Santa Clause and Santa’s Little Helpers, the Elves, will be scaling Mt. Kinabalu on 13 & 14 December.

But shhhhhh, don’t tell the kids, it’s actually a staff team from Raleigh Borneo raising funds for their Host Country Venturer Programme.

Raleigh Borneo is the local chapter of UK-based Raleigh, which has had a permanent base in Kota Kinabalu since 2002.

Over the years, Raleigh Borneo has facilitated over 3,000 volunteers from around the world to help rural Sabahan communities build basic necessities, such as gravity water feed systems, kindergartens and community halls, in nearly 100 projects.

The Host Country Venturer Programme

The Host Country Venturer Programme enables local youngsters to join Raleigh Borneo by subsiding the cost of their participation and enabling them to make a difference in their own communities.

“So far only RM 13,000 have been raised”, said Yolanda Graham, Raleigh Borneo’s Recruitment, Support & Media Coordinator (and one of the Elves climbing the mountain). “It will help fund just 2 Malaysians in 2011, but we’re hoping to raise enough funds to sponsor 10.”

Yolanda says the focus of Raleigh expeditions are to help youths discover their abilities and develop their confidence, benefitting communities and the environment as they go.

“In short”, she says, “our challenging and purposeful expeditions help make better citizens. And better citizens make a better country.”

More Donors Needed

Donors who have made contributions include Borneo Divers, Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort, Popular Express and JR Pharmacy.

Sutera Sanctuary Lodges have offered lower accommodation fees for the climbers and Sabah Parks has waived entrance and permit fees.

“We are pleased with the encouragement so far. It shows that people are aware of our efforts and believe in our work. We hope more donors will come forward to support our youths and ultimately contribute to the good work throughout Sabah,” said Yolanda.

To make a contribution and donate to this worthy cause, contact Raleigh Borneo at raleighstreamyx.com or call +60 13 880 2134.

Not that anybody really needs a reason to drink beer, but Firefly Bar & Grill is giving you 1,000 good reasons to just that.

What you do with that shot in the allotted minute, shoot or sip, is up to you, as long as it’s finished by the time the next minute rolls around.

Firefly is taking this challenge to a slightly more competitive level by offering those who can successfully complete this challenge a RM1,000 cash bonus. Of course, you have to pay an entry fee, but at RM160 you can get over 600% return on your investment… if you complete the challenge.

The challenge is that in the 1 hour and 40 minutes duration of the game, you will consume 3 litres of beer, assuming that the shots are around 30ml each. According to WikiPedia, the average stomach can comfortably hold 1 litre of fluid, although it can expand up to 2 or 3 litres if pressed (and depending on the person).

The bladder, on the other hand, can hold between 300 – 500ml of fluid, but it depends on your size and varies between people. Physiologically this challenge is thus quite possible looking at what the body is capable of.

But external factors will determine how much you can hold, how quickly you have to go to the loo, and whether or not you will actually be sober enough to complete the challenge.

Firefly’s rules says if you pee or puke (in whatever form), you’re disqualified. Also, if you manage to not complete a shot with it’s minute, you’re out too.

The competition takes place every Monday and 1 November 7 people took part, of which 3 completed the challenge. If you want to take part, zip on over to the Firefly Century Challenge Events Page and see what you need to do.

May the hops be with you.

In recent years Growball Cinemax in Centrepoint neglected their facilities, equipment and customers. But competitor cinemas have forced Growball to take action.

Dropping the Ball

The start of 2010 was a low for Growball. Customers were complaining, new cinemas were popping up and Kota Kinabalu got its first 3D Cinema, courtesy of GSC.

After a series of particularly bad experiences, SabahBah, and many others, finally had enough and stopped going to Growball. Growball, more than likely, noticed the increase in complaints and the decrease in customers.

Getting Back on the Ball

Fast forward 8 months and we found ourselves back at Growball to watch a movie that only showed there.

Much to our surprise we noticed that Growball had undergone extensive renovations. For one, the stairwell leading up from the 6th to the 8th floor have been carpeted and padded, immediately lending a quality feel to Growball’s foyer.

So far we’ve watch movies in cinemas 5 and 7 and both cinemas are like new (others might also be, but we can’t confirm). The bare cement floors have been carpet, the walls have been neatly padded with acoustic materials, all the seats are newly upholstered, solid and comfortable, and the sound quality has significantly improved.

24 Oct 2010: SabahBah saw Buried in the notorious Cinema 3 and unfortunately no renovations have touched this cinema. Not sure if the sound has been fixed, but it was certainly not 100%, the floors are still bare cement and, because the movie was relatively quiet, the next-door karaoke was annoyingly audible through most of the movie.

