International Service Avenue of RACUTP

Cambodia: Here we come

2010-11-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

The end of November is coming and it can only mean one thing, the Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi Petronas is going to make their way to Angkor, Cambodia soon for their annual international Goodwill trip.
This year, a total of 15 participants will go to Cambodia. The goodwill programme will include activities such as teaching, donation of old clothes, donation of food, simple repairs and most of all, donationn of water filters to the village nearby as mortality rate amongst young children in Cambodia is very high due to the lack of clean water. We, from thte Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi Petronas, would like to say a big thank you to our university residents for their kind donations that have allowed us to donate 10 water filters to the village.

Ok, so we will be going on the 13th-20th of December. We're getting excited and will be back to tell you loads of stories.

2010 Goodwill Trip : Cambodia

2010-09-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Year after year , our beloved Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi Petronas extends a helping hand to countries in need in the way that we can. Last year we had a great trip in India. This year, we're heading for Angkor , Cambodia.

Come this December, we're targeting to have the participation of 20 members in a Goodwill Trip to Angkor, Cambodia. An eight day program that will surely allow the members to reap lots of benefits from the trip.

With goodwill at heart, our main aim will be helping a primary school , Ta Phang primary school. A school situated in rural Cambodia. The school has no electricity or clean water. In Cambodia, 1/3 child does not live up to the age of 5 because of the absence of clean water. If funds permit, we plan to help them obtain a pump to pump water into a sand filter. The sand filter of course is not like the ones we have in our water treatment plants but a simpler version that is better than not having any filtration at all.

Activities would include teaching, simple repairs, mural painting and such at the school. Don't worry, we'll get to see some wonders of Cambodia as well. A remain of the great Khmer Empire, the Angkor Wat and it's temples will be on the itinerary list. Tonle Sap is also in. Tonle Sap, Asia's biggest lake.

The trip promises to be an eye opening experience for all the participants. Don't miss out on a chance to help other people in need.

Start saving , start thinking. You can be the change you want to see in yourself. Ask not what others can do for you but what you can do for others. Join in the fun while doing goodwill in Cambodia. For enquiries, please mail

ham19902008@gmail.com.

:P A more thorough post will be up soon regarding the trip. Stay tuned.

2010-04-04T03:59:00.000-07:00

RACUTP IN NST NEWSPAPER!!!!!

INDIA!! part 1

2010-01-09T22:02:00.000-08:00

Xiao Ci did a great summary on our trip to India,

and so she has asked me to a detailed one complete with pics and all,

so here it is :)

and sorry for the delay...

DAY 1 : 10 Dec

AK 203. 2.50p.m. Malaysian time. The historical flight that would carry 10 eager souls from our humble LCCT to Kochi Airport in India. They were Rtn. Arthur, Ms. Hellina, Jerry, Xiao Ci, Izzah, Liang Yi, Chin, Graham, Jonathan and Eric. There we would be greeted by Atif as well as the Rotaractors from the Rotaract Club of Saibaba Colony D3201, with Sandeep joining us from Chennai at night. Chin, Xiao Ci, Izzah, Liang Yi and Rtn. Arthur took the Skybus from KL Sentral while the rest went straight to the LCCT.

After a slight expected delay we boarded and left Malaysian ground at 3.10p.m. The flight being roughly 4 hours, we had the chance to savour AirAsia's really cheap meals.

Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak anyone? ~~RM9 only!~~

After filling the customs froms and reading the inflight magazine from cover to cover, things started to get dull and so we slept, only to be awoken an hour later by Mr. Pilot "Rise and shine, we're travelling 20,000 ft above the air and we'll be landing shortly, make sure you are seated, thank you for flying with Air...(etc.)..." Then we peeked out the window and what lovely scenery met our eyes. Rocky mountains engulfed in snowy clouds and if you peered close enough, you could actually see fields sprinkled with windmills.

After touchdown, 4.45p.m. India time, we peered out and saw Kochi International Airport, different from Malaysian stereotyped airports. Quaint as it was on the outside, it had a modern inside. Passing through countless security checks we walked out of the airport and were greeted warmly by our India counterparts. They eagerly crowned us with 'malai', introduced themselves, obliged to several cam-shots and off we went on the 1 hour + journey to our accommodation for the night. Oh the exitement!

The long and bumpy ride broke all the ice and we were chatting like we'd known each other for years. There were 5 of them, Vishnu, Barathi, Abdul, Sethu and our dear Vignesh. We were also given a sneak peek of what Indian streets and traffic looked like.

We arrived at Ambady's Palmgrove Club, where we'd be staying for the night, hosted by the Rotary Club of Cochin. We had an introduction meeting, where they welcomed us, and treated us to a lovely typical South Indian buffet dinner (which we thoroughly enjoyed). There we learned that using fork and spoons was somewhat taboo. After the late dinner caused by different time zones, we had a small informal meeting with the RC of Saibaba Colony regarding our itinerary ahead.

DAY 2 : 11 Dec

We awoke to find Rtn. Arthur swimming in the pool, and while waiting for breakfast to be served we were treated to a spectacular all-round view of the backwaters of Kerala and its peasant-life. Breakfast was lovely with the irresistable poori and idly, and we left for the beach of the famous Fort Cochin. Around 10am, we stopped by The Dutch Cemetery where the Dutch soldiers were buried. We managed to snap several shots of the renowned Chinese fishing nets alongside the shore; they were made of teak and bamboo poles. Then we visited St. Francis CSI Church and the magnificent Santa Cruz Basilica.

Then we embarked on another arduous journey to the boathouse located in Allepey. Vignesh had booked 2 boathouses for all of us to stay for the night. On the way there, we stopped by to buy drinking water, and we managed to drop by a roadside stall selling nanarusarpert, water mixed with root essence powder, blended with soda. Surprisingly quenching as it was, we gulped down at least 2 glasses each, 7 Rs. for a glass. 7 / 13 = RM 0.53. Cheap? Hehe.

After a total of 4 hours, we ~~finally~~ arrived at the boathouse and we were thrilled with what lay in for us. The boats were no ordinary silly rafts floating, waiting for you to trip and fall in the water; they were long and big boats with 4 A/C rooms (each with attached bathrooms), a kitchen, and a spacious lounge with a flat-screen and dvd player with subwoofers. Who would expect this? The most important thing of course, was that there were electric sockets to charge our extra limbs. ^^

While waiting for lunch, we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery and played games in the open-air lounge. We played charades and taught them to play Big 2 and what better time than now to play Xiao Ci's Indian Poker? Of course we played it, with everyone ~~esp. Barathi~~ laughing their bums off. As we played, many other boathouses passed by and we waved, and they waved back, and Sethu, having lost at one round of Indian Poker was sporting enough to shout "I love you" to an Indian boatman who passed by us, making him happy.

Night saw us having fellowship ~~with the mosquitoes~~ with everyone in the lounge area, with stories being told, and mosquito repellent being rubbed on our hands and legs. Then we exchanged pendants with our Indian counterparts. After chapati and several curries for dinner, we watched Vertical Limit from the DVD player. Then it was sleeping time. :)

INDIA!! part 2

2010-01-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

DAY 3 : 12 Dec

The next morning, we played cards and took more photos of the backwater and its community, while waiting for our boats to dock back at the place we started. Next on our itinerary was the renowned Athirapali Falls, which was on the way to Tamilnadu. The falls were located deep inside the country and away from the city, and the journey through the rubber and palm oil estates had adrenaline running through all of us and pale-faced xiao ci was seen clinging on to the chair for her dear life (she asked me to include this) hehe. But really the journey to the falls can be compared to Genting's corkscrew just that it had nicer scenery and lasted 100 times longer~

Anyway upon arrival, we had to hike down to the base of the waterfall, and at first sandeep and gang refused to hike down because they were scared they could not take it (hehe) but in the end it was sheer willpower that dragged them down. But there were no regrets as we were greeted by a stunning and flabbergasting view as the water came pouring down the cliff, creating a majestic fall.

After hiking back down, we treated ourselves to the irresistable coconuts sold there for Rs. 15 each. How quenching. Then we embarked on our journey to Tamilnadu. The trip there was a long one (4+ hours) but the indian guys entertained us by singing and showing off their dance moves. Yup. Inside the van. As we entered Tamilnadu from Kerala and headed towards Coimbatore, we could feel the vast change in temperature. Coimbatore was experiencing (snowless) winter at that time and the air was really really cool, unlike Kerala's which was hot and humid (far worse than tronoh's). And we looked at our finger nails and they were all filled with dark grey dust. Anyways, the Indian guys all came from Coimbatore, their home-town.

Finally, we reached Udumalpet (a town in Tamilnadu) where we would spend the night. Being offset by almost 3 hours, we went straight for a pre-planned meeting with the Rotaract Club of Udumalpet Ghandinagar and the Rotary Club of Udumalpet at a school that was sponsored by the mentioned Rotary Club. RC Udumalpet Gandhinagar was a club which achieved lots of great awards and we managed to have a look at their achievements. Later, we had late dinner at Sun Anaappar Hotel, treated by one of the Rotarians. The splendid dinner, more like a banquet comprised of naan, purata (their version of roti canai), mutton, chicken and lots more. Carrying a stuffed stomach, we headed for Anamalai's Hotel and slept there for the night.

DAY 4 : 13 Dec

Next morning, 7a.m, Jonathan and Eric followed Rtn. Arthur for morning mass at a local Catholic church and met up with the rest of us at Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Pollachi. There we would spend the night at Topslip, at the peak of the reserve. The road towards the reserve was breathtaking, and we saw a vast field of windmills. Our acting tourguide of the day, Rtr. Naga claimed that each windmill costs around Rs. 100-200k, and was privately owned, each by a separate company. On the way, we stopped by New Modal Crematorium which was built with an expense of Rs. 1.5 million without funds from government and other NGOs. It involved 6 Rotaract clubs in which 5 were college-based and 1 was based in a community. This crematorium was being built because the people in Udumalpet would have to travel uo to 40 km to Pollachi or Palani to burn their dead, so building this crematorium would serve to be more convenient for them.

We reached the entrance of the reserve and after getting tickets, we set off inside. We had to pass through multiple security checkpoints, as they checked our passports. The drive up was humbling, as we got to witness the virgin forests of India. Unlike our tropical forests, India's had many bamboo trees growing in the forest with scarce undergrowth, which made it easier for trekking. We were told that if we had kept our silence, we would be fortunate enough to see wild panthers roaming about. But our van was nowhere near to being quiet, special thanks to our entertainer Vishnu. hehe. The red-earth roads were bumpy, filled with hair-pin bends, and once again, xiao ci and liang yi could be seen clinging on to dear life. We even passed by 2 wild boars and waved to them and they waved back.

Our first stop would be the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary which belonged to the Kerala government. At the same time, Rtn. Arthur and Miss Hellina and spouse went elephant-riding. After taking approx. 1000 shots in the nice and chilly weather, we set off for a large water dam, owned by Tamilnadu. Another 1000 x 2 shots and we left, being able to catch glimpses of a pack of deer and peacocks nestling in the grass. The buffaloes were even lucky enough to see us.

Then for lunch we went to Lakshmi Hotel and were served the best chicken 65 that we'd ever tasted! Far better than KFC, even Atif who hails from Kerala said that he had never fancied chicken 65 until coming to this sacred place! hahaha. The chicken is a South Indian style of cooking a chicken dish which is fried until crispy, and served with onions and curry leaves and etc... There are many theories on how it got its name. According to Vishnu, the chicken that they use to cook the dish must be 65 days old, while others say that they use 65 ingredients to cook up the dish. So which is the true one?

