1st time away from home Part 2

I love to fly at that time and I still remember during my long SPM holidays, my family and I went to KL for a week . Adding to the excitment and to our surprised, dad bought an AIRbus flight where we got to transit in Singapore before heading to KL. So same as my flight to Ipoh, I think this is the 1st time I tell people about my journey to IPOH....

That morning, our 1st destination was to Johore Bahru...Yes, from Kuching we flew to Johore. Transit 1 hour there, I got to see how Johore airport looked like, small, old and no aero bridge so we have to walk from the plane to the terminal to get some drinks. Then guess where next, Ipoh? No no no.. next we flew to KL and have to wait about 2 hours at Subang terminal 3 before we got the last connection flight to Ipoh. Finally We arrived at Ipoh around 5pm.

Ipoh airport is quite similar to JB, old fashioned, small and no aero bridge. Again we have to walk into the terminal. We took taxi to the hotel and believe me, the hotel was P. Ramlee movie liked hotel, similar to the one in TV lah.. hehe... Very old fashioned at that time. Near by the hotel, I can see the Grandys, a fast food like KFC and Sugar bun. I don't know about dad's feeling at that time but I got a good sleep that night due to the jet leg.

To be continued!

1st time away from home...

May 1994, it was the time when I entered the lower 6 science 2 in SMK Green Road Kuching. There were many new faces in my class. But the common ones were Margaret, Haseanti, Yohanna and finally Melcome. I can still remember the subjects which we took were all the “killer subjects”. Mathematics S & T, Physics, Organic and Physical Chemistry, Biology and General Knowledge. I can still remember every tests which I took I never passed any of it. The subjects seemed to be so alien and tough as if I never studied it before. They all are about the fundemental or basics stuffs like how this person came up with the formula and then how to apply it in our daily life.

Frankly we were waiting for any offer be it a diploma programme or matriculations which ever comes first we would be happily take it. FYI, there were no internet during our time and no such thing as ONLINE applications. Every thing need to do manually where ones bring his IC and buy the PIN number at the Post office due to the forms were limited and ONLY the '93 SPM holder can buy it.

During our time, only USM, UM, UKM, UUM and UIA offer the matriculations programme and the programme is handled by individual university where unlike now, that programe is fully under Ministry of higher education. UPM and UTM offers direct Diploma and Degree courses. ITM (now UITM) only offer Diploma level. UNIMAS and UMS and other Unis masih belum wujud ya.. Melcome and I applied for Matrix in USM while Margaret, Haseanti and Yohanna applied for Matrix in UM. Among all, I was the last one whom get the offer and the last one to fly to tanah Malaya. The waiting part was so hurting only God knows how I felt.

That Saturday morning, I received a telegram from the mr postman written;

Please register yourself at STAR Ipoh Perak on Monday 15/08/1994 ; 8:00am. Please bring a pair of school uniform and baju melayu, sports wear, towel and etc.

I was very happy and called my dad whom was working at PDRM at Petra Jaya. At that time, my mom and my sister Dolina was at home I guess... I can't remember all the detail, my sister Ivy was still in Sandakan sabah, my late brother Igat was in Kapit while my brother Andy was still studying in UPM Bintulu.

When dad arrived, we talked a lot and doing some planning such as doing shopping, buy air tickets ( mind you , the ait tickets were quite expensive at that time... Air ASIA was not born yet). Finally we got the Sunday morning flight tickets and that evening we went shopping and I got my 1st big brown travellers bag for me to put my stuffs. I know mom was the saddest woman in the world because her youngest son and the last child finally would left home and being far away for quite sometimes. But she hid her emotions very well and I did so, well I have to show her that his 'anak emak' is strong!

The next day I flew to IPOH accompanied by dad. I only remembered hugging and kissing mum good bye. The rest, somebody need to story me, please.

To be continued!

All Souls Day

This morning i drove the family to visit Igat's resting place. It was the 1st time his wife and his only son May and Jeremiah visit. Many other people were there to show thier love and respects to their beloved ones. As usual i couldn't control my emotion and started to cry, well, mom and dad cried too.. In times of grievness, words are hardly said or perhaps i rather not to say anything at all because the cry iteself was telling amd showing you how and what i felt at that time. Jeremiah unlike the mother was still in his own baby world. What can an 8 months old baby do or say or think? Yes, he was really innocent but in his really best outfit. He was handsome that morning! The visit ended with a word of prayer by the sub deacon. November is here and i hope it brings more blessings! Tomorrow we will be going to Lundu for for a wedding. Mom is so excited to go i guess. To me, Lundu has been a place where many things happen, things that change partial of my spiritual life and only some people know about this because the had experienced it too. This year we have been staying night in Lundu more than twice. 2 times over night at Gunung Gading, 1 night at rumah merah and several day trips. <- For my own record! Today is Friday and my wife and i have not plan anything yet. I pray that God protcets everyone who trust and put their believe in Him, in Jesus name i pray.. Amen!

