A Summary of My Participation in 2014 Inha University Summer School

I have been thinking if I should create a post particularly for my educational trip to Korea in July and August 2014. I was hesitant about that because I did not take many photos then, which I totally regret until today, and I can’t decide between summarizing the trip in one post and sharing the stories separately. I miss Korea, so much so that I wish I could purchase a one-way ticket to the wonderful country and begin my adventure at any time soon; definitely after 2015.

Signing up for 2014 Inha University Summer School was not easy. To be honest, I wasn’t very keen on the program itself. Still, considering that I would be having my everyday breakfast, dinner and promising accommodation paid for all three weeks, as well as the opportunity to improve me myself through the different courses offered including Korean language classes, at USD 880, I braced up and asked my dad for permission. Within a very short duration, he gave me an answer that made me carry on with the registration procedure with strong guilt; a “yes”.

P/S: The photos posted are all belong to yours truly unless specifically stated, and they are all taken using my old iPhone 4S. I don’t think it is wise to add watermark in each photo due to the amount of photos I have in the album.

On 27 July 2014, I departed as early as 8.00am from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) via AirAsia X together with Kah Mun and Ezy, my only travel companions for the trip. It was a 6.5-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Incheon, Korea. I had my pre-booked Big Breakfast aboard the plane. I wanted to go for Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak (I have been missing it since my trip to Bali, Indonesia), but I saved it for my return stroke instead because it would be way too heavy for an early breakfast. I always love flight meals, and AirAsia serves some of the best flight meals I have ever had thus far. I swear!

Paris Baguette Bakery Café at Incheon International Airport was where we spent our very first won to feed our growling tummies while waiting for a free shuttle bus arranged by the university to pick us up at 7.00pm (UTC +9:00). Upon our arrival in the university, we were checked in to our pre-arranged rooms without having to wait for long. We were allocated a quad dormitory, a rather luxurious one with a huge desk and a cupboard beneath where we slept. I shared the same room with Zi Han, Su Wen, and Katie; some of my first new friends during the program. We were grouped according to our races, nationalities, and universities.

The only thing to be done upon our arrival was to clean our own area thoroughly. Everywhere was covered with a thick layer of dust, making me wonder how long it had been left vacant. After that, it’s dinner time! As instructed by one of the helpers, we crossed the road to the university, walked through the pathway covered by trees from both sides in the university to the back door, and found a lively area with plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants. We walked back and forth and finally decided to have samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) as dinner. That’s our first proper Korean meal since we touched down in Incheon!

Trust me; you would not want to visit this place if you can’t speak Korean. The ajumma (middle-aged, married Korean woman) didn’t know what we were trying to say, and vice versa.

The facilities of our hostel includes bedding (a pillow and a thin blanket), a shared pantry area on each floor, dining hall, shared toilets and bathrooms, laundry room with washing machines and dryers (KRW 1,000 per load per machine, KRW 200 per pack of detergent), retail store, computer room, gymnasium, ping pong table, badminton court, et cetera.

Certainly, not everything is perfect. One of the down sides of the hostel was the laundry room. The instructions to use the machines were entirely in Korean and there was no one to assist us, so we had to try our luck. Besides, some of the dryers frequently malfunctioned, probably due to the sudden increase in the number of users. Rumors had it that someone’s clothes were burnt while he or she was using the dryer.

Something more interesting? My room and the area was initially a male dormitory, but it was transformed into a female dormitory during the program. Showering in the male toilet meant losing your privacy, because there was absolutely nothing like a shower curtain to cover each partition but merely a piece of translucent glass in between every two spaces. Look at the photo closely and you will get what I mean!

Like I said, daily breakfast and dinner were both included in the fee, whereas lunch had to be settled on our own expenses. Here are most of what we had throughout our stay in the hostel! They changed their menu every day. The meals were often prepared by two different sections, international (black tray) and Korean (white tray), for us to choose our most preferred choice each day. Sometimes, one section could be more popular than another section, causing many being late for classes.

Oh, if you have noticed one of the last photos that looks rather different, that was served during a farewell buffet dinner prepared for us in the Student Center. :D

Prior to beginning our trip to Korea, we were allowed to choose two courses that we would like to take on a “first come, first served” basis, some of which were only available for students of certain schools. Mine included Intermediate Korean (compulsory), Korean Culture Workshop, and Sociological Introduction to Korean Society. When there are boring classes, there must be something to entertain us. Field trips!

We were brought to Lotte World Adventure, Show “Nanta”, and the very boring yet eye-opening Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) (only for students of Sociological Introduction to Korean Society, it may differ depending on the courses chosen) on three different days as day trips. I could still recall sleeping through the long journey from Incheon to Seoul.

