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(This is not a fiction – I have 40 some students to back me up and prove that this event happened naturally with no intention of hurting anyone or animals except for those chicken that we had for lunch, [Well those, were dead chicken, which we had nothing to do with their death]. No discrimination, racialism or religious influence contributed to this event. It was just A Day Trip with my students.) All rights reserved. No part of this essay may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Copyright owner and SM2 students of Chung Hwa High School, Kok Lanas, Kelantan.

If I ever live to a 100 years, a smile will never escape me, if I ever see Ng Shirk Chin and Chong Guo Xi again. As they were the highlight, of our trip to Latah Tambakar, National Forest Reserve, Kelantan August 1, 2008.
The scream of our well infamous student, classmate: Chong Guo Xi, is fresh in the millions of neurons in my brain. Especially when he saw Shirk Chin coming towards him with her right foot infront of him, either he was screaming in pain or enjoyment or anticipating Shirk Chin’s to Motor wash him, I am not so sure… you may have to ask him personally about this for a deeper understanding of what and how he felt at that actual moment.
Motor washing is the term coined by this group of students for this very Special Washing (in the area of the private part) as it creates a special effect to the doer and their deeds. (The rule of this Washing Ceremony is consist of all the boys in the group grabbing and holding the person in a floating spread-eagle position - its like a religion to these boys– three boys holding on each legs – three boys balanced the torso on both sides – another three boys on each hands – the idea is to make sure that the believer is not able to move incase of unpredictable and unwanted body reaction, and then each boy will use their right leg to wash the motor. The second reason why only boys are required to partake in the ceremony is because it needs all the boys contributed power to uplift the believer into the air. This ceremony will only end after the boys had lifted, and toasted the believer into the air for the final Washing Ceremony with a splash into the water). And for the rest of you, who were not there or never heard of this ceremony, will have to do with your own imagination, of what actually is happening, but I advise you to make an official appointment for an exclusive interview with Chong Guo Xi, for the clarity of this ceremony. He, he, he! @@
In the beginning I was not sure whether I was able to join this group of students for this Day Trip, until the last moment, as I was not able to foresee the schedule that I was obligated to the school.
I was still sleepy, when Adiq ushered us into the bus at a quarter past eight on the First of August 2008. More than 40 students were on the bus including two teachers to act as an overseer of this unlikely Hyper-active group of students. This Day Trip gave me new insight and a better understanding of my students outside of their classroom environment. I said to myself; this is the perfect time to relax, but not more then 3 kilometers from the school, I was jolted and awaken adding to the bumpiness of the bus, when the students started chanting and shouting, it seems like an expression of freedom from the enclosure of the school that they lived in.
Soon breakfast was served after the chanters showed signs of tiredness, the first course was fish keropok, that was quite early for me to digest in the morning, but I ate them with zealous appetite. Then the second course was served, which I rated – delicious - egg sandwich, which was quite good, better than the canteen breakfast. Although I did wondered whether those hands that prepared them remembered to wash their hands, well I guess that made those sandwiches tasted so well.
The first stopped we made was at Jerteh, Chai Yua Wan’s home town. I didn’t know that she was joining, not until the bus made a U-turn to pick her up. Then we saw her mother in front of her Beauty shop, and the bus full of students made a polite courteous greeting by waving their hands and showing their monkey faces through the windows.
After a while the bus dwellers were quiet with their own conversation with a burst of laughters and giggles. That can be heard from the back of the bus. As the bus traveled on, I notice that the sceneries that flew by the window were pretty similar to those that I often see back home, Sabah. Soon we came to a winding narrow road, with a sign stating the boundary of the National Forest Park. And soon enough we reached Latah Tembakar National Forest Park. The bus stopped, under the command of Adiq the students quickly gathered all the food, drinks, charcoal, canvas, ropes and a pair of an unlikely pair, a rabbit that was destine to be dissected in the science laboratory and a kitten kidnapped from Chung Hwa High School. The students distributed the things equally, without being told, (I hope and pray that my students will continue to have this attitude when it comes to their studies in school). It seems that everyone wants to bring something other then their own things. The forgotten wire mesh for the barbecue that I carried with me was soon carried by a student. So, the teachers didn’t do anything but carry their own back and walked leisurely with the students through the park.
