May Highlights

Friday, May 27, 2011

It's the month of May and work seemed so mundane as there were no students for me to teach since it was the semester break... Besides keying in the exam marks and attending a few meetings, basically my colleagues and I had nothing to do but hang out in the library watching CSI and documentaries... That was until I had to pack my bags and get out of Malacca and went to UiTM Shah Alam for my convocation!!

I went to Shah Alam a couple of days before the convocation date in order to pick up my graduation robe at the same place where the ceremony would be held... I went there with Ridhwan in his awesome car... We dropped by Linda's house first in Kelana Jaya to pick her and Fina up before heading to UiTM Shah Alam... After taking our robes, we chilled out at One Utama  Shopping Mall and had our lunch at Chilli's Grill and Bar Restaurant... 

It was my first being in One Utama and eating at Chili's... I had one of the burgers and it was massive... For the first time in my life, I could finish up a whole burger because I was so full... It's probably because I ate the bottomless chips and drank so much ice lemon tea before gobbling up the burger...

After lunch, Ridhwan and I went around the mall and looked around... I bought a book for my girlfriend at MPH - Water for Elephants... She's been yearning for the book since we saw it's movie adaptation of the same title... 


Then, later that day, we had a BBQ party at Linda's!! Yeahhh~ It was a small gathering for my former classmates to see each other again after not being able to for the almost five months... 

What I love the most about the BBQ party was seeing most of my former BTSL 8A classmates slash loveable friends unchanged... Despite going through different experiences for the past five months, they were all still the same people as they were in UiTM Kampus Bandaraya Melaka (KBM)... Najwa was still as fun and quirky (not to mention, energetic)... Fina and Linda were still as "rempit" (in terms of speech manner) as they were and that's what I love about them... Kak Hani was also as cheerful... and I know they all thought that I was the same too - quiet and awkward... It was like, we never were separated and we're still classmates at that time...




The food was also awesome... I love this kind of gathering because there will always be plenty of food! Glorious food! I had fun munching those chicken drumsticks and wings and lamb... In fact, as I'm typing this now, my mouth is watering because I can still recall how delicious the food was... Thanks to Linda for preparing, Fina for cooking, Aween for helping as much as she could, and those who were so eager to use up their arm strength to light up the BBQ fire... I just helped cleaning up the mess...


Too bad many couldn't come because most of them were with family members and some had stuff to take care of... Otherwise, it would be more hectic and fun... Hopefully, we would have similar gathering in the future...

The next day, after cleaning up the aftermath of the BBQ party and having lunch (the leftover chicken and lamb), Linda and her boyfriend Aboy sent me to Kompleks PKNS because my cousin's husband would pick me up there... I stayed at her house at Kota Kemuning before the graduation ceremony... My parents and two younger brothers arrived there later that day... They came all the way from Terengganu to attend my convocation... I haven't seen them for months and it was a pleasure to see their smiley faces that day... I love them...

After months of waiting, I can finally call myself an official university graduate!! The ceremony was held at UiTM Shah Alam's newest hall - Dewan Agong Tuanku Cancelor (DATC)... The new hall was massive and beautiful and the ceremony went so smoothly... 

My beloved mom~ She looked so proud...

My mom bought me flowers... Teehee... At first I thought I wouldn't be getting any gifts but she surprised me with a bouquet... I was so touched... Owh ya, the one at the back is our driver... He drove my family to Shah Alam since my dad didn't know the way... Sheesh... Photobomb

 This is my youngest brother... 

My dad... Osama :-P



My younger brother... Yeah, he's taller...

Short, proud and happy

When I was lining up with other fellow graduates, one of the convocation crew went to me and checked up my pants... After a glimpse, he claimed that the pants I was wearing were jeans and insisted me to go change to slacks... Yeah, they prepared spare clothes for those who didn't follow the dress code for the ceremony... Actually, I was not wearing jeans... It was khakis... Why would I wear jeans for such a formal event? Anyway, he forced me to go change despite how I insisted that I was actually wearing formal khakis... At that time, I was moments away from getting up the stage... Dammit, that guy almost ruined my convocation just because he couldn't differentiate between khakis and jeans... Luckily, he didn't escort me to the changing room... I escaped him and just went up the stage without changing my pants...

I felt really bad when my parents said they had to go back to Terengganu a.s.a.p after the convocation because the driver suddenly had work to do... I knew that they were looking forward to hang out in Shah Alam a little longer and see the modernization happening around... They would also want to visit Kuala Lumpur... Too bad they didn't have the chance... Maybe next time... 

They sent me back to Malacca that very night... That was the second time they were in Malacca... The first time was when they sent me to UiTM Lendu for my pre-degree about six years ago... It was also the first time they got to see my rented house in Malacca... They left for Terengganu after fifteen minutes being in my house...

Well, the excitement didn't end just yet for me... After a few days, my girlfriend and I went to Cameron Highlands!! Teehee...

