Into the woods.....to conquer the hill!

hello people~ 

this is gonna be a super longggg post because i am in my blogger mood and imma slay some Oddbloggerstyle here kyahahahaha unleash the Krakennnnn! 

i just returned from my Kembara trip in Taman Negara Pahang where i had the most ah-mazingggg time of my life there! perhaps the best moment ever for my outdoor activity in Iptho! i think some people will definitely understand why i choose that kind of expression hewhewhew.

truthfully, we weren't really the Kembara kind of people and we joined this club only this semester so yeahhhh there was a lot of loopholes and patches to cover for the whole Kembara thing. but hey, SJKC being SJKC, we did it.  we did it goooooodddd yo! i was really, absolutely, superbly happy and thankful when we're going to Taman Negara. first reason because heyyyy look it's jungle and mosquitoes yo i haven't had that for a long, long, longggg time since my first BIG in Telok Gorek (of which, i didn't really get to experience much due to a certain situation so cut it off now) and as we are supposed to be the Kembara club, why don't we do it in a really Kembara kind of style? right, people? or am i the only one who thinks like that? errr.... i guess so. 

so, all said and done, off we went to the National Park! *drum rolls* 

my God, the journey was a Kembara kind of adventure to the core! all those bumpy roads and screeches and abrupt turns.....really, i felt like i aged ten years older in those hours on the bus. but, hey, it's Kembara! so after what seems like an eternity on board the bus, we arrived all in one piece and probably with a few bended backbone here and there too.

so we went for Night Walk where we met so many insects namely Huntsmen spider, stick insect, snails, lizards, bugs and bees, moth, and a glow in the dark scorpions yeha! to top it all, we bump into a rare, vicious, venomous, and an absolutely beautiful snake called Ular Katam Tebu. of course i was the happiest one because i saw it first before i alert the guide and the group and we went yahoos and yahaas for a while watching the amazing creature slide gracefully deeper into the forest. being a snake lover, my first intention was to go near it but yeah let's push that crazy impromptu idea out of our mind, people. unfortunately we did not see any mammals despite lepak-ing inside the Bumbun (or Hide) for a while. no luck, i guess.

 ulat gonggok tickle tickle wee

 Huntsmen

 tiny bird getting curious.

 my mom's gonna turn into a hunter at the sight of this one.

 pretty baby!

i did see a tiny frog, though and it was an ewww moment for me so i jump a distance away to the back. lels.

the next day we went for an excellent jungle trekking and had a good splash in Rapid Shooting activity. the trekking went uphill until we reached the base of the canopy walk. i did learned a lot of things during the trekking and even reminisced back about some of the stuff that i know about the plants like the Liana root where you can get some refreshing water from it, the ever famous Tongkat Ali tree, the Ubi Gadong (of which i read in Shamsiah Fakeh's book. thanks dad!) and i actually envision the survival skills that father taught me when in the jungle like how to pick a sleeping spot near the akar banir and how to make weapon out of the plants. i wish i can live in the jungle. i might be the female version of Tarzan for all i know ahahaha. thank you to the guides for feeding my enthusiasm! however, i did not try the canopy walk as i don't have enough bravery yet to be up there. maybe i will try it the next time once i am ready. it was a challenge to get to the next point, though, as the steps downhill were very steep i swear my insecurities shot right up to my brain! even the guide who walked with me and Chai Fern said he never met anyone as afraid of height as me. sigh, Oddblogger, sigh.......

Ubi Gadong. poisonous but can be eaten after extreme washing. the Bateq woman must know how to cook it in order to get married. i can never win against the women la. i dislike cooking lels.

well, we all have something we are afraid of, right? i might love snakes and crocodiles but i'm a scaredy cat when it comes to height. especially a swaying canopy high above the ground! God please, i need my feet on the ground all the time! huhuhuhuhu.

 the rapid shooting was basically a ride through the water in Sungai tembeling with a swaying boat and crazy water splashing from the guides! we were all wet to the bones of our feet when we reach the Bateq Negrito settlement in Kampung Dedari. it was the most awesome water activity! too bad we didn't manage to get a lot of good shots as all of our belonging were tucked away in a plastic bag to avoid getting wet.

 before Poseidon rise ahahaha!

next, we were given briefing about the process of creating a sumpit. or blowpipe. it seriously is amazing how one harmless looking bamboo can be a weapon to shoot down monkeys and squirrels and even human! there were two different type of bamboo used in making the blowpipe, acting as the weapon and the casing respectively. then there's the poisonous dart, so thin and fragile yet very deadly in nature. some of my friends give the sumpit a try and we had so much fun at the village. we were also given a demonstration on how to produce fire from wood. it is a very special wood and a strong one too because i can see that the demonstrator moved in a quick way to start the fire. it was absolutely brilliant! i think the guides must be genius because they can remember all the scientific names of plants and animals and spell it out so casually it feels like a mother tongue to them. i have huge respects for the guides because it's not easy to remember the terms if you don't get a good grip of it. man....i can't even remember my easy English terminology i feel so ashamed of myself hahaha.

next we went back to our rapid shooting and gets wet all over again before we reach our campsite at the edge of the wood. we set up our tent, relax for a few hours and off to another excellent activity, hikingggg!

