Through the wonders of nature

The wildlife adventure trip is now a memory. This is part two of the trip. No, it did not take me a month to write the two-part series. As said, my travel tales were in the queue system of our Sunday edition. Finally, here you are - Through the wonders of Nature..

SOAKING in the cool greenery and the spectacular view of the surrounding lush jungle, listening to the haunting sounds of the forest, the chirpings of birds and low drones of insects on an early morning along a 150m-long steel canopy walkway 25m above ground.

Indeed, the Rainforest Discovery Centre in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sandakan, has much to offer the Nature lover and adventure seeker.

For us — a group of seven comprising two adults and five children — the wildlife-spotting cruise along Kinabatangan River on the first day was a good start to our Nature adventure.

At the Rainforest Discovery Centre, we first visited the Rainforest Exhibition. Supplemented with adequate pictures and information, the exhibits provided a useful ecological eye opener for visitors on Sabah’s different forest types and unique flora and fauna.

The Centre has developed Environmental Education (EE) programmes from preschool up to university level to create awareness on the importance of environmental preservation.

It also trains school teachers on EE. And over 700, not only those from Sandakan but statewide, have been trained since 1997 … with the numbers still growing. Teachers learn Nature conservation issues and bring the knowledge into the classroom.

The Centre was set up in 1996 under the name Rainforest Interpretation Centre with a grant from the German government to Sabah Forestry Department. Over the years, the Centre has grown and earned world recognition after having hosted the inaugural Malaysian Rainforest Flora and Fauna Festival in 1997.

The star attraction is, of course, the Plants Discovery Garden. More than 250 species of native orchids are on display, apart from gingers, pitcher plants, arid land plants, aquatic plants, economic crops and some of the tropical American plants such as the bromeliads and the Venus flytrap.

Interpretive panels are also on display to enhance educational experience in this one hectare garden.

The Medicinal Plants Section is an eye opener. Many locals use local medicinal plants of the rainforest, the popular ones being Misai Kuching (cat whiskers) and Tongkat Ali.

Our group also enjoyed a morning walk among tall rainforest trees on the walkway that is also great for watching birds like hornbills, pittas, kingfishers and rare Bornean bristle heads.

A wildlife adventure trip will never have enough of wild animals. Seeing proboscis monkeys on the Kinabatangan River cruise was a treat but catching them at feeding time was definitely something extra.

The Sepilok Wildlife Adventure tour company was definitely far sighted to let us visit the Kinabatangan River first before coming to the Centre, otherwise, I think I might have gotten monkey-fatigued!

So, there we were at the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary to see more of our evolutionary cousins up close. The proboscis monkey — often referred to as ‘The Dutchman’ — are found only in Borneo. We were lucky also to see other species like the leaf monkeys and macaques … and even a hornbill!

FEEDING TIME: A hornbill holds food in its beak at the Sanctuary

We were told the Sanctuary came about quite by accident. Due to dwindling food supply when the mangrove forests were slowly being converted into oil palm plantations, some monkeys made their way into the homes of the workers and were caught nibbling pancakes in the kitchen.

Realising it’s important to perserve the ecosystem, the oil palm plantation operators decided to set aside some land for wildlife. Feedings are held twice daily. Proboscis monkeys are given cucumbers, long beans and non sweetened pancakes.

RARE TREAT: Up close and personal with a proboscis monkey

FRIENDLY: This silverleaf monkey has become familiar with humans

FOOD-DRIVEN: This silverleaf monkey comes out of the jungle during feeding time

Besides proboscis monkeys, silver langurs also come out during feeding time. In fact, they have become so familiar with humans that they would come right up to the viewing platform.

The wildlife adventure trip ended with a visit to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. The Sabah Orangutan Rehabilitation Project was originally proposed in 1961 by PF Burgess, the then Deputy Conservator of Forests.

He was also responsible for setting up a game branch within the Forest Department and the drafting of the Fauna Conservation Ordinance 1963.

