Hey dearies,

Hello there! After being absent for 1246855950 days, I am finally back! For your information, orientation week just ended on Friday and I went home yesterday. Now I am going to tell you how my past week was. Be warned cause this entry will be long! I will start from the very first day  the day before the first day.

Pre-orientation

My parents, my friend and I reached the small town (it's an island in fact) where my college is located on Sunday. Tears pooled up my eyes when the realisation of leaving home struck me the night before that. * yes I get emotionally affected easily* And I also cried when my dogs looked at me with pleading eyes before I left. I was homesick even before I stepped out of my house :( This might sound childish but I am really attached to my family.

We had to transit at an airport in a bigger city before flying to the island. At the first airport we landed, we wanted to grab some lunch but the rice wasn't ready yet according to the waiter so we could only settle for something simpler. The 'roti canai' I had was delicious even though I liked the more in my hometown more.I guess a hungry stomach makes every food tastes heavenly? Haha. 

Then we caught our next flight and flew to our destination. We were planning to do our registration the next day initially. However, when we arrived, there were some representatives from the college waiting at the airport. One of them who was a lecturer told us we could actually register on that day without having to stay in the hostel yet. After settling down in the hotel, we bought some stuff that we needed and went to the college straightaway for registration.

My friend and I felt super awkward when we arrived at the registration room because we realised everyone else was in formal attire whereas we only had our casual and jeans on! One of the ladies in-charge actually asked me the reason why I did not wear the formal attire and that heated my cheeks further more. Luckily she let me go and I got my room key after that.

The first impression of my room------small and dusty. I had to share a room with another three girls. One of them was already in the room by the time I arrived. I placed a pail with some of my stuff in the cupboard and locked it, declaring that's the one I had chosen and left.

The night escalated quickly. We waited for dinner for quite long. By the time the food was served, my stomach was already rumbling loudly hahaha. We went for some more shopping later and met a lot of students. That night, I fell asleep with an anxious yet excited heart.

Day 1

Officially moved into my room at noon. My mom helped along in cleaning my part of the room. She did most of the stuff cause I had to help my friend to carry her stuff to her room too. *She lives in another block by the way*. A girl came knocking a door and introduced herself to me. She just lived a room away from me and we became friends.

After having lunch outside the hostel, we went back for the orientation that was going to start at 3.30 pm. My parents left to buy some electronic goods for me. My friend and I went into the hall and we were shocked. There were so many new students that there was barely any space for us to stand! *FYI there were around 2400 students #faints#*. We had to listen to some information in the super duper crowded and stuffy hall for the entire afternoon which ended around 5.50pm or 6pm. Can't really remember. After having a quick bath, there was an announcement telling us to gather at the hall at 6.30 pm! My parents bought packed food for me. I weeped again when we bade goodbye * sorry I sound like a crybaby*. It's just that I had never been so far from them. That night we had to listen to long lecture again before the facilitators let us go around 11pm.

Day2-day5

Everyone was required to wake up at 4.00 am and gathered in the hall by 4.30 am. Except for the first morning, I woke up at 3.30am-3.45 am every morning in order to take a shower *bathrooms will all be occupied if you wake up later*. I could only have simple packed biscuits for breakfast for two reasons. First thing it was easy and fast to be consumed and it filled up my stomach. Secondly, I did not want to squeeze into the crowd at the cafeteria.

The schedules for day 2 to day 5 was pretty similar. We would have to gather in the hall at 4.30 am every morning, had a short break after that and gather at the hall again at 7.30 am or earlier, depended on the facilitators' mood. After that we would have some classes where we would sit in a class with tutorial classmates and had discussions in smaller groups. Basically, we did self introduction and got to know other classmates in detail. We had some games *which I thought were pretty lame*. The seniors who came to replace our mentor who was on postnatal leave also shared their experiences with us. 

After that, we would have to gather either in the hall or stadium. If we were gathered in the hall we would have to listen to some more presentation about rules and regulations of the college. There were twice when we gathered at the stadium. The first time we had aerobic dance under the hot sun in the scorching weather. It was kind of unbearable at first but it got more fun later. As for the second time, we waited for so long under the afternoon sun only to be informed that we could do any activities that we preferred ==. For example, playing soccer, basketball, netball, running or anything. I opted for having a run with a friend and eventually it turned out to be a strolling-and-chit-chatting session. :P

We only had less than an hour to bathe and to have dinner in the evening. I preferred to have a shower first rather than having dinner cause it would make me feel refreshed. I don't know was it the tiredness that made me to lose my appetite for dinner. For two days I only munched on the bread my parents bought on the first day for dinner. FYI my friends and I had stomachache on the fourth day. We were not sure whether the cause was the bread or the food at the cafeteria. It made us dread to consume any food o.o But the hunger won over later. After only having proper meal for lunch for 3 days, we finally had rice for dinner on the fourth day! Nevertheless we had to rush to the hall and finished the food in ten minutes. 

