Minggu Bahasa 🇲🇾 Language Week 🇬🇧

2nd-5th March 2017

Hello everyone,

I am so sorry I haven’t posted on this blog for a while. For starters, there hasn’t been much to tell you as the students had exams. I hope you enjoy this next update on my time in Malaysia and I hope you are all well. 

Last weekend (2-5 March) was Language Week (Minggu Bahasa). This is when all the MRSMs in Malaysia come together to compete in English and Bahasa Malayu competitions. As there are about 50 MRSMs, they are split into zones. My zone was the west (Zon Barat) and it was held at MRSM Kuala Klawang (MRSM KK). They were great hosts and the school was really lovely. It felt larger than MRSM Felda but it was very nice. 

The DS at MRSM KK

The Main Hall at MRSM KK

2 March

The journey to MRSM KK took 5 hours and I filled it by listening to the musical Hamilton and playing games including in my backpack with some of the students. Eventually, we reached MRSM KK after driving down many highways and twisty country lanes. We were welcomed to the school with drummers playing traditional Malay songs. It was a lovely welcome. We then were shown to our accommodation which was in the girls hostel. The dorms were split into cubes and there were communal showers and toilets. We were staying with the other girls from Felda and many other MRSMs. After settling in, we went to meet, Lyall, Kara (MRSM Lenggong) and Kyle (MRSM TGS) some of the other Project Trust volunteers who were at this Language Week, at the dining hall (DS) for the first time. It was really lovely to meet some new people. We then ate our lunch and decided to play some card games and uno in a classroom. This is how we bonded! We then went to the main hall (Dewan Semerak) to listen to a speech in Malay and then we went to a teachers meeting, again in Malay. After that, Evie, Aminaa and I went to the Felda classroom and helped Millah and Fakhrul prepare for their speeches in the public speaking competition the next day. It was lovely to spend some time with the students from Felda. We then went back to the dorm, wishing everyone luck for the competitions to come. 

3 March

Today was the first day of competition and I was really nervous for everyone. We went to support Millah and Fakhrul first, in the lower secondary public speaking competition. Millah performed a speech entitled ‘A Friend is Easier Lost than Found’ which she delivered with passion and it was very thought provoking about the meaning of friendship. Fakhrul’s speech was called ‘If I Ruled the World’ which was really funny. His world he created had a national laughing time between 12:00 and 12:05 and also electricity by giant human hamster balls! I am very proud of them on their delivery as I know they were very nervous. After lunch we went to support the Felda students competing in storytelling. This was a competition when they were shown pictures on the spot and they had to tell a story from them. I really admired these students as I don’t believe I could have done it and English is my first language! Lots of Felda students came in to support both events. It feels like a little Felda family. It was a very good first day of competition and I was very excited for drama and poetry slam the next day. 

The storytellers

Fakhrul telling us all about his kingdom!

Millah performing her speech about friends

Little love with Puteri ❤️

4 March

Today was the final day of competition. I could feel everyone’s nerves as the drama performance approached. Felda were the 4th to perform. Each school had to perform an adaptation of a superhero story. Our students chose to perform a Malaysian adaptation of Thor which included the Doctor from Dr.Who. Evie, Aminaa and I had been transforming our fridge box into the TARDIS for them over the past weeks which had been really fun! The drama team performed the best they had ever done. The fighting scenes were so strong, Akmal’s British accent for the Dr was amazing and the emotion Ikwan as the king put into his performance at the end was inspiring. It brought tears to my eyes. I am sooooo proud of this team! They are absolutely incredible! To celebrate their performance, Evie, Aminaa and I, treated everyone to an ice cream which they all enjoyed! There was also stiff competition against Felda in the drama, including MRSM Parit, who win every year. We watched their performance which was their own story about a woman who could change gender and then at the end when she died, she donated her eyes to her blind best friend. Lots of people had tears in their eyes and I knew then that Felda hadn’t won. We then went to support the girls who were competing in the Forum, which is debating in Malay. Even though I could not understand what they were talking about, I found it really interesting and I began picking up some of the things they were saying. We then had a long break which we naturally filled playing cards with the other volunteers, followed by a jam packed evening of events. We went to watch the students competing in Sajak which is a form of Malay poetry. It is incredibly passionate and I loved listening to every word. After cheering on the Felda students, we went to poetry slam in the library. This was one of my favourites as the girls who performed the poem were so strong about what they were saying, I believed every word and I got really emotional! The three of us then took lots of pictures with the students and did some Malay chants to keep spirits up in the team before the results the next day. I went back to my dorm for my final sleep at Minggu Bahasa. 

