The Borneo Beauty

Nowadays, people are so busy thinking about their look, not only women, but also men. Twenty or fifteen years ago, maybe men not really that obsessed about how they look. But now, men and women are both same.

Actually today i want to share with you some important facts about tomato. At my place, it’s easy for us to get fresh tomato, because it is one of the main vegetables that being planted in Kundasang (ranau) area.

I bet we all know that tomatoes are low in calories, an excellent and nutritional type of food for people that wish to follow a weight-loss plan.
Having high vitamin C levels that help the body increase naturally its immune system, tomatoes have evolved to become one of the most loved vegetables used in meal preparation worldwide.

In one study, 10 healthy women ate a diet containing two ounces of tomato puree each day for three weeks, either preceded by or followed by a tomato-free diet for three weeks. The researchers measured blood levels of lycopene and evaluated oxidative damage to cells before and after each phase. They found that cell damage dropped by 33% to 42% after consuming the tomato diet.. Hmm no wonder people in kundasang area looks young and healthy..so that’s the secret, tomato everyday..

And for those who are always busy or those who still don’t have the confidence to cook a ‘complex meal’ (meaning you have to prepare with CO2 fire extinguishers everytime you step inside the kitchen) maybe you can try this tips and idea for a simple meal..

Tomato diet Tips and Idea

Breakfast

Grilled tomatoes with scrambled egg on wholemeal toast

Tomatoes with smoked haddock or kippers

Lunch

Add tomatoes to sandwiches

Prepare a salsa style tomato sauce to accompany your meal (chopped tomatoes, green pepper, onion and herbs, salt and pepper to taste)

Tomato soup

Cook pasta dishes and add extra tomato sauces

Hearty shepherds pie with extra tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes with cous cous

Sandwich with any filling stuffed with extra tomatoes!

Tomato salads / Greek salads

Snacks

* Cheese and tomatoes on toast
* Mackerel in tomato sauce

Want fresh tomato? Come visit Kundasang, Sabah..  

In 1982-1983 more than 9.1 million acres (3.7 million ha) burned on the island of Borneo before monsoon rains arrived, while more than 2 million hectares of forest and scrub land burned during the 1997-1998 el Niño event, causing $9.3 billion in losses. The fires also produced wide-ranging and severe economic, political, social, health, and ecological damage to Indonesia and the neighboring Southeast Asian nations of Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, and Thailand, already in the midst of an economic crisis. Satellite analysis of the 1997-1998 fires revealed that 80 percent of the fires could be linked to plantations or logging concession holders.

Forest fires.. what do we know about it? What cause it? and the most important thing is, how to prevent it from destroying our forest? Well of course, when we think about fire, automatically we will think fire extinguishers right? So here I will share with you some information about forest fires..

Fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat to survive. In forests, the fuel is provided by trees and bushes. Oxygen is not hard to find, seeing as it is all around us in the air (it’s everywhere).. And without heat, the fire could not continue. The main causes of forest fires can be divided into two, and they are Man Made Causes and Natural Causes.

Natural Causes

Lightening can burn the trees, but the rain after it extinguishes fire which can reduce the damages.

Oxygen is everywhere, and it is one of the main factors to start fire. At a temperature of 572 degree wood releases a gas that reacts with oxygen present in air and triggers a flame which will give heat to the surrounding woods and the fire will start growing more and more strong. This can also happen in the cold days.

Earthquake in San Francisco in 1906 causes fire.

High temperature and low humidity (dryness) provides favorable conditions to the fire and hence it can start in forests.

Man Made Causes

Negligence :: any source of ignition like cigarette, naked fire which when comes in contact with inflammable things causes fire.

Smokers :: sometimes they drop the lighted cigarettes and matches in the forest which can easily set nearby bushes on fire and further develops into huge forest fire.

Locomotives :: those that powered by wood and coal can set the grass and trees (near the railway lines) to fire with just a spark.

Farmers :: fire lighted by cultivators to burn a patch of forest can go out of control and burning more trees than required.

Facts about Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world located north of Australia, and south of Philippines. Politically, the island is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, the only island in the world that is a recognized part of 3 countries:

1) The Indonesian provinces of East, South, West and Central Kalimantan
2) The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak (the Federal Territory of Labuan is located on nearshore islands of Borneo, but not on the island of Borneo itself)
3) The independent country of Brunei (main part and eastern exclave of Temburong)

Sabah, Malaysia

So let’s focus on Sabah (Land below the wind).. which is also quite a big state itself.. so places to go if you visit here? Hmmm… there are so many places you can visit if you have enough time to spend..
But..if someone ask me to choose between Sabah travel packages and Disney World Packages, I will absolutely, definitely take the Disney packages.. (Duh! I’m a Sabahan, so i can visit my own place anytime I want right..)

Ok, forget about the Disney thing.. I will list down some places that you should visit when you are in Sabah:

Filipino Market
The Filipino Market is a good place to buy cultured pearls (about RM5 each) and has everything from fake gemstones to camagong-wood salad bowls, fibre shirts and traditional Indonesian medicines. A variety of Filipino and local handicrafts are sold in the hundreds of cramped stalls, along winding alleyways which are strung by low-slung curtains of shells, baskets and bags.

Manukan Island
The island has very clear waters and an excellent venue for water-skiing and sea-sports. The beach however is somewhat rocky and swimmers should exercise some caution. There are coral beds on the eastern and the western reefs and multicolored coral fishes abound here. The best stretch is on the eastern tip of the island. There is a trail system around the island. Ideal for snorkeling, diving and swimming.

Labuan Island
Labuan is a tiny island town off Sabah’s coast that was formerly known as Victoria Town. Today, it is a hub for duty-free goods and boasts some nice cultural touches and landmarks. Because of its proximity to Brunei, Labuan attracts many visitors from there frequently as well as avid scuba divers for its rich marine life.

