When the music fades,where will you be?

Mount. Kinabulu EXPEDITION

9 october 2008,Sunday

Today,it's the first day and the start of out trip to mount k.k.
I got up early just to reach the airport at 6am.
my dad fecth i and hakim there.
We were all gathered at row 12,terminal 2 of changi airport.
After we collected our climbing equipment,
we went to check-into our air-plane.
There were some of our schoolmates
who have come to sent us off too.
we set off with faces of joy and laughter.
i sat beside my track buddy jessica,
it was her first time on a air-plane.
When we arrive at sabah international airport,
we split into groups,
a group which i dislike.
We were split into 2 different buses.
group 1-4 into a bus
and group 5-8 in another.
We left for a indian restuarant and had lunch there.
we had to seat in groups with people you like and dislike.
After lunch,we headed for a shopping complex,
we were told to walk in your teams
to walk and buy anything you wanted in the shopping complex.
again in a team which i don't really like.
We bought packets of chewying gum,sweets,sweet corn and famous amos.
We boarded the bus and headed for a supermarket to buy snacks.
After buying,we left for fairy garden's hotel.
I had a experience to stay with this guy whom i never met before.
His name was song teck or "tree"
After packing out and bathing,
we headed for the resturant just at the bottom of the hotel.
we had a steamboat dinner there.
I had lots of fun playing and tell jokes.
We were told to perform a group cheer,
something that my group hasn't prepare.
it was a totally last minute idea.
It turned out totally lousy and
we had to think of another cheer and perform it another day.
It has been a great trip so far.

Reflection of DAY 1

Today it's the begining of our 5day 4 night expedition.
personally i have people that i dislike in the group,
but i have to work together with them.
i really don't know how it will turn out but
hope it isn't that bad.
I as the group leader of my group"FLAMES"
has felt that my group is starting to bond together
as we have laughs wherever and wherever we may be.
Although i may dislike some of my groupmates.
i'm starting to appreciate the personallity
as we spent more of our time together.

10 November 2008,Monday DAY2

Today,we woke up at 5.30am,
to wash up and put our lugguages into a room.
than we carry our day pack and
went to the resturant for breakfast.
After breakfast we left for the entrance of mount k.k.
Our teacher in charge was uncle Francis.
he is the most experience climber among the teacher,
and i knew that we were in good hands.
Our group was group 1 and was the leader of the pack.
As we proceed with the climb,
i look at my team of 5 learders,
each of them were here in my group
for a reason but i was yet to find out.
It was the begining of a new chapter of my life with them.
We set off with our mountian guide name 'Doina soibi'
or abang,brother in malay.
Each with our climbing companion,walking stick
had promise to reach the summit together.
It was a super long and tiring journey to the first rest stop.
there were a total of 8 rest stop to gunting lagundan.
We were all tired and for each step we take,
our bag grew heavier and heavier.
Uncle Francis set the pace for our team.
To my surprise,
Uncle francis set a pace which was amazingly fast,
even i couldn't keep up with him for long.
My team tried our very best just merely to catch up with him.
He told us that he was a past OBS intrustor.
We motivate each other with songs and encouragement,
we ate our packed lunch at one of the rest point,
and suddenly,everyone was full of energy.
we continue our pursuit of Gunting Lagandan.
we talking to abang on the way up too.
When we got to Gunting Lagundan,
it started to rain heavily,
we were worried for the other groups who are stuck in the rain.
we ordered hot chocolate and sat down as a group.
It was a bonding session where everyone was tired,restless and cold,
but everyone in the group was trying to comfort each other.
It was an eye-opening sight.
Soon groups by groups,our schoolmates arrive,
we quickly offered our hot chocolate to be passed around.
we had out dinner at Gunting Lagandan,
i had a bad headache there and took pandol.
after that we left for laban rata resthouse.
It was located at the half way mark of the mountain.
we bathe and changed and went straight to bed
as tommorow it's going to be a early morning for all of us.

Reflection of Day 2

I have learned to respect your teachers by calling them "Sir" or "madam"
As today passes,i'm starting to realise why each of us are here in group 1.
I have also learned to respect the mountain sprites and it will respect you back!
I have also learned that encouragement is the key to sucess
as i had wanted to give up countless of times during the climb
but as i saw my group member encouraging one another,
it gave my strength to continue.
I believe that if we stay together as a group,
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE for us.
They were there for my when i flet cold,
there when i was struggling to climb up the mountain
and most of all,there when i had a bad headache due to "Acute Mountain Sickness"