The short hike was full of joy and laughters, especially as we crossed the wooden hanging bridge that took us across the river as it sways, bounced and shook. As we walk along the pathway, we saw several campers, that were camped left and right of the path. We saw sign board indicating the unexpected danger of the river. As we continue we can see that the river was full of rocks, stones and pebbles, as it was crystal clear, we can see fish swimming at the bottom of the river. Soon, we came to the fifth stage of the waterfall, there the students stopped and begin to arrange the things that they carried, including personal things. I had not sweated from the walk so I decided to walk further, until I came to the end of the paved path where I took the path on the left that brought me all the way to top of the ridge where I viewed the majestic waterfall. There I can hear the silence of human nature, all I can hear was the pounding of the water falling, splashing and smashing down to the rocks below into the clear turquoise pool far below.
After my first sweat dried off, I started down the trail. The trail was just like at home, that reminds me that I miss being in the jungle. Soon after, I came to where the students had moved from their first stop. I can see that the students had chosen a likely place where there was a large slow slopping area with close tree trunks, two gazebos, a picnic table and a barbeque pit. It was well chosen, as the drop-off was an easy walk and easy access to clean fast water.
Naturally the students stripped off their clothes to their shorts: pot bellies, skinny bellies, skeleton bellies, long legs and short legs. It was a 360 degree turnover from what the students were in their school uniforms. I took off my shoes and soon, plunged my feet into the semi-icy water. It was an electric refreshing feeling. I sat there until most of the students that were in the water were sitting around me. I receive several invitations to dip into the water with them, but I decline although I wanted to soak myself into the tempting river. After a while my neck was feeling the heat of the risen sun, since we have established and marked our territory the risen of the sun had gone up unnoticed. So I decided to join the students at the picnic table, some students were setting up hammocks between the tree trunks, some were dishing out noodles and some were just happy to be with each other’s presence. As I sat at the picnic table, and a conversation began with one of the students from SM2AE, and soon Chai Yua Wan joined our conversation, the agenda consists of Hong Kong movie stars, who and who are couple, some trilled me – like – Lulu and …^^.... We even got to discuss the most unwanted and hated subject by the students – the English subject – where we discuss the pros and cons of the subject. It was heartening to be able to talk to students closely about this subject matter, why do I say so? Students seldom discuss about this matter in Chung Hwa High School, Kelantan, (I hope that I have enlighten your minds so that you will give English another chance). As we were chatted, soon, we were served with ice cold delicious sour grapeberry juice (thanks to the very kind person of serving us the juice), that was refreshing and enticing my taste buds. That made my belly danced, and excused myself to get something to eat. The noodles were ok, I mean OK. At least I know I will not be hungry for a while, soon students that went to the 6th stage of the waterfall came back hungry, and soon everyone was eating.
As I rested my belly, after 2 plates of noodles, and numerous cups of sour ice juice, Yua Wan asked me to walk up the path. As we walked half way to the 7th stage of the waterfall, I was a bit scared and unsure. I was afraid that Yua Wan may hurt herself, because the path was steep, narrow, uneven and full of roots, but she prove to me that she was capable of handling herself. As we rested half way the path we covered many things in our conversation. I hope that she had gain something from our conversation.
