Beg tertinggal dalam bas transnasional ?

Assalamualaikum.

Judging from the title,some of you would assume that my post would be in Malay. But I'm writing out of time to write ( I need to study) so I'll blog it out in English (because I type faster that way)

So I was in the public bus from Kedah to Kampar early this evening. During the 3 hour journey,my mind was filled with anxious thoughts about my piling assignments and studies. Without realizing , the bus has already pit stopped in Kampar where I was suppose to get off.

I climbed down with my backpack and food bag . A few seconds later, I realized that my luggage was still in the bus at the bottom. I whirled around but the bus had already sped off to its next destination . 

What else?

I started panicking ! Here I am stranded with no idea how to retrieve my luggage.My clothes and make up stuffs are in there. I dialed the hotline probably a million times but to no avail . It keeps directing me to voicemail. It was already buka puasa but I was more worried about my luggage more than anything.In the chaos, I even gave the wrong directions to my usual taxi driver. The poor guy waited for me elsewhere for 20 minutes.

I reconfirmed my location to the taxi driver and he came,slightly grumpy. After I told him what happened,he immediately understood and drove me to the bus counter.Luck was not on my side when the counter was closed.But thankfully a lady nearby told me to come 40 minutes later when the counter would open .

The taxi driver drove me home and promised to come later.I buka puasa at 8:00pm , which is not encouraged in Islam.We're urged to buka the minute 'azan' is heard.heard. I've been breaking fast late since this year and I'm not proud. While I eat,my heart was slightly relaxed. I kept telling myself to be positive and realistic.

In my logic,the bus driver surely won't throw away a person's luggage.He might keep it .Worst case scenario would be that I have to go to Teluk Intan to retrieve it (which is about 1 hour away).40 minutes later I was back at the bus station and cautiously approached the counter lady.I expected to be scolded for my clumsiness. But instead, the lady was calm and gave me the bus driver's number for me to call.

When I did, the bus driver picked up and was super friendly ! He said no worries,it happens and he would gladly send it back tomorrow and I should pick it up at the counter. 

I was over the moon!

Alhamdulilah . Nikmat Ramadhan .Although this incident nearly killed my mentality , I managed. So for all you readers who are frequent with public transport,this post might help you if you happen to accidentally leave your stuff in the bus . What is important is to not break down. There is a difference between panic and breakdown . Even when you panic, don't stop thinking about what to do . Figure out a step by step plan and ask for all the help that you need. For me , the taxi driver uncle was more than helpful . He accompanied me to the bus counter and drove me back safely . He gave encouraging words that boosted my confidence.

So , don't give up 

:)

My surprise birthday party !

When my friends said that they were planning a 'small' birthday party for me, the last thing that I thought ,was this :

Apparently , six people to them was sixteen people. My jaw dropped when I saw them popping out of nowhere when I reach the restaurant. As if that's not enough, someone tapped me on the back and as I whipped around, my favorite three lecturers were grinning with a cake !

How can I not love these people?

I'm not gonna go all mushy here because I did that already . All I can say is THANK YOU . Now that I think about it , we say thank you all the time.Whether its for saving a seat in class, to driving you to a doctor when you're sick. There's no degree to how important thanking is. I've been trying to limit myself from saying thank you because I don't want to be the one who gets help all the time. In fact, I prefer to say you're welcome because I want to give help instead. But of course, life is unpredictable and there is no telling when you will need help. So I will hold that thought .

Anyways, the friends I met in uni are beyond amazing. My lecturers are intelligent and friendly.As much as I tried hating UTAR , I can't deny now that I'm overly attached to it . I don't mind working there, despite everyone's surprised reaction. I don't know guys. UTAR is really my choice :p

So cheers to to the girl who is enjoying her last year of being a teen. I don't know how I'll react when I turn twenTY next year.

Have a lovely Ramadhan people :)

Pitch perfect 2 !

I had a wonderful time with two of my high school mates today, Peili and Husna !

The movie Pitch Perfect 2 came out today so we figured, why not ? It was just the three of us since the others were either scattered all over Malaysia or had exams in Form 6 .Thank god these two were also on sem break ! After hours of cracking jokes and bantering, one thing's for sure :

Some things never change.

I don't remember when was this taken

Peili picked me up and we spent half the time killing mosquitoes in the car. The other half was spent figuring out how to go to the mall in which we've been going to since forever . We ended up using Waze to get there !  LOL . One year in Perak/KL spoiled our memory so bad .But we somehow got there safely and met up with Husna.

