istanbul: the arrival

Kicking off the vibes in a city straddled at the borders of Europe and Asia.

Arrived at Ataturk International Airport yesterday around 3.45PM local time. Currently everything's under control (money, especially) and I just want to express my gratitude to AB's family for making my stay here in Istanbul easier. :)

Strolled down the neighbourhood of Beyazit down to Sultanahmet (our hotel is situated at Beyazit, not Sultanahmet like I stated earlier) where all the main attraction stands - the old Istanbul - Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia. Yesterday AB's parents just took us (more exactly, me) around the Blue Mosque, and trust me the building's spectacular! Every architecture student (including the wannabe ones) dream!

Though wireless connection is available, my computer can't get connected to the Internet in our room due to the so-called DNS problem. But internet connection is OK in the lobby, particularly downstairs (and maybe other places other than our room). So currently only Izzat's laptop can be connected to the Internet, so any updates here should only be done using his computer.

Weather is fine, warm..temperature just lies around 20 to 26 degrees Celcius. Changed my first piece of Euro note to New Turkish Lira (YTL), EUR 50 converts to YTL 88. Going to the Grand Bazaar/Spice Bazaar/Egyptian Bazaar/any bazaar lah today..kot, if things go according to AB's Moms plan.

A potrait of Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, the so-called Father of Modern Turkey with the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) in the background, May 30.

ŞükriŞairi.
İstanbul, Turkey.

istanbul: the initials

ready to take off! (sorta)

Tomorrow will be my first time travelling alone to a foreign country, and right now I'm feeling so excited about it, but of course I'm quite concerned regarding my financial affair and of course, terms of security. Nevertheless, I'd really want to thank Ayah and Mama for giving me their trust to let me go on my own all the way to Istanbul, this is really great and I think it is time for me to give myself a chance to prove myself that I can survive on my own being in the overseas.

My flight will be departing from Kuala Lumpur first thing in the morning at ETD 0900 HRS tomorrow, directly to Istanbul, whereby I will land at Ataturk International Airport during night local time. There, AB (or anybody related) will be waiting with the hotel guy, expectedly, which then I'll be taken to Inter Istanbul Hotel, smacked down right in the middle of the Sultanahmet district - just a walk away from the Blue Mosque, Topkapi and Hagia Sophia.

I got myself a new camera lens right before the trip, It's a AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5~5.6G IF-ED - really, really satisfying if you ask me - replacing the old 18-50mm lens kit. Thank you, Ayah! Just to make things merrier I just got my SonyEricsson K800i, replacing the old Motorola E398 for good (we exchanged phones for two months since the starting of my PLKN, Ayah finally realised that my phone is running downhill horribly). And I'm expecting to use my HP Pavilion notebook by the end of today! I hope it goes well with stuffs like Autocad and Photoshop, I heard enough stories regarding the 'incompatibility' of Windows Vista. but, I might as well give it a try. :)

so, it'll be too melampau if I requested for an iPod. that one has to wait for awhile.

well, among other essentials would be,
1) a mini tripod
2) a tripod
3) a Turkish phrasebook & dictionary (not having one yet)
4) a good Istanbul guidebook (not having one yet)
5) a good photography guide (otak dah karat)
6) Kimball Thai chilli sauce, as requested by AB's mom.

entry to Turkey does not require visas for Malaysians, so hopefully immigration would be smooth sailing. My current concern (read: worry) is when AB and his family will go back to Kuala Lumpur on June 5 evening, while my return flight to KL is on the 6th, as Malaysia Airlines only flies to Istanbul on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which is of course different from the Emirates. so, in a way, I will be alone in Turkey for one night - that'd be challenging!

currently I need to convert my money into USD or Euro, then maybe I'll convert them into New Turkish Lira, though I think that it may not be necessary..but then again I'm not sure. For sure, this time I really have to plan my debits and credits, because unlike previous trips, cash is limited, of course, and I have fears of overspending!

and I haven't packed my stuffs, yet. as usual.

good thing there'll be a WiFi connection there, so yeah, getting online is not a problem! Skype, Yahoo! and MSN kan ade.. heheh.

whatever it is I'll stick to my main point of going to Istanbul - relax. I will not stress myself to get pristine pictures and stuffs, I believe that if I'm in the mood, the clicking will set off automatically, provided that I have my camera in hand of course. but then again Istanbul's a photographer's heaven so, yeah. :p

well after two tiring months in Sabah, I hope this will be another perfect getaway (and runaway..whatever you call it). mmg x duduk rumah betul. well, the PLKN updates is due after my return lah. :)

so, Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - hello, syukrishairi's coming your way.

