“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”
by Tony Wheeler, Co-founder of Lonely Planet
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, a tropical resort we picked out by drawing lots, just became the destination of our first Team Trip. What’s there waiting for us on the Land below the Wind? Agnes Keith’s observations and reflections were a true-to-life record of society back then, but word also has it that the life in Sabah nowadays has been a little different… Oh?
It’s not my luggage!!!
Just when I was about to dive into my bed after a 5-hour long flight, someone knocked at my door. It was Alicia and she’s literally crying, “Someone took the wrong luggage and the one I just opened is not mine! What to do now…” Poor girl, who packed her case with mostly bikinis just for the beach holidays… Well, thanks to the modern 4G network, we got help from our colleague thousands of miles away via WeChat, who made a phone call to the airline and got Alicia immediately connected with the careless passenger at the airport. At the very least, it was a more scared than hurt incident and finally we were toasting in KFC, the only restaurant still open at 2 a.m., with fried chickens and cold pops in hand. (Smiley Emoji)
Light of the Setting Sun
The Tanjung Aru Beach, famous for its magnificent sunset, attracts tons of tourists everyday. Sitting at its second beach, where there were a lot less people, we quietly began to witness the color-change in every minute of the sunset. While the sun was slowly sinking into the horizon, it melted beautifully as an orange fireball and perfectly blended in between the sky and the sea. With the temperature cooling down, the little crabs started to crawl out of their holes in the sands and many jellyfish were being flushed onto the beach as the tide’s coming too. We quickly drew a big heart on the beach with our team’s name inside before it’s too late. We only hoped that the snapshots we took could capture the breath-taking sunset glow and turn it into the blossom in our hearts… As the young night fell, we still remained astonished by the impressive view, but our stomachs called for dinner already. One word, SEAFOOD!
Mantanani Island
At the first sight of this so-called “Mermaid Island”, we realized a bumpy ride of 2 hours was totally worth it! It is difficult to find an escape that can compare to what the beach has to offer with its blue sky, white sands and crystal-clear sea. After everyone got the life vest and goggles, it’s time to do some snorkeling! Actually, it was the first time to swim in the real sea for many of us and it seemed like the only way to make peace was to swallow up a gallon of the bitter salty sea water! Soon our bodies were surrounded by many clown fish, we could see the coral and star fish down there on the reef. And here came a question: which one is Nemo?
Sadly, this Team Trip to Sabah also brought an end to Beth’s journey in TNC. We enjoyed a splendid time together: food-tasting, islands popping, karaoke-singing and crazy shopping. Maybe the meaning of a journey lies in the adventure itself, what matters is living the moment with the right people.
So, till we meet again, until then, good-bye!
