Live well, work hard, play play? 
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I had missed the dawn. My day started early and it would end very late. The researchers, the doctors and the dominatrices and the dons, they were not an easy audience and I must entertain and educate them. We were cloistered up in an enormous and enormously chilly ballroom in one of the prettiest resorts in Sabah but nary a bit of that natural beauty would we spy given our impossibly packed schedule.
Yet it would be madness to miss this magic.
We had an hour or less to freshen up and have dinner before the evening sessions began. I escaped and ran out to the beach. The sand, the sea and the dying sun. The slow breeze slipping through my hair, the grit between my toes. The horizon, a pair of friends (lovers?) walk toward each other.
As the clouds close in, one final brilliant burst of light breaks over them before night takes over. I pray that their hands would find each other, fingers encircling, as mine would over yours. Some day we shall walk this paradise together from dusk till dawn all the way till ever after.
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Photograph taken by Kenny Mah by the beach @ Shangri-la Rasa Ria Resort, Tuaran, Sabah.
( Also: My first visit to Sabah. )
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Notes:
1. For those of you reading this via RSS, you might want to take a look at the newly revamped front page here. Reconstructed after all your valued feedback, dear readers!
2. Full version of the beach image above.
Kenny, do you have a brother or uncle who is single and available and able to woo me with words like yours?
Your beloved is so damn lucky and I am truly envious.
Let’s see. My only sibling is an older sister and she’s married with three kids. All my uncles are married too, also with kids. I guess, in my family, we’re the marrying type. The boring, old-fashioned, settling down type.
And I certainly hope I’m fortunate enough to be that type too.
Thanks for your kind words — I hope my better half reads your comment! Hahaha…
P.S. Anyone else have single and available brothers or uncles who does courtship by the cheap (i.e. with words instead of flowers and chocolates and all things nice)? We should have an audition for the single readers of LFB, maybe?
Words are not cheap!
As Shakespeare wrote:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
Audition??? So that we can let you have a chance to be Simon Cowell?
No, thanks! *chickening out*
I stand corrected! I guess words aren’t really cheap at all… we come by those precious few that we release out to the world as missives of our hearts through blood and tears and nights spent in sweat and tumble…
No, not cheap at all.
As for being Simon Cowell, I already sorta have his job after a fashion, albeit in a completely different industry, hehe. Sure you don’t wanna audition?
i would have audition but my wife will kill me! =P
Well, you can always ask her to join in.. but I guess then she’d prolly want to kill me too!
Some day we shall walk this paradise together from dusk till dawn all the way till ever after.
sigh ~melts~ makes me miss my guy very much right now. ah well…
hope you’re having a great time in sabah! i love sabah. a very good friend of mine stays there
I had a great time in Sabah, but back in the peninsula now. Maybe I’ll get a chance to head to the Land Beneath the Winds again after May, after my long awaited UK trip. We’ll see.
And I know how it feels to miss your beloved… Hang on there, dear!
OK! i’ll send my uncle to the audition. maybe fly in my cousins from Thailand for audition too. Kenny, be easy with them ok! let see.. who else is single?? LOL
making plans.. Sabah or Sarawak? Sarawak or Sabah?
damn it.. such a nice scenery! I wouldn’t mind sitting, doing nothing, looking at the beach!
Wow, that’s some support and some family too! An international network of singles? Keep them coming! Hahaha…
As for Sabah vs. Sarawak, I think you’ll discover something special about both states… beautiful in their own ways. Uhm, did I mention I’m heading to Sarawak again next month?
you are really one serious romantic dude…!!
“I pray that their hands would find each other, fingers encircling, as mine would over yours. Some day we shall walk this paradise together from dusk till dawn all the way till ever after.”
wah liao..if i was a woman, i will handcuff your hands to mine and throw the key away into the sea…
you keep on writing like this, you gonna make a woman out of me…hahahahhaha
Eeks! I’m not sure I want that on my résumé: “Kenny Mah – he turns men into women.”
