Seemed Different

Last week was my one week off work. I had planned to visit a few places with my Mum but due to domestic politics, almost nothing was carried out. Other than the trip to Keningau & Tenom, I managed to visit Tanjung Aru Beach. It was my second visit to the beach since returning to Sabah. It was a bad day to visit the beach. The tide was in. The sea was choppy and it was windy. I checked out the beach – the very area where I used to play regularly as a child. Everything seemed different from what I remember. May be it was because the tide was in, the beach seemed smaller. I went to look for that house I used to like as a child and was glad to learn that it was still there. All sorts of trees and plants still grow on its site effectively concealing it. I still wonder who lives there. Tanjung Aru Beach seemed very different from the beaches I have visited in the last 20 odd years. It wasn’t magical. It didn’t remove my heartache like it used to make me super happy as a child. May be what I need is good company.

During my first trip to Tanjung Aru last year, we parked the car near the playground with the skating rink. That is near the children’s traffic school. I remember feeling good seeing kids using the facilities at the traffic school. It was a relief to see that it was used and not locked up. My Mum and I visited the run down Prince Philip park to look for the other old playground. It was still there. Everything also seemed smaller. I only grew an extra two inches after leaving Sabah but why do things suddenly look so small?

On my way home from the beach last week, we dropped by Perdana Park to see if the English Tea House moved there. I went in while my Mum waited in the car. The English Tea House was nowhere to be found but I found a second super playground at the park instead. It was a Kompan playground for the under 5’s. It was super cool even though it didn’t have a Kompan Supernova. (OK, the Kompan Supernova may not be suitable for most under 5’s.) I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the playground. For a brief moment, I thought that I was back in Melbourne and then I was kicking myself because I could be a Mum if I was good and this could be a place to visit with my little one if I have one. I had my camera with me that day but I don’t know why I didn’t take any photos. I think that I will return to Perdana Park on another day to take photos. Since if they could afford the Kompan equipment, there might even be a Kompan Supernova hiding elsewhere in the park. I wish to properly explore the park on another day. If only I could go there with good company.

Question: Where in the world is Kota Kinabalu’s English Tea House? Where did it move to? Is it gone for good? Do I have to fly over to Sandakan for Fish n’ Chips and Scones?