I’ve seen the Bamboo Saxophone a few times in cultural exhibitions such as Sabah Fest and Kaamatan (Harvest Festival). At first I thought it’s just to show the excellent craftsmanship of our local handicraft makers, only a toy meant to impress tourists, a none-serious stuff. “Nice try!” I laughed.
Then one day I saw someone played music with this bamboo saxophone, and the performance was so good that it didn’t sound like a “play-play” stuff.
So, Bamboo Saxophone Vs Brass Saxophone, which one sounds better? I got a video below. Just listen and tell me what you think.
Actually, this bamboo saxophone is only one of the bamboo music instruments being used in this bamboo music show. They also play music with drum, xylophone, guitar, sompoton and flute, all made of bamboo. The bamboo music orchestra is so unique and successful that the team is invited to perform in many occasions. One music instructor from China told me that he was so impressed and said this was a must-see.
The Inventor of Bamboo Saxophone
This amazing bamboo saxophone is invented by Philipus Jani from Tambunan town of Sabah. In the past, he couldn’t afford a saxophone and had to borrow it from his friend. It’s a sad feeling to return the saxophone every time. All he had was the excellent skill to create bamboo crafts, so he decided to make a saxophone for himself with bamboo pieces that only costed him a few bucks.
Pic: in the middle is Philipus Jani, the inventor of bamboo saxophone
Now he can create a bamboo saxophone in four days. Not only that, he invents a total of 12 types of musical instruments such as flute, drum and electric guitar! Each creation can be sold from RM500 to RM4,000 depending on the instrument type. Below is the contact of Philipus Jani if you are interested in ordering the instrument from him: Mobile Phone: +60 13-8776286 Address: Kampung Kepayan Lama, Tambunan, Sabah, Malaysia.
Many music instruments in Asia are made of wooden materials. There is a tagline by a music school that says “play the music, not the instrument”, so any object can be used for making music. Very true indeed.
Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Have you seen this “huge mosquito”? I always find it in bathroom so I guess it likes to peek people taking shower. What is worse than a horny and oversized mosquito? So I had a very bad impression about it.
I had seen some females ran away from the bathroom and complained, “that’s a big mosquito inside!!!” as if they saw a mutant mosquito that would suck their blood dry.
One day I saw this evil bug again so I caught it (with some effort). Its body length is nearly 2 inches if its long legs are counted in measurement.
When I was about to squash this “mosquito” in my palm, I noticed it didn’t really look like a mosquito.
So I took a closer look of it..
This insect doesn’t own a needle-like stinger like blood-sucking mosquito.
Second difference is the tiny knobby things between its wings. It is called halteres, which act like gyroscope to tell its orientation in the air.
That puzzled me so I googled this insect on the Internet with keywords “insect that looks like big mosquito“. Immediately thousands of search results show up and all leads me to one answer: this insect is a Crane Fly (Order: Diptera, Family: Tipulidae). It is not even closely related to mosquito. And no, it doesn’t bite. It feeds on nectar.
Crane Fly has other interesting names such as mosquito hawks, mosquito eaters, skeeter eater, jimmy spinner and gallinipper. The adult doesn’t prey on mosquito but its aquatic larva may eat mosquito larvae occasionally.
Now you know that it’s NOT a mosquito, so please don’t kill it if you see it next time. Thousands of crane flies might have been killed b’coz everyone thinks it is a mosquito.
Jackie is a superstar of Poring. Everyone in Poring knows her. She is the most “human-like” orangutan that I’ve ever seen.
The “house” of Jackie really makes me laugh. There is a hammock for her and Jackie sleeps in this house after 7pm every day. She is not locked inside a cage so she is free to leave anytime, but she has called Poring Hot Springs her home for over 2 decade (I wonder if she had tried the hot sulphur bath, haha).
A friendly staff told me that I can see Jackie between 2pm to 4pm around Orchid Garden. I saw her the 1st time near Tropical Garden and she was drinking a big bottle of something like milk coffee. According to the tour guide, she was moody that day so every tourist kept a distance from her.
