It's been a hectic year so far. Projects everywhere, assignments to complete, homework everyday just to name a few. One of them is the interclass drama competition. Form 5 classes go head to head to produce the best drama. Our class started planning for the drama way ahead before any other class. Scripts were already prepared the week after we had been told to start preparing for the drama by our English teacher, Misses Monica. Roles for the play and the backstage team were already chosen the next day. I managed to get just a small role in the drama but I wasn't really bothered about it. We used most of our English periods to practice and fully organize our play. Most of the people that had roles were quite rusty when they first practiced. I didn't really have much to do as I only had one line at that time.
Many English periods and a couple of practises on weekends later, everyone was getting better at their roles and improving the intonation of their sentences. There were some problems as certain people decided to quit their roles as they weren't interested to attend practises on weekends and after school. Therefore, a shuffle of roles happened. I got a slightly bigger role as one of the protagonists of the story. It was already February. There was only approximately less than 3 weeks left before the competition, yet we were still struggling to perfect scenes and dialogue even after around 2 weeks of training. Our directors/playwriters were already giving up hope on us as we were fooling around during practises.
We had our last practice on the day before the competition. Mostly everyone involved in the drama were present on that day. We had one full run of the drama which was around 16 minutes, 4 minutes more than it should be. The playwriters were trying their best to cut out unnecessary parts to shorten the length of the drama. After the second run, everyone went about and started to fool around. At that point, our director/playwriter couldn't take it anymore and just left the hall. At this point, I knew that we all had really pushed her to her limits. So, we decided to continue our practice and stopped fooling around. In the end, the best we all could do was around 14 minutes which is still 2 minutes over the limit of the duration of the drama.
It was competition day. The girls were getting ready and doing their makeup while the boys were changing into their outfits. Most of the boys were wearing formal long sleeves with a blazer while I'm just wearing a casual long sleeve and long pants. When we got to the hall, everyone else from other classes were already there with their sophisticated props and different kinds of outfits and costumes. Luckily for our class, we were going to perform last. Before our performance, our director gave all of us a quick pep talk to motivate us to do our best. Before long, it was our turn to perform. Everyone seemed so nervous. I felt slightly nervous while I was waiting behind the stage for my call.
It was my scene and I made my entrance on stage. I felt even more nervous on stage with my stomach feeling different. I kept my calm and followed the plan that we made during the practises. There was a slight hiccup with the sounds but I kept going. After my scene, I felt so relieved. I think that I did quite well out there. I watched the rest of the drama behind the curtains. Finally, it was the end of the drama. We ended it with a bow from everyone on stage. After that, we got off stage and congratulated each other for the great performance that we did. We took pictures while we were waiting for the results to be decided. Finally, it was the moment of truth. The tension in the hall was building with Misses Aruna, one of the judges, giving her opinion on all of the dramas. When she read out the results, I was so nervous. The results came out and we won first place! Everyone from our class were cheering in joy and congratulating each other. Our efforts paid off after all of the stress and complications. It was great to be a part of the class drama. I'll forever remember this day and all the memories that came along with it.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Holidays (Cameron Highlands Trip) Part 7
...After reading the interesting information on the notice boards, the rain simmered down and it was only drizzling now. We rushed to the car trying to avoid getting drenched but our shoes were soaked with water from the stream of water flowing down the hill. It was getting dark as it was already half past six. We made the long journey back to our hotel. My dad decided to take a different route as he said that it was a more scenic route. We passed by many nurseries that were closed already. We also passed by a large lake with a flight of ducks swimming in the lake. There were also people at the lake feeding pieces of bread to the ducks. We were also very lucky to be able to see the sunset quite clearly as we were going down a slope at that moment. The sun was as orange as an egg yoke and it's accompanied with distorted clouds filling up the atmosphere.
Halfway through, we got hungry. So we decided to have dinner at a restaurant in Tanah Rata, the town we were just passing by. My parents ordered dishes which consisted of stir-fried long beans with dried shrimps, chicken coated with lemon sauce, steamed fish and also the lotus root soup. We dug into the food and before long, we finished everything wasting nothing. Our stomachs were filled and contented with the food. My parents decided to have a walk to enjoy the atmosphere of the place before heading back to the hotel. It got foggier and foggier throughout the night. It was quite treacherous on the road as visibility was limited. The windscreen was also getting frosted every so often but we managed to make it back to the hotel in one piece.
