Writing-- it's a skill just like anything else. Not everyone is magically born scripturient-- to have that consuming calling to write. Even so, writing is just as much an integral part of our academically-oriented lives as other skills such as reading and presenting. Yet, the emphasis is often placed on areas other than the art of penmanship. Why is it so?
Even then, with the onus having been placed on ourselves alone, time and time again, it is so easy to neglect brushing up on our ability to weave words into impeccable sentences and paragraphs owing to our supposedly always-busy lifestyle. What, exactly, are we busying ourselves on, that we can neglect developing something so fundamental to us?
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Of Rambling and Hillwalking: Snowdon and Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach
Over the weekend, I, following the Rambling and Hillwalking Society, went to Snowdonia and climbed 3 peaks-- Snowdon, the highest, and the two rocky mountains of Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach.
Snowdon is the highest peak in England and Wales, towering at 1085m. Most of the ~14km hike via Rhyd Ddu was pretty smooth until we got to the ridge known as Bwlch Main. Well, I have about 0 experience with climbing mountains, so maybe if I say that it was difficult, it wasn't really. But to me, it was positively nerve-wrecking. The ridge was the narrow, steep, long-fall-on-both-sides type of path. All I could think about was 'one step at a time...' and 'don't look down'. The strong wind blowing and the mist didn't help one bit. The final ascent up to the Trig Point of Snowdon was another challenging bit because it became too steep to walk and I had to climb (ramblers call it scrambling?).
These photos were taken around the peak of Snowdon, when the fog cleared up a little bit. Can't see much, but remember; the fog had cleared a little when it was taken so try to imagine how thick it was when I was actually climbing up-- can't really see further than a few metres.
Descending Snowdon was another nightmare altogether. People who know me know that I'm absolutely terrified of high places and can feel vertigo easily. So I was practically planting my bottom on the rocks (rather painful experience) and making extremely slow progress down the slope. It was more of a mental strain than a physical one on the descent.
Anyway, I managed to climb up and down Snowdon safely, covering around 14km of hills and ascending 1085m to the peak. The whole hike took around 7-8 hours.
Snowdon is the highest peak in England and Wales, towering at 1085m. Most of the ~14km hike via Rhyd Ddu was pretty smooth until we got to the ridge known as Bwlch Main. Well, I have about 0 experience with climbing mountains, so maybe if I say that it was difficult, it wasn't really. But to me, it was positively nerve-wrecking. The ridge was the narrow, steep, long-fall-on-both-sides type of path. All I could think about was 'one step at a time...' and 'don't look down'. The strong wind blowing and the mist didn't help one bit. The final ascent up to the Trig Point of Snowdon was another challenging bit because it became too steep to walk and I had to climb (ramblers call it scrambling?).
These photos were taken around the peak of Snowdon, when the fog cleared up a little bit. Can't see much, but remember; the fog had cleared a little when it was taken so try to imagine how thick it was when I was actually climbing up-- can't really see further than a few metres.
Descending Snowdon was another nightmare altogether. People who know me know that I'm absolutely terrified of high places and can feel vertigo easily. So I was practically planting my bottom on the rocks (rather painful experience) and making extremely slow progress down the slope. It was more of a mental strain than a physical one on the descent.
Anyway, I managed to climb up and down Snowdon safely, covering around 14km of hills and ascending 1085m to the peak. The whole hike took around 7-8 hours.
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| I actually climbed a little higher than the 1085m point, so I guess I can safely say I climbed till 1100m? |
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| Walking into the clouds. Didn't take many photos once I was in them because I couldn't see anything. |
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| Drama shot at a clearing at the peak. Hahaha. |
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Traveling Experiences #1
I've been thinking-- I've not written much lately. And generally, if I don't write stuff down I tend to forget them.
At our age (20...) I feel that it's far more important to learn than to enjoy. Of course, we can't just learn 24/7, 365 days in a normal year because learning is oftentimes both mentally and physically exhausting.
I've traveled more this year than I have in my whole life thus far. To be honest, the thought of sitting down in trains for 10 hours, or waiting at the airport for 6 hours to fly (oh heavens, no!) for another 3 hours would completely deter me from travelling away from the comfort of my home had I been in Malaysia. However, since I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to be studying (or rather, at the point of me writing this, I have officially finished my academic year abroad so I guess 'studying' isn't really the right word to use anymore...) in the UK as an exchange student, I figured I might as well make the most of my time here.