Soon after, Barbara Harrisson, wife of Tom Harrisson, the then Curator of Sarawak Museum, began rescuing young orangutans, kept locally as pets, giving rise to the idea of training the primates to fend for themselves so that they might re-adapt to life in the wild.

In 1962, with the backing of the newly-formed World Wildlife Fund, Harrisson visited Sabah (then North Borneo) and reported that orangutans there were threatened with extinction. These apes are now a totally protected species in Sabah under the Fauna Conservation Ordinance 1963.

With the noble aim of returning orphaned, injured or displaced orangutans back to the wild, the Centre has successfully rehabilitated many of these young parentless primates which have been released into virgin jungle reserves with luxuriant tropical rainforests and mangrove swamps.

Rehabilitation starts as soon as the orangutans are admitted to the Centre. Young apes are taught skills essential to jungle life such as the ability to forage, build nests and even climb and swing from trees to trees — things they learn from their mothers in the wild.

After that, they are moved outdoors where their freedom increases and their dependence on humans for food decreases.

Most of the apes achieve total independence and become integrated into the Sepilok wild orangutan population.

It was a good five minutes walk through the rainforest on wooden walkways to get to the main orangutan feeding area. We were greeted with a bright red and white ‘Silence Please’ sign.

There was a ruffle in the bushes not far from the platform. We caught sight of orangutans coming out for food. They are not trained to perform but living freely in the sanctuary.

All too soon, it was time to leave for home. As we arrived at Sandakan airport after a elaborate lunch on Winter Solstice Festival Day, we met the two Japanese women who were with us on the Kinabatangan River cruise.

As the young ones in our group shared their wildlife adventure experience with their Japanese friends, I saw, unfolding before my eyes, the emergence of Nature-loving children, spellbound by the many revelations of the wondrous Kinabantangan.

Side-bar story: Sepilok Jungle Resort
It is set amid a rainforest with a variety f tropical trees that provide plentiful juicy fruits for wildlife like orangutans, monkeys, birds and butterflies.

The resort has been in operation for 18 years. And Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is just a five minutes walk yonder.

Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure that manages the resort also caters to the travels business in Borneo. It is a government-licensed tour company, run by a team of fully-trained local staff. For more information, contact www.stwadventure.com

CLOSE TO MATURE: On a bridge amid the rainforest with nature trails

On the trail of wildlife

This is another of the travel tale published last Sunday. Enjoy the trail of wildlife with yours truly!

IT’S known for its wildlife adventure — a resort amidst a rainforest with a village lodge, home-cooked meals and experienced tourist guides that all add up to a great family “Nature” outing and a learning time for the young ones.

HERE ＷＥ ARE: Junaidi, our tour guide

I am having a Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure flashback — sleeping (probably with a giant scorpion under the bed), watching naughty monkeys chattering among the trees that might just venture close enough to steal your shoes, waking up to the calls of birds at the crack of dawn in the heart of the primary rainforest, observing a female orang utan nursing its baby in the wild, the boat cruise and most memorably, the corridor of life along Kinabantangan River.

ENTRY POINT: Entrance to Agnes Keith House.

Seven of us — two adults and five children — were met at Sandakan airport by Junaidi, the senior tour executive of Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure Sdn Bhd.

We passed by the water village and stopped for breakfast at the central market. At my request, Junaidi arranged for us to visit Agnes Keith House.

Agnes Keith was an American writer living in Sandakan, Sabah, with her English husband, Harry, a Conservator of Forests, from 1934 to 1952.

She wrote three books on her experience of her stay. The first was Land Below the Wind (1939) recalling the pre-war days, followed by Three Came Home (1947), focusing on hardships during the Second World War and White Man Returns (1951) about her life in Sandakan after the war.

The Department of Sabah Museum has restored and turned the house where Agnes lived into a museum as a tribute to her. In her own words, “the house is located on the finest hilltop in Borneo with a magnificent view of the habour of Sandakan.”

She loved her beautiful house, saying people from far and near came to see it and had their pictures taken outside it.