Go Team Drama from Felda! So proud of these ❤️️

Action shots from drama

Hiding inside the TARDIS we made

Selfie anyone 🙈

Drama Team! Well done everyone!

Selfie with the king Ikwan

Love these girls 💛

Group photo after drama

Forum girls ❤️

Sajak

Nurin and I 💜

More selfies 🎉

Poetry Slam Girls 💚

Yes Team Felda! ❤️

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Selfie with the other volunteers 💙

5 March

Before I knew it, our final day at MRSM KK was upon us and I have loved every second. I am super proud of every single person who competed in Minggu Bahasa. They deserve their own medal! We had the closing ceremony for the week today where the prizes were awarded. Felda got second place in the Forum and Pidato (Malay public speaking) competitions which is incredible! MRSM Parit won the drama as predicted. I am so happy for Felda for all of their hard work and effort in the lead up to Language Week. During the closing ceremony we also got to be entertained by some Gamalan music which is the Malays traditional music. It was absolutely beautiful! After the ceremony, I said my goodbyes to Kara, Lyall and Kyle and made our way to the bus for the 5 hour journey back to MRSM Felda. 

Closing Ceremony

Selfie with Evie, Aminaa, Marwati our host from MARA and Lyall, Kara and Kyle

Gamalan!

On our way home with Millah

Bus picture, on our way home to Felda

I have such admiration for everyone that performed at Language Week, not just at Felda, but from all of the MRSMs. I congratulate them all on their events and achievements. I am so proud of my students from Felda. They made this weekend so memorable and I shall never forget it. Go Team Felda! I look forward to more adventures with them. 

Much love as always,

Amy x

A magical weekend in Singapore 🇸🇬

10-12 February 2017

Hello! 

This past weekend has been one of the most magical I have ever had! Singapore was so beautiful and parts of it reminded me of London as well. It was lovely to have a holiday. 

We spent the 10th February travelling down to Singapore. We used lots of modes of transport including car, train, taxi, plane and MRT. Whilst waiting in the airport for our plane, we met a guy who comes from Norwich which is near to where Evie lives! What a small world we live in! The MRT is Singapore’s version of the tube which was amazing! I felt so at home navigating the different lines and using the equivalent of an Oyster card. The carriages were so big and clean as well. It was lovely. When we got off the MRT to go to our hostel, we walked through Chinatown, which was very beautiful. It felt historical with classic architecture and a temple nearby to, which contrasted with Singapore’s skyscrapers. The street was also filled with stalls with red Chinese lanterns hanging across it. We couldn’t find the hostel at first as we turned down the wrong street but we found it eventually, only to find out that it was overbooked and we would be taken to another one.  The hostel we ended up staying in was on Lavender Street and was very modern and lovely. The room had 6 beds in total, 3 on top of each other. It was very tall room! We had a really cosy fluffy blanket to sleep under as well which I didn’t want to leave behind! After settling in a bit, we then met up with my friend Alice, who I met when I took part in a National Youth Theatre course in London last August. It was amazing to see her, if a little surreal as she is living here until March. She took the three of us to a Chinese restaurant on Bugis Street. I had pork rice which was amazing. I savoured it as there is no pork in Malaysia. Afterwards, Alice took us to a square which was very romantic and there was a singer singing Ed Sheeran in the background. It kind of felt like Covent Garden. I’ve come to the conclusion that Singapore is kind of an Asian London! We then had to say our goodbyes to Alice at the MRT as we made our way back to the hostel to sleep, as we knew there was another busy day to come. 