And I’m kinda concerned about your predilection for handcuffs, my friend. Does your lady friends know about this feistier side of you? Ahem.
kekekekkekekekekee…..u are one damn funny dude too…
p/s: ooo..i normally use whips, but handcuffs are reserved for u…hahahahhaha
Handcuffs just for me? What ever did I do to deserve such “special” treatment?
*pauses*
… I mean, seriously, what did I do? LOL
u make everyone happy mah..so u deserve special treatment..
p/s; oklah, oklah, dont want handcuffs mah nvm lor..but u must keep these wonderful stories coming everyday…..
Do I make everyone happy? I remember as a kid, all I did was ANNOY everyone.. but that made me happy back then… does that count?
P.S. More stories to come, once I find the time for them, promise! No handcuffs, please!
Ahhh the gravitation towards the ocean escapes no one, not even the walled up ballroom sesh attendee… I don’t know how you manage to turn everyone within your peripheral vision into a classic romantic, but I’m sold… here’s hoping the couple in the pic has that moment you captured to last a lifetime.
I actually managed to talk to that couple on that beach… They helped me take a pic of me against that brilliant sunset.. A married couple in their golden years, him Irish and her Scottish and they live in England where I’m visiting soon… Gave me plenty of good tips too… Like NOT drinking the bath water in Bath, for one…
and why not drink the water in Bath??
Well for one thing, I don’t wanna taste anything after someone has washed himself in it prior…
wow.. so that’s where you’ve been. and that’s what you’ve been busy doing.. taking beautiful shots of the beach.. ! no wonder long time no c ler..
Nay, I’ve just been busy working and travelling — trust me, this single shot of the beach is few and far between considering my hours. And when I’m back in the city, most of time is spent catching up and pampering my better half… I’m not turning antisocial, believe me!
what a gorgeous vista! thanks for reminding me of what natural wonders malaysia still has in store! =)
I love all our country has to offer in terms of our great natural beauty… boundless! Let’s go Cuti-Cuti Malaysia!
Cool dude, your mind act play more than actual situation but u were not wrong lol, golden aged lovers with young man in Act 3, Scene 1 hahaha
Nice sunset for lovers to come into the scene. Looks like Sutera Harbour?
Nope, not Sutera Harbour (though that was where I stayed the first time I was in Sabah). This is Tuaran; I stayed at the Shangri-la Rasa Ria Resort. Simply gorgeous.
Very nice new front page, love the splash image! Feels like I’m at the beach myself!
That’s the whole idea… an unlimited (almost) vista of all that is laid out there in the wild…
Beautiful. Good that you assigned more space for the pic than the words. Twilight and dawn hold so much promise. I like both.
Sometimes, the words just don’t hold a candle to the picture. At least, there are some words here — in the first Sabah post, there weren’t any words at all!
I’ve been to a number of beaches in my time. But sunset’s by the beaches in Sabah is right up there amongst my top three. Lovely post and pic bro.
There’s just something special about a Sabah sunset hor? I suspect it’s something in the air there…
As I sit here sipping my steaming cuppa … I can’t help but be transported again to the beach that you described. I’ve been to Sabah innumerable times to visit my Sis … and I understand the innate beauty that you describe. It’s like velvet melding into silk … like the joy of hot cocoa on a cold winter day.
Have you sat on the verandah of the Chalet facing Mount Kinabalu in Kinabalu park … ? Behold her in all her glory and feel the wonder of the Universe.
Reading your post Kenny has made me that much happier today that another being has seen the beauty in the smallest thing … found love in the slightest human contact … and your other half is truly blessed. *sigh* =)
Thank you for brightening at least one person’s day today.
That view of Mount Kinabalu? I know exactly what you mean; just need to grab a chance and capture that magic on camera. One day soon, one day.
P.S. Glad you had a good day reminiscing with your steaming cuppa!
Gunung Kinabalu should be one of Malaysia’s heritage sites if it isn’t already.
I think it is, isn’t it? It ought be.
yes, sabah is beautiful.. hope the developments there doesn’t kill it all…
They’re doing fairly well with the conservation, methinks. Let’s keep our (green) fingers crossed.
i want to be on that sandy beach too! time for a holiday! =P
Couldn’t agree more. I could sure do with one too. Sabah doesn’t count when it’s for work, work, work.
go back for a vacation then. u sure deserve one after so much traveling!