Agnes wrote about her book room: “There is a mental energy in this room, discharged and accumulated from the past, which seems to exhilarate you when you enter it. Not only is it a good place to work in but also a good place to stop while the bathwater runs or when dressing for dinner or waiting for breakfast … for there is always something unfinished to be gone on with there. - Land Below the Wind

A learning time for the children was Agnes’ belief in achieving a peaceful world.

Even after three and a half years of brutal imprisonment by the Japanese Army during WWII in Borneo, she believed a peaceful world could be achieved as she expressed in her book (Three Came Home, 1946):

“I believe while we have more than we need on this continent and others die for the want of it, there can be no lasting peace. When we work as hard in peace time to make this world decent to live as in wartime to kill, the world will be decent and the causes for which men fight will be gone.”

Our next stop was Puu Jih Syh Temple on top of a hill overlooking the Sandakan Bay. This Buddhist temple is one of the landmarks of Sandakan Nature City and certainly a should-not-miss tourist attraction.

I first visited the temple with a consultant from England, Cedric Pulford, who made this remark: “The size and colours of the temple were hugely impressive. I was stuck by the multiple Buddhas to be seen as if increasing the images of the Enlightened One encouraged the sense of holiness of the place.”

We arrived at Bilit Adventure Lodge and were invited to the communal dining area, overlooking the Kinabatangan River, for afternoon tea while waiting for our river cruise.

HELLO THERE: A group of visitors with Junaidi and staff of Bilik Adventure Lodge.

As the wooden boat cut across the slow waters of the Kinabatangan during the leisurely ride along the river, for seven of us, the adventure seemed like Captain Willard searching for Colonel Kurtz except we were looking for wild animals in the heart of the jungle. We kept a sharp eye out for the slightest movement in the thick foliage.

THERE　ＧＯＥＳ ONE: Watching wildlife in the comfort of a power boat

Suddenly, Junaidi pointed excitedly to the trees: “Proboscis monkey, have you seen it?”

The only binoculars on board was passed around for the children to watch. At that moment, I thought how good it would be if I had a better zoom lens!

RAREＳＩＧＨＴ：　Ａｎ　ｅｇｒｅｔ　ｐｅｒｃｈｉｎｇ　ｏｎ　ａ　ｔｒｅｅ　ｂｒａｎｃｈ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｎｇｒｏｅ　ｓｗａｍｐ

The search did not end there. Junaidi and the boat operator knew the environment like the back of their hands and could spot from afar camouflaged animals that we wouldn’t be able to see even up close!

We saw rhinoceros hornbills, kingfishers, long tailed macaques, silver leaf monkeys, proboscis monkeys and even an orang utan nursing its young. Seeing these wildlife in their nature habitat was a whole new experience for us as we previously got to see them only in the zoo.

“Mummy, mummy, look up,” my teenaged son shouted from the boat berthed by the riverbank. Looking up, I saw a small monkey staring at me just a foot away on a tree branch right above my head.

ＭＯＮＫＥＹＩＮＧ AROUND: Up close and personal with this money in the dense vegetation

Five hundred and sixty (560) km long, the Kinabatangan is Sabah’s longest river, having its source in the steep mountain ranges of the southwest and flowing out into the Sulu Sea through the largest tract of mangrove in Malaysia. The banks are sparsely inhabited — and seemingly always have been.

This forest has the largest population of orang utans, proboscis monkeys, snakebirds as well as other exotic wildlife in Malaysia.

In 1998, a Kinabatangan Partners for Wetlands project was initiated by WWF Malaysia and Sabah Wildlife Department, supported by WWF Netherlands, to encourage the stakeholders in the region to work together to conserve the biodiversity of the ecosystem and the natural environment. The area has been dubbed a “mini Amazon.”

Returning to the Lodge, we had a home-cooked meal ready for us.

After dinner, a night walk to spot wild animals was organised for us. Limited by my vision, I had to opt out.

Three boys in our group went with the tour guide and came back with stories after stories to tell.