Bye Malaysia! 🇲🇾

An MRT train ❤️

Chinatown 🇨🇳

The ‘Covent Garden’ square

Alice, Aminaa, Evie and I. Amazing to see Alice again!

 

The next day was our only full day in Singapore and it was very full! We walked to the MRT from the hostel but somehow on the way Evie managed to break her flip flop so the sole fell off! Aminaa ran back to the hostel to grab Evie’s sandals and as she was doing that Evie and I went to McDonald’s so I could have breakfast but the scrambled egg looked like butter! Our morning got off to a good start! We then made our way to Harbour Front on the MRT and walked through a shopping mall to reach the Sentosa boardwalk, which would take us to Universal Studios Singapore (USS). We were greeted by the Universal world logo spinning which was the beginning of the magic for me. There were many lands in USS including: Hollywood, Madagascar, Far Far Away, Waterworld, Jurassic Park, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City and New York. New York was definitely my favourite! We went on a carousel in Madagascar where I rode Melman the giraffe, my favourite character from the movie. We also had a picture with Melman, Gloria, Alex and Marty which was awesome! We then made our way to Far Far Away where I had a photo with Pinocchio! We then went on a ride which felt like the Buffalo in Drayton Manor. There was a 4D cinema too, which was an incredible experience. When Donkey sneezed, we were sprayed with water and when we were being chased our chairs rocked backwards and forwards. We then saw Tinkerbell up close as well. It was very magical. It felt very weird to leave and go outside again after the magic! We then went to see a water show in Waterworld which was full of stunts. I really admire the actors for their performance, as some of the stunts were very dangerous involving pyrotechnics and fight scenes to. In Jurassic Park we were surrounded by the soundtrack I have been playing in orchestra at school. In this world I went on a rollercoaster with our feet hanging so it felt like we were flying! The others wanted to go on a water ride which I wasn’t so sure on, so I waited for them with the bags outside. This became a feature of the trip which I didn’t mind as they went on other rollercoasters including Revenge of the Mummy (which sadly broke), Cyclon, Human and the Transformers ride. Evie and Aminaa persuaded me to go on the Transformers ride but it was a love hate relationship for me. We were taken on a battle with 3D graphics which were incredible but the cart we were in jerked, span and went really fast, which made me feel a bit sick. It was a great experience though. When I was waiting for Evie and Aminaa as they were on the rides, I went to New York and was transported into the 1940s. There were so many performances including a street dance act and a boy and a girl group singing close harmony songs like ‘Dear Future Husband’, ‘Locamotion’, ‘Cherie’ and ‘Uptown Girl’. Those performers deserve to be on a Broadway or West End stage, they were so incredible. We ate lunch in a pub style restaurant which took me back home. The detail in all of the areas was incredible from the design to the change in music as you moved from one area to another. It was such an amazing, magical  experience!

When Evie’s flip flop disintegrated

Is it scrambled egg or what?

Sentosa Bay

Where the magic began

It’s Hollywood

Melman and me

Madagascar gang

Anyone home?

IT’S PINOCCHIO!

Far Far Away Castle

Woah it’s a dinosaur!

Outside Revenge of the Mummy

It’s the city that never sleeps!

This will never happen!

Waldorf Astoria

Hello Mr Lion 🦁

Street Dance Group

Men’s Dinettes

Fairy Castle

Universal Studios Statue

After leaving the magic of USS, we decided to have dinner and saw that there was a Hard Rock Cafe across the square, too Evie and Aminaa’s delight, as they had never been to a Hard Rock Cafe before. There were pieces in there which belonged to John Lennon, Elvin Presley, The Jacksons and many more. It was very cool! I had a burger without the bun with amazing chips. We were all very happy girls after that! We then made our way to Bayfront on the MRT to visit the Gardens by the Bay which were huge floral structures that shone in the night, along with a fireworks show next to a mini London Eye. Everything was mesmerising. Sadly, we were to late to go inside the two domes of the Gardens by the Bay, so we will have to go back to Singapore, which I am looking forward to already. 