Jackie didn’t finish the drink in one go. She just lazed there and enjoyed sipping her drink slowly. She didn’t show any sign of stress when we walked closer to her. Obviously, she is very used to human. In fact, she grows up with human.
According to the staff, Jackie was found injured on her head in a nearby village 24 years ago. Her mother was missing so Jackie became an orphan orangutan. The villager sent her to Poring so Sabah Parks could take care of her. Normally, we send orphan orangutan to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, where orphan orangutan is kept and trained. Probably the facility was not ready that time, so Jackie ends up staying with human until today.
Jackie is free to move around. Sometimes she goes into the forest nearby. She always come back home in the afternoon. She looks fat but still quite agile in her movement.
Next day I saw her again in Orchid Garden. This time she was drinking fruit juice. Jackie takes fruit as well as rice. The staffs say she always tries to imitate human behavior, so they try to avoid smoking in front of her, LOL.
97% of orangutan gene is similar to human. Jackie looks like a gentle old lady. When she is moody, she would grab your hand and don’t let go, then the staff has to force her to free you. But she never causes any major problem in the park. Anyway, I would advise you to keep a distance with this babe which is 3 times stronger than human.
Above: Jackie eating betel nut
You may watch the following 1-min-20-sec video of Jackie:
Update (21 Mar 2013): Jackie has been transferred to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park for rehabilitation. She is healthy but severely obese, so she is on strict (healthy) diet and under the care of Sabah Wildlife Department. If she is fit and ready, she will be sent back to the wild (though she really loves to stay close with human).
A car accident always causes traffic jam on the road of Sabah because many cars will slow down to copy the car plate number for buying “4D”. 4D means 4-digit lottery games (also known as Cash 4, Pick 4, and Play 4 overseas. Local Chinese calls it “??”), the favorite lottery type of Sabah people. You just select a 4-digit number from 0000 to 9999 then bet on it. Though most Malaysians hate mathematics class, 4D is the coolest number game for us.
Yes, we all knows that the chance of winning is slim. More likely it’s money wasted but somehow it’s a nice form of mental entertainment, and hey, for RM1.15, you can’t even buy a coke, so it’s not really a big lost. In many cases, we will shout at the result in delight “OH XYZ, I only miss by one number!” and smile to one another, as if we are one step closer to our dream. Some don’t play lottery and say “not buying is winning”. Well, if you never try, for sure the next million-dollar jackpot winner is never you. “No try No luck”.
Sabahans are so obsessed with 4D that if you tell them, “I saw a ghost last night.” ALL of us will reply spontaneously, “Did you ask him for 4D number?” So funny.. Anyway, some gamblers do summon the ghost for numbers.
Would you ask a ghost for lottery number?
For unknown reason, Chinese thinks that windfall is controlled by spiritual world. If your luck comes, a hidden force will hint you via different channels, for example, plate number of a car in accident, numbers appear in your dream, and any number shown up in unusual occasion.
When I was in Beaufort town, the locals told me that there is an amazing “Lottery Rock” (Chinese calls it “???”) that answers the prayer of gamblers, and some of them really won lottery. Based on very limited info, I tried to look for this rock which is located between Beaufort and Sipitang. After asking two villagers during the search, finally I found it a few KM before the junction to Weston town.
FYI, this rock is about 27 Kilometers (KM) away from Beaufort. When you head to Sipitang from Beaufort, just pay attention at the left side of the road after you pass by SK Maraba school and see the “25 Sipitang” signage. You will see a boardwalk shortly, like photos above.
Below is the location map of its exact location: View My Sabah Map in a larger map
The shaded boardwalk will lead you to the golden Lottery Rock. This is an impressive big structure for an “unnamed” god. Even the God of Earth usually gets a 2×2 feet altar. To repay Lottery Rock for helping them to win lottery, the gamblers build wooden shelter, boardwalk, cement foundation, floor tiles, etc. for it.
I started to see scribbling of numbers the moment I walked in.
They even paint the Lottery Rock with shiny golden paint, so don’t get mistaken that it’s a gold rock ok, LOL.
Got any lucky number in mind? Just write it and make a wish.