I bumped into quite a number of people that day! Classmates,juniors and even my girl guide buddy . We got popcorns and enjoyed the show. Not gonna spoil it but the movie was awesome! I spent 80% of the time laughing back and forth from my seat.  I underestimated the first movie ,having watching it in the morning before I came to the cinema !

After the movie , we had some sushi snack and continued our talk about random things. One of the things I love most about these bunch is that they laugh at every possible situation they're in . Its definitely stress-free ! Also,I secretly admire how they have blossomed to be such successful peeps.One recently got GPA 3.8 and another was voted Vice Prisident in her uni.How sick is that?
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It was a nice meet up guys ! To more adventures. . . . .!

Crossing memory lane

This is a continuation of my previous blog post . This post makes more sense if you read my earlier post,kindly click here for a heads up.

PEAK #2 ~ The lingering sweet memories 

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They know how to make me smile like this

My friends and I planned three surprise birthday parties and all were successful ! We managed to get it on tape! (which may be uploaded in near future). Those birthdays were the best because not only do see their omgggg faces, but also an opportunity to talk to everyone outside campus.

Operation Gary

It was the first birthday surprise we ever planned and I worried how it might turn haywire.We called everyone in advanced , got cakes and head off two hours early! Can you believe that?I remembered debating with everyone when to light up the candles ,where to sit and how to sing.But all those worries were sooo worth it ! Birthday boy was surprised! We spent the night strolling around the area while enjoying the night breeze.One of the nights I won't forget.

Operation Yuki

This was the perfect surprise party because at that time,I was preparing for Kalai's surprise b'day party in the same week, so it reduced her suspicion of us throwing her a b'day bash.One funny thing I remembered was when Yuki and I were walking to McDonalds , she got a phone call from a friend saying he's bringing her a cake. At that time, panic got to me because my friends were already there with a cake,waiting to surprise her.Won't it be awkward when the minute she walks in ,both parties shout happy birthday and gets confused ? Ahh I was sweating all the way. But it was only one guy and he came much later. Not only did we manage to make our birthday girl cry (in happiness),we also met a  new friend !



Operation Kalai

We got the biggest gang for this one ! Till today,I'm in awe how almost everyone managed to make it ,despite finals just around the corner.It was so hard keeping it from him because he's always with us .I remember secretly messaging everyone when he was just beside me. When we were on the way, Yashinnie frantically texted me and said our reservation was 'unreserved' because apparently Wing Zone can't say no to their customers -.-  We waited upstairs for him to come up for hoursss and shouted 'Surpriseee!' when he came.  He had an ultraman cake too! Hehe.The amount of fun we had was indescribable !

Different states, different characters but we can all come together as one big family. Considering we'll all be separated in degree, I'm glad we have all these memories to keep . I had the best foundation I could ever ask for .

Thank you for everything !

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The end of Foundation studies Part I

After a year of flipping through lecture notes and abusing Google,

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I've completed my pre-university in Foundation in Arts and Social Science !

(Our happy faces after the last paper)

Initially, I wanted to list down my happiest moments throughout my three semesters but I decided to change it up a notch. Turns out, everyday has its peak and pit . Its merely impossible to sort out your happiness and sadness.  Which is why I'll summarize everything,if possible.This post is too long to fit everything , so I'll split it into two parts.Second one coming very soon.

PEAK #1 ~ The friends you meet along the way

I had low expectations towards my peers during the first few weeks of uni. Since the majority of students there are Chinese,my inability to speak Mandarin really held me from creating an immediate bond with them. I sat at the last row , all alone and feeling miserable. I was told by my parents to speak up and make friends but everyone looked unfriendly and unapproachable so I just didn't bother . It was only after Raya that I really start knowing more people in my class. After some boosts of confidence, I was surrounded by a group of really positive people and not a day goes by where I don't think of them. 

Being the only Malay girl in my batch (that I know of) with very few Malay boys, I was immersed in an obvious change of culture. In fact, many curious and concerned school friends,parent's friends , colleagues and even lecturers ask ''How is it being Malay in UTAR?''. To be honest, there's not much difference . I've never been discriminated or abandoned throughout my foundation . I got along with almost everyone I meet,regardless of our race,religion and background. I shudder to think how my life would be without their endless patience dealing with a klutz like me . From accompanying me to eat out at night, to reminding me about my wallet, or just simply making me laugh my brains out and being all silly. 