It’s the Hard Rock Cafe!

Foooddd!

Gardens by the Bay starring the “London Eye”

Look at the Fireworks – lighting the night sky!

Hotel near Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay up close

Bye Singapore 🇸🇬You were amazing!!

The next day we made our way back to MRSM Felda as we said our sad goodbyes to Singapore and its magic. I really can’t wait to go back as the 11th February was one of the best days of my life so far! 

Until next time! 

Amy x

Chinese New Year in Melaka! 💞

Hello! 

I hope you are all good back home! I have so much to catch you up on! My holiday in Melaka with Amira’s family was absolutely amazing! Melaka is the city where the British invaders landed in Malaysia for the first time. It is also a UNESCO city. 

Before we could go on holiday, Aminaa, Evie and I had to run a workshop with 90 of Form 3 (15 year olds) for academic day at MRSM Felda on 27/01/2017. We split into 3 groups of 30 and I decided to play Splat with them which they had never played before but they absolutely loved playing it! I also played heads up when they had ask each other questions to guess which celebrity they were. It was funny to see them all with post it notes on their heads and they got a little bit competitive in their teams. I also played banana, hangman and one group also wanted to do the mannequin challenge which was pretty cool! It was great fun to teach the Form 3’s. I can’t wait to do something similar soon!

Playing heads up

Selfies with Form 3

After teaching the Form 3’s, the three of us ran back to the flat, which was hard in the heat of the day, and grabbed our bags for our holiday which was about to begin! We then met Amira and got on the bus which was an hour to Tanjung Malim where we then got the commuter train to Sungai Buloh. Once we got off the train the four of us got a taxi to Amira’s sister’s flat. Whilst we were waiting for Amira’s sister to come back home from work in KL, we all wondered around the suburb. We went to an Econsave where I bought a green hijab scarf which Amira was going to teach me how to tie! Once we went back to the flat Amira’s sister arrived and we began our 2 hour car journey to Melaka. We were staying at Amira’s sister’s house which was really beautiful and in a cute area. We were introduced to Amira’s parents, her brother, Adif, sisters, nieces, Nadhirah and Najihah and nephew, Asyraf. There were 14 of us in total! They were such an amazing family and the children were amazing! We were shown where we would be sleeping On the floor, lying on a futon. It was uncomfortable at first but I got used to it over the days I was there. Amira also taught Evie and I how to tie the hijab which was very exciting! They all said we looked beautiful in it! At the stroke of midnight, that evening, fireworks exploded into the night sky. It was one of the best first fireworks displays I could ever have wished for. Happy Chinese New Year! 

Trying the hijab

Fireworks! Happy Chinese New Year!

Train to Sungai Buloh

The next day we were given a tour of Melaka by Amira’s family. There was a beautiful park area with lots of trees. It reminded me of the parks back home. We were bought ice creams which were square and on a cocktail stick. They ere very mummy but I swallowed a large chunk at once causing me to get brain freeze! We then went up the Menara Taming Sari which was a rotating viewing platform showing us amazing view of Melaka, from the beach to the mountains in the distance. We then had our lunch and I had nasi goreng ayam (fried rice and chicken) I also tried some of Amira’s stingray and Evie’s mussels. The stingray was surprisingly nice but I wasn’t to sure about the mussels! After we’d eaten, we made our way to Bukit St Paul, which sits on a hill overlooking Melaka. It is one of the oldest buildings in Melaka and was used by the British when they were settled in Melaka. Around the church, there were many souvenir stands and inside there was a man playing electric guitar! We then made our way back to the car whilst dodging these bikes which played loud music and were decorated in a variety of cartoon characters, including Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty and Pokemon. We then travelled to a water park where Amira’s nieces and nephew played with Aminaa. Meanwhile Amira, Evie and I looked around the market and then went to see the beach, which was filled with people flying kites. After eating at a little cafe place opposite where we staying, we went for a late night cycle near the water park. Evie and I rode a tandem and attempted to ride the bike through the crowds with me screaming in the background as I felt like I was in a video game! I can only say sorry Evie! 