We also had a Korean Culture Competition on the last day of the program at Hana Hall, Inha University. Each performance took approximately 5 minutes. Some of them were really hilarious, such as a group of guys singing the Korean version of “Let It Go”. I especially loved a group of girls dancing to Orange Caramel’s “까탈레나 (Catallena)”. Very much alike!

I’ll upload some videos of some of the performances next time. ;)

Preparing for checkout on 16 August 2014 was one hell of a challenge! Everyone struggled through no less than one hour to stuff everything into one luggage. Some of them even spent the entire night to figure out ways to pack their luggage. Mine was completed within a comparatively shorter duration, but it could have been much better than this. I was just lazy.

These are basically everything that I had been through during 2014 Inha University Summer School. I don’t usually compliment any educational organizations, but in my opinion, the management had indeed done a brilliant job in handling things from the beginning to the end. The way they managed their students was praiseworthy. I’m glad that I participated in this program before I completed my studies at Taylor’s University, as they only accept college and university students enrolling in a program.

These are definitely not everything about my trip to Korea. More to come about what I had eaten, where I had visited, et cetera in both Incheon and Seoul, Korea. Stay tuned! :D

Inha University Summer School
INHA University,
100 Inha-ro, Nam-gu,
Incheon 402-751,
Korea.
Website: INHA University SUMMER SCHOOL
Email: inhasummer@inha.ac.kr

x.

Layang Layang Guest House, A Home Away from Home

Um, hello?

Here are some slight updates about my life recently. I had visited Paris and Toulouse in France in May as part of our syllabus before I completed my final semester, followed by an awesome summer school program in Incheon, Korea that lasted for approximately three weeks in July and August and a short trip in Seoul before I came back to Malaysia. It's not the end of my adventure just yet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had recently completed my final industrial training at Layang Layang Guest House, Malacca. I'm majoring in international tourism management, and had previously completed three of my industrial trainings at three different travel agencies. This time, I decided to be slightly adventurous and go for something different. It did not take me long to select a place that is far away from home, my beloved family, and him. It's an excuse for me to sort of travel on my own, I guess, albeit being just two hours away from all of them.

Anyway, let me give you a complete tour around this beautifully decorated guesthouse in a pre-war building, with the greatest people on earth.

P/S: Some of the photos are credited to Layang Layang Guest House.

Views from the outside and along Jalan Tukang Besi, the street right in front of Layang Layang Guest House.

Before I forget, bicycles are available for rent (for guests only) at only RM 5.00 per bicycle per day, from 9.00am to 9.00pm. This is one of the best rates you could find within the area!

The lobby area and the reception counter. During my final industrial training, I spent most of my working hours here waiting for people to check in and check out, chitchatting, eating, and taking my nap. When the temperature reaches as high as 37°C (I'm not even kidding, Malacca can be THIS hot), this is definitely one of the best places to go, with soothing background music and strong ceiling fans as the additional advantages.

For your information, due to certain circumstances, WiFi is only accessible here at the lobby area.

Walk further into the corridor, you will then be greeted by another door added for security purposes, with more wall paintings on both sides. It is opened during the day and closed after 6.00pm. You will be given an access card upon check-in to go in and out of this part of the guesthouse.

Many people find this very troublesome, for having to bring along their room keys whenever they leave their rooms. Who to blame, though, if something valuable goes missing someday?

Here comes the main part of the entire post. My awesome little heaven throughout the 3.5 months!

I felt extremely lucky to be given one of the guestrooms, Standard Room without Window, to be my "hostel". It's windowless (obviously), comes with a queen bed, a coffee table, and an air-conditioner. It's very small and has limited space for walking with my huge luggage occupying most of the space, but it's indeed more than perfect for two people. You don't really spend time walking in your room during a vacation after all, right?

On a side note, I really loved how they indicate each of the room numbers using a mini kite that matches the name of the guesthouse, Layang Layang Guest House.

Other room types include Standard Room with Window, Deluxe Room, Triple Room, Smaller Family Room, and Family Room. These rooms are all air-conditioned, come with at least one window each, and a coffee table. Some of them that are bigger in size have two chairs and a ceiling fan as well.

If you are unsure of which room type to choose, give them a phone call or send them an email and the staff will provide you with the best suggestion to fit you and your people comfortably. :)

When you are in need of a comfortable and relaxing view or when you feel the need to sit down and do nothing, there is a courtyard in the centre of the guesthouse with water feature. You can even take your breakfast or lunch or have a cup of tea by the fish pond, provided that you do not feed the fishes without asking for permission from the staff.