Aviy has always been there for me , especially study-related. I love it when we do a study group together cuz somehow, I absorb what I revise most when she's around . Also, we understand each other's wants and needs in our future life which has been our bond for so long . 8 years of friendship does that to you .Yashinnie was also from my school but it was only in Sem 2 that I really bonded with her. I'm almost everywhere with her nowadays ! She's funny, humble and downright kind ! I lost count how many time she said ''Aiyoo...'' to me for my stupidest mistakes.  She has been doing me more favors than I can ever repay her ,and she's always sincere. That's something I still can't comprehend.So hats off to her !PS: She also teaches me Tamil!  Yuki was the first colleague I talked to after our first lecturer forced us to introduce the person next to you. We were both shy and I couldn't pronounce her Chinese name properly XD . We've been best friends since! She basically introduced me to a wonderful world of costume playing a.k.a. cosplay. I love hearing her experiences attending many events and dressing up as Sakura from Naruto and more. I find it interesting that she gives me an insight to what she does and how she enjoys her hobbies.I daresay that I'm also falling in love with it ! 

These wonderful people < 3

Apart from them, I've also encountered these kindest bunch of people :Kalai and Gary. They're both from Ipoh and ACS high school . I had negative perceptions about having 'guy friends' since my secondary days because they few guys I heard off were sh**. Also, coming from an all girls school with strict parents, I barely know any guys. But these two changed my perception on guy friends. Kalai and I met in sem 1 through Aviy and I only got to know him better in sem 2 . Describing him is like telling a story about your best friend.  We often debate about social issues,surroundings and basically things that my younger self had no interest on . Every time we debate,he always comes up with totally different opinions that showcases the issue in another angle that leaves me deep in thought .Other than that, I just love his company and I don't know what I'll do without him.Gary blew me away with his vocabulary. I've not come across anyone with such incredible use of language and writing skills. Considering we're both majoring in English soon,I'll definitely take this opportunity to brush up on my vocabulary.He's kind and patient and is always always happy !

Kalai & Gary

There are obviously more amazing people that I would write about , but by the looks of it , the length of this blog post might be longer than I like .In short, a college life would not be a college life without friends. So for all you freshman , go out and make good friends.

PART II coming soon .

Catch up series

Hey guys,

Looking at my previous post, its been over a month since I actually typed something (apart from my assignments). I've an abundance of things to tell, but heaps of assignments and what-not just stopped me from doing so . I was actually studying on the my bed when '' I wonder when was the last time I blogged...'' popped out of my head. If this happens to you, well..I get you :D

So many things have happened over the past month , happy and sad. I'm contemplating whether to let it all out in one shot or separate it to little series. We'll see.

#1. Baby Athmar's Aqiqah Ceremony

We have this tradition in Islam where a small ceremony will be held for a newborn baby. I was psyched about it because I don't remember going to one before. I was obviously too young to remember my siblings aqiqah and it wont make sense if I remembered mine ! Coincidentally , I had a short break during Chinese New Year.  Most of my aunts and uncles are able to make it too !

I had so much fun ! So much love for the little one .  

#2. Baby bonding time 

This is nothing super exciting, but it was something I look forward to everyday while away from home ; spend time with my baby brother. I just want to be at his side 24/7 . I don't even mind staying at home all day, just so I can play with him .He's 2 months old now ,and he's such an easy baby ! The only time he cries is if he's hungry.Apart from that,he's all smiles and giggles. Anyone can just hold him and he'll be fine . Super good for us since he was carried from arm to arm during the ceremony.

Its such a blessing, to be given another brother after so long.Though I've had exclaims from too many people saying things like ''OMG 18 YEARS GAP'' , I don't get bothered actually. In fact, everyone is crazy excited because its been years since we had an infant in the family.All my cousins are already either in school or in uni . So its a good twist to everyone .

I don't kow why he looks so static in this pic 

If you notice the laptop in the picture, its actually me trying to do my assignments while baby sitting this little one at the same time . Not that he bothers me, but he's so cute that I'd go AWWW every 10 minutes and give up on my work haha. Babies just have that effect on me . But its okay, Kakak still loves you !

#3. Meet up with good people

I went to a kenduri and was reunited with my long distant cousin. When I first met her at my house, I assumed that she was a uni student like me . Turns out,she's a lecturer with a Master's and pursuing PHD ! I was stocked ,and embarrassed on how I might have mistreated her earlier ! We ended up talking about our future plans and so on . The thing about both of us is that we're both passionate about our studies. We want to go far and we will go there, Insyaallah . She's persuading me to be a lecturer even ! Insyaallah.

