Week 9 (20 – 23.02)

Sunday

As usual for Sunday, I have to take the 6am bus to church. This time, I’d asked Kevin to follow me to Carmelite church. Before we went into the church, we walked to Ben’s house, which is nearby to upload the pics in my CF cards to his PC, this is to clear the card so that I can take more pics. After the church ended, we took a bus to town to meet with Carter, I also bought TheStar newspapers there. FYI, I’d bought 3 days of newspaper at a time (Sun, Tue and Thu), which all were out of date by the time I buy. Kevin’s out of money and his parents hadn’t transferred anything to his bank account yet, so I borrowed him some money. Then we walked to Broadway to get the CD which I asked from them. The sales assistant in Broadway is not that friendly. She seems like didn’t want to sell me the CD (which contains digital pictures of the companies and trainers group photos). After a little persuasion, she burned me a new copy of CD containing only the 5 pics I’d asked, and charged me RM20! Initially, the CD that the guy in the phone wanted to sell me contained more than those. Anyway, not a bad deal anyway, since if I buy one A4 pic will cost me RM10, 5 will cost RM50! And with digital, I don’t worry about it degrading and I can make as many copies I wanted! Evil… As usual, went into the Progress CC, went to get some medicine from the pharmacy in Pelita CC and tapao lunch to be eaten in bus on the way back to camp.

When I was back in the camp, I noticed that my locker had been broken into because of the marks on the edge, probably scratch by spoon. I run a quick check and found out only food was stolen (one packet Maggie mee, a bar of candy and few packets of milk). In the afternoon, I followed some bumis out of the camp perimeter without any authorization. We headed to the waterfall area, which is the place we had our wirajaya program using the back jungle track. The bumis seem pro already in doing this, so I guessed they went a few times already. On the way to the waterfall, we met some other trainees, bumis or malay, walking back to the camp, seem like finish bathing. We reached the waterfall and saw some visitors also enjoying themselves there. The bumis quickly got took out their clothes (not the undies, of cuz) and jump into the water. I was just busy photographing around. They bathed for like 30+ minutes and decided to go back to camp because of the unwelcome weather. It was a fun time with them! I was still having fever, so I have to wear my jacket all way through. We’re allowed to go up the hill in the evening to make phone calls; I bought my dinner up at the hill, a plate of fried mee!

Monday

Today we took the bus to Taman Sri Puteri (sound nice, right? Well, it’s a probation centre for girls!). I was told to leave my camera in the bus because photographing in the compound is NOT ALLOWED. I was kind of regret why I didn’t buy a small camera. We reach the centre. The buses were parked outside, some 107 of us walked into the hall, which all the “patient” and their “teacher” were already inside waiting for our arrival. Wow, the teachers inside are all female, and some of them holding walkie-talkie, which really don’t fit their baju melayu cum tudung outfit. Then there was this boring speech the head mistress, which I almost slept. We were told that the security in the centre is extremely tight; I can see that through the double fencing around (The garbage compactor we visited is actually next to the probation centre, separated by high zinc roof plates as fences). We were also told that visitors can only last in the centre for a maximum of 15 minutes; this was to tell us that we are special that we can stay for 32 times of that duration! The “patients” or girls there don’t look aggressive and dangerous to me; in fact, they look very harmless and innocent, which led me to think that they are more to be cheated to do wrong things than to doing it intentionally, causing them to end up in the centre. After that, each group was separated to do their work respectively. My group was asked to do the cement work of building the low walls of the garden. It was kind of tedious, but we did our job and didn’t complaint, not sure why. We’re kind of pity the girls there I guess. One of my teammates actually got an ex-classmate who is a “patient” there; she chit-chatted a little with her (which I was later told that we’re not allowed to communicate with the patients there).

After the lunch, there was some free time, so I secretly use my camera to take some photos of the surrounding, I couldn’t manage to take photos of the patients though. Then there’s some more cement work. After that, closing to the end of the program, we went back into the hall. Our camp commander, vice commander and head of physical training (KJ la!) also came to the centre, not sure why. We thanked the centre’s teachers and patients (“Tepuk sayang” and “tepuk terima kasih”), and left the centre with the buses. Everyone left the centre with a smile on their face, but deep down in their heart, I believe, they will never want to come to a place like this anymore. In the bus, one of my friend (who was supposed to do the cement work with us but went away and hanged out with his gang of friends) told me that they chatted with one of the Chinese girl there. They was told that the girls there are very afraid of the disciplinary teacher there. If they disobedient a little, they might not get their dinner at night, or lock in a plain-dark room for days. She quickly walked away when saw the teacher nearby. At night, after the dinner, we had debriefing and briefing as usual. The bumis got their party in the rest room without any trainers knowing. They secretly bring in chickens and BBQ them in the jungle (outside the camp perimeter of course) and brought them back to the rest room. What I can say is that they treat. me really good! I am proud to have them as my friends. They’re also good in doing all these illegal but harmless things.