Family picture at Bukit St Paul

Amira, Aminaa, Evie and I arriving in Melaka

Looking over Melaka

Sunset

Let’s go fly a kite

Water Park

Bike anyone?

Bukit St Paul

Menara Taming Sari

Views of Melaka

The next day we went to the beach and the children swam in the sea whilst I stood at the shoreline with th waves lapping at my feet. I was so proud of myself for that as I am kind of afraid of the sea! Amira’s nieces and nephew were so cute. Even though they could speak little English, I was still able to play with them and make them laugh. After the beach we went to visit Amira’s cousins and aunts who lived in this cute village surrounded by okra plantations, mango trees and some chickens to! Adif found a little grasshopper in the bushes which was so cute! I also got to fulfill a childhood ambition of picking mangos off a tree with a long stick! It was great fun and I was really sad when it came to leaving this small bit of heaven. We then went shopping in one of the many huge malls in Malaysia. I bought some tops (2 with Mickey Mouse on!) We then went and visited another of Amira’s cousins houses called who was absolutely amazing. We then went home and ate some fried chicken (this seems to be my staple food!) and Rosie came to. I was then invited to sleep at Rosie’s house which was so beautiful and modern, a complete contrast to the small village earlier. We did some laundry as well ready for going back to school. By the time I went to sleep, it was 3am and I slept incredibly well for those 4 hours! 

Adif and his grasshopper

Okra (or ladies fingers!)

Mango picking from the trees

Amira’s cousin’s house amongst the plantations

Amira and Aminaa swimming

Amira’s cousin’s house amongst the plantations

Piggybacks with Evie

I was so sad to leave Amira’s family, as they had been so lovely to all of us over the days we had spent with them. They have invited us back for a festival to celebrate the end of Ramadan in June. I can’t wait! We then said an emotional farewell and began our 5 hour bus ride back to Tanjung Malim and then another 1 hour journey back to MRSM Felda. 

This trip to Melaka has been an amazing first holiday in Malaysia and I just wanted to say thank you to Amira for inviting us for Chinese New Year. I shall never forget it! 

Much love to you all and I look forward to writing again soon!

Amy x

My first week at MRSM Felda

Hi everyone, 

I hope you are well. I’m sure many of you would like to hear about how my project has been so far during my first week. 

Before, I arrived at MRSM Felda, all seven of us visited MARA HQ (the government body’s that funds MRSM schools) in Kuala Lumpur. We got to meet our host Marwati who is Head of the language department at MARA. We had a photo outside of the offices in our buja kurungs we had bought in KL. We then went up to the 19th floor with all our bags. Here we got introduced to hosts at our school. It was a lovely welcome to MARA but before we knew it, the meeting was over and we were saying our goodbyes to the others going to different projects and on the bus to MRSM Felda. The journey only took us 1 hour 30 mins from KL and on the way, we stopped at a service station to get one of the last Burger King’s we would have in a while – the cheesy chips were amazing. 

The P8 volunteers with Marwati at MARA

My first impression of MRSM Felda is that it is huge! There are 1000plus students at the school ranging from 13-17 years old. Here they have boys and girl dormitories as the school is a boarding school. There is a cafe, mosque, dining hall, library, lots of classrooms, a science block, sports hall, sports pitch and lots of other sports facilities. It’s all so beautiful and the school overlooks an oil palm plantation and there is a highway on the other side, which is surprisingly quieter then you would imagine! 

