legitimate shop or company?

A good effort, the second-hand books were clean and saleable. More stocks needed and more "competitors" needed!

I bought a few books. I think "fair use" will allow me to scan 1 page from the books. This small book covers those annoying situations we all meet in our lives. BUT what is different here are the "revenge" you can do to those who cause you those annoyances!

I don't know if you can read this one, the annoying situation is the shopping cart left unattended in the middle of the aisle while the owner has gone off looking at other items. Normally we just move the cart aside and just grumble about it. The book detailed how Allan Doeksen handled this type of situation. He will move the cart aside BUT at the same time add items into the cart; items such as condoms (for the embarassment), shaving razor refills (expensive and small items). REVENGE!!!
I am not advising that you do this lah, anyway, most shoppers here are well-mannered.

This is a book on Impressionism (paintings built on light and colours, not "realistic at close range", but absolutely beautiful at the correct viewing distance).

I always liked Edgar Degas (about 1879 - Dancer At Rest).

A Dilbert book. But not a usual compilation; it covered the first seven years and covered the creation of Dogbert, Ratbert, Catbert, Asok, the Elbonians ...

... the comic strips also had additional comments by the author Scott Adams. Dilbert comics are especially funny to those of us working in companies following "western" philosophy of management methods!