I told myself that I'd write down everything I've learnt from my travels. And so far, I haven't been doing that. You see, living so far away from home, you are given complete control over what you want to do in a day. Generally, when I have too many choices, I tend to make the lazy choice of not really doing anything. So. As it is apparent... the long posts I make on Facebook aren't the ones that are being saved. I should've probably wrote them into this blog. I mean, that was the whole point of me writing my blog anyway.
That being said, I'm going to procrastinate again because it's 4.02 a.m. and I can hear the birdsong outside my window. And yes. The sky is already kinda bright. No, I'm not joking. In Summer, the Sun is in the sky from 5 am ish till 9pm onwards. And although it isn't as warm as Malaysia's scorching 35 C, the intensity of the Sun rays here are quite a bit higher, I reckon. But I can't even remember how the Sun in Malaysia feels like anymore. It's been so long.
At our age (20...) I feel that it's far more important to learn than to enjoy. Of course, we can't just learn 24/7, 365 days in a normal year because learning is oftentimes both mentally and physically exhausting.
I've traveled more this year than I have in my whole life thus far. To be honest, the thought of sitting down in trains for 10 hours, or waiting at the airport for 6 hours to fly (oh heavens, no!) for another 3 hours would completely deter me from travelling away from the comfort of my home had I been in Malaysia. However, since I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to be studying (or rather, at the point of me writing this, I have officially finished my academic year abroad so I guess 'studying' isn't really the right word to use anymore...) in the UK as an exchange student, I figured I might as well make the most of my time here.
I told myself that I'd write down everything I've learnt from my travels. And so far, I haven't been doing that. You see, living so far away from home, you are given complete control over what you want to do in a day. Generally, when I have too many choices, I tend to make the lazy choice of not really doing anything. So. As it is apparent... the long posts I make on Facebook aren't the ones that are being saved. I should've probably wrote them into this blog. I mean, that was the whole point of me writing my blog anyway.
That being said, I'm going to procrastinate again because it's 4.02 a.m. and I can hear the birdsong outside my window. And yes. The sky is already kinda bright. No, I'm not joking. In Summer, the Sun is in the sky from 5 am ish till 9pm onwards. And although it isn't as warm as Malaysia's scorching 35 C, the intensity of the Sun rays here are quite a bit higher, I reckon. But I can't even remember how the Sun in Malaysia feels like anymore. It's been so long.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Nottingham Malaysian Festival 2014
This was written on the midnight of 22 March 2014.
Nottingham Malaysian Festival 2014 has come to an end. I'm just trying to write down my thoughts and feelings concerning the event-- although I believe lack of sleep (and the fact that it's already so late) is impeding my ability to do so. I talk more about my feelings in my blog, and keep things (relatively) short here. And of course, I'll be writing from my point of view and that it is likely that I would have missed out a lot background things not immediately obvious. Nevertheless, let us carry on.
It wouldn't be fair to talk about the wonderful event that happened on 22 March 2014 without bringing up the countless hours that went into making the event into such a big success in the first place. I daren't say that I had as much to worry about as the organisers of the festival did, whom had their work cut out for them months ago, but in the past month, amid towering coursework and tailgating deadlines, trying to squeeze in the time to practice dancing and drumming was definitely not easy. But somehow, we all managed anyway. Every practice session was great fun and that made the successful M.Fest 2014 all that much sweeter.
I predict that there was around a 100 performers excluding volunteers and crew. As you can see, it was no small event. While I'm biased, I honestly thought that the flash mob dance group had practiced the most for this event, with close to 7 hours of practicing a week; however, it was apparent, upon seeing the fruition of every other group's hard work, that everyone had put in their due diligence to ensure the highest standard of performance they could afford with the limited time given to us.