Dining Hall

Mosque

Overlooking palm oil trees

Sports field

Our accommodation block

Walkways to escape the sun and the rain

The science block

The courtyard surrounding the classrooms

Our accommodation is in the teachers quarters on the opposite side of the school. We are on the first floor of a block. We have a spacious living area with a little kitchen with a brand new fridge for my insulin which we were given at the weekend. My room is a nice size with a double bed, wardrobes and a side table with a mirror which I have stuck photos of friends and family from back home. There’s a little bathroom which crosses as a wet room so I have be careful not to slip! We have some friends in our home as well in the form of geckos and cockroaches! They move so quickly and hide behind our storage areas. I don’t mind the geckos but the cockroaches creep me out! We have named the geckos we have seen Twinkle, Peter the Mum and Fred. 

Kitchen

Bathroom

Dining

Lounge

My room

The pupils here treat Aminaa, Evie and I like celebrities, always waving and saying ‘Hello Miss’ or ‘Good Morning’ and calling us beautiful all the time! They love my blue eyes! We have sat in on classes and they are so attentive and they are so much better at English then they think they are. It has been really lovely to talk to them in class and at lunch. They are the thing that keep me going. 

A typical school day starts at 4am for the students! They have breakfast, morning prayer and then morning call. I arrive between 7:30-8:00 as first lessons begin at 7:40am. Lessons last until 2:10pm and lunch is a 2:30pm. The pupils then do recreational activities until 6:30 when dinner is. These activities include badminton, netball, rugby, jogging and wind orchestra! They are one of the best orchestras I have witnessed in rehearsal, coming off on time and getting louder and quieter when the conductor tells them to. It was incredible! We have a lot to learn back home! I have been told I can play my clarinet in it which I am so excited about! The students also held a night market where they sold food they had made like churro with chocolate sauce. Aminaa, Evie and I all got bombarded by the students as we were asked for selfie after selfie! I felt like a celebrity! We have also been to an English Committee meeting which was really interesting and so much fun learning about the English strategies they use at this school such as a message tree and getting students to relay sentences back during morning call. 

Selfies at the night market

Cheeky selfie in English Motivation Committee (EMC)

English Committee

Yesterday (23/01/17) we got a visit from our country co-ordination Laura. It was really lovely to see her and show here around the school. Evie, Aminaa and I taught our first lesson in front of Laura to Form 2 (14 year olds). We spoke about our home towns and the countries and capitals within the U.K. It was a really fun lesson and I can’t wait for future ones! 

Class photo

First lesson teaching about the UK 🇬🇧🇲🇾

Everything is going really well so far here at MRSM Felda. I am still getting used to certain things like eating with my right hand. The food is really good though here, I’ve had fried chicken and rice breakfast most days now! I don’t think I will go hungry! It is such a lovely school and I can’t emphasise enough how amazing the people are. They have made us all feel so welcome here. 

I look forward to updating you soon on my time at MRSM Felda, including my lessons and Chinese New Year, our first holiday here in Malaysia! 

Until next time, terima kasih (thank you in Malay)

Much love, 

Amy x

Time in Kuala Lumpur

Hi everyone!  

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog. I have arrived at my project MRSM Felda but sadly I only have wifi in the library. I just wanted to tell you about my time in Kuala Lumpur (KL) before I arrived at project.

When we arrived at KL airport, the first thing that hit me was the heat and humidity. The temperature moves around 28C to 35C + !! I am definitely getting used to sweating when I am outside in the sun! The rain/monsoon is beautiful as it falls in big raindrops and thundering the rooftop of cars and buildings. It definitely makes everything feel cooler but it is mostly always accompanied by a thunderstorm! The weather is wonderful though. 