Later we went to the Parambikulam Tunnel Entry and took even more photos ~~xiao ci and her poses~~, and then headed to the Kannimara Teak, the largest living teak tree in the world. It has a girth of 6.57m and is 48.5m tall. It is said that it would take 10 people to circle the tree, hand in hand. And so we tried :)

As late evening fell, we moved up to Topslip and stayed over at the Parambikulam house, with 5 rooms. Just before dinner time, and after several ghost stories of spinning leaves and all, the driver called us saying that we could have a chance to see wild elephants roaming in the night, somewhere downhill. Quickly, we scrambled into the van and all of us were forced to be silent and still as the moon. We were discouraged to take any photos, so there won't be any for you to see. We drove on a little and suddenly we stopped, as there were about 30 elephants around our van, some even blocking the road. Thrilled as we were, we were also afraid that the elephants might charge at us. It was quite a scary experience, with so many of them around our helpless van. Then our skilled driver revved his engine in hope to scare them off the road. After about 15 minutes, they slowly walked off and we went for our dinner at Lakshmi Hotel again, not that we minded! So Chicken 65 it was again, until we finished all of the stock, leaving nothing but empty bowls. Some of us were even so hiked up about it that they even made spontaneous videos advertising how awesome the dish was~

After dinner we headed back to the house, and then our dear Jonathan just had to let his disposable underwear be exposed to public view, and the Indians caught sight of it and asked what it was. Then it all began. Jonathan explained to them what it was and our Indian friends here were so excited about it that they even took it and played with it, wearing it on their heads, faces and every part of their body that could fit into those underwears. They even made a song about it and danced to it, but the content may be too explicit for the simple mind to watch so i'm not posting it up :)

Then after more ghost stories by Mr. Naga, we held a meeting with both RAC UTP and RC of the Saibaba Colony. During this time we shared our feelings and experiences so far, and Rtn. Arthur elaborated on his duty and importance as Zone Coordinator. We were supposed to watch Paranormal Activity after that, but everyone was just too tired so we slept and woke up the next morning as fresh as milk.

INDIA!! part 3

2010-01-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

DAY 5 : 14 Dec

And so the next morning we woke up to a beautiful sunset and fresh air, despite having to take turns to bathe. Then each of us out of appreciation collectively gave a donation towards the Crematorium through Rtr. Suman, as he had sponsored many meals for us. After that, we left Topslip and stopped by at RC of Udumalpet center to receive the receipt of the donation. Rotaractors from RAC UTP and RC of Saibaba Colony also received souvenirs from RC of Udumalpet. Subsequently, we left for another long journey to Coimbatore, a city inside Tamilnadu, where the RC of Saibaba Colony is based. As we entered the place, we could feel a distinct coolness of the air, as Coimbatore was experiencing winter, as i mentioned earlier. We then paid an educational visit to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, a high-tech public university situated inside Coimbatore.

There, Rtn. Sundra Babu and Dr. Vadivel hosted us, and gave us a tour and briefing about the university. The university mainly does research in agriculture, and the new techniques are passed on to farmers to carry out their work to increase production, etc. Currently, they are researching the use of Jatropat in the biofuel industry. They showed us their university's yea-old online portal, at www.agritech.tnau.ac.in. The portal contained a myriad of information about the types of plants, climates, and even showed a daily list of the prices of vegetables that can be accessed on-the-spot by anyone who had an internet connection. After visiting their conference room, we presented our souvenirs and pendants to them.

We proceeded for lunch at Sree Annapoorna, where Rtn. Arthur's wife, Jessica, joined us. Anil, Santhosh and Udhaya, from RC of Saibaba Colony joined us too. The food there was good, and subsequently we headed for Coimbatore's main shopping street. A few others from another Rotaract Club joined us there. There, we split into several groups, and each group went their own way, each wanting to buy different items. But in the end, almost everyone of us had bought the same items, ranging from sarees, scarves and bangles, to kurtas and elephant keychains of different sizes and colours.

As night fell, we attended a joint meeting with the Rotary Clubs of Coimbatore West and South. We were introduced to them, and were even requested to sing a local song. And so our ever sporting Rtn. sang 'Getaran Jiwa' while we happily hummed along~ It was a thrilling experience, to be able to attend a Rotary Club meeting, all the more in a land far away from home =)

We duly exchanged pendants, politely listened to the speeches, and it was time to end the meeting, before singing the Indian and Malaysian anthems. Dinner was served in-house and we totally enjoyed it, and by now all of us were used to using our hands to eat. That night, everyone slept at different places. Eric slept in Vignesh's house, Graham and Jerry slept in a Rotarian's house, while Jonathan was supposed to sleep in Vishnu's house, but ended up sleeping at the apartment with the girls. heee!

At night, those staying at the apartment helped to pack the materials needed for the next day, which would be our community service.

DAY 6 : 15 Dec

We awoke early as usual, and our van brought us for breakfast at People's Place. There, we stuffed ourselves with typical South Indian poori, thosa and porata. Having enjoyed the food (as always), we left for the Isha Yoga Center, a meditation center, based on the Hindu religion. The place was a peaceful and serene place, with brick and stone domes and marble walls. We managed to catch a glimpse of Sadhguru, the yoga master. We were given a chance to watch some videos that featured Sadhguru being interviewed. Then, we were allowed to step foot inside a pool of water with a huge solid mercury ball in the centre, which was deemed as pure and holy. The water was icy cold to the skin, but we had insufficient time to take a full-body dip into the pool. Shortly after, we were then given a chance to perform a 15 minute meditation inside an enormous brick dome. The dome is claimed to be the largest brick dome in the world, if I'm not mistaken. Later, we visited the gift shop and most of us bought T-shirts, while some bought bags and yoga meditation CDs.

Skipping lunch we headed for our first community service at an orphanage, Jeeva Jothi Trust Children's Home, where we'd start our community service. We were then joined by 2 girl Rotaractors from the Rotaract Club of Saibaba Colony, Sumathi and Vaishnavi. As we arrived, we were told that there'd only be about 10 children there, as the rest were having exams in shool. Anyhow, we started to introduce ourselves, and then gave the children a chance to tell a little about themselves in turn. Then we proceeded by playing selected games with the children. For the first game, we played 'Simon Says' with the children, but we kept on winning. Next, we played a game, where we split all of us into four groups, and the goal was to see which group could make the longest line using items on their bodies (e.g. shoes, hairbands), in the shortest time. Lastly we played a game, where everyone formed a circle, and had to follow the moves of the person next to him. At the end, we presented stationery and smiling cards with inspirational words to the children, which they received with ear-to-ear smiles. And we also presented several trunk boxes to the orphanage. We left the place after taking a photo with the people at the orphanage.

The next home we were to visit was the Douglas Memorial Children's Home, which was situateed nearby. When we reached there, we had to wait about 20 minutes for the children to return home from school. When they arrived home, they rushed in to greet us. But not all were small kids. They ranged from small primary school children, to a few teenagers. As we were short on time, we did not play any games with them, so we proceeded by presenting the stationery to them as well as old clothes and stuff brought by us from Malaysia. After taking a photo with them, we left for the next home.

The next home was Saranalaya, a home for the girls, which was also located nearby. There we also had lack of time, so all we did was hand out the stationery to them and socialise with them and take a shot with them.

Later on, we rushed to the Centenary Hall of Coimbatore Texcity to have a joint meeting with the RC of Saibaba Colony and the Rotary Club of Texcity. The first part was a meeting hosted by the former. There, we exchanged speeches and pendants, and were once again introduced to the audience. The highlight of the event was when Rtn. Arthur gave away a hearing aid to an Indian child, who had lost her hearing ability. Then, the night proceeded with a meeting conducted by the Rotary Club of Texcity.

After all that, just as we thought we were finally going to have our ~~lunch~~ dinner, we were driven to another unexpected meeting by the Rotaract Club of CUG (Corvai User Group). By now, meetings and all its proceedings were a normal thing to us and we sat patiently through the meeting =)

Then came the best part of the day, dinner time. haha. Dinner was by the CUG and they served us nice Indian ice-cream for dessert =)

That night we slept in the same places as the night before. Before we slept, all of us stayed back at the apartment and talked and shared each of our experiences. Graham and Jerry even convinced Arun to join the RC of Saibaba Colony.

DAY 7 : 16 Dec

The next morning, we awoke early, with a heavy feeling of dread in our hearts, as we were going back to Malaysia. We knew that it would be a painful parting as we'd all grown so close, as close as a family, since we had been together and did everything together ever since the first day. They even did a special joint bulletin featuring our trip to India.

Anyway, we awoke at 6a.m, normal time, and as we were waiting for the van to pick us up at the apartment, Barathi took out an Rs. 10 note, with a small note of appreciation written on it, and signed by all the members of the RC of Saibaba Colony and presented it to Xiao Ci. In exchange, Xiao Ci took out a RM 10 note and did the same, writing a short note with our names there, and handed it to him. What a nice souvenir to exchange.

When the van came, we all went to People's Place again for breakfast, and it would be our last time together. Even Vishnu, who had initially planned to attend college after skipping so many days for us, finally decided to skip one more day, just to bid us goodbye.

Everyone was hugging and you could see that all the faces had the expression of trying to stifle a cry. We took our last photos together, and welcomed them to Malaysia anytime. We would be going to the airport alone, as it would be inconvenient for anyone of them to follow us there, as the journey would take up to 10 hours to and fro. As we boarded the van, some of us couldn't control our emotions, and tears rolled down from the puffy red eyes.

Finally, we left, and as we entered Kerala, we could feel the vast difference of temperature, as it became much more humid and hot, compared to Tamilnadu, and all of us were sweating. The driver that took us there was such a reckless driver, that almost all of us came out of the van feeling dizzy. We ate at a restaurant opposite the airport, and boarded flight AK 204 at 5.00p.m. India time. On board, we met a guy who claimed to be an Indian actor, and we even took photos with him. We landed at the LCCT around 12a.m, ate at Old Town White Coffee and slept at Starbucks Coffee. Then in the morning we headed for our hometowns.

On behalf the Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi Petronas, I would like to thank all the members the Rotaract Club of Saibaba Colony for the perfect hospitality and fun that they had showered upon us throughout the whole trip, and for the months of planning, the sleepless nights and the vast numbers of meetings that they had gone through to make this trip a success, and by that I mean a truly remarkable and awesome trip!

Thank you Rtrs. Barathi, Vishnu, Vignesh, Sethu and Abdul Basith, Rtrs. Udhaya, Anil, Santhosh, Mr. Naga, Rtr. Suman, and all those who had contributed either directly or indirectly in making this trip a wonderful and smooth trip. Special thanks to Vignesh for arranging everything for us, as the itinerary was seemingly flawless! We really enjoyed it thoroughly, and we are waiting here in Malaysia to welcome you and be your host when you come here for your international service~

Thank you once again and see you in the near future!

" They came as strangers, and went back as family "

" The highlight of the trip was when Vishnu gathered everybody to show the malaysian friends the 'touch me not' plant hoping that it would be an unheard plant for them, ironically, Izzah walked away in an instant saying 'hey we do have this plant in Malaysia and we have seen it many times', and you should have seen Vishnu's face at that time! - Priceless! "

Barathi~

" Great is a less word to explain the enjoyment with RAC UTP "

" I dun know why time moves so fast I miss all my bros and sisters of Malaysia :( "

Vishnu~

" Omg though only seven days...!! We have really become one family and now I miss them badly...!! :( :( :( "

" Missing my Malaysian family very badly...!! "

Sethu Raman~

here's a nice tamil song =) go listen

the inner beauty of India ^^

2009-12-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

Most people are actually nice if you get to know them, so is India...