Some of you may know that I had the honour of being the one in charge of creating a routine for the bucket drumming performance prior to the flash mob. At first, I was hesitant-- reluctant, even, to take charge of that group because I had no experience with hitting buckets, but mainly because the due date for the biggest project this academic year was a few days before the event itself. I was 50/50 about it until V-Shenn gave me a slight push and tilted my thinking balance into 'oh heck why not' mode. If I'm going to study abroad for a year, I definitely don't want to be a social shut in getting good marks but not going out, meeting new people and living life. At first, I was a little irritated because the bucket drumming idea came in about a week after dance practice had started. I had to create a routine and then find people who were interested to hit buckets (I'll be honest here, I never expected such an eager response). And then I had to teach my drummers how to play as well, with only about a fraction of the time that we had to practice dancing. I also didn't have much confidence in my abilities and honestly, I kept doubting myself-- which affected the way I lead the others.
I can, with utmost confidence, say that I'm glad I decided to do the bucket drumming in the end because I got to meet (and know better) people who are enthusiastic, committed, helpful, and downright awesome. Also, that feeling when I held a pair of brand new drumsticks in my hands after not touching a drum set for over half a year-- heaven!
Drumming aside, I definitely did not regret joining the flash mob either. Funny, because initially I was going to ignore M.Fest altogether. The last time I danced was back in form 4 and (somehow) I felt that I wouldn't fit in with all the 'hip' people usually associated with dancing.
I daresay you wouldn't be able to find a more upbeat group of people anywhere else. But then again, I, sadly, didn't have the chance to interact with everyone in the flash mob group.
All our hard work culminated on the 22 March 2014 when the M.Fest was held successfully. It was quite an amazing sight to behold, really. I recall someone asking one of the organising committee members, "How did you do it?" and she just replied, "It was a lot of hard work". I couldn't have agreed more, and in fact, asking such a simple question was really doing a great disservice everyone who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the event-- it was more than just 'a lot of hard work', but how else could she have answered it?
It was a bit surreal to think that all the hours of practicing amounted to just about 20 minutes of performing time. If you think about it objectively, it's totally not worth practicing so much. But with dancing, as with most arts, you simply can't look at things just objectively. I definitely think we did a very good job with our performance, and that everyone else did a very good job with their own respective responsibilities as well.
All in all, I would like to end this long post by expressing my gratitude to the organising committee members of the Nottingham Malaysian Festival for all their planning and doowops behind the scenes, the awesome flash mob choreographers for their patience and attentiveness in teaching such a large crowd, the flash mob dancers for putting up with my constant annoyances of noise while everyone was trying to practice, and of course to my bucket drumming team for being very helpful and understanding of my nervousness and being awesome (I seem to be using that word pretty often).
It's a little saddening that I couldn't get to know more people better and that we only had the chance to meet for this event. It is highly unlikely that we'll ever have a reason to interact again with each other after this, much moreso when I return to Malaysia in just a few months' time while the rest of them continue on here in the UK. And I get a little more sad when I think about it because I do want to return home-- but at the same time I also do want to stay here-- both for the same reasons; the people I know. But well, let's save those sentiments for another post.
Nottingham Malaysian Festival 2014 has come to an end. I'm just trying to write down my thoughts and feelings concerning the event-- although I believe lack of sleep (and the fact that it's already so late) is impeding my ability to do so. I talk more about my feelings in my blog, and keep things (relatively) short here. And of course, I'll be writing from my point of view and that it is likely that I would have missed out a lot background things not immediately obvious. Nevertheless, let us carry on.
It wouldn't be fair to talk about the wonderful event that happened on 22 March 2014 without bringing up the countless hours that went into making the event into such a big success in the first place. I daren't say that I had as much to worry about as the organisers of the festival did, whom had their work cut out for them months ago, but in the past month, amid towering coursework and tailgating deadlines, trying to squeeze in the time to practice dancing and drumming was definitely not easy. But somehow, we all managed anyway. Every practice session was great fun and that made the successful M.Fest 2014 all that much sweeter.
I predict that there was around a 100 performers excluding volunteers and crew. As you can see, it was no small event. While I'm biased, I honestly thought that the flash mob dance group had practiced the most for this event, with close to 7 hours of practicing a week; however, it was apparent, upon seeing the fruition of every other group's hard work, that everyone had put in their due diligence to ensure the highest standard of performance they could afford with the limited time given to us.