GERALD

At the communal dining area, I met Gerald, a scientist who has been living in Africa for the past four years. He is on holidays in Borneo and has visited Kuching, Brunei, Kota Kinabalu before coming to Sandakan. Gerald was all excited about the wildlife adventure! After the boat cruise in the evening, he said the ride along the river was wonderful. He braved the rain for another cruise the next morning but I did not get to ask whether he came across any new wildlife in the early hours.

We were also forewarned that small creatures like jungle roaches, spiders, geckos and ants we might see in the room were not attracted there by an untidy surrounding.

You sometimes see them because you are in the jungle and for us, we didn’t want to kill these small creatures of Nature.

Yet, when we discovered a giant scorpion under one of the boys’ bed, we cringed! After the initial the screaming (and holding each other for safety), the children learned that cutting off the scorpion’s tail (metasoma) where the telson (sting) is located, could render this creepy crawly harmless.

Our tour operator — Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure Sdn Bhd — rounded up the Kinabatangan adventure with other Sabah memorable attractions such the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, the Gomantong Caves, the Rainforest Discovery Centre and the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.

(This is a side-bar story to the main story)

Beng and Madia (pictured) have been working in Bilit Adventure Lodge for three and a half years. Both speak good English and are very pleasant.

"We enjoy working here," they said.

I have no doubt about that, see their professionalism in customers' service.

According to senior tour executive, Junaidi, whatever the lodgers spend on soft drinks, beers, snacks, ice creams, hiring boots and leech socks, night walks and tree planting will go to to the earnings of the staff and their families.

I also met Melissa and Junadi who told me they were helping their families at the Lodge during holidays.

One visitor I chatted with had this to say: "Employing the local community befits the term eco-tourism. This is because a local community can benefit from tourism without destroying the environment or compromising on traditions. This is noble."

Accepting an imperfect solution

After seven months of living in half darkness (Or semi darkness, to be exact), the Lord has let me see that living in half-truth is even more uncertain. Living in half darkness teaches me to be careful with every step and every move. Living in half darkness allows me to see more with my heart.

Living in half truth can be very intriguing. My half truth means different doctors give different views. I have seen three eye doctors and a physician, each hold their professional views with no compromise. In my dreams, I often had the pleasure looking at the doctors like how Chris did to the monkey in the picture! No offence meant for doctors reading this. I think I only have one doctor visiting my blog! I am not a doc-hopper, but circumstances warrant me to have a doc at each location as I live out of my suitcase for the past seven months.

So, yesterday, I had an eye surgery done. I do not have to live in half-truth now, and as my colleague said, accepting an imperfect solution . I may not fully agree with "our stand", but, just like accepting that God has His own will in my imperfect eye vision, He, too, shall see us through, if we submit to Him. Here it goes, accepting an imperfect solution!

A multiracial and multi-religious nation like Malaysia faces the constant challenge of keeping the ‘genie’ of racial and religious discord and violence in the bottle and now that the bottle has been opened by the ‘Allah’ issue, we are faced with the seemingly insurmountable task of putting the ‘genie’ back.

While both sides stand firm in the polemic on the right of Christians to use the word ‘Allah’ in their worship and publications, religious unrest is beginning to rear its ugly head, threatening to tear the very fabric of our nation.

The lifting of the ban in East Malaysia announced by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Parliamentary Affairs) Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, in an exclusive interview with the KTS stable of dailies – The Borneo Post, Oriental Daily and Utusan Borneo, has partially addressed the issue but the debate rages on while the search for a solution remains elusive.

A logical way to deal with the issue is to go to court to seek a solution through the judicial process and that was what Archbishop Murphy Pakiam did.

The High Court ruled in his favour and logically this ruling should have gone a long way in resolving the issue, but it only stoked the fire of religious fervour leading to arson attacks on several churches and not even the stay of execution of the ruling following an appeal by the government could douse that flame.

Pakiam might have won a battle, but winning the war is another matter and it is not likely that the result of the government’s appeal against the High Court ruling will put an end to this controversy either.

And so we are now faced with an unsolvable problem that must be solved before the situation completely gets out of hand.