On the 10^th December 2009, approximately 4.45pm local time, the group consists of 11 members representing RAC Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS has arrived at Cochin Airport, received by rotaractors from RAC Saibaba Colony (SaiCon) and a few rotarians from RC Cochin Midtown. The immediate interaction was felt when all of us were greeted with warm gesture of RAC Saibaba Colony’s rotaractors who wore us a malai- garland.

The feelings of excitement were non-stopping throughout the journey. The barrier of diverse religion, race, culture and belief did not stop us from getting close to rotaractors of SaiCon. In fact, we were treated friendly by them as if we have known each other for some time. They were very enthusiastic to introduce us about India as well as knowing us and our country, Malaysia. However, we were many times distracted by the traffic. The drivers in India seem to in love with the vehicle’s horn system. The horns were heard every now and then, almost every second…

In Kerala, we were brought to the famous Fort Cochin Beach and the Dutch Cemetery. Besides, we also visited the nearby St. Francis C.S.I Church and Santa Cruz Basilica Church. St. Francis C.S.I Church is the oldest European church in India while Santa Cruz Basilica Church is endowed with its architectural and artistic magnificence.

On the same day (11^th Dec), we made our way to Allepey for a stay at the boathouse, which is very popular in Kerala. On the way to Allepey, we stopped by at some stalls to purchase drinking water. We also had the opportunity to taste the nanarusarpert, which is made of the root essence and blended with soda. Sipping nanarusarpert was a superb moment as it quenched our thirst profusely.

After travelling the unpleasant roads for about 4 hours, we finally reach the port at Allepey where we supposed to get into the boathouse. We were thrilled when we saw the boathouse was nicely equipped. The boathouse is also supporting our ecotour objective because the boat is made of natural resources including bamboos, palm leaves, and woods. The entire journey on boathouse was really amazing, especially the spectacular views along the river, the morning mist, and the breezy weather throughout the boathouse journey.

We continued our journey to Athrapalli Fall after leaving the boathouse on 12^th Dec. Athrapalli Fall is another paradise for ecotourism. The waterfall is approximately 80 feet high. The breathtaking waterfall scene was enticing us to snap ample of pictures despite of the danger of climbing from one huge rock to another. The soothing sounds also brought us nearer to the nature and some relaxation effects.

Kerala certainly deserves the name of “God’s own Country” given by National Geographic Traveller for its preserved nature and environment, which all of us were delighted with.

Along the way to Topslip (13^th Dec), windmills were spotted up to a very broad area. Only at that moment, we realized that India is making good use of the renewable wind resources in such eco way to provide power supply to the local Udumalpet masses. We even stopped by just to capture these 150 feet tall windmills.

Although the way to Topslip was adventurous because the road was extremely narrow, curvy and bumpy, we did have fun enjoying the natural beauty of this reserved wildlife sanctuary. The surroundings that covered by greenly flora and fauna are definitely a heaven for individual that adores the beauty of Mother Nature. At night, we manage to witness the wild elephants and deers. After that, we went for dinner at a shabby hotel where we had our lunch on the same day that serves tasty Chicken 65. Atif, Sandeep and Jerry had even proposed the idea of bringing Chicken 65 back to Malaysia for its exclusive sensation that Chicken 65 offers.

Tamilnadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is another place that has impressed us. Not because of its campus or the architecture, but its university’s technology that aims to improve the lives of farmers. We were introduced to the university’s portal, TNAU Agritech Portal which provides abundant information regarding farming that would allow farmers to obtain expertise from researchers of the entire world by merely using mobile phones.

Another captivating spot of Tamilnadu is the Isha Yoga Centre. It is a place of tranquil and peace for people who wish to escape from the hustle and bustle of city by meditating and practicing yoga. It is founded by a famous yogi named Sadguru who is also a well- known philosopher around the world. The buildings are unique as such that they were built without the use of pillar. It is said that one can attain the peace of mind and perfection of soul through meditation. As we entered the meditation hall, the calm ambience was felt. The rejuvenation was experienced despite of the short meditation session we had.

On the last day (16^th Dec) before we depart to the Cochin Airport, again we had our breakfast at People’s Park. The dishes served include the poori, ghee roast, masal roast, puratta, chappathi, idly, vadai, and etc. All the food taste exquisite, perhaps we have got used to the Indian food and started to savor them by eating with our hands. Not only that, the taste of rose milk was extremely good too, which I still craving for it now.

All in all, the exotic beauties of Indian food, places that we have visited, and the Indian community are truly undoubted, yet it cannot be explained by words alone. To feel it, you have to experience it!

All I have to say is nandri-thank you, especially to Vignesh, Bharathi, Vishnu, Abdul, Anil, Sethu, Udaya, Santhos, rotaractors and rotarians who have put in tremendous effort to bring us such a wonderful memory of discovering India. I believe all of us have created a miracle milestone through this goodwill and ecotour program.

*****Merry Christmas and Happy 2010! =)*****

Greetings from RAC Saibaba Colony, D3201

2009-12-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ringgits to rupees, RACUTP to RAC Saibaba Community, Our heart to yours!

2009-12-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

Months of planning, not too many have all come together as we start to pack for our trip to INDIA! With high hopes of fulfilling our goals and objectives we will be ready to make our mark in INDIA some this Thursda. Activities, logistics, everything has been planned for our one week adventure with goodwill at heart.

The final itinerary is out but we can;t let you see it just yet as you'll have to tune in now and then to get the updates. Nevertheless, here's a spoiler list of the name of places that has popped up in the itinerary .

1. Kochi

2.Comimbatore

3.Athrapalli

4.Thekadi

5.Kathakalli

6.Saranalayam

7.Douglas House

8.Jeeva Jothi Trust

9.Convent Girl's School

There are definitely more than ten places we would visit but hey, want to know more come back to catch our photos and stories.

Our friends from the Rotaract Club of the Saibaba Community has issued their second buletin. They're are an extremely active Rotaract club . Despite that particular fact, we feel honoured to be in the list . They have a map thts shows us, Universiti Teknologi Petronas.

If the Lord of the Rings had a fellowship of the rings that only shrunk, we have the INDIA DOZEN that only grows. It now definitely will stay at a dozen but before this, it started of with two cinfirmed, then seven, then ten, then eleven, now twelve.

RTRN. Arthur

Ms Hellina

Atif

Jerry

Xiao Ci

Sandeep

Izzah

Liang Yi

Jonathan

Graham

Sze Mei

Eric

From the buletin it is said that our friends over in India have launched their website.

www.saicons.org

Do pop over there and see all the cool things that they have.

Oh yeah, we are bringing over some old clothes and blankets too. If you have the heart and you think we still have excess weight to spare than you can bring them over to LCCT before our takeoff. The flight details are right above.

Hey, wish us luck. We'll becoming back with our own stories to tell. So whether you have or have not been to India, to pop buy after our trip to get our version of the story.

India..What's new!!

2009-10-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Latest news on the India trip. Don't worry there's only good news no bad ones at all. The trip has not only hit it's target of 10 participants but rather 11! Guess what?1 Airasia had blessed us all or rather our wallets with new flight routes. Now we are flying in to Kochi,Kerala. We're no longer the goodwill trip to Tamilnadu but to Tamilnadu and Kerala. Because the route to Kochi is new, the ticket price is much much cheaper. If you missed it, start weeping. :)

Here's the list of wise people who made a good choice of going and prayed for it to be cheaper.

1. Ms Hellina

2. Atif

3. Jerry

4. Xiao Ci
5. Sandeep
*6. Izzah
7. Liang Yi
8. Jonathan
9. Graham
10. Sze Mei
11. Eric

Here's the latest flight details for those who are going, those who wish to send us off and those who just wish to be informed!

Depart

Kuala Lumpur LCCT (KUL) to Kochi (COK)
AK 203 Thu 10 Dec 2009
Depart 1450 -----Malaysia Time------
Arrive 1630 -----India Time------

Return
Kochi (COK) to Kuala Lumpur LCCT (KUL)
AK 204 Wed 16 Dec 2009
Depart 1635 -----India Time--------
Arrive 2255 -----Malaysia Time------

Important announcement for those going, wheck your gmail and also you can start packing. Haha. We are currently planning our itinerary and will let you guys join in the hype about it as soon as we have decided. Anyone have anything interesting to share about India can always email us.

Let's go INDIA!

2009-09-14T01:54:00.000-07:00

Last year, the International Service Avenue organized a trip to Jakarta. This semester, we bring you :

Goodwill & Ecotour Program in Tamilnadu, India

10th-16th December 2009

Places for this trip are very limited as our Rotaract counterparts find it difficult to host too many. So what are you all waiting for?! First come first serve basis. At the time being , the trip is estimated to cost RM1100 per person.

Deposits of RM480 per person will be collected on the 18th September 2009.

For more details please contact:

Rtr. Xiao Ci 0123725273

Rtr. Izzah 0123052997

do you know?

2009-07-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

Rotaract now has an official presence on Twitter!!

Keep up to date with the latest Rotaract news and information directly from RI staff at http://twitter.com/rotaract.

introducing....

2009-07-18T17:08:00.001-07:00

Sandeep and Xiao Ci as the Asst Director and Director of the International Service Avenue 09/10

a lil on the sarawak trip

2009-07-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

18^th June 2009

Though the arrival arrangement seemed ‘messy’, it provides us with chances to explore Kuching on our own. I, arriving early in the afternoon, was joined by Mr Saiful in an impromptu trip to Carpenter Street. Nothing exceptional for a street full of handicrafts, but we did crash a tribal tattoo parlor just for fun. Meanwhile, Andrey, Javier, Yen Pinng and Harvin, whom have arrived earlier, went about visiting places and trying out the must-eats of Kuching.

Singgahsana Lodge was a delightful budget hotel – colorful, friendly (both staff and guests alike!) and comfortable. There was not much to complain about. The common bathroom was clean, the room was satisfactory and there was a cool lounge to boot.

Dinner at the Sarawak Club was a nice surprise. We had 2 tables at the Hornbill Restaurant to us. 5 Rotarians were there to host us –Pres Lau Seng, PP Edwin Liew, Rtr Moon, Rtr Robert and Rtr Arif Arabi. It was kind of daunting at first to go without a Rotarian and we are also without our President or President elect. I thank god for Mr. Saiful’s presence.

My first blunder of the trip would be to forget to bring the club’s bannerette to the dinner. Pres Lau Seng took me by surprise when he presented their bannerette to me halfway through dinner. Fortunately, we were able to make it up the very next day.

The day ended with the Rotaractors ( PP Sorensen and Pres Chong) and us hanging out in a lounge nearby.

19^th June 2009

9am marked the start of our visit to KAA [ Kuching Autistic Association ]. Mr Andrew and Mr Bernard gave us a short tour of the care center, which in my opinion, looks pretty ‘old’ and not as well maintained. It was previously a government owned house – used as its officials’ residence. As requested, we presented to them RM300 worth of products – a kettle and a vacuum cleaner - as well as stationeries from UTP and bags from RC KL. I could see why they needed those ( the electrical appliances ). Andrew shared with us that the center has been broken into 4 times in the last 7 months! Suddenly our contributions aren’t really ‘significant’ anymore.

Bernard and Andrew guided us throughout the center, explaining stage by stage how they train the autistic children. It was eye-opening for some. There were students as old as 12 yet they were just starting to learn how to clothe themselves. We spent most of the time in a special room with various equipments aimed to evoke the autistic children’s senses – swings to calm agitated children down and slides to train focus of the eyes, just to name a few. The trainers there did most of the explaining and one of them is actually a parent to an autistic child. At the end of the day, everyone was touched in a way or two.