We met our country representative, Jothee at the airport who is lovely. She took us to have a McDonald’s for a snack. Driving in KL is amazing but sometimes frustrating to with all the traffic. The highways are huge -four lanes wide and they twist and turn and climb around the city. The road system looks like a rollercoaster at times! There are also palm oil plantations and houses lining the roads. After McDonald’s, Jothee took us to where we would be staying for the next few days which was a home stay in the outskirts of KL. It was such a lovely place with air-con and fans in the ceiling! We then went for a dinner at a Chinese restaurant where I learnt how to eat with chopsticks! Watermelon juice is now one of my new favourite things. There was also a shopping mall nearby which was beautifully decorated with Chinese New Year decorations. 

The next day Jothee took us to see the Batu Caves Hindu Temple. It was so beautiful, a work of art by nature. At the bottom ther was 45m gold statue of the warrior God. Leading up to the caves themselves there was a tall, steep staircase. There were also throughout the temple roaming free. When we finally reached the top of the stairs in the heat of the sun, the sight that greeted us was stunning. The rock had been shaped over thousands of years and within it statues of the Hindu Gods were placed. It was such a beautiful place. When we got to the bottom, Jothee treated us to some coconut water which we drank out of a coconut! The Batu Caves are so beautiful and are definitely worth a visit if you are ever in KL. 

The entrance to the Batu Caves

Cheeky monkeys

Hindu statues inside the Caves

Me and Mickey in front of a temple inside the Caves

Monkeys looking at the skyline of KL

Coconuts!

Drinking coconut water with Claire, Erin and Aminaa

Inside the Batu Caves

The food that we have eaten whilst being here has been so yummy! I’ve tried Chinese, Thai and Indian and they are all so similar yet so different at the same time. Chinese was less spicy and learning to eat with chopsticks as well was an experience as well. For breakfast one day, we tried nasi lemat (rice cooked in coconut milk with an egg on it) and a roti chanai ( I had a rice pancake version) which you dip in to curry sauces on the side. It was really nice but kind of strange to have rice for breakfast in comparison to cereal and toast! Thai was so spicy and at the beginning of the meal we tossed something called Yu Sheung in the centre of the table with the chopsticks. The aim is to toss the food the highest and then you will receive prosperity in the Chinese New Year. We made a it of a mess when doing it but it was very fun 🙂 The Indian food was my favourite of all three. We ate off a banana leaf with our right hand (it’s rude to eat with your left). It was such an experience as you feel closer to the food by feeling it’s temperature. The food was amazing as well with fried chicken, rice and some curry side dishes. I’m looking forward to trying more food whilst I am here in Malaysia!

Banana leaf meal

Yu Sheung

Roti Channai

Nasi Lemat

Chinese with wonderful watermelon juice 🙂

I’ve also been taken to the Petronas Twin Towers which are the tallest twin towers in the world. We explored the shopping mall inside which had expensive brands from back home like Gucci, Micheal Kors and Uni Qlo. There was a beautiful display of a traditional Chinese home in celebration of Chinese New Year, which was surrounded by cherry blossom. We then went outside into the night air where there was a huge lake in amongst a park. It reminded me of some of the parks in London. All of a sudden, music began to play and we were treated to a choreographed water dance by the fountain. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. It was so magical especially in the night setting beneath the Petronas Towers. 

Colourful fountain

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Petronas Twin Towers from afar

Below the Petronas Towers

A traditional Chinese home

Beautiful fountain

My time in KL has been so magical and I look forward to coming back at weekends or in the holiday. 

I will update you on my school soon. It is so beautiful and the people are so nice. I can’t wait to tell you about it. 

I hope you are all well and I look forward to writing again soon hopefully!

Amy x

And so the journey begins…

11/01/2017

After so many months of waiting, the day has finally arrived for me begin my journey to Malaysia. 

Over the past couple of months I have fundraised £5500 with the help and support of many of you. Words can’t describe my thanks! 

It has been incredibly emotional as I have prepared to leave and say my goodbyes to my family and friends as I won’t see them for 8 months. Nothing can prepare for the feelings of leaving your loved ones. It was a time of hugs and tears as I left today. I look forward to sending them postcards and seeing their faces on Skype.