The only way to find light at the end of this long dark tunnel we are in, is to first accept that there is no solution that would satisfy everyone and that one party, or both parties, will feel aggrieved at whatever decision is arrived at eventually.

Ultimately, we will have to fall back on consultations in the search for a compromise. It is not likely to be perfect, but hopefully it can be one that lays the groundwork, no matter how flimsy, on which we can work towards national reconciliation and restoring acceptance of our religious and racial diversity.

Can it be achieved?

Given the present circumstances, it will be impossible if we are looking for a perfect solution.

We have to be sensible enough to first look for a way out and unite in scaling that long uphill road to reach the light at the end of the tunnel we are in.

And what about God’s will in this row over how we address Him?

Perhaps we are overlooking the key to the solution of the whole issue – the belief shared by Muslims and Christians in the submission to God’s will and guidance.

Despite their different perceptions of God, Christians and Muslims must not ignore the fact that they are worshiping the same God – the God of Abraham.

It is very sad that instead of standing firm on this common ground, we are instead mired in the morass of our differences.

Still on forgiveness

This time it's breakfast's indigestion. Today, the apology read this way -

Apology notice
I, xxx wish to apologize to my wife, xxx for being unfaithful to her on my act. I deeply regret for what I had done and ask for forgiveness from my wife. I hope she will accept my apology.

The person offering apology: xxx
The person being apologized to: xxx
Date: xxx

In my earlier post, I have doubted whether the wife had forgiven him.

Forgiveness should be offered before even a single syllable of apology is uttered! What is the basis for forgiving others?

Because we have been forgiven!

Jesus likes to tell stories. So, he tells another story.

A certain man was forgiven of a huge debt. After his huge debt was written off, that men went to another man who owed him a paltry sum. He grabbed him by the throat, and demand him, "Pay back what you owe me!"

Jesus says that we are no different from this man if we do not forgive those who offend us. We have been forgiven a huge debt, and on that basis we are to forgive others!

It's a huge project to work on! The offender must repent. And the person offended must stop justifying. It all begins from the heart!

Will there be a happy ending to the "apology notice"? Let's pray they live happily ever after!

But, I like our story today, being reported this way - Priest downplays church window smashing incident.

A church and a mosque standing next to each other.

Quote -
“We have been able to understand and tolerate each other. This church, for example, has a mosque just next to it. We have been neighbours for a long time with no negative feelings but respect and brotherhood,” said Fr Donald referring to An-Naim Mosque which stands just on the next lot.

South Korea thorugh the eyes of a housewife

(While I am posting this, my darling daughter Rachel is on board MAS on the way from Adelaide to KLIA. She should be touching down at 8 pm, and as she said, she would he hanging around in KLIA for the night until next morning to board 8:45 am flight back to Sibu!)

This is a long outstanding post. I have to hold it back because I want to wait till my newspaper has published it. So, today, it appears in The Sunday Post.

Actually, I do not get the privilege of getting my story published first. I am also in the queue! So, in the queue are my two Sandakan travel stories -

Sandakan in the footsteps of wild animals
Zoom through the wonders of nature

Probably, it would be good to "cut and paste" the story today here -

AS the Korean dramas continue to touch so many women of all ages throughout Asia, I set out to have a first-hand experience of those intriguing plot twists, memorable scenes, lines and the breathtaking winter scenery.

It was on a clear midnight that we boarded a Korean Airline flight bound for Incheon Airport. The tour executive of Airworld Travel and Tours, Desmond, took pains filling in the immigration forms. In the occupation column was written the word ‘housewife’.

Desmond changed his seat and said: “I would be sitting next to you.”

It was clear this would be the housewife’s maiden trip.

My 14-year-old son was extremely amused that his mum who has been working all her life, was being categorised as ‘housewife’.

We arrived at Incheon Airport at 6am Korea local time (an hour ahead of Malaysian time) and were transferred to another airport for a domestic flight to Jeju. I was anxious about what Jejudo or Jeju Island — often called the Hawaii of Korea — had to offer to this housewife. The southern island has been loved for its nature and culture which are exotic to Koreans.