We interacted with some of the children there and even tried out the one-to-one training method (on one of the children and among ourselves).

At noon, we went off to lunch before traveling for about an hour to UNIMAS.

It was a very short trip. Arriving at 3pm, we were greeted by Mr Mohammad Ibrahim, the head of the quality assurance division. After a brief presentation at the chancellery, we headed to the engineering faculty where we visited the civil engineering labs there. The faculty was quite empty as students were on their semester break. Honestly, this particular visit had me becoming more grateful of UTP for its better lab facilities and structures. However, all of us agreed that the students’ area at UNIMAS is not to be missed. It boasted a bowling court, a couple of snooker sets and a room for mini-karaoke. It was not a surprise that we hung out there for almost 2 hours.

** I left a bannerette there to be passed to Pres Lau Seng (He’s a professor of Environmental Chemistry as well as the director for the Center for Water Research at UNIMAS.

20^th June 2009

It was our free day and we were joined by Michelle’s friend, Sam!! We headed off to the cultural village and got a RM15 pass each. Basically, it was a 7-stop-tour, with each stop showcasing a traditional house. What was most interesting would be the daily cultural show at the Rainforest Stage. The 45-minute-performance was packed with dances of various tribes of Sarawak, some of which were quite a sight. At the end of the show, most of us joined the dancers onstage.

After a seafood lunch nearby, it was ‘free time’ for all.

Most of us headed to Michelle’s aunt’s place for a BBQ dinner. [ Andrey and Stella had other plans while Javier and Yen Pinng joined us later on. Aamir and Mr Saiful on the other hand, had a great time shopping and exploring the Waterfront ]. As an added treat, Michelle’s dad gave us two bottles of tuak.

Basically, it was a laid-back yet fun-filled day.

21^st June 2009

We set off early to the Bako Jetty and got a boat to the National Park, which was about half an hour away. Sorensen, Pres Chong and Ethan were there too (for the first time as well) and we braved the Pandan Kecil trail for almost 2 hours. Most parts of the trail looked postcard-perfect – the surreal greeneries, the pitcher plants, and the rocky cliff which looked like the surface of the moon. The beach and cliff were definitely worth our trek. Sorensen and I exchanged bannerettes on the cliff.

The group then trekked to the beach and we hung out there for about 2 hours – chatting, napping, swimming and cam-whoring. Aamir decided to trek back to the starting point. He clearly enjoyed himself very much that day. The rest of us (too beaten up and lazy to join him) took a boat back instead.

By the time we reached the city, it was already 4pm. We had a quick KFC lunch with the Rotaractors before parting ways. The rest of the day was yet another ‘free session for all’.

For dinner, we crossed the river to the more ‘Malay’ part of Kuching. The sampan fare was RM0.50 each but the journey was a mere minute (or even less!). We tried halal kolo mee.I prefer the real thing.

After the meal, we adjourned to Scopes – a new place serving gelatos – with Pres Chong. The night ended quite late for most of us, including our host, as we hung out at the hotel lounge (playing pool and even left the Rotaract logo on the walls).

22^nd June 2009

The express boat took a good half of the day. Fortunately, no one got seasick. By the time we arrived at the Sibu Jetty, it was already nearing 2pm.

To everyone’s surprise, we were greeted with a welcoming banner (despite the typo – it read ‘University of Technology, Tronoh’ instead of ‘Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS’ – it remains the most memorable moment for the rest of the Sibu trip). The welcoming crew of more than 5 ( I forgot how many ) was headed by Pres Ting (of the Rotaract Club of UCS).

The PP of the Rotary Club of Sibu, Mr Stephen Wong, kindly provided us with 2 rented cars throughout our stay there while Pres Ting acted as the 3^rd driver with his own transport.

Eden Inn was just another family-run budget hotel. (No complains here though since we were to stay for just one night and it was just RM40 per room!). Everyone was tired by the time we reached our rooms.

By the time everyone had their dues done, we set off to the longhouse of Sungai Aup. It was 4 plus when we got there. To my disappointment, it was a rather ‘modern’ community. There were long houses there. Just not the ones I’ve pictured so many times in my head prior to the trip – I was expecting the place to be like the Simpang Pulai orang asli settlement. We did nothing much there except presenting gifts to the village chief (I had arranged 16 sets of hand-outs worth RM10 each for the families there).

At about 5.30 pm, we set off to UCS – United College of Sarawak- for an unofficial visit. Well, the Rotaractors wanted to freshen up before the dinner, and by chance, the college is just around the corner. By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was already 6.30pm.

The dinner at Tanahmas Hotel started with speeches from the PP of Waterboard Sibu ( Mr Daniel Wong ) and the president of the Rotary Club of Sibu ( Mr Philip Lau ) as well as a presentation on ‘Water Preservation’.

The dinner was attended by the members of local press (which is Mandarin-based), members of Sibu Waterboard, Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Sibu, and Rotaractors of UCS. A personal opinion here – we were seated according to tables, as in the Rotarians, Rotaractors, etc occupied a table each, so we did not really get to interact much with the anyone there. This is when, I think, Rotarian Arthur could have done his magic.

Halfway through the dinner, the RACUTP presented its bannerette to the Rotary Club of Sibu. **Something embarrassing happened. I was addressed as the President. And of course, they were corrected.

23^rd June 2009

Pres Ting brought us to a kampua mee-and-kompia- breakfast (well, Mr Saiful and Aamir had their meal in a Malay stall nearby) before setting off to the Blind Center.

We were supposed to start at 8.30am, however, delays were unavoidable as we had to wait for the ‘painting sifu’ and Mr John Wong (the secretary of the center). Meanwhile, under the prompts by the supervisor there, we took pictures, pictures, and pictures.

By 9am, the paints arrived – the boys were assigned to scrap off the old paint of the front gate while the girls were asked to clean up the center.

Basically, that was what we did until 11.30am. Evidently, we did not have enough time to finish painting but we provided enough paint for them to do so. ** Mr Saiful left for his flight at 9.30am. We took more pictures of course before we left for lunch.

Lunch at Rafie Café was sponsored. Dr Hii and a journalist were there to greet us.

Andrey, Javier and Yen Pinng left right after lunch to catch their flight and bus respectively. The rest of us were brought back to the hotel to check out before going about Sibu – just plain hanging out and shopping.

3 Rotaractors (Pres Ting, Incoming Pres Wong and Benjamin) played host till the end. They even waited with us for our flights back! We couldn’t thank the Sibu Rotaractors more as our trip coincide with their normal lecture days.

There are just too many pics. Here I present to you, my favorite!

RACUTP Making Headlines in Sibu.

2009-07-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sin Chew Daily

24 June 2009

page 9

See Hua Daily News

24 June 2009

page A26

United Daily News

24 June 2009

page B3

2009-05-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

And registration is closed!

Joining the Sarawak Trip are:
1. Rotarian Arthur
2. Mr Saiful Hizam (from SSS)
3. Rtc Andrey
4. Rtc Javier Teo
5. Rtc Yen Pinng
6. Rtc Harvin Kaur
7. Rtc Kuo Chun
8. Rtc Timmy Ong
9. Rtc Aamir Khan

18th June, here we come!!

2009-04-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Short Note : RACUTP Induction Night. 23 April 2009. D1 . 8.30 . Smart Casual. refreshments and certificates provided

APRRC 2009 is coming!!

Itinerary for the upcoming Sarawak Trip

2009-03-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all!!

Below is the draft itinerary for the upcoming Sarawak Trip:

Date	Activities
Day 1 (18^th June)	Arrive at Kuching Airport from LCCT, Kuala Lumpur ( 9am ) Meeting up with Kuching Rotaractors Sarawak Cultural Village.
Day 2 (19^th June)	Joined by Rotarian Arthur Community Service – PERKATA Special School Free Time Dinner with RAC Kuching**
Day 3 (20^th June)	Survival Lesson at Bako National Park Free Time
Day 4 (21^st June)	Visit to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Semenggoh Wildlife Center**
Day 5 (22^nd June)	Arrive at Sibu - taking the morning boat service (12pm) [http://www.kapit.net.my/transportation.asp?id=18] Community Service – Association for Children with Special Needs Dinner with RAC Sibu**
Day 6 (23^rd June)	Community Service – Sarawak Society for the Blind, Sibu Division Depart from Sibu Airport to LCCT, Kuala Lumpur ( 8.30pm)

** To be confirmed

For those traveling from KL, the flight details are:

KL-KCH (18^th June 2009) 0710-0855 Flight AK5200 RM 53.50

SBW-KL (23^rd June 2009) 2035-2225 Flight AK5199 RM 56.50

Lodgings??

Singgahsana Lodge near the Kuching Waterfront and Eden Inn, Sibu, located in the middle of the town.

Costs??

It’s a range between RM600-700 (transportation taking a huge chunk of it).

Get a friend to join OR join to meet new friends!!

Either way, the experience is PRICELESS =)

Yen Pinng -017 9082335 Michelle - 014 9050484 Karen – 012 7498018

A lil update on the Sarawak Trip

2009-03-09T01:27:00.000-07:00

**Short note: Our next club meeting would be on 16th March with the theme of 'Hawaiian Night'. Join us at D1, 9pm

AirAsia Promos are on!

KL-KCH tics are rm38.50 while SIBU-KL tics are merely rm41.5. And that's after taxes (:
Overall, it'll be rm80 per person to and fro Sarawak.

The breakdown of other costs include:
1. Accommodation - Kuching rm90 for 3days, Sibu rm20 for 2 days
2. Kuching-Sibu bus - rm 40
3. Transportation around Sibu - rm 50 for 2 days
4. Entrance fee to Sarawak Cultural Village and Bako National Park - rm75
5. Misc (Banner, T-shirt) - rm40
6. More transportation - rm200

Cost incurred so far ---> rm595 * if you book the tics NOW of course.

What will we be doing there??

Roughly, there's gonna be a visit to a PETRONAS LPG Bottling Plant, a short survival lesson and jungle trekking at the Bako National Park, a visit to UNIMAS, and community services at the Sarawak Society for the Blind Center, Agape Center of Sibu and Children's Home of Sibu. We'll also be meeting Rotaractors of District 3310.

18-24 June 2009. Joining us?? Place your deposit (rm200) with us before 30th of March.
Hurry before the promo ends!

2009-03-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

Rotaract Club of Bombay North Island is back with its most popular and award winning International Service Project - ADOPT-A-TREE.

As last year, they will be planting 41 trees to commemorate the 41st year of Rotaract worldwide. This year, they are turning this concept into a Tree Exchange.

Every Rotaract club worldwide is invited to pledge one tree with RACBNI and in return they would request you to plant one tree for them in your vicinity. This planting of trees will happen simultaneously in the week of the 13th of March,2009.

Another highlight this year : 41 trees have been pledged and will be planted by students from Kalyandeep School for mentally and physically challenged kids.

An e-bulletin will also be released towards the end of the month. So do support RACBNI in this initiative of spreading the message of peace,love and friendship through ADOPT-A-TREE.All you have to do is simply pledge one tree on behalf of your club and then see the tree of our friendship grow and provide protection against global warming.

http://www.bni.in/tree

Venue and Date:
Date : March 9, 2009 - March 14, 2009
Venue : Mumbai and the World.

2009-03-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Yups, it's March already, people!

Seems like a slow semester for this avenue but not to worry coz we're currently planning yet another Goodwill Trip. Unlike our previous trips to i) Pune, India (2004) ii) Singapore (2006) iii) Chiang Rai, Thailand (2007) and most recently iv) Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta last December, this time round, we're going local.

What's more? We are collaborating with the Professional Development (PD) avenue.

