Time Flies

Almost 2 years have gone by since my last post!! Didn't realise it cos as usual, I had forgotten about posts and passwords.

Dearie me! Another two years older but no matter. Am still swinging and I don't mean swinging in the trees either!

Today I visited my niece who lives in Singapore. She has two young very adorable children. They are irrepressible and utterly charming. The elder has just started pre-kindy class and she is oh, so very articulate and cconfident. The younger is very friendly and takes to anyone, quite an independent little chap. Seeing them and being grandaunt to these two little ones does bring home the fact that time is passing by very fast as they have grown so much taller.

I come from the Land below the Wind, a Malaysian state that is a far cry from Singapore, the city republic with its teeming highrises. The Land below the Wind is so called, I guess, because we are not in the belt where typhoons blow but we do get the tailend of whichever typhoons are blowing in the South China Sea and that means strong winds and heavy rainfall. However these strong winds are nowhere near the velocity of typhoons, thank goodness.

We have beautiful beaches, and we can also boast of having the highest mountain in SE Asia, Mt Kinabalu. The Tip of Borneo is located in our state and it is a spot unblemished by commercial tourism. Our government is promoting eco-tourism to bring in the tourists and many have commented positively on the natural beauty of the places they have been to. Apart from that, we also have the orang utan sanctuary which is also a rehabilitation centre for these threatened species. We also have the annual race up Mt Kinabalu and the 4 wheel drive expedition cross country which tests not only your vehicle but your personal endurance in some of the toughest landscapes.

So that's a lot of swinging one can do in the Land below the Wind. Besides, there's the beautiful diving spot off Pulau Sipadan, one of the most touted diving areas in the world. Its sudden drop a few meters off the sparkling while beach and its underwater caves and surrounding waters teeming with oceanic life is an enormous draw and those who've been, return repeatedly.