11 November 2008,Tuesday DAY 3

Today,it's a early morning for all of us
as we gotta to wake up at 2am gotta
reach the mountain to watch the sun rise.
We all gathered with our climbing equipment.
We left laban rata resthouse.
Even at the start i was feeling some headache
and rachel was feeling like vommiting.
We continued our journey we set out for,
which was reaching the summit.
i look back at my team and saw sheer determination in all their eyes.
i knew we would get to the summit somehow.
Abang was there to build up the team spirit.
At Siyat siyat,i thought that rachel was going to give up
as she wasn't feeling that well.
There the group disbanded with wei yee and abang leading the pack.
To my surprise rachel wasn't discouraged by the fact that
Abang wasn't there to help her.She continued the pursuit with us.
Soon the stronger ones were infront with the weaker ones at the back.
I,myself felt like giving up countless of time
as the coldness,tiredness and hungriness was killing me.
i realize my promised i made at the start with my team as i continued walking.
When i reached the summit,i really felt like shouting.
It was like a mission impossible from the very start for me.
In the end,i proved myself that i can do more than i think i could ever could.
I reached the summit 4th and as i sat there,
I saw my teamates slowly making their way to the peak.
We all reached the summit.
Our promise was fulfilled!
All together there are about 29 students which reach the summit.
After we took some pictures,
we left the summit and headed for laban rata motel.
We grab our day-pack and headed
for Gunting lagundan for our breakfast.
After breakfast,we left as a group down Mount K.K.
When we reached the entrance of Mount K.K,
we sat on a bus which fetch us to a resturant,
where we had our buffet lunch.
After lunch we took the bus back to Kina Bula.
We were supposed to go back to the hotel and changed
but in the end,we went to have our dinner first at
an open area hawker centre.It was a seafood dinner.
There was even a tribal performance for us there.
After watching we went onto the bus and headed
for Casuarina hotel where we spent our night there.

Reflection of Day 3

Today,I have learn the power of determination.
I have learned from rachel to never give up
and keep moving forward.
And trust what Mr Jay lim said"It's all in your mind!"
Fulfilling a promised and expect the unexpected!
As the climbing of the mountain wasn't as easy as i thought!
I felt proud to be the leader of Group 1,Flames
as everyone reached the summit,
I felt that the group has already bonded together
as everyone care of each other.

12 november 2008,Wednesday Day 4

Today,we wake up and had our breakfast at 6.30am.
I was glad to see my group at breakfast.
After breakfast,we boarded the bus as we headed
for our white water rafting expedition.
It was very disapointing as the grade 3 to 4 river
had a dam crack and we had to go to a river with grade 1 to 2.
It was a 9km river and as it rained yesterday,it was grade 2.
After the briefing,we got into our rafts in our boat groups.
Our moods were down as it was only grade 2.
After we arrive at the body raft area,
we went for the body raft and had some minor injuries.
After 2 times of body rafting we continue with our
white water expedition,as we continued we ask the instrutor
there whether we could capsize,he said yes!
Firstly we played a game,
by putting the padel in the middle and standing at the side!
Abang tired to make us fall by moving the raft to it's side
but it wasn't sucessful.In the end i start pushing people down the raft!
In total we capsized 5 times,i pushed most of them down.
I,yong hong and hakim and our chance to swim in a whirl pool.
It was super tiring and difficult to get out.
I believed that me and my entire rafting group had a great time.
Than landed on ashore,we had our lunch and performed our group cheer.
After lunch we changed into dry clothing and headed to Casuarina Hotel.

Reflection of Day 4

I thought that the water rafting was going to be super boring
but we made use of our time and make it as fun as possible.
Only 2 group landed ashore with smiles,
I'm also sure that this expedition i will never forget.
I'm also grateful for yong hong to be in my group,
without him,i wouldn't have such a wonderful group cheer.

Final Reflection

This is the final entry of this trip i'm going to write,
i really don't know what to say but,
i'm really glad that i have been in group 1.
I believe that this trip would forever remain in my memory
with such wonderful friends and unforgettable teamates.
Although i'm very sad that the trip has ended,
i know my leadership journey has only just began.
My group has grownth from hating and disliking each other
to a family like group!
The care and support of each leader is seen in my group
countless of times with our words and action.
I will never do anything to replaced of my teamates.
The pain,harship,encouragement and jokes we share for unforgettable.
This group which often have conficts,
have changed within this few days.
I still have much to learn from these amazing leaders.

Nicknames

Kendrick-winter boy
Doina soibi(mountain guide)-Abang
Jun yuan-goldfish
Jessica-snow girl
Hakim-NCC boy
Yong hong-Crab
Amin-Asthma boy
Sholihin-lost wallet boy
Daphne-slumber
Ina-hyena
Zihan-Alien
Serene-Auntie
Xue er-axe
Wei yee-pinoccho
Mr vik-Bull
Ali-L.A,large Ali
Aidil(ncdcc)-M.A,medium Aidil
Aidil(ncc)-S.A,small Aidil