The day is here again....

Yup, the day is here again, and it comes only once ayear and when it comes, your age increases and the day comes with a celebration, depends how you want it to be and where you want to celebrate it and with whom you want to celebrate it, its your choice. To me, I'd like to share that day in a small family and close friends gathering doing some BBQ and some cordial, accompany by a light and easy music, perhaps some jazz.. karaoke would be consider depends on time and whether there are people who wants to sing a long and make things running smoothly. Jokes and gossips are mostly welcome to make the night alive and stress-less..; Yes, i did ever experience that day... it was a perfect day where you celebrate it with the right people.... But maybe that time would not repeat as the way you ALWAYS like it because the RIGHT people won't always be there with you or you won't always be there with them... This year it would be my 1st ever birthday without my late brother Igat. I always remember during the day, henever fails to call and wish me a Happy Birthday, no matter where he was, Bintulu, Sibu or Miri, though it was a short call, he remembered! Now tho i wouldn't receive any call from him, i will cherished all the 35 wishes he ever wished to me and today surprisingly i recieved the 36 birthday wish from his wife, May! Anyway, i really put my faith in God's hand! I'm married happily to Snah and we have a small house at riveria and we do have plans to have kids one fine day... It's just the matter of time :)

Here and there

Last February to early of March my wife and I went to the peninsular for a short holiday. I didn't expect too much from the trip but it ended with lots of memmories. I have my own mission which was to visit my old university in Minden Penang and in Tronoh Perak. The direct Airasia flight from Kuching to Penang was superb because i prepare everything thru the net starting from the place to seats till the food that we consumed in the plane, i ensure that both of us had enough and feel cosy and yes we did! Penang airport is still under renovation, but the design is very similar to KLIA nor KIA. 1st day in Penang, after checked in at the inn, I immediately brought my wife to visit USM main campus, the matriculation block, the clinic and some of the dewan kuliah there. It changed a little bit i guess. The guards are more strick, more new buildings too...Later we took the bus to KOMTAR and sight sseeing there...We went to Perangin Mall while waiting for cousin Jamie whom later brought us round Island. Unexpectedly we went to Penang Hard Rock cafe for dinner. I never been there and little that i know that we had hard rock cafe in Penang. The weather that night was very bad. HEavy rains and thinder caused massive jams due to some fallen trees by the road side. But Jamie was so preofessional in her driving that Michael Shumacer also might lose if they were to compete in litar sepang... oh, it was flooded too everywhere.. nothing new i guess. Thas't one of the 7 wonders in Penang. hehehee... Zen, the foods were sumptuos, up the brim, extravaganza and delicious.. I don't know whether Kuching have things like this or not... The live band from Philipine was so entertaining because not long after that, 3 of us were already dancing at the front stage... whooo haaaa.... The ferry ride I guess my wife was the happiest person in the world when we took a ferry to Seberang Prai. Like Penang, the ferry also did some makeover. 13 years back, the vehicles area are located at the base of the ferry while the top lever is occupied by passengers. Nowadays, the passangers is sharing some of its space to the vehicles. I think it's one of the way to improve throuhput i guess... but they should not overlooked saftey... The Prai bus station also looked different, the Parkson and the food stall are no longer there.. I wonder why... The 2 hours bus trip to Medan Gopeng was so fast. I slept the whole way because i know i need the energy to explore the next city where i spent 4 years of my lives in STAR and USM Tronoh. That evening, we were taken care by Ruth, my wife's cousin. With the rented car, I managed to see all plan places such us Tronoh, USM KCP, Taman Maju , TESCO, etc. Seri Iskandar really went under a great changed!! Lucky those students, last time we could only see civilization after an hour drive to Ipoh, but now it's a stone throw!! The Express Train Ride That Saturday morning, we planned to ride on train from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur. It was a new experienced to me and my wife because besides commuter, LRT, MRT, STAR and city link, i never ride on a train. Frankly, i don't like it because my seats was facing to the opposite side of the train and it casued a headache becasue my brain need to adjust along the way to KL and added to that, the toilet odour was so strong because it was just outside of the train, attached to the next couch. Anyway, just called it "experience"! To be continue... TAG: KL, Met Sister Ivy and family, Tiara's Inn