The Adventures at Kinabatangan River

Kinabatangan River is the second longest river in Malaysia, with a length of 560 kilometers from its headwaters in the mountains of southwest Sabah, to its outlet at the Sulu Sea, east of Sandakan.  On our way, our road trip was filled with adventure from the start.  We ended up getting stuck in a massive traffic jam, due to a wreck that had occurred earlier in the morning.  We were stuck in traffic for about 3 hours, as the lunch hour passed we started to get hungry, so we decided to have our picnic lunch in the back of the car. On the menu was canned tuna, either with tomato sauce or mayo, bread and canned beans.  Not the usually picnic lunch, but it filled our stomachs till dinner.

Photo by Ashley Haseley

Once we finally arrived to the “Ego Camp” on the riverside, we had a few minutes before we took our evening river cruise along the riverside.  We saw a few monkeys and a few of the exotic birds of Borneo.   The sunset was beautiful on the river and it also happened to be the same night as the eclipse, so the moon was large and bright as it started to rise into the evening sky.  It was a perfect place to be one with nature, as the “Ego Camp” had no electricity.  By the end of the night, you could see the red tint on the moon and every constellation – as I couldn’t help but point out every star and constellation I knew to the people I was with – see Dad I do listen to your random knowledge J.   As we laid outside looking up at the night sky and listening to all the different sounds, we heard around seven different types that ranged from monkeys, to birds, to tree frogs, to insects.  The night could have not felt more peaceful. 

The accommodations, were similar to camping, we were just not place directly on the ground just in case any larger animals would be passing through.  That night I woke up around 2am to an uncommon noise.  I believe it was a monkey, but wasn’t for sure, as camping in the jungle is a new adventure for me.  I played the game, if I can’t see him, he can’t see me – I quickly pulled the sheet over my head and tried to go back to sleep.

The next day we explored the river again for a sunrise cruise and then went hiking in the afternoon.  Even though, we reviewed the map and was told to follow the yellow markings, we still managed to get off the trail and create another adventure.  At one point, I was using the branches to pull myself out of the sinking mud.  If you were to ask me if I would do it all over again, I would say “yes”.  The frustrations of feeling like you are going in circles and being covered in mud was all worth it!

Our next stop was a homestay in Sukau.  The family was very hospitable and treated us with freshwater prawns from the river.  We explored the village, did some fishing (yet did not catch anything) and went to the Gomantong Caves.  

The adventure as a whole was unpredictable, exciting and eventful – I am very blessed to able to have this experience.

New Places AND New Adventures...

I realize that I haven’t blogged in a few months, but after awhile your day-to-day routine becomes the norm.  Every day seems to be the same or similar to the day before.  Though within the past month I have traveled to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.  Went hiking/camping on the Kinabatangan River.  Celebrated my birthday and Christmas and climbed Mount Kinabalu.  So I would be lying if I told you that my day-to-day routine is same as usual. After four months, I can truly start to say that Sandakan is feeling like “home”, as I start to miss it when I am gone for a few days.

Singapore

 photo by Ashley Haseley

Visiting Singapore for me was like visiting any big city, I’ve always loved cities – could I live in one I don’t know, I go back and forth on the debate, but I enjoy visiting.   Singapore is known to be a clean city, no chewing gum (yet it can be sold in stores), no spitting, no littering, etc.  The city keeps strict rules, but lives up to its reputation.  As you walk around the city you see building after building – wondering the height of each.  You no longer feel like you stand out – you are surrounded by the city lights, the tourists and the shopping malls – Prada, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s – the best can be found here.   Even if you are not a fan of cities, I would still recommend it. If you get tired of the busy city life, you can always take the subway to the Botanical Gardens, walk around Holland Village or take an evening cruise to see the night lights of city.  Like any city you can always find something for everyone.

Kuala Lumpur

 photo by Ashley Haseley

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, located on the peninsula and is known for Petronas Twin Towers.   It can also be compared to any other city, with busy subways and shopping malls, but when you compare it to Sabah you almost feel like you are in a different country.  The culture, the food, the language is all mixed.  You can visit ‘Chinatown’, ‘Little India’, or even ‘Times Square’.    As I looked around KL, everyone seemed to be hurry, it reminded me of my life before I came here and at that moment I knew I wasn't quite ready to come back home to the States. In Sabah, there is never a reason to be in a hurry, which has taught me to live a more relaxed life.  I have learned that even if you don’t get something done that day, it’s okay, because it will be there tomorrow.  And of course I’ve heard that saying from my parents many times, but I don’t think I really understood the meaning till now.  

My favorite part of both cities was just walking around, with no plan, no map and no real destination.  If you go about life this way, you learn that you will never say you are lost, you can never feel like you are late and you can never be disappointed in what you see. 

My Birthday/Christmas

I have been blessed with great friends here.  I couldn’t of asked for a better birthday and Christmas celebration.   