Don’t limit yourself to 4D numbers. You may try jackpot numbers too. I guess Lottery Rock can read numbers in Chinese?
Since Lottery Rock has magical power, I believe it can understand your request in Malay language too.
You may see words like TOTO, Magnum, Lotto88 and STC (Sandakan Turf Club). These are the names of lottery companies. To make the job of Lottery Rock easier, it’s nice that some specified the company and even the draw date. Otherwise you will have to buy the same number from 4 companies, just to be safe.
The surface of Lottery Rock is full of 4D, 6D and jackpot numbers. I was told that whenever someone win big prize, he/she will repaint the rock with different color. When the rock surface is out of space, people will write the numbers everywhere in the hut. Do take note that if you win the lottery but you break your promise to the rock, you will be hit by bad luck, in serious case, death.
Even the small rock next to Lottery Rock also benefits from its fame.
See the termite nest next to the rock? People believe termite nest is a sign of presence of god.
When I was busy in photo-taking alone, I saw smoke coming from the rock and I heard something moving behind the rock. I felt a chill on my spine.
Phew… it was just a chicken behind the rock.
And the smoke was coming from the burning incense. Look at the 6D and 4D numbers in the container.
Actually the chicken was enjoying the biscuit, the offering left by the gambler for the rock. The left eye of this chicken is blind.
There are other offering such as betel nuts and leaves.
However, those offering accumulate and rot, turning this place into a smelly dumping ground.
The notice sign reads, “To show your respect to the god of rock, please keep this place clean and don’t litter after worship. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Ok, you might be curious, how did an ordinary rock become a popular magical rock?
Someone say, in the past, to construct the road between Beaufort and Sipitang, a group of workers moved away a rock that obstructed the way. However, later they discovered this rock came back to its original location. There are many taboo in construction industry, they believe this rock is occupied with spirit and shall not be moved. When a termite nest appeared next to it, people think this rock may bring wealth, so they prayed for winning lottery. And some did win, the rock becomes famous, so more and more people worship it until today.
Though I was hanging there for less than an hour, there were already two cars stopped by to visit and worship this rock. One of them told me that a number “5311” written on the rock won 2nd prize, by his friend the previous day. That’s why he also comes here to worship the rock. I checked the newspaper and he was right. If you pay attention to all my photos above, you would have noticed that 5311 appears 4 times in different spots.
Ok, as I was there, why don’t I also try my luck? I bought lottery tickets for 3 numbers, I never win a lottery in my life, please wish me luck. XD
One year I had a vacation at Beringgis Beach Resort in Kinarut. The weather was nice and a beautiful sunset was approaching. Then I saw there was something else also enjoying the sunset.
It’s a buffalo at the beach. Seeing buffalo in paddy field is a common sight in Sabah, but I wonder what the heck it was doing in the sea. It looks like a depressed blue-collar wanting to end his burdensome life by drowning himself in the water. :-p
Out of curiousity, I walked to this buffalo for a closer look to see if it was sick. It noticed me but my presence didn’t bother it at all, nor did it try to move away. Since it was used to human presence, it must be from the village nearby.
This buffalo is really old and its horns are almost triple the length of other buffaloes! The gold ray of sunset shined on its hairy body, making it looks like some sort of tutelary LOL. But I didn’t dare to go too near.
So I just stick around to see what it would do next.
The high tide started to come in and the water got deeper, but it showed no intention of getting out of water.
The sea level got higher and reached its belly, and it was washed by waves after waves. It looked enjoyable and wagging its tail. Ok, now I see what it was doing. It’s taking a sunset bath! What? A retired buffalo trying to relax and enjoy life? LOL.
Whatever, I wish you all have a nice weekend. We should learn from this buffalo who knows how to have a good time.
This is probably the hottest new stuff people talking about in town, and first time ever people feel happy that their world turning upside-down. After seeing so many friends introduced this place in Facebook and blog, I decided to visit the Upside Down House in Tamparuli.
Which one is upside-down? The house or the man? LOL.
Something that you can’t do in real life are all possible now at upside down house.