Yahoo! Travel - Istanbul
Lonely Planet - Istanbul
Yahoo! Weather - Istanbul
Frommers' Istanbul
for more updates, AB's blog. AB is already at Istanbul, where he already arrived there on May 28.

the glory days are back!
syukrishairi

refresh *click*

currently mixed up with my 012 & 013 number. kabut!

anyway - i'm officially, finally back home! finished my PLKN, will be getting my allowance and of course, the certificate, Insya-Allah. embarking on a break again before I'm catching the call to my BSc. Hons in Architecture right up there in UiTM Seri Iskandar, Perak end of this June!

my arrival at the KL LCC Terminal yesterday afternoon was only known by my parents and close relatives. no friends, none at all, were informed, including Tqa. ambushed them at DE this morning, hehe. there's no need to be kecoh anyway, plus my phone's been bumpy, numbers are all here and there, so don't be aggrieved or anything if I don't tell any of you of my return. just wanting a relaxed, cool mood, that's all. :)

well, people don't go to PLKN for two months and then not having any updates, don't they? so, you got it.

syukrishairi.
Shah Alam

plkn accounts

I'm supposed to be sleeping right now - there's no doubt about that, really. I went out from the camp on Saturday afternoon to get a one night out in Kota Kinabalu with my family. Wan and Atuk arrived in KK together with Ayah Ji's family from Labuan by ferry, landed in Menumbok and driven a two hour journey up to KK and arrived also on Saturday afternoon. tomorrow the whole rombongan will move to Papar, in which my camp will be holding an Open Day - a day which every visitor can enter into our camps to the extent of our dormitories, our beds, our lockers and of course, our toilets. and we'll be setting off at around 11am or so. and I can't sleep though it's 2.40am, and I woke up at 5am Saturday morning. do note that in this part of the country, the sun rises around 6, and sets also around 6 in the evening.

well.

last week's been bumpy. I was not in a good mood, and so are most of us. some of us are getting an early leave for the matrikulasi offer, so the situation is, most of my friends there - good friends - are leaving. I, on the other hand, didn't apply for matriks, for some complicated reasons. which leaves me under a certain tense situation, though I'm glad that some of my friends there - namely Fahim, Lan, Firdaus, Naz and Aus - are not leaving. while my bestfriend there - Azrai, together with Saiful, Mus, Hoe, Elfira, Aie, Nazrin, Fifi and many others (approx 40 people) are leaving first thing in the morning today, getting an exemption and a certificate. most of them doesn't really leave for matriks anyway, most of them will consider the option between matriks and UPU (which many of us will know today).

PLKN would be disastrous if you have no friends. and that's it. the reason why people don't want to go back home, cry on the last night and missing PLKN so much is because of friends. so, when these things happen, clearly, it's kind of upsetting and frustrating. not to mention disappointing.

however I'm glad that I still have the chance to go out and meet my parents and my family. and just about 3 weeks ago, I met my friends, slept at my own bed and been in my comfort zone for awhile. even in the hardest times, I still got many reasons to be greatful and thankful - yet sometimes I'm so stubborn to realise it.

if you're from the Peninsula, and are placed in Sabah and Sarawak, chances are you won't be seeing your parents for the whole course period. it's a fact, and it happens to the majority of us. and it's a cruel fact that is bitter to be swallowed. yet I'm updating my blog now. and the last time I went to KLCC was the last two weeks. and I just had my Burger King's Double Cheeseburger. the last time I laughed with my grandparents? just now. and I'm glad to have my UPU checked with my parents by my side. which makes me realise - what more do you want?

home, yes. but not now.

so I conclude the whole thing once again. those who go back - they deserve to go back. people like Azrai, didn't see their parents since the day they departed from KL, that is, 50 days ago. so they deserve it, and that's it. whether they want to go to matriks or not, it's up to them - because it's their right. though a month earlier leave really matters for everybody, then again, everybody gets their own part of luck.

so I'll stay just like the rest of us.

it's the nature of PLKN - we meet, we stay, then we leave. patience, is always number one. for the last seven weeks, everyday needs patience (includes cuti). the programme is not torturing, but sometimes it'll look unnecessary, sometimes boring, at many times useless and most of the time tiring. but then again, happy times will come, you'll enjoy, and some moments become cherishable. but these above won't be happening if friends don't exist - of that, every wira and wirawati is sure of.

well, with four weeks left, let's just finish it and accomplish something, shall we? plus, Insya-Allah my place in the future is secured, and I believe my life after June 9 will be brighter than before March 18. changes will come, and by completing the whole course I hope I'll make my parents proud, and of course myself feeling content.

syukrishairi
day 50 week 8
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

collage

suprisingly Kg Ovai gets better coverage from Google Earth than Section 9. I mean that seriously.

my flight is delayed anyway. I'm off to Sabah tomorrow morning, Insya Allah. til then, take care!

rushing update (kind of)

the golden experience part 1 side B

alamak, x sempat nak buat any proper update, as expected.

hurrrm, I'll try to keep in touch for the next one and a half months anyway. actually I'm not cut off from the open world. one way to get online is when my parents come and visit me at the camp, and eventually take me out to KK - where, at least there's one Starbucks and of course internet connection is available at the hotel.

my camp is lenient, x caye, tanye Liyana Z dgn Amirah (only these ppl yg memahami sbnrnye). I don't know abt other camps, but for the lovable Kem Wawasan, you can go out, provided that there's your parents accompanying you to go out, or faxes/letters from your parents, and your flight tics, if you're going back to the Peninsula.

the status of my return flight to KK this afternoon (1500) is still unconfirmed, anyway. kind of worrying. my checklist for the part two of my PLKN includes three packets of serunding for Firdaus, a Milo 3 in 1 for Saiful, an MP4, a Stephen King, two jam loceng because everybody always get up bloody late for Subuh (Subuh is around 5, but we always got up at 5.15, the siren usually will be wailing around 5.30 if on weekdays).

and my pair of specs. yeah, I'm Mr Specky now. heheh. silau, bak kate optomerist. tp x pakai pun takpe lah, heheh.