Before going up to our room, my parents decided to have a drink at the bistro located in the shopping mall before turning in for the night. The bistro was very lively with everyone enjoying themselves. My parents and I were just having a casual conversation about random stuff. While having a conversation, we were also snacking on the finger food we ordered which tasted pretty good. After chatting for over an hour, we decided it was time to get some rest for the next day...
Halfway through, we got hungry. So we decided to have dinner at a restaurant in Tanah Rata, the town we were just passing by. My parents ordered dishes which consisted of stir-fried long beans with dried shrimps, chicken coated with lemon sauce, steamed fish and also the lotus root soup. We dug into the food and before long, we finished everything wasting nothing. Our stomachs were filled and contented with the food. My parents decided to have a walk to enjoy the atmosphere of the place before heading back to the hotel. It got foggier and foggier throughout the night. It was quite treacherous on the road as visibility was limited. The windscreen was also getting frosted every so often but we managed to make it back to the hotel in one piece.
Before going up to our room, my parents decided to have a drink at the bistro located in the shopping mall before turning in for the night. The bistro was very lively with everyone enjoying themselves. My parents and I were just having a casual conversation about random stuff. While having a conversation, we were also snacking on the finger food we ordered which tasted pretty good. After chatting for over an hour, we decided it was time to get some rest for the next day...
Holidays (Cameron Highlands Trip) Part 6
...We were so full after we had our brunch. Just as we were about to get in the car, it started to rain heavily. The rain made the air even colder and I was shivering after the ice cream I had. We had no choice but to wait for the rain to simmer down before we could get to the car. During that time, we took the opportunity to read about the different types of packages that the Bala Chalet and Tea House had to offer and also about the eye-opening history of the place. Their packages include many cool activities such as jungle tracking through the jungles of Cameron Highlands and also having a sightseeing tour around Cameron Highlands. My parents looked quite interested when they read about the packages and perhaps a future trip here could be very much possible.
We were mesmerized when we read about the history of the place. The place was established back in 1934 as a boarding school for European expatriate children as a branch of the more famous Tanglin school in Singapore. It began with as much as 150 pupils and 22 qualified teachers all recruited from England. The story of the Tanglin School through Japanese Occupation and Emergency inspires any educator. Its owner and headmistress, Miss Griffith Jones O.B.E. had passed on her love for nature by preserving the school's surroundings in its natural habitat complete with tigers and leopards roaming around but at a safe distance. When Miss Griffith retired in 1958 she still stayed on, in the highlands she had grown to love and was finally buried at the foothills.
A former pupil always recalls "tea being served in the best British tradition", a tradition that has passed on till today. Though now it is no more a school it still carries on this tradition in a different way. It's present owner, K. Balakrishnan, a local boy bought over this property with Peter Blumbach, a German businessman after the school closed down and turned it into a guesthouse which became a fine place to stay over the years. In spite of the numerous refurbishments, the original Tudor concept is still being preserved so much so that old girls of the school have returned to pleasantly find they could recognize the music room, the dining room etc. Even the gardener, Mr. Kuppanan has stayed on for the past 47 years tending to his beloved flowers. Now in the present day, the place is still a favourite for tourists visiting Cameron Highlands...
We were mesmerized when we read about the history of the place. The place was established back in 1934 as a boarding school for European expatriate children as a branch of the more famous Tanglin school in Singapore. It began with as much as 150 pupils and 22 qualified teachers all recruited from England. The story of the Tanglin School through Japanese Occupation and Emergency inspires any educator. Its owner and headmistress, Miss Griffith Jones O.B.E. had passed on her love for nature by preserving the school's surroundings in its natural habitat complete with tigers and leopards roaming around but at a safe distance. When Miss Griffith retired in 1958 she still stayed on, in the highlands she had grown to love and was finally buried at the foothills.
A former pupil always recalls "tea being served in the best British tradition", a tradition that has passed on till today. Though now it is no more a school it still carries on this tradition in a different way. It's present owner, K. Balakrishnan, a local boy bought over this property with Peter Blumbach, a German businessman after the school closed down and turned it into a guesthouse which became a fine place to stay over the years. In spite of the numerous refurbishments, the original Tudor concept is still being preserved so much so that old girls of the school have returned to pleasantly find they could recognize the music room, the dining room etc. Even the gardener, Mr. Kuppanan has stayed on for the past 47 years tending to his beloved flowers. Now in the present day, the place is still a favourite for tourists visiting Cameron Highlands...