i have always love the woods and jungles. it feels so good and calming to be among nature. no city hustle, not much gadgets time, no noisy people  talking at the top of their lung. just peace and tranquility. since it has been a long time i've been in the forest, i really take this opportunity to the fullest.

since i didn't went up the canopy, some of the lecturers and guides laugh at me because i don't have the guts to try the eerie swaying stuff geeez. so i vow to be better at hiking. you know me, all those time watching Bear Grylls in Men vs Wild really knocks me off sometimes. i love the action, the gear, the boots, the challenge, the boulders and roots crossing among the jungle floor. 

my inspiration!

thus begins my wonderful hiking experience. we started out in the evening around 5pm as we headed to Bukit Dedari. the bus stopped at the roadside and off we went into the woods to conquer the hill!

i had a personal aim during this activity. i hope to triumph over my fear of height through hiking. perhaps all i need to do is learn to trust my legs more. i have always trust my legs when it comes to kicking and running so why not give it a go at hiking? besides, it is one of my dream to be a hiker and i thought i have to wait until i'm working to be one! but hey, here's opportunity knocking on my door so let's go!

it was a challenging hike despite the hill being quite a small place. well, more so because the guides were taking us through a purposely steep climb. well, to Kembara or not to Kembara, hey? at first i was doubtful because, well, it was high and i wasn't sure if i was fit enough for the climb. but as we hike higher, it became easier. the first part was a challenge but the rest were okay to me. i didn't really feel tired going up and was absolutely touched when i became the first to reach the top and had a good view of what's around me. truly, God is really the most amazingly brilliant at knocking the pride and pain and fear out of our heart and replace it with humility, thankfulness and love. i can't describe my feeling when i reach the top. my friends and lecturers and guides congratulate me for being the first to reach but i wouldn't be there if not for their help and support. thank you, everyone!

 we did it yo!

but the journey down was challenging because night was dawning upon us and i am a blind mice at night due to my eyes' condition. and when i look down, it was so damn steep i lost half of my motivation ahahaha. thank you to Jalilah for helping this old makcik gets down. and to Mr Khairil too, whom i think was fearing for the life out of me ahahaha, as he help me down. then my knee knocked into a fallen trunk dead square at the bone so yeahhhh this is Kembara kyahahaha!

i arrived down safely except with a painful leg and a mud-filled shoes. poor my Flywire getting all ugly after a year of extreme care. i even avoid using it for senam pagi just so it won't get dirty ahahaha really la Oddblogger weii.

however, i feel enlightened with this hiking experience. i find it to be a good way to overcome my fear of height because i'm still touching the ground heheheh. i hope to go on more hiking adventure after this as hiking is also a good way to improve our stamina and body strength. since i'm planning on taking my 2nd Dan Black Belt examination next year, stamina is crucial to me.

so let's go hiking together, people!

we had our barbeque that night but i think most of us just dozed off like a log and walked like ghouls to the food when Pijie called us. hahahah! i did not feel tired much when i went camping or into the jungle. this is how i am since i was small. any outdoor activity was capable of turning my adrenaline level to the highest level until sleep is not the vital thing in my mind. yes, call me Tarzan, people.

 spidey so kind teman semua orang mandi. muahahaha.

so the next day we packed and stuff and went home to Iptho, preparing ourselves for the hectic life of a student.

thank you a million, billion time to Mr Rasdan of Danz Travel & Adventures for giving us this unforgettable experience. should you wish to get in touch with nature and challenge yourself more, do contact them. their service is amazing! and Mr Dan is so kind too, giving us yummy, adorable cupcake before we went home.

i wish to go back and explore more in Taman Negara again soon!

till next time, people. thanks for reading my exploits and whatnots hewhewhew!

ciao!

Back in my alma mater.

Here and back again, i am done with my second practicum in Muar.

It felt so darn great to be back in my alma mater and giving something back to my school. I gained a lot of experiences from my second practicum, in terms of work and social exposure. I was given the class of Year 2 Gemilang (yes, year two again) consisting of 22 absolutely amazingly active, clever, and brilliantly entertaining little crews! 

Overall, it was a great experience at the school as i find myself enjoying life so much i wish i don't have to end the practicum phase at the school. what can you expect when you went back to your school and now you're sitting in the same room with your former teachers, whom i swear never change one bit in terms of everything, and you get to meet all the nicest bumblebee in your class? to make it all a grand diamond, my teachers were nothing short of awesomeness and i was never happier being in a school than this. 

thank you to my guidance lecturer, Pn Rafidah, and my guidance teacher, the ever gorgeous Teacher Hon (who looks like a doll all the time i don't know how she manage to do that) for giving me lots of motivation to be a good teacher. every advice and suggestion given were jewels in my mind. i am thankful, too, to all the pupils who still remember me when i first came for my School Based Observation two years ago. all the Year Six and their adventurous incidents and laughter really makes me feel touched because they remember me even though it was just a week at the school during the SBE. i wish them all the best in their future undertakings.

 these three are my adopted kids for two months!

 My 2 Gemilang crew.

 so you want to send your kids to me now? hehehe.

my little babies. miss them so much! 

and yes, you are right, people. i am too lazy to blog like i used to. hence the general content muahahaha!

till next time, 

the lazy Oddblogger.

ciao!