Everchanging

In Loving Memory of July (2004 - 2009)

2009-07-25T22:58:00.020+08:00

26th July 2004, is the day when July first joined our family. His exact birthday is unknown, but judging by his size then (less than 1 feet long) he should be about 1 month old. He was a cute and active puppy. I still remember throwing him a ball, and he'll fetch it back to me. However, it was also heavily infested by parasites; ticks and worms. So, we took him to the vet, vaccinate him and bath him with chemicals to get rid of his ticks.

After I left my hometown for my degree in UPM in July, 2005, the time I spent with July is only during semester breaks. When I started working in May, 2008, I only go back to my hometown once every month, most of the time, only for a weekend.

Time flies, it has been almost 6 years since July came. Without realizing it, July had aged. He lost weight. He became less active. Barks less. Eats less. Occasionally, he vomits.

On 21st July 2009, July collapsed. He couldn't even drink on his own. Mom sent him to the vet.

When I was told about this, I became worried. The vet is not optimistic about July's condition.

We were told that July may die. The first thing that crossed my mind was; How can this happen? I was expecting July to live for at least 8 years or so. And I realised that I couldn't even remember when was the last time I actually see July.

I prayed. I prayed that July will survive. I prayed that I'll still see him at least one last time. I wanted to rush back to BP. But I can't. The department is seriously short-handed. I couldn't sleep at night. I was worried that July didn't make it through the night. It was miserable.

On 23rd July 2009, July's blood test reveals that his kidneys had failed. It was then, we know that we have to let him go. As much as I wanted to see him for one last time, the thought of him suffering every second made me just want to end his pain. We agreed to put him to sleep. 1 injections. 2 minutes. And he slept. Forever.

Thanks Kevin, for this picture. It meant alot to me.

I guess my mom definately felt more than me. July was her company when everyone else is away from home.

It is 1 of my greatest regrets that I couldn't be there for him during his last moments. I just hope he felt my guilt for neglecting him all these years, that he still remembers me and the moments we shared. July, I'm sorry.

Even so you might not remember me, but you'll always be remembered. July, thanks for the memories.

Sabah'09

2009-07-25T22:57:00.015+08:00

We booked our tickets as early as 13th November 2008. And on 24th June 2009, the big day arrived. Our Sabah Trip.

We stayed here at a place called - Singamata - which is a 10- minute boat ride away from the small town of Semporna. Here is also where the cluster of famous islands; Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai are located.

It is a nice, cosy water chalet - kampung style - perfect for a get away from the busy and hectic urban life.
What's special about Singamata is it's aquarium. It is about the size of a Olympic swimming pool.And is filled with lot's of fishes.

Small fishes. BIG fishes.And even sharks.

One thing about Sabah is that the sea water is crystal clear.

I never had the luck with turtles when I went to Tioman and Redang....Here in the crystal clear water of Sabah, for the first time in my life...I see turtles in their natural habitat. Not just one....But a whole pack of them.

However, the reefs are densely populated by jelly fishes, and they sting.

Speaking about nasty sea creatures, watch out for the sea urchins. I, unfortunately touched 1 with my bear foot and got 1 spike broken off in my foot.

But that's nothing compared to Flora, who accidentally stepped on 1. She got 16 spikes in her left foot. Look at her expression.Imagine how painful it was.

Another thing is Sabah is that it is also one of the best places to produce scenic photographs. The sceneries are spectacular.

And the best part of the trip is.....

....to be the only male participant,....
.....with all the gorgoeous.

Everyone had a great time. All thanks to our organizer, Cafen.

This is my first trip Sabah, and there be many more in time. Can't wait to visit its forest.

What a Proud Moment

2008-10-26T22:02:00.005+08:00

It was our graduation day. Looking at my cute and pretty girl friend on the stage, receiving her moment, I must say I felt happy and proud of her.

What a proud moment.

But wait........there's something weird about this picture.Her lips. Okie, let me explain. She was actually on-the-way of saying "Thank you" and it was when she "THA---NK----YU", as she reaches the "U" the camera man snaps. Thats' why the picture portraits the perception of "smooching". But wait again, here's the best part .....

Degree receiver.
Dean.
Vice-Chansellor.
Pro-Chansellor.
Girl who passes the "thing".

If you realized, NOBODY in this picture had their eyes open. There could only be 2 possibilities,

the ceremony is so boring, that every fell asleep.
everyone blinked at the same time.

So, which one is more likely to be the cause of this phenomena?

Nevertheless, the credit goes to the unknown photographer, who manages to capture such a moment. Salute~!

Size 3 Feet

2008-07-26T12:40:00.009+08:00

Both me and Jyeying have small feet.Mine, one the right is no.5 (male) and her's on the left no.3 (female).

I always feel that a girl having small feet is cute, adorable and should be something to be proud of. We went shopping for a pair of no.3 covered shoes, and it was then, I realized how agonizing being an out-lier can be.

You see, the average shoe-size for a female Malaysian ranges from 5 - 7. 4 is already considered smaller than usual, whereas 3 is rarely-small.

So, we comb the whole Mid-Valley City (including The Gardens) for a pair of no.3 covered shoes.

The smallest size most shop has is no.5, some do have no.4, and none has no.3. Can you believe it? Such a discrimination for people with small feet.

By 7 p.m, we gave up and head back to Serdang, but not without trying our luck at The Mines first. We went into a shop, and the kind sales-lady brought out all the no.3 size covered shoes they have in the store. You can't imagine how touched we were.

Even at size 3, it was still to loose for Jyeying.

So, we requested the boss to add 2 paddings.
2 paddings added.

At least, we got it by the end of the day. Anyone knows where we can get size 3 shoes easily in Malaysia?

Bon Odori 2008

2008-07-26T12:19:00.014+08:00

"The Bon Festival is a Japanese Buddhist custom which is held annually to honour the deceased spirits of one's ancestors. It is meant to be a joyful celebration, bringing families together, and celebrating rather than mourning the lives of the dearly departed.The Bon Odori Festival has been a fixture here in Malaysia for the last 30 odd years, and is more a festival of Japanese culture, with Japanese dances - including the traditional Bon Odori, danced specially for this occassion - music, food and lots more, presented throughout the evening."

Venue :
Matsushita Stadium, Shah AlamPanasonic Sports Complex (formerly Matsushita Centre)Lot 4, Persiaran Perkilangan, Seksyen 21Shah Alam,Selangor

Date & Time :
Sat 12 Jul 2008 (7pm onwards)

Tickets :
Free Admission

Have a taste of Japanese Culture;

Music & Dancing
Food & Delicacies
Taiko Drum Performance
Traditional Costumes & Dressing

-Source:undisclosed

Alright, that's some information about this annual event for publisity purpose. This year, I joined this event with my coursemates.It was still early when we reached there..

It was very thoughtful of the organizing committee as they prepared sufficient number of toilets to avoid long queqes.

Not only that, you'll get to choose whether you want to ...

Sit, or...

...squat when you do your business. I absolutely love this part of the event. Hehe..

And for smokers, even a smoking area was allocated. Havent seen this in any other events before.

So, "Food and Delicacies" huh? You bet. You'll see stalls selling Japanese food here. The problem is, they are all obviously catered from Sushi King, Isetan and Jusco. I don't see any point why I should come here to experience Japanese food and delicacies. Sushi King, Isetan and Jusco can be seen all over Selangor.

Luckily, there are still some freebies and cheap snacks.

About "Traditional Costumes and Dressings", - Yes. Little children like these will be the celebrities of the night. People will be hording around them to snap photos of them in their cute traditional outfits.

And at 7.05pm, (5 minutes behind the schedule time), the event started with the less than 2 minute "Taiko Drum Performance". Only 5 minutes late - consider very punctual already in Malaysia.As for "Music and Dancing" it was really traditional, easy-to-follow, simple and slow dance steps. Very effective for de-stressing.Apparently, it was much better last year. We left Bon O-Boring before 9p.m. Not a bad experience, but once is enough.

LRT (Leak Rail Transit)

2008-06-20T20:23:00.004+08:00

It was one of the rainy evenings. There was a heavy pour in the afternoon, it was still drizzling as I walk my way to the LRT station after work. Stepping into the train, I was surprised.Amazingly, I discovered that our trains are not water proof.
Just a pour and it leaks, all over the train.

Petrol Price Hike

2008-06-05T10:08:00.005+08:00

It was on the 4th of June 2008, when the increase of petrol by 78cents and diesel by RM1 is announced by our prime minister, with immediate effect by 12am of the following day.

As expected, let it be long or short term, the impact is dramatic. I rush to the petrol kiosk, which is right outside the condoninium that I'm staying at Jalan San Peng, right after work. Took me about 20minutes to queqe up before toping up the remaining half-empty tank of my car. Could have been a 5-minute task during normal days. Anyway, I was lucky enough.

From the 16th floor, I had a clear view of the petrol kiosk. Throughout the night, horns of desperation can be heard. It was annoying.

Well, the cause is obvious. The queqe was getting longer.....

And longer....and all the way down Jalan San Peng.....wow....poor people.

Luckily the madness only last til midnight.

My First Summon on the Highway

2007-11-22T20:11:00.002+08:00

I was one of those, who never care about the traffic speed limit on the highway.

Ya, I know, 140km/h is not any record setting speed, but it is way over the speed limit on the highway.

Well, it is not that I'm a bad driver, who never abide by the traffic rules....but.....it is so hard...so hard to keep the speed under 110km/h when...

.....the road is so empty....it is so tempting to accelerate.

So, on 11th November 2007 (2 days after Deepavali, apparently Ops. Sikap is still in operation). I kena. It was the first time I got a speeding ticket on the highway.

I was on the 178th kilometer of the North-South Expressway at 122km/h when the camera caught me.

So, at Jasin. there was a road block, and after looking at a gadget on his hand, the officer "mempersilakan" me to the left lane, where other officers were issuing tickets to many other cars. Then an officer came towards my car. Telling me about my offence in a polite-manner. Fair enough, I speed and I got a ticket. I'll be more careful next time, at least on the 178th kilometer of the North-South Expressway.

Cats

2007-11-22T20:11:00.001+08:00

Over the years, I've been bumping into cats. Sometimes they gave me very funny or cute poses. Hence, I would take any chance available to capture some weird/interesting pictures of cats.

Some cats are really cute.

Some cats try to get attention.

Cats can also fall in love.And even pose nicely before they sleep.

Cats sure can be really "desperate".
Now here's a close up of what they are trying to do.

Just in case you are cursing me for taking R-rated photos of them without their knowledge, YOU ARE WRONG!!

They are absolutely aware of it;

Cat on the top "Yeah,yeah, I'm naked and I'm nailing her.So what?Take my picture~?!Take la..take la...I don't care.I need to!".

Cat on the bottom:"Please save me. He's raping me.Please~!!Help~!!!".

Then, he "enters" her.

Very soon, you'll see kittens fighting for milk around a corner in the neighbourhood.

Now, how about another story on dogs?

Haha~

[p/s:No animals are harm in the making of this entry. All animals involve posed on their own free will without being forced and fully aware of being photographed. ]

Bukit Tinggi

2007-11-22T20:10:00.001+08:00

I'm sure everyone above the age of 5 in Malaysia has heard of a place called Genting Highlands. However, somewhere below the Genting Highlands, there is a place called the Bukit Tinggi, which I am sure than much less people has heard of it. Why? Because I never heard of it until last September, when my coursemate Cafen suggested that we go there for a 1-day trip. And so on the 14th of September 2007, 6 of us went up the hill. After paying a good RM18 at the main entrance, anyone can visit the Colmar French Village, Japanese Village as well as the Rabbit Farm on this Bukit Tinggi.

First we went to the Colmar French Village; where we find this pair of white swans below the hanging bridge at the entrance.

They may look gentle but actually not. Tried to bite our hands when we wanna touch them.

These black ones are the real gentle swans.

Everything in Bukit Tinggi is boring. You hardly see anyone around here. Might be due to the lack of publisity and event organizing by the management. I don't see any purpose of coming to a place like this except to make some nice photos. And since we are here, we'll not make the trip wasted.

I'm not a horse, but I can pull this thing!

Ah-Bob looking real in this photo.

"Dear Clock of L'Horloge....can you please bring Ah-Ong here right now?"

Hmm...artistic~

*kick*

This has got to be the best shot of the trip.

Well, it really looks a place you can only find in the European countries.

Bukit Tinggi is semakin botak (balding).

*Yawn~*

" Damn...I'm so tired after the long elevator ride."

Next, to the Japanese Village.

Ahhh~ a soothing view.

I personally like this picture very much. Everyone is so photogenic.

There's my cute wife~@^_^@

Lun is famous for liking Japan so much, that he decided to have a Japanese tomb stone when he dies.
Nope, the tomb stone above is not done by using photoshop. It is authentically captured,like this.

And finally, the rabbit farm.

Rabbits. Lots of them.

This is the first time, when I feel like the human is cuter than the rabbit.

Work and Travel USA’07 (Reflection)

2007-11-22T20:09:00.000+08:00

I sure learnt and experienced alot thought the Work and Travel USA program. Made new friends from different countries, visited quite a number of places, mingled around with Americans and understanding their culture. I find that there are things that we can learn from them, and they should learn somethings from us too. No matter where we go, there is always a normal distribution of good and nasty people and every country has its own problems. There is no place in this world where everything is perfect. However, the biggest lesson of all is to actually realise that the sense of belonging really matters to me. The bottom line is, eventhough America is a beautiful country, Malaysia still suits me better.

So after all these, is it worth it? Well, if you ask me, it's definately worth it. Yes. Every step of the way.

Work and Travel USA’07 (I Wanna Thank.....)

2007-11-22T20:08:00.002+08:00

For helping me realize this dream of mine, there is a list of people whom I would like to thank;

Yeen, our agent from Out of The Box (OOTB) ,who helped us with all the procedures and paperworks.
Vernie, from Amza Travel, who helped us with the air-tickets eventhough we are not students under Speedwing.

Aunt Debra and family; who had really taken good care of us, bringing us around during our days in America.
Aunt Kelly Chiew and her sister, for letting us stay in their house while we were in Manhattan.
Richard Bull Jr.(Ricky), for being our best friend and for traveling with us.
Aaron Palkovic, Cindy Kopaskie, Kevin Roosa and Adalid Givan for being such good friends.
Ralph,Sheila and everyone in 55, Church St. for the nice home we have in Plattekill.
Doris, for the bike.

Wei Ni and Poh Ching for being my companies through thick and thin during the 11 weeks.
Minwei, for helping me financially.
Suzy, for inspiring me.
My family, especially my Dad, for supporting me morally and financially.
And lastly....my dear Jyeying, for missing me, trusting me and waiting for me.

Thank you.

Work and Travel USA’07 (Long Island)

2007-11-22T20:08:00.001+08:00

We spent our last day in New York at Long Island, where Aunt Debra's house is. It was a peaceful place with nothing much to do, but still there are a few places for us to visit.

The Montauk Point Lighthouse.
The stairs are really steep and we have to be really careful.
The source of illumination.

Apparently, this is the only picture of all that we took in New York, where Andrew (Aunt Debra's son) actually smiled. And he's with me.Haha~

The Atlantic Ocean.

Then, we went to Georgia beach.

It was windy and the waves are strong.

Eventhough WeiNi's tummy shows in this picture, I still like it very much. I mean I like the picture as a whole, not WeiNi. Somehow it potraits a very free and relaxing feeling.

Then they start leaving their names on the sandy shores.

POH CHING.

Wei Ni.

Well, I'm just not bored enough to do that. A very nice way to end our stay in America.

Work and Travel USA'07 (Manhattan)

2007-11-22T20:06:00.000+08:00

Where in the world can you find;

A classic yellow taxi like this?
A glittering McDonald's?
Times Square?

Yes.Manhattan. The city where most American movies and dramas are filmed. One of the most happening cities in the world. And definately the part of New York City that most people would first think of when USA is mentioned. Speaking of Manhattan, there is an endless list of places to be visited. Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History, Times Square, The Empire State Building and many many many more.....

Being in New York, we've toured around Manhattan several times. And we still haven't finish visiting all the places there.

New York Public Library.
Broadway, where Braodway Show is famous for.

The main lobby in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial.American Museum of Natural History.

Yes, the T-Rex.

Many people asked me is it the museum where the movie "Night at The Museum" is filmed. Yes it is. But only a few corners of the museum is used in that film. This museum is really huge. By the time it closed, we haven't finished looking everything in it yet.

More skeletons of pre-historic animals.

Well, of course, there are many other things to see in this huge museum besides fossils.

Then there is the Rockefeller Center, a complex of 19 commercial buildings, which stretches from the 48th to the 51st street of Manhattan.

If anyone remembers, this statue is seen in one of the "Home Alone" movies. By the way, it is called the Prometheus.

Right opposite the Rockefeller Center is the St Patrick's Cathedral.

The largest Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in North America.
Way more majestic than The Reformed Dutch Church in Kingston.

And so, it happened that there's a choir form a particular university singing when we visited. We sat down for awhile to enjoy their performance.

The architecture of the building sure creates a very holy atmosphere.

At the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street, is the famous Empire State Building.

King Kong was here.

The inside of it.

After paying USD18 and quequing up for more than an hour, we are on the 89th storey of the building. Seems like the air wasn't any better than Kuala Lumpur.

It is said, you can find chinese in any parts of the world. How true it is. At Canal street, it is the Chinatown of Manhattan.

Has a different kind of feel.

Busy streets.

We ran out of time and it was one of my greatest regret that I didn't get to visit the Statue of Liberty. Anyway, I still got to see it from afar at Pier 17. Many more place to cover but no time as our flight is scheduled on the next midnight. Time to start packing and have a good rest.

Work and Travel USA'07 (Atlantic City)

2007-11-07T00:16:00.001+08:00

Situated at New Jersey, it was the only place out of the state of New York that we visited. All thanks to Aunt. Debra, who brought us to China town of Manhattan, we purchased a return ticket to Atlantic City at USD17. The best part is, upon arriving at the bus terminal there, we were given USD25 each! Meaning that not only we get a free ride back and forth to Atlantic City, we get an additional USD8 without doing anything at all! Why on earth do people wanna give out money like this?

Well, apparently, Atlantic City is famous for its boardwalk and casino gambling. In order to attract tourists to come, a USD25 is given as a starting token for betting. However, for people like me, who don't gamble at all, I won USD8 right on the spot. Haha~

This place is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. That's why it is called Atlantic City.

Trump Plaza. One of the casinos.
The grand entrance for vehicles.
Another entrance from broadwalk.
Caesars.

Roman's style.
Bally's.
Wild-wild west style.
Talk about the interior, it's simply grand.
A huge decorative statue of Julius Caesar.

And fancy restaurants too.

Besides casino's, there's a great beach too.
And broad walk.
As well as an outlet shopping arcade.
With lots of good brands.

Quite a paradise huh~

Work and Travel USA’07 (Woodbury Common Premium Outlets)

2007-11-05T23:59:00.001+08:00

Shopping in a foreign place is a must. Why?

Four main reasons for this;

Firstly, in a foreign place, you'll definitely find something that you can't find in your own country.

Secondly, there'll be things much cheaper there than your home country.

Thirdly,to prevent yourself from regretting for not buying.

Lastly,to impress others by buying something they don't get to buy unless they really go there by themselves.

Haha~

So, being a typical tourist, shopping is something that I did. With Ricky, Wei Ni,Poh Ching and Marta, we went to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets to do some shopping on our last day at Plattekill.

Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.
The information kiosk.

Parking lots.
Trees, flowers and benches everywhere. Beautiful.
American Flag Pole.
Soon, it was sunset, and we've spent half a day here.

There are also multi-storey, indoor shopping malls like what we have in Malaysia, but it was the first time I seen an outdoor mall like this. Sure has a different feel.

Bought a lot.

Branded stuffs like Nike, Levi's and Esprit are very cheap over there.

Work and Travel USA’07 (Howe Caverns)

2007-11-05T15:00:00.000+08:00

On our way back, it was planned that we visit Howe Caverns. Not really knowing the exact location, except that it is in between Niagara and Plattekill, once again we relied on Tom-tom for directions. On the way, we passed by a very desserted country side. One that will appear in movies as a place for a meteorite to land, and UFO to kidnap peaople.Haha~Kind of creepy though. This time, Tom-tom made a mistake. She did lead us there to the cave. The problem is she led us to the top of the cave, but not the entrance. Anyway, we got things sorted out by ourselves eventually. See, men still beat machines.

Howe Caverns.

Well, it was more like a tunnel actually...a really long one.
The cave wall.

Our tour guide giving us a lecture about the facts and figures as well as the history of the cave.

Our tour in the small cave ends with a boat ride, before we turned around and head back for the starting point of the tour.

Well, seems like we Malaysians finally have something to be proud of this time. We definitely have way better caves in Malaysia than this. I once went to Gua Tempurung. It was not the biggest cave in Malaysia, but it is already many times bigger than tinny-winnie Howe Caverns. Haha~ I'm so damn pround of our Gua Tempurung that I just can't stop promoting it to Ricky.

However, there's still something different between this cave and Gua Tempurung besides the size, that is the temperature. It is cold in there, that's why we were all wearing jackets.

Eventhough the cave itself wasn't impressive at all, the country side view of the area is so beautiful.

The country side-style entrance building.

See what I'm talking about? It is so relaxing.

A ranch.
With lots of cattles.....and bullshits*stinks*.
Look at the bike, I've never seen one like this before.
I purposely wanna spoil this couple shot.Hehe~

We spend a while enjoying the view and relax before we leave this beautiful place.

Us, feeling the gentle breeze.

Work And Travel USA'07 (Niagara Falls)

2007-11-04T22:08:00.001+08:00

I first pronounced it as "Nia-ga-ra" but the Americans pronounce it as "Nai-e-gra". So, in order to communicate with them, I followed their way of pronouncing it. Otherwise, they'll think that I'm talking about something else. Together with Wei Ni, Poh Ching and Ricky, I planned this trip.

It was an 6hour drive from Plattekill to the Town of Niagara. Since we started our journey in the evening, we arrived at our destination after midnight. It was too late for us to visit anywhere. So, we slept over at a motel. The next morning, the first thing to do is of course, brush and wash up and have a good breakfast. We never waste anytime getting lost because Ricky has this really cool GPS locator (called Tom-tom) in his car. She (Due to the femine voice it has) is so smart, knows every restaurant, shopping place and practically every single building you can find in the states. On top of that, she even knows the name of every streets, big or small. "After 500 yards, turn left", "After 200yards, bear right" and "You have reached your destination" are some of the lines we heard Tom-tom saying all along the journey. Too bad I didn't take any pictures of this cool gadget. Even so, we do waste some time looking for a car park since Tom-tom is not smart enough to locate every empty parking lot.

Behold, Niagara Falls.

Right across the river is Ontario, Canada. Seen in this picture is the Skylon Tower. Looking a the size of the vessel, you should be able to imagine how wide the river is, and how huge to falls really are.

And this is the bridge connecting Ontario and New York. You can cross over if you have a American or Canadian identity, otherwise, you'll hav to pay USD60 for a visa.
The impact of the volume of water falling from the falls has created a never-ending blast of wind, which can be felt even a few hundred yards away.

The Prospect Point Observation Tower, 282 feet tall.

The dock for Maid of The Mist. We aren't so wet when we first boarded.

I really don't know how to describe the majestic view in words.
As you can see, after a while, we got all wet. The punchos are really useless agains the mist created by the falls. This is how the boat got its name.

Next, we went the Cave of the Winds, which got us closer to the falls.

It was no longer a cave due to a massive rock fall in 1954. However, "Cave of the Wind" is still kept as the name of this tourist attraction.

Here in this picture is me in a poor-functioning yellow puncho and our tour guide. He told us that these wooden pathways are contructed a very spring during the year after all the ice of the winter has melted and demolish before winter arrives.

This is as close as we could get to the falls for a nice picture, any nearer, you'll need a water-proof camera to take a shot, and you'll look all wet in the photo.

For more facts and figures or tourist information about Niagara Falls, do surf the web.

Work and Travel USA'07 (Kingston)

2007-10-31T10:37:00.000+08:00

It was another of our off days and Wei Ni organized another 1 day trip. This time the place is Kingston, the former capital of New York. This old town is just a little bit north above New Paltz and it only cost us USD7 for a round trip by bus.

A street of Kingston.

Well, there isn't much to see here at Kingston. Compared to Albany, it is a much smaller town and apparently, very peaceful (boring). However, since we are already here, we might as well just take a look around. We were touring the town on foot and we pass by;

This statue (Don't ask me who he/she is....I don't know).

And the statue is standing in this;

Graveyard

And this graveyard is just in front of this;

Church....old church...really old church.

As Wei Ni and Kate were,

taking a picture,

[P/s:So, obviously, anyone looking at us could tell that we were a group of toursit.]

... suddenly,an old man, from the grave yard(Don't worry,...He's a kind looking old man...not a zombie creeping out from a grave) came and asked us if we want to have a look inside the church. Well of course, we gladly accepted the invitation.

It was called "The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the Town of Kingston in Ulster County". What a long name....

The building is really an old one. Even the walls are falling apart.

From left; Me, Jeffery, Wei Ni, KAte, Danny, Eva and Peter.

Jeffery is a voluntary worker in the church, and a soon to be historian. He gave us a tour of the church building and even gave us a really detailed narration on the 400 year old history of the church.

It was the first time I seen a church like this.
And also the first time I seen a real and functioning organ.
I bet only an octopus can play this.

There's nothing much to see in Kingston. So, Jeffery suggested and even brought us to a costume store a few streets away from the church.

There were lot's of mask and prosthetic enhancement.

And costumes.

We sure can't resist trying on some of these.

Paladin and Barbarian.

East vs. West or Big vs. Small, call it whatever you want. Guess what? Wei Ni met her dreamguy here.Haha~
Wei Ni, you look better with the mask. Haha~Jk~

Pirate of Bulgaria.

Hehe~

The costume shop is the only highlight of our entire tour at the boring town of Kingston. I guess this kind of a shop exist for Halloween and costume parties. Anyway, we really had fun dressing up.

Work and Travel USA'07 (Albany)

2007-10-30T20:48:00.000+08:00

It is called the Work and Travel Program. Hence, besides working, we travelled to some interesting places in the states. Our first stop is Albany, the capital of New York State. To get there from 55 Church Street, we walked 20minutes to the Plattekill post office, where we board a UCAT (Ulster County Area Transit) bus to New Paltz. And at New Paltz, we bought a 2 way bus ticket to Albany, which cost each of us USD40. Albany is just 1 and a half hour bus ride away from New Paltz.

So, here we are, on the streets of Albany.

This is the very first cathedral I see in the states. Beautiful.Never seen one like this in Malaysia. But, according to Peter and Kate, such cathedrals are very common in Poland.

This is a very nice clock tower. And it rings every hour with different melody for each hour.

After some walking on the streets, we arrived at this huge building.

The New York State Capitol Building. It was completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million was the most expensive government building of its time. Three teams of architects labored on it.

In front of this building is a very big court yard, with this statue. (Notice that the horse is a male).

Just in case you have no idea how huge this building is,

This is how small we are.

A lot of maintenance is required to conserve is historical building.

There's a free guided tour for this building every 2 hours.

The interior of the building.
The Million Dollar Staircase.

One fo the Senate Chambers. The senate's meeting is open to everyone to witness.

The tour guide told us about the histor, the materials used to built it and other facts and figues about the building. It was an interesting and informational tour.

Right across the street, opposite to capitol is the Empire State Plaza.

The Empire State Plaza. The building behind us is the Cultural Education Center.

The Egg.

American ducks.

An eagle eye view of Albany from the plaza.

The New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

There is an observation deck on the 72nd floor of the Erastus Corning Tower. And, it is also free of charge.

The observation deck.

Looking at the Egg from the observation deck.

I Love NY.

It was an just a half day tour. But enough for us to see quite abit of Albany.

Work and Travel USA'07 (4th of July)

2007-10-30T14:26:00.001+08:00

4th of July is the Independence Day for the Americans. At the town Newburgh, they celebrate this event by having carnivals and fireworks display. We are fortunate enough to be able to join in the celebration as Mr. and Mrs. Kopaskie were kind enough to invite us along to watch the fireworks.

A huge crowd waiting for the fireworks display to begin.

It was pretty much like how we celebrate our "Hari Merdeka" back in Malaysia. And of course, traffic jams, food stalls, crowds of people and noises will be part of it.

There are also huge air inflated slides. Poh Ching, with a cotton candy.

Me and Mr. and Mrs. John Kopaskie.

All of their 3 sons are voluntary firemen of Newburgh, so was Mr. John Kopaskie when he was young. Why? Because Mr. John Kopaskie's father was one of the founders of this Fire Rescue team.

As the sky grew darker, people are getting more excited.

And finally, the fireworks display.

Work and Travel USA’07 (People at Work)

2007-10-28T13:47:00.001+08:00

Now let's get to know some of the people at work.

From the Management, we have;

Name: Robert Woodill

Position: General Manager

He's the person we came in contact with even before we landed in US. A very friendly manager, not bossy at all. He's very responsible when it comes to the student's welfar and always on time to pick us up for work.

_
Name: Tony Condo

Position: Store Manager (Bob's Big Boy)
_

He's nice once in a while and an asshole most of the time. He once asked me "Do you have ice-creams in Malaysia?" If he's joking, I don't think it's funny. Whenever Mr. Woodill is not around, he'll be the on incharge to pick us up for work, and he's always late. Not only that, the worst thing is, he still flirts like he's 20. Duh~

Name: John Kopaskie

Position: Store Manager (Roy Roger's)

He is the rough and grumpy kind of man, who talks really loudly. However, he is still a very friendly. Eventhough he talks like he is getting into a fight, but his expression is so funny and you'll think that he's joking.

_
Name: Aaron Palkovic

Position: Manager (Nathan's)

The youngest manager in the plaza and hence, mixed really well with us (the students). He's really friendly and even took us out to the club once. More like a friend to us than a manager.

Name: Cindy Kopaskie

Position: Supervisor (Gift Shop)

Cindy is the wife of Mr. Kopaskie. She's also my direct supervisor when I worked in the gift shop. She's really nice and always encourage me at work.

Name: Pilar Burgos

Position: Supervisor (Star Bucks)

Another nasty person we have to face at work. She's a hispanic from Pueto Rico. Always bosses around as if she's the general manager. Smokes alot and borrows money from co-workers. Will only be nice to you if you suck up to her. Yucks~

_
Name: Jim

Position: Shift Leader (Nathan's)

Rumours has it that Jim once hit a deer while he is driving when he was young. The sick thing is, he actually f*cks the dead deer and even took pictures of the act. But, he is still nice to us.

Name: Richard Bull Jr. (Ricky)

Position: Associate Leader (Starbucks)

Undoubtedly, the best among the best friends that we had in the states. I still remember staying overnight at his place with Poh Ching and Wei Ni, shopping at Walmart at wee hours, hanging out at Apple Bee's with him. He even took us to places like Niagara Fall's, Howe's Cavern, Woodberry Common Outlet Mall. Our days in the states wouldn't have been so much fun without him. He's also a very "special" friend of Poh Ching. Hehe~Thanks alot Ricky.

Name: Marc

Position: Associate Leader (Roy Roger's)

While most of the people there don't even know where Malaysia is, he knows Kuala Lumpur. His ambition is to be a historian. Very nice and friendly.

There are not much people assigned at the Gift shop. And most of them are middle-aged women (which in Malaysia we call "aunty").

Name: Denette Bradley

She started working in the plaza a few days after me. A former truck driver like her husband. Met an accident a few years ago and is having problem with her right arm ever since. A mother of 3 and a really cool colleague. We chat about almost anything when business is slow because it is so boring at the gift shop. I learnt to play cryptoquip from her.

At Nathan's is the concept with most youngsters, and we've got a couple of buddies from here.
Name: Kevin Roosa

He's only 16, which makes him a minor. Being a minor is the states means you can't be out after midnight without an adult, your working hours are limited and you can't have any alcoholic drink. He looks cute with his mustach and is a drummer with a band. He's really cool and we hang around together in the plaza.

Yes, he's short, he looks like Mario and he's trying to touch my.......

Name: Adalid Givan

A classmate of Kevin in highschool and another cool buddy of us. Erm...yeah, he might be mistaken as an "aunty". Haha~ He's really efficient in his work. As a cashier, he is the one of the fastest to clear the long line of people during weekends. He's a Mexican American.

Part of our crew at Nathan's. From left, Andrea, Aaron, Me, Poh Ching, Marcin, Denitsa and Peter.

At Roy Rogers, we too get to know some really nice people.

Name: Guy Wensley

A whacky guy. Has a very funny way of talking. Couldn't stop laughing when he jokes with you.

Name: Heather (Pronounced as "Header")

One of the tallest living female I've ever seen in my life. With the smile, she looks alright in this picture....but actutally she's quite a punk with an attitude.Check this out...

Wow...what a tougue...

If that's not enough, how bout this...

" Stop looking at me....take this."

Anyway, she's still one of our buddies (with the attitude).Yeah~

At I-Zone Sunglasses,
Name: Harue

From Japan. There's this kind of strange affection when an asian meets another asian in a western counrty. Harue is definately one of the person I'll chat with during my breaks. Even offer's to give us special discounts for the sunglasses.

There's many more people in the plaza who had been really nice to us. Well, too many to be listed in a blog entry.

Work and Travel USA’07 (Working at Nathan's)

2007-10-28T00:28:00.000+08:00

One fine morning, a week after I started working at the gift shop, I received a phone call from our manager, telling me that I'll be transfered to Nathan's (which is right next door to the gift shop). I freaked out. For me, that was not a good news by then because working in the gift shop is so relaxing and there's not risk of burning yourself. However, it was the manager's order. As an associate, I have no choice but to follow.

My new working place.

So, I have to start all over again, learning about the chores at a fast food outlet. Looking on the bright side, I get to learn new things.....again. First, I was put to the grill (not on the grill, but in charge of grilling the food), which is quite fun but you'll get hot and sweaty. On the grill, we make food like hotdogs, philly cheese steak, and chicken pitas.

Me, on the grill,just like Spongebob at Krusty Krab.

Peter, also put on the grill on his first day at work.

Next, learn how to make fries.

Peter and Marcin, playing with potatoes.

Although Nathan's Famous is famous for hotdogs, we also have other food like chicken and fish sandwiches, philly cheese steaks, chicken pita, hot dog nuggets, corn dogs and chicken wings on the menu.

We have a variety of sauces (ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, BBQ and sweet & sour), cheese, sauteed onions, sauerkraut and chili to go with the food. Well, the chili here is not the normal chili we Asians have. It is something made of minced burger meat, pepper and beans, and the Americans call it "chili". For me, it taste horribly sour and not spicy at all. I wonder, since there's absolutely no chilies in it, why did the Americans still call it the chili? Weird.

On the top is where we put our hotdog nuggets, corndog and chicken wings. At the bottom, we have lettuce and tomatoes, grilled chicken, buns and all sorts of sauces.

We also make coffee.

And that's only the front part of the concept. At the back, we have our kitchen.

Microwave oven to heat up frozen food.
We crinkle cut our fries from fresh potatoes daily.

After cleaning up everything by the end of the day, it's time to knock off.

On top of making food, my main role at Nathan's is also a cashier. For the following weeks, I work in both concepts (Gift Shop and Nathan's), which is good for me as I get more working hours.

Working at Nathan's isn't as bad as I expected. It is true that we burn ourselves sometimes, and it's busy as hell here at Nathan's during weekends and holidays. Even so, there are more people (young people) working here than the gift shop. This means making more friends and more people to talk to when business is slow. And the best part is...FREE FOOD. Ooooopppzz~

Work and Travel USA’07 (My Job at the Gift Shop)

2007-10-27T21:28:00.000+08:00

On the first day of my work, I was assigned to the Gift Shop. Apparently, they need MAN-power to deal with the stockings. So, I started with simple tasks like getting stocks from the stock room and fill them up at the shop (physical) and memorizing all the prices of items we have in the shop (mental). Well, items in the shop includes:

T-shirts, books and souvenirs.
Snacks.
And beverages.

Not only those, we also have films, disposable cameras, medicines and sundries. Some items like tobacco products, souvenirs, and sodas come with tax, while others like sundries and sugar-free snacks are non-tax. And I have to remember this too. After memorizing all these. My supervisor lets me have a go on the cashier, and that's when I really learn some new things.

As a start of the day, a cashier has to (of course) get money to put into the drawer. However, one must always remember to count the money upon receiving then from the cash room. Otherwise, he or she will be accountable for any shortage.

So, each cahsier will be givien USD300 to start a drawer.

USD70 in tens,
another USD70 in fives,
US100 in singles,
USD40 in quarters (25 cents),
USD20 in dimes (10cents),
USD10 in nickels (5 cents),
and the rest in pennies (1 cent).

So, you've put in your money. The next thing to do is to make sure you press the category button each time you ring up an item. And for those who has never been a cashier before, what does it mean by "ring"? Well, it simply means to register the cash that you've collected upon each sale. If you rang the sale with a wrong amount or wrong item code (over-ring), you'l have to get a authorized personal to do a re-ring for you. Over-rings are nothing unusual or serious offences. Supervisors normally expects up to 20 over-rings from a freshy cashier like me. However, as times goes by, my number of over-rings per shift decreases, and sometimes, none at all. I was also trained on how to make transactions using credit cards.

As cashiers, we are also provide with some guide-lines on how to provide good service. For example;

Eye contact with the customer,
Speak in a polite manner,
Up-selling (suggesting to the customer if he/she would like to purchase any other items)
Put purchased items into a shopping bag of suitable size, if only 1 item is purchased ask if customer would like a bag.
Always remember to give customers their receipt.
And finally, end the transaction with a nice gesture or wishing phrase.

Apart from that, we are also given a few tips on safety and security.

At all times, never put more than 5 USD20 bills in your cashier. If you do, drop them into the safe box.
If received a credit card which has been reported stolen, how to deal with the situation.
When being rob, it's always safety first, just remember how the robber looks like, and give him whatever he wants.

Well, that's a whole lot of things a cashier has to remember. But after awhile, I've got used to it and they've became a habit for me. For once every 2 weeks, we'll have a "inventory day", where we count every item we have in the shop.

Here's me, counting postcards on one of our "inventory days".

First Impression vs. Last Impression

2007-10-21T14:00:00.000+08:00

First Impression

Last Impression

More often than not - misleading.
Determines how you are perceived.
By presenting your best at first, people tend to expect more than your very best.

More often than not - authentic
Determines how you are remembered.
By having a less appealing first impression, there's more room for improvement for the next.

Apparently, most people stressed on their first impression to others. For example, when one goes for a job interview, looking good and smart helps a lot in getting yourself employed. Certainly, our first impression to others is crucial because in general a person decides whether or not to know more about a person base on the first impression. To get someone to be interested to know you, you definitely have to work on your first impression. But if somebody is forced by the situation to co-exist with you, efforts to make up a perfect first impression might not be necessary.

However, it is our last impression which concludes the way people remember us. People are forgetful. Regardless of how well we portrait ourselves at first glance, one flaw at the end might ruin our image. Unless you have a long history of deeds they may perhaps overlook your mistake. And that’s only if it is tiny enough. Conversely, a small feat at the end will not make it up for a lengthy record of misdeeds.

“A good first impression gives you more time to create the last impression, which is the one that stays in the memory of others.” – Hanjin, 2007.

Work and Travel USA'07 (Plattekill Travel Plaza)

2007-10-18T13:17:00.000+08:00

I worked in a building called Plattekill Travel Plaza. In the states, the travel plaza is the equivalent to the rest stops by the highway we had here in Malaysia. However, unlike our rest stops in Malaysia, which are open-air, their travel plazas are all indoors because it’ll be very cold during the winter.

The plaza entrance.

Signboards outside the plaza with some information on the history of the area.

Plattekill is in the area of Newburgh.

And they had a huge parking area for trucks, cousin's of Optimus Prime.

Now, let’s see what have inside the plaza.

Starbucks coffee.

Nathan’s Famous (famous for hotdogs). Behind Poh Ching and Wei Ni are Roy Roger's and Bob's Big Boy.

Gift shop (also selling snacks, drinks and sundries), more like a convenient store actually.

Apart from these, there are also a sunglasses stall, information counter and also common facilities such as bathrooms, vending machines and public phones in the plaza, whereas parking lots and a petrol kiosk is available on the outside.

Work and Travel USA’07 (People at Home)

2007-10-15T16:29:00.000+08:00

Now that we've seen the house, let's get to know the people in it.

Name: Flora Chong Poh Ching

Age: 22

Studying: Biology

From: Malaysia

She's my coursemate and together, we were the first 2 to occupy the house.
_

Name: Choong Wei Ni

Age: 23

Studying: Marketing

From: Malaysia

She arrived a day after us. A very independent girl. Literally our nanny, cooks and cleans and even leads us around during our tours in US by asking directions from people around. However, has one major problem; her mouth never stops talking...argh~

Name: Piotr Dubec (Peter)

Age:25
Studying: Tourism

From: Poland

He and his fiance arrived 3 weeks after us. Considered my best friend during this entire program. He's very funky and friendly. And he's really BIG. Looking at his head alone, you might not have any idea of how big he is. How big?

Hopefully, this picture helps in helping you guys to get the idea.

Name: Kasia Kojiych (Kate)
Age: 25
Studying: Education
From: Poland

Peter's fiance. Apart from me and Wei Ni, she's one of those who does house chores. In fact, she's the best when it comes to cleaning.

(p/s : Polish is really hard to learn).

Name: Denitsa Eva Nova Genova (Danny)

Age: 21

Studying: Mass Communication

From : Bulgaria

She and her coursemate arrive severals after Peter and Kate. Her first impression for me is a sexy and cool lady. However, as we get to know each other, I find that she's quite friendly. A very aggresive shopper and loves party.

Name: Eva Dimitrova
Age: 21
Studying: Mass Communication

From: Bulgaria

A coursemate of Danny. Shares a quite similar personality with Danny but has a short temper because she's the only child in her family. However, she's friendly and nice most of the time.

The funniest thing about Bulgarians is that they shake their heads when they agree to somthing, or when they want to say yes. It is difficult for us to understand them at first. But after awhile, we get to adapt to each other's culture.

(p/s: Bulgarian is even harder than Polish)

Name: Fernando Maldonado

Age: 22

Studying: Chemical Engneering

From: Ecuador

"Fernando is mi amigo" (Fernando is my friend), that's one phrase I learnt from this guy. He speaks a little but tries his best to mix with the rest of our housemates.

Name: Marta Hermaniuk

Age: 23

Studying: English

From: Poland

Yeah~Pretty. Too bad she arived just one week before our departure. However, I still get to know her in such limited time. She's very confident in herself. Enjoys cycling and is a vegetarian.

Name: Sheila

Age: Unknown

She is not our housemate but our landlady, who has been very nice to us. She never press us on the rent and let us pay whenever we feel like. Along with her husband, they will get us anything we need that's lacking in the house.

We'll always hang around at the living room after work.

Occasionally, our manager would even drop by and join us.For us the chinese, we do miss chinese food. So we did some cooking for ourselves at home sometimes. Here's us with rice and chinese style chicken soup~Going online is one of the things I enjoy doing most during my leisure times.

Work and Travel USA’07 (55 Church St.)

2007-10-15T14:47:00.001+08:00

Our accomodation were pre-arranged as stated in our employment contract, on a weekly rental fee of USD75. It is this beautiful house number 55 along the road called Church Street at Wallkill,NY.

A beautiful house, with a huge front yard.

Moving closer, this is how the house looks like.

However, it is not this part of the house that we lived in. To get to our actual accommodation, we'll have to walk throught the path by the garage.

Go down the slope.
And get in trough this door.

It might sound pathetic, but we are actually living in somebody's basement. Well, maybe not.

The first thing we saw once we enter the basement is this big couch in a living huge living area with functional cable television and DVD player.

Crossing through this narrow corridor, you pass-by the rooms and bathroom before you reach the kitchen.

My bed.
On the top is Wei Ni's bed and bottom, Poh Ching's.

Now let's have a look at the kitchen.

Me, on the phone and Kate on her laptop.
Ehem, I gave a long though before I decided to post this picture. I know I look like a piece of fat shit in this, but I have no choice. Browsing through all pictures I had, this is the only one which shows the cooking utensils and cabinets we had in our kitchen. Guess what, there's even a fridge. Cool~

And the best part is...

We even have a swimming pool~

I guess living in a basement isn't that bad after all huh.

Work and Travel USA’07 (First Impression)

2007-10-13T17:45:00.001+08:00

Due to over-exhaustion, I slept very well that night. I wiggled out from the cozy bed in Poh Ching's aunt's ( Aunt Debra) house. I looked around and remembered where I am. It was late spring then. The weather looks bright and sunny, but it was cold. It was around the temperature of Genting Highlands we had in Malaysia I think. I got out of bed and look down below.

Poh Ching helping Andrew wearing his shoes. Apparently, they are going out for a walk.

Turning my head some 20 degrees, there was the living area, right next to the kitchen. And my big black suitcase.

The nice bed I slept in.

It was the first time I had a look at a real American house. It sure has a very different feel than the houses we had in Malaysia.

This is how the house look like from the outside.

Well, the house was a compact yet cozy little home for the family of 3. Even so, guess how much it cost? USD 200,000 we were told by Aunt Debra. Wow~ Even with Rm200,000, a much bigger house can be easily purchased in Malaysia. Triple the price for a small house like this? Seems like it is not that simple if you want to live in the states.

After taking a hot shower, I felt that my skin is stiff as I move my facial muscles. And my lips are dry and cracking. The air is much dryer than Malaysia, which is hot and wet throughout the year.

I had a sweather underneath my jacket. Cold.

And so, after everyone is ready, Aunt Debra took us for a one-day tour at Manhattan, New York City. Along the drive, I couldn't stop looking at everything around. Everything is just so different. The trees, grass, vehicles, sign boards, traffic lights, buildings, people, everything.

We arrived there after a 1 and a half hour drive. We had our car parked at a spot near to a subway entrance at Queens and took a train to the city. Coming out from the New York Port Authority building, we were simply blasted off by what we saw.

Times Square.

The city is so happening. It was like stepping into the movie world where everything we seen in a American movie comes to life. It it was real. So real. (I'll elaborate further on Manhattan in a later post).

We started our tour by foot, then by bus. As the day went-by, I realised that my physiological cycles are distrupted. I got sleepy and hungry at the wrong time of the day. It was a 12 hour difference from the time that my body is used to. So, it'll take a little while for the body to adapt to the environment, physiologically.

Work and Travel USA’07 (The Flight)

2007-10-13T14:02:00.001+08:00

The time difference between Malaysia and New York is 12 hours. Meaning, New York is exactly at the opposite side of the globe of Malaysia, which is one of the furthest points you can get away from Malaysia.

We (Me and Poh Ching) departed from Singapore and landed 7 hours later in Narita Airport Japan, where we had our transit to cross the Pacific Ocean. The flight is 13hours. Yes, we were doing nothing much throughout the flight except:

watching the video programs provided by the crew,
listening to music,
read some magazines,
had 2 meals and a snack,
used the lavatory a few times,
and TRIED to sleep .

But we’re still very exhausted after the flight.

We landed in Los Angeles at 12pm, local time (time of the place we landed) as we took our first breathes of the American air. Haha~ Crossing the time zones 3rd of May 2007 has become a 36 hour day for the both of us.

Los Angeles International Airport.

We missed our schedule transit to New York due to the long queqe at the custom. We have no choice but to take the next one at 5pm. So, we were standed at the airport with nothing much to do but to look around, take some pictures and chat.

Air crafts.

Slowly or fast, time pass-by eventually and we're in for another 8 hour flight to JFK Airport, New York. We landed on 4th of May 2007, 12am (local time). So, by the end of the flight it was:

7 hours from Singapore to Japan
2 hours wait for the transit
13 hours crossing the Pacific Ocean
7 hours stranded at Los Angeles.
8 hours from L.A to NY.

32 hours after when we first departed. Wow.....And that was just the rough estimation. Not including the wait we had in Singapore Changi Airport, minor delays of flight throught the whole journey and the wait we had at JFK before Poh Ching's aunt came to pick us up from the airport.

Waiting outside the terminal of JFK Airport during midnight. We've finally reached our destination.

Work And Travel USA'07 (Getting the Papers)

2007-10-13T13:45:00.000+08:00

Nobody can fly to the States just like that. There is a series of documents one has to get first before he/she is eligible to pass the custom. Depending on by which status you are going with (e.g. tourist, student, employee and etc) there are different types of documents one has to obtain before they get their visa.

After contacting the agent, Yeen from Out of the Box (OOTB), I get to know of the details of this program and the things I have to get done before I can get my Visa.

First of all, I have to be employed. So, me and my course-mate Flora, or more prefered to be known as Poh Ching, went for a CIEE job fair for the Work and Travel Program to look for an employer. Due to our short semester break, there is only 1 company flexible enough to hire us – HMS HOST. The representative, Mr. Sam Chandle was really friendly and gave us valuable suggestions and information regarding our job, wages, location and etc. And so, we were officially hired on the spot.

The proof of our employment.

With this, the agent can now start getting our DS2019 done as well as applying for our insurance. Which also means, we have to start paying the fees (Rm2800) if I don't remember wrongly. Turning back after this means I'll be forfieting the sum. It's time to get serious.

With these and a visa photo, we are all set to go to the US embassy for our visa interview.

The trip to the US embassy was the first time I ever went to any embassy. Without a doubt, it was an eye opener. The securities are really tight. Absolutely no handphones allowed beyond the guard house and of course, strictly no taking photos. The place is clean and beautiful. The situation in there is much about the same like what you'll see in a local goverment administrative building, where people wait for their numbers to be called.

I was interviewed by an American custom officer, who asked me a few casual questions about where will I be staying in the states, what will I be doing over there and when will I be coming back to Malaysia. And finally;

J1 Visa. Well, I admit that I look lousy in that picture, but who cares. As long as I don’t look like a terrorist, I’m good. Hehe~

Work And Travel USA’07 (The Inspiration)

2007-10-11T23:06:00.000+08:00

It was by the end of my 2nd semester in UPM, when my senior Suzy first told me about this program upon successfully pass the visa interview. (She suddenly sms-ed me to read an article in the newspaper about her success).It was her second chance to go overseas. The first was a few years back after her secondary school, where she went to Japan and stayed with an adopted family under a student exchange program.

RARING TO GO: Eight of the nine students rejoicing outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur after their visa interviews then. Suzy is fourth from left. (Source: The Star)

My ambition to undergo this program developed only when she shared her experience with me after landing back in Malaysia; about the life there, the fun that she had, the things she learned, the visa procedures, who to contact and most importantly, the amount of fund needed.

I really admire this cute and harmless looking girl, no taller than 150cm for being courageous enough to do this, all by herself. I’ve always wanted to travel to another country. For the first 21 years of my life, I never been out of the country (except Singapore, which is not considered overseas, just across a strait). I wanted so much to travel, but due to financial constraint, I never had a chance.

I see this an way for me to see another country, not just merely by having a tour but to really stay there long enough to understand their culture and how their society works. I see this as a opportunity to do something most people of my age has never done. I see this as a means to realize my dream with minimal financial impact on my family.

Hence, I decided to do this.

Energy vs Chances

2007-10-09T16:47:00.000+08:00

First Law of Thermodynamics:
Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to another.

Inspired by the first law of Thermodynamics, I came up with;

Hanjin's Second Law:
Chances cannot be converted from one form to another. They can either be created or destroyed.

(If you are interested, Hanjin's First Law can be found in the entry : "Adaptation = Tolerance + Adjustments + Growth)

James Prescott Joule first laid down the foundation of the first law of thermodynamics, saying that heat and work are mutually convertible, through his extraordinary series of experiments.
(Source: Wikipedia)

It is scientifically proven that energy can only be converted from one form to another. It can neither be created nor destroyed. As for me, chances appears be the exact opposite. For example, when you have a chance in your career, it is impossible for you to convert the chance to other aspects of your life, e.g your lovelife. Some chances are opened by luck or coincidents, but we can still create chances on our own effort. In the same way, chances can also be destroy my ourselves or people around us too. While the amount of energy in the universe is constant, chances are infinite. It all depends on whether we choose to create or destroy it, grab it or lose it.

Poh Piah Per

2007-10-09T15:31:00.001+08:00

It was one of the times where I help my mum run an errand. I was told to buy poh piah per (skin of pohpiah). Usually, I can get them at a small poh piah stall near a street. However, it was a bit different this time because it was still very early in the morning, and the stall is yet to be ready. So, the only other place that I can to get the poh piah per is a house of the poh piah per makers. And so, I was there.

It was an old wooden house. At the house of the poh piah per makers, of course there will be a high possibility for me to witness the process of making poh piah per.

Actually; I was expecting to see something like this:Thank to my sis for posing for this pic~hehe~

But what I saw was this;
I wouldn’t say that I was shocked, but I was rather surprised and amused. After all these years of eating poh piah I never ponder on how its skin was made. It was that day that I finally know the actual way of making poh piah per. I know I’m Suah Ku (means mountain tortoise in hokkien, used to describe someone who has little exposure), however, I’m sure that many of those around my age or younger never know it as well.

And so I observed the old lady completing several rounds of the whole process.

First, she sticks the whole bundle of flour and spins it on the hot metal surface.
Then, she pulls the bundle of flour, leaving behind a thin layer of flour on the hot metal surface.
And after that, with her other hand, she skillfully peals the thin layer of flour off the hot metal surface.
And there you have it, the poh piah per, at the price of 80cents per 100g.

Event Job - Celcom XPAX™ ambassador

2007-10-09T14:43:00.000+08:00

It was from the 18th till the 21st of December 2006, during the semester break, when I got a chance to work as a Celcom XPAX™ ambassador. What is a Celcom XPAX™ ambassador?

Towards the end of year 2006, the dateline set by the Malaysian government for every prepaid mobile number user to get their mobile phone number registered was approaching. And if they don’t, their number will be terminated. So, like any other Telco, CELCOM® too has launched its own strategies to avoid its users from being terminated. And as a XPAX™ ambassador, our job is to assist those unregistered Celcom XPAX™ users to register their numbers.

The company really takes measures to make our job easy. Each of us were equiped with:

1. A T-shirt

With the bright colour, obviously its function is to make people notice u( as Celcom XPAX™ ambassador).

2. A Bag

Yeap, the elementary function of this thing is for us to put in our stuffs (personal or work related).

3. A Tag To make us look more professional, and to avoid us for being mistaken as conman.

And finally...

4. The XPAX - AXIA PDA Phone A108(The world's smallest PDA phone on Microsoft Windows)

To enable us to register anyone on the spot.

Now let me explain to you how this gadget works;

First, you have to pull out the stylus…..(duh) Then, you tab on the screen, and this will switch on the phone from stand-by mode.

Notice that there is a card slot at the side of the phone.

Insert the IC of the user into the slot, and the all the information of the user (Full name, Address, Race, Nationality) will be automatically keyed-in in the PDA. Next, just key-in his/her number and the user will be instantly registered on the spot via GPRS.

Very canggih rite?

However, if the user doesn’t have an IC, eg. Army & Police officers, foreign workers, or they just simply don’t trust you enough to show you their IC, you can just turn to the alternative method;

Ask them to fill up this form.

The technical part of the job wasn’t that hard, it was approaching people that’s difficult.
Most of the time we were stationed at public places (bus stations, restaurants,..etc) and we need to approach strangers.
Here are some responds we get from the people upon approaching them with the question “Have you registered your prepaid number?(Sudahkah anda mendaftarkan nombor prepaid anda?”;
From the kind ones we’ll get,

· Sudah..Terima Kasih.
· (Smile at us and walked away).

From the not-so-kind ones,
· Sudah!Sudah!
· Tak ada telephone la…
· Gua ini Maxis/Digi punya la…
· Wa Bo Eng…..(I’m not free in Hokkien)
· (Totally ignores us).
· Eh,…..is this for real?...are you a conman? Why you wanna cheat people?
· Dun wan! Dun wan! (even before we said anything).
· I registered already la….why keep asking me~!
· Why I registered already my number still kena block?

Obviously, people (even myself sometimes) tend to take us as salesmen whenever we approached them this way. However, if we’re lucky enough to be stationed at Mobile Telephone shops, or CELCOM® booths, then people will come to us by themselves.

And so for 4 days, here and there we went. It was quite a lot that I learnt and made new friends as well. Not to mention, some extra pocket money~Hehe~

(P/S: Btw, I'm a Maxis User).

Sarawak'06(Part 7: Kuching)

2007-10-08T22:24:00.000+08:00

Our trip is ended with a short tour around the City of Kuching. Well, Kuching is quite a common spot or tourist, and nice pictures of the historical city can easily be found through various source. Below are just a few places we visited in Kuching before our departure.

In the day, we tour around the city on foot. There are lots of hisotrical buildings here.

The Old Court.

For this, we only can take pictures from the outside.

Museum Sarawak.

Again, entrance is free and better than Museum Negara...oooppzzz..

The old fort at river front....and many more.

Apart from historical buildings, there are also some busy streets.

Chinese streets.Indian Streets.And lots of places selling souviniers at the river front.

I remember seeing some of this stones in Perak. They've got quite a number in Kuching too.

So, at night, we had dinner. Nothing unusual about the tasty dinner. What's unusual is this:

Yes. This is the most innovative way of setting mosquito coils I've ever seen so far. Just to make sure that it is really innovative, I asked our representative from Pahang, Suzy and from Perak Minwei to have a look. They too have never seen this before. Hehe...

The symbol of Kuching-Cats. Kuching definately has some romantic places at night. Look at this river front. Awww...
And the is the same old fort we pass-by during the day. It has got a different feel at night doesn't it?

Taman Sahabat. Another nice place for dating. It even has a nice tea house by the lake.

Hence, I shall end the Sarawak'06 series with a word of appreciation to our host, Pastor Michael Nelson and his family for making this trip a success their hospitality.

Pastor Michael Nelson, his wife, daughter, Suzy and Minwei at our last dinner for the trip.

Sarawak'06(Part 6: Ranchan)

2007-10-08T22:06:00.000+08:00

And so we're on our way back to Kuching, and we pass-by the Ranchan Water Fall. So we drop by and have a look.

Well, according to this encrypted stone at the entrance, the waterfall is officialized by a person called B.Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min, the Minister of Environment and Tourism of Sarawak in 1990.

A nice view.

And running water.

Looks cool and refreshing..and it really is.

And there's also a canopy walk.

Entrance is free, air is fresh, water is cool and the view is great.

Sarawak'06(Part 5: Sapah)

2007-10-08T21:41:00.000+08:00

Sapah is actually the sister village of Semawak. Some decades ago, the people of Sapah and Semawak are from the same mother village (also known as Sapah). However, it was then there was a period when deaths keep occurring among the people of the village. Hence, believing that misfortune has befallen on the place (this event is also known as “temawai angan” in Iban), the villagers decided to move to new places to avoid the misfortune. Some of the villages decided to move further while others wants to stay near by. And so, the villagers are divided into two new groups. One forming the new Sapah and the rest built Semawak.
Sapah is yet another beautiful longhouse village with its very own mesmerizing views.
Here, we too conducted a service at night.
<--Minwei, sharing his testimonial.
Villagers of Sapah. -->

Nevertheless, after spending 2 days with the Ibans, we learn some Iban words. Some Iban words are very much the same with those in Malay, while others sounds completely different.

English

Malay

Iban

You

Chicken

Evening

Eat

Return

Come

Love

Aku

Awak

Ayam

Tidak

Petang

Makan

Pulang

Datang

Cinta

Nuan

Ma-nyuak

Nadai

Lemai

Makai

Pulai

Datai

Rinduk

And many more....

Sarawak'06(Part 4: Day 2)

2007-10-08T21:24:00.000+08:00

The next morning, we had a chance to visit the fish pond and tour around the long house.
At the fish pond, the locals breed their own fish for food.
Here is our “datuk” fishing for our lunch.

See fresh fish for lunch~!

Apart from having their fish fresh from the pond, they also have other livestock’s as well.

Pigs.
And chickens (here’s a really big one).

_
_

Other than that, they also plant peppers, fruits, paddy and rubbers.
Here’s Minwei holding his breath while lifting a sack of 60KG pepper (very heavy). At the price of RM8 per kilogram, just imagine how much one can earn if he has 10 sacks of these.
_
_

You see, the live of these people are simple, they want meat, and they keep some animals or go hunting. They want crop, spices or vegetables, they plant some. They want durian, they can just wait for any to drop from the forest. So simple yet self-sufficient. Now, who needs money if you already have everything you need around you?
Here’s our last lunch at Semawak.
Remember the fishes we got from the pond just now?Nicely barbequed, yummy~!

And so after lunch, we move on the next longhouse village – SAPAH!

Sarawak'06(Part 3: Semawak)

2007-10-08T21:10:00.000+08:00

Semawak the longhouse village.

The most special thing about the longhouse is that each individual house (with its own living room, bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom) is joined together by this long corridor.

We were treated with durians right after we put down our luggage. This is only the first durian feast we had. Believe it or not, WE HAD DURIANS FOR EVERYMEAL!! (Only as desert of course). The durians are everywhere, and they are free from the forest. And any of them taste like a D24. No wonder the locals are so obsessed with durians. Former durian lovers, Minwei and Suzy had developed “duriophobia” due to over dosage of durians. As for me, who’s seldom eat durians, beat the total cumulative numbers of durians I’ve eaten for the past 20 years of my life is just 2 days. Wow~

And yes, whether you like it or not, the river is your bathroom here. Tee hee~
Our dinner at the longhouse. Simple but hearty meal.

And after dinner, we conduct or service session at the long corridor of the long house.
As usual it started with a praise and worship session. Realize that they even have their own set of electrical musical instruments. Looks like they are not so “ulu” after all huh?
Followed by a simple sharing by us (the guests from peninsular) and a sermon by Pastor Michael.

Smart vs Wise

2007-10-08T19:19:00.000+08:00

SMART

You know a lot, and you want others to know that.

WISE

You know a lot, but you remain humble.

You use the knowledge that you have for your own benefit.

You are very willing to help others, knowing that they need someone knowledgeable to guide them.

The need of others is your opportunity.

The need of others is your responsibility.

You lose control when things don’t go according to your way.

You might not be able to control the situation, but at least you can control yourself.

You are quick-witted. But more often than not, careless.

You might need more time to think of a solution. But more often than not, your solution is ideal.

Getting what you want is more important than ethics.

So what if you get the world if it’s by unscrupulous means.

You try to get the attention of others.

You capture the hearts of others.

Materialistic benefit is always a gain.

Materialistic possession never last long. But deeds will be engraved forever in memories.

You already know a lot.

There are so many things that you don’t know.

Who are others to judge you?

Who are you to judge others?

It's easy to be smart, some people are even born smart. To be wise is not as easy said than done. Most of us actually know what wise is about. But not many of us choose to be wise. Not because we don't want, but it's hard because being wise doesn't always help us gain the things that we want. And usually we ended up betrayed or cheated just because we try to be nobel and help others.To be humble, it's even harder.

To be smart, one can be trained. But to be wise, it takes life experiences. That's why most of the wise people are old in age, wise youngsters are rare.

Sarawak’06(Part 2: Pantu)

2007-10-08T19:07:00.000+08:00

Our first destination is to the longhouse of Semawak, which is the home village of our Pastor Michael. It was a 2 hour journey at 80kph from Kuching till we reached the secluded jetty of Pantu.
At the jetty, we saw a boat, fully loaded with durians. It was the durian season there then.
And since the area is so secluded, you’ll really need a HUGE satellite to receive any television signals.

Boat Ride

And we switched from land to river. Just in case any of you guys out there had never taken a ride on a perahu before, this is roughly how it feels like. Just imagine you are sitting on a small chair (something like that kind which my mom always sits on when she is doing laundry…only smaller). You can’t move too much because big movements might cause the boat to turn over. And the journey we took is about 1 hour. Can you imagine that? My ass felt so stiff after sitting on the hard seat for so long. And after a long time bended my legs turn numb too.
Anyway, with the wind blowing in your hair, the sound of the rushing water, and the mesmerizing view, the uncomfortable seat doesn’t make the ride any less enjoyable.

Sarawak’06(Part 1: The Team)

2007-10-08T18:45:00.000+08:00

11th to 14th of December 2006. It was my second time to Sarawak for a mission. Alright, maybe some of you might not know what a mission trip is.

A mission trip is where lay members (and sometimes clergy) of a church or volunteers travel to help others for an extended period of time. At the same time, through their actions and good works, those participating in the mission trip spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_trip)

Sounds very “holy” right? Haha~….Actually this mission trip is not really the tough kind of mission where we need to bersusah payah and ambik parang to cut our own path through the jungle to reach the aborigines. Nope. Those are for the professional missionaries who have many years of experience. As for me, an amateur, my trip is much easier. Actually more like a retreat from the hectic urban life.
So, when I said mission trip, we have a team, and of course a mission.

The Mission Team

Name: Me
From: Batu Pahat, Johor
Missing the wonderful experience that I had during my first mission, I decided to go for this. And this time, I bought two friends along.

Name: Min Wei
From: Ipoh, Perak
My course mate. An inquisitive guy, who always ask me lots of questions regarding this and that. That’s why I decided to bring him along; hopefully this trip can answer some of his questions, especially on Christianity.

Name: Suzy
From: Mertakab, Pahang
My senior. A very independent girl, who is willing to try out anything beneficial, so I invited her along as well.

Name: Pastor Michael
From: Kuching, Sarawak
Our host pastor and coordinator from Gospel Baptist Church, Kuching. A warm and generous man. Thanks to him that this trip is make possible.

Name: Uncle Augustine
From: Kuching, Sarawak
A member of Gospel Baptist Church, Kuching. Although soft spoken, but he is spiritually strong.

Name: Uncle Lincoln
From: Kuching, Sarawak
Yet another member of Gospel Baptist Church, Kuching. A retired army officer.

Name: Sister Lily
From: Kuching, Sarawak
The daughter of Uncle Lincoln. A soon-to-be teacher and female companion of Suzy for this trip.

So, these are the 7 people for this mission, 3 of us from the peninsular and 4 Ibans from Sarawak. Our mission??
To go to the Iban Longhouses, evangelize, bless them and be blessed~!

Argument vs. Quarrel

2007-10-08T18:32:00.000+08:00

More often than not, we argue with people not so close to us, and quarrel with our loved ones because a quarrel involves emotions. Only uncivilized and mindless people go around quarreling with anyone. However, there are times when an argument turns into a quarrel.

Matter of Integrity

2007-10-08T18:27:00.001+08:00

I still remember when I was young, my teachers always tell me not to cheat in test and exams. They told me that I have to be an honest student. And honest students don’t cheat in exams. Thanks to all the dedicated teachers, I made it to the university.

And so in the university, there’s this program where teachers without a degree are arranged to take a degree course here in the campus. Like any other undergraduates, they go for lectures and face examinations as well, nothing unusual about that. But what disappoints me is the method some of them used to score well in their exams. Asking undergraduates, who took the same paper a few days before they do, about the questions that were asked by the lecturer. Or even worse, swapping answer sheets during the exam itself.

Well, cheating is quite a common problem in exams regardless of which academic level, from primary school up to the university. But now, some teachers are cheating with such unscrupulous means. Teachers, aren’t they suppose to gain knowledge the proper way so that they can teach their students well? Now that they had cheated in exams, are they going back to school and tell their students not to do that? How shameful it is when our children are taught by a bunch of exam cheaters who spoil the reputation of our honourable teachers.

Do You Deserve???

2007-10-08T18:23:00.000+08:00

And so, you worked hard for something. You gave in everything you had for it. And the outcome is not as good as you’ve expected. You felt disappointed, angry, and not satisfied with what that’s been given to you.

How many of us really know how to appreciate? We always hope for the best. When things go wrong, Did we complaint out of anger and disappointment? When things happened the way we want it, were we grateful? Or do we just think that “I deserve this, because I worked hard enough for this”?

Is it true that the effort we put in has to be directly proportional to how much we are supposed to gain? Simply by working hard, we deserve something better? So, do the poor children in certain parts of the world face famine because they don’t put in enough effort to get their food? People are born handicap because they don’t grow hard enough in their mother’s womb?Sometimes things given to you not because you deserve it. In the same way, there are times when you don't get the things that you deserve.

Perhaps deserving something is not about how much we work for it but rather it is about how we appreciate what we have. Sometimes our success is not granted for a cause. Who knows if we’ll still be as humble as we are now if we get the things that we wanted so easily? Only God knows, and He has a plan for each of us. So, appreciate and be more deserving of what we have. If it is meant to be, let it be. You'll be a much happier person.

“One of the best things in life is to be able to cherish something before you lose it.” -Hanjin

Speaker or Listener’s Fault?

2007-10-08T18:20:00.000+08:00

Has anyone ever attended any seminars, talks or official ceremony, where some kind of “important person” will be giving a super boring speech in front? I’m sure every one of us has experienced such situations before.

So, what will you do in such situation? Will you give the least and basic respect to the person talking in front by not making any unnecessary noise even if the speech is so dull? Or will you such start a small forum with the people around your seats since the speaker failed to catch your attention? Well, I won’t deny that I do occasionally make some noise under such circumstances.
It so happened that during one formal ceremony in my school, where there were first year students, senior students and alumni’s all attending the ceremony. And as usual, a speech from the school authority’s representative is part of the protocol. Half-way into her speech, I realized that the hall was getting noisier and noisier. And the funny thing is; those who were making noise were not the juniors but the alumni’s, who are all working adults. A few are even successful enough to own their own company.

I just couldn’t make out the logic when youths knows how to give the basic respect to someone who’s talking in front of a hall, while people, who already step into the working world with quite a bit of achievements doesn’t know how to keep their mouth shut when someone is giving an official speech. In that case, what makes them successful anyway?

However, the ceremony continues with a testimony from an alumnus, by sharing his experience and some tips to success. This time round, his speech manage to grasps the attention of the audience. Every one is following his talk with laughter as he knows how to make his speech humourous and interesting.

Thoughts then ran through my mind. Is it the speaker’s fault for not being able to catch the attention of the listeners? Or should the listener’s at least give the basic respect the speaker deserves by staying mute? Which is more difficult? Talking in front of a crowd? Or stay focus when someone is delivering a mind-numbing speech?

DIY- Study Table

2007-10-08T18:10:00.001+08:00

And so it was the beginning of a new semester. I’ve just moved from the hostel to a rented shop house near the campus. Moving into a new empty place, you need furniture. Buy new ones or bring used ones from your house, you just have to get them. I tried to bring everything available from home; mattress, chair, and a cabinet. But still, I’m still short of a very important piece of furniture: the study table. Never mind, can always purchase one from the furniture store nearby the campus. After everything is settled down, me and my new roommates made a trip to the furniture store. A piece of assembled study table cost RM80. My roommates gladly took the offer, so was I.

However, just before the boss issued the receipt, one question came to my mind: “Will it be cheaper if I assemble the table by myself?” And so that question came right out of my mouth. Guess what? I can save RM10 if I’m willing to assemble the table by myself. I only get RM30 per day as my salary when I was working as a collie. There’s no way that I’ll waste RM10 for a simple task like this. RM70 for an unassembled study table? DEAL!

A multipurpose knife is all that you need.And so I started with the drawers.

Then the table.
Almost done.
Finishing touch.
And WALAH! A functionable study table within an hour.

Yes. It was nothing unusual but not as easy as it seems. It is just another incident, which showed the change in me after experiencing “hard-earned money” as a collie.

What Happened to Our Hospitals?

2007-10-08T18:07:00.000+08:00

I was visiting my friend, who was then warded due to dengue fever. As I entered the ward, I was puzzled by the sight before me. There were two beds with patient in the middle of the ward; some beds were arranged so closely to each other, and my friend’s bed was like kind of isolated and an old Malay lady was sitting by his bed. In short, the whole ward was very much disorganized.

I guess my friend should be able to answer some of my questions if not all. And so he explained, the old lady there was actually waiting for her son, who has gone for x-rays. Not really comprehending what he means, I just forget about the matter and start asking about his well-being instead. Half-way into our conversion, my friend’s “neighbours” were back. It was when I finally get the idea of what’s going on. The truth is that my friend wasn’t really isolated at all. It was just that both the beds beside him were pushed away when I arrived. Now that the beds are back, they are just less than 1 feet apart from each other. A ward, which is supposedly accommodating 6 beds, is made to accommodate 12. A over crowded environment is definitely not suitable for recuperating patients.

Just when we were discussing about the miserable state of our government hospitals, an unexpected thing happened. A nurse started shouted at a patient, and the agitated patient yelled back. A verbal battle then followed. It is understood that dealing with the temper of patients is part of a medical staff’s job and sometimes the situation can be much stressing. But aren’t our nurses trained to handle with their emotions before they became qualified nurses? To stop the quarrel from going on, a medical officer soon walked in; with unkept facial hair and messy attire.

Just a one-hour visit to the hospital and it was that much that I saw. My poor friend, who spent 3 nights there as a patient, sure has a lot more to say. And so, I left with quite a number of questions in my mind. What happened to our hospitals? Is the increasing number of patients too much for our hospitals to bear? Where is the professionalism of our medical staffs? Or shouldn’t we just don’t expect too much from government hospitals? What can we do to help rectify the problem?

Life of a Construction Worker (Part 5: Time to leave)

2007-10-08T18:01:00.000+08:00

Over the days, we completed 3 houses. It was time when the boss (my uncle) declares a break for everyone. It was a break for everyone, but it was the end for me. There are still a lot that I can learn but it is almost time for a new semester.

Through the days, I just can’t help realizing how some people tend to look down upon people like us (the construction workers). Here’s a few response I get when people know that I work as a construction worker.

Most children will say: Yerrrrrr~!! (I don’t need to explain this do I?)
For those who met you for the very first time: Li si buey thak chek liao shi bo? (You are not good in your studies izzit?)
For some of the people I know: Why are you doing this?

Some seem to label us as boors, illiterate and useless members of the society. Is it such a humiliation working as a construction worker? But hey, there won’t be an occupation if there’s no need for it. Without construction workers, we will have to live back in the caves or jungles. They have an important role in “building” up civilization. But of course, they are still many that are aware of the fact that every occupations has it role.

Working under the hot son has surely taken its toll on my integument system. My complexion got worse and my arms and face got really tanned. But constantly lifting heavy stuffs has indeed built a few muscles for me and toned up my body a little bit. Mentally, I learned to endure hardships and became thriftier (knowing that money is hard to come by). Yes, it is hard, not anyone can endure all these, but I’m proud that I had, at least for a few weeks.

Life of a Construction Worker (Part 4: Much More to Be Learned)

2007-10-08T17:41:00.000+08:00

Just I expected, I woke up the next morning aching all over. A mental war took place in my head as I’m struggling on whether I should go to work. I didn’t take me too long before I made the decision. My reason? Taking one day off will not help much in recuperating my strength. Plus, I’ll never adapt to the job if I always rest when I feel aching over. Strangely, after the third day, I don’t feel aching over anymore.
Throughout the subsequent days I find myself steadily adapting to the environment. From only being able to push a halfly-filled-cart, I can now push 3-quarter of load without any problems. Soon, I was let to do chores that are more technical, that not only rely on brutish strength. For starters, I was asked to saw woods and break walls with hammer and chisel.

Hammer and Chisel. Yeah~ I accidentally hit my fingers a few times.

Then again, everything seems easier than doing it. After the demolition and removal of the concrete floor, the soil beneath needs to be leveled for the replacement of new concrete. It was then; I learnt some simple methods of leveling soil. To make sure that the ground is really flat, sticks and thread. It is easy not to explain the whole procedure in words, anyway, here is a picture showing one of the steps of this method.

As the renovation progress, I find myself seeing many things for the very first time.

First, I was introduced to a gadget that is used to make a straight line on wall. You see, it is very hard, or should I say almost impossible to draw a straight line on a concrete wall, so this gadget is used;

First, the ink-soaked thread is pulled out, and pressed onto the wall on its two ends. Then, the center of the thread is pulled and released. The elasticity of the thread made it snap on t the wall when it is released. Hence, the ink on it stained the wall. Understand? Smart and simple isn’t it?

There are many heavy machines used at a construction site. After testing out the jack hammer, I came across another “jack”, - the Jumping Jack Tamper. It’s an excavate equipment used to make to soil flat and more solid by stomping on the soil. Once again, I was allowed to give it a try. The thing is so heavy, that the strength of 3 men is required to move it. It is powered by petrol. Once started, the equipment vibrates like mad that it almost shook my flesh off from my bones when I hold it for just about 5 minute. The engine is hot, and the smell of petrol combustion is just killing me. I really take my hat off for those uncles for making such a difficult task looked so simple.

The Jumping Jack Tapper.

The Jumping Jack Tapper in action.
Before a new layer of concrete is poured on, iron net is laid on the ground for better adhesiveness.

After the concrete floor had been demolished and the soil had been thoroughly leveled, it is time to pour in a new layer of concrete to replace the old one. On the sixth day of my life as a construction worker, I arrived at my work place with a surprise waiting for me. A huge concrete transport truck parked right in front of the house that we were working on. The veteran workers are already there, building a new concrete floor at the porch of the house.

Concrete transport truck. A truck load of concrete cost about RM700 to RM800.

Moulding the concrete.

Soft and wet concrete.
After 5 to 6 hours, the concrete will solidify.

Sometimes the weather will be kind to us. Occasionally it rains, and if the rain is too heavy, we have to stop working. Upon the finishing of the whole renovation process, we have to work over time.

Life of a Construction Worker (Part 3: The Real Game Starts)

2007-10-08T17:31:00.001+08:00

It was the following morning; I woke feeling muscle pains in my back and thighs. I could see some mild skin irritation on my arms as well. Confident that my body can still take the challenge of construction work, I made my way to the site on time. Just like the day before, the working duration can be divided into four time slots. The first slot is 8 to 10am. Well, this is the most relaxing part of the day, with the freshness of morning air and ends with breakfast brought by the boss at 10am. The next slot is still bearable; everyone still has enough energy to counter the effect of temperature rise.12pm, the time which everyone labourer will be waiting for – lunch break. Most of them will only take a short time to eat and spend the rest of the 1 hour having some casual chats. The third time slot is the most agonizing. It was as though time as crawling for the hottest 2 hours of the day before the slot ended with a tea break at 3pm. The things turn better at the final slot when the temperature slowly reduced and the arrival of knock-off time at 5pm.

My day at work starts with clearing rumbles using a one-wheeled cart. Back and forth I went from the site to the dumping grounds. I picked up the rumbles by hand, each of them felt like a durian. Uncle Hu, who was demolishing the concrete floor, let me had a chance to try out the gigantic jack hammer. Again, it is much heavier than it seems.

Uncle Hu, with a Jack Hammer. Compared to the mass destruction he made with the pneumatic machine....

This is the miserable small hole that I made using the same thing.

However, I only manage to make a tiny hole on the floor. Everything went fine until the sun starts glaring fiercely at us.
Under the hot sun, I discovered that labourers have their very own way to reduce stress from the heat. Here are the Top 5 shouting phrases (all in hokkien) you can hear at a construction site when the sun is boiling everyone:

JUAK AR! ( hot ar)
SIBEH JUAK! (very hot )
PAI MIAAAAAA!! ( hard life)
BO HO THAN AR!! (not easy to earn ar)
And when the sun is really pissing them off
LIN LAU HIAH EH!!! AN ZHUA ANI JUAK EH???!!!! (Your elder brother, why is it so hot?)

It was so funny that it kind of made me forget about the hot sun for a while. But little did I know that a harsh day awaits me?
As time goes by, my energy depletes faster. The rumbles seem to grow heavier. Soon, I take short breaks more frequently, but can only make less rounds of rumble disposal. I was wearing out. After making some rounds, I checked the time. WHAT?? Only half-an-hour has passed? But that felt like it has been an hour or so. Time passed really slowly. My body was burning. That’s I took the advice of the senior workers: “Ban ban lai, buey haio kin eh.” Working fast only drains me rapidly, and recuperating my energy will take a longer time. If I rest too long, it’ll appear as though I’m skiving. Work slowly and I only need short breaks. That’s when I learn to take things slow but steadily.
5 o’clock finally came. Oh my, am I the happiest person in the world? I reached with a whole body of aching muscle. My determination and perseverance is still there, but my flesh is really worn out. I’m not sure if my body will be in a good enough condition to work for the next day.

Life of a Construction Worker (Part 2: The Very First Day)

2007-10-08T17:25:00.000+08:00

My first day at work was on the 1st of June. I reached the site at around 8am. Yes. Everything one can expect at a construction site was there: tools, bricks, dirt, heat, rumble, body odour, vulgar words, and etc. As a zero in constructions, the first task that I get is to transfer bricks by using a one-wheeled cart. Hmmm….simple isn’t it? That’s what I thought, until I finally get my hands on it. Damn it! 25++ bricks can actually be so heavy? And the cart was so hard to control. But the veteran workers made it looked so easy. And so, I was advised to take only 15 bricks for each go.

Well, I tried to make myself useful, just before I realized that I know nothing about constructions. So all I can do then was to push the cart, sweep the tiled floors and bucketing mixed cement. Yes, bucketing cement: shovel mixed cement into a bucket. Simple? Yeah~ that’s what I thought, until I finally get my hands on it. Guess how much a fully loaded bucket (which can filled up to 3 shovels of cement) weights? It was much heavier than I expected. Almost 30kgs according to my rough estimation. That’s when I conclude Rule No.1 in construction works: Everything is heavier than it seems.

Nevertheless, I grab every chance to learn. Anyone here knows how to mix regular Portland cement? The materials needed? The correct portion? Well, my observation had given me the answer. To get a cement mixture, the materials needed are: cement, sand, brown soil and water. Every 25kg of cement needs to be mixed with one-and-a-half cart-full of sand, a cart-full brown soil and about five to six buckets of water. The mixture will dried up as time goes by, this will then increase the viscosity of the mixture, causing it to be harder to be applied on to the walls. To over come this, water has to be added to the mixture if it’s to dry or viscous to use.

It was quite a tough day for a beginner like me. The environment is very messy, things are heavy and everyone stinks. But the funny thing is Rule No.2 in construction works: Everyone is smelly, everything is dirty, but nobody gives a damn about it. The most important thing is to get the house done in time. So everyone is too busy to care about the odour and the mess. It wasn’t so bad after all, as the other workers always keep a cheerful atmosphere, chatting about almost anything under the sun. From dirty jokes to politics, big or small, they talk about it. Everyone play their part, and cooperates. The progress of renovation runs smoothly, the boss is happy and bought tea for everyone.

The day soon came to an end at around 5pm. Although the tools are hopelessly dirty, cleaning still essential as to prolong their functioning life. After cleaning and keeping everything, it was time to knock off. It was so much and yet so little that I’ve experienced.

Yes, this is a common one-wheeled cart, which has been my “assistant” during my days at the construction site. Less than RM100 each.

Life of a Construction Worker (Part 1: How I Got In)

2007-10-08T17:23:00.000+08:00

Yes,……..It was the long semester break during the month of May and June. Yes,…..the break was so long, and everyone has their own way of spending the break. Some will be quite occupied with part-time jobs. Those who are fortunate enough will be having fun traveling and visiting interesting places. Others might be having a hard time passing time and dealing with boredom.
As for me, after “resting” at home for two weeks, I get a chance to expose myself to the “softer-side” of construction works- renovation. Softer-side? Yes. Compared to the actual construction works (which is building something out of plain ground), renovation works are less straining, and you don’t have to climb too high. The basic building structure is already there, all we need to do is to add or remove structures according to the liking of the owner of the house. And most importantly, refine and beautify the basic structure so that it is cosy enough for people to stay in it.

It begins from a visit to my uncle’s house. He is a renovation contractor – specialized in cement works. For other parts of the whole renovation such as, wiring, piping, painting, tiling and etc, he sub-contracts to other contractors. The idea of “Hanjin – working as a construction worker” came suddenly between the conversation between my Dad and uncle, when Dad feels that such exposure is beneficial to me as I have nothing much to do at home during the long break.

And so, after some encouragements from Dad, and mental struggles, I finally decided to take up the challenge. Me, Hanjin, a small and skinny guy. How long can I last as a construction worker? Well, we’ll see about that.

The Living Jigsaw Puzzle

2007-10-08T16:43:00.000+08:00

The world is made up by every single one of us like small pieces jigsaws fitting together to complete a puzzle. There are people made to fit around us, while some are destined to be far from us.
Each of us is unique, with our own character and weakness.

And we have our own special place and role in this world.
And we have close ones in our lives; family and best friends, whom we fit perfectly together like different pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
If we don’t have our family and friends with us, we’ll be stranded all alone in this world.

However, as time goes by, people change. Friends, who were close to us, might not be as suitable to be around us as before.
But people, who are not as close to us before, might be our best friends one day.

"If someone has a character that doesn’t suit your style, it doesn’t mean he/she is a bad person. He/she is just the piece of jigsaw which fits in at another spot, far away from you, with his/her own compatible jigsaws. " - Hanjin

[Illustrations from : www.dreamstime.com]

Selai Endau-Rompin (Johor National Park)

2007-10-07T23:39:00.000+08:00

It was one of the outdoor Sunday services organized by the church. The destination was the Johor National Park of Selai Endau-Rompin. The journey there alone itself was an exposure to me. After cruising on the smooth tar roads for about one-and-a-half hours, we reached Benut. Before entering the park, we and our vehicle had to endure the rough roads along the logging sites. The road is bumpy, narrow and its surface is concave. On top of all, the most terrifying part was to cross path with countless huge fully loaded logging trucks. That was when my driving skills are tested to the maximum.

My ordeal finally came to an end when we reach the ranger post of Kemidak. This is the administration office, where we made head counts, and made final preparations before we enter the forest reserve. Sedan cars have to be left here because they are not suitable for the journey ahead – the off-roads.

After loading our things into the lorry, brought along by one of the church members, in a big group of about 50 person, we made our way into the forest by a lorry, two 4WD’s and a Kancil.
Just as expected the off-road path is a real test for even expert drivers. One would need years of experience to judge the correct line to take, pick the right gear and press on the accelerator just so. Any folly and you’d either get horribly bogged down, or forced to reverse out of the predicament and try again, and again. Riding on the opened back of a truck, we have to avoid tree branches through the bouncy ride. But it was really thrilling. When the truck is not powerful enough to conquer steep slopes or had sunk into the soft mud, the 4WD’s are used to aid the truck by pulling it, providing additional force that the truck engine lacks.
After bouncing for an hour, we reached our camp-site.
Lubuk Merekek. The rental fee for the camp-site is RM30 per person, free for children below 7 (excluding food and transport).

The view itself is simply refreshing.
Facilities provided are guard post, a dining and cooking area, and toilets.

And of course, there are rules.

First things first as we reach the camp site. For the men, setting up the tents and shelter is their responsibility. As for the women, they quickly whipped up some food for lunch at the cooking area.
After a while, a temporary community was setup. We even utilize the lorry by making it into the largest tent.

The younger ones jump into the river once they have the chance. The water current of the river is very strong, creating a natural water-massage. But if you don’t grab unto something or anchor you feet steadily, you might get drifted away. Having enough of splashing at the river, we made our way to the Lubuk Tapah base camp, which is 500 meters away, by foot. The path there is just like the path we came in by the lorry; muddy, slippery, wet and dirty after the rain. Even on our own foot, some got slipped and fell into the mud. But still, whether you fell on your own or see our companions slipped like a dumber, it was fun. One more thing to mention, the jungle paths are infested with leeches. Watch out for them, they might suck up to you without you realizing it.
Lubuk Tapah is located by the river just like Lubuk Merekek. However, as the base camp, it has to be more facilitated than the camp site. Here, arboretum, better toilets chalets, dining area and a rudimentary dry laboratory are available. But the best part is the activity area; where there’s a hanging bridge across the river and a fish feeding jetty. Rafts and boats are also available for rental. (Sorry, due to wet and muddy conditions, bringing my camera phone with me will obstruct me from having fun….so …..No photos taken here).
Night at in a jungle is pitching black if you don’t bring any source of light with you. Over night, we set up a camp fire and involve every one in the crowd in some activities we planned before hand. Our camp there ended very quickly after a Sunday morning praise and worship and sermon by the pastor. Camps and everything we brought along were packed. And we leave the camp site in high spirits.
For more information about the park, log on to http://www.johorparks.com/

6 Hours in Kuala Terengganu

2007-10-07T23:16:00.000+08:00

So, we’re on the mainland again, here at Kuala Terengganu. Since we’ve came so far from home, a short visit here before we head home is just perfect. Kuala Terengganu is yet another peaceful town. It is much less developed, compared to the towns at the southern and western region of Peninsular Malaysia. There are no skyscrapers around, few cars, slow drivers, and some really slow drivers. Located at the eastern shores of Peninsula Malaysia, Kuala Terengganu is never lack of nice beaches, capes and bays.
Some scenic photos captured on a beach at Kuala Terrengganu.

Nevertheless, the beach is the ideal place for leisure activities, such as kite-flying, horse-rides, relaxing strolls and some splash on the shores in the evening.

Of course, besides nice beaches, there's still other places of attraction in Kuala Terrengganu.
For example, the Masjid Terapung of Kuala Terengganu.
I'm not sure if you can find this in other states of Malaysia, but this is something you definitely won't get to see in Johore. Written on the signboard: [JANGAN MELAKUKAN MAKSIAT. ANDA SEDANG DIAWASI.] Phew~
The horizon, where sky meets sea.

And hence, after 6 hours of brief tour, it is the end of our visit at Kuala Terengganu.
A really BIG thanks to our host here at Kuala Terengganu, Boon Hoong a.k.a Tai Lou, for bringing us around, giving us a treat and seeing us off at the bus station.

Pulau Redang (Part 3: Stranded)

2007-10-07T23:04:00.001+08:00

Our 3 Days 2 Nights packageat Pulau Redang was due. Willing or not, we have to leave.
One last look at the island as we leave.

We were speeding our way back to the mainland.
I took a seat on the bonnet of the boat engine. Everything went fine, until when my butt seems to feel hot, and hotter. I couldn’t stand it anymore, the boat was trying to barbeque my ass man~! And then our boatman and his assistant whispered something to each other.

Yup. The engine was overheating. It appeared that one of the tubes in the engine (or what ever it is), was punctured, hence obstructing the engine’s cooling system.

We were stranded in the middle of the sea. The boat was see-sawing none stop. Sure enough, there were people who panicked at first. But calmed down after observing our boatmen fixing the engine. Eventually, some of us became grumpy, while few turns pale because of sea-sickness. Many boats passed by. Few offered help but our boatmen were confident enough to handle the situation on their own. With their experience and the tools on board, they revived the boat after about half-an-hour. Our ride was resumed and were we too glad to see land again~

This is the person I wish to thank, See Wane a.k.a Rooney Lam, for taking the trouble organizing this trip for us. Yes, as you can see,…she’s one hell of a clown. Haha~ No offends~

Pulau Redang (Part 2:Having fun)

2007-10-07T22:05:00.001+08:00

Well, we don’t come so far for nothing. Here at Redang, like any other tourist, we indulged ourselves in the activities where one can only enjoy at an island like this.
Snorkeling
Well, this is a picture of my female course mates taken on the way to one of our snorkeling spot- Kampung Bujang. Yes, as you can see…none of them…yes and I really mean not a single one of them wears bikini. And so, a slightly disappointed me, decided to interview some of them, the reason – Why don’t wear a bikini? And these are some of the answers that I get;

Aiyah, my body not nice, not curvy enough,...not confident la.

You Siao ar?! My boyfriend will kill me if I wear bikini in front of other guys.

Bikini? I got wear ar...it's under my t-shirt. (sigh~)

I don't have a bikini wor. You buy one for me la.

Ehem,...I'm more towards the orient. I have a conservative mindset.

YOU SICK PERVERT~!!!! (Piak!Piak! Piak! - and she slaps your shoulders like nodoby's business)

Okay. Never mind about the bikini issue. Let's have some fun snorkeling!
This is the ever cheerful SeeWane, posing for a shot.
Yeah, group photo, something we must have during group outings.

Here's one of our life guards, performing his stunt -->diving of the boat.

Strolling
The beautiful beaches of Redang are just perfect for evening strolls.

Some visual pleasure of the island during sunset.

Sight Seeing
When you have nothing better to do, why not just look around and see what's available?

Yes, nice beaches. They are everywhere.
Laguna Beach Resort~!

MoreMore Tea Inn.
Couples, spending time building sweet memories.

An unsuspecting bikini babe.

Snap!Snap!Snap!
I never knew that my course mates are actually suffering from “camera-philic syndrome” and “shiok-sendiri-ness”. Wherever they go, whenever or whatever it is, they are never tired of taking photos.

And the "Buaya King" Award goes to.......Haha~Just kidding.
Now, there's a little bit of optical illusion in this picture. It appeared as if those legs were entangle together.

CS, getting cozy on the cockpit of the boat.
Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest.

Lun, I know your head is big, and your mouth is even bigger. But please~~ Don't eat the moon. PLEASE~!!!DON'T~!
This is Sheau Jiuan, who was not feeling well and needed a rest when we went snorkelling. As the Photo Queen, she has to take picture even when she's sick.
An angry Hooi Hooi looked annoying when disturbed while counting stars.
After some time, they got bored of always focusing on their faces, so they decided to take pictures of other parts of their bodies as well.
Spot the differences, anyone?

Pulau Redang (Part 1:Checking In)

2007-10-07T21:38:00.000+08:00

After 12 hours of agonizing bus ride, we finally reach Kuala Terengganu Bus station. With my remaining Ipoh trip companions, I join our counterparts from KL (who had been waiting for us for more than 2 hours,…very sorry for this guys). And off we head for the port, which is half an hour away from Kuala Terengganu.

Many waited impatiently.

Some grab the chance for a few shots before leaving the mainland. Who knows if this will be their last photo?Oooopppzzz...sorry..just kidding~

Few, were obligated to report to their husbands; " Hubby,I reached the port liao....I very scared le...Dunnoe the boat will sink anot...I miss you darling...muackz muackz~!" HAHAHA~

Before we know it, we were on our speed boat to Pulau Redang. 45minutes on the boat, it’ll be a waste of time if you don’t….(again)…snap some photos.
Yeah,...as you can see, everyone is happy.

Along the boat ride, I just can't afford to miss the beautiful scenery of the sea.

Archipelago, a common geographic factor on shallow seas.
And finally; PULAU REDANG.

Closing up, the island is even more beautiful than from afar.

Not forgetting to mention our accomodation, Redang Bay Resort.

Ya...after the long and tiring journey, a short break is necessary to recharge ourselves.

Adaptation = Tolerance + Adjustments + Growth

2007-10-07T21:28:00.000+08:00

Pronunciation: "a-"dap-'tA-sh&n, -d&p-

Function: noun

the act or process of adapting : the state of being adapted
adjustment to environmental conditions: as a : adjustment of a sense organ to the intensity or quality of stimulation b : modification of an organism or its parts that makes it more fit for existence under the conditions of its environment
something that is adapted; specifically : a composition rewritten into a new form

Source:http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=adaptation

Newton’s third law:"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Hanjin’s first law:“For every change, there will be adaptation.”

We know that changes are bound to occur in our lives. So, what happens when changes occur? Of course, changes might be for better or for worse. If things get better, we have no problem about changes. We might just love the changes so much that we immediately live on with it. Otherwise, there’ll be something that we need to do to counter the change. If the change is only temporary, maybe all that’s needed is just some tolerance. But if the change is permanent, we have no choice but to adapt to it. Evolution begins with adaptation, being alive, we are born to adapt to changes.
Adaptation is then, for sure, not a pleasant process. We have to struggle to get use to the change; to forget about what we are used to, and start accepting what we are going through. Sometimes adapting can be painful, but pain always followed by growth(if not death). Even so, adaptation can be quite easy if you just now the ways to handle it. Here are a few pointers:

Tolerate
Make some adjustments, to minimize the impact of the change
Find alternatives that suits you better than the change (make changes again and again until you are satisfied)
Be open-minded, accept the change
Try to focus on the benefits of the change rather than the damage caused by the change
Do not get too used to anything, or on the contrary, get used to everything

“Adaptation is not merely about tolerance, but making yet more changes that suits you to the environment.”- Hanjin 2006

Ipoh Trip (Day 4)

2007-10-07T20:58:00.000+08:00

Time flies when we are enjoying ourselves. It was our last day in Ipoh. Cherishing precious time, we grab the chance to visit one last place before we leave – The Lost World of Tambun, located at Sunway City of Ipoh.
The Lost World of Tambun.

Yet another tourist attractiuon supported by the Toursim Board of Malaysia.Wow~ this is the third one we found in Perak.

It was a small water theme park, so there’s nothing much to see. Soon, it was time for us to depart from Ipoh, bringing back with us wonderful memories that we’ll keep for life. I really thank Minwei for being such a good host for us. Otherwise, we won’t have so much fun there. Thankz again Minwei~!

Hence, I shall end the final blog entry on “ Ipoh Trip” with some photos of everyone with their very own Ipoh moments.
Our host Minwei! With his excellent figure, he really looks like a statue ,with colours, in this posture.

CS, he joined us only on the last evening of our trip. This is him with a very dump look.
Can’t see his face? Well, this is Sky, caught in the act, while touching….oh my God…what is he doing? Haha~
Here’s Leyching, while reading the newspaper.
This is Ah Lun. I guess he must be very thristy.
Cafen, sweating away in the stuffy van.

And now, to our next destination - PULAU REDANG!!!

Ipoh Trip (Special Feature: Gua Tempurung)

2007-10-07T20:30:00.000+08:00

This is one of the places, where Mother Nature really amazed me. It was such a great visit that I have too much to express about it. So I’ve decided to post it as a special entry on its own. A journey there from Ipoh by a motorized vehicle takes about 45 minutes.

We were greeted by the majestic view at the foothill before we enter the Tempurung Cave.

And this is the map, showing the routes in the cave.
Yes, facility wise, everything that should be there is there: bus stops, conference room, camping-sites, horse ranch, bathrooms, mosque, information kiosk and restaurants.
The signboard showing admission fees, time lenght and descriptions of various tour packages.
Gua Tempurung is a tourist spot recognized by the Tourism Board of Malaysia.
And he is our friendly and experienced cave ranger, who led us in the cave.

There are different adventure packages into Tempurung Cave. The most relaxing is the Golden Flowstone tour, which takes about 40 minutes (RM6). And the most challenging and strenuous is the Grand tour, which takes about 3 and a-half hour (RM22). Reaching there at around 2pm, we were too late for the Grand tour. We have no choice but to take the Top of the World & Short River tour, which took us about 2 and a-half hours (RM11).
I’m so sorry guys. Although the view inside the cave was much more spectacular, but due to the fact that we have to get wet, nobody dares to bring a camera along. So, I have no choice but to just describe how it was in the cave, word by word. (However, photos of the interior of the cave can be found on the internet).
Well, the cave is definitely much bigger than how I expect a cave to be. It is so big enough to contain a small village (serious~!) The stones in the cave have been carved into many interesting shapes: monkeys, dinosaurs, cars, faces and many more by nature itself. Not to mention, stalactite and stalagmite can be seen everywhere. And bats, of course, inhabits in the cave. We were told by our cave ranger that there will be waterfalls in the cave during the month of December, as it is the rainy season.
Nevertheless, traces of human activities can be detected. There are drawings on the cave walls, made by the tin-miners during the 1930s. Their mining tools can be found as well. But, there are also traces of mischief. For example writings such as “ALI WAS HERE” and “AH BENG LOVE AH HUAY” engraved by visitors. The running water in the cave is crystal clear and we couldn’t resist asking our ranger if we could drink the water or wash ourselves with it. Just as the ranger took a sip, we follow and washed our faces with the water. Wow~! It was so cool and refreshing.
Soon we reached the “Top of the World”, the highest part of TempurungCave. Here, we can touch the “ceiling” of the cave. It was here, when our ranger turned off all the lights, which run along the metal path way. It was pitch black. We can't even see our own fingers. The management of Tempurung Cave has put up a challenge that whoever succeeded in walking from this point of the cave to the exit, via the river path, without any source of light and mobile phone, will get RM 25000 instant cash reward. There was once, a challenger from New Zealand. But until today, nobody succeeded.
Our tour continues as we proceed to the most thrilling and the final part of the tour. We made our way to the river through steep slopes and small holes. It was very very dark. We were led by our ranger’s torch light, which seem so dimmed in the darkness of the cave. As our vision can’t aid us much in the dark, we have to rely on other sensors, especially by touching with our hands. Knocking into any rocks or stone can be really painful. And some part of the way, the tunnel is so low, that we were force to crawl. The whole experience is so hard to be put into words.
Finally, we reached the mouth of the cave. We took a rest in the cool and running waters. It is indeed a very unforgettable experience.

Ipoh Trip (Day 3)

2007-10-06T23:32:00.000+08:00

Another day begins in Ipoh; there were still some places worth visiting. The plan for the day was to the famous Tempurung Cave (It was such a great visit that I have too much to express about it. So I’ve decided to post it as a special entry on its own).

After visiting the majestic Tempurung Cave, we stop at Kellie’s Castle as we passed by Batu Gajah on our way back to Ipoh. And had a few shots there.

The unfinished mansion was built by a Scottish planter (William Kellie Smith). It was either a gift for his wife or a home for his son.
My companions for Ipoh Trip; from left, Ah Lun, Sky, Minwei, Cafen and Leyching.

It was then back in Ipoh. And we still haven’t got enough of the caves. So, our host, Minwei took to several other temple caves.
The first temple cave that we visited is San Po Tong. A beautiful place with artificial sceneries, perfect for photography.
The gateway of San Po Tong.

Just like the Tempurung Cave, it is a tourism spot, recognized by the Malaysian Tourism Board.

Some nice pictures taken there.

Next to the San Po Tong, is the Ling Seng Tong and Nan Tian Tong. Both are also beautiful cave temples.
Ling Seng Dong.

And Nan Tian Dong.

However, it was not the end yet as we were about to visit the most beautiful cave temple in Ipoh – Kek Lok Tong.

The view from the entrance alone had already taken my breath. Before I knew it, Kek Lok Tong amused us with yet another wondrous sight.

Walking through the cave, we found ourselves arriving at a beautiful lake garden on the other side of the cave. A perfect spot for dating.

Time finally caught up with us. As for our last night in Ipoh, we requested Minwei to take us to some nice places for another session of photography before we end our day.

The Water Front of Ipoh.

And the flag of Perak at the Dataran of Ipoh.