To get there is easy, if you go from Kota Kinabalu, just a few Kilometer before Tamparuli town and before a Shell gas station, you will see the house at your left, as shown in photo above. Its address is Kampung Telibong, Batu 21, Jalan Telibong, Tamparuli. You may Click Here for the location map. Their website is www.upsidedownhouse.com.my.
Below is the ticket fees. You can save a few bucks if you visit both Upside Down House and newly-opened 3D Wonders Museum (2-in-1 package):
Ticket Fee*
Malaysian Adult
Foreign Adult
Child (4-12 years)**
Upside Down House
(Rumah Terbalik)
RM10.60
RM19.10 (≈USD$5.50)
RM5.30 (≈USD$1.50)
3D Wonders Museum
RM24.40
RM35 (≈USD$7)
RM15.90 (≈USD$4.60)
2-in-1 Package
(Upside Down House + 3D Wonders)
RM31.80
RM47.70 (≈USD$14)
RM19.10 (≈USD$5.50)
* Fee inclusive of 6% GST tax (price as of June 2015)
** Free entrance for infant 3 years and below
Above: the ticketing counter. The visit will take 30 to 45 minutes.
The logo of Upside Down House (Rumah Terbalik).
The friendly staffs. There are quite a number of visitors even during weekday. We were waiting for our turn.
Here you go, the upside down house! It looks like a traditional Sabah village house from outside. Not only that, the inside is fully furnished. The interior area is about 1,500 square feet, with master bedroom, child room, living room + kitchen and a bathroom.
Finally it’s our turn to enter the house. We were asked to knock the door as if we visited a real house. A staff will guide you in the tour.
Sorry, no photo-taking is allowed after this point. It’s air-conditioned inside.
As expected, it’s an “insane” house, as everything, from small to big, are upside down. We were walking on the “ceiling”, with fans, lamp and even lizard (toy) next to our feet. And all the furnitures are above our head. I started to imagine that I was a ghost hovering near the ceiling LOL.
Group photo at the back door. Do you see the bicycle?
Another group photo. It’s fun to show this picture to others.
Let’s see what they have inside… 40-inch TV, VCR player, microwave, vacuum cleaner, computer & desk, chairs, sofa, beds, cabinet, washing machine, cabinet, closet, painting, etc. just like a normal house. They say the main challenge is to hang the 35-Kg sewing machine on top. They even have poker cards, toys and comic book scattered on the floor, like there are people living inside. The radio is on and luckily not the fan, haha.. I was told that a few visitors are not used to the upside down world and got a bit of motion sickness inside the house.
Hmm… can I sit in that car?
They have a gift shop next to the house.
They sell mainly environmental-friendly local products such as the organic soap and handicraft made of recycled wood.
You may watch the 1-min video of Upside Down House below:
Shuttle Services
You can take their shuttle depart from shopping malls (see below) to this place for RM50 (≈US$12.50) per person. Please call +60 18-8614688 / +60 88-230534 in advance to book a seat (before 4:00pm).
From Center Point
From Wisma Merdeka
Return
8:30am
8:45am
11:30am
10:30am
10:45am
1:30pm
2:00pm
2:15pm
5:00pm
3:00pm
3:15pm
6:00pm
Mango Garden Restaurant
If you visit Upside Down House, I highly recommend you to have lunch or dinner at Mango Garden Restaurant, which is right next to Upside Down House. This air-conditioned restaurant serves authentic traditional cuisines of Sabah and they even take our local food to fine dining level. It’s really a surprise for me to find such a decent restaurant in countryside.
Pic: the beautiful interior of Mango Garden Restaurant, decorated with cultural stuffs and photographs such as handicraft and musical instruments. You can see the Upside Down House from inside.
They have rich variety of exotic food. I tried the dishes below.