Holidays (Cameron Highlands Trip) Part 5
...We went to the pantry to grab a drink after the long climb up the hill. My mum decided to buy a piece of savoury pastry to feed to the friendly guide dog for being so friendly and kind. The friendly guide dog was so happy when it saw my mum walking towards it with a piece of pastry in her hands. The friendly guide dog ate the pastry and gave my mum a big friendly lick on her arm. We were so happy to see it being so happy. After having a break, we started our journey back down the hill. It wasn't a easy trip back down as more cars were coming up the hill. On our way down, we spotted a wild monkey hanging casually on a branch of a tall tree. It was eating some nuts and fruits. Suddenly, we saw another monkey appearing with a baby monkey tailing it. It was so cool to see a family of monkeys gathering.
Next on our visiting trip is the Bala Chalet and Tea House for a tea break. My mum had remembered about this place since the last time she came to Cameron Highlands. We were unsure where was it, so we tried searching for it on Google Maps but it didn't show up in the search results. In the end we had to rely on my mum's memory to find the place. Luckily, my mum's memory was still spot on as we found the place. There was only a small sign showing the direction to the place. It was located up a steep hill. It is quite a secluded area as many people have no idea that this place exists. When we entered the chalet, it felt like we were back in the British ruling era. It had a nostalgic feeling with many antique furniture everywhere. It felt so serene with only the sound of birds chirping and the aroma of the flowers around the chalet filling the tea house.
When our tea and sandwiches arrived, we were treated to the soothing aroma of the Masala tea we ordered. The Masala tea had a distinctive taste as it didn't taste like any other tea. The sandwiches were also scrumptious and fresh as the ingredients are freshly picked from the farms in Cameron Highlands everyday. After finishing the sandwiches, I couldn't help it but to order ice cold vanilla ice cream. When it came, I couldn't wait to feast on it as the ice cream looked so smooth and cold. It is also topped with large and fresh strawberries. The vanilla ice cream melted in my mouth with the vanilla flavour bursting in my mouth. The strawberries were sweet and the most juicy compared to other stawberries I had tried before...
Next on our visiting trip is the Bala Chalet and Tea House for a tea break. My mum had remembered about this place since the last time she came to Cameron Highlands. We were unsure where was it, so we tried searching for it on Google Maps but it didn't show up in the search results. In the end we had to rely on my mum's memory to find the place. Luckily, my mum's memory was still spot on as we found the place. There was only a small sign showing the direction to the place. It was located up a steep hill. It is quite a secluded area as many people have no idea that this place exists. When we entered the chalet, it felt like we were back in the British ruling era. It had a nostalgic feeling with many antique furniture everywhere. It felt so serene with only the sound of birds chirping and the aroma of the flowers around the chalet filling the tea house.
When our tea and sandwiches arrived, we were treated to the soothing aroma of the Masala tea we ordered. The Masala tea had a distinctive taste as it didn't taste like any other tea. The sandwiches were also scrumptious and fresh as the ingredients are freshly picked from the farms in Cameron Highlands everyday. After finishing the sandwiches, I couldn't help it but to order ice cold vanilla ice cream. When it came, I couldn't wait to feast on it as the ice cream looked so smooth and cold. It is also topped with large and fresh strawberries. The vanilla ice cream melted in my mouth with the vanilla flavour bursting in my mouth. The strawberries were sweet and the most juicy compared to other stawberries I had tried before...
Holidays (Cameron Highlands Trip) Part 4
...The moment we stepped into the factory, all we could see were large and complex machinery being put through the gears. We went sightseeing around the factory for a few minutes before the tour started. There was only one worker in the work area packaging the processed tea leaves at the end of the manufacturing line. We gathered back to the entrance to follow the factory tour. The manager of the facility was our tour leader. We went around to each machine with the manager explaining the use of each machine. The plucked tea leaves would be sent into a vacuum that would dry and transport the leaves to a rolling machine that would roll the tea leaves. After that, the tea leaves would be dried and packaged. It was a new and cool experience to learn how our famous sachet packets of tea leaves are made.
After the tour, decided to hike our way up one of the hills to get to the vantage point. As we were about to start, we met with the friendly dog once again. This time, it was accompanying a family up the hill. It casually made its way up the hill while the family and my parents were gasping for air. I decided to make my way up the hill first and let my parents take their time to climb up the hill. When I got there, the friendly dog was already up there and was seating casually under the shade. The scenery from the vantage point was just breathtaking. I could see the whole valley and hills covered with tea plants. It looked as if it was just a painting. I decided to take a couple of pictures of the scenery as a memory of the place. My parents finally made it up the hill after I was done taking pictures. They were also amazed by the dog and also the beautiful scenery. We decided to take a family photo up on a gigantic rock accompanied by the hills in the background. To our amazement, the friendly guide dog rushed to my mother's side and decided to be in the picture as well.
