JPS 2011 - Traveling to NY! :)

Traveling to New York for the Just Peace Summit was an adventure on its own! Well, first thing is I only packed for the summit the morning of the day I was supposed to head to the airport…and as you know, last minute packing is NEVER a good idea! (I ended up leaving behind so many things..hehe) . Another thing I was worried about was that my baggage might exceed the limit, thanks heavens it didn’t.

But anyway, when I got to the airport, I was told that the plane was going to depart earlier than stated which was a real bummer because that meant less time with my family before I left. So my first flight was for 7 hours+ to Doha, Qatar. I was sooo happy that the lady who was supposed to sit next to me on the plane switched seats which meant I got more space to myself! YAY! The next bit was the worst, 8 grueling hours of transit at the Doha airport in the middle of the night. Piece of advice: avoid Doha for long transits; the airport is one of the most boring ones I’ve been to.

Next was the journey to JFK(Finally!! ) I got this really nice lady from Staten Island seated next to me, so I was happy. But I must admit, a 14 hour flight can really make a person want to jump off an airplane. Imagine 14 hours of just seating? A real killer! I finally land in JFK, and though immigration took nearly an hour, it was all worth it once I saw the car I was to travel in. A LIMO! J

The driver, Lucky was a really nice guy and he pointed out all the interesting places in NY to see. He even gave me his number if I ever needed a ride again. So finally here I am in New York! The city is beautiful, the people are amazing and the Just Peace Summit is exceeding every expectation I had. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the summit and seeing what else they have in store for us!

Till then,

Shobana

Attempt to blog #1

This is definitely not my first post...but it's my first attempt to blog, consistently. Why is it that I can't seem to keep myself blogging? I always do things halfway..aiyoo..lol

So, updates since the last post. I was in my 1st sem then, and I'm in my final sem for foundation now. Time flies at the wink of an eye. I can't wait to finish my foundation! then holiday! weee! ~

The project with the Somali school is going great. Somehow, I feel part of their community each time I go there. They said I am their sister, which feels incredible really.

Looking back from the time when I was in school, I've learned so much since then. I've been privileged to meet so many wonderful people who exposed me to environments I never knew existed.

People need to realize that there is more to learning that what we get in classrooms. As important as book smarts are, they don't mean anything if you don't know what's happening in the real world. People really need to get out more, because the lessons learnt in the real world will prove worthwhile.

I've got to travel to a lot of places recently(Thank u TIG! ).. and each one of them has left me with a lasting impression.

I can't wait to go back to London, even in the winter. Though the people there are much like their weather, the place is absolutely beautiful!

And Singapore, I've learnt to not hate it as much as I used too. I actually really like the people there, and the shopping is just great.

And lastly, Hong Kong. What can I say..you have made me a very strong person. I'm actually surprised at how well I handled the situation come to think of it. Though you were not meant to be my final destination, somehow you provided me the most valuable experience from all my travels. And I can't wait to go back there just because of that.(And the screaming lady in the airport). :p

Pictures will come soon! :)

New Year, new post

I just read through my whole blog, and I realized my whole "starting anew" thing wasn't really happening. I have got to be consistent with my blogs! shiish!


Anyway, updates.

1. No longer in KLIUC. now in MMU cyberjaya. Since I wrote a whole blog bout the orientation in KLIUC, its only fair I do the same for MMU. Where do I start? It was a very short orientation since we were coming in in October. But is was enjoyable nonetheless. Everyone was quite close since there was so few of us. And the mix of nationalities here is good, I'm learning a lot. So far, been here for 4 months I think, and I'm loving it. Don't think I'll be leaving it anytime soon. :p

2. I'm goin to London! woo-hoo! lol. will be representing malaysia for OYW- very excited+nervous. but still more excited.lol

3. Starting project CBU in malaysia soon. Just met the people in UNHCR, might start working with Somali kids soon. :)

4. More updates soon to come. Just keeping everything on the low for now. :)


Hopefully, I'll blog again soon.


TTFN.

Seachange

Seachange

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Hey everyone, please go and add ur voices to this report! You can make a difference! :)

CBU stakeholder

Hey guys,below is an example of direct and indirect stakeholders. Have a look and let me know what you think k.


Here are some examples of project stakeholders that might be included in your projects.

• Creators: as the creator of the project, you are the first stakeholder!
• Team: this can include managers, employees, interns, volunteers and partners and advisors.
• Funders or Sponsors: the individuals, foundations, companies and organizations who provide financing. Some projects will have a single source of funds, while others will have many different funding sources.
• Community members: those who will be benefiting directly from your project.
• Partners: may include groups or individuals who act as allies in achieving the project's goals.
• Indirect Stakeholders: the individuals or organizations whose interests are affected by the project, but who will not typically have any direct contact with the project. For example, a project which seeks to improve air quality in a given city will indirectly benefit all its inhabitants, although not everyone will have direct contact with the project.

Taken from: Sprout e-course.

The end of orientation

So its finally the end of orientation week, thank god! I was getting really tired with sleeping late and all....


The pros - Got to stay at Ikram Lodge, air-cond room. hehehehe....and no need to share toilet.
- Roommates cum new good friends- Aimee,Alexx and Iylia. These people rock! seriously...
- There were some pretty fun activities.
- Awesome teammates.
- Nice faci's...


Cons - Sleep to late.
-Wake up 2 early.
- Some activities were a little boring ...


All in all, it was good fun! Got myself some awesome friends like Gyna and my roomies. Looking forward to start classes.. Only thing is that the fucking class starts at 8 am on monday. Don't know how I'm gonna wake up....grr...

College orientation tomorrow

Ok, this will be my last post for the next 1 week I think. Don't know if I'll have the time to blog during orientation, though I will try.

To tell ya the truth, I'm scared out of my mind. Really, really scared. I've been putting off going to college for such a long time for 2 reasons:

1) I dread going to college. I dont know what to expect. Will I fit in? I dont know. I guess I just don't want to leave my comfort zone.

2) After months of not touching a book, I don't know how my brain will react. Will I be able to cope?

Over the past few months I've gotten numerous offers from private colleges. But I turned them all down. Why? I just wasn't ready. Even now going to KLIUC i'm scared but I decided that its been too long. I can't wait any longer. And my brain isn't getting any better either.

Everyone around was like " Ur afraid to stay far away". So not true. U can send me to Africa and I wouldn't mind. Its the lifestyle alteration that I'm afraid of. I mean, I'm finally gonna be truly independant, whatever that means.

So tomorrow I go, into a realm of the unknown. the uncertain. I can only pray that it would be how I imagined it to be. I don't know why I'm afraid. I mean, I survived school didn't I? With the most awesome friends, and good grades and active co-co...so I don't need 2 be afraid right?

Oh well, I just hope for the best. I can't put my mother through hell again with my fickle mindedness. Wish me luck! :)