♔ Le Blue Sky de Tea Wonderland ♔ 〉阿茶乐园之雨后天晴 : 1st Year Degree Finished

Foundation year ended last year, 1^st year of Degree in Technology Maritime also completed last month. Just in a clip of eyes, I studying in UPNM already past 2 years, living in a military camp, I went through all difficulties and also different lifestyle compare to outside. Last year, when I was a foundation student in UPNM, I was a full-time civilian student, wearing grey colour uniform with beret, walked in a group (like marching) to class, with a pair of empty epaulets on shoulders (for foundation student), no worries about seniors, just concentrate on studies.

~ My uniform during foundation year ~

This year, during 1^st year degree, at the same time also enroll as a member of Reserve Officer Training Unit (ROTU). For ROTU, we got 3 types of training sessions: Local Training (Saturday& Sunday-twice per month), Continuous Training (1 week –twice per year) and Annual Camp (14 days included 10days spent in jungle). From that moment, I’m not more a full-time civilian student anymore, I’m turn to a part-time civilian student only. We live like a civilian student during weekdays and as a ROTU during Saturday & Sunday. But as a ROTU, we need to wear green uniform (like army) to class, I haven’t get my uniform no.3, so we need to wear uniform no.5>>> Loreng Suit with marching boots to class, really make me crazy. ROTU need 3 years to complete and commission as a Leftenen Muda (Young Officer), 1^st year called Junior, 2^nd year called Intermediate ,3^rd year called senior and after commission called Yang Officer(Y.O.). I’m just 1^st year in ROTU, so called as JUNIOR. AS usual, junior what, haha, you know la…. Culture in UPNM teaches us respect, cooperative among team and many more. When we meet with senior, we should greet them and ends with Sir/Ma’am. When wearing uniform, we need to salute officer and greet them. Talking about this, think back when walking to class, really very scared, scared of bump with officer, I get scold by an officer before, she asked why didn’t salute her, haiz, should be alert next time. Also once, I lazy to wear uniform to class, I just wear baju kurung to class (want to act like a civilian student), but they can recognized me, asked me why didn’t wear uniform, want to skip day from wearing uniform also cannot, so frustrated. But, I knew I did wrong, wear uniform is kind of responsibility also, so next semester, if I get uniform no.3, I will wear it everyday, don’t worry. As a ROTU, we also got our military card called BAT C20, also got military number.

~ Full Loreng during Training ~

~ Epaulets during JUNIOR year ~

When in year 1 degree, I active in both sports and co-curriculum activities. I took part in many running events and always turned on to training sessions. For my co-curriculum, that is ROTU, I sometimes got skipped for local training if the date clash with my running events, but I presented full in Continuous Training and Annual Camp. Writing about Annual Camp just remember that I haven’t write the blog post about Annual Camp experience yet, oh my gosh, totally forgot. If you ask me “ Have you hold M16?”, “Yes, I did”; “ Did you live in jungle?”, “yes, 10 days straight”; “ Did you drink water from river?”, “ Yes, for sure.”; “ Did you experience the war?”, “ Ya, when we training in the jungle, got ambush actions.” and many more special experience. If interested to hear my jungle stories, I can explain to you. J Thinking back for 10 days life in the jungle, really very tension, but quite fun and interesting, been eating the rations for 10days, feels like wanna vomit when smell of rations now. In military, is “ One for All, All for one”, if one person do wrong, the whole platoon will be punished together. In military, no difference between girl and boy, all are same, carry same weight of bag pack, carry M16, and wearing same uniform.

~ My medals collected for one semester. ~

Besides than sport events and ROTU’s training, I also paid attention on studies, when active in too many activities, need to always remind myself in whatever condition also need to “ Play hard, study hard, enjoy hard”. Do everything also need to balance it and think twice for every choice. So, in Jun, I already completed my 1^st year degree studies and finished 1^st year, JUNIOR year in ROTU. From JUlai onwards, starts to shake legs and enjoy my holiday for 2 months++. Will be reopen school on 11 September, that time will be upgrade to become 2^nd year degree student, INTER in ROTU, not more JUNIOR, while will got 2 batches of juniors to take care. At the same time, will got 2 lines’ epaulets on my shoulders already, but the responsibility more. For 2^nd year in degree, I need to pay more attention on every extents, as grow bigger should know more and do better. Looking forward for my life in September onwards.

~Platoon A Company Delta during Annual Camp, my company everybody with camouflage~

Living in Malaysia, a multi racial country, we have our own choice for our religion. Multi racial is the special part for Malaysia, but for sure it also cause of racist problem in Malaysia. UPNM is a smallest university, student capacity around 3000 people only, but still will grow bigger in future. If calculate, non- Muslims are around 50 people, Chinese just stand for not more than 30 people. You must be thinking how I survive there… Luckily I’m from a Malay kampung, if not, I think I will be too mental to stay there. For me, is not a big problem, but just sometimes hear people talking about religion problem ah, just close my ears and shut my mouth, act like nothing happen. This is the only way to survive, just endure it, time pass by, I have cross my limit of endure and achieve to the highest limit to endure everything, learn to handle everything with calm and peaceful mind. As a Malaysian, besides than know the culture practice in our religion, we should get to know culture for other religions too. For 2 years stayed with Malay and Indian friends, I know more about their culture now. Learn to respect their culture is not a bad thing. Not so close with Chinese friends in UPNM, because all of us are different courses and different year, sometimes, I never talk in Chinese for 1 week, I just talk in Chinese when I bump to Chinese friends there. At there, I usually use English and Malays to communicate with friends. To not let my Chinese level gone down, I used to read Chinese books and watch Chinese movies lo, got no choice. J

~ Full Set Marching Order (FSMO) during Annual Camp, 10days in the jungle ~

Got a lot of difficulties happen that people did not know, maybe people won’t understand also. Also got funny thing happen, it may creates some interest and laughter in my hostel life. I only build common friendship with friends in UPNM, My best friends are my 1^st roommates. Besides than them, I got nobody to share my feelings. Only this blog is my best friend in UPNM, a window for me to share my experience and thrown out all my thoughts. Living in a place surrounded by Malays, I know them very much, but in real, we always have different thoughts. To refresh my mind and make sure to keep myself always updated with outside the world, I like to go shopping to “wash” my eyes and go for gathering with friends, but actually very difficult to plan a gathering.

~ My classmates, navy and civilian students ~

For now, i got holiday for 2 months++, I did a list-to-do, notice that so many things I want to do, but don’t know how many I can done. Just wait and see the chances come. I want to go bag pack travel (but difficult to find partners), cook delicious foods, do my newspaper-cut-assignment, learn dancing, read novels and many more… Happy holiday.J Another thing is my BIG DAY is coming soon. Before turn into full 20 years old, I wish myself can do something special or create some different thing in my life. What to do leh, got no idea.