Like I said as the school draws into its closure by the end of November, the schedule is very tight & intense. After the presentation at UPM for my “Intercultural Communication”, I have to join the SK Serendah Annual Boot Camp despite the deteriorating health (due to lack of male teachers). So whether I like it or not – and to avoid from female teachers’ big mouths gossiping (you can’t really stop that, anyway), I succumbed and forced myself to go- despite getting MC from Poliklinik Serendah. Bringing along the piles of unmarked Exam Papers for 3 classes (expected to finish anytime sooner due to Due Date), I pushed off to Kem Sri Raudah right after Friday Prayer at Masjid Batu 16 Rawang.
From Kem Sri Raudah’s entrance, an elevated hill which goes down to the valley. Undeniably, the panorama was picturesque ala 70s-80s Malay villages scene BUT unfortunately, the management was somewhat a turn off. Just personal opinions from a customer. Never meant to disgrace – hopefully this is taken as constructive comment to improve the quality.
The camp is situated somewhere circa International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) or famously known in its Malaysian name as Universiti Islam Malaysia. You guys can check it in its website at http://sriraudah.com/. On whole, the facilities were OK but seemed like the camp wasn’t appropriately managed as no preparation were made for our arrival. The bedsheets were old and some with lizards’ waste & the water was unclean and the piping kept malfunctioning as the management claimed it was due to “unbeknownst reason on why the piping suddenly did not functioning a.k.a. sabotaging”. For me, I had no problem with that but for the kids and other teachers, that was a sign of inefficiency of the management. After all, they were PAID by the school quite handsomely! So…….. (,”)
A great escapism haven from the hustle-bustle of cosmopolitan life!
I arrived there circa 3.45 p.m. It was good that I have got the chance to explore that part of area in KL. I only visited the area once or twice and of course I had a history there 7 years ago. Not going to decipher that much but it involved a car, side-parking and it was raining. God, was it 7 years already? Just a faint memory. lol.
Great landscape but how I wished the facilitators incorporate these in the activity.
The corridor and also a house with grass on top of it! Wonderful!
On 1st night, the kids were so excited that they kept making noises until 12 a.m. So we teachers decided to do Roll Call. When they caught our glimpses, they hurriedly pretended as if they were sleeping but of course you could hear the audible laughter and all. So when the time was ripe, I stormed off their doors and they were to march out from the dorm within 5 minutes. Initially, the kids were nonchalant (well, all they had in their minds were just to have fun!) but after provocative sermons to strengthen the minds, they began to quaver.
The kids were excited.
Roll Call around 12.15 a.m. because the kids refused to sleep out of excitement. Therefore to provoke as well as to inject morality strength, sermons were executed (lol!) and each group was to clean the dirt from a brick given using whatever methods they wanted. I have to say the kids were creative. Good job!
A few pupils who went out of discipline line were singled out for a while – while other pupils were to polish bricks with dirt until those bricks to be flawlessly clean before they were allowed to go to sleep. It was amazing to see how some brilliant kids responded to the task given. Some poured water onto the bricks while others started to scrub the bricks onto the cement to smooth the facade. Good job, kids! But of course throughout that, I had to feign some serious face and pretended to be stoic!
The journey has begun. I felt like we were in “Lord Of The Rings” film; from The Shire to Mordor or Lothlorien. lol!
On Saturday, I joined the kids for jungle trekking at the nearby Jungle Lodge Alang Sendayu around 9.30 a.m. It was quite challenging especially since I wasn’t in good health. Nevertheless as I had to replace Paen as the “Security Committee”, I had to join and carried the First Aid box in my bag all the way throughout the 6 hours journey. It was quite challenging with a lot of thorny leaves and steep hills as well as high contour of the jungle.
Is this Rivendell? Hahaha! Beautiful at Jungle Lodge Alang Sendayu.
We passed streams and we took trails beside swampy area and we tiptoed on rocks. Finally, we came into two tunnels; which probably made to let the river flow underneath as the upper part of it was topped with cement for Karak highway. Entering the tunnels seemed like a scene in “Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets” where the protagonists entered into the well to find Slytherin Chamber! Haha!
Cave of Slytherin?? Hahaha! The tunnel underneath Karak/Genting-Sempah Highway.
We then arrived at a waterfall. Initially I planned not to get myself immersed with the water but seeing other colleagues did that; I literally jumped into the water and didn’t waste any chance to savor the cascading waterfall! Spectacular feeling! There were also a few people did abseiling, mountaining down the waterfall. I actually wanted to try but since there were kids; it would not be a good idea. Perhaps I would do this sometimes, later. Faizal and Cikgu Zul also expressed their interests.