Pic: My appetizer, Hinava Sada, which is freshly selected fish fillet marinated in lime juice, shallots, ginger, sliced chili and grated Badu (wild mango seeds). This is a must try dish, very popular in Sabah and originated from the Kadazandusun tribes. You will love it if you like sour and spicy food. Price: RM11.50 (≈US$3.25)
Pic: Asam Pedas Ekor Lembu, sliced oxtail slowly cooked in delicious sour and spicy gravy. Commonly known as oxtail asam pedas by the locals, very tendon. Price: RM29.50 (≈US$8.35)
Pic: Dessert: Sweet Mango Sago & Ice Cream, soft jellied sago with palm sugar and coconut milk topped with fresh and sweet local mango. Price: RM8.50 (≈US$2.40)
After 10% service charge, the meal costs me RM54.45 (≈US$15.40). This is because I ordered the expensive items. Anyway, it’s worth every penny. They also sells common food such as fried rice and noodle, starts from RM8.90 (≈US$2.50) if you don’t want to spend too much.
Pic: Mango Garden Restaurant can accommodate about 40 people.
Pitcher plants of Sabah belong to the genus Nepenthes. Some call them “Monkey Cup.” Pitcher plant is one of the coolest plants on earth because it can “catch” bugs without chasing around. Pitcher Plants normally grow in places where the soil is very poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen.
To survive, they become carnivorous plants that are equipped with pitfall trap, consists of a deep cupped cavity filled with liquid. The lethal bait is the nectar of the pitcher that makes it smells like a jug of irresistible honey. Insects which forage for sweet food will fall accidentally into the deep cavity, drown in the digestive liquid and consumed by pitcher plant.
To learn more about this fascinating plant, I interviewed a pitcher plant named “Pit” who is fond of eating bugs.
Pit: Hello! I am Pit, a Nepenthesis Rajah (species name) from Sabah. Rajah is the world’s biggest pitcher plant that can hold 1.5 to 2 Litres of water. I am only found in Mesilau, Kinabalu Park and Mt. Tambuyukon, that means I am endemic to Sabah.
MySabah: You make Sabahans proud. But wait! Are you man-eater? Pit:Nepenthesis Rajah can grow up to 35cm. There were two documented cases of mouse corpses found in pitchers and our cup can trap small animals such as frog and lizards, but no, pitcher plant is not big enough to eat human though we wish. We cannot move so we cannot bite, unlike the common myth saying that we can open and close our lids to chew your fingers.
Above: pitcher plant about to open. The locals say the serum inside virgin nepenthes is used as hair tonic
MySabah: 35cm!!? WOW, you are such a huge fruit! Pit: Wrong. The pitcher is not a fruit. It does not make sense for flower to kill pollinators that visit it, right? As a matter of fact, the pitcher is the modified tip of a leaf that has evolved to trap insects. Pitcher plants do have small flowers that attract different kinds of insects for pollination.
Above: insect trapped inside pitcher plant
Above: snail trapped inside pitcher plant
MySabah: Is the murky fluid in pitcher poisonous? Pit: The water in pitcher contains highly acidic enzymes (sometimes up to pH 1.90!) to digest the prey and some wetting agents that make their escape harder. However, most captured insects died of drowning when they fail to climb out from our smooth inner wall, instead of being killed by the acid. The liquid is acidic, smelly and full of bacteria, so drinking it will lead to very uncomfortable consequences. You have been warned!
Above: larvae of mosquito inside pitcher plant
MySabah: Weird… How come I saw mosquito larvae swim happily in your “gastric” then? Pit: Oh yes. Larvae of certain insects such as mosquito and flies, live in the pitchers during juvenile stage, have adapted to the acidic environment. Actually they also help to break up the carcasses of the death bugs so my enzymes can decompose the prey easier. By sharing food, they also keep my cup clean by removing excessive organic leftover. The insects will leave me after they grow up and fly away, never return again except for laying eggs.
Photos: endemic pitcher plant of Sabah
MySabah: How many species of pitcher plants are found? Pit: There are about 160 species of Nepenthes in the world. Most of them are concentrated in South-East Asia. 39 species are found in Borneo and 22 species are found in Sabah. Six out of the 22 species are endemic to Sabah, with four endemic to Mount Kinabalu (N. burbidgeae, N. edwardsiana, N. rajah, N. villosa), one endemic to Mount Trus Madi (N. macrophylla) and one obligate ultramafic species (N. macrovulgaris).