The well is real! If the building has been at least a hundred years, the well should age the same too. According to Boss Hong, the depth of the well is at least 8 feet if he didn't remember wrongly. :O

At the back of the guesthouse is a shared pantry where you can get alkaline water, coffee, tea, and biscuits for free. FREE! Water boiler, cutleries, cups, bowls, plates, and even wine glasses are well-prepared for you who pack outside food to be eaten in the guesthouse. You can also store your food and drinks in the refrigerator to keep them fresh and cool.

Mind you, all 8 bathrooms are shared! They are well-equipped with quality toilet amenities, including hair and body shampoo for your conveniences. If you are a clean freak like me, I would say that there is nothing much to worry about the cleanliness of the bathrooms. They are regularly cleaned and maintained by the staff.

It's the quality of the guest(s) that would often affect the cleanliness of the bathrooms, according to my personal experience as a staff of the guesthouse. You don't expect the staff to check and clean the bathrooms even during midnight, right? Get it?

Last but not least, isn't washing your face with some of the best views accompanied by morning breeze the best way to start off your day? :D

All in all, Layang Layang Guest House is literally a house, where everyone has their own rooms while the facilities such as pantry, lobby area, and bathrooms are shared. The only difference is that you will meet people from all over the world who may speak different languages and have different cultures. Come and give it a try, and you will be surprised! :D

I have to say that I loved my wonderful life here, for having met plenty of great people worth appreciating; my bosses, Hong and Daphne; my manager, Stephanie; my foreign colleagues, Rohman, Roj, and Robbin; one of the chefs of Good Friends Restaurant and Café and owner of Kaya-kaya Café, KC Choong (for introducing good food to me); manager of Kaya-kaya Café, Ms. Pak (a mum of everyone); head chef of Kaya-kaya Café, Ong Yong Zong; the boys of Kaya-kaya Café; and many other friendly locals and our lovely guests.

See you again real soon, Layang Layang Guest House! ♥

Layang Layang Guest House
24 - 26, Jalan Tukang Besi,
75200 Melaka.
Tel: +606 292 2722
Email: booking@layanglayangmelaka.com
Website: Layang Layang Guest House
Facebook: Layang Layang Guest House
Business Hours (Monday to Thursday): 10.00am to 7.00pm
Business Hours (Friday to Sunday): 10.00am to 9.00pm
Check-in Time: 2.00pm to 9.00pm only
Check-out Time: Before 12.00pm

x.

Traditional Rice Processing Activity at Homestay Haji Dorani

UPDATE:

I have an announcement to make about J.cheerios.

My blog contents are mostly related to gastronomy, or travelling in and out of the country. From time to time, I would update about my current life, but I do not reveal much of my personal information due to safety purposes. Therefore, I truly wish that my fellow readers would at least respect my idea and stop going beyond the limit. Your comments or suggestions on my way of blogging and the contents are definitely welcomed. It is also my pleasure to visit your blog as requested. However, I will never appreciate spam on my Facebook page, or any sort of request for information related to me and my family.

I hope this is understandable.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1: 3 Days and 2 Nights at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

Part 2: Free and Easy at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 3: Buffet Dinner at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 4: Firefly Observation by Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 5: First Morning at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 6: Batik Painting at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

As a person who lives in the city since young, I never knew the exact way of processing rice traditionally in the olden days. I had never ever seen it previously, until I traveled to Homestay Haji Dorani in Sabak Bernam. Indeed, I thought we were a bunch of lucky bastards people to be granted such a precious opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience in the aspect. Despite spending most of my time photographing the entire process, my ears were listening as the person in charge explained to us briefly.

We were provided with a small amount of rice like this for demonstration. They're waiting to be processed!

We had to hit the rice with a heavy stick to separate the rice from the hulls. One must not hit too hard to prevent the rice from being mashed, and it would then be wasted. It's the skill that mattered.

After that, throw the rice into the air according to the wind direction, so that the hulls would be blown away while the rice falls back into the bamboo pan. Then, you're done!

Or at least that's how we were taught to do. :P

x.

Batik Painting at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

Part 1: 3 Days and 2 Nights at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

Part 2: Free and Easy at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 3: Buffet Dinner at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 4: Firefly Observation by Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 5: First Morning at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

After our simple yet traditional breakfast, we slowly walked towards the front hall, where a chubby boy was preparing for our first activity of the day while waiting for our arrival. It was batik painting! Initially, I thought we would be experiencing the way to produce the paint, only to realize that everything was ready.

The chubby boy poured the paint into small transparent containers for our convenience. According to him, the paint is made of powder and hot water only, instead of any natural plants.