Initially…. just selfie with the waterfall. Try to be composed…….
And thennnnn…! What the hell, right??? Just ENJOY the waterfall!!!! Yeeeha!! Hahaha!
The kids went off with the entourage of our external facilitators so Cikgu Zul suggested us to take the lane using the highway – purely out of curiosity. So, we mounted the valley and into the jungle trails until we reached the exit which was the side of Genting-Sempah Highway. Along the jungle trail, we saw a few beautiful blue-green ferns! At one side the colour was green; at the other side it was blue! I plucked one but unfortunately it did not last until Serendah & my handphone’s camera was useless due to the battery! Bummer!
(From right) Kak Jun, Huda, Kak Mala & I.
Hahaha! Cikgu Zul feigning weightlifting of the tree trunk during our jungle trailing towards the exit at Lebuhraya Karak/Genting-Sempah.
Unfortunately I couldn’t take the picture myself because battery of my handphone went kaput and the leaves that I brought back to Serendah didn’t last that long. This picture of blue-green fern from http://research.amnh.org/users/eborda/Malay_Thai/Tioman.html is similar to the one I found during the journey!
We also saw several families using the same lane as well. We walked around 20 minutes and we reached a channel built to siphon the water from highway down to the inner valley at the side of the highway during rainy season. We glided down and then found big rock staircase down to the valley. We saw our school entourage still walking attentively crossing the stream in the valley. We then joined them.
Hahaha! Hanging out with The Boys (Ustaz Zul, Faizal & Cikgu Zul). They were fun lots! I had great time exploring new things in casual ways. I wonder where will I be next year? Still in Serendah? or somewhere else crystallizing my dream?? God bless.
Cik Zul, Faizal, Ustaz Zul and I purposely waited behind; waiting and did surveillance for any slow-walkers away from the entourage. In the meantime while waiting, we saw 4 local kids swimming excitedly in the river. So we joined them and Cikgu Zul played with them- ‘Finding A Stuffed Bottle Underneath The Water’. It was quite a rustic moment. Very peaceful. We then performed Zuhr prayer on a nearby solid rock as it was already around 3.30 p.m. On the way, we saw an ice-cream seller riding motorcycle. Initially, I was having dilemma whether I should eat ‘cold food’ or not since I am having bad cough BUT the bread stuffed with 4 scoops of multi-flavoured ice creams was really ATTRACTIVE! Ermmm…delicious!!
The kids from the swampy river.
When we came back unfortunately, the food wasn’t ready yet as the consultant team claimed that the preserved chicken meant for luncheon somehow became stale and they had to buy another stocks of 14 chickens! As for the teachers and I, we were OK but our hearts went for the kids. They must be feeling very hungry. Poor children! But I guess it was an experience that strengthen their patience, no?
Kids bonding each other with “Upin & Ipin” theme song called “Sahabat” (Friends).
My colleagues.
The rain poured heavily on Saturday’s night so the initial Night Walking was cancelled. In addition, the kids were tired as well. After joining The Boys for AFC Final Cup 2015 between JDT Vs Istiklol (Congrats JDT/Malaysia!); I helped to facilitate the presentation of pupils’ group works. Despite their tiredness the kids could visualize creative ideas. Good job, kids!
With The Boys (from right) : Bassir, Ustaz Tarmizi, Faizal, Cikgu Zul, Cikgu Rosmainy & I.
I went back earlier on Sunday morning due to the deteriorating deep cough I have now. I guess what matters is that I joined this school’s activity and now I can shift my priority in settling ALL the school workloads (making 2 sets of English papers for 3 classes which make around 90++ X 2 = 180 ++ sets of papers; updating the Tahap Penguasaan forms for my 5 Pelangi students; updating their personal files; updating the Skim Buku Teks affairs for the kids, etc) AND then hopefully, I could FOCUS on my Research Paper!!! Oh my God!!! I am freaking scared!!! Time is gold and indeed very little!
Due to time-constraint, I brought all the exam papers to be marked in the dorm! I am not hardworking; I just got to RACE WITH TIME.
Shahrill Ramli; 31st October 2015 (It was Halloween! Too bad this year I didn’t go anywhere due to professional entanglement & personal problem. I liked the horror themed celebration at A’Famosa Melaka that I went in 2013. Check this blog at https://undomiel84.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/halloween-2013-maxi-halo-crnival-afamosa-resorts-imran-yusuf-wedding-community-club-cyberjaya-lake-garden/).