The NICS Malaysian Experience

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

On Thursday, our 7^th grade school trip to Malaysia commenced. Our departure time was set for 4am. Between everything I had to do- finish grading the final exams for both IT and Language Arts, input final grades, pack, get my visa in order (re-entry stamp!!), plus trying to get as much finished as possible with finalizing the school schedule, contracts, calendar, etc. since I will be gone for the entire month of June- I figured I would just stay up all night, then leave my apartment at 3:30am. By 3:00am, I was packed, ready to go, my apartment was clean and ready, so I settled onto my bed to just “rest”. Just in case I fell asleep, I set my alarm on my iPod and my phone for 3:40. Just so we’re all clear, I fell asleep.  Woops.

Here’s an hour by hour breakdown of our itinerary, because I know that's exactly what you all want:

Thursday

4:00am- board the tour bus to Hat Yai (to be truthful, I boarded at about 4:05)

4:07am- karaoke music on (why?!)

At the border, NICS teachers waiting to guide our students
back to the big, yellow and green tour bus.

4:10am- karaoke music off (thank goodness!), depart NICS

7:30am- arrive in Hat Yai, buffet breakfast at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel

8:30am- board a new bus (this would be where I forgot to pick up my beloved Havianas from bus #1 and lost them forever) to Penang

9:30am- begin border crossing process

10:30am- finish border crossing process: We have officially entered Malaysia

12:00pm- Thai food for lunch… in Malaysia. (This is where my favorite pair of sunglasses fell off my person and into the squatty potty. Sad, sad event.)

2:00pm- arrive in Penang

2:30pm- Kek Lok Si Temple on Penang Hill. (This is the point at which I realized this was not going to be like field trips at home and forced myself to let go of any rigid expectations. It was not easy.)

Briefly about Kek Lok Si: It is said to be the largest temple in SE Asia. Construction began in 1893 and it is still in the making. Situated on Penang Hill, it has a beautiful view as well as beautiful architecture. The buildings and style are an interesting mix of Thai, Chinese, and Burmese influence, bringing together different facets of Buddhism. This was my second visit to the temple.

My group of students at Penang Hill

4:00pm- Wat Chaiyamangalaram Temple (This is where Teacher Hannah and I received the worst fortunes ever.)

Briefly about Wat Chaiya: Also a blend of Chinese, Thai, and Burmese architectural design, this temple is most famous for the reclining Buddha in the main building (said to be the 3^rd largest reclining Buddha in the world). Reclining Buddha represents Buddha at his death, important because it marks Buddha’s ascent to enlightenment, or Nirvana.

Reclining Buddha and NICS Thai Teachers

The SS Libra

5:00-7:00pm- wander around via bus, arrive at port, board the cruise ship, creatively named Super Star Libra. (This is when I finally embraced the fact that this was unlike any US school field trip and began having a good time.)

Teacher Matt playing the ukulele while we wait to board.
Meanwhile, Sua turns his suitcase into a guillotine.

7:30pm- gorge ourselves at the buffet on board

8:30pm- say goodnight to the kids, commence teacher bonding time. (This included taking in some on board entertainment, including “The Mentalist," and checking out the casino and the discotheque.)

The Mentalist and NICS Teachers
up on stage

9:00pm- cruise ship actually leaves the port. Many of us have traveled all over the world, but surprisingly enough, this is all our first cruise ANYWHERE, so we are all pretty excited to watch the boat leave port.

Friday

He gets motion sickness,
FYI.

7:00pm- breakfast buffet

8:00pm- ship docks back in Penang (long cruise, I know)

9:00pm- disembark, board the bus, and headed for the Cameron Highlands

9:30pm- stop at The Chocolate Boutique (still in Penang). (It was hugely overpriced- the link explains this quite well. The children bought mounds of it. Mounds.)

12:00pm- another Thai lunch… in Malaysia

1:00pm- children begin vomiting on the windy road. (At this point, I introduced students to the pink plastic bag in their front seat pockets. One used it… one didn’t. Unfortunate.)
1:30pm- Cameron Highlands Green View Garden and Avant Chocolate Factory (Yes, more chocolate, and more food. Students get milkshakes, eat tons of strawberries, onion rings, you name it. And this is where the teachers begin dreading going back on the bus because full bellies plus windy roads cannot be a good combo.)

Briefly about Cameron Highlands: Breathtakingly beautiful mountainous countryside in Northern Malaysia. Situated on a plateau and originally settled by the British, it is now a resort destination famous for its tea, strawberries, and lush jungle.

2:30pm- back on the bus

3:00pm- Bharat Tea Plantation…It's beautiful! (No one has vomited, thank goodness. Students run through the tea plants, buy strawberry earmuffs, and bags and bags of tea and coffee.)

Students running  and playing at the tea plantation

4:00pm- back on the bus

4:30pm- Cactus Valley...wander through the gardens and- you guessed it- cacti! I love cactus plants, so this was quite enjoyable. (Oh, and then we ate more food... strawberries, strawberries, and waffles with ice cream and strawberries)

5:30pm- back on the bus

Colorful Cacti

5:45pm- Steamboat dinner… more food! So not hungry! Walked around the small town area until it was time to check in to our hotel.

8:00pm- all settled into The Heritage Hotel, more teacher bonding time! Human pyramids, blindfolded taste-testing, and karaoke.

Saturday

7:00am- breakfast buffet at the hotel

8:00am- board the bus and depart Cameron Highlands, back down the 236 winding curves

On The Road Again...

8:30am- stop at a farmers’ marketplace to buy more souvenirs. (This is where they all bought toy guns and laser pointers… they also bought us teachers some sweet corn and strawberries, which made up for the laser pointers and toy guns.)

9:30am- begin descending on the windy road again- drive until lunch, which is a pretty long stretch, considering we are now used to stopping and eating about every hour. So don't worry, they provided us with snacks.

12:30pm- lunch at the same Thai restaurant… in Malaysia.

1:30pm- board the bus, drove for another hour, do the border crossing routine (where 2 teachers encountered visa issues- not me, though), and drive for another two hours.

4:30-5:30pm- sit around at a rest stop to change busses (to board the same bus I lost my beloved shoes on)

5:30- new bus, continue the journey

7:30- stop somewhere near Phattalung to pick up boxed dinners to eat on the bus. Basil chicken, fried egg and rice. Yum!

9:30- home. Tired, exhausted…. Get on my bike… flat tire. Bummer. Ride my motorbike slowly to the repair place right next to our school- it wasn’t open, but a man came out, I showed him my flat, and he pulled my bike into the garage, told me to come back at 9am, and then he and his wife insisted on giving me a ride home. He dropped me off at my door and then asked if I needed a ride again at 9am. I thanked him and shook my head no- I could walk. I LOVE the kind, friendly people of Nakhon.

It was a short trip, but it was really fun. The teachers, old and new, got to know each other better, and we all got to know the students a little more as well. The  incoming 7^th graders are from all over SE Thailand, so this was an opportunity for them to really get to know each other too. The trip was disorganized and chaotic at times, but once I let go and just went with the Thai flow, it got really really fun. We laughed so much, practiced English with the students, and got to know the Thai teaching staff better. It left all of us teachers exhausted but so incredibly excited for the 8^th grade China trip we will be taking in July. Between now and then, I will be finishing up at school, and then we leave for Indonesia on June 1^st for our summer holiday. We will be there for a month, meeting up with friends from home and exploring the many islands. I. Can’t. Wait. 

Best Photo! Taken by Teacher Matt at the bottom of Penang Hill. I LOVE these kids!! PS- I am the peace sign in the very back left... :)