Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Taken from one of my October 9, 2011 posts. I added some photos and included something about their library.

If I'm a student here, I'd probably brag about how awesome my campus is. Since they just acquired the new building for the Allied Medical Sciences, I would also brag about how great my assigned building is.

Observe:

Our campus in Mendiola is just  fraction of their SPU Building.

As for the classroom, I'm speechless.

That is why I was too giddy and proud to have completed one of the modules inside this kickass classroom.

However, the cold atmosphere is really conducive for:

Where I've Been, What I've Seen and Done

Taken from my other October 9, 2011 entry.

Now let's proceed to the sights and sounds of Kota Kinabalu. I made another slide show to compress the space so this wouldn't look lengthy. Lol.

Where I've Been, What I've Seen and Done - flash slideshow maker

• Monsopiad Cultural Village - This shows you just how rich the culture of the Kadazan people is. They will showcase their dance and music. Prepare to be amazed by the sounds that they make: OOOOO-EEEEEE! Mel likes to imitate that sound. Haha! Another thing to look forward to is the House of Skulls which shows you the personal collection of skulls of the greatest head hunter ever, Monsopiad. Trivia: Monsopiad's 6th generation of descendants built this village.
• Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Manukan and Pulau Sapi - We went island hopping in these islands. My personal favorite is Pulau Mamutik because it has lots of trees and there isn't much infrastructures so the natural beauty of the island is preserved. Basically all the islands look the same but you just have to pick the one that suits your mood. By the way, the corals there are amazing so grab your snorkel from the Abang and snorkel your way to one of the most well preserved corals I've ever seen.
• Sunset View at Suriah Sabah
• Lok Kawi Wildlife Park - Saw lots of cute animals like the Sun Bear, Asian Tiger, Proboscis Monkey, and the Orangutan. I was amazed by how huge this place is. Not to mention that the animals look healthy, the cages are clean and that the facilities are well maintained.
• 1Borneo - My favorite mall. Haha!
• Larry and Vince's Farmstay - One of my most favorite places ever. If you're the outdoor lover, this place is for you. We did a lot of trekking in the jungle, playing native games, fishing, hill climbing, owling, and eating (I just had to say that). There are lots of things to do here and you'll never get bored.
• UMS Campus - The word "huge" is an understatement. And I have to agree when a lot of people say that UMS is the most beautiful campus in Malaysia because it is.
• Tun Mustapha Tower - One of the best known landmarks of Kota Kinabalu. It is the tallest building in Sabah, and the second tallest in Borneo. And I found out from Wing Hoh that it was built in 1977. Look how modern it is!
• Floating Mosque - It looks beautiful especially at night when the lights are on. 
• Pu Toh Tze Chinese Buddhist Temple - Same with the Bell Church in Baguio, only a lot bigger.
• Atkinson Clock Tower - A memorial to Francis George Atkinson found at Signal Hill Road.
• Tanjung Aru Beach - The place to chillax. There are a lot of hawker stalls and open-air seafood restaurants here.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to go to Mt Kinabalu because it's still far from where we are staying. Although I wanted to go there, I'll just have to save it for my next trip. I just don't know when. Haha!

Food Trip in Sabah, Malaysia

Taken from my October 9, 2011 entry.

Well, any trip is not complete without us talking about food. I made this slide show so you can see the food that was served to us during my stay in Malaysia.

Food Trip in Malaysia - flash slideshow

One of the most interesting things in there is the Cemented Chicken. I first heard of it during our stay at Larry and Vince's Farmstay when we passed by the kitchen. I thought the auntie was kidding when she said that it was cemented chicken. Good thing Christian said that there really is such thing as a cemented chicken. When I tasted it, it has this tangy chicken flavor with a punch of ginger. I liked it because the flavor is locked in the chicken.

Another interesting part is the last part of the slideshow which was taken at Devi's. You can see that it was recommended in Lonely Planet so you'll know the food they serve there is really good. We had tosai, roti canai, mee and the never ending teh tarik. It was actually my first time to try Indian food...and I loved it.

One of the places that piqued my interest is the family-run Borneo 1945 cafe. The auntie running the place is really cool because she has red hair. So cute. Anyway, we ordered nasi lemak and kasturi juice. Guys, beware of the kasturi juice because it's not the typical juice that we are accustomed to. They include the peel and the seeds so it has a very bitter flavor. And it is also my first time to taste Horlicks. I really liked it so I brought some home.

We usually have nasi ayam (chicken rice) and mee (noodles). I don't get tired of nasi ayam because it's one of my favorite foods. And it's different from the ones sold in commercial establishments here in the Philippines because majority of the nasi ayam we ate tastes like the ones in the authentic Chinese restaurants in Binondo. If you're not too sensitive, you can also eat food sold at stalls in the street. It's kinda like our street food setup.

Too bad I didn't take a photo of the giant Milo pack. I swear, there is such a thing. I noticed that Malaysians really like Milo because it's a part of their drinks section.

I wasn't able to taste everything but I would like to try unique stuff if I get to visit there in the future. So foodies, there's a lot more to discover. :)

An Awesome Nine Day Experience

Taken from my October 8, 2011 entry wherein I wrote about my insights about my experiences as an exchange student in University Malaysia Sabah on August 29 - September 6, 2011. I just added a few photos.

As promised, I will write about my AMSEP UMS 2011 for Indonesia and Philippines experience once I have the time. Now that I have the time, I'm going to do it in multiple entries. So I would like to begin my KK chronicles with an entry about how amazing the people of AMSEP are.

The Malaysian flag along with Sabah's flag

Before anything else, let me tell you guys something about AMSEP. AMSEP stands for Asian Medical Students Exchange Program, which is one of the many projects of the Asian Medical Students Association or AMSA. The AMSEP provides an opportunity to medical students from different countries to find out more about the educational methods and teaching styles of another country, aside from learning about the country's culture and tradition.

Luckily, I was given the opportunity to participate in this program, hosted by Universiti Malaysia Sabah. At first I was hesitant to join because I'm scared to miss out on the exams. But since I'm that anal retentive (Lol), I checked the schedule and we're all good. And the rest is history.

Long post ahead. You can skip reading and just look at the photos. :P