A boring update

Let's do this. While waiting for my hair to dry naturally for bed, I figured why not I spend some time here. Turned 21 last Thursday. I'm just thankful to have a loving and understanding family that is always supporting me from behind. Mum posted birthday cards for me and they reached a day earlier. I'm deeply touched by the simple gestures thou we do not celebrate birthday at home anymore. Not since Dad left us.

I hope I have been a great daughter and sisters to them

;)

So on the day, after class, me and a friend of mine, Ah Hwi actually went to Ikea Cheras for their grand opening. Queued for the door gifts and managed to grab a horse deco and a bag. Considered that as my birthday gifts. I haven't have a cake yet. It seems to slip my mind every time I walked pass Secret Recipe. That shall wait then. Ikea Cheras is so much bigger than the one in Bandar Utama.

Let me ask you, what can a student do in a home furnishing shop other than mentally start to plan their future dream house? I was there to accompany my friend so I basically just walk around aimlessly with people pushing their ways through the crowds to get their hands on the great deals. At the end of the day, I managed to bought a pan for RM 9.90 and 4 Ikea bags for Mum since they are going to BKK in Dec. I plan to cook creeps with the pan but the problem is I don't know when. Shall update the progress and recipe if I manage to do it.

On our way back, we were actually talking about online business. I admitted to Ah Hwi that I have an online business. So apart from my family and you guys here, she is the only friend that knows. She wanted to open her own online business so being in the industry (if you call it that) I offered my advice. I cannot say that I am good at it because I am also still learning but after a year, I guess some of my advice will help her in starting her very own business. Also, I gave her start-up agent that I previously used for my own shopping.

When I started my degree, I actually put the business on hold. I put full focus on my studies. Mum must be proud of me. Frankly speaking, sometimes in class when the lecturers talked about drugs as in drugs preparation, dispensing etc, I often wondered why am I still here when I am clearly very interested in entrepreneurship and business sort of thing.

We are now at the last week of lectures before the study break and then finals. Well, for the past 4 months, I have been thinking a lot. I may look like I am not interested now but who knows I will be one day. I am determined to graduate as a pharmacist. Mark my words! The subjects so far so good. I think I am good except microbiology. I encountered some difficulties in understanding and memorizing the bacterial names. That can be solved with some cutting on my Wattpad stories and more focusing on the lecture notes.

Like previous year and previous previous years, there's nothing different being 20 or 21. Nothing change. But like Mum always said, 21 means it's time for me to be more responsible (like I am not) and to act more lady like (like I am not). Quote from Mum, "Your age 21 ah, you know last time people 21 marry already". Yes yes, I am not rushing into relationship nor marriage but sometimes, it just a whim to be loved and to love. Maybe at 21 I shall find the one. Who knows right?

Okay. I am basically out of ideas and start to crap. It's time to SLEEP!

Signing out as Karen Stone.

 

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Good night!

Junior Pharmacy Orientation

After 8 long months of waiting, I am finally into another chapter of my life which is degree life. It feels so surreal. This is my pathway to the future. Instead of always stopping at a junction, wondering where to go, I can now see a straight road ahead with minor roadblocks and traffic lights. At the end of the road, I can see myself being a qualified pharmacist. Junior Pharmacy Orientation was on the 21st August so I was back in KL on the 20th.  

 

The registration counter 

 

 Registration starts as early as 9 am

 

 

Coursemates with their offer letters registering themselves

 

Smiling friendly faces of my coursemates

 

The event begin at 10 am with a welcome speech from our Dean, Prof Dr Yeong

Listening attentively of what to expect in the 4 years duration

We headed for lunch in groups of 11 around 1 o'clock in the afternoon after the faculty and departmental briefing.

After lunch, we proceed to the auditorium for some ice-breaking session

 

We have our dedicated MCs to keep us entertain while waiting for the rest to arrive

At the first station of the ice-breaking session

It's True/False Qs but all the members need to give the correct answer to get a point

Second station where we played the Luo Bu Tin game (that is how it is pronounced)

From the stations, we were given clues to unlock a senior's handphone password

Totally clueless about the hints given so I tried asking Google

Sadly, Google was no help at all

Third station where in pairs, we need to transfer the cans to another side with a straw 

hooked with rubber band in our mouth

Like this

 

Here's a candid of me at the third station where we play charades 

Our last stop requires some stamina on the skipping rope and also a tongue twister master

Back at the auditorium, Elaine (the girl beside me) must be cracking some jokes 

to have me laughing so hard

Seniors sharing their experiences

Trying to guess who is the senior in disguise

It's CK, the girl with blue and white stripes shirt.