We took an early morning bus (6.00 a.m) to Kuala Lumpur from Malacca... The bus stopped at Pudu Raya... To my surprise, the bus terminal has changed a lot! A few years ago, it was the crappiest place on earth and now, it's like an airport! Seriously, the upgrade is superb... Go check it out...

Not long after arrival, we hopped on another bus to Cameron Highlands... The trip to the top (Tanah Rata) was about 4 hours... On the way up, I vomited because the road was so swirly, it got me dizzy... Luckily, plastic bags were given to each passenger and therefore, I didn't make a big mess... It was a bit embarassing though...

As soon as we arrived, a van picked us up from the bus station and brought us to the inn that we pre-booked - Hillview Inn...


The inn was great... It looked nice as it was surrounded by trees and flowers and the building was well-maintained and beautifully designed (English influenced design)... With the cold atmosphere, being in it was like being in an estate house in United Kingdom... Believe me when I say that there are no air-conditioners nor fans available here... Even without those facilities, our room was still freezing cold...

Besides that, the people handling the inn were also friendly and helpful... I see lots of smiles...

After settling down and done unpacking our stuff, we went to the kitchen to look for food as we haven't eaten something heavy and were quite hungry... We had toast with strawberry jam and butter and also tea and scone... The scone tasted heavenly but after eating it, our tongue felt itchy... Hmm... Alergy?

Time flew by and night fell... As being suggested by the inn's driver, we went to the famous Cameron night market... There, I could see many fruits (mostly strawberries), honey, corn and vegetables, souvenirs and cactus and flowers being sold...

After buying a few things (mostly food to eat), we helped ourselves with a durian! Yeap, we ate and finished the durian on the spot... It was delicious!


The next day, we took a half day tour around Cameron Highlands... Our first stop, Butterfly Farm! There were butterflies of various types, other insects, lizards, and a few other animals available for us to see...




Millipedes... 




A lizard...

Butterfly cocoons 

Tortoises...

Mountain Racer snake... a.k.a Rempit Gunung


Temple Snake - Ular Beragama...

Cave Snakes


Stick insect... Well, more like leaf insect

Guinea Pig!!

Giant hibiscus 

Lettuce eating swan
Scorpions in the scorpion pool



Chamelon
Ducks drinking water

More leaf insect

Giant rose



After such exciting adventure, we went to BOH tea plantation... It was massive massive massive... Massive times three! It covered a large part of the hills... I never thought it was that big... My honey too were surprised...








Besides the plantation, we also went to the factory... There, we were demonstrated how tea is made... Cool



We also got to have tea and butter cake while enjoying the view of the green tea plantation... It was... refreshing... I wish I can do it again...





SHORT, FAT & HAPPY

The trip to Cameron Highlands wouldn't be complete if there's no visit to the strawberry farm... We picked the ripest and the biggest ones only!







Half an hour later, we arrived at Cameron Highland Rose Centre... Though it's called 'rose centre, numerous kinds of flowers available for us to see... We can purchase the flowers if we want...


Blue Butterfly















This is the dark entrance to the hell of stairs... Countless flight of stairs to the top of the hill! By the time we reached the top, I couldn't feel my legs...



Monstrous cat fish

Lastly, we went to a Buddhist temple... The statues there were gigantic... Their eyes were like staring deep into my soul...



That was all for the half day trip... After all that, we went around the Tanah Rata town by foot to search for souvenirs and food to eat...

I love this inn!!!







Starbucks is everywhere! There's one in Cameron!!! This is a proof of civilization... Now, do u believe me when I say the Jews are taking over the world?

Cameron was so fun and beautiful... If given a chance, I would go back there to enjoy other activities available there... Owh, I almost forgot to mention... We even found a mamak place there that serves tea and scone and chocolate cake... Amazing...

After a few days, our fun trip was over... Awww... We took a bus back to Kuala Lumpur where we got off at awesome Pudu Raya again... When we tried to purchase tickets to Malacca, we were instructed to look for the tickets at another bus station - Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS) Station... The station was huge and awesome! As awesome as Pudu Raya! Is making awesome bus stations a trend in Kuala Lumpur right now? My God... U better check it out...

My fun adventure in May ended after that particular trip... and now, back to reality... Class will be starting on May 30th!! Gosh... After those events, now I dont feel like going to work... I wished the break would be longer... Arghh!


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3 comments

  1. Congratulations!

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  2. I soooo want a like button for this post!!
    i don't know why, though i'm not in 'my time of the month', i felt touched reading the family-convo part. wuu~
    yeah, i'm still the same ol' same ol' me. i felt good too during the bbq. it was wonderful to see u guys again. oh, i miss the good-bad old days. huh!

    btw, fami nmpk comel in those 'shot,fat & happy' pictures. got to write it in malay for accuracy. tehee

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