I will, one day, with my boo. Sabah’s too beautiful not to re-visit over and over again!
One hour at the beach is not enough! But better one hour than none! Next time take an extra day off to enjoy it all.
Er, actually I had less than one hour at the beach, but no complaints here. Even a few minutes of that wondrous beauty is magic enough.
woah, i think i lost track of your whereabout already la.
but it’s good to know that you are doing well. them good photos show. ;D
Haha, you’re not the only one. I think I’m beginning to lose track of where I am supposed to be and where I should be heading too…
But it’s all for a good cause — the hard work will pay off one day, I believe that. And in the meantime, maybe I’ll get the occasional good shots too…
You did captured the beautiful Sabah sunset and the way you described it , makes it look so peaceful and relaxing… way to go. Have an enjoyable time there.
I had a lovely time there, even if it were only less than 60 minutes snuck out from a very long day of work. Right now though, I’m in Perlis, an almost forgotten jewel of Malaysia way up north… I’m guessing that by the end of my roadshows I can be a spokesperson for our Cuti-Cuti Malaysia campaign!
lol some serious education there dude! jt tell them to come to ur site– saves u the speeches ;p
Hahaha, I’m not sure if my blog is the right place to educate them about entrepreneurship and commercialisation — for one thing, I’m not earning a single cent from this site!
Aww….my beautiful Sabah once more!
You even had time to sneaked out just awhile to capture this.
Nice shot man!
Sorry didn’t get to see u while you are here!
p/s : An audition for single readers? you gotta be kidding me! heehe ;p
No worries, dear… it was nice enough of you to message me and offer to meet up. I had a very hectic schedule too. Maybe the second half of this year when I return? I love Sabah so much I want to make sure I go back as often as I can!
P.S. Of course I’m not kidding! Let the auditions BEGIN! Hehe.
next spot for holiday; shangri la sabah? yummy sky…brilliant for the camera’s appetite
And your camera’s always craving, rite?
Kenny, its time.
Time for you to be the ultimate matchmaker we all know you are!!
Sorry, have been MIA for many many weeks…out of town …ah, I have a lot of posts to catch up on.
Me, a matchmaker? I’ll prolly grab all the singles for a date myself! So greedy hor?
P.S. Welcome back! I know how it feels like being out of town…
You say that, but we all know the truth..you are a die hard romantic and thus you must be a one waman man!
P/s: Yes, I believe I have lost a few marbles trying to catch up on all my work.
Am I a diehard romantic? Really? Hmm…
see what I mean? woman becomes waman! Sigh…
I love waman too…
Freedom is to be in the Land Below the Wind , with the most happiest people in the world
Who just reminds you only once…
Have fun dear
The most happiest people in the world… Heh, I wonder where you got that idea from?
I didnt stay at any beach resort on my last Sabah trip but I stay at Kundasang, can see the magnificent Mount Kinabalu~~
Hehe, we were supposed to go for Kundasang but had a last-min change of venue. Maybe next time… I hear it’s GORGEOUS.
What a beautiful scene…
It’s all about the experience, dear. Have you visited Sabah before?
Is this beach near Kota Kinabalu? Or is it somewhere more remote? It’s very beautiful.
Not exactly near, but not too far off in nearby Tuaran. Less than an hour away, maybe?
what did u do on that beach? play volleyball, swimming? looks so nice…
All I had time for was to run in, snap a few shots and run out… Too bad it was a working trip. But I did have a proper vacation at a beach this weekend, yay! More on that in the next blog post!
Beautiful… Take me there one day, won’t you?
Ooh, but what will my better half say? Scandalous-nye proposal ni… LOL
what a beautiful purple sky…..
Reminds one of Barney the Dinosaur, no?
you have such a way with words and the way you capture the essence of simple, everyday moments and paint a picture in the reader’s mind is captivating.
thank you for sharing your life with us and helping to remind us all of the beauty in our lives.
God bless you. =)
Crystal
Thanks, Crystal. Your words sure made my day!
Hope you’re having a great week!