She's a Year 2 student

 

We were then entertained with amazing band performance by seniors 

Followed by class representatives selection session

I'm not keen in any of the positions so sit back and relax was what I did

 The last event was the mentor-mentee introduction

 

Closing ceremony ended with photography session

 

 

With all the 102 coursemates 

A group photo with all the committees

 The orientation ended at 6 pm

A loud applause for the seniors for putting up a successful event

Already a week into degree life , I can say that for the coming 3 months, it will be very hectic. I have headaches everytime I look into the academic calendar. I failed to find a weekend free to go back home so I don't think I will be going home until the study break which is the end of November. So this also means that I will be spending my birthday all alone here or maybe probably with some friends (that is if I managed to make some new friends by then). Also, my finals are scheduled to be on the first two weeks of December so I have to miss our annual Bangkok trip this year (finger cross. I hope not)

So, the preparation into degree life? Degree life means there will no more wearing T'shirts and jeans to class. No more slipper or whatsoever. Degree life means preparing my blouse and pants, ironing them the night before. As Prof Dr Yeong said in her speech, we, as a professionals need to show our professionalism at all time whether it is in the classrooms or during the practicals sessions. Good thing is I had already prepared some formal outfits except for pants. Leggings will need do temporary. 

Speaking of formal clothes, one thing that comes to mind is perfectly ironed clothes. I will be renting the same room during my foundation days and because the room is small, an iron board is totally out. I cannot even move freely in my room already with book racks and whatnot so I opt for this portable iron board. Not only it serve as an iron board, it is also portable which makes storing an easy task. Besides, it is also really light so I can actually store it anywhere it fits. I'm just glad to have found it.

 

 This cost me RM 25.50

Barely a week into degree and my other coursemates had already bought textbooks, borrowing from the library and here I am still finding the time to blog my life journey. Why my coursemates all kiasu one? Hell, I need to step up my game too. I think this is all for now. Better get going with my Chemistry revision as everything gets rusty after 8 months.

 #OOTD #FirstDayToClass #KarenLifeJourney #NewChapterBegins

Ending this with

Happy Independence Day, Malaysia.

I love you no matter what because this is where my family is, where home is

Thanks for reading.

Love you!

Kenyir Day 3: Kelah Santuary & Soak Waterfall

Link to:
Day 1: With Pandragon Marine Cruise & Bewah Cave
Day 2: Lasir Waterfall

(20/07/2015) Our last day in Lake Kenyir was spent in Kelah Sanctuary in Sungai Petang, a research and conversation center for Kelah fish (Malaysian Mahseer). Kelah need clean streams that are highly oxygenated to survive and due to this, they are consider as an endangered species. You probably don't know, but Kelah fish, the king of freshwater fish is the most expensive freshwater fish in Malaysia. A kilogram of the fish can cost up to thousands of ringgit.

The sanctuary is open to public from 8 in the morning to probably around noon only. Entry to the sanctuary are actually limited to 40 per day with granted access from the sanctuary headquarter. Playing and feeding the fish are the main activities beside swimming. Fishing, of course, is strictly prohibited. No fish could be taken out dead or alive. The penalty is RM 10,000 fine per fish or banned from entering again.

Entering the well guarded area

Before going any further, we were given briefing on the Do and Don't when in the sanctuary

From here, park rangers will escort visitors to the lubok

 

It is about another 20 minutes boat ride from the HQ 

 

 Sun shines bouncing off its clear water and highlighting the spellbinding scenery 

of the surrounding hill

Everything in this picture scream tranquility

Seeing natural at its best with magnificent sparkling rivers and 

rapids along the tracks to Kelah Sanctuary

 

The sight of thousands of Kelah greeted us the moment we arrived at the lubok

I never imagine that it would be that exciting and thrilling to visit the sanctuary. When I first found out that we were going to a sanctuary from the travel itinerary, I imagine it would just be a setup area with tanks of fishes breed for research and conservation. With a handful of fish pallets in the water, the water immediately turns into a feeding frenzy of hundreds to thousands of Kelah. The water literally bubbled with the Kelah's mouth bobbing up and down, swallowing gulps of fish pallets. 

 

My first attempt at catching a Mahseer with my bare hands

 

The fish are so used to human contact that visitors can lift the fish up for a quick picture but not too long before the overprotective park rangers head for warning. There are quite a few species of fish there (which I clearly can't recall already. I did ask the park rangers) but the most expensive Kelah would be the ones with red scales. My park ranger said it is expensive due to their color and fish enthusiasts love to have them in aquarium where they will shine beautifully.  