Some of you may know that I had the honour of being the one in charge of creating a routine for the bucket drumming performance prior to the flash mob. At first, I was hesitant-- reluctant, even, to take charge of that group because I had no experience with hitting buckets, but mainly because the due date for the biggest project this academic year was a few days before the event itself. I was 50/50 about it until V-Shenn gave me a slight push and tilted my thinking balance into 'oh heck why not' mode. If I'm going to study abroad for a year, I definitely don't want to be a social shut in getting good marks but not going out, meeting new people and living life. At first, I was a little irritated because the bucket drumming idea came in about a week after dance practice had started. I had to create a routine and then find people who were interested to hit buckets (I'll be honest here, I never expected such an eager response). And then I had to teach my drummers how to play as well, with only about a fraction of the time that we had to practice dancing. I also didn't have much confidence in my abilities and honestly, I kept doubting myself-- which affected the way I lead the others.
I can, with utmost confidence, say that I'm glad I decided to do the bucket drumming in the end because I got to meet (and know better) people who are enthusiastic, committed, helpful, and downright awesome. Also, that feeling when I held a pair of brand new drumsticks in my hands after not touching a drum set for over half a year-- heaven!
Drumming aside, I definitely did not regret joining the flash mob either. Funny, because initially I was going to ignore M.Fest altogether. The last time I danced was back in form 4 and (somehow) I felt that I wouldn't fit in with all the 'hip' people usually associated with dancing.
I daresay you wouldn't be able to find a more upbeat group of people anywhere else. But then again, I, sadly, didn't have the chance to interact with everyone in the flash mob group.
All our hard work culminated on the 22 March 2014 when the M.Fest was held successfully. It was quite an amazing sight to behold, really. I recall someone asking one of the organising committee members, "How did you do it?" and she just replied, "It was a lot of hard work". I couldn't have agreed more, and in fact, asking such a simple question was really doing a great disservice everyone who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the event-- it was more than just 'a lot of hard work', but how else could she have answered it?
It was a bit surreal to think that all the hours of practicing amounted to just about 20 minutes of performing time. If you think about it objectively, it's totally not worth practicing so much. But with dancing, as with most arts, you simply can't look at things just objectively. I definitely think we did a very good job with our performance, and that everyone else did a very good job with their own respective responsibilities as well.
All in all, I would like to end this long post by expressing my gratitude to the organising committee members of the Nottingham Malaysian Festival for all their planning and doowops behind the scenes, the awesome flash mob choreographers for their patience and attentiveness in teaching such a large crowd, the flash mob dancers for putting up with my constant annoyances of noise while everyone was trying to practice, and of course to my bucket drumming team for being very helpful and understanding of my nervousness and being awesome (I seem to be using that word pretty often).
It's a little saddening that I couldn't get to know more people better and that we only had the chance to meet for this event. It is highly unlikely that we'll ever have a reason to interact again with each other after this, much moreso when I return to Malaysia in just a few months' time while the rest of them continue on here in the UK. And I get a little more sad when I think about it because I do want to return home-- but at the same time I also do want to stay here-- both for the same reasons; the people I know. But well, let's save those sentiments for another post.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Cardiff, The Festival of Diversity, and long travel times.
To be updated when I'm not completely swamped with coursework.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
End of the First Semester in UK
Today (20/1/2014), with the finishing of my final paper, marks the end of the first sem of my studying overseas. In other words, I've completed half of what I'm supposed to do here-- or it's just another semester till I go back home.
Most of my friends are planning (in fact, at the time of my writing this they are probably waiting for their respective buses) to go holidaying but I, lacking foresight as always, am now left pretty much alone with no idea what to do for my (slightly less than) 1 week holiday. Oh well, no point being down about it. I'll figure something out. I always do.
Most of my friends are planning (in fact, at the time of my writing this they are probably waiting for their respective buses) to go holidaying but I, lacking foresight as always, am now left pretty much alone with no idea what to do for my (slightly less than) 1 week holiday. Oh well, no point being down about it. I'll figure something out. I always do.
Friday, January 10, 2014
2013-The Year of Firsts
The Mayor of London said that 2014 will be the year of Firsts. That was their catchphrase in promoting their London New Year Eve countdown 2014 in partnership with Vodafone. I don’t know what to say about 2014 since I can’t predict the future (and wouldn’t want to anyway), but, for me, I would say, above all, that 2013 was the year of Firsts (hence the aptly titled post).