Growball’s partial response to their customers have been noted, and in doing a little bit, have probably saved their business from certain demise. Growball can once again offer a wide selection of movies at the most competitive prices in Kota Kinabalu – and in quality in the cinemas that have been renovated.

3D Coming Too

The restaurant/function area opposite the entrance to cinema 8 has closed down and is currently being converted into a 3D cinema. With this edition Growball might actually give GSC a run for their money (assuming all theaters will be renovated).

We won’t be holding our breathe, but will keep a keen eye on Groball Cinemax in Centrepoint.

Last month I lamented the demise of the Firefly Burger from their new menu. The LA Burger replaced it, but the secret lies in all the trimmings.

The only beef burger alternative on the menu was the LA Burger, but the standard, bland LA Burger was a big disappointment, especial after I enjoyed what was possibly Kota Kinabalu’s best burger, the Firefly Beef Burger, so much.

Last night the carnivore in me was alive and well and somehow we ended up at Firefly again. Foodie Bah had the Firefly Salad with chicken (#win) and, craving a beef burger, I went for the LA Burger again, this time willing to pay the extra RM1.50 each for the extra egg, pork bacon and Swiss & Cheddar cheese.

Best RM4.50 extra I ever spent, because those additions made the LA Burger one of the best hamburgers I’ve had in Kota Kinabalu.

The LA Burger took on a whole new personality with the egg, bacon and generous helping of cheese elevating the burger to awesomeness. The juicy, peppery flavours of the meaty beef patty was accentuated by eggy sweetness, contrasted by the smoky taste of the bacon and outlined by the sharpness of the two cheeses. Delicious beef burger bliss tied together by soft, sesame bread buns not too thick, and of a bake that didn’t get soggy under the load of the burger.

The only 2 detractors form this heavenly hamburger experience was the price, which with all the trimming brought the price to RM19.50 (before ++), and the Curly Fries which always look re-fried and soaked in oil.

Those two little niggly points aside though, the LA Burger (with all the trimmings) gets a big thumbs up, and is a certain contender for the title of Best Beef Burger in Kota Kinabalu.

Climb as much as you like is an attractive offer, especially when it only costs RM12. But SabahBah.com discovers that at the Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre as much as you like might be more than as much as you can.

Face The Challenge

Then I read about Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre’s ‘climbing as much as you like‘ offer. So I made plans and imagined the entire day spent just climbing up and down the various grades of wall. Possible, I thought, because I do running-type sports 3 times a week and I’m fairly fit.

Turns out though, wall climbing is not about running, in fact, it’s not even about cardio. Nope, wall climbing is about strength. Strength in your upper body, strength in your arms, and strength in your legs. I might be able to run, but apparently I’m not that strong.

Preparation is the Key

After getting a pair of hard, gum-soled shoes that fit my big feet from the Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre guys, I was up on a medium grade part of the wall strutting my stuff. It all went well too, until I got up to about 4m, 1m short of the top of the wall. My fingers started cramping.

Now there’s not a lot of muscle in fingers, so it didn’t hurt that much, but it cramped so hard I couldn’t release my grip from the wall. There I was, stuck; legs and arms in precarious positions, tiring quickly.

After a few failed attempts I eventually managed to pry my cramped fingers from the hold, but in the process also lost my balance and, hanging by the right hand, which was still cramped shut around the wall, proceeded to lose my footing.

Like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 2 I hang there, back to the wall, gasps coming from below where other climbers had been watching. Tom, unlike me, didn’t have a safety rope that would prevent him falling to the ground below though, so I knew I was safe.

I managed to swing myself around, regain my footing and pry my hand loose. But I was exhausted and couldn’t make it to the top. My belayer gently lowered me to the ground where I recovered.

Although I felt very energetic, my legs and arms felt weak and I realised my climbing session won’t be as long as I hand intended. Although I managed to shake the cramps from my fingers, I only managed 2 more climbs up easier parts of the wall.

Easy? It is and isn’t

“3 or 4 climbs are about standard”, said my belayer. “When you do it often then you can do more”, he continued, “but it takes some practice.”

Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre hasn’t been open that long, but they’ve already gained a loyal following of climbers who are at the wall quite frequently. At RM10 per session during the week and RM12 over the weekends, it’s a very affordable sport.

You can rent all the equipment you need at the the centre itself, although basic essentials are just shoes and a harness. Ropes, chalk and even a climbing buddy / belayer, are provided and the walls cater to beginners and more experienced climbers.

For more information, visit our Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre page.