Several designs were given for us to choose. For your information, the pictures were hand-drawn earlier by the owner or anyone who was in charge of it then, using wax on a piece of white cloth, so that the paint would not spread randomly out of the targeted area. However, if the cloth touches the table, or if the picture does not lie properly on the table or a flat surface, the possibility of the paint spreading to the other areas might increase.

We painted according to our own preferences, did it like how we used to do watercolor painting in school, and completed it by using black as the background in order to cover the mistakes. Personally, I didn't do my best because of the scorching hot weather and the mistakes that spoiled my mood. If I were to be given another opportunity to try batik painting, I would really hope that it would be much better than that. Hopefully there will be another chance!

x.

First Morning at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

UPDATE:

Since young, I never really have an idol to really admire. Previously, I may have admitted loving Danson Tang, Fahrenheit, or F4, those merely stayed for a few months or so, until I started to be addicted to Running Man recently. Since my semester break started more than a week ago, I have been spending my entire day watching this South Korean variety show from the very beginning. Since then, it has become part of my entertainment, or perhaps part of my life. Other than the activities that they do, it is the members that I love because of their sincerity and stupidity. At least these are what I see in them!

Don't worry. I would never be fangirling physically, mentally, verbally, non-verbally, and etc.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1: 3 Days and 2 Nights at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

Part 2: Free and Easy at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 3: Buffet Dinner at Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam
Part 4: Firefly Observation by Homestay Haji Dorani, Sabak Bernam

It's been a while since the previous post about my trip to Homestay Haji Dorani in Sabak Bernam. Hence, here I am, proceeding with what I have neglected and getting my remaining tasks completed. I hope so.

Nothing could ever beat the feelings of waking up to such picturesque scenery. As soon as I groomed myself, I walked out of the wooden chalet in the middle of the paddy field and enjoyed the cool morning breeze along the wooden pavement. Literally, I was in heaven. The fresh air was what we would never be able to experience in the city. From time to time, I would really love to return to the same place again and again because three days and two nights are not enough.

Breakfast was ready to be served in the huge dining area when we were still lingering in our wooden chalet. Some traditional Malay kuih was served. Unfortunately, apart from the Kuih Lapis in pink, I couldn't name the other two types of kuih that we had in the morning. I could only recall the fact that I disliked the taste of the ones wrapped in banana leaves. Fried Noodles was served as well. Surprisingly, as a person who dislikes yellow noodles, it tasted quite homely and less oily than what could be found in the city, to be honest.

We settled down at the dining table, spent the free time browsing through social networking sites, and started to swallow as much food as possible until we were pretty much bloated. I wouldn't say I like the breakfast of the day, but it was the feeling that I enjoyed.

Definitely, before the beautiful morning was gone, we had to wander around the area, relax, and enjoy for a bit prior to proceeding with the very first activity of the day, although we were already running late. Wouldn't you be delighted just by looking at these photos? Imagine being there physically!

x.

Colourgraphy Photography Exhibition and Auction at Taylor's University

Attention, please!

The event marketing students from Taylor's University, School of Communication, will be organizing an event, namely Colourgraphy Photography Exhibition and Auction 2013, tomorrow from 12.00pm to 4.00pm at Temptation in the campus itself with free admission. If you are interested in photography, this might be a great opportunity for you to be exposed to the things you might have never seen. All you ever need to do is to get yourself registered by filling up this form online, and tadaaa!

The photography exhibition will display photos taken by photojournalists and photography students from the Bachelor of Mass Communication. The event will also feature a professional photographer, Prakash Daniel, who will be invited to share his photography experiences and to be one of the judges to select three Top Best Photographs. You can also cast your vote for the Most Popular Photo or bid for the prints during an auction.

Definitely, several exciting programs and activities will be prepared for you! Photographers with Polaroid cameras will be there at the designated photo booth to take photos for you and your friends while you enjoy the live band performances during the event. Besides, cocktail session will be specially opened to the exclusive attendees. Well, how to be an exclusive attendee? You just need to complete an easy step via pre-registration at this website. Food will also be served on the basis of first come, first served.

There was a Colourgraphy Instagram Photo Contest available for you to stand a chance to walk away with a Polaroid camera. Unfortunately, due to my extremely late update about the event, the contest had been closed since a few hours ago. Still, follow up with their new updates by liking their Facebook page and be sure to promote this happening event to your friends!

Anyway, with all these interesting programs and activities, there is no reason why you should miss out this event! Register on the website now and be sure to attend the event. Do not forget to share such great news with your friends! Like their Facebook page to get updated information and follow their Instagram at "Colourgraphy2013" to get sneak peek of the prints!

P/S: Photos are all copied from Colourgraphy Photography Exhibition and Auction.

x.