ROCKY SHORE: The rocks of Jeju Island

It has been one of the most popular honeymoon destinations and leisure spots for Koreans and foreign tourists. Jeju is known to be rich in wind and rocks but it has more to offer than just sea breeze and beautiful scenery. The island has a huge range of unique museums to cater for every interest. Haenyeo Museum, for instance, is dedicated to the brave and hard-working of women divers in Jeju.

The famous island has an old saying: “When you have a baby girl, butcher a pig and throw a party. When you have a baby boy, just kick him hard in the butt.”

I do not mean to offend the men here! Such a saying seems out of place in the male-dominated Confucian tradition but it accurately reflects the importance of a woman as the backbone of the Jeju family.

The haenyeo (sea women) of Jeju dive into the deep sea without air tanks to gather seaweed, abalone and various other types of seafood. There are about 5,400 haenyeo working on Jeju Island. The haenyeo dive from October to July and work on farms during the other months — all while taking care of their children and domestic duties.

Perhaps, the following poem (I stole from a book displayed in the museum) best sums up life of the haenyeo:

Eating with the wind
Excreting with the clouds
Making the waves my home
Farewell to my grieving mother
Farewell to my grieving father
Farewell to my parents and siblings
Making the Han River Sea my home
Entrusting my cursed lot to continue on
My soul and body was born

It is only human for a housewife to feel very small hanging out on the island! After spending two days there, we moved to Seoul, which may lack a few things but the arts is not one of them.

TALENTED: A Korean woman playing a traditional string instrument

Galleries and museums are everywhere — in touristy areas as well as much less-frequented neighbourhoods. We went to a 90-minute ‘Drawing Show’ — a performance of arts, music, dance, light and slapstick humour.

It was just stunning and unique. I am still amazed by a simple-line drawing inked by an artist on a glass plate. The audience could not see the image itself but images were projected through the glass and onto a large canvas on the stage.

INTRIGUING: The artists performing at the Drawing Show

In seconds, the artist sketched a king and a palace and then, just as quickly, made the palace appear destroyed and the king broken by allowing a single drop of water to wash down his face and smear part of it away. The drawing was simple, yet it powerfully conveyed the story of Korea’s painful history of foreign invasions.

We visited Changdeokgung, listed as one of the World Heritage sites for its architectural design. A king with a superb sense of style, I am sure, the Emperor Taejong built the palace and its secret garden in the early 1400s. The garden is gorgeous.

HERITAGE SITE: Chengdeokgung has been listed as one of the World Heritage sites for the architectural design

Apparently, the palace is a perfect example of far eastern Asian architecture because the buildings blend into the environment and follow the topography of the land.

I identified much with the Changdeokgung’s more modern history because the palace was inhabited by royalties up till 1989. Korean crown prince Eun and his wife, Yi Bangja, were technically the Choson Dynasty’s descendants and would have been king and queen had it not been for the Japanese invasion in 1910 and the removal of the seat of power.

Eun and his family lived in Japan until after World War II and the Korean War and moved to Korea in the 1960s. On their return, they lived in the Changdeokgung palace. Yi Bangja lived there until she died in 1989.

Another interesting thing we learned from the tour guide is that Japan turned one of the palaces in Changgyeongung into a zoo during their occupation from 1910 to 1945. The tour guide, of course, told us the Japanese did far worse than this to Koreans under occupation.

Korea has been dubbed as the ‘Kingdom of Plastic Surgery’. Its robust plastic surgery industry stems from “the Confucian tradition of considering appearance as an important factor in judging a person,” according to Hyun Taik-Soo, professor of sociology at Korea University.

CORDIAL: A pretty Korean woman giving the victory sign

Nip and tuck is such a common practice in Korea that surveys show 30 percent (abo­ut 2.4 million) of Korean women, aged 20 to 50, have had some kind of procedure, according to ARA Consulting, a medical marketing consulting firm.