Birthday

I spent my birthday in Sandakan, eating my favorite meals and being around wonderful people.  Some of my friends took me out for steamboat for a birthday dinner, followed by cake and ice cream.  At the restaurant they play a birthday song as they sang “Happy Birthday” – it’s definitely a birthday I will always remember.  The next day, I had a lunch celebration with more of my favorite meals and my co-workers at Cheshire.

photo by Ashley Haseley 

For Christmas, I went to a small village near Kundasang called Bundu Tuhan.  The village is located within the mountains.  As you enter the village all you can see for miles is green peaks and vegetation farms.  You can feel a chill in the air and there were several times I had goosebumps – which I haven’t felt in months.  The view was breath taking, the peaceful noises was relaxing.  I was able to spend a morning on an organic vegetation farm, picking beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.  There were so many rows of so many vegetables; I found a new respect for farmers that day.  The family I was with was very hospitable and made me feel right at home – we even had turkey for our Christmas dinner! 

My Birthday and Christmas was filled with love and laughter, so I couldn’t of asked for anything better.

To be continue…. ‘The Adventures on Kinabatangan River’ and ‘The Climb of Mt. Kinabalu’…

The Beauty, The Favor & The Emotions

                                                          (Photo by Ashley)

I have been in Sandakan, for a month now, it’s almost hard to believe; where does the time go?  My journey here has been speechless.  I’m speechless in what I see, in what I taste and in how I feel.  I think to myself, how will I be able to capture the beauty of the rainforest in the eyes of my family and friends back home?  How will I be able to describe the taste of roti chutney? How will I be able to explain the emotions I feel each day, as each day my emotion seem to change.  During this first month, there has been time of beauty, of favor, of laughter and of tears.  I have adapted to the temperature, I have grown to love the food.  I have started to learn about new cultures and have experienced new traditions.  I have seen the beauty of nature, and have formed new friendships within my community.  I’m learning to accept that not every day will be perfect and some days the rain brings a bigger smile to your face than the sun.  I’m learning that some days all that was needed from me was to just listen.  I’m learning that you can’t be strong all the time and not to feel ashamed to admit that you are weak.  As this journey continues, I look forward to be filled with more beauty, more favor, and more emotions. 

Trying to master the “Goodbye”…

 

(Photo by Ashley)

On August 16^th, I spent the day saying “goodbyes” to my friends and family.  During our week of orientation in Chicago, I developed new relationships.  Then on August 24^th, I but again had to say, goodbye.  Within the last seventeen days here in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, I’ve had the opportunity to grow relationships with other volunteers here in Malaysia.  These relationships have become stronger and filled with love and laughter.  This group has become my family; we lean on each other during times of frustration, the sense of being lost and the image of being different.  On Sunday, September 11^th, I had yet another goodbye to conquer, as we all depart to our next destinations here in Sabah.  

I’ve learned that the value of close relationships with friends and family can be lost when we are surrounded by it everyday.  I’ve learned that a simple word as “goodbye” doesn’t have a simple meaning.  A “goodbye” can be done in many ways; “a simple wave or handshake, a hug, a tear, a funny story of ‘remember when we…’, or it can just be a walk in a different direction”.  Mastering the “goodbye” is not easy. 

This new journey isn’t just about getting to see the world and learn new traditions, but forming new relationships.  If you think about it, creating and building relationships can be exciting, but not always easy.  Relationships challenge us, they make us laugh, they make us cry and they teach us about ourselves.  Throughout this journey my goal is to focus more on the relationships that I’m building, rather than trying to master the “goodbye”.

New Weather, New Food, New Cultures...

We arrived late Thursday night in Malaysia, but didn’t get through customs till after midnight so it was more like Friday morning after it was all said and done.  But the days were all a blur to us as we left the U.S. Wednesday morning.   We arrived just after a nice rain shower; therefore it was a bit humid.  The Seminary in Kota Kinabalu is my first home.  I will be living here till around the end of September, then I will be moving to Sandakan. 

On day one in Sabah, we traveled up to Kundasang to do some group building. Our group building included hiking through the mountains; working together on discovering new paths and leadership, as well as hoping we were following the map correctly. Attending a Christian Chinese church service in Ranau, followed by a canopy walk; which was to help us conquer any and all fears.  The church service was a challenge as we were unable to read or understand the language, but the experience was very interesting.  The people there were very nice and welcoming.

The Seminary sits on a hill.  So each morning, I wake up about 6 am, take a cold shower (water here is heated by the sun therefore showers in the morning are a bit chilly), which you would think would not be enjoyable, but with the humid and heat throughout the night, the shower is refreshing.  The weather is mainly hot and humid and with the daily rainfall early morning or mid afternoon.  The rain is peaceful and usually creates a cool breeze. Breakfast is at 7 am and breakfast food is much different here.  So far we have had hard boiled eggs and bread, fried noodles with egg and noodles with a cabbage broth soup. To drink there is either kopi(coffee) or milo(similar to a hot chocolate milk) or filtered water. After breakfast we climb up the hill of stairs, which I would say is around 100 steps, to the main building of the seminary for our language training classes. We have all learned in the last few days here that it can be frustrating not being able to speak or understand the language. The last few days of language training have been intense and there are times that I do get a frustrated in myself, but I know I just need to give it some time and continue to keep practicing.