After the walk, there was a traffic-jam around the barbecue pit, pushing and poking for a bit of space to burn their lunch. Lunch consists of burnt chicken wings, chicken thighs, chicken nuggets, hotdogs and French fries. When we run out of clean drinking water, the students quickly dipped into the river to fill a bucket full of water, added with ice and grapeberry flavor made a very refreshing untreated river water juice. While waiting for the traffic to be less congested, I joined Hui Lun and his gang of undeterred fishermen, at the river drop trying to catch fish with a big plastic bag, which the fish avoided easily. It was the stupidity of the fish that made Hui Lun felt that he was the hero of the day when the fish accidentally went into the plastic bag that Hui Lun was holding. (I think the fish felt sorry for Hui Lun). Hui Lun was so frustrated that he was determine to catch more fish, a fishing rod magically appeared from no where – fishing rod and fishing was not suppose to be in the vicinity of the Forest Park as it is illegal to fish in this area. But the joy of seeing the students to be able to catch fish was a thrill to watch. (They caught 8 fish, and now they are currently occupying a permanent resident in my aquarium which is definitely off-limits to illegal prospective fishermen.)
Then I joined the students at the barbecue pit and played cooking, cooking with the students. The students sweet talked me that I am doing well, but I think it’s because they want me to get my hands burn. After a while I manage to burn my lunch to a considerable edibility, which consists of 3 chicken thighs, 3 hotdogs (actually 4 but one decided to play the disappearing act). The burnt meat dipped in Thai chili sauce made a good lunch. After lunch students kept asking me to join them in the water, so I told them to wait for me at stage 6, Stanley was kind enough to lend his PE shorts, which was a bit too big, which could leave me in my underpants cause it can slipped off easily if I made a jack-knife. Soon, Ang Kai Sen and her boyfriend waited faithfully and made sure that I will join them.
I walked bare-footed all the way to the sixth stage, its’ been ages since I walked bare-footed on jagged rocks, uhhhhh! the pain. Cursing myself for agreeing to join them to the sixth stage, but the moment I was totally immersed at the foot of the seven tier waterfall, made me forgot to complete my curse.
Two rope-tenders were tending the safety rope across the river, greeted us, and the party started in full swing, swimming, shouting, singing, smiling, laughing, jumping, clicking, flashing, diving, massaging, holding, cuddling, chatting and wall sitting. The natures’ background music raises up its volume unnaturally from time to time, which made the party livelier. The party started with an opening act from Stanley making a dive into the water from an off ledge, then, Pao Wei, Jun Jian, Siang Siang, Stanley, decided to make a synchronies dive from a nearby boulder. Which was entertaining enough, soon everyone was to themselves, I found myself a comfortable nook among the boulders to lean back. The gushing of the water, the turbulence, the sharp current of water was like a giant Jacuzzi, I was in total eccentric Xanadu.
While I was in Xanadu, the MC announced “Chicken Chop” was the name of the game. And the good guys and gals made a circle in the water, where Tai Hwa started with the first chant and with the first chicken chop movement, while the second person on the right imitated his first movement, while he was on his second movement and so fort, the chain reaction of the movement moved on the down the circle until it circle back to the key reactor. Now the rule is plain and simple, if anyone breaks the chain reaction, he or she will be punished on the spot, with no mercy. (There are no limit on penalties, as long as it is agreed by all – except, no killing, no spilling of haemoglobin and so fort which is against the law makers of the Malaysian government – is accepted). He, he, he! I know this game well and I knew what was coming, so I declined, no matter how the students pleaded and enticed me to join them. Ke, ke, ke, ke! I think Chong Guo Xi, purposely wants to achieve that nirvana level in life where he will gain the status of this special Washing Ceremony – Motor Wash.
In conclusion, the Day Trip with my students was an eye, mind, brain, head, ears, and tummy opener. It gave me a special bond and understanding to this group of students. 4 days after the Day Trip, I can see it in their eyes gleaming with anticipation of hope as I taught them in class – or was it gleams of memory of that special Washing Ceremony…..? The two unlikely pair came back safely to Chung Hwa, without experiencing any physical and metal abuse.

Comments (0) | 2008. 08. 06. 12:04:58