Category: Sky

Mabul Island, Sabah

Ahh! It’s been a while. Just a month ago, I graduated highschool. Since then I’ve been busy travelling, catching up on reading and deeply overthinking about my future. As you know by now, my post excerpts are often unrelated to the post itself. This blog is indeed a photo blog but I have to let you know that I have always been more interested in writing. In fact, I joined my school’s editorial board as a writer hoping to gain knowledge that would spur me on to achieve my dream of becoming a journalist. To my surprise, there and then was where I discovered my interest in photography too! After that, I decided that I wanted to be a photojournalist.

This leads us to the birth of this blog! It’s my virtual photography portfolio. When I took up journalling in December of 2020, I also began to enjoy writing in everything I did. I even started to enjoy writing 6 page school essays about how to encourage students to read. That’s when I decided to leave little pieces of myself whenever I wrote and that made this blog a lot more personal to me. I have so many thoughts and it’s much easier to organise my headspace when I put them into eligible words. Here I try to share the things that I hope you find relatable.

It feels good to know that I put my writing out there. I used to write short stories and I’ve made many attempts at participating in writing competitions. For the past two years, I’ve been on and off writing a novel. This slow pace frustrates me and I feel discouraged. “What if I never fulfill my childhood dream of publishing something for the world to read?” So here we have this blog, my hope! The little paragraphs I write here remind me that I’ve still got it in me. I love writing and no matter what I write it is of importance. A small step is better than no movement at all. Do wish me luck as I continue this writing journey and thank you for being here 🙂

a cloud shaped like an elephant

I thought I’d start the year off with one of my favourite photos of the trip. It really does look like an elephant!!!

One thing I’m struggling with since coming back from holiday is adapting to the time. In KL sunset was at 7pm. Here in Sabah, it’s 6. One of my resolutions is to wake up earlier. Preferably at sunrise. I’m practically a plant. I thrive on sunlight and I love water.

I hope this new year spirit lasts throughout the year. I want to constantly be striving to be a better version of myself.

The biggest thing I learnt last year was “I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to.” Except, dancing it seems.

I wonder what I’ll learn this year.

3 years

Whoa! Just as I planned to update today, I received a notification that today marks my third year anniversary on WordPress! It’s been quite a journey. Blogging for me began as a trend. My two close friends started posting and that inspired me to have a voice as well! However, at age 13 I didn’t have much to say as I was still figuring myself out. My first two blogs were named after milkshakes and scents and had nothing to do with either of those things. I wrote about the most random of things from travel tips to new recipes.

Now as I look back, I’m so grateful to see physical evidence of how much I’ve grown. I started this when I was just entering the teenage phase and here I stand nearly at adulthood. I can definitely say that I’ve found myself.

Photography for me began on a whim. I joined my school’s Editorial Board because I liked to write and found myself taking an interest in photography. It started when I touched a camera for the first time, my dad’s Nikon D350, to take photos on Sport’s Day when there was a shortage of photographers. Even now, I’m one of the very few photographers n school. 13 year old me would have never imagined that I would become president of the Photography Club (newly formed this year!) in school.

To future me, at 17 I see how far I’ve come from 13. I know you’ll see me and feel the same. Life moves pretty fast so don’t forget to take a step back and take a pic to remember.

blue seas blue sky

Another weekend getaway. This time to my favourite place on the coast. Everything seems brighter under the sun. Colours, feelings. The slight price of added melanin is worth it to spend a few hours bobbing in the ocean.

As someone who doesn’t like in their hometown, it’s places like these that make living away from family okay. I feel so grateful that I’ve gotten to experience so much even though I’m as young as I am. I read once that God made places like this to give us a glimpse of paradise on earth. I’m sure paradise above would be so much greater.

a window of opportunity

Date: (March 2020) A week before life as we knew it changed.

Location: On a ferry from Labuan to Sabah

Mid-March 2020, my grandfather celebrated his 71st birthday as he visited Labuan Federal Territory. This trip marked his completion of visiting all the 14 states of Malaysia. I’m very glad I got to do it with him.

Since that trip, I’ve only seen him once and even that was only for an overnight stay.

