Update: Still in KK

Seeing as I continue to be confined to civilization, might as well provide an update.

No word from the department of forestry yet, so my exploration of Kota Kinabalu continues. Primarily, I've been exploring with my stomach!

Below, ye may find anecdotes of food, brain-learnings at a museum, and general la-de-dahs about the city.




Despite having several thousand ants in my pants, all eager to join their jungle bretheren, I can't complain too much - I've discovered a delicious Indian food restaurant which serves not only wonderful roti canai and milo sejuk, but also some very delicious aloo gobi. I might as well revel in vegetarian food while I still can!

The owner of the place is this jovial portly Indian man, who stubbornly refuses to speak to me in Malay despite my best attempts. While I speak to him in Malay, he responds in English. I respond to his English with Malay, he returns to English. One of us will have to give in eventually...time will tell if his stubbornness matches my own!

Mairin, stop talking about food all the time. Gosh. Do you just eat all day?

No! I don't! Brushes crumbs and blobs of curry off of self. Sometimes I do activities!

Yesterday was a true day of adventure. I decided to check out the Muzium Sabah, or State Museum of Sabah, for the day. After the 45 minute walk in what turned out to be a very humid afternoon, I arrived at the museum soaked in sweat like a proper lady. Luckily they had seats and cold drinks outside so I could dry off before entering the enclosed space.

And what a surprising museum! It was relatively small compared to the larger Canadian museum's I'm used to - three cramped floors that held a a total of 5 exhibits.

What it lacked in size, the museum's exhibits were almost too closely catered to my interests (cue X-Files music playing in the background).

Upon purchasing my extortionately priced $5 ticket (just kidding - this museum was worth far more than I had to pay for entry!), I wander in to be face to face with a whale - a Bryde’s Whale that stranded itself at the beach of Gaya Island in 2006.

It reminded me of back home in Vancouver, sitting in my UBC office relaxing with the Beaty blue whale.

Just when I was feeling homesick for Vancouver's rain and temperate temperates - off to my left: What's this? An archaeological exhibit? Amazing!

It turns out Malaysian Borneo houses some wonderful archaeological sites, including plenty of material about early human movement through Southeast Asia towards Australia. Lo and behold, there was an exhibit on early human tools found in the region! Complete with a Bahasa-and-English a documentary on ancient humans and social practices!

Plus, an exhibit on stratigraphy! Porcelain fragments and shards of obsidian!!

Can you tell I was a little overwhelmed by how interesting all of the knowledge held in the museum was?

Next was a political/historical exhibit - the colonial history of Malaysia. Tonally surprising, it seemed to be more in favour of colonialism than I expected. Control of Malaysia has switched between European and Asian control many times...Portuguese, Dutch, British, Japanese, British again...then finally independence in 1957.

Finally, I got a glimpse into a more cultural side of Borneo with two cultural exhibits. One about the cultures of local peoples in the region and some ethnological research, and another displaying a ceramics collection. My favourite part of these was the instrument room - the cultural display had a set of regional instruments to try - including a nose flute! Despite my best efforts, I do not think a career in professional nose fluting is in my future.

But that leaves one more exhibit, right? Five minus four...

That's right, keen-eyed reader! One exhibit remains, for I saved the best for last.

... wait for it ...

NATURAL HISTORY!

My favourite part of any museum is any natural history exhibits. I can't get enough of them!

Muzium Sabah's was just what I was hoping it would be - filled to the brim with creepy taxidermied creatures, large and small, from desiccated and shrivelled spiders to possessed gibbons!

Pictures to follow once I have a decent internet connection (ie. when I'm back in Vancouver...hold on until then!)

It was an excellent exhibit, despite the creepiness. One disappointment: they had two taxidermied proboscis monkeys who had unfortunately been castrated. Why is this a pity, you ask?

Warning: NSFW monkey facts ahead!


Well, as it turns out, male proboscis monkeys have very interesting penises! Not only are they a vivid red (with black testicles, for added contrast), but they are permanently erect! Why would anyone remove such a glorious body part?

I can only assume it was so that they could display it independently...in some sort of "Cool anatomical designs that don't seem to make sense" shrine. Dang...I should start working on one of those for myself...

Regardless! Long story short, the monkeys were missing a member. So sad.

Moving on from the museum finally...yes, I'm a nerd, moving on...

Just outside of the museum was a heritage village with a bunch of traditionally built houses and boats, so that was pretty neat. Then a quick trek through a wee jungle park to cool off. Once it started raining I walked back to the hotel and only narrowly avoided a good soaking.

Which I did not manage to dodge today. While on a stroll about town, taking in the sights and playing and an augmented reality mobile phone app, boom-crash-flash-thunderstorm!

It was here I learned a valuable lesson: when caught in the middle of a storm, rain pelting down from all sides, it is ideal to wear shoes that any rubber on the soles. Those six year old sandals whose bottoms are thinner than cyran wrap and smooth as a egg? Probably not going to work out on sloping and ragged sidewalks slick with rain. Nothing like stumbling over yourself in a busy Asian street in the pouring rain!

Eventually I made it back to the hotel, dripped and grinning like a fool, both shoes intact and only a single bump on the knee to show for my clumsiness. Maybe one day I will perfect my social graces...but it is not this day.