After we took pictures and admired the beautiful and stunning scenery, it was about time that we got back down the hill. As we were on our way down the hill, the friendly guide dog passed by us and followed us down the hill. I went on ahead first as my parents had to take their time getting down the hill. Just after a couple of steps down the hill, they were gasping for air. The friendly dog was slowly leading my parents down the path. After I got back down, I went to refresh myself and washed up in the washroom. In the washroom, I spotted a rare shiny bluish gecko stuck on the wall. It was really an extraordinary creature measuring at about 6 inches long. After taking a picture of it, my parents finally made it back down accompanied by the friendly dog after a good 15 minutes of waiting. My parents looked extremely exhausted but the friendly guide dog still seemed energetic and happy as ever...
After the tour, decided to hike our way up one of the hills to get to the vantage point. As we were about to start, we met with the friendly dog once again. This time, it was accompanying a family up the hill. It casually made its way up the hill while the family and my parents were gasping for air. I decided to make my way up the hill first and let my parents take their time to climb up the hill. When I got there, the friendly dog was already up there and was seating casually under the shade. The scenery from the vantage point was just breathtaking. I could see the whole valley and hills covered with tea plants. It looked as if it was just a painting. I decided to take a couple of pictures of the scenery as a memory of the place. My parents finally made it up the hill after I was done taking pictures. They were also amazed by the dog and also the beautiful scenery. We decided to take a family photo up on a gigantic rock accompanied by the hills in the background. To our amazement, the friendly guide dog rushed to my mother's side and decided to be in the picture as well.
After we took pictures and admired the beautiful and stunning scenery, it was about time that we got back down the hill. As we were on our way down the hill, the friendly guide dog passed by us and followed us down the hill. I went on ahead first as my parents had to take their time getting down the hill. Just after a couple of steps down the hill, they were gasping for air. The friendly dog was slowly leading my parents down the path. After I got back down, I went to refresh myself and washed up in the washroom. In the washroom, I spotted a rare shiny bluish gecko stuck on the wall. It was really an extraordinary creature measuring at about 6 inches long. After taking a picture of it, my parents finally made it back down accompanied by the friendly dog after a good 15 minutes of waiting. My parents looked extremely exhausted but the friendly guide dog still seemed energetic and happy as ever...
Holidays (Cameron Highlands Trip) Part 3
Day 2 started off with a nice hearty breakfast consisting of toasts accompanied with a salad and a nice hot cup of milo. Once we were done with breakfast, we started our sightseeing journey. The first stop that was on our list was the Boh Tea Plantation which is located in Ringlet. On our way there, we passed by Tanah Rata which was quite a quiet and peaceful town. We also passed by The Smokehouse which is a luxurious British styled hotel that we had first planned to stay in but was already fully booked.
While we were going through the winding road of the mountains, we saw many tea plantations with large crowds of tourists were gathering at the entrance. The view we had was spectacular. The mountains were filled with tea plants with visible but narrow paths going through the tea plantations. The tea plantation workers carried a big wooden weaved basket on their backs to collect the plucked tea leaves that was going to be processed and packaged.
After a few minutes had gone by and we finally spot a huge signboard with an arrow pointing to the direction of the Boh Tea Plantation. As we followed the road, we saw a couple of small and run-downed shacks that looked like people stayed in along the road. There was also vegetables planted at the column of soil just beside the road. It looked like everyone would take the opportunity to use every single piece of land to plant something although it is hard to plant anything on a sloped surface especially when the gradient of the slope was very high. The hills and valley were filled with tea plants everywhere. Workers that looked like a colony of ants were busily plucking tea leaves.
It had been almost half an hour since we made the turn into the Boh Tea Plantation and when it seemed that we had arrive, the real obstacle of the journey was upon us. A bumpy, narrow and winding two kilometres of road left to cover until we make it to the tea plantation. On our way up, my mother recalled why she has not been to the tea plantation ever since the first time she did and it was because of the nauseous experience that she had to face. We tried to have conversations on our way up but in the middle of each conversation, a car coming from the opposite direction was honking to signal it's presence.