Every year, as always, I do a year-in review at the end of the year and an academic review around June. This (or last) year, however, I didn’t do either—I’m doing the year-in review only at the start of the new year and the academic review is still pending. I guess that’s mainly because I’ve been doing things I don’t normally do in 2013 and I’m still trying to adapt. And woe be me; if by the time I’ve adapted I already need to go back home to Malaysia. Alas!
For someone who doesn’t travel around much like me, being accepted into the student exchange programme by Nottingham was a big step to take—both for me and my family. It was something I’d only talk about, not something I was quite ready to accept. In fact, when I was rejected at first, I was honestly quite relieved. I would have been happy to have just remained where I was; a two-hour drive away from my family and home and with most of my friends around me. But still, how could I let the chance to study overseas—something I’ve always wanted to do—just slip through my hands without even trying to grab it? I wrote an appeal letter and I did not even get a reply from them and thus gave up hope. But a few months later, towards August, the university gave me a call and asked if I was still interested in the programme; and the rest is history. I flew to Nottingham, and thus began my year of Firsts.
I mentioned that it was a big step to take for both me and my family. It was for me because I was never one to travel much. I definitely preferred to stay home with all its benefits and comforts. But the problem lies thusly: if I continued to stay in my comfort zone, my growth would definitely be limited. And I’ve stayed in there for so long it was difficult for me to move out. The student exchange programme was a huge kick—something that forced me to do something I’ve never done before. And I’m grateful for the opportunity.
It was a big step for my family because I would be the first member to ever go overseas for such a long period of time. We didn’t know what to expect, really, and had to cross bridges just as we got to them. Thankfully the distance doesn’t really feel that far (sometimes it does though when in want of a warm touch) because we have the wonders of technology on our side. I still talk to my family almost every day through Skype after finding a suitable time after compensating for time zone differences (8 hours!).
Anyway, that’s enough background information.
The first half of my year was more or less like any other year. I was studying in UNMC and staying in Semenyih. I drove back on a fortnightly basis and played basketball or badminton almost every other day in the warm Sun (oh gosh how I miss the warm Sun). Sometimes, Jia En and I would jam together—other times we’d perform on stage for some event with our band. We’d go for lunch and dinner together in one-of-five stores—so much so that the restaurants already knew us. When I’m at home, if Isaiah is back too we’d go play basketball together at Yok Bin in the evenings and go out and drink tea at night.
Everything changed sometime in August though—when I had to prepare all the things I needed to go to the UK.
For the first time, I recorded myself in a video. I performed the ‘Cups’ song in my house before going to the UK as a sort of ‘see you again’ gift. I also started a V-log that I semi update from time to time.
For the first time, I flew to the UK. When I stepped out into London’s Heathrow airport, the cool air that greeted me was something I definitely welcomed—much moreso after sitting down in the plane for 13 hours. There were a lot of us Malaysian students on that flight because I suppose we were all thinking to arrive for the international students' welcome programme.
It’s quite an eye-opening experience, really, studying in a foreign country. Suddenly, you’re not part of the locals, but the foreigners instead. The norms back home are now obscurities. Pork and dogs are everywhere (I found it hard to accept seeing dogs in shopping malls). English is spoken all the time here too (d’oh, right?). But I was pleasantly surprised. And generally, the people here are all very nice too although I’ve been told that I was lucky to only meet nice people so far.
The weight of the currency difference and cost of living also became clear to me. These people, who were earning dollar-for-dollar the same as us (and probably more) had a cost of living that was much less than us. Normal, everyday groceries like fruits and vegetables, dairy, and meat all can be gotten for (reasonably) less than 10 pounds. 2 pints of milk would set you back only a pound. Fruits and vegetables are mostly one-pound denominations and a kilogram of pork could be as low as 6 pounds. Surprisingly, though, chicken is quite expensive here.
For the first time, I was on the receiving end of a hospitality programme. The Howell-Thomas family, consisting of Helen, Ben and their baby Evie, invited me over for dinner where we had fajitas and talked all night long. They’ve invited me over a few more times but somehow or rather our schedules just don’t match and thus I haven’t gone to see them again (yet).
