On my way back from a meeting today, something caught my eye: a cluster of lonely pillars on a slab of barren land, remnants of a building that once was. Graffiti covered each pillar, many with haunting themes. At the back where a lonely wall still stood, an entire mural covered it, with themes of wildlife animals and the rainforest and an emphatic gaia-like maiden in an embracing posture.
I went back there after dinner. Took a nice long stroll. The only camera I had was the one in my BlackBerry. I just had to take a few shots. I’m coming back here with the dSLR the next time I am in Kota Kinabalu.
The site was that of the old Department of Welfare that burnt down. It was to have been an art museum. When that did not happen, students from an art school turned the remaining pillars into pieces of art as they stood - a street art museum unsanctioned but original and rebellious as art should be.
I took a slow stroll back to the hotel, thinking how perfect this place would be for street theatre and gritty art shows.
Moseyed over to Kota Kinabalu, one of my favourite cities in Malaysia and where the Kinabalu squirrel got its name (love the Kinabalu squirrel too by the way. It’s usually fat and rumpy).
Packed the little Olympus and left it on my desk at home. D’oh! Been here a few times but have always enjoyed the place. Makes me feel like home. Only thing is, the bike is not with me and I’m bemoaning not being able to cycle. MoanMoanMoan.
Opened my email last night and whaddaya know, got an invite from Kenny Sia to Level Up’s Relaunch, a celebration of their expansion after 17 months in the fitness business in Kuching. It was Kuching’s largest fitness centre. Now it’s even largerer than ever with brand new additions to their machines, group fitness rooms and classes.
I’d been to a few of ther RPM classes as a guest in the last couple of months, when laziness saw me abandoning my bikes and the road. And I enjoyed the classes a lot. So I moseyed along to support Kenny and a few good friends who are pretty active there.
They now have a dedicated RPM room with many many bikes lined up. Perfect for that rainy day when cycling on the road is out of the question. Nothing compares with riding on the road. But RPM is a pretty decent substitute when I’m feeling lazy and want someone to push me (enter the RPM instructors), or if it’s raining cats and dogs.
There’s a new bigger group fitness room where they do Body Combat, Body Pump and other classes.
There’s a dedicated Keiser fitness room, more machines, more space; and just basically more of Level Up.
There was a demo of Body Combat on stage. I like Body Combat, TKO, Taibo, that sort of classess, more than others. I didn’t get to see the demo. Emergency run. So I’m going back tomorrow (Sunday) to try it out.
I remember when it first opened, and I did a blog entry about it, with some questions in my head. Seventeen months into the business, the place is going strong.
On my way back from a meeting today, something caught my eye: a cluster of lonely pillars on a slab of barren land, remnants of a building that once was. Graffiti covered each pillar, many with haunting themes. At the back where a lonely wall still stood, an entire mural covered it, with themes of wildlife animals and the rainforest and an emphatic gaia-like maiden in an embracing posture.
