Week 2: The Meet Up

First outing: Menara AIM, KL. 

We were told to be at bus stop by 8 a.m., not many were there by eight but luckily no one was really late. We were told as well to dress formal, but somehow there were still some people who turned up in t-shirt and jeans. I overheard this guy's explanation on why he wasn't in formal wear. He said that he didn't know about it and he doesn't have formal wear. HOPELESS. Infinite % hopeless. For a moment, I felt like strangling him. Such irresponsible. Note to self, never find a boyfriend like him.

2 buses took roughly 90 of us to our destination. When was the last time I ever traveled by bus? Months ago? Last year? I can barely recall. On the way, we passed by a primary school. Kids were having their PE session. A wave of nostalgia hit me. I missed both my elementary and high school life. School trips by bus, the jokes and laughter I shared with my friends, the fun I had during PE sessions and of course, how I use to hate PE sessions sometimes. Time flies and now I'm undertaking my tertiary education.

My group mates and I!

We reached our destination earlier and waited outside for awhile. Glad to be early. We took loads of photos, making jokes around and finally we can enter the building. We were greeted by the staffs and breakfast! After that, we headed to the hall. Ms Kelly met our sahabats before us and told us that some of them may not be ready and willing to open up. I GOT SCARED. Soon, our sahabats entered the hall and seated. From my seat, I only managed to see one sahabat clearly. She looked fierce and hard to approach. I was hoping that she isn't my sahabat. Then the grouping started.

Us, infront of Menara AIM, KL.

God must have heard my prayers and fooled me. My sahabat is her. For a moment, I was like," Oh my god, it's her! " She is Pn. Salamiah, in her late fifties, selling noodles and some fried food nearby her house. She is totally the opposite of what I thought. God must be laughing at me and say, "Surprise!" She is so friendly and she treated my group mates and I as her children. She lost her husband and has 11 children, the oldest is 40 years old and the youngest is 23 years old. 4 of her daughters, age range from 23 - 30 are staying with her as well as her 10 year old grandson. Her daughters aren't working nor helping her with her business.

With our sahabat, Pn. Salamiah.

Since this is our first time meeting each other, I'm afraid to overwhelm her with all my questions as those questions I'm curious with can be very private to her. I wanted to know why are her daughters not working at all? Assuming her daughters are both mentally and physically fit people, why are they not working nor helping their old mother? This sahabat of ours are suffering from diabetes and some other illness and she has to feed her grandson as well. Again, these are my assumptions and thoughts at that moment. There may be some reasons behind this and hopefully my doubt can be cleared when I meet up with her in future.

Pn. Salamiah couldn't read, so all the forms filling were done by my group mates and I. I believe this is the first time AIM, AKPK and Taylor's having such a project. Some documents were wrongly printed, we were confused with what to fill in and what did the questions ask. Some forms had been briefed earlier and we didn't face much problem on that. But not those documents that we have never seen before. I would say the forms filling session was quite chaotic. Somehow some parts in the some documents given are irrelevant to my sahabat.

To ensure a smoother and less hassle form filling session, I would suggest that a form filling briefing session should be conducted earlier. I believe no one fancy double work and I do hope to give the exact information needed by the forms, so that my sahabat will be helped.

After getting to know Pn Salamiah, I feel grateful for what I have. A few years later, I have to be financially independent and then being able to give sufficient financial support to my parents. I don't want my parents to be Pn. Salamiah's situation.

Group Photo!

Representatives from AKPK, AIM and Taylor's University with 25 sahabat and the leaders of 25 groups.