For the first time, I went on an overseas holiday (really unless you count Singapore, and even then only a few times ever). I mean, I have been to Japan before but that had a specific purpose, although I suppose that could be considered a holiday too. I’ll be more specific then; for the first time, I went to Germany and Switzerland. Germany was a nice place which had nice people but even better yet affordable yet delicious food. The country is known for their sausages (wurst), breads (brot), and pork (and to a lesser extent cheese). The best thing is that different cities are famous for different varieties of food. For example, in Nuremberg, they’re famous for their Numberger Rotwurst, or roasted sausages. In Berlin; currywurst. In Hamburg; Frikadelle (a Hamburger. No, really.) and Franzbrotchen. And so on. And me being the foodie I am, I was ecstatic to try everything (and I did!) and was delighted to know that everything wasn’t really that expensive (quite a bit cheaper than in the UK, actually, even before converting back to GBP). Germany had amazing cities too—very well landscaped and built. Did you know that most of Germany was destroyed in the 2nd world war and that the country known as Germany was only formed in 1990? You wouldn’t be able to tell from looking. They’ve really come a long way.
Switzerland also had very nice and friendly people who generally spoke good English as well as their own variety of German (mixed with French). However, about food, the Swiss held the other side of the coin; Swiss food is really very expensive and isn’t really that great. I should say that generally the cost of living there is very high. Then again, it could also be because I only went to Zurich, their capital. The Swiss are known for their cheese (kase) and chocolate and Swiss army knives from Victorinox. They also serve a variety of sausages, but most if not all of these paled when compared to German ones. The dairy, however, was really, really delicious (best cheest and milk I’ve ever had, really). They even have a cheese fondue but I didn’t get to try it as it was around 30 Swiss Francs per person. Did I mention that the food in Switzerland was very expensive? “Cheap” food for them is around 15 Francs, so I needn’t explain more.
For the first time, I got to see snow! It was in (you guessed it) Switzerland and Germany. I took a train to towns called Uetliberg and Ringlikon in Switzerland where I had my first experience with snow. It wasn’t as cold as I expected (or maybe I was simply wearing too many layers) but snow is really just… shaved ice. It was also hailing in Uetliberg and I could really feel the bits of ice hitting my head there. Snow is also really dirty. In Germany, however, I saw snow at the town called Fussen near the Neuchwanstein Castle. It was smoother and softer than that of Switzerland, and I had my first snowball fight there. Arguably, because not many cars drive to the castle, the snow was much cleaner too.
For the first time, I cut my own hair. I didn’t do a very good job, but I did get the job (somewhat) done. If you see me you’ll probably laugh. But it was a good experience and I could probably save quite a bit of money if I cut my own hair here in the UK considering that it costs around 8 pounds per haircut while in Malaysia I can cut my hair for around RM 3.
For the first (and maybe only) time, I went to the London New Year Eve countdown. I was tired from all the travelling in Germany but #YOLO-ed and decided to go see one of the biggest fireworks display in the world located around the River Thames and the Eye of London. It was definitely impressive but me being me; I would probably not want to see it again because the things I had to go through in order to see it was… for a lack of a better word, exhausting. I waited for about 5-6 hours getting squashed from all sides just to see a display that lasted around 11 minutes and then had to spend another 2-3 hours fighting the crowd just to get on a train to go back home. Props to the police and crowd control officers, they did a really good job. But when you have a few hundred thousand people all in the same area, there really isn’t much you can do.
So, for those of you who have read till this point, I applaud you. 2013 has been a roller coaster year for me with arguably a lot more ups than downs. I’m really thankful for all the great people I got to meet and got to know better this year and of course, the privilege of going overseas to study for a year. Sometimes I think that “only” a year feels too short, while sometimes I feel that a year feels far too long to be away from home for. It really helps to have someone to come back to after a particularly draining day or week.
Anyway, I think that this post has dragged on for too long now. If I were to include everything that happened in 2013 I’ll never be able to finish.
So to everyone I know, and to everyone I have yet to meet, thank you for being (or coming to be!) a part of my life. I would say ‘for better or for worse’ but everyone I know is great in their own way and has enriched my life whether they realized it or not. Let me end this absurdly long post by saying: I wish for you, as well as all of us, a very happy new year and that 2014 brings us more happiness, joy, satisfaction, contentment, wealth and good health than we need and that we’ll find ways to not only enrich our own lives, but the lives of those around us as well.