My daughter who is studying in Adelaide, said her Korean girlfriend told her that Korean parents often used the ‘facelift experience’ as a high school graduation gift, and college graduates save up to go under the knife before getting into the job market.

It was, hence, only natural for tourists to be brought to a cosmetic shop where the secrets of Korean women’s fair skin were revealed. Tourists had a great time shopping for affordable cosmetics and skin care products to acquire that ‘Korean women look’.

Although not as legendary as Disneyland, Everland is one of Korea’s proudest achievements and a must-see attraction. Each year, more than 10 million people pass through its doors and with a 20-year history as a world class family resort complex, it holds lots of fun and excitement for visitors.

The tour guide told us that because there is Everland, Koreans, being patriotic, do not hold with the idea of Disneyland gaining a foothold in their country.

During the first hour of our visit, we were shown around Everland before going on several rides of varying speeds, heights and splashes of water.

We then watched a spectacular magical white Christmas parade. Everland is the proud owner of the longest snow sleigh slope in Korea. There was also the Tree Festival featuring unique Christmas trees.

We were told that when in Korea during Christmas, join the Christmas Party in Everland. During this festive season, every night is a night of celebration, fun and joy.

There are many other attractions, including a Four Seasons Garden, Safari World, Caribbean Bay, Speedway, and Activa. Currently, the centre of attraction at Safari World is cub cross-bred between a tiger and a lion. So, you can just imagine how the little thing looks like. We also had a ride in circular boat with four other people. Surrounding each seat was a waterproof plastic sheet which we used to protect ourselves from the water.

Once on board, it was too late to change our minds as the boat started careening down the river. Along the route, there were many well-placed props and strategic ‘bumps’ that could send our boat into a spin or cause it to hit the sides of the man-made riverbank.

For those who love roller coasters, the Suspended Coaster —one of Everland’s best attractions — is a must-try. This coaster simply flies, twists, spins and curves at 85km per hour over 1,013 metres. There is also the Hurricane that soars 19 metres above the ground in a rapid spin. Caution: a strong stomach is needed for this ride.

HANDS-ON: Trying their hands in making Kimchi

Probably, the biggest barrier for visitors in Korea is the language. Most Koreans speak only Korean. Even workers at tourist spots have difficulty communicating in English or Chinese. I chanced upon this ‘Hot Dog’ stall with a sign that was more confusing than informative. So language-wise, you could imagine the frustrations of the housewife during her Korean sojourn.


But we did it anyway — a housewife and her teen-aged son sampling life in Korea — the culture, the history, the kimchi, and the big cities. What more could a housewife ask for?

HEY: Desmond (right) our tour guide, with Chris

Forgiveness

This picture seems no relevancy to the blog post today. But it's in every way relevant, you would probably be troubled - to be or not to be, to forgive or not to forgive.
The Borneo Post team has given a caption to this picture this way -
TEARS OF PEACE: Christians shed tears as they pray for peace at one of the churches bombed by arsonists.
Read the story here

I was having lunch at a coffee shop behind my office - the fried Bee Hoon. While waiting for the food, my boss called. He asked where I was. Then he mused that we talked after the lunch because the conversation may cause some indigestion.

What caused indigestion turned out to be an "public apology notice" published in a local Chinese newspaper. It read,

Apology notice
I, xxx wish to apologize to my wife, xxx for being unfaithful to her on my act. I now know that I am wrong and wish to apologize to her.

The person offering apology: xxx
The person accepting apology: xxx
Date: xxx

Has the husband been forgiven? I doubt.

Forgiveness is something few of us understand well. We have grown up with the idea that you forgive people only after they apologized.

However, that is not biblical forgiveness. Few broken relationships would ever be restored and reconciled if forgiveness began only after an apology had been offered. Biblical forgiveness begins before the offender comes to you with an apology.

Remember the story told by Jesus of the prodigal son? That's a perfect example of forgiveness. The prodigal son left his father and went to a faraway land. He spend all that he had received from his father. Then he returned broken and humbled. The father received him with love, acceptance and forgiveness and threw a party in his honour!

That is forgiveness - even before a single word of apology is said.