Plans to Kuching and Sibu are taking shape. Currently, we're working hard on keeping the budget reasonable and the trip worthwhile. This 1-week-outing will not only cover the usual community service and fellowship with Rotaractors there, PD is arranging visits to a PETRONAS plant, the Bako National Park and UNIMAS as well!

Tentatively, this project is scheduled to be on the 11th - 17th JUNE 2009 and would cost just around RM800* we're trying our best to bring you the best deals :) Look out for more info to come!

Interested already?? Feel free to drop me an email at nakailun[at]gmail[dot]com.

Meanwhile, here is what RACUTP will be up to next:
Datanglah beramai-ramai and know more bout NOVO!!

Indonesia : An unforgetable experience

2009-02-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

Voice From Universiti Teknologi Petronas III

January 5, 2009 by indonesiaonperspective

Although I would say that the traffic congestions there are no match for Kuala Lumpur. The bajai’s there are similar to the tut-tut’s in Bangkok. Jakarta is a huge place, so are its shopping malls. There are plenty there and all of them have their own specialty. MONAS is a beautiful sight at night and a significant monument, rightly so. If you have been to MONAS, you have been to Jakarta, Indonesia. Taman Mini Indonesia is a must see. Its going be tough to visit all places in Indonesia, taman mini is the solution. You can visit the whole of Indonesia in 1 day, including PNG!

Bandung was fantastic. The weather is nice, cooling and the town is peaceful. The shopping there, oh my. If you want to shop for clothes you should go to Bandung, anything and everything under the sun.

Yogyakarta, another awesome place to visit. A must place to visit in Indonesia. The Borobudur temple, a majestic sight to see is truly a fantastic building which is a world heritage site under UN. Its pyramid shape and uncountable statues portray Indonesia in another way, as though Borobudur is another country. The city of jogja, is peaceful and easy going, filled with horse carriages for tourists. Malioboro street a definite destination in jogja. Anything and everything including beautiful batik items can be found there

The people of Indonesia are really friendly and nice although I would not say the same for their driving habits haha. Being the country with the largest Muslim population, Indonesia also comprises of Christians and Jawanese Muslims. The 16th Century Cathedral in Jakarta, build during the Dutch era, matches the ones build in ancient Rome.

The enormous Mosque’s, largest in South East Asia, represents the large population of Muslims there.

Being in Indonesia for 10 days was really a marvelous experience. The food there, spicy for some, nice for me. Gadu-gadu, the famous of them all. The huge variety there sometimes made it difficult to choose my meals.

Finally I would like to thank all the rotaractors from all the clubs in Jakarta, RAC Semanggi, RAC Lippo Karawachi, RAC Gambir, Bandung Rotaractors also Budy and RAC Yogyakarta Molioboro for their time and wonderful company throughout the entire

trip. Not forgetting the students of Universitas Pelita Harapan, hosted us during their silence week. It wouldn’t have been the same without all of you there. Wishing all of you a wonderful new year, all the best in whatever you do. Take care!!!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Jasmitt Bullar
Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi Petronas, District 3300
Malaysia

Voice From Universiti Teknologi Petronas II

January 5, 2009 by indonesiaonperspective

What I think about INDONESIA:

Honestly, I have never been to Indonesia. However, it gives me the impression of a culture and tradition- rich country, where lots of monuments and historical buildings are still preserved, much to the delight of tourists. Despite the political turmoil and natural disasters that had taken place in Indonesia, the people in the country still continue to strive forward in holding the country together, a spirit complimented.

Chan Yen Pinng
Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi Petronas , District 3300
Malaysia

Voice From Universiti Teknologi Petronas

January 5, 2009 by indonesiaonperspective

What I think about Indonesia.

From the beginning I was skeptical about Indonesia. I was of the idea
that Indonesia is not such a good place, starting from the roads to
the environment, I wasn’t sure what to expect. All these ideas thanks
to a lot opinions from various people who themselves haven’t been to
Indonesia.

My journey from the airport told me a little about what to expect from
Indonesia, or Jakarta to be precise. The journey, albeit a little long
because of the traffic jam, I was kept occupied by the environment.
Being a scenery fan myself, I was amazed at how many trees and
greenery I met all the way to the hotel. Even in the capital city,
they were so many tress around. It was just beautiful. Even with all
these trees, I read in the papers that the city had not met its trees
quota, which means there are more trees to come. That’s great!!!!
Another thing I noted was the great architecture each building had,
preserving the architecture of those days in between modern day
buildings is just wonderful to watch.

On one of my days in Jakarta, I went out for a walk at night to soak
in the culture and get to know the people a little bit. One particular
culture that is similar with us Malaysians is the night life. Many
shops are open even until late at night. We stopped a satay shop, and
my friends got themselves some satay. While waiting, we got a chance
to have a chat with the shop keeper. He was so friendly and jovial.
That character is true for all Indonesians in my view. Even the
Rotaractors who kept us company were the same.

Being in Bandung reminded me of any town in Malaysia. It was so
similar. Since language was no barrier and was almost the same, I
really felt like I was at home. The visit to the Angklung centre was
something amazing too. We got to know a little bit about the
Indonesian culture and musical instruments. That was an experience not
to forget for me.

Finally we went to Yogyakarta by train. Eventhough the train ride from
Jakarta to Yogyakarta took nine hours, I didn’t feel the distance as I
was either enjoying the scenery or well asleep. There were paddy
fields all the way. Paddy fields even came as close as the train
track. There were also some unharmed rivers and jungle that were great
to the eye. In the city that had both Borobudur and Prambanan, we
managed to do a lot of shopping. I was amazed at how well Candi
Borobudur has been preserved. Even more impressive is the fact that
rehabilitation is still taking place,to keep the candi in its shapre
for a longer time to come.

All in all, I had a great time in Indonesia. To sum it up in a few
words, the people are great, the environment is great and so is the
culture. I had a splendid 10 days in Indonesia.

Sandeep
Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi Petronas, District 3300
Malaysia

We Listen to You Project…

2008-12-23T23:38:00.001-08:00

We Listen to You Project…

This project held by International Service, Rotaract Club Semanggi Jakarta, District 3400 Indonesia. The objective of this project is to find out what is the perception of other Rotaractors all over the world about Indonesia, for supporting Indonesian Government Programme Visit Indonesian Year 2008.

We always waiting for you thinking, comment and opinion about Indonesia. It can be positive or negative, just speak your voice. It is time for us to listen to you…

For the best comment we will give you special souvenir originally from Indonesia. The winner will be anonnounced at Asia Pasific Rotaract Regional Conference (APRRC), that will be held in Bali, 19-23 November 2008.

For joining this project, as simply as following this step:
1. Write down what do you think about INDONESIA (ex. culture, social life, tourism destination, etc.)
2. Write also your name, club, district, and countries
3. Send it to indonesiaonperspective@gmail.com
4. Check on http://indonesiaonperspective.wordpress.com
5. Wait for Indonesia Handicraft for the BEST COMMENT

Jakarta Goodwill Trip

2008-12-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

Thanx to Aira for creating this.......=p

RACUTP 9th Installation Dinner

2008-12-06T22:52:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, errhhmm..

Yes, we had our 9th Installation Ceremony at Ipoh City and Country's Club instead! And most of the 120 people turnout arrived dressed up to the theme of a Scarf and Tie Affair.

On the top right, it's the V.I.P table with IPP Joshua Ng, Rotarian Arthur, the District Governor and President of the Rotary Club of Kinta

The immediate past board of Directors being honoured

Board of Directors of the 08/09 term

The on-goings of the night - we had a beauty pageant, performances by Christon and Adonis (not in pic), breakdancing and that, at the bottom left, is the lucky winner of a 3D2N room at Havana Beach Resort!!

President Jasmitt with (left) Club Advisor, Mr Zulkarnan Abdul and (right) Rotarian Advisor, Mr Arthur Yeong

Director's Note on Jakarta Trip 08

2008-12-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

Initially, the plan was to go to Hong Kongand Indonesia was actually my backup plan. I started looking for contacts via Rotaract.net (introduced to me by my predecessor, Director Kong), Friendster and also through the wonders of ‘Googling’.

It was then that I’ve managed to get into contact with a few Rotaractors from Hong Kong and a Malaysian studying at a Hong Kong Polytechnic University for help. The Rotaract Club that the club hosted last year, RAC of Hong Kong University, also offered to lend a hand.

The following is the initial short-listed places for us to visit :

1. Sheung Tak Child Care Centre (for hearing impaired children)

尚德幼兒中心 (為聽覺受損兒童而設）

2. Wan Tsui Centre

環翠中心

3. Morrison Hill Child Development Centre (SCCC)

摩理臣山兒童發展中心 (特殊幼兒中心)

4. Ebenezer Child Care Centre (for visually impaired children)

心光幼兒中心 (為視覺受損兒童而設）

5. Cheung Wah Special Child Care Centre

祥華特殊幼兒中心

Unfortunately, due to time constraints (it was mid June when I first got into contact with them and the trip was scheduled to be in December), all of them turned me down. It seemed that they needed at least a year’s notice for such visits. It was after a board meeting that I’ve decided to switch my attention to Indonesia. A quote from Rotarian Arthur “ If you feel that you are banging your head on the wall, then you should know that it’s time to stop or quit”.

With that, I was back to square one. Fortunately, a handful of Rotaract Clubs of Indonesia expressed their interest in helping. And that was how it all begun. ** To tell the truth, I planned to have this trip during the semester break of July 2009 but hey, why limit our goodwill trip to being an annual affair? So, here’s the news, the avenue is planning to organize two of such trips this term (fingers crossed).

Since the month of July, I have been keeping an eye on the rates of Air Asia. Waiting and waiting for the right time to get hold the cheap tickets. The opportunity came but I have yet finalized my plans with my Indonesian counterparts! The proposal and promotional posters were not done yet. It was in two the morning and there were just so much to do!

I would be having a lab session at 8am and with the remaining hours till then, the proposal was completed. I decided to ‘recycle’ the poster that Past Director Kong had used, with a few tweaks and all, of course. Not a glorifying thing to do – but pardon me for it was my first time coming up with a proposal and organizing such a trip.

The proposal was sent in that very morning and I managed to convince Student Support Service (SSS) to have it approved there and then. That was extremely relieving as generally, it would take at least a month for off-campus events to be approved and the Air Asia promotion was only valid for less than two weeks then. Tickets to Jakarta would normally cost around RM110-200 but on promotions, they were only RM 40-70 each!

That night, the posters were up with the help of the rest of the avenue. Of course, the worries of the tickets being snapped up still lingered throughout the ten odd days.

My first trip presentation during a club meeting went well although I had had some reservations initially. The respond was fairly good. Most of the club members thought of the trip to be a recreational one and when I got to the community service part, their expressions were a straightforward “No Way!”.

All in all, ten people showed their interest. They are:

1. Jasmitt Bhullar ( President of RACUTP 08/09 )

2. Aira Amira Abd Raman ( Secretary I )

3. Sandeep Ramakrishnan

4. Tan Xiao Ci

5. Lee Kuo Chun

6. Timonthy Ganesan

7. Suren Lim Sinnaduraj

8. Jasvinder Singh Gill

9. Nur Fathiah Bt Jasmari

10. Beshari

The original duration (10^th- 17^th December 2008) was extended till 19^th December as we wanted to make a visit to the famous Borobodur at Yogjakarta. Luck was on our side – there was a ticket promotion going.

Hence, the flight arrangements were made and my focus was then shifted to the activities there. With the assistance of three clubs ( RAC Semanggi, RAC Gambir, and RAC Lippo Karawaci ), the first itinerary was outlined.

