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Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: Number Three 18 Months and The Next Phase

“I wonder if the next phase is going to be just as eventful?”

Heather Lind.

February 16, 2024

It seems impossible, but here we are. The youngest of the three Oribi farm boys in our house is already eighteen months old. He is running around, navigating steps, imitating the Samango calls and climbing antics, and eating mince by himself. Well, that last one is a ‘sort of’ by himself, because a lot of it still lands up on the floor for the two dogs or the two million ants that apparently live under our home.

Eighteen months ago, we were in NICU and unsure whether we would be going home with or without him. I don’t wish that on any mother or father. Now, here we are, a world away, and trying to keep up with the shoe sizes changing every few weeks. We’ve exchanged time standing still for weeks that fly by and make you wonder how on earth the pantry can be empty again. Didn’t we just go shopping? Weren’t there two full boxes of grapes in the fridge yesterday? Farm boys are hungry boys.

One at primary school, one at playschool, and one in nappies. Three that love tractors, trucks, TLBs, jigaduzas, and crop-spraying helicopters. One that’s allergic to penicillin. Another that’s allergic to being told ‘no’.

Time Waits For Nobody, So Enjoy It

We’re two-and-a-half years down the line from the rioting that had night watch duty, and four years on from the start of the global pandemic. Did we really wear masks and avoid malls and deplete the toilet paper stocks of every shop everywhere? What a crazy few years it’s been for these particular parents of very small children. It seems like the world has not only turned on its axis but also flipped upside down a few times. I suspect that many of you can relate, even if stinky nappies haven’t been part of your recent experience.

And life goes on. It is going on.
It feels a little overwhelming to speculate what a few more years could bring when the last seven for our family have been, well, let’s call it surprising. God isn’t surprised, no doubt. For the rest of us, it’s all a bit of a rollercoaster.

I wonder if the next phase is going to be just as eventful here in Oribi Gorge. Adventure awaits, I’m sure.

Published here.

Malaysia, Travelinds

Gaya Street Sunday Market

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28 January 2014

As informed by the brochures on Kota Kinabalu, we headed over to the Gaya street Sunday Market relatively early on Sunday morning.  We had heard plenty of positive things about this bustling street market and wanted to check it out.  With it being the weekend of Chinese New Year, there was also a lot of excitement around the area with loads of lantern decorations and dancing dragons gliding through the streets.

True to form, the market did not disappoint with its vast array of goods for sale and the whole of Gaya street was blocked off with several rows of stalls. Some of the things we spotted were: clothing, puppies, plants, juice, gadgets, curios, pots, lasers, baskets, fish, fresh produce, fake jewellry, nailpolish, handbags, turtles, musical instruments, canvas artworks and coconut carvings.

Not being too fond of close contact with hundreds of people, we only lasted about an hour and then headed back to find some brunch. The only purchases for the day were a mango juice and matching caps with ‘Sabah Borneo Malaysia’ embroidered on the front.

Getting there:

Coming from Centre Point side, you cross the main intersection at Centre Point heading away from the ocean.  You then head towards the city hall park area (you’ll see a KFC on your right at some point and a bus terminal on your left) and keep walking until you see the colourful Gaya street market decorations. There is a big hotel and a bird statue just before the entrance to Gaya street.  It is the street where a lot of the lower-end backpackers are located.  The traffic and amount of people should also guide you to the right area.

There’s more information about the Gaya Street market here.