Thats her at the right hand side of the picture.

A few days later , I caught up with my sister, a senior whom I met in high school.She was the one who by some miracle managed to persuade me to study in UTAR . We had Thai food and played with the baby even ! 

So I guess that's just the gist of what I've been up to recently . As I'm typing this , I can't believe that I actually did quite some things in a month.. Hmph.. I'm not a couch potato after all .... :D

Till next time.

The assignment 'passengers'

Regarding the title, do you know what it means? Nor I ,until a few months ago. It was a term used by my lecturer to address 'sleeping' members in your assignment group.Everyone will have to go through this experience and sadly,I've had my fair share.

Basically , assignment passengers are those team members who are such a pain the entire time from the minute you form the group,till the essay submission date.They are the people who give the least (or none) brainstorm ideas, the one who is reluctant or late to meetings, the one who is late finishing up their part and the ones who produce low quality work . As a team leader, we do not want to check on their progress without sounding aggressive and hovering over like a hawk. I recalled doing an online e-learning course from girl guides that you have to be assertive,not aggressive. However , when you give them too much 'trust' , they become idle and scare the crap outta you when its almost submission time.

Having done many assignment groups now , I had great experiences working with different types of people.However,there were also times where I almost burst into tears and having to correct their entire essay the night before submission. There were times where a team member copied an entire article from a textbook without paraphrasing or quoting . It was literally plagiarism and I only realized it when I was embarrassingly told by the lecturer. The worst thing was, that team member didn't realize . Too many bad memories to recall now .

That by far was the most stressful thing I had to do, taking up the responsibility of a team leader and all . Many times I ask myself , '' Don't they REALIZE that they are doing such horrible work that affects their team member's marks?'' . I think not.These meme resembles how I feel at times.

From my own perspective , I think these people either don't realize or don't care .Some of them just want to get it over with , regardless how good the quality is . Some , think whatever they doing is right, even though its mostly crap . Frustrating when you and the other team members want to score the highest mark they can in their assignment and get an A in the subject,yet because of these people,their coursework mark goes from A to pass . How I wish I could tell them in the face to step up their work so they don't jeopardize everyone else's hard work .  But telling people off is not the best option when you have to work together .

I find it absolutely unfair that these get high marks for their coursework thanks to their hardworking team members who cover it up.  They pride around as if THEY are the reason they do so well ! As the Malay quote say , '' Tak tahu malu....''.

Which is why, I decided to take the hardest task in an assignment which allocate most marks. Although it puts you in a difficult situation , it is so much better than give idle people such a heavy responsibility . Some of my friends preferred giving them the hardest one so they will HAVE to do it ,at any cost. But to me , there is really no point .Giving them hard tasks will not motivate them . They'll end up doing a shitty job and a chunk of your mark goes down the drain .

It sounds so unfair , but you gotta remember that the purpose of the assignment is to help YOU achieve the highest mark. So make some sacrifices. You're bound to be satisfied that your hard work pay off . Yes your 'passengers' get a free ticket to high marks but how much would that help them ?Enough to pass perhaps? (does not apply to all) Which in that case, is a pity because we should always aim the highest .

And do you notice that the one who does the hardest  task are usually the smarter ones?That's their trick ! They challenge themselves with the hardest , and succeed ! After all, there is always solution in the hardest work . I know two friends who work at the speed of light ! The minute they get their work, they do it continuously and finish weeks before the deadline ! I'm so envious, but in awe! I should learn..

As of 2015 , I'm making it another resolution to challenge myself . I've taken up two of the hardest part of the assignment and determined to get it done . And by getting it done ,in the best quality way possible. Being team leader isnt about taking  an advantage and picking the easiest task with your friends. Its about contributing the most effort and be a good leader to others.

However, don't get me wrong here . As I'm writing these, I do NOT acknowledge myself as the perfect team member , the one with the best work and so on . I will obviously stumble and struggle .In fact , I've done mistakes here and there and I was surprised at their calmness and reassurance. But I won't give up.

So for all you people out there who are dealing with 'passengers', remember that at some point , they will have to get out of the car . They won't be safe forever ,whereas YOU .. are 100 steps ahead .

PS : Sorry for the rant guys .