Special thanks to the Director of Funding, Rtr. Lee See for helping me recruit sponsors, both monetary as well as merchandise (colour pencils and stationeries for the children there). Besides that,I am very appreciative of Rtr Koong Xin Yi (of the Community Service Avenue) and her mother. They sponsored 40 story books and 38 pencil boxes – Thank you very much, Mdm Koong and Rtr. Koong!

Regards,

Jerry

of breakdancing and spaghetti

2008-09-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

We had Turkmenistan Spaghetti gracing our last club meeting!!

Thanks to Azat and Baktiar for guiding the participants. It came as a surprise that besides being great break dancers, they could cook up a storm as well.

This week, it was an exciting battle between Club Serve (headed by the ever sporting Rtr HaHa) and Funding ( leaded by vivacious Rtr Lee See).

Enough said. Pictures, everyone!

Boiling the spaghetti at the back of the hall.
Rotarian's Tip of the Day : to determine whether the noodles were cooked, throw them at a wall. If they stick to the wall, voila, you have pasta!

the original dish ;)

the main ingredients : tomatoes, onions and chicken

[Above and below] Directors doing their thing~

Rtr Alexander doing all the work..

the turnout that night

Bon Appetite!

President Jasmitt handing out the certificate of appreciation

Participants of the night

*Pictures courtesy of Rtr Gary

if you have a say

2008-09-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

Another defining moment for the International Service Avenue : isa.racutp@gmail.com

So any comments, suggestions and complaints can be directed there.

Short note - RACUTP's 9th Installation Dinner would be held this Saturday (20th Sept) at Ipoh City and Country Club. Tickets are priced at RM 38 each. Join us for a scarf-and-tie affair and you might just win yourself a 3D2N room at Havana Beach Resort, Teluk Nipah, Pangkor!! [ www.havana.com.my ]

Get your tickets now from any members of the Board of Directors. Cya there~

Yummy yummy...

2008-09-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, our International Food Fest kick-started with favourable responses from those who attended the club meeting. Unlike before, where our Food Fests are merely potlucks, a lil twist is added to this year's Food Fest.

Instead of just tasting the food, for every club meetings to come this semester, there would be a couple of teams pitting against each other in whipping up the 'Dish of the Week'. For each round, our International friends would be there to guide the teams. In plain English - a cooking competition lar~. This time round, the lucky contestants are - Rotarian Arthur, President Jasmitt, Director Jerry and Assistant Director Arvinder.

And Thai students Leena Yeewae, Abeedin Adulphakdee, Umdao Nopparat, Sariyah Puteh, and Hafsah U-Seng were kind enough to lend us a hand.

The 'hands' behind Food Fest (from left) :
Rtr Liang Yi, Rtr Xiao Ci, and Rtr Arthit

A rare sight

Our Assistant Director hard at work!

The 'Golden' Team being mobbed by the crowd

Dish of the Week :
The creamy and fragant Coconut Chicken Soup

For you absentees out there, this is what you guys had missed out!

Some finishing touches....

Participants of the night

Many thanks to (from left) Leena, Umdao and Abeedin!

Of course, the original Coconut Chicken Soup was prepared beforehand for everyone to taste. At the end of the night, the winners (judged by our International friends) were announced and drum- rolls please.........the International Avenue Service team won!!

That's all for now, see you guys same place, same time on the 22nd September for another round of our revamped International Food Fest. Don't forget to bring your spoons, forks and friends ;)

P/s Those interested in our Jakarta trip, you can still register with Jerry. Do it as soon as possible please

Rotary Youth Exchange - Long-Term Program Application

2008-09-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

A life-changing experience awaits you. Check out http://www.yepmalaysia.com/ for more details

Official Application Form for the Rotary Youth Exchange Long-Term Program is now available for download.

Olympicious Nite

2008-09-05T05:31:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had our club meeting on the 28th of August. For our avenue, we presented on the recent Olympic Games that was held in Beijing, China. We got to know the history of the Olympics, how the Olympics today shaped the world, the list of games held at the Beijing Olympics and, also about its six mascots.

Here are some snapshots of the meeting:

Here's Rotarian Arthur and President
Jasmitt in the front row

Jerry's report after the presentation

Ancient Olympics..

The game of the night

We're actually trying to
mimic the Beijing Olympic mascots!
:D

P/S: Coming to you soon - Project GAIA ! We're collecting empty mineral water bottles of any sizes. If you do have any, please pass them to any one of us!
Email us to have your inquiries answered.
jerryfoo89@gmail.com or arvinder8912@gmail.com or nakailun@gmail.com

Look out for something delicious at our next club meeting! Till then...

International Goodwill Trip to Jakarta!

2008-09-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! The International Service Avenue is organizing an International Goodwill Trip to Jakarta, Indonesia. It is all set to be on the 10th to 17th of December 2008. We will be visiting the following places for some community service:

Teluk Naga Village School

Community Service
with the street kids
:)

they are actually planting
mangrove trees...

Darmais Cancer Children Hospital

Besides that, we will also be going to interesting spots such as:

Ancol, Jakarta Bay

The National Monument

Java Borobudur

Miniature Indonesia

Last but not least, the University of Trisakti for some time with the Rotaractors there!

These are just the tip of an iceberg.

So what you're waiting for? For only RM950 per person, you could be part of a memorable and giving trip, meet new people and rediscover yourself, maybe. Please sign up by 10th September 2008.
For more info, feel free to email Rotaractor Jerry at jerryfoo89@gmail.com
You can also visit http://racjakartagambir.multiply.com/ for more info.

Thumb printing poster!!

2008-06-08T02:55:00.001-07:00

This poster is a part of the IS Avenue contribution towards our RACUTP's mega project for 2008/2009. More than 500 students shown their support in "Stop Global Warming" Campaign by thumb-print on the poster. Thanks to all IS Ave. committee for their effort to make this project a success.

Attention to all Rotaractors from around the world

2008-06-08T02:15:00.001-07:00

"Hi, I am Jerry Foo from the Rotarct Club University Technology Petronas , District 3300, MALAYSIA. I am the International ServiceDirector of Rotaract Club of Univerity Technology Petronas for thisyear. Rotaract Club of University Technology Petronas will be veryhappy to work with Rotaractors from any club and country. We also would like to twin our club and also want to exchange ournational flag,club pin,shirt and etc with any rotaractclub from any country.For more detail you can e-mail me at mailto:jerryfoo89@gmail.com"

Qouted from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rotaractnet/

New Board for IS Avenue 2008/2009

2008-06-08T00:05:00.000-07:00

It's time to introduce the new faces in IS Ave. Board for 2008/2009~! They will be the new admins for this site too~!

From left: DIRECTOR: Jerry Foo Kok Xiang
ASST. DIRECTOR 1: Na Kai Lun a.k.a Karen
ASST. DIRECTOR 2: Arvinder Singh s/o Sarjit Singh

Congratulations to three of them!

Best Project Organised 2007/2008

2008-04-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

On 21st April 2008, International Service Avenue of RACUTP is honoured to receive"Best Project Organised for 2007/2008" award. This award not only meant for IS Avenue but also for those who have participated it either directly or indirectly. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the participants as such:

Alaa El-Din a.k.a Chester : Assistant Project Director
Dismas Bismo : A superb video editor
Lim Qi Hua
Kulvinder Kaur
Ong Kee Hui
Aaron Ang Kok Wye
Tan Shea Teng a.k.a Ashley
Mr. Zulkarnan Abdul : Without you, our trip wont be approved by the University Management
Rotarian Arthur : Thank you for your guidance and advices
Last but not least, President Joshua : Leader makes great leaders, that's all i wanna say :)

I would say this blog is not yet ending.. Why? You will know later :)

Thailand Trip featured in Governor's Newsletter, Issue No. 9, March 2008

2008-04-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

Front Page

We are in Page 8~!

(Pls click on the picture for larger view and feel free to download it :) )

Thanks to Rotarian Arthur for his effort to submit our trip report to Rotary District 3300 for this publication

FINALE

2008-04-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

We are on Childlife Maesai Website!

2008-02-29T23:18:00.000-08:00

http://childlifemaesai.blogspot.com/2007/12/activities-all-round.html <-- Click here

EPS 3: 200 vs 9

2008-02-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

"We are here not to change the world; but we are here to touch lives".

I believe the phrase explains everything about the clip and our experinces in the Camillian Social Center Chiang Rai, Thailand.

We are in MFL University Newsletter - December 2007 Edition

2008-02-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

Click on the MFLU Logo to check out the complete newsletter. We are in page 17.

Thanks to P'Gift from MFLU PR Division for the information

Special Presentation by Louis Armstrong - It's all about the kids

2008-02-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

When the team reached the Camillian Social Center Chiangrai, we were greeted warmly by 200 children. My first reaction was "200 kids?!!.. that's a lot of kids to handle!!".

This special presentation is dedicated for the kids at the Camillian Social Center and Maesai Childlife (which we visited the following day). The song What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong is chosen to remind us that in spite of all the problems we face in this world (life), there’s always good behind them; the kids we met in this 2 social centers reminded us of that.

Mr. Zul was correct:
"We are here not to teach them, but to learn from them." I guess that's what I learned from my time with the children - I shouldn't take things for granted, cherish each and every day. I hope you enjoy the presentation! Happy Chinese New Year for those who are celebrating!

Bangbus? or is it Bangkok?

2008-01-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

i hope it will never be too late to blog bout the ten-days-of- the-most exciting-trip i went 1.5months ago.

Hmm, i would say that this was the most memorable trip so far. frankly, i didn't know why i was so insisted to join this trip even though i wasn't a rotaract or know all of the seniors. i just got the feeling that it would be a good one, and i wanna experience travelling with other people whom you met once or twice without saying "Hello". well, the output was marvellous. I enjoyed every bit of seconds throughout the trip.

For me, these seniors are really cool and friendly. In fact, (confession time) the first "gathering" in V3cafe i was a bit ... i dunno how to describe the feeling, i guess i expect more "leng chai".Hhaha.. Joking. i expect to see more familiar faces or anyone from my batch. I met Joshua, Kong, Kulvinder, Aaron, Bismo ( my ex-marketing coursemate! haha) n Mr Zul ( cool guy okay). Chester and Qi Hua were at Penang that time.

Kee Hui and I were the youngest of all, in terms of years of studying. I felt so warm and protected during the trip because they are good koko and jiejie (older brothers and sisters). they really took good care of each other.

From this trip, i got to know Bangbus, CFA, or CFP (forget d) from the guys. so outdated huh~ so bad, teach me these kind of stuff, hehe

Actually, i learnt a lot of from these people, and there are so much things that i would like to say, but i just can't write them out, too much of them...

I miss THAILAND so much, babe. (big sigh....back to UTP!!!!!)

Episode 2 -The 2 days Journey

2007-12-31T23:35:00.000-08:00

The journey to Thailand was what makes the team closer with each other. Chats and the card games made the 22 hours seem so short. Aside from that, we prepared the things bought in Malaysia for the kids. This episode tells the long 2 days journey from Butterworth to Bangkok, and continue on to Chiang Rai.

While making the cards for the kids, Aaron remembered us (or he saje said it) with a Confucius saying:
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
For our case… the 1st step of our thousand miles is to know one another. I really enjoyed the trip with the team!! Thanks you guys...

I hope you enjoy the episode!! Happy New Year!