Mount Kinabalu, Kundasang, Ranau
The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with over 600 species of ferns, 326 species of birds, and 100 mammalian species identified. Among them are the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan. Mount Kinabalu has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status.

Poring Hot Spring, Ranau
Other than the natural hot spring main attraction at Poring Hot Springs, there are also other interesting areas in the park to be visited such as the butterfly farm, the Poring Orchid Conservation Centre, the tropical garden, the Poring canopy walkway, and the Rafflesia flower site.

Sabah Tea, Ranau
Sabah Tea Plantation, nestled into the lush tropical wilderness of Malaysia’s first ever World Heritage Site, Mount Kinabalu, sits on a 6,200-acre land at 2,272 feet above sea level.
It is surrounded by the world’s oldest rainforest of about 130 million years. Sabah Tea Plantation is the largest single commercial tea plantation in Borneo with approximated area of 1,000 acres endowed with an interesting plant and agriculture resources, Camellia Sinensis. It is also one of the very few tea plantations in the world that certified to produce organic tea.

Mesilau, Kundasang, Ranau
Mesilau is practically the highest point accessible to automobiles; it is surrounded by hills and is very close to the foot of Mount Kinabalu. The chilly climate engulfing Mesilau results in sparse population of trees, verdant ferns, as well as other medium-height vegetations. It is situated about 100 kilometers (2 hours 30 minutes – 3 hours away) from Kota Kinabalu.

Enjoy your visit! 

Bigfoot, Anaconda, Yeti and Nessie are a very well-known monster all over the world..  but then, how about ‘Nabau‘ ? Have you ever heard about it? In 2009 a member of the disaster relief committee, Sibu was monitoring the flood situation in Ulu Rajang in a helicopter when he saw a monster that looked like a big snake cruising along the river, and from the helicopter, he took a picture of it (so that people will believe his story). But, the question is, what is Nabau? How does it look like? Is it just a snake or a myth creature that can bring good and bad luck to people..

Among the Iban folk tales, Nabau is like a “petara” (god) which has super natural powers. Seeing it alone will bring luck to the man. Its scales used by Iban as “pangkor” which can change someone into Incredible Hulk.

A Nabau is much like a snake, with a dragons head. It is a spirit that could bring you good luck or bad luck. It has 7 nostrils on its face and it can transform itself into any animal, to hide its real identity.

During the WWII a man was trying to escape from the Japanese communist, into the jungle, and deep within it he came across the spirit of Nabau. Its mouth was wide open, as open as a cave, so he thought to himself that he would rather hide inside its mouth and possibly die this way than be tortured and killed by the Japanese.. self-defense? hmm.. forget about it..

When inside the Nabau he found himself at the gallery of a longhouse. The people there (residents and families) brought the man to the village Chief. Here he paid his respects and his reason for the accidental intrusion. The chief and his people sympathised with the man, but the Chief assured him that the Japanese have given up their search through their complicated jungle terrain. The Chief offered him to be escorted back with the spirit Nabau, so it may bring him the same good luck in the future. The man gladly and thankfully accepted the generous Chief’s gesture. But in return, the Chief replied seriously, he must show his utmost decorous thanks and gratitude toward the Nabau.

Once outside, the man is lead by the Nabau spirit back to his village safely. The spirit has changed into a human being with a wet and slimy appearance to his face and body. He had no body parts to speak of, just a deathly, pale and silvery, scale-like texture.

Upon returning, his wife cooks the family dinner after their long journey, but the man does not invite the spirit into his home and just leaves him at the front of his house, outside. This insensitivity upsets the Nabau spirit and he calls out to the man to aid his long journey with him and display his gratitude. It is after all the right thing to do; to be courteous. He calls out for the man, but he doesn’t rouse a wink from his deep sleep, so the spirit disappears leaving the man and his family bad luck for the rest of their lives. As for the giant snake, whether it’s real or not.. you decide yourself..  

Yesterday I watched the replay of Oprah show.. It’s a good show.. hehe.. and the topic was ‘What can you live without’.. a very interesting topic, so I decided to stay in front of the TV..

So the Oprah team made an experiment to a different family who agreed to accept the oprah challenge for one week. The theme is ‘Back to Basic’. The rules are:

• # no tv, hand phone, computer, internet, or any kind of electronic gadgets (for one week)
• # no credit card
• #no eating outside (they must sit and eat together as a family)
• # parents walk their kids to school (hah! good exercise)
• # they must go home early (so can eat dinner together)
• # no shopping ($100 for grocery)

So back to basic huh.. well for some people it’s good for them, but for those who loves jewelry maybe you should try beaded lanyards before giving up your credit cards.. 

So the 1st family was a single mum with 2 teenage boys.. she really love to shop.. if you read the book ‘confession of a shopaholic’.. hmm that’s her.. haha.. she bought Jimmy Choo shoes, but never use it..so they manage to go through the challenge for one week.. then to cover back all the debts from her credit cards, she sell her clothes and shoes on ebay, and received $2000 from it.. phew…

The 2nd family, parents with 2 small kids. In this case, the mum also loves to shop, but more to food. She will go to the grocery shop EVERYDAY to buy something for her family, because she don’t want them to get starve.. (yeah, she’s a good mum, but for me it’s too much).. and then when she realize it, she got food supplies enough for 2 years.. OMG!

As for the kids, they got this room just for their toys.. and they called it The Toys Museum.. oh my.. and during the challenge week they can choose only 5 toys that they like the most, and the rest will be locked, and for them that was the worst day of their life.. hahaha.. anyway, they also passed the challenge, and the mum gave some of their food supplies to the people with no income, and  still.. they have a lot… LOL