Kenangan Terindah - Uni Intake Time

It is the season again. The season where thousands of freshies pack their bags with their hopes or unrealistic utopia-heaven dream of local universities and head to the much-touted-but-sometimes-disappointing ivory tower. I saw a counter specially erected for the registration of new students in the KKIA Air Asia airport when I sent my colleague to his flight. 2 big bus were stationed at the airport to transport these youngsters to the place where they will get their dreams realized or squashed for the next 3-4 years. Such a good treatment and this made me remembered my time when I went to my uni for my degree course 8 years ago.

taken before moving to transkrian

I took a flight to KL transit via KK from SDK and yeah... no Air Asia that time and our only saviour is the MAS Grads student card program and since we just got the intake, we didn't have ample time to apply for the card for 25% discount on normal fare. I still remember it's the Subang Airport. Chok and his friend went to the airport to fetch me (thanks brother...). I spent a night at his place in Setapak before taking a bus trip up to Ipoh. I remembered I brought two bags with me and Chok helped me with the bigger one and it was a heavy one indeed. The night spent in Setapak opened my eyes on the life of a uni/college student where mamak rules. Setapak basically never sleep. I still remembered I slept to the tune of the latest "technotised" pop tune from tonnes of the pirated VCD peddlers around the area.

taken during christmas in 2001, i think after dinner around imbi plaza

The next morning, we took a bus to KL and Chok the great friend he is, took charge of the gigantic bag and we had agreed to meet Falice and Mee Foung if I am not wrong. We met in Kota Raya (yeah... wonder how many of you still go there now?) and had a lunch in the food court before I moved ahead to the Pudu Raya bus stop. Got a bus up to Ipoh and had nothing in mind. Dunno what to expect and what to prepare. When I reached Medan Kidd (yeah... a funky name for the main bus station in Ipoh), I found that the USM bus was long gone and I had to take my own. The bus to Lumut will drop me off mid-way and I will be at the door step of my place to enlighten myself for the next 3 years, USM Kampus Kejuruteraan Tronoh, Perak. I remembered asking the conductor and he mentioned, when you see pokok ru, you know you are near. And that's exactly what we tell other people about the location of Tronoh campus, when you reach a place least expected to see some pokok ru which you normally find at the beach, you are there. TRONOH there you go!!!

I walked all the way, literally dragging my gigantic bag to the main hall where the orientation for the new students started already and apparently I was in WRONG ATTIRE, obviously dressed down cox for a period of a week, it will be either formal wear or sportswear!!!! What a way to start the soon-to-come 3 years of wonderful friends and experiences but less-can-be-said of academic pursuit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!