Every year, as always, I do a year-in review at the end of the year and an academic review around June. This (or last) year, however, I didn’t do either—I’m doing the year-in review only at the start of the new year and the academic review is still pending. I guess that’s mainly because I’ve been doing things I don’t normally do in 2013 and I’m still trying to adapt. And woe be me; if by the time I’ve adapted I already need to go back home to Malaysia. Alas!
For someone who doesn’t travel around much like me, being accepted into the student exchange programme by Nottingham was a big step to take—both for me and my family. It was something I’d only talk about, not something I was quite ready to accept. In fact, when I was rejected at first, I was honestly quite relieved. I would have been happy to have just remained where I was; a two-hour drive away from my family and home and with most of my friends around me. But still, how could I let the chance to study overseas—something I’ve always wanted to do—just slip through my hands without even trying to grab it? I wrote an appeal letter and I did not even get a reply from them and thus gave up hope. But a few months later, towards August, the university gave me a call and asked if I was still interested in the programme; and the rest is history. I flew to Nottingham, and thus began my year of Firsts.
I mentioned that it was a big step to take for both me and my family. It was for me because I was never one to travel much. I definitely preferred to stay home with all its benefits and comforts. But the problem lies thusly: if I continued to stay in my comfort zone, my growth would definitely be limited. And I’ve stayed in there for so long it was difficult for me to move out. The student exchange programme was a huge kick—something that forced me to do something I’ve never done before. And I’m grateful for the opportunity.
It was a big step for my family because I would be the first member to ever go overseas for such a long period of time. We didn’t know what to expect, really, and had to cross bridges just as we got to them. Thankfully the distance doesn’t really feel that far (sometimes it does though when in want of a warm touch) because we have the wonders of technology on our side. I still talk to my family almost every day through Skype after finding a suitable time after compensating for time zone differences (8 hours!).
Anyway, that’s enough background information.
The first half of my year was more or less like any other year. I was studying in UNMC and staying in Semenyih. I drove back on a fortnightly basis and played basketball or badminton almost every other day in the warm Sun (oh gosh how I miss the warm Sun). Sometimes, Jia En and I would jam together—other times we’d perform on stage for some event with our band. We’d go for lunch and dinner together in one-of-five stores—so much so that the restaurants already knew us. When I’m at home, if Isaiah is back too we’d go play basketball together at Yok Bin in the evenings and go out and drink tea at night.
Everything changed sometime in August though—when I had to prepare all the things I needed to go to the UK.
For the first time, I recorded myself in a video. I performed the ‘Cups’ song in my house before going to the UK as a sort of ‘see you again’ gift. I also started a V-log that I semi update from time to time.
For the first time, I flew to the UK. When I stepped out into London’s Heathrow airport, the cool air that greeted me was something I definitely welcomed—much moreso after sitting down in the plane for 13 hours. There were a lot of us Malaysian students on that flight because I suppose we were all thinking to arrive for the international students' welcome programme.
It’s quite an eye-opening experience, really, studying in a foreign country. Suddenly, you’re not part of the locals, but the foreigners instead. The norms back home are now obscurities. Pork and dogs are everywhere (I found it hard to accept seeing dogs in shopping malls). English is spoken all the time here too (d’oh, right?). But I was pleasantly surprised. And generally, the people here are all very nice too although I’ve been told that I was lucky to only meet nice people so far.
The weight of the currency difference and cost of living also became clear to me. These people, who were earning dollar-for-dollar the same as us (and probably more) had a cost of living that was much less than us. Normal, everyday groceries like fruits and vegetables, dairy, and meat all can be gotten for (reasonably) less than 10 pounds. 2 pints of milk would set you back only a pound. Fruits and vegetables are mostly one-pound denominations and a kilogram of pork could be as low as 6 pounds. Surprisingly, though, chicken is quite expensive here.
For the first time, I was on the receiving end of a hospitality programme. The Howell-Thomas family, consisting of Helen, Ben and their baby Evie, invited me over for dinner where we had fajitas and talked all night long. They’ve invited me over a few more times but somehow or rather our schedules just don’t match and thus I haven’t gone to see them again (yet).