I kind of repacked my whole PLKN baggage by reducing the number of my personal clothes largely. because JLKN provided a (relatively) sufficient amount of clothes - 3 celorengs, 2 class attire, 2 sports attire, a pair of boot, class shoes, sports shoes, beret, cap, belt, socks - you don't really wear your own clothes very frequently, except for bedtime and for weekends. and I hate big baggages because people will make fun out of it.

my driving skills are deteriorating, anyway. horror!

and alhamdulillah, interview was smooth sailing. :)

well, back to simple life for now. complete blue sky with bright sunshine everyday, magnificent sunsets and cold nights all the way. to help you picture it,


captured using nikon kecik. there are some of the camp pics, especially the jambatan gantung, the river and stuffs, captured w/ nikon d50 (with courtesy of ayah) but I can't find the folder right now. maklumlah dh x knal comp sdri. so, take care now and see you around! :)

Syukrishairi 2007
Shah Alam/Kuala Lumpur/Kota Kinabalu/Papar/Kg Ovai!

si bulat strikes back

the golden experience - Part 1 side A

currently feeling weird touching the keyboard and holding the mouse. haha. currently I'm on a short leave to attend the UiTM interview for Diploma in Architecture at the main faculty on Saturday, and I'll be back to Sabah on Sunday afternoon. either way, JLKN is giving a leave from April 13 until 15 for Muslims and Hindu trainees (for Vaisakhi and Tamil New Year), and last week there was a Good Friday break for Christians from April 4 to 9, Cheng Beng break from 7 til 9 for the Chinese. then we'll be having a Tadau Ka'amatan break, and there'll be another semester break in May.

I never guessed that this thing would go so...vacation-like!

and yes due to some transportation difficulties I (and other 26 supposed-to-be-placed-at Sipitang, Tambunan and Tawau trainees) was placed at Kem Wawasan Kg Ovai, Papar - Liyana Z and Amirah's former camp and the same camp that Aidil was supposed to go (but he didn't, sometimes I feel like replacing him or something, heheh).

sorry to say this, but..PLKN rocks. and you're reading that from somebody who really opposed to the very idea of PLKN in the first place. but for one month alone the experience is indescribable (and weird) - I can't believe myself even after I arrived back here in KL this afternoon.

baru sebulan.

for now, I'm glad get the chance to do my PLKN in Sabah instead of, you know, Selangor. it's the miles that counts. but to promise a full update for anything from March 18 until today...sgt....banyak...too much to write. and my time is kind of limited.

but what I can say is, at first the feeling is truly bloody freaking horrible. that's confirmed, and I can't deny anything about that. mmg rase nak balik gile². the same thing will go for everyone, but then after at least two weeks, everybody will adapt, then you'll know each other, and then friends will come flowing and then everybody will turn crazy. then the fun begins.

er, ok, got to stop now. I've to get ready for my interview. bloody unprepared!

syukrishairi. wira #463 :p
1 wira Charlie, Modul Fizikal - Pertolongan Cemas, April 10 2007
2 view over Kota Kinabalu, with Mt Kinabalu in far distance, Pulau Gaya at the foreground, flight back to Kuala Lumpur, April 12 2007
all captured with Nikon E5200

bye

an away statement!

haha. mad punye paling jiwang. I'll just put this on display - for the next three months!

so this is it, my final farewell before I leave for PLKN! my departure is at 12 noon March 18 (I shall put it as 'today'). I really want to see some faces though - hoping - well, three months are still long you know, haha. kind of not used to not seeing people and not making contact for a quite long period of time.

whatever it is, I'll try (and want to) make contact, as contactable as possible, that is by phone. Maxis is said to have a not so clear reception in Sabah, try to contact my Celcom number instead,

013-3853680

if you can't reach my current Maxis 012 number (ask my friends for this one)

I'm placed at Kem Kubina down in Sipitang - it's a three hour drive down from KK, and a 2 hour boat ride from Labuan. here's the bit,

like that laaa. I'll be away from March 18 until June 6, plus minus three months long or.. 84 days.

anyway, for those who helped alot these past few days, giving advices, motivation, thank you very much. :) guys, see you around in June, Insya Allah. last but not least, assalamualaikum..wish me luck and take care, all of you. thanks for reading.

e-mail anything at syukri89@gmail.com or my Yahoo! and MSN account, syukrishairi.

this blog will be moderated by Mahfuz himself until June 6 (thanks bro!)

Syukrishairi, signing off. :)