After a torturing 20 minutes, we made it. A large sign stating "Boh Tea Plantation, Ringlet, Cameron Highlands" greeted us. Immediately, we were greeted by an unexpected person or dog to be more precise. This friendly dog came up to us with a smiling face and lead the way to the pantry. My parents and I were amazed at how smart and friendly this dog was. We continued on and went into the factory for a tour on the processing of the famous Boh tea leaves...
While we were going through the winding road of the mountains, we saw many tea plantations with large crowds of tourists were gathering at the entrance. The view we had was spectacular. The mountains were filled with tea plants with visible but narrow paths going through the tea plantations. The tea plantation workers carried a big wooden weaved basket on their backs to collect the plucked tea leaves that was going to be processed and packaged.
After a few minutes had gone by and we finally spot a huge signboard with an arrow pointing to the direction of the Boh Tea Plantation. As we followed the road, we saw a couple of small and run-downed shacks that looked like people stayed in along the road. There was also vegetables planted at the column of soil just beside the road. It looked like everyone would take the opportunity to use every single piece of land to plant something although it is hard to plant anything on a sloped surface especially when the gradient of the slope was very high. The hills and valley were filled with tea plants everywhere. Workers that looked like a colony of ants were busily plucking tea leaves.
It had been almost half an hour since we made the turn into the Boh Tea Plantation and when it seemed that we had arrive, the real obstacle of the journey was upon us. A bumpy, narrow and winding two kilometres of road left to cover until we make it to the tea plantation. On our way up, my mother recalled why she has not been to the tea plantation ever since the first time she did and it was because of the nauseous experience that she had to face. We tried to have conversations on our way up but in the middle of each conversation, a car coming from the opposite direction was honking to signal it's presence.
After a torturing 20 minutes, we made it. A large sign stating "Boh Tea Plantation, Ringlet, Cameron Highlands" greeted us. Immediately, we were greeted by an unexpected person or dog to be more precise. This friendly dog came up to us with a smiling face and lead the way to the pantry. My parents and I were amazed at how smart and friendly this dog was. We continued on and went into the factory for a tour on the processing of the famous Boh tea leaves...
Friday, February 24, 2017
Holidays (Cameron Highlands Trip) Part 2
... There were people everywhere taking selfies and pictures of the numerous variety of flowers. As we make our way up the path, we were greeted by a flock of pigeons that were passing through the garden with breeze. It was a great atmosphere with the cooling air and the scent of lavender filling up the area. After finally making our way up the path and onto a hill, the scenery of flowers were just astonishing. There was also a strawberry farm there but it was closed that day because the strawberries were not ripe yet. Once we were done taking pictures, we went back down to the car and headed off to the hotel that we booked as it was about noon.
It was 1 in the afternoon and so we decided to try our luck and see whether we could check in to the room that we booked. The actual check in time for our room was at 3 but luckily there were not many people checking in at that time so we managed to check in to our room at 1.30 in the afternoon. When we opened our room door, the first thing we saw was a 30-inch television hung on the wall and also a veranda. The first thing I did was to jump onto my bed which felt so comfortable. Everything in the room was great but I was slightly agitated at the fact that there was not a fan nor an air conditioner in the bedroom. Later on, I took back what I felt as it was freezing cold in the bedroom when it was getting dark.
It was 8 at night and our stomachs were rumbling for food. Conveniently, the hotel that we were staying in has a shopping mall just located right beside it with many shops and restaurants. We casually make our way across the road to the shopping mall. When we got there, we took a good look at what choices we have. Finally, we decided to have steamboat for dinner and it was a great choice that we had made. The heartwarming and tasty food accompanied with the fresh and freezing cold weather made our dinner a great one...
It was 1 in the afternoon and so we decided to try our luck and see whether we could check in to the room that we booked. The actual check in time for our room was at 3 but luckily there were not many people checking in at that time so we managed to check in to our room at 1.30 in the afternoon. When we opened our room door, the first thing we saw was a 30-inch television hung on the wall and also a veranda. The first thing I did was to jump onto my bed which felt so comfortable. Everything in the room was great but I was slightly agitated at the fact that there was not a fan nor an air conditioner in the bedroom. Later on, I took back what I felt as it was freezing cold in the bedroom when it was getting dark.
It was 8 at night and our stomachs were rumbling for food. Conveniently, the hotel that we were staying in has a shopping mall just located right beside it with many shops and restaurants. We casually make our way across the road to the shopping mall. When we got there, we took a good look at what choices we have. Finally, we decided to have steamboat for dinner and it was a great choice that we had made. The heartwarming and tasty food accompanied with the fresh and freezing cold weather made our dinner a great one...
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