For the first time, I went on an overseas holiday (really unless you count Singapore, and even then only a few times ever). I mean, I have been to Japan before but that had a specific purpose, although I suppose that could be considered a holiday too. I’ll be more specific then; for the first time, I went to Germany and Switzerland. Germany was a nice place which had nice people but even better yet affordable yet delicious food. The country is known for their sausages (wurst), breads (brot), and pork (and to a lesser extent cheese). The best thing is that different cities are famous for different varieties of food. For example, in Nuremberg, they’re famous for their Numberger Rotwurst, or roasted sausages. In Berlin; currywurst. In Hamburg; Frikadelle (a Hamburger. No, really.) and Franzbrotchen. And so on. And me being the foodie I am, I was ecstatic to try everything (and I did!) and was delighted to know that everything wasn’t really that expensive (quite a bit cheaper than in the UK, actually, even before converting back to GBP). Germany had amazing cities too—very well landscaped and built. Did you know that most of Germany was destroyed in the 2nd world war and that the country known as Germany was only formed in 1990? You wouldn’t be able to tell from looking. They’ve really come a long way.
Switzerland also had very nice and friendly people who generally spoke good English as well as their own variety of German (mixed with French). However, about food, the Swiss held the other side of the coin; Swiss food is really very expensive and isn’t really that great. I should say that generally the cost of living there is very high. Then again, it could also be because I only went to Zurich, their capital. The Swiss are known for their cheese (kase) and chocolate and Swiss army knives from Victorinox. They also serve a variety of sausages, but most if not all of these paled when compared to German ones. The dairy, however, was really, really delicious (best cheest and milk I’ve ever had, really). They even have a cheese fondue but I didn’t get to try it as it was around 30 Swiss Francs per person. Did I mention that the food in Switzerland was very expensive? “Cheap” food for them is around 15 Francs, so I needn’t explain more.
For the first time, I got to see snow! It was in (you guessed it) Switzerland and Germany. I took a train to towns called Uetliberg and Ringlikon in Switzerland where I had my first experience with snow. It wasn’t as cold as I expected (or maybe I was simply wearing too many layers) but snow is really just… shaved ice. It was also hailing in Uetliberg and I could really feel the bits of ice hitting my head there. Snow is also really dirty. In Germany, however, I saw snow at the town called Fussen near the Neuchwanstein Castle. It was smoother and softer than that of Switzerland, and I had my first snowball fight there. Arguably, because not many cars drive to the castle, the snow was much cleaner too.
For the first time, I cut my own hair. I didn’t do a very good job, but I did get the job (somewhat) done. If you see me you’ll probably laugh. But it was a good experience and I could probably save quite a bit of money if I cut my own hair here in the UK considering that it costs around 8 pounds per haircut while in Malaysia I can cut my hair for around RM 3.
For the first (and maybe only) time, I went to the London New Year Eve countdown. I was tired from all the travelling in Germany but #YOLO-ed and decided to go see one of the biggest fireworks display in the world located around the River Thames and the Eye of London. It was definitely impressive but me being me; I would probably not want to see it again because the things I had to go through in order to see it was… for a lack of a better word, exhausting. I waited for about 5-6 hours getting squashed from all sides just to see a display that lasted around 11 minutes and then had to spend another 2-3 hours fighting the crowd just to get on a train to go back home. Props to the police and crowd control officers, they did a really good job. But when you have a few hundred thousand people all in the same area, there really isn’t much you can do.
So, for those of you who have read till this point, I applaud you. 2013 has been a roller coaster year for me with arguably a lot more ups than downs. I’m really thankful for all the great people I got to meet and got to know better this year and of course, the privilege of going overseas to study for a year. Sometimes I think that “only” a year feels too short, while sometimes I feel that a year feels far too long to be away from home for. It really helps to have someone to come back to after a particularly draining day or week.
Anyway, I think that this post has dragged on for too long now. If I were to include everything that happened in 2013 I’ll never be able to finish.
So to everyone I know, and to everyone I have yet to meet, thank you for being (or coming to be!) a part of my life. I would say ‘for better or for worse’ but everyone I know is great in their own way and has enriched my life whether they realized it or not. Let me end this absurdly long post by saying: I wish for you, as well as all of us, a very happy new year and that 2014 brings us more happiness, joy, satisfaction, contentment, wealth and good health than we need and that we’ll find ways to not only enrich our own lives, but the lives of those around us as well.
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