Reviewing my next escape

Back in Kuching I have about a month before my next escape.  The next time, it will be a diving trip to Sabah, then across to the peninsula briefly en route back to Kuching.  However, Covid-19 has blown-up rather suddenly in Sabah.  It started out in a detention centre for illegal immigrants but there was […]

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Hanging with Lily

Hornbill spotting, not Because I slept so early last night, I woke at 0400.  But it didn’t stop me from dozing till after 0700.   I woke to find that I had missed messages from Lily last night and this morning.  She had offered to take me to Piasau Nature Reserve to spot for hornbills.  I had […]

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Exploring Miri

Breakfast Lily, a school-mate from school days picked me up at 0845.  Thomas was in the car already and we headed out for a yumcha breakfast. To my surprise, the food was excellent.  Yumcha in Kuching that I’ve tried in Kuching has usually been cheap and nasty.  Made to a price to serve the mass […]

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City by the sea

Flying to Miri My friend Thomas who lives in KL had to go to Miri to see family.  He invited me to join him there, so I flew off to Miri this morning.  The fares on AirAsia were reasonably cheap at a fixed price of MYR88 for any seat on any flight on the route […]

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A new laptop at half the New Zealand price

Crazy price difference My outgoing laptop computer is 4½ years old and going strong.  I normally update my computer when it gets to this kind of age but this time I really don’t feel the need to yet.  I had bought my Lenovo when I was passing through Singapore, at approximately 30% discount compared to […]

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Satow Waterfall

Above:  Ice cream sandwich Malaysian style; not quite … traditionally it’s ice cream rather than soft serve, and in a soft roll rather than a slice of bread. I had a meet-up with some friends from school this morning, for breakfast.  After breakfast, despite being a rainy day, a few of us decided to continue […]

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Chinese inches

Above:  Chinese inches (upper tape) vs Imperial inches (lower tape). My life in Kuching is somewhat lacking in excitement.  I go to the gym and run errands in the form of mainly grocery shopping.  While the swimming pools have just been allowed to open, they haven’t sorted out their Covid-19 controls yet.  Not sure if […]

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Show me the way to go home

Last night, as I was finalising my arrangements for diving in Sipadan, an email came through from Malaysia Airlines advising that my return flight home to New Zealand had been cancelled.  Arrggghhh!  With Covid-19, flight cancellation are rife and this was a risk that I had been wary of.  But I needed to be with […]

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The real world

This stay in Kuching for 2-3 months will be the longest stretch I’ve ever spent in hometown since leaving some 35 years ago.  I thought I’d better get into an exercise routine that includes more than just yoga and swimming.  I thought I’d go to the gym as well, as I normally do in Auckland. After […]

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Sweet taste of freedom

Above:  Dinner of Nasi Uduk with Ayam Serunding. I had my last hotel meal this morning after my yoga practice.  I didn’t finish the fried beehoon as it was too much for me, as with most of their breakfasts. A few minutes before 1000 today, I walked out of Room 1109 of the Harbour View […]

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