IYEP Revisited: Part 1

IYEP Revisited

It was worth it. The program which held on the last 17^th-20^th of June may be the best I would have for this whole year. Even though I really regret one thing the most that is by being the volunteers as the committee members of the program. Moreover, being the official photographer for the program had cause me two losses; first, for not being able to be the participants and two, for not being able to be in the picture.

16^th of June-My Tasks has Started

Even though the program only starts on 17^th, but not for me and my two fellow brothers in Islam. We had begun even before the Subh prayer of the 16^th. At 0500, we were on our journey to the KLIA to fetch and of course welcoming the first overseas participants which happens to be a Pakistani from Lahore by the name of Bilal Masood.

Its my first experience to hold on a welcoming sign by the title of “Guest of IYEP” in order for the participants that arrives at the arrival hall would recognize us as it is the first time meeting. I thought that I will be welcoming a half aged man with beard all over his face with some scary look. But, its was a mistake as Bilal was as the same size as me with a very innocent look but to our astonishment, he had travel to many countries across the continents at the age of 19 years old. He should be out at 0630 but only managed to be out at 0730! You cannot imagine how hard for me to calm myself as I never done this task before and start to have some silly ideas that Bilal would have missed his flight. As I was going to call the JUST secretariat to confirm about Bilal, he show up right in front of me and said, “I’m Bilal”.

It was a relief for me. For your info, I had arranged with my other task mate, through all the task of fetching overseas participants, I would do the driving and they would do the welcoming part, that is having chit chat and be as nice as possible. You know why, I had noticed for the past few years that I am not good at making new friends as I am really not good in starting a conversation and start to draw a big hard smile on my face. But, once I had known my new friends, it will not be a problem. I just cannot initiate a new relationship. Maybe that is why up until now; I still have not done any further step in my other “relationship”.

So there goes Bilal having chit chat with my other task mate and I run upstairs to the KLIA “Books & Magazines” with an empty pocket. Actually, we were waiting for another participants form Chicago, Dr Nora.

I learned from Bilal, that the process before being able to be out at the arrival hall will take about an hour. At about 0915 I run downstairs and start waiting as Dr Nora’s plane had already arrived an hour ago. Knowledge is POWER! I waited about 10 minutes, and the she was waiving at me.

One thing I must highlight about Dr Nora. She is a medical practitioner before when she decided to leave her hospital and sell her house in the name of humanitarian works. She devoted her life in order to give a life to others. She was just back from six month humanitarian works at Burma. She refuses to call it as Myanmar, because it’s the regime name.

Well, there you have it, my first experience in my first day of IYEP tasks. After fetching Bilal and Dr Nora and send them to Bangi Lanai to have their breakfast and rest at the chalet or should I call it as motel, I went to LCCT to pick up four other girls for IYEP from Indonesia, Katika, Ranni, Lusiana and Suryamita. As LCCT does not have any proper arrival hall, I had ask my task mate to wait for them and I would wait in the van and have a short sleep just to rest my eyes after a long focus to the roads.

Then, at the noon, again to the KLIA to fetch a guy from California but happens to be originated from Pakistan that just graduated for his first degree in Mechanical Engineering and Political Sciences in just five years! I said WOW! Are you crazy? Naveed just smiles and we both burst a laugh. It was a really something. All the way to the Bangi Lanai, Naveed is the only one which I really have comfortable conversation. And when we were asking his knowledge about Malaysia, he kept going on answering it with 7/10 marks answer and said “you know guys, I really had done my homework”. And he really is well prepared with the basic knowledge of Malaysia before arriving here.

Then only I had the chance to have a rest before the next task would be at night to fetch an Indonesian girl, Fitriah at KLIA. What happens to be really funny, that is when looking at her face al the way from KLIA to Bangi Lanai for her temporary accommodation before checking in at the Residence Hotel tomorrow morning. She was like very scared. It was our mistake actually for not wearing any identification tags to approve us from the IYEP organizing committee. She had ask so many question as where do we go? Where would she stay? How long the journey to the place? And it was late night which happens to give more speculations that I infer is mingling in her heads. She can only give her relief face as when she see Dr Nora is waiting for her in the room at Bangi Lanai as her temporary roommates.

Knowing all these guys sure give me a motivation how important it was to master the art of communicating and of course to improve my English. And I really admire these guys for having such commitment to come over just to join a four days program. Having to know them inspire me to open my minds and I discover one important thing, I NEED TO CHANGE!

to be CONTINUED...