Our Limbang Trip

We went to Limbang to visit our aging grandma and also my second sister. My 2nd brother-in-law just pass away two weeks earlier. We left Miri at 4:20PM and arrived in Limbang at about 7:00PM. The queue at the immigration was short by any standard! We went for "dinner" at the lake garden on Bukit Mas. The road up the hill was dark and when we arrive, they have no customer!

After we ordered food, there was a blackout! So, the boss switched on his car headlight so that they can cook. Then, they gave us a candle. Ah Jon and Janice.

Joshua was fast... the moment he arrived at the place, he found what he liked to eat... fried chicken chop costing RM12!!

Timothy loves his usual... lemon chicken rice.

For the rest of us, we have 炒煮麵. Total cost... RM45!! I know my friend STP in Sibu will faint when he hear this!

We met my 4th brother...

... and my 3rd sister's eldest daughter.

My 2nd sister is so thin. She looks older than her age.

Grandma is getting old. She is 92 this year and every time we met, she repeat the same thing... and predicted her own dxxxx!

This time, she has toothache. A wisdom tooth is giving her problem.

Her collapsed or compression fracture of the vertebrae or spine is very serious. She is forever suffering pain. An x-ray of the bone can be seen in one of my blogs. So, we must take care of ourselves and have enough calcium. Her back is seriously bent.

Departure after less than 24 hours is not very nice. The older generation always loves the younger one. She insisted on giving away her limited fund to our children for good luck. What can we do? We just accepted it or we will be seen as "disobedient"! 

My Trip Back from Limbang

We went back to Limbang on Friday and return to Miri on Saturday as I had function to attend on Saturday night. The trip back was fast at the Limbang side...

However, when we reached Sg Tujuh side, we found a long queue some 1KM plus away from the checkpoint . We thought there was an accident... never mind, we wait in queue. An hour later, we finally reached the check point and realised that it was actually a very long queue. The checkpoint officers must had been working extremely hard!

After passing Brunei side, we had to queue again on the Sarawak side... finally, we could see the checkpoint!

On the Sarawak side, a new immigration checkpoint is being built! It is a huge complex and I hope it will ease up border crossing.
I was told that it will be holiday in Brunei for the next few days. So, many cars crossed over to Miri. Some people actually waited from 8AM and didn't arrive until 1PM. So, we have been very lucky.
It seems that every time we went back to Limbang, something would go wrong with my car. Last time, it couldn't charge. This time, the aircon compressor jammed and therefore burnt out the moment we started our journey from Limbang. So, we have no aircon from Limbang to Miri and have to be baked under the hot sun for four hours!

Changing face of Miri

I took these photos from a bus...

New Centre Point of Miri

Bintang Budget Hotel taking shape!

Not sure what Shin Yang will call their new budget hotel. This is the ex M2 of Miri in Pelita Commercial Centre. Looks like going to open soon.

New wing of the Good Shepherd Anglican Church of Lutong.

庆中元 Ghost Festival

These were photos taken this evening at the Tua Pek Kong temple in town.

Lots of people

Offering

Burning of paper money

Devotees ...

To ask for blessing

Perhaps prosperity

There were two items for auction in the evening. This 平安灯"lamp of peace" was hung high above the bamboo tree and the starting price was RM5,000. Finally, someone bought it for RM10,800 (US$3,400). The other item was what they call 黑金"black gold" and was finally sold for RM8000 (US$2,500). Both item promises good luck, prosperity, wealth and health for the owner.

Healthy Delight

Janice brought back this package of food amongst all the other goodies. The look is attractive and seem to be tasty!

Who do you think is the target audience for this food? Make a guess...

Dying trades...

I got a special assignment from Sibu today... to shoot Chinese traditional dying trades...

Perhaps he is the only one in town now who still cares to repair watches. He has 50 years of experiences! His shop is opposite the main central market in Miri

Traditional barbering ... only the olds are doing it using simple and non sophisticated equipment. Services include ear cleaning and some others which you will never find in modern hair saloon. His business is opposite the central market situated in one of the single storey shop lots. 

He has a frozen shoulder and had been to all over Bintulu. No matter what he did, he can't lift the hand 90 degree!

So, our friendly street (鐵打) is helping him. You have a solution to help this man? Do let me know! This business is just outside the barber above.

Traditional goldsmith using all the most traditional utensil and tools is perhaps very rare also!

I thanks all the above who had kindly allow me to snap pictures of their works!

7 New Products from Nikon

Look at these ....

Finally an improved version of D3000. But how many will take video at full 1080p? Surely it is something very handy. Coolpix s1100pj comes with a projector! Don't be fooled...this projector is good for a very small screen only! 