 

It's simply amazing

Dipping my feet into the Kelah Sanctuary's cold, glassy water with thousands of Kelah nibbling at my feet would be the best au naturel massage I ever had thou it can be ticklish at first. Some determined Kelah even pushed themselves out from the water trying to get the pallets that dropped on the river banks. Without experience it myself, I would never imagine such place exist, what more in the heart of Tasik Kenyir.  

 

Adios !!

We bid farewell with the friendly fish around noon before heading back to the main boat for last round of swimming. We started our journey back to Pangkalan Gawi after lunch. We were suppose to stop at Taman Herba and Orchid Farm on our return journey but we traded them for another swim at the Soak Waterfall. Soak Waterfall is a 20 minutes boat ride from Pangkalan Gawi and is common with tourists.

 

Soak Waterwall that afternoon

 

Undeniably a nice place for picnic with family and friends

That ends my trip to Tasik Kenyir. I would say, it was an experience worth going. My siblings who are on the trip keep asking why the hell would I go to such a deserted place with no internet access whatsoever. I guess it is the experience that bring me there. Now, if any of my friends ask me what interesting places to go in Terengganu, I can proudly answer Tasik Kenyir besides Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian.

All in all, it was a fascinating trip and I couldn't help but to feel a little melancholic at our departure. To all who had thought that Tasik Kenyir is merely a place that act as a dam only, you know nothing. As General Macarthur once said and I will say the same. "I shall return..." Perhaps in future, we can see more attractions in Tasik Kenyir. You know what, jet skiing or a tree top adventure would be just perfect for the 38000 hectares of water and lush jungle.

Thanks for reading

See you soon

p/s: I don't bring along a camera with me this trip hence the lack of photo. Besides, I tagged along and went with another group of family so it is just wise to protect their privacy

Kenyir Day 2: Lasir Waterfall

Link to:
Kenyir Day 1: With Pandragon Marine Cruise & Bewah Cave

(19/07/2015) Electricity here depends on the oil from the generator and because of that there are rationing. On certain time, electricity will be switch off for several hours. In the wee hours of morning, we slept with the breeze of cool air and because it was too hot in the room, I opt out to be in the living room. Thou it's dark, at least there's cool air from outside. Even more glad to be waking up with the sunrise. Slowly, without me realizing, the dark horizon lighted up.

 

View at 7 o'clock in the morning

On our second day in Lake Kenyir, we went for some dipping in Lasir Waterfall, the largest shower in Lake Kenyir. With a majestic fall of some 500 feet, Lasir drops gracefully onto a multi-tiered level of boulders and rocks forming five cascading towers of foaming white sprays of the water. As it is only in vicinity from where we anchored, some went with kayak while the rest of us went in speedboat. To reached the waterfall, it was a five minutes walk, eased by concrete pathway. 

 

Three of us 

 

The famous Lasir Waterfall

 

With the famous Lasir Waterwall at the background

 

This small waterfall almost went unnoticed 

 

The water is very refreshing 

 Braced myself to be under the strong waves of water

 

Love this shot of me

Many thanks to Ck Pa 

 

Yeap, it is that beautiful

 

Lasir Waterfall from the observation deck

 

After 2 hours of soaking in the refreshing water of Lasir, we were ready to kayak back the main boat

Still can't get enough of the water, we dive straight into the lake. I joined too, with my life jacket on. I enjoyed myself a lot compare to when we were in Krabi. It must be the life jacket that give me that sense of security. In Krabi, while on tour to the islands, the life jackets provided are all torn. I went up the speedboat in 10 minutes. 

Me and Alice with Audrey photobombing us

Our boat captain is always around to ensure our sefety

 After the swim and lunch, everyone killed the time by chatting, playing cards, fishing or 

in our case, playing congkak (a traditional game)

Captain Danny sailed us to Sungai Petang, where we will be spending the night there

 

Dinner that night

Well, each meals are so delicious that I can't help but eating extra portion. There are always 3 main dishes to choose and are very generous with the portions. We had chicken rendang for lunch the first day, squid, stringray and grouper for dinner,  crab for lunch today and chicken satay, squid again and mutton for dinner. Stayed longer and I shall gain all the lost fats.

Link to:
Day 3: Kelah Sanctuary & Soak Waterfall

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See you soon