Tuesday

Woke up late, at 5.50am and when we just wanted to gather, the rain fell. So we gathered inside the hall. As usual these days, no more PT. After the breakfast, we gathered in the hall as we’re not appointed to go anywhere that day. JPA-3 arrived at the camp, and gave a speech. They taught us CPR and everyone had to demonstrate once, the same goes to rolling an unconscious person. That’s pretty much what we did in the morning, after our lunch, I went to take a quick nap, and ended up almost late for the afternoon program. In the afternoon, we’re taught on how to carry an injured person, we’re taught 8 ways of doing it. The worst part was we had to demonstrate all 8 ways outside the hall, under the hot sun, with a carrying length of more than 100 metres! I hurt my back on the first try… After that, we had a short marching and the program of the day ended early (if compared to the outside programs we’d been through).

After the dinner, I heard that the Chinese were allowed to request for Chap Goh Meh holiday (which is on the next day). There were A LOT of Chinese lining up outside of the management office after the debriefing and briefing. Most of my friends who were not in time to get letter from their parents of not told to do so before just forged their parent’s signature and handed in for the management officer. I didn’t bother to request for the holiday, I enjoyed the community service program so much and I didn’t want to miss anything! I was told later that the camp management didn’t approve any request, because the numbers of request exceed the maximum of 20 request set by KL main management.

Wednesday

We took a bus to Pisau Garden Phase-2. Before we left, and sitting in the bus, I saw a lot of people still lining up outside of the management office, waiting for their approval to go home. I think the holiday is not worth it because they have to come back on Thursday before 6.30am, and that really stressed family who live far from the town. Anyway we reach the residential area’s little community park with bball, sepak taktraw and volley ball court. It was a nice little park. In the middle of the bball court, there was a tent with chairs inside, and there’s also people waiting for our arrival. Then a Nescafe truck came, and we all get our self one or two cup of coffee to drink. Wow, nice service. Then there’s an interesting speech (maybe it was the coffee) about the introduction of Piasau Garden phase-2. And then, there’s where the surprise started, we’re actually served for a quick break by the residents there! They fried bee hoon and made kueh for us to eat, how thoughtful! It was no cheap food (like the one in the canteen everyday), it was delicious! Then after that we started our gotong-royong. We’re given bags and started walking around picking up rubbish. My team were walking so fast, ignoring the rubbish around, while I was trying my best to pick every rubbish I saw. That’s the reason I lost track of them 15 minutes later, I walked back to the community park myself and found out that most of the people there were already taking their rest under the trees. Some starting to play balls. Huh? Are we here to enjoy or to work, I was a little confused. When all the trainees going rubbish picking were back, the volley ball competition between PKN and Piasau started. Those Piasau people are really good at playing volley ball, and without doubt, they won.

After the game was the lunch, followed by sepak taktraw competition and some mini games. Btw, some of the trainee left the area halfway for the holiday. One even phoned me when they’re outside, telling me that how free are they outside… duh… We all had fun in either participating in the game or watching it. After the games, we got more things to eat! Now I’m wondering, we’re there to serve or to be served? After the break, is the rope pulling competition between PKN and Piasau. We won the painful game, and everyone cheered! There were an ending speech, and we thanked them all for their warm welcome and caring. When I’m back in the camp, I still saw some people waiting to go out; really don’t understand what they were thinking. I talked with En. Helmy (head of management officer) concerning the photos issue. It’s like this, he need some photos for a magazine by tomorrow. I told him that all our photos is in Ben’s PC and the only way to get it is to escort Ben back home and put the photos into some kind of storage media and bring it back. After dinner, there were so few of us Chinese left in the camp, some of the girls from KL, Limbang and Long-Lama also left (using forged signature, what do you think?). Before I went back to sleep, Ben told me that the disciplinary trainers are going to take him back home for the photos. Well, good idea, now we can clear our cards earlier than usual! Went to sleep at 10pm, thinking that I can wake up early tomorrow, I was proven wrong. I was waken by the bumis at 11pm to attend one of them’s birthday party because I’d paid to attend. It lasted for like 30 minutes, and I was like in the state of half asleep all way through.