* The narration sucks-lah... and mind the language also... hehehehe.. so sorry.. :)

Episode 1 - Preparations Expectations Feelings

2007-12-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

Preparations Expectations Feelings: For me, the mixture of excitement and fear clouded my mind before leaving Butterworth to Chiang Rai. Excited about the adventure, fun, meeting people, and the Rotaracters themselves; fear about what danger may come (FYI, I'm not insured for the trip, but Josh is... so a bit relieved-lah.. he'll test all the dangerous rides and places first, before we jump in... kikikiki.. no offence bro) and fear about the fact that I'll be jobless after the trip (that's another story to tell).
Anyhow.. This episode unveils the individual Rotaracter’s preparation, expectations, and feelings. Despite the funny mix of expectations and feelings, deep in each of the participant’s heart there is a common understanding which kept everyone together: Service Above Self. Enjoy the episode...

* The narration sucks-lah... hehehehe.. so sorry.. :)
** I'll try to keep the episodes between 4 - 5 mins. because of the size and quality if it is too large. [db(c) production]

Friendship forged during the trip...

2007-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

We were really fortunate to have travelled to Thailand as Rotaractors...

I think despite of all the cheap bargains we got from all the night markets, china town and so on... 1 thing we earn from this trip that no other travelling agency is able to provide is FRIENDSHIP...

Firstly, friendship among ourself... For me personally, I wouldn't have known all 9 rotaractors and 2 advisors from RACUTP better if not for this trip. Especially Ashley, Kee Hui, Bismo, and Mr. Zul who joined us rotaracting for the first time. It's fun and interesting to know the funny and crazy character of Ashley. I can't forget how one time she was acting out a mime all by herself on the main street in front of MFLU. She was describing the scenario: What would happen at home if Kee Hui were to go CARI MAKAN in future? It was really creative. It's also very interesting to get to know Mr. Zul as a friend, he can be the funniest poser in the group. wait wait... let me upload some example..

Other than getting to know members from RACUTP better, we also get a chance to meet students and rotaractors from Thailand, both in Chiang Rai and Bangkok. If we have not travelled to Thailand as Rotaractors, we wouldn't have met such wonderful people. I would like to express my thanks to Rotaractors in Bangkok; despite having their exams, they still came early in the morning and meet up with us and brought us to the hotel... of course not forgetting the fact that they are so kind to help Rotarian to carry his luggage. On another occasion in Chiang Rai, Jared (an American student studying in MFLU) was so nice to have invited us to his house for a Barbeque Party.

For the rest of the trip in Thailand, we pretty much get to know each other better. Getting chance to spend time together in the train and behind the truck makes a lot of difference in this trip i think. If not for all the time we have from the travelling, we wouldn't have much time to share our thoughts and experiences with each other. I hope after the trip, everyone will continue to keep in touch. For those of you that are graduate (Bismo and Qi Hua), good luck in your future endeavour and remember to keep in touch with us and keep urself updated with the club's activities. And for those still in UTP ... Keep rotaracting...

I think this is another good reason for joining Rotaract... :)

Trailer : Thailand International Understanding Trip 2007

2007-12-23T07:25:00.001-08:00

This is a Trailer of our trip to Thailand; the episodes will be out on late January 2008. I apologize about the quality, as I have to compress it for viewing purpose via the blog. Hope it can give a glimpse of our trip. Enjoy!!

Thailand Baby Part 2~

2007-12-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

Post dated on 8 Dec 07

We visited Mae Fah Luang University yesterday and guess what? We gotten an invitation to a private party hosted by this American student, Jay! So off we went to the party, despite we need to wake up at 6.30am to leave to another community service event the next day! We brought some drinks and Coke.. and the Thai girls made bbq food.. damn sedap yo…

Then this morning.. Kul and me woke up damn early la.. Kul - 6.30am, me - 7am. We had a damn fast shower, den cepat2 dressed up… opened the door.. we saw the guys r still sleeping. SLEEPING! Mmmmm. Oka-ay. Kul went back to sleep, while I packed my things. Den later at 8.45am, Josh woke up and came to our room. APPARENTLY, there was a change of plans… 7am became 3pm.. no wonder everyone still zzz-ing… den we just chit-chatted for another hour and that’s when everyone woke up. Hah. Luckily today got hot water and I made my Chek Hup (yesh, i brot it to Thailand ) so now i’m pretty much awake..

Sidetrack a little, one thing I reli can’t stand is the food here. Everything here is pork, Pork, PORK! They mix and mince everything here.. including the tendons, ligamens, and sometimes bones! The only pork dishes I could eat here is the ones cooked by Kong’s aunt. My fav dish here is her kiam chai with pork.. Damn nice lehh.. mebe its cuz i like salty salty stuff..
Ok lah.. gotta go.. Time’s almost up.. Will update again later~

Prepare yourself to meet the MAHAs (Thai 101)

2007-12-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

Tommorrow we're gonna meet students from the local university (MAHAs); some thai phases to remeber:

Thank You
(male) Kop Kung Krab
(female) Kop Kun Ka

Hello
(male) Sawadi Krab
(female) Sawadi Ka

What is your name?
Che A Rai

Pretty
Suai

Handsome
Lo

But the most important thing is... always smile!!!

As the saying goes:
"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks."
~Charles Gordy

first official visit - mae fah luang university

2007-12-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

basically no speech was prepared for tomorrow visit, plan to do it spontaneously.... sigh....

anyway, not the first time i did it spontaneously.... well i jus plan to introduce all the members including mr zul, then talk abit about rotaract club.... then credit to the head of international affair division, ms kajeemas, gift and nung... then pass the souvenir to them before go for campus tour....

hopefully i don screw anything... or should i let joshua or mr zul to give the speech??? hahaha... maybe i should do so.... lol

banner.... funny.....

2007-12-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

some of u might notice there is an error in the banner design.....

do u know????

yeah.....

it's written there " 4th December - 14th December 4007"!!!!!!!

Hahahahaha.... i jus noticed it this morning 6th Dec.... but before that everyone has seen it, but no one comment bout it... lol

however it has been fixed, we jus covered "40" with blank A4 paper...

(how come rotarian arthur nvr notice it???)

Thailand baby!

2007-12-06T07:40:00.001-08:00

After the train trip from Butterworth to Bangkok... a total journey of 19 hours (4pm-11am) and then another 12 hours (6.45pm - 7am) Chiang Rai...

Well, WE'RE IN THAILAND BABY!! Wooo hoooo!

******
On the day before trip
Kul: I'm gonna wash my hair in the train lah.
Me: Hmm. (Waiting for her to make it a joke)
Kul: -quiet-
Me: Ohhhhhh. So u r not joking laa!
Kul: Ha? Train got no shower rooms??? Toilet lehh??
Me and Bismo: Hahahhahaah
*******

Sorry Kul, just have to post this conversation. Still damn funny. :P

Well the first thing we did when we reach Chiang Rai is... MANDI! Hahaha... Kong put us up in his aunt's place and there is hot water for us to shower!!!! One scary part is the hot shower is powered by liquidified petroleum gas! (Imagine if explode @_@) Since Josh was the only one who actually bought insurance, he went to mandi first. Heheh. He'll be first to try alot of things out. (The insurance package covers quite a lot u know.. not worth it if we don't use it :P)

At 5pm just now, Mr Zul, our RACUTP advisor reached Chiang Rai safely! It is not very easy to find halal food in Chiang Rai but we managed to do so for him and Chester :D I'm hoping to taste tomyam here.. but so far takder oso... :( They have the weird weird meatball soup la... me no likey :(

Ok lahh.. gotta logoff.. Wanna go checkout the roti canai outside... i bet everyone will gain weight after we go bek.. we eat eat eat so much nee.... Btw, onlining here is damn cheap oso... 1 hour = 12 baht! Wowie!

Be back soon~~ see yah!

Finally in Chiang Rai, Thailand.... (Part 1)

2007-12-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

Well, let me see where to begin... everthing is kinda messed up now in my head as quite a few events has taken place in the past few days. I've even lost track of both time and day.. guess this marks the beginning of the holidays for me as usual.

Prior to our trip to Chiang Rai, Thailand which was due on the 4th of December, Joshua and Chester put up a night at my house... as this makes catching the 8am bus the next day a much possible feat to achieve. However... (with Joshua around... there's always something bound to happen) the night Joshua and Chester came down to Ipoh along with a couple of friends... We, as a group (Not nice to blame everything on Joshua lah :P) decided to have a couple of drinks at this place called the Breeze Cafe, some where near the Ritz Hotel in Ipoh. We were fortunate to be joined by Rotarian Arthur too for this so called drinking session. we left the place around 1am.. Can't wait to get home to my nice bed and recharge for the next day... however (again)... upon reaching home, the 3 of us began chit chatting and telling great grandmother stories till around 4am... till we dozed off to sleep.

On the morning of our bus departure form Medan Gopeng, Ipoh to Butterworth and guess who was the last one to get ready and gave us just 15 mins to get from my house in old Ipoh Garden to the bus station... yeeeeappp... it was Chester (Guess he was putting up some makeup or something). Thanks to my dad who drove, accompanied by my mum, we managed to reached the bus station at 8am sharp!! Taking some safety precautions before we arrived, Joshua has actually requested Rotarian Arthur who was there to see us off, to stop the bus at all cost till we arrive:) Lucky for us, we managed to catch the bus and was amazed to notice the bus was still quite vacant. The bus finally left at 8.30am.... and this marked the beginning of our trip to Chiang Rai, Thailand!!!

2 hours later on a very bumpy bus ride and we finally made it to Butterworth bus station.. and just walking distance from the train station. After taking a breather as i alighted the bus... just to rearrange my mis placed organs due to the bus ride... we got our bearings right and headed to the train station where we met up with Kong, his sister and cousin who were already there waiting since 5am. Being there early and had nothing to do, we decided to explore the place a lil bit... till our train departure at 2.30pm.

Thru the Ice of Cool Thailand part 1

2007-12-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

Thailand... the land of smiles.... and of smelly UTP-ians. Due to our very long journey to Chiang Rai we only took a shower after 2 days. The only reason we did not complain of BO was simply because we all just smelled as bad :(. The 12 hour bus ride from Bangkok to Chiang Rai was superb. It costs RM66 and the package came with super comfortable seats, a really thin yet warm blanket, a neck rest and the food: orange juice, a bottle of mineral water, a bun and a cupcake, chips and also the wet towel when we stop. We took a break at 12 midnight and we can redeem food or a drink from our bus ticket!! Not bad huh... Oh during the bus ride, we also watched Nicolas Cage speaking Thai! The whole movie was dubbed in thai and bismo and chester had us in stiches making up their own conversation. I am absolutely impressed with the bus service, have not came across such services in Malaysia.

Coming here has made us constantly hungry. We all keep eating and eating and .... EATING!!! I am pretty sure i will put on a few pounds (i really really hope so) by the end of the 10 days. Everything is pork based and while that's not exactly an issue with me, the pork here tastes a lil ... weird. Its got this really porky smell and in their minced meat, its not only pork meat but also the bones and other organs (i grimace with the thought of what organ parts are in there). I was kinda prepared for this already, experienced this on my trip to Cambodia in May so i came extra prepared. I brought along instant soup and mashed potatoes to help me overcome the possible jelak-ness of eating tom yam or pork. Plus its so easy to make them, just add hot water, mix and voila.... i have yummylicious food :). Which would explain how come the thinnest person in the group came with the largest bag. I'm also the pharmist of the group, the only one who brought all sorts of medication: cough, sorethroat, fever, vomiting, food poisoning, diarrhea. And also the unofficial camerawoman. Oh, the amount of poser shots are unbelieable. Leave it up to QH (sorry dear) and the rest to come up with funny japanese poses etc. Kong 2 (Kong's younger sister, Kong Chai Sin, but fondly refered to as Kong 2) helps with the group photos (takkan i'm not in there rite..).

