Climb Mt. Kinabalu after a Decade (and be fitter while doing it!)

So what can I say I have the urge to do it again! It has been 10 years since my last climb up that Mountain! So I weighed myself on the 19th July 2010 - 105kg.  Emmm must have a goal that requires me to exercise.
The proof  below that I actually made it (my siblings were very confident I wouldn't make it! Ha!).

The special Millennium Cert

The climb was with JCI City of Singapore with JCI Kota Kinabalu.  We started by having fellowship the night before the climb which include refreshing beverages and got home at 1am. Woke up at 5am and picked up the climbers for the one and a half hour drive to the Mt. K National Park and started climbing at 8am. I got to the rest house (food and bed before the final climb to the peak) at 3pm after wanting to give up almost every ten minutes or  so. Had trouble with the altitude at 10,000 feet. Dizziness and a bit of nausea (just liked being drunk!!!) and decided not to join the guys for the final climb at 2am. When we were woken up at about 1:30am I felt a lot better and decided to go for it. It usually takes climbers to reach the peak at 5:30am, I got there at 9am but I got there! Fortunately it was a clear day and we were allowed to do so. By this time the average climber would reach the rest house for breakfast. Andrew and myself arrived in time for lunch. After enjoying a hot meal and extremely tired with no rest we were told to start our descend. This time the group stuck together and chatted at every rest area not realizing the time. It started to pour down and the trail became a stream and it got dark extremely quick. We got down to the gate at 7pm totally soaked and knackered (me anyway).

 I have decided I will want to do it again by this year so I will keep everyone (wife and kids) posted. (I have already postponed it once, it was meant to be done on the anniversary of the climb but I have had no preparation)


Here with the guys, I wanted to give up many many times during this trip, its thanks to friends who urge me on. Oh, thanks for the cigarettes as well Andrew!!

Friday Music - One hit wonders of the 80's

Ahh nothing like one hit wonders and going thru these compilations does trigger off pleasant, discomforting and times traumatic memories of the past. The wonders of puberty!!
There are a few I never heard of. Go thru it see if you know most of it!!

Wed Movie - Piranha 3D (with no 3D)

Wednesday Movie

Piranha 3D 2010

I had a double header movie gig with Benjie (boy it almost sounds suggestive) watching "Piranha 3D" and "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D"(without the 3D). But for this Wednesday I will be focusing on Piranha 3D because it has brought me such "pleasure".

Any movie with with actors like Richard Dreyfuss (Academy Award winner), Elizabeth Shue, Ving Rhames, Kelly Brook (why the boys would watch it), Christopher Lloyd and Jerry O'Connel would be impressive. A good ensemble by any means even-though Dreyfuss was a cameo appearance. If you like plenty of scantily clad females and males (who cares about the males) on or near water and gore with abundance and a little more, you will enjoy this movie.

 But the strange thing is I did! The gore does get extensive but it is not meant to be taken seriously and I found it hilarious! My Favorited character is Derrick Jones (Jerry O'Connell, a guy who definitely had fun with it!) who did a hilarious job but I don't think  Derrick will be appearing in the next sequel!

• RATING
• Shite - this was inspired when I was watching "The Medallion" with Jackie Chan at the Cinema with Benjy (convinced me to go with him) and after 15 minutes turned to Benjy and said "Ooi Benjy this movie is shit".
• OKlah - watch it also ok, don't watch oso ok, won't die!
• Good - well made didn't fall asleep during the movie.
• Wa Lau - almost life changing

Friday Music - Men Without Hats

I enjoyed these New Wave band from Quebec, Canada (eei). Mainly comprising the  Doroschuk brothers and  lead by Ivan. It has got its second life from GLEE (Artie is one of my favorite character in GLEE especially his take on "Dancing With Myself", but I digress).  But they have been many covers including "Family Guy", Crazy Frog. Enjoy!

The Original


The GLEE Version


The Family Guy version


The How not to dance version (spasm dance?)


Crazy Frog!



Homer did it too!!

Strange days at the office.....

Its been a frustrating almost two weeks had trouble getting my emails properly and could not log in to any password related sites including my blogging site. I am sucker for comfort as well, I just prefer to work off my office desktop and not the notebook at home which is used by everyone else in the house. This one is all mine!

So its good to be back after about 2 weeks!!

Eulogy - Petagas War Memorial (1999)

EULOGY BY TAN SRI BEN STEPHENS

These was done for some Australia visitors on the way to visit war memorials in Sabah in 1999 but was never used. (Labuan, Kundasang and Sandakan) 

http://www.sabahtourism.com/sabah-malaysian-borneo/en/destination/112-petagas-war-memorial/#more_picture
Petegas War Memorial

1.   World War II ended fifty four years ago and it seem like yesterday.

2.   Memories of its violence, destruction and the people who gave their lives and those who survived defending our freedom are remembered by some of us and are  among us here today.

3.   However among the young generations, it will slowly fade and thereby oblivious to the fact that our sovereignty came with sacrifice and suffering by others.

4.   Therefore memorials like this one, the Sandakan War Memorial, the Kinabalu War Memorial and others in this State have their importance in educating and reminding our present and future generation.

5.   This memorial, the Petegas Memorial Garden is dedicated to the Kinabalu Guerrillas numbering 300 young men from various communities and family members of the guerrillas and sympathisers alike who suffered and sacrificed their lives.

6.   The Guerrilla movement was organised by a brave and patriotic man by the name of  Albert Kwok in 1942. 

7.   In September 1943 information was obtained that the Japanese was intending to conscript 2000 youths of Sabah to strengthen the front-line defence.

8.   This was thwarted on the night of 9^th October 1943, by the surprise attack by the guerrillas on the Japanese Police Station and military Police  Headquarters in then known as Jesselton, now Kota Kinabalu . 

9.   The mainly machete armed men killed scores of Japanese and burned down a custom godown.

10.This severely discouraged the Japanese and the proposed conscription was abandoned.

11.However reprisal was implemented as the Japanese had reinforcement from Kuching.  The Guerrillas retreated to the hills behind Mengattal.

12.Most of the members of the Kinabalu Guerrilla surrendered within two months as the enemy had threatened and tortured members of their families, innocent women and children alike.

13.On the 21^st January 1944, 176 men of the Kinabalu Guerrilla including my father, Jules P. Stephens, and sympathisers were executed and buried in the vicinity of this memorial garden.

14.Others amounting 131 were sent to Labuan to serve various terms of imprisonment.  117 of them died due to inhumane treatment which included torture and starvation.

15.After the war a committee headed by few surving  members of  the guerilla force and their families including myself reburied those who had been killed together with the remains from Labuan in this common burial ground.

16.This Garden has been improved through the years and I commend Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council, whose President is with us today, Datuk Adeline Leong and Officers of the Council for a job well done. Thank you MPKK.

17.Each year an Official Memorial is held on the 21^st January in memory of the gallant man who fought against the Japanese Occupation forces.

18.More can be done in Sabah and this is the duty all including NGO’s such as Kota Kinabalu Junior Chamber, the Government and public alike.

19.Let us not stop here but instead, together, go forward to ensure the preservations of  our history and heritage.

 

Thank You.