Above: flower of nepenthes (left is male, right is female)
Most pitcher plant species have very restricted geography distribution. Sometimes two different species crossbreed with each other naturally to produce a hybrid, such as Nepenthes xkinbaluensis (fusion of Nepenthes rajah and Nepenthes villosa).
New species is found at a rate of 1 to 2 every year. In October of 2006, Dr Charles Clarke discovered a new species on Gunung Alab (highest peak of Crocker Range Park) in Sabah, and named it as Nepenthes chaniana after Sabahan Datuk CL Chan. This is the first nepenthes species named after Malaysian!
MySabah: You are so cute. Can I plant you in my garden? Pit: All pitcher plant species are protected in Sabah. For people who possess or trade pitcher plants without a license, they can be fined RM5,000 or being jailed for 2 years, or both. In severe case, the penalty fee can reach RM10,000 (USD3,000++). You can buy a diamond for that price. Besides, pitcher plant is hard to cultivate in-house, most of them die under human care.
Above: Nepenthes Garden of Tenom Agriculture Park
MySabah: Many tourists would love to meet pitcher plants and get autograph of them. Where are the best places to find you all? Pit: If you would like to see many species in a garden, you should check out Botanical Garden of Lokkawi Wildlife Park or Carnivorous Plant Garden of Sabah Agriculture Park in Tenom. They have collection of over 10 beautiful local and foreigner species. Even the roadsides to Beaufort, Papar-Kimanis, and Keningau have a few common Nepenthes species wait to be seen. If this is not close enough, you could look for them in nature jogging trail of Tun Fuad Stephens Park.
Above: wild pitcher plant at Tun Fuad Stephens Park
To see pitcher plants in the wild, Mesilau, Kinabalu Park, Maliau Basin, Mt. Trus Madi and Mt. Tambuyukon are the best spots to look for rare & endemic species. But you need to have very observant eyes because the colors of pitcher plants blend nicely in the wood. January to May is a good time as we grow well in wetter season.
Above: rare Nepenthes macrophylla in Mt. Trus Madi
Above: pitcher plant in Maliau Basin
Pitcher plants are sensitive, so please do not touch it. If you have to, hold its body gently and do not flip its lid, which is the most fragile part, to see what is inside. While you enjoy watching them, please do not feed them with stuff such as cockroach, as pitcher cannot cope with a mouthful of bugs. Camera flash is believed to be harmful to us, so please use it sparingly. By being considerable, the next tourist can see our beauty intact.
MySabah: Thank you so much, Pit! Pit: You are welcome. For further info about us, you could read the book “A Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sabah” published by Natural History Publications. All the best!
As part of the training in Miki Survival Camp, Mike, our guide, introduces a fun way to fish crabs without hook and fishing line.
All you need is a bamboo stick with split end to hold a pieces of unwanted meat such as chicken skin or fat. Later we learn that earthworm works the best but you need to tie the worm to the string so it won’t break apart.
Then we go to a small stream nearby to fish for crabs. Though we don’t see any crab in the water, we know they are hiding under the rocks and in the holes.
What we need to do is to place the bait near the possible hidden spot of crabs. The crab will be attracted by the bait and come to pinch it. Once you feel the pulling force from the crab, just slowly withdraw the stick.
You will see crab being lured out of the hole, follows the bait and try to get a hold of the meat. Once you are sure that the crab pinches the meat firm enough, you can pull it out of the water.
See! Mike got a greedy and stupid crab! However, it’s not as easy as it looks. I try a few times but the crab escapes. If you fail to fish it in first time, the crab will become cautious and may not dare to hold onto the bait.
Mike and Jimmy got 4 or 5 crabs in less than half an hour. The crabs are in bright orange color, very beautiful but quite small.
All freshwater crabs in Sabah are edible. Mike cooked these crabs with oyster sauce. The smell is so nice. The meat tastes good too though it’s not much.
Gontong, our dog, also enjoys the crab shells left over by us, so funny.
You may watch the 90-sec video of crab fishing below:
