If you ask any local Sabahan what the must-visit street is in Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Street will definitely be the first answer.

Gaya Street during the CNY night market Photo source: www.lifeinborneo.com

Home to the famous Sunday morning street market, night markets during festive seasons (the Chinese New Year one is happening all this week!), some of the best famed local eateries, and shops such as sundry and textile that take you back to the olden days, it's no wonder a visit to KK is not complete without a walk down Jalan Gaya (or 加雅街).

Gaya Souvenir Centre, on the corner of the block nearest to the old library.

Located in the middle of town, Gaya Street (which is always busy due to the fact that nearly every bank you can think of can be found there) is the perfect location for Gaya Souvenir Shop to open its doors for tourists who would like to take some of Sabah's specialties home with them.

Selling mainly food items, Gaya Souvenir Shop has a vast variety of different flavours for both the safe and the daring taste buds. Dried mango slices are loved the world over, but wouldn't it be fun to sneakily offer your friends back home some spicy chocolate? Now there's a gift you don't find every day!

Freeze-Dried Crispy Durian Slices  RM20.90/packet A big hit with tourists from Hong Kong & China.

Kara Squid Flavoured Fish Snack (Original/Spicy)  RM12.50/pack Great for little gifts as there are 40 mini packets in each pack.

Dried Mango Slices  RM15.90/packet Coated with honey instead of the usual sugar powder. Featuring Charlotte & Tom!

Durian / Coconut Candy  RM10.90/packet Coated with gula melaka (brown sugar) instead of normal sugar.

Fruity Chocolates: Mango, Jackfruit, Mangosteen, Coconut, Banana, Durian  RM24.90/box

Unique Chocs: Sabah Tea flavoured, Tongkat Ali, and Cili Padi (Small Chilli)  RM24.90/box

Birds' Nest Candy  RM15.90/box All the yumminess of a birds' nest in a little candy!

Or the original Borneo birds' nests - Price ranging into the thousands depending what grade you want! Note: Guaranteed to pass through customs if you're taking it overseas.

Tongkat Ali - Price also very much dependent on what type you buy. Note: Red Tongkat Ali is the most expensive (and rarest), followed by black, with yellow being the most common.

The benefits of Tongkat Ali, other than the widely-known "male health energizer", include stronger bones, relieves high blood pressure, reduces blood sugar levels, increases metabolism etc. All you have to do is chip some of the root off, soak for about an hour, then boil for another hour. Remove the chips, and your Tongkat Ali tea is ready for consumption!

You can even make it into an alcoholic beverage! Soak the Tongkat Ali slices in alcohol for 3 months - You can try it at Gaya Souvenir Centre this March! =P

Is coffee addiction part of your daily life? Well the selection of aromatic coffee available at Gaya Souvenir Centre will definitely satisfy your needs! Starting with a non-Sabahan product, widely claimed the world over to be the best in the world, Kopi Luwak is Indonesia's coffee pride.

Best coffee in the world - I sh*t you not! Commonly known as "cat poop coffee", connoisseurs around the world swear it's #1 - and with a price tag of RM118/box, it better be! =)

If you love coffee but arent quite taken by the thought of drinking animal poop, Sabah has various different coffees which are well-known in their own right:

L-R: Sabah Taste White Coffee, Sabah Tenom Coffee, Sabah Tenom Coffee (No Sugar), Sabah Taste 3 in 1 Coffee Mix, and Traditional Sabah White Coffee in Hazelnut, Coconut and Durian Flavour.

Bak Kut Teh (Herbal Soup) mix - Sandakan style with black pepper  RM9.90/box

I think this was like the only non-consumable product they had on sale, though that may change once the 2nd floor renovation is done:

Sea Cucumber Oil (Handmade) Soap  RM10/bar

It was an interesting trip, and a fun one trying out some of our local produce. Definitely a good place to stop by while going on your heritage walk along Gaya Street and up to the Atkinson Clock Tower!

Check out the write-ups of Rungitom, Ah Bing, Charlotte and Diana!

Gaya Souvenir Centre
Ground Floor & 1st Floor, Lot 119 Wismas Bumi Jalan Gaya. Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Tel/Fax: 088-266191


Til next time,
Calista xx 
(While munching on my last mango chocolate. Yum.)

The internet has been abuzz about a new fashion statement. What's new, right? The fashion industry has always been volatile; with most trends here today, gone tomorrow. But one trend that has been very much a constant, especially in the "modern era", is that women should be pretty much hairless, you-know-where.

American Apparel has many-an-eyebrow raised at their newest display mannequins. Right in the front window of their New York store, stand 3 seemingly normal mannequins - female, loosely tied-back hair, glasses - wearing sheer lingerie. Nothing so shocking about that, I'm sure you're thinking.

Photo source: www.fashionista.com

Except that under that lingerie, are very obvious nipples, and, more shockingly, very unkempt "pubic hair".

According to various online newspapers and websites, District Visual Manager Dee Myles says that it is "important to have instances spark up curiosity and conversation about what we deem beautiful and sexy." And the American Apparel New York window display is set to send tongues a-wagging with that very taboo topic of conversation.

Looking at their website, they have kept to their "theme" of letting their models go au naturale (though very much more manicured); and their stand of no photoshopping also seems to be true:

Left: Visible pubic hair; Right: Un-photoshopped armpits

So what are your thoughts on this "controversy"? Should we subject ourselves to the pain of waxing our (very sensitive) private areas to a clean slate? Or do you not mind going (or your partner for that matter) au naturale? Maybe, a little "gardening", or "trimming of the bush" would be satisfactory? The online world seems split between the "I Love It!"s and the "Eww That's Disgusting!"s - where do you stand?

Drop me a comment with your opinions on the matter, and maybe why you think that way? Or even just a comment on what you think of the display, regardless of your thoughts on personal maintenance! ;p

Til next time,
Calista xx

Happy new year guys! How's 2014 going so far? Have you made any resolutions this year? Had success with any of last year's resolutions? Drop me a comment - I'd love to know!