The facilitators who were our seniors really stressed on teamwork. All of us were punished *holding up our bags or holding our hands up for 10 minutes or longer because some of the people were late* We were scolded and being yelled at together. No matter how early you were when you started to walk from the dorm to the hostel, there would be the facilitators who threatened you along the way and demanded you to run into the hall =.= So the hope of sitting in the crowded hall in a clean and dry state was nearly impossible. Even though we had been sacrificing our sleeping time to take a nice shower in the morning, we would always arrive at the hall all sweaty with throbbing heart. Sometimes, we would drift off in the hall. Imagine we only got two hours plus of sleep and the lecture was boring and kind of useless in my point of view *eg they would talk about some philosophical things that you would not even want to listen for more than one minute. I am a pretty impatient person eh?Hehehe*

Basically orientation week was just about waking up early+sleeping late=getting insufficient sleep, running for bathroom and food, not eating proper meals because we were chasing against time, getting sunburnt when having activities under the hot sun and etc. Yes all my descriptions might have given you an impression that the orientation week that I passed through was a week of hell. Some might even ask why did I choose to enter this college instead (it is a public college). So here's my answer: Yes it was a five-day-torture, both physically and mentally but I don't regret it. I actually had a pretty good time when we learned new slogans and shouted it out with my dormmates. We had this competition about slogans and I think my dorm's slogan was the coolest! Most importantly, I had made new friends! There were four girls who lived on the same floor as me. Although we had only known each other for 5 days, it felt like we were long lost friends! We got along really well. I am really grateful and considered myself as lucky to have met them. If it were not for them, I would not have survived orientation week. Of course there was my friend who went there with me. All of us became good friends.

On day 5, we were finally free at night. We decided to have an instant-noodles-party in my of my friends' room since she was still living alone *her roommates did not turn out on registration*. However I was away for most of the time because I went to a girl's room to print my boarding pass because she had a printer. Nonetheless, I had fun with my girls. We tried so hard to lower our voices and laughter because the girls next door were already asleep super early but I guess we failed at it? Oppps XP That was the night where my stomach was the fullest after dinner and the night where I got sufficient sleep.

Post-orientation 

It was the day to go home! Six of my girl friends, another guy friend of my friend and myself were going home since we had a week of holidays! It was the day that we had anticipated since day 1! I set my alarm at 5 am but I guess I slept too soundly. I missed it! Luckily my friend called me up from the window and I managed to take a quick bath. I kept my stuff and was ready to go when I realised I misplaced my key. I searched high and low for it and my mind was in a mess cause it was almost time where the taxis we called would arrive. I found it at last. Guess where this little naughty was? IT WAS IN MY POCKET WTH! -.-

When I walked towards the school gate with my friend, my jaw literally dropped to the ground. There was a heck long of queue, queuing up  to key in the student ID in order to leave. My other friends were already in front of the queue where two of us were at last. Luckily the guard said those who were supposed to leave at 6am could go first and we did! XD wheee

Flight with my friends was purely fun! Guess we were the loudest on plane XD All of us were really glad and ecstatic to go home haha. Like usually, I had to transit at an airport to go back to my city. FYI my friends are from another city. Four of them decided to go home by bas whereas another two decided to use flight. I used the latter mode of transport but I was heading to another city than theirs. So yeah they were with me for three more hours until I was officially on my own.

It was my first time boarding a plane alone. I was a bit scared yet excited. I looked around, playing with my phone and walked around to pass time. Guess what? I met one of the facilitators in Starbucks and I nodded at him. And he did the same back hahahahaha. Three hours passed by in a blink of an eye. It was out of my expectation. Guess traveling alone wasn't that bad, right?

Looking at the familiar landscape from the plane and later breathing in the familiar air later, I was truly grateful and proud of myself that I made it home by myself safely! One more milestone unlocked for me :) Reuniting with my family was the best thing ever. I HAVE MISSED EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING BACK HERE!

After leaving home for almost a week, I am finally back, for a week XD! I know life will be more hectic, schedule will be more packed and so on but I am up to take on the challenge. Anyway, let me enjoy a week of luxury at home first. Imma eat all the good food, sleep all I can, spending time on whatever I like abundantly and etc before I go back to college. So yeah! The next time I will be back around end of July. HAIHHHHHHH!

There goes my story about about the past week. I am sorry for jabbering so much hahahaha. Other than that, I am truly regretful that I have not been updating my story. As you can see, I barely had time to eat, rest and sleep let alone composing my story. I only touched my laptop yesterday even though it had always been in my locker! Will try to update ASAP when I have my ideas composed cause now I still need some more sleeping and resting time. Please forgive me!

'til the next update. Love you all!

p/s: Just realised this entry is really really long! LOL

Xoxo,

*a happy panda*