After struggling to fit everything into my rucksack, my sister Ruth became Mary Poppins and helped me to fit everything in using the rolling technique instead of folding everything. I would definitely recommend if you ever struggle with packing (thank Ruth for that one!) Apparently I look like a tortoise carrying my shell with the rucksack on. 

The day started after saying bye to Ruth as she got the train to school. I then went to take my own train with my parents from Warwick Parkway. This was where it was Daddy’s turn for a goodbye. Before I knew it I was in London Town and back on the good old tube for a short trip on the Bakerloo line to Paddington station. I had a bit of a tourist moment when I got my picture with the famous bear himself who made up a large part of my childhood. I then took the Heathrow Express to Terminal and met up with the others in my country group. Here I said my final farewell to my Mummy and then it was through check in and security. This was smoother than I was expecting with my Diabetes and all of my insulin and other medical equipment. I managed to get through without any questions which was amazing! Then we all made our way to Duty Free where I got to catch up with the rest of my country group who I will be spending the next 8 months with. Next thing I know, we are on a shuttle bus and off to the plane where I am now typing this. For my first long haul flight, it is going better than I expected. The food has been really nice (we were given mango chicken and rice) and the selection of films has also been good. 

I can’t wait to get to Kuala Lumpur now and begin this adventure which Project Trust have allowed me to go on. 

I look forward to updating you all on my first impressions of Malaysia and my journey to my project at MRSM Felda Trolak. I hope that you are all well and I shall hopefully write again soon. 

Much love, 

Amy x

 

The Beginning of My Fundraising Journey

Hello!

My name is Amy Yeates and I would like to tell you about my educational volunteering placement, I will be undertaking next year with Project Trust in Malaysia.

Project Trust is a registered charity that supports projects in 22 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. I have chosen to complete my volunteering with them, as they have supported over 7,000 volunteers since 1967. The placements offered are in the areas of teaching, social care and outward bound projects. They aim to support children around the world, to enable them to have opportunities, which would not otherwise be available to them.

Project Trust is based on the Isle of Coll off the west coast of Scotland. The charity sees this as the best place for their organisation to be based, as it allows volunteers to experience life outside their comfort zone.

I, along with 20 other 17-19 year olds from across the UK and abroad, went to the Isle of Coll in February, as part of a selection process. During this week, I learnt a lot about myself and developed as an individual. I also stayed with an islander, which was interesting, as this taught me about Island life.

The Project I shall be undertaking in Malaysia, will be that of a Teaching Assistant in an English department of a School. As a Teaching Assistant, I shall be asked to help with lessons and also occasionally lead them. I will also be helping students with their homework and providing one-on-one support and tutoring to those who need it.

I have decided to volunteer with Project Trust due to their experience in this area. Furthermore, they will offer a structured support network during my time overseas. This is in a three tiered system, beginning with my Host where I will be staying, the Country Representative, who is based in the capital city Kuala Lumpur and finally the Desk Officer, on the Isle of Coll.

I shall also not be completing my project alone, as I will be part of a country group and also be staying with another volunteer during my time away.

I am excited to be part of this experience, as I become a global citizen, encourage humanitarian activities through engaging with the world and help make it a more just and sustainable place.

In total, I need to raise £5,500 to go on this project next year and some of the fundraising ideas I have, include a three Lakeland Peak Challenge in the Summer and a Ceilidh in October. To begin raising this money, myself, Lily Robson, Vanessa Gravestock, Issy Scanlon, Ruth Yeates and Daniel Smith will be performing in a Summer Concert at St Andrew’s Church, on Saturday 16th July at 7pm. Tickets will be £10 which includes nibbles and drinks and there will also be a raffle on the night. To purchase tickets, please let me know

If you wish to support my Educational Project overseas with a donation, please go to my Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/Amy-Yeates1/ All donations are greatly appreciated and thank you in advance.

Thank you

Amy Yeates