There are some things you could do but dont do in your own country. Here, we had our own piece of ... adventures. While waiting for our bus to chiang rai (we had a 7 hour wait at the bus terminal) we got a hairwash each from the nearby salon which costs a neat RM6 only :). Play cho-tai-tee, bluff, gimrammy etc. We went to Tesco today and guess wat we did while waiting for Kong's aunt's car from the car wash.... KARAOKE!!! Yup, we had to squeeze in a freaking small 12x12 space. Sang 6 songs for a mere RM0.50 per person! Sang our hearts out, not only in the karaoke but also at the back of the truck where we sit.

For more adventure and misadventure stories (my innocence of train rides... refer to qi hua's post) do read what the rest hv to write. Will be back soon... now we'll be off for a supper of roti canai (yup, they hv that here too ). till then, take care everyone :)

2 Nights On the Road...

2007-12-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

On Monday, me and Chester put a night in Aaron's house after hanging out in the Breeze Cafe in Ipoh. It was a tiring day cos i travelled twice to Ipoh on that day itself. First was to do something in the bank and visit Rtn. Arthur before the trip. And the second one was to meet Aaron so he can bring us to his house.

Of course, as a Rotaractor under the advise of Rtn. Arthur, we will have our usual yum cha session. After the yum cha, we are all tired d. We were home at about 2am. Aaron's mum was not sleeping yet. She's a very nice host. She made sure Aaron taught us how to use the hot shower and asked him to prepare drinks for us if we wan. Anyway, 3 of us had some heart-to-heart talk that night...

OK... get back to the main topic. Which is 2 nights on the road. Our journey actually started since tuesday morning at 8am. We were rushing to the bus station as Chester was the last one bathing and we didnt know it takes so long. hahaha...

Luckily, we were in the bus station on time and the bus was late. The bus only started the journey at about 8:30am instead of the 8am bus ticket we bought one day before. The ride was like a roller coaster.... typically. We were almost vomitting at the back of the bus. and despite the fact that we only slept like 2 hours, we cant sleep at all. The funniest part is that we keep looking at each other and smile. Probably is the excitement in us keeping us alive from the bus ride.

we arrive Butterworth at bout 10:30am and Kong was already there... Waited for a while till lunch time. We went to the so called megamall in Butterworth, PACIFIC... had MdDonalds there as our lunch. And when we arrive back at the train station, Shea Teng and Kee Hui is already there. Just a litttle while later, Kul, Q Hua, and Bismo joined us.

We took some pictures in the train station. Too bad it's not with us now. Din plan to come to Cyber at first.. hehe. We board the train at about 3pm. the train was suppose to arrive at 2:30pm.. Ok... this is the Asian culture i guess... Initially in the train, we didnt know wat to do. So some of us started playing cards, some pak toh pak toh there, some sitting there doing nothing. then there come a time when we started doing the bookmarks we planned to do for the kids. Everyone got involved in the making of the bookmarks. It was really cool to see all of us working for the same purpose and i guess everyone was doing it without having any complains. The train journey was a nice experience.

We arrived at Bangkok at bout 12pm Malaysian time which is 11am Thailand time. At first, we thought that we would be received by the rotaractors in Thailand. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, they couldn't received us on that day. So we went to the mor Chit Bus station to get tickets to Chiang Rai, which is the main venue for our Trip this time. We have to wait for more than 6 hours for the first bus to Chiang Rai. So we had our lunch at the bus station and did the things we wanted... one thing very funny is that ... all of us went to wash our hair in this small saloon in the market. ALL OF US... WASH HAIR IN A SMALL SALOON...

Of course, we went separately cos we have to take care of the luggages. While taking care of the luggages, we played card games again. and there goes our time. At about 6pm, because that day was the King's birthday, the national TV was playing the national Anthem, to our suprise, all activities stopped and everyone stand up to respect the national anthem.

At 6:45pm Thailand time, we started our journey from Bangkok to Chiang Rai... The experience in the bus was amazing. U just feel that all you've paid for it is all worth it. This is the second night we spend our night on the road.... We arrived in Chiang Rai at 7am on Thursday....

everyone is on the move....

2007-12-03T03:16:00.000-08:00

3rd Dec 2007, 7.16pm....

joshua, aaron and chester will be leaving to butterworth tomorrow morning at 8am...

kulvinder already in penang since 6.00pm and qihua pick her up...

bismo, kee hui and sheateng already in penang

me myself will be taking the bus tonight at 9.00pm, will be arriving at 5am in the morning...

i am still think what should i do from 5am till 2.00pm before board on the train... hahaha.. street performing? lolz....

Cant wait to see everyone tomorrow morning... and i have alot of works for them to do....

stickers, stickers, stickers.....

2007-12-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

these are the stickers which will be pasted in every pencil box for the 400 kids !!!

total 480 stickers :D

souvenirs for 400 kids in chiang rai, thailand

2007-12-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

1st december 2007....

i went to mydin emporium in kuala terengganu to shop some souvenirs for the community service acivities in chiangrai later... it is the biggest mydin emporium in the east coast of peninsular malaysia as it was claimed to be.

check this picture out

front view of the trolley with full of stuffs

side view of the trolley with full of stuffs

there are 408 pencil boxes, 864 pencils, 400 erasers, 432 sharpeners, and 432 rulers in total...

so each pencil box will has 2 pencils, 1 eraser, 1 ruler and 1 sharpener...

400 kids from cammilian social centre and childlife maesai will be getting these souvenirs!!!!!

best compliment from racutp... yeah!

chiang rai trip banner in the process of printing now...

2007-12-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

as u know my designing skill is at beginner level.. so i also came out with this simple banner design... not bad right???

the first design was designed 4 hours before i m leaving to my hometown with my fren, wee lee.. it was designed with the dimension of 200cm x 80 cm at resolution of 72 pixels/inch... so i passed the design to rtr. joshua to send it to printing company..

during my journey back home, rtr. joshua gave me a call and said the banner cannot be printed because it does't compatible with the printer... Arrrgggghhhhh...... he said it has to be 96' x 36' at resolution above 200 pixels/inch....

the next morning, i installed macromedia fireworks mx 2004 into my sister's compaq laptop after i downloaded the trial version software from http://www.adobe.com/...

final result: i jus manage to come out with the exact dimension but the resolution has to be 104 pixels/inch... well at least the printing company dont have to stretch my banner design... and all they need to do to print out.. garbages in, garbages out... hahaha.... i immediately sent the design to rtr. joshua on saturday afternoon..

on the same day, i got to know that my roomate, choon sent the banner design to the printing company on behalf of rtr. joshua...

the banner will be ready on 3rd january, monday morning.....

train ticket as long as the train...

2007-12-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

on 10th november, i and rtr. aaron went to ipoh railway station to get the train tickets for Butterworth-Bangkok...

we arrived at around 4.30pm after we went to batu gajah railway station which do not have any ticket booth at all...

we have to wait for an hour for the ticket booth in Ipoh Railway Station to open..

luckily there is still plenty ticket left because on the 5th dec is thai's king birthday, so we thought that it would be no more tickets....

anyway, mission accomplished - getting the 11 train tickets :P

check this out - chiang rai trip itinerary

2007-12-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

4/12/07: Depart from Butterworth to Bangkok

5/12/07: Depart from Bangkok to Chiang Rai

6/12/07: Town Visit in Chiang Rai Province

7/12/07: Mae Fah Luang University Visit, Evening Elephant Riding at Ankha Village

8/12/07: Cammillian Social Centre - Community Service, Karen's long neck Village

9/12/07: Childlife Maesai - Community Service, Maesai and Golden Triangle

10/12/07: Teaching English in Village School, Doi Tung and Royal Villa. Depart to Bangkok

11/12/07: Visit to Rotaract Club of Chulalongkorn University

12/12/07: Siam Paragon, MBK Mall and Siam Square

13/12/07: Depart from Bangkok Railway Station to Butterworth

*As for now, most of the schedule has been fixed... any changes, i will update you guys :)

participant list is out....

2007-12-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

Here is the list of confirmed participants:

Rtr. Kong - IS trip project director
Rtr. Chester - assistant IS trp project director
Rtn. Arthur Yeong - racutp's rotarian advisor
Mr. Zulkarnan - racutp's club advisor
Rtr. Joshua Ng - president of racutp
Rtr. Kulvinder - former acting president 2005/2006
Rtr. Lim Qihua - former treasurer 2005/2006
Rtr. Bismo - member
Rtr. Shea Teng - member
Rtr. Ong Kee Hui - member
Rtr. Aaron Ang - member

chiang rai trip poster!!

2007-12-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Hey guys and girls... i have done this poster quite sometimes ago... Yes, i know it is a simple-and-plain-poster but all the important contents are there!! Feel like joining this trip right?? :P

introduction

2007-12-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

International Service Avenue is the one of the departments in Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS functions as a boat of humanity in the ocean of evolution. The objective of international service is to get people together to match resources and needs worldwide, so that goodwill is translated into serving the needs of the mankind particularly the underprivileged children and the poor.

In RACUTP, we have carried out two international services to Pune, India in 2004 and Singapore in 2005.

This year 2007, we would like to create another history in our club milestone by organizing the international trip to Chiang Rai, Thailand. IS Avenue will update this blog from time to time from the pre-trip until the post-trip of Chiang Rai Trip 2007

International Service Avenue of RACUTP

Cambodia: Here we come

2010 Goodwill Trip : Cambodia

INDIA!! part 1

INDIA!! part 2

INDIA!! part 3

the inner beauty of India ^^

Greetings from RAC Saibaba Colony, D3201

Ringgits to rupees, RACUTP to RAC Saibaba Community, Our heart to yours!

India..What's new!!

Let's go INDIA!

do you know?

introducing....

a lil on the sarawak trip

RACUTP Making Headlines in Sibu.

Itinerary for the upcoming Sarawak Trip

A lil update on the Sarawak Trip

Indonesia : An unforgetable experience

Voice From Universiti Teknologi Petronas III

Voice From Universiti Teknologi Petronas II

Voice From Universiti Teknologi Petronas

We Listen to You Project…

We Listen to You Project…

Jakarta Goodwill Trip

RACUTP 9th Installation Dinner

Director's Note on Jakarta Trip 08

of breakdancing and spaghetti

if you have a say

Yummy yummy...

Rotary Youth Exchange - Long-Term Program Application

Olympicious Nite

International Goodwill Trip to Jakarta!

Thumb printing poster!!

Attention to all Rotaractors from around the world

New Board for IS Avenue 2008/2009

Best Project Organised 2007/2008

Thailand Trip featured in Governor's Newsletter, Issue No. 9, March 2008

FINALE

We are on Childlife Maesai Website!

EPS 3: 200 vs 9

We are in MFL University Newsletter - December 2007 Edition

Special Presentation by Louis Armstrong - It's all about the kids

Bangbus? or is it Bangkok?

Episode 2 -The 2 days Journey

Episode 1 - Preparations Expectations Feelings

Friendship forged during the trip...

Trailer : Thailand International Understanding Trip 2007

Thailand Baby Part 2~

Prepare yourself to meet the MAHAs (Thai 101)

first official visit - mae fah luang university

banner.... funny.....

Thailand baby!

Finally in Chiang Rai, Thailand.... (Part 1)

Thru the Ice of Cool *Thailand* part 1

2 Nights On the Road...

everyone is on the move....

stickers, stickers, stickers.....

souvenirs for 400 kids in chiang rai, thailand

chiang rai trip banner in the process of printing now...

train ticket as long as the train...

check this out - chiang rai trip itinerary

participant list is out....

chiang rai trip poster!!

introduction

Thru the Ice of Cool Thailand part 1