During our Labuan trip we knew the unavoidable was coming. The virus had already hit China and was rapidly spreading. It wouldn’t be long before it hit our country. However, what nobody could expect was the impact of the virus. Thus, nobody was prepared for it. I naively assumed it would be over in a few months, yet here we are in our third lockdown with thousands of cases daily. I still naively hope that we will be in the clear soon. My greatest wish of last year was to be able to spend Christmas with my family. It didn’t happen. Despite that, my greatest wish this year is still the same.

I frequently contact my grandparents through video chat but it’s just not the same as being in their arms.

I love looking back at photos from my previous trips. Even photos as insignificant as this window on a ferry, brings me back to a time where I could feel the sea breeze on my face and wrap my arms around my grandpa.

social distance.

Taken a few months ago, this picture captures how I felt amidst this pandemic. I was so fascinated watching them arrive to the beach alone as the sky grew stormy overhead. They wanted to watch the storm and they came prepared for it. The sky looked like it was going to cry and there was a gray sunset. However, it did not rain.

To me, this symbolises how I felt waiting for the storm to come. Alone, trying to be prepared for the unknown.

sunrise at the peak of Bukit Botak

Located at Sepanggar, Sabah, Butik Botak is a moderate hiking trail that is well known. It goes by many names such as Bukit Gundul, Bukit Gentisan and Bukit Bonduk (which is the name located on Google Maps). They all bring the meaning of ‘Bald Hill.’

We started our hike at 0500. We used the entrance near the tunnels. We had to make a U-turn to get to the other side. There’s no streetlights on this road, thus we couldn’t see the starting point until we were at the parking lot! Naturally, as the craziest people to be at 5AM on a Sunday, we were the pioneer hikers of that day.

There is no lights there obviously, so we brought our own headlamps. Very useful! I recommend to download a trail map beforehand. We had some trouble finding the starting point from the entrance. Later, we discovered we just had to follow the sticks that were marking the trail!

The trail is fairly easy. The track is frequently used. It is roughly 1.5km to the peak! Your biggest struggle may be the endurance or the steepness at certain parts. It’s nothing that is too difficult for a determined person to handle! As the track is made of clay, please do not try to hike after a night of rainfall as it will be too slippery.

Sabah is well known for it’s amazing sky. The atmosphere at dawn was peaceful.

And here we have the culprit of this hill’s name! There are markings along the trail every 250m. The summit can be seen from about 1250m. You’re near the top!

The last stretch is mostly uphill, so push through you’re nearly there! The scenery is grassy and looking down at KK you’ll see bright orange lights and lost of mist surrounding the town!

At 6AM we reached! The view is absolutely worth all the sweat and near-tears. The sun rises near Mount Kinabalu. This hill overlooks the port! The view is excellent. At the top you will find other trails leading to various locations! Feel free to try them. They go as far as 8km.

It was nice to have the hill to ourselves for a few minutes until other hikers started showing up after 6.

The trail down was much easier! Relaxing. I slipped and slid down the remaining 4 feet of one slope! My family and I burst into laughs. Visibility was obviously much better! And the sun was not too harsh. We passed A LOT hikers on our way down. We were grateful that we went early.

Bukit Botak was a great workout! Will definitely go again 🙂

lanterns at Labuan

2 weeks before my country announced a movement control order due to the Covid-19 outbreak, my family and I took a trip to Labuan Island. It was a 2 hour drive from our home to the jetty in a small town and then another 2 hour ferry ride to Labuan Island. It was not my first trip to this island but it was a first for my grandfather. He had visited all the states in Malaysia except Labuan Federal Territory. He had always planned to visit with my grandmother but unfortunately she passed away before he had the chance to. To fulfill my grandfather’s adventure across the country, we took him there on the weekend before his birthday. We spent one night there. It was a lot of fun to visit the small shops in town, the botanical garden, the beach and the Labuan War Memorial for the soldiers of WW2.

This photo is of lanterns outside of a Chinese shop open at 10pm. My family and I were headed to the shop next door to buy some snacks. These lanterns caught my eye as I was looking away from the glances of the tipsy men at the shop.