PaRaDiSe: Danum Valley Environmental Project Journal

Day 1- 20/8

As I wish, I got DVCA Danum valley conservation area, well known for its undisturbed dipterocarp. It is a home for exceptional flora and fauna and has evolved into one of he foremost rainforest research centre in South East Asia. I had a 9-hours- journey in theb bus before we arrived. After register, we went to our campsite known Marshfield camp.

It looks pretty nice and Pete offered to cook tonight. I realised we had plenty of tins leftover by the previous group. Izzie is very considerate and we had a night chat.

Day 2- 21/8

Today plan was only to know more about the project better before we start working . Nelki gave us a talk through. Afternoon was spent on planning the rooster, food allocation and radio set up.

We saw wild boar today and it went up to our bunk and got juana's socks away.

Day 3-22/8

Today is Haji. I had a really weird dream. I was in the game of Jumanji and was given tasks such as reconstruct the component of machines and identified arrows from between the tress and f I fail I am gonna die. Wil was real funny today when he appealed with bungee tying around his pants too keep it away from leeches and they came out with the baby leech song

We saw orang utan as Yoel called us when he found one. Marjunney only get to see the small monkey because he was too slow.

I chatted with Duha and he shared about his mission to get more Sabahans involved in volunteer programme in Kindness Organisation.

The night feast with the locals was real fun, get makmur and rendang, the best FOOD since a month！

Day4- 23/8

Today is a great day, cavin as the leader. Our first day of work is to take the gravel to site B and it is a great success as we finished taking 1000 buckets up to the site.

It is my first project on building the suspension bridge. It was pretty tiring and we had the afternoon swimming session.

I cook for tonight and I made the rice with "dumpling", brinjals and eggs. I took almost one and half hour and the rice is slight burnt, felt so bad.

Day 5- 24/8

Today is another day of getting the gravel up. we had another 961 done before it started to rain heavily and we all got so drenched.

Day 6- 25/8

Today is a rainy day and there was basically no land for gravel so instead we decided to move the semen.

It involves getting the 150 buckets of water up to the hill and around 10 cars of gravel and 2 bags of semen to fill up the the concrete mixer for one time and in order to get the hole fully fill, we need 50 times of the repeated filling.

One week has past and hopefully we can get all done before we leave.

An accident happened today and I knocked my knee when i fall from the deck that used to fill the mixer up.

Day 7- 26/8

Rest day, Ivy came around and brought us to the nature trail and we visited Lito’s family.

The rest of day was plenty chill, we watched the movie miracle of cell no 7

Day 8- 27/8

It is cement moving day, pretty tiring and got pretty badly bitten by insects. I got my antihistamine and recovered by then. Poor Izzie has rash all over her body and she developed difficulty in breathing for a moment. Jojo sent her home and she seems better.

Day 9- 28/8

My day as a leader nd as usual, I felt it is necessary for me to do my best and obviously, Pete was pretty confident in me and thought I can handle really well and he observed.

We did well as we achieved 1172 buckets but I felt bad that I was being forgetful. I forget to bring the snacks and rubbish bag.

I had talk with jojo during break time and talking about personal goal and plan, afraid of how things can go wrong. I realised the one thing I need to change would prolly be me not voicing out as much.

Jojo reminded me that I don’t have to be the one to take initiative to mix around as they came to our country to learn of our culture so the efforts has to come from both side, i guess we need to learn to be more acceptant.

Personally I got a little bit frustrated coz marj n cavin do not have sense of guilt even when they forget to bring along the crackers but I come to understand that we are here to learn and we all made mistakes.

Day 10- 29/8

we did concrete today and Wil as the leader

Day 11- 30/8

Juana made my day, she made pancake in the morning and she is really nice and genuine person.

Vinns and Yoel came over fr visit n we made him dinner

Day 12- 31/8

Jono as leader and today is another day of gravel. He was called for 5 mins talk by Pete because he didn’t get us all to start working after lunch break but Duha was more supportive and said that Jono was just being considerate that all of us might be a little too tired. It made me understand how we all perceived things differently.

Day 13- 1/9

Today is half day work, I was a little upset coz no night walk for me. We spent the afternoon talking to yoel and he shows us some awesome photo of the Slow Loris aka Kongkang and tarsier. It look very much like a squirrel!

Day 14- 2/9

It is a rest day and we went to the beach. I didn’t go for a swim but It was happy to see Juana Jono Cvin Marj enjoying themselves and I am like a recorder who record the awesome moments.

Day 15-16- 3-4 /9

I spent my last day working even the original plan was to go to rhinopool

It was an emotional day again. I don’t feel hungry at all for the day, perhaps emotional overwhelmed. Vinns and Jono kept asking me to stop taking the buckets but I just don’t feel like. Perhaps deep down I knew today is the last day and I want to do my best…

Vinns and Yoel came for the night and we had long chat. They played guitar and during briefing, I gave everyone a bracelets that I made along with a small notes but due to time limit I didn’t get to spend much time on writing that…they gave me a stone necklace indicated my hard work and efforts all these while. Is a real reluctant moments and I am gonna miss them all.

Day 17- 5/9

I am leaving today. We all watched the sunrise together, wonderful moment

I took plenty of photos with them and Izzie cried when i left. I didn’t even deep down I felt really sad.

I have been taking some time to think of the biggest challenge and what i miss the most in Danum.

I generally i enjoy the whole expedition, near to the nature, learn sabahan culture and develop my mental and physical strength

also, my biggest challenge would definitely be the physical strength.