85mm f1.4G would be the nicest lens to own. But how much? It would be very pricey! For those who have envied Tamoron wide to 300mm tele zoom, now, Nikon came out with 28-300mm! This would be a "kill all" lens to have! Whatever, prepare a huge stack of bank notes for any of the lens!

Enough ...

  錢多錢少，夠吃就好
人醜人美，順眼就好
人老人少，健康就好
家窮家富，和氣就好
老公晚歸，回來就好
老婆嘮叨，顧家就好
孩子從小，就要教好
博士也好，賣菜也好
長大以後，乖乖就好
房屋大小，能住就好
名不名牌，能穿就好
兩輪四輪，能駕就好
老闆不好，能忍就好
一切煩惱，能解就好
堅持執著，放下最好
人的一生，平安就好
不是有錢，一定會好
心好行好，命能改好
誰是誰非，天知就好
修福修慧，來世更好
天地萬物，隨緣就好
很多事情，看開就好
人人都好，日日都好
你好我好，世界更好
總而言之，知足最好
講這麼多，明白就好
這條短信，真的很好
不發給你，是我不好

Fish in Captivity

Sea water fish at Miri International Airport...

I like sea water fish as they are beautiful. However, keeping one of those can be pricey. So, I can only snap pictures and admire their beauty from my computer. Here is one of those for soothing your tired eyes!

After Three Kopitian

After Three Kopitian is a new addition to the landmark of Miri, situated along China Street. It is a new eatery by a towkay from Kuching.

Three of us ordered a drink each at about RM2.00 each.

A perfect place to relax ...

There is this thing outside the eatery... any one knows the name? I know what it is in foochow!

There is this glass window whereby you can see the kitchen.

The outside of the eatery... looks traditional, perhaps even romantic.

Inside, it looks good. Oh, I forgot to mention that this trip was organised by Sarawakiana and ghostynana.
Don't ask me about the quality of food. Just go and test it out! Now everyone can eat is their slogan!

Cheap school book at SJK North Charity Sales today

Today (Sunday 15 Aug), there will be a charity sales at Dewan Suarah, Miri to raise fund for SJK North School. They are hoping to raise at least RM100K to rebuilt building block infested by termites. I encourage you to bring a fat wallet there. They are still short of RM170K! I was at the library yesterday and ...

saw them preparing!

Normally you see high prices for items on charity sales. But not for these books! They are going real cheap - four books for RM10! Or RM3 each.

They have books for primary students all the way to form 5!

They are good quality stuff!

Normally, these books were sold for RM20-39. But today, you get them for RM10 only. So be there early to avoid disappointment!
Now, everyone can buy books!

Miri has new landscape!

Sometimes, I just wonder how fast a landscape can transform. Or is it possible that I have not been to China Street for too long. It used to be full of hawker stalls but now, it has a rather nice eatery...

... a restaurant, etc etc. I will post more pictures at another time. For the time being, click on the above for a bigger view.

Shell Celebrated Centenary Today

Today Sarawak Shell Bhd celebrated "100 years of powering progress together". It marked the important date when Shell drilled the first oil well in Miri at Canada Hill.

The huge panel outside the main office

A large crowd gathered outside the main lobby area to witness the raising of flag and balloon. 

Member of the press...

Everyone was treated to a "breakfast".

Then opening of the new digital display system...

Later we proceed to the Mulu hall for a multi site link up for  a joint celebration - cutting of cake.

Evening, the celebration was at the Canada Hill where the first well was drilled and was passionately called the Grand Old Lady! At the ceremony, the chairman, Anuar, announced three new "centenary projects"... a presentation of RM800K to Miri City for the Centenary Footbridge which will link Miri's Taman Awam to the Rocky Outcrop...

A Centenary scholarship for the disabled students -offered to students in Sarawak wanting to commence or further their studies at certificate, diploma or Bachelor Degree after completing their form 5 (presented to the Miri Education officer);  ...

... and the Centenary “We Care We Share” Grant, which offers Shell staff the opportunity to fund a community service project of their choice (received on behalf of staff by Freddy Godeng, President of MSSC).  Each project may be worth up to RM10K.

Cutting of cake again! We had 2 cakes today!

Finally, lighting up the Grand Old Lady, ie, Miri Oil Well No. 1.

How does it look? Click on the picture for a larger image.
Close to 300 people attended the evening event and they included staff, Shell retirees, community leaders, department heads, representatives from PETRONAS and Carigali which included Medan Abdullah (Senior GM, Corporate Services, PETRONAS), the Mayor of Miri City (Lawrence Lai), YB Andy Chia and the Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, who was the guest-of-honour.