Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2009

Tell you, I was not there on the final day (31st May) of the month-long Kaamatan celebration, so, no story to tell and no pics to share. Hongkod Koisaan KDCA was so crowded all day on the 30th, and in the night there was concert and all kind of other activities.

I guess that would be it and I do not have to attend the 31st day closing ceremony which normally be just formality and capped by the crowning of the final winner of Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan.


I can, however, share with you the front page stories of all the major local dailies. And, your guess is correct, they are all about the Harvest Queen and stories related to Harvest Festival.


Here are the beautiful faces splashing the papers...



The venue where all the colourful events happened


New Sabah Times talks about Chief Minister Datuk Musa Hj Aman's open invitation to all Malaysians especially those residing in Sabah to join the national Pesta Kaamatan celebration in Kota Kinabalu on June 7. Note the top five contestants of the Unduk Ngadau.


Daily Express - says that Pesta Kaamatan is certain to be "among the best platforms to unite the people of Sabah who are made up of various ethnic groups, races, and religions."

Note the three lovely winners. UNK 2009 Ms Appey Rowenna Januin is flanked by 1st runner-up, Ms Pearl Dianne Petrus (right) and 2nd runner-up, Ms Joanne Kimberly J. Majalap (left).



The Borneo Post - focuses its front page story on the winning Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan.


The Top Five as shown by The New Sabah Times are:

1) Appey Rowenna Januin - representing Papar
2) Pearl Dianne Petrus - representing DBKK (Kota Kinabalu)
3) Joanne Kimberly J Majalap - representing Penampang
4) Flina Rutum - representing Tamparuli
5) Jacqueline Joseph - representing Keningau


Congratulations Girls! and Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan!

Sodop Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2009

Date: 28th May 2009 (Unduk Ngadau Gala Nite)

Venue: Hongkod Koisaan KDCA, Penampang

Time: 6.30pm - 11.00pm

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The dinner was held at the main venue of this year's Kaamatan Festival as part the bigger event to be held on 30th and 31st later this month. The objective is to help fund the Unduk Ngadau and the proceed from ticket sales to be donated to Sabah Thalassemia Society.

This is not mineral water. It's Lihing, a traditional Kadazandusun alcoholic drink (equivalent to Tuak in Sarawak), given as welcome drink to the paying diners. I tried a couple of sip.

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Appetizer was okay, except that the crab meat stick was not fresh. The rest were 'okay' but weren't that great too. Think that's how they were supposed to be.

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Enough of food, let's start the ball rolling by letting Kebudayaan Sabah kick things up with the opening presentation

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Before parading the 41 beauties from all over Sabah, Miss Leonie Lawrence Gontuni (Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2008) made special appearance....

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...also, Miss Malaysia World 2007, Deborah Priya Henry was there too as special guess.

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Unduk Ngadau's (UN) were paraded...

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...dressed in colourful evening gown

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...everyone full of smile (which I think was jammed to their jaws and face muscles)..heheh

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They are parading out into the preparatory room

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..also, them

. ..and them

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..and them

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...and them, to be prepared for the individual introduction later

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UN from Tunku and Tambunan

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UN from Tamparuli and Klang Valley

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UN from Ranau

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UN from Penampang and Lahad Datu

. UN from Labuan and Kota Marudu

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UN from Inanam

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Past Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan from 1960-ies to 1990-ies made it to Gala Night for the first time this year. Many many thanks to all of you!

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Prior to the crowning ceremony, Filex (ex-Akademi Fantasia talent) made appearance with 2 songs. Not disappointing.You go buddy & best of luck!

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Ms Flina Rutum (right) representing TAMPARULI was crowned Tati Topiodo (Miss Natural Beauty) &

Ms Affy Jackleyinda Entawan representing BEAUFORT crowned Tati Tosuau (Miss Friendly)

Congratulations girls!!

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CAR AIR-COND ALERT? What's the fuss about?

Shalom everyone, I'm posting this not because I support it, but I'm beginning to grow tired of receiving more and more e-mails these few days; they came like horde of buffalo and they keep coming! So, off I went and did a little diggings and true enough, some fact findings yield some startling views.

I am talking about the apparent chain e-mail titled "Car Air-Cond Alert", "Do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car!" or anything to that meaning. So eye-and-mind catching to readers that everyone seem to be forwarding it.

I reproduce the content as follow:

"Please open the windows after you enter your car and do not turn ON the air-conditioning immediately. According to a research done, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen- take note of the heated plastic smell in your car).

In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer may also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... & the people inside the car will inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.

It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff."

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Consider these few questions before you jump into believing such claim:

1. Research - who did the research, and where are the details and statistics?
2. Benzene - what type of benzene? I'm not a chemist but I came to know that benzene exist in many forms, some of which are harmless. We are looking at which benzene in our cars?
3. 60^o F is equivalent to15.5^o Celsius. My office is air-conditioned at 24^o Celsius, so, if that's the case I may have to start throwing away anything plastic in my office (and home). I'd definitely love to leave my car in the sun and temperature is kept at a 60^o F. Then again, perhaps the writer is talking about sunlight in the North pole.
   
4. And finally, as long as there is no verifiable fact attached to such claim/email, it most probably is plain hoax. Err, this one isn't really a question.
   

The only good thing it did to a layman such as myself is the fact that I am now clear about the layout & schematic diagram of a car air-condition system. Much clearer now I must say.

The final point about opening the window and door is a plain common sense I suppose, but do be careful about leaving your door open when you are parked at secluded places. Your cancer concern may leave you a victim to burglars. And when that happen, there is a possibility that you may be gone sooner than if it was due to cancer itself.

Check this out to get more readings. Good points by some, and you know you'll never be blindly jumping into conclusion anymore.