Yesterday was the first day of the celebration of Hari Raya Pusas, which means Ramadan has ended.  The first two days of Raya, Muslims open up their homes to everyone for food and celebration.   We were invited by friends to attend a home for a lunch celebration with other friends and family (the food was wonderful and there was enough for seconds or thirds).  We also attended the celebration at the Governor’s home.  People from all over Sabah attended his home for live music, entertainment and food.  Today, Malaysia is celebrating “National Day”, the country’s Independence Day.

During my short time here, I have already got to experience new weather, new food, new cultures and new traditions.  I’m always excited to see what tomorrow brings, so in conclusion I will leave you with a few words from the “Oriah Mountain Dreamer – The Call”.   Remember what you are, hold tenderly who you are, there is nowhere to go. What are you looking for is right here.  Open the fist clenched in wanting and see what you already hold in your hand.  There is no waiting for something to happen, no point in the future to get to.  All you have ever longed for is here in this moment right now.

Reflection On Myself

I feel like a different person during this week of preparation in Chicago.  I feel refreshed with positive thoughts and comfortable with being out of my norm.  I usually have this tendency to be timid around new things, but here is different.  I have always been hard on myself and continuingly strive for perfection to be “the best” (whatever that means :)).  Many of us live in a world of competition.   For the first time, I feel no competition and in a way it’s very relaxing.   It’s relaxing to know that you don’t have to feel like you need to judge yourself to the person next to you.  As a young girl growing up, many of us judged our beauty. But when you get older and start building a career, you start unconsciously catching yourself judging your abilities and confidence within yourself.  And believe me that can be exhausting!  The journey has only just begun, but I have already learned so much about myself.  I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

The Path of the Unknown...

                                                                                                 (Photo by Ashley Haseley)

Nine days till I leave for Chicago for orientation and sixteen days till I fly across the world to Malaysia.  How am I feeling?  I am still very excited and ready for this new adventure to begin. 

For the past few weeks, I have got to spend sometime with family.  For the first time in a long time, my older sister, my older brother, my little sister, my parents and I were able to get together, laugh and share old stories.  It is hard to get together with family the older we get, my sister has two kids (one five and one three…in a half I should add – and they both mean the world to me) and one on the way.  My brother has a demanding job that requires a lot of his time.  My younger sister is close to starting up school again. And we all live in different states.  I am very thankful that we were able to spend time together before I left.   I also was able to spend time with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We were asked,  “What things will be the hardest to give up?”  Without taking the extra thought many of us relate to material things first because ideally those are things that we use daily and feel that we can’t live without, but now when I start preparing myself for this change, it is not the material things that come first to my mind, it is the people I love and care about the most. Family is very important to me and I am blessed with a great family – I will truly miss them.

Now that I have said my farewells to friends and family, this walk down this new journey is starting to begin.  The path of the unknown will be filled with challenges, surprises and a lot of new stories. 

More to come - Ashley

Preparation to Malaysia

As I mentally and physically prepare for my departure to Malaysia. There are several emotions that go through my head. I am excited…excited to see my new home, to meet new people, to learn about the culture. I am nervous…nervous of illness, getting lost within the language. I am scared…scared of the “letting go”. Leaving my family, friends and my career. However, no matter what emotion I am going through, it is the support I have received that have helped me prepare for this new journey.

I received an email from an Oklahoma State student who is from Sabah. He has family all around the state and he told me if I ever needed any help in Sabah that I could reach out to his family. I also have a co-worker from Kuala Lumpur. I have been working with him and learning about the culture, the food, and studying the language.

Since I have shared my new adventure with others, it has made me feel very blessed with the support I have received – not just from family and friends, but from people I have never met.

Throughout the last month, I have packed up my apartment of three years. Put a lot of things in storage and said “good-bye” to my closest friends. Instead of looking at this as a sad time, I look at this as a new adventure that will teach me more about my beliefs and myself than I can imagine.

The passion in my heart has always been to help others. I know next year, is going to be a challenge - but I look at next year as chance to learn a new language, to adapt to a new culture, to experience new things and to build relationships.

Learning the language of Malay

Today I had my first language training!  I am very fortunate to have a co-worker from Malaysia, so today we went over a few words and phrases.  I found it very interesting and fun, though it's not an easy language to learn - but I am very determined! 

Less Than 2 Months...

I appreciate all the support that I have received and I can't wait to share my adventures with all of you.  On August 24th, I will start my journey to Sandakan, Malaysia.  If you'd like to read more about my location you can click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandakan