Convo '13

Yup I'm officially graduated after 3 years of Diploma. This day marks the end of yet another chapter of my life and also a beginning of a new one. I'll make this short and let the pictures do most of the talking.

So a few days before the actual ceremony, we had our own photograph session at Taman Layang-Layang. We went there in the evening and boy am I glad to see most of my classmates again.

Our official convocation ceremony was held on Saturday but unfortunately we were divided in morning and afternoon sessions according to our names. I did met most of my classmates that day and also some of my new classmates. Ow and one more thing, the ceremony was seriously boring and the speech alone took more than half an hour.

Well I guess that's it for now. DAC9 had been and will always be part of my life. Till we meet again next time :')

Pangkor Island

Right so it took me more than a week to finally post this. I can't seem to find any inspiration to blog but I know that I'll tend to forget the many details of the trip if I don't post this now. So here it goes..

It was a very last minute trip. Only a week before, I received an invitation from Wilson via Facebook regarding this trip to Pangkor Island. Given that the semester break is almost over and I've been doing nothing for my entire break, I clicked on the 'going' icon immediately and by doing so I was on for a trip to Pangkor Island along with 6 of my classmates. 

The day before the trip, I went to stay over at PV15. We went out for dinner together and also karaoke later that night. The next day, we took a LRT to Pasar Seni and from there we walked to Puduraya bus station. I though we had arrived just in time to catch up with our bus but turns out our bus was delayed for about an hour. We eventually boarded a bus which took us to another bus station were we finally got on to the bus which was heading to Lumut. Surely, we were frustrated but tiredness took over and we all slept through the entire journey. 

We arrived at Lumut at about 3pm and went to Marina Island where we would take a ferry to Pangkor Island. The ride took only 10 minutes and we were on Pangkor Island in no time. We left the harbor and went to the town in search of our hotel. It was only a short walk and we quickly checked in and settled down. After a short rest, we were discussing on where we would go after this and also for the rest of our trip. So in the evening, we decided to take a walk along a beach on the other side of the island. We were told that it was a short walk from our hotel but in actual fact it took more than 30 minutes. By the time we reach the beach it was already late in the evening and we manage to witness the sunset which was beautiful. We took our time there taking photos and fooling around. For dinner that day, we went to a nearby restaurant called '高佬' to try out their seafood. After dinner, we had to take that torturing 30 minutes walk back to our hotel. We were all worn out by the time we reached our rooms and I went straight to bed after taking my bath.

The next morning, we went down town to have our breakfast. Our next destination was yet again the beach we went yesterday but luckily we managed to rent a van to send us there. Vans were the main source of transport here unless you decide to rent a car or bike. Oh and speaking about van, it's very interesting to see that all the vans here are all pink in color. Our boat was ready to go by the time we reached the beach. The driver was a really friendly and funny guy and he took us around the island to have a look at some interesting sites. We stopped by a shallow coral reef for scuba-diving and the fishes there made up the thousands. It was a little scary to be honest but when we were in the water everything was fine and we had a great time. We also stopped by a remote beach to pick up some sea-shells and have a little swim. The sand was so white and the water so clear I wasn't really convinced that I was actually on the West coast. Haha.. We had a round of banana boat but it was kinda disappointing compared to the one in Sabah.

Sad enough that after playing the banana boat, we had to walk back to our hotel cause were where all wet and couldn't take a van. We washed up and had some rest before going out again to have our lunch. After lunch, we went to er.. a different beach this time which I've forgotten about the name. We just chilled ourselves there till evening. Hornbills were very common there and we had the opportunity to feed them in the evening. After that, we had dinner and went back to our hotel. That night, we were told that we could check which course we were  offered for our degree and everyone was suddenly busy with their phones. I was glad that I managed to enter the commerce program along with some of my previous classmates. 

On the last day, we went to the Southern part of the island and visited a factory that produces fish satay. After that, we went to a temple and also some historical sites. By the time we returned to out hotel, it was almost time for check-out. We took a quick bath and packed our belongings. After that, we went down to return the keys and bit farewell to the owner of the hotel before heading to the harbor. We took the ferry back to Marina Island and a cab back to the bus station. We were all hoping that our bus would be more punctual this time. There was still a slight delay but what made the journey back so long was that the bus had to stopped by different stations around Teluk Intan to pick up passengers before even reaching the highway. Moreover, it rained in late in the evening and the traffic jam along Jalan Duta made it almost a 5 hours journey. We took a LRT back and bit farewell to each other once we reached Masjid Jamik. 

It was a great trip :) 

Sg Congkak

Camping's been part of my life ever since I've joined the Boys' Brigade. I've been to quite many camps now but there's always a new adventure waiting ahead. So this time we went to Sg Congkak, Ulu Langat for a 2D1N camp. Sg Congkak is a rather easy campsite which is perfect particularly when we are bringing juniors up this time. Oh did I mentioned that I've been here for 3 times already. Haha :D

We went there in 3 cars along with members from the 12th KL Company and it took us around an hour to reach the main entrance. Our campsite was further inside and we were supposed to walk there. Luckily I was one of the drivers this time and I get the privilege to drive my car straight to our campsite.

When we arrived at our campsite, the first thing we had to do was the clear the area and gather as much firewood as possible. We had some games after that and then comes the best part of camping - building fire to cook our own lunch. I had to admit that building fire isn't something easy but it's interesting to see how they tried (and most of the time fail) to build their own fire. Haha.. In the end, the officers had to help them out cause time was running out. After lunch, we pitch our tents and then it was time to get wet! we went water trekking in the river. I've done this a few times before but it's still challenging walking against the flow. We had fun playing in the water before returning to our campsite to prepare dinner.

Today's dinner was spaghetti! Yay.. well with no meatballs and insufficient sauce but who cares cause everyone's darn hungry by then. What they did not know was that our captain had bought KFC for us while they still indulge in the delicious spaghetti. Haha.. At last, I took out the KFC for them and everyone had a share of it. The sky was getting dark and we sang some songs and played some games. It started to rain not long after that and we all rushed into our tents. I initially decided to sleep outside cause it was much cooler before it started to rain. I realized that there was no shelter for me so I rushed into my car. In the end, I spent the whole night sleeping in my car. Haha.. Don't know if this is camping or car-ping xD

The next morning, we had pancakes and mushroom soup for breakfast. We cleared our campsite and were given some time to play in the river. We left the campsite at about 12pm. I'll always love camping :)

DAC 9 Forever :')

Well I guess this is it then, the end of my Diploma life. It's been quite a long journey but now it seems like it was just yesterday that I've set foot into the college. I'm really having mixed emotions now :')

The past few weeks had been the most wonderful and meaningful ones for me as a college student. It really reminded me that true friendship is really priceless. This post was actually meant for the graduation trip to Kuantan but I thought it might be worth adding a few more to it. So let's start with the day we finally ended our exams :D

On the 24th of August, we finally conquered our last paper. Boy am I glad that those sleepless nights were finally over and it's time to enjoy the stress free days we had. So right after the last paper, me and most of my classmates went to I-Pop for karaoke session. In the evening, we had a simple yet meaningful farewell dinner at Jason's house. It was quite an emotional night as we knew that this will be the last time we could ever come together as DAC9. The food was awesome and the video did brought back many sweet memories. All credits to Jason for editing the video.

From the 27th to the 29th of August, me and my friends went to Seremban. We stayed at a place called Awan Mulan which was located on a hill side inside the jungle. The surrounding was covered by dense forest which contributed to the wonderful environment there. We spent the first day there chilling ourselves in the pool and had steamboat for dinner.On the second day, we went to Melacca in search of food but we were disappointed when we found out that the famous satay celup was closed. We went back in the evening and had steamboat again for dinner. Haha.. We spent the last day soaking ourselves in the pool before heading back to KL in the afternoon. We passed by Kajang and we took this opportunity to try out the famous Haji Samuri Kajang Satay.

30th August was another emotional day as one of our classmate, Tsu Teng will be leaving for Ireland to further her studies. We went to KLIA in the evening to give her a surprise farewell as she did not expect us to send her off. She was shocked at first but by the look of her face, you'll know that she really appreciated it. Well good luck with your studies in Ireland!! :D

Right so it finally comes to this, our graduation trip to Kuantan. On the 31st of August, we went to Kuantan for a 3D2N trip. We departed in the morning and it was a 2 and a half hour drive ahead. Luckily the long journey was made interesting by our 2 crazy drivers who kept over-taking each other if not we would have bored to death. Race or Death!! Haha..

We reached Kuantan in the afternoon and had our lunch. We settled down and rested for a while before heading to a nearby Buddhist Temple. There was a garden behind the temple and the scenery there was really nice. We took many photos there and off we went to Teluk Cempedak. The beach was crowded when we arrived but we managed to find a spot which was less crowded. We had fun playing volleyball.. erm so called volleyball to be exact till late evening. We had Burger King for dinner before heading back.

We had to wake up very early the next morning in order to reach the Rainbow Waterfall in time. We were up at 4am and went to had the famous 林明面 for breakfast. After breakfast, we had a bumpy ride up the mountains in 4WD. It was still very early in the morning when we went up, the surrounding was covered with thick mist and the air was cool. The journey up the mountains took about 1 hour and we stopped by a river bank. The remaining journey had to be done on foot and it was raining heavily. The hike took another half an hour and finally we had the chance to glance at the waterfall. The height of the waterfall was just staggering which stretch all the way up the mountain. We had the opportunity to have some fun in the water but I spent most of the time taking photos. Rainbows did not really appeared till late in the morning when we were already getting ready to hike down.

Straight after coming down, we took a quick bath and went to a nearby museum. I was already half dead by that time due to tiredness and I just sat at the entrance of the museum along with few others. I jumped straight to bed once we went back and only woke up when it was time for dinner. We had some great seafood at a nearby restaurant. It was a Sunday night which means it's Super Sunday for football fans! First up was Liverpool against Manchester United and I was delighted when Liverpool managed to held on to a 1 nil victory. The second match was Arsenal versus Tottenham but my body was already signalling me to sleep. Nevertheless, I managed to see the only goal of the match before dozing off.

On the last day of the trip, we went to grab some souvenirs which turns out to be salted fish! Haha.. We also took the opportunity to take a few last photos at the beach before finally heading back to Setapak. Well again thanks to our drivers it turn out to be another exiting journey home :D

The day was coming to an end but we decided to have one last drink before we bid farewell to each other. So off we went to the Beer Factory and most of us ended up drunk. I have to admit that I too was quite dizzy but I could still keep hold of myself. We brought the remaining beers and the drunk dudes back to Siew Kiun's house. We had a fun time watching them doing crazy stuffs before collapsing. Me, Au Yong and Xiu Meng finished the remaining beers before we head to bed. 

The next morning, we were all on our way home which concluded the end of the trip and also my Diploma life.

So here I want to thank DAC9 for all the help given throughout the entire Diploma program, for backing each other up in times of need, for all the sweet and bitter times we have been through together, for all the crazy stuffs we did together and last but not least, the memorable moments we spent together. I will always always treasure them in my heart.

No matter where we may be heading after this, do remember that we will always be DAC9!! and that our friendship will last forever!! Till we meet again :')

It All Comes to This

Time flies, my 2 and a half years of diploma is finally coming to an end. Just another 2 more weeks of exams and it's done.

Frankly, I'm starting to miss my classmates already. Although I'll continue doing my degree here and most probably I'll still be seeing most of them but there are some who are going overseas. Besides, there's no guarantee that we'll be in the same class again during our degree.

I can still remember the first class we had together which was English Language if I'm not mistaken. It is always awkward meeting each other for the first time but we got to know each other pretty quickly. The process of knowing each other, spending times together and not to mentioned doing crazy stuffs together had been the best moments of my college life which I cherish a lot.

I really wished that we could spend more time together now that we will be graduating soon. Hmm no wait I've sounded like we won't be seeing each other again anymore here. I have to believe that we will all keep in touch no matter where we are heading after this :D

So before tears start to drop, I better stop writing and get back to studying the fact that I've still gotta sit for my finals. Well good luck!!

DAC9 forever

Penang :D

Hello bloggie, let's talk a little about my trip to Penang.

As planned, me and a few of my classmates went to Penang to try out the Escape Park. Besides, we were also there to catch Sungha Jung's concert.

So after Friday's class, I followed my friend back to his house in Kepong. We had dinner and rested for a while before departing for Penang at about 9.30pm. I slept through almost the entire journey and we finally arrived at Butterworth at 2am. We went to my friend's relatives home and that's where we would be staying for the next few days. We were all tired by then and went straight to the bed.

The next morning, we woke up at about 9am and had our breakfast. After that, off we went to the Escape Park. It took a while to find the place and we reached at about 11am. We were lucky the place wasn't crowded that day although it was a Saturday. We quickly bought our tickets and went in. After putting aside our belongings in the locker, we challenged the level 1. The staff there gave us a short brief before allowing us to start and the weather was getting hot. Level 1 was the easiest one and it did not took long for us to complete it. After that, we went for level 2 which was more challenging.

Among all the obstacles, I personally love the flying fox most and there were plenty of it there. Upon completing level 2, we were quite worn out so we took a break and went around the park to find other stations to play with. We tried climbing a building and also the longest flying fox in the park. My friend even tried climbing a coconut tree which was not a success. Haha xD

Before leaving the park, we insisted on challenging the level 3 and so we just went for it. It turns out that level 3 was more challenging that we expected. One really needs the courage and physical fitness to complete it. Half way through and we were already darn tired but there's no way to turn back by then. I manage to complete almost the entire level 3 but the last stretch was just too hard. I had to give up with just a few steps left as there was really no strength left inside my body. I was so relief to be back down and I can see bruises all over my hand and leg. We had dinner at Gurney Drive after that before going back.

On the third day, we woke up very late and had break.. erm no should be lunch at a nearby restaurant. We went around Penang after that to search for food and also the paintings on the wall. It was quite challenging finding those paintings but we manage to locate all of them except for one I think. In the evening, we went for Sungha Jung's concert in USM. He was just amazing and his skill makes your jaw drops. The concert ended at around 10.30pm and we went back for supper with my friend's uncle. After supper, he took us to have some drink and we had a great time playing darts. We lingered till about 3am and had some food before going back.

It didn't ended when we were back and he took out a few bottles of liquor and some cards. Well we all know the outcome of this and yeah we were all drunk in the end. I can't even recall properly what happened so I'll just skip to the next morning. Hangover it is and it really doesn't felt good. I had this feeling of vomiting for the entire day even till I reached home. But overall it was fun and I really enjoyed the time with them.

A Trip to Sabah

Took me 3 days to finally post this. Been kinda busy since I came back but I know this one's worth posting. It's gonna be a very long post :D

It was all planned before my previous semester even started and I've been waiting so long for it. A 8D7N class trip to Sabah. It was my first time travelling so far and also my first time taking a plane, excluding the time when I was 3 years old cause I was too young to even realize I was on a plane. So I think I should go through this from the very first day which was Friday, April 13. Here's how my trip went..

After work, me and my friends went to stay over at PV15 along with my other classmates. It was a tiring day but we still manage to chill out at a nearby mamak stall before going to bed. Haha..

We were scheduled for 2 different flights the next day and mine was at 1pm. So around 9am, we woke up and were on our way to LCCT. We waited for a while before the gates open and I was so excited to be on board of the plane. I was sitting beside the window and I didn't took my eyes of it even after take off. But eventually I got tired and fell asleep. It was a 3 hours flight and when I woke up, the plane was getting ready to land. We reached Sandakan Airport at around 4pm and Siew Kuin came to pick us up. We went to buy some toiletries and stuffs before heading to her home. We didn't do much there except from playing cards and sleeping. At night, the 2nd batch finally arrived and we all went over to Sui Ting's house for dinner. We went back early to Siew Kuin's house to rest cause most of us were tired and that was the end of the first day.

After breakfast the next day, we went to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabiliation Centre. There were lotsa monkeys there apart from Orang Utans and we manage to watch the feeding session. It was really cool to be close up with Orang Utans but the best part was still watching monkeys mate. LOL.. After that, we went to a temple and also a crocodile farm. We also had some great ice-creams in the evening. At night, we went to a seaside restaurant for dinner and the seafood there was awesome. That night, we also went through a police check point which reminded me that the Sulu army was still somewhere hiding, luckily not around that area. Haha..

On the third day, we were going to Kundasang. Along the way, we stopped by a fish spa. I had to say that the fishes in the fish spa were really big and they bite. I didn’t really had the courage to stick my foot out in the water so I spent most of the time at the river bank. Our next destination was the hot spring. We had a relaxing time soaking ourselves in the warm water before moving on. 

 

 The water in this pool was freaking hot

There was an increasing number of corners on the road and somehow you know you are going uphill. After about an hour, we were in Kundasang. The air there was cold and it was starting to rain. We stopped by the roadside to snap some photos and I was told that Mount Kinabalu was just behind us. It was truly amazing to see a mountain so high that it comes in touch with the clouds. 

 

 Mount Kinabalu was just behind just that the clouds are blocking it

We had a BBQ dinner there and spent the night at Strawberry Hotel. Having BBQ there with cold winds blowing was really a great experience. Not to mention the dogs waiting for the leftovers. Haha.. 

 

Fourth day, I woke up really early because it was so darn cold there. Manage to drag my cold legs to the kitchen and made myself a cup of hot milo before going to the balcony. I looked out of the widow and for a brief moment, I really felt peace. The view outside was so beautiful and it was so quiet outside. I really wished that I could stay there for a couple more days. After a while, everyone was awake and ready to go. We left the hotel and went to a nearby farm. It was another spectacular view there and it really makes you feel that you are in some Europe country. We took many pictures and also tried feeding the goats and cows there. At noon, we were on our way down to Kota Kinabalu. On our way, we went to this interesting place called 'Rumah Terbalik' and yes the house was really upside down. After that, we all settled down at Siew Kuin's house. We had dinner and spent the rest of the day in the house.

Erm what day was it again? Oh ya the fifth day. Still had to wake early and off we went to Mari-Mari Cultural Village. I've learn many new stuffs there including the different tribes in Sabah and their customs. Although I have forgotten all their names. Haha.. But the coolest thing was knowing how they make fire out of only bamboos. We had lunch there and then we went to a shopping complex called 'One Borneo'. We had plenty of time to waste so we watched GI Joe there. We had McD for dinner before going back.

 

Ah the sixth day, time to go to the beach! Went to Jesselton Port in the morning and bought our boat tickets to some islands. I forgot the name of the first one but the second one was called Pulau Sapi. The boat ride was awesome and we all ended up having new hairstyles. Haha.. The water there was crystal clear and you can really see corals and fish underneath. Had lotsa fun in the water but the best was still the banana boat. First time playing and I went straight down into the sea 4 times but still hoping for more. Really gotta say that it was real fun. In the evening, we went to a nearby shopping complex for karaoke and dinner. We went back at around 9.30pm.

 Crystal clear water

Second last day, the one day that we could sleep till 10am. Haha.. Went to Puh Toh Tae Temple and the Sabah State Museum after breakfast. In the evening, we went to the handcraft market to buy some local products before heading to Tanjung Aru beach to watch the sunset. We were a little early when we reached the beach so we took time taking pictures and fooling around. At about 5.30pm, the sun finally set and the sky turned orange. What a way to end our trip :)

 Sunset in tanjung Aru beach

It finally came to the last day, we were the second batch to fly this time so we had to wait till 2pm for our flight. Had KFC for brunch before heading to KKIA. The flight took around 2 and a half hour and we reached LCCT at 4.30pm and that marks the end of the trip.

It was truly an amazing week at Sabah. I had so much fun there with my friends and I found this quite meaningful..

'Stupid things, done together..

become memories'

Happy CNY and Happy Birthday

Ah still in Chinese New Year's mood, or should I say gambling mood. Haha..

Chinese New Year is coming to an end and it's back to college life again. It's already the 3rd week and only 4 more weeks left before the exams. Speaking about exams, my sem 5 results was released days before the Chinese New Year and as usual it took forever to log in to the intranet. It was still worth waiting as my results turned out to be unexpectedly good. I've even got an A- for my BL which was the most hardest part to believe. Well this sem should be an easier one, fingers crossed though :D

Going back to my hometown which is in Sungai Siput, Perak has never took so long. A 3 hour journey became 6 hour due to the traffic jam. I guess most that went back to their hometown this year will know how it feels. Haha.. Nothing special about Chinese New Year this year and I really have to say that it's kinda boring even on the first day. We went to Penang the day after Psy's performance.

My birthday this year falls on the eighth day of Chinese New Year. I joined the visitation party to Jenn Jou's house in the morning but it did not went well as the management won't allow us to use the facilities in his condominium. We end up going to 1Shemelin for badminton and movie. In the evening, me and my bro went to church for the masquerade party. I really appreciated the cake and presents from my fellow BB members even though I didn't have the chance to thank everyone of them. The event ended at about 11pm and we went for mamak before finally going home.

The other day, I went to my Xiu Meng's house for a little bit of gambling.. a lot actually. We were having fun before the lights went off and they started singing Happy Birthday. I was blur at first before finally realizing that it was actually meant for me. The same thing happened last year so I guess I really am not used to people celebrating my birthday. Haha.. A really big thank you to my fellow coursemates :D

Alright then I think that's all for now, till my next post.

Happy 2013 :D

First day of 2013, wanted to wake late but the thought of having exams tomorrow prevented me from doing so. Welcoming the new year with exams, not a bad way huh? :D

As usual, went for countdown in Bukit Bintang but this time with my college friends. Had to sit for BL paper earlier that day which kinda spoiled the mood. After the exam, we went straight to Bukit Bintang and we just hang out there after our dinner. Got sprayed like crazy but it was lotsa fun. Haha.. The spot where we stand was also perfect as the fireworks was just above us. Happy new year!! 

MA tomorrow and FAF this Saturday then I'm free..