Two days ago.
The R.AGE team from the Star Newspaper came to Sam Tet to promote the Trailblazer event.
R.AGE is a group which involves sixth form/college/university students alltogether. Something like a group for tertiary students.

So, two years back, R.AGE organized the "Spirit of KL" in the heart of KL itself and it was a bomb!
& now, the R.AGE team will be having the Trailblazer right here in Ipoh.

It's happening, people!
Date : July 19, 2008 (Saturday)
Time : 7.00 am
Venue : Taman DR, Ipoh, Perak. (Preliminary rounds)
            Papan (Finals)

The Trailblazer event is so much so like the Amazing Race.
It's a game which not only requires teamwork, but also patience, knowledge, a good sense of direction & physical fitness.
Because you are strictly required to RUN.
The organizers would provide clues and tasks to be fulfilled throughout the whole event where it might include tasks that are unusual and new to city Brats like us.
For instance, wrapping nasi lemaks, 'slaughter' live fishes, pulling off chicken feathers, sweeping the streets like what city-council cleaner workers do, doing house keeping in hotels, selling products, acting as underpriviledged people and asking for help, etc.
There're lots more but it is of course unable to list out the whole. So, the thing to do right now is to take part in the Trailblazer event.

Many secondary school friends came up to me and asked me whether they can join this competition, sad to say, this event is open to sixth formers/college/university students only. So sorry for the others. (If I could sneak you in)

The Trailblazer competition is done by teamwork where each team consists of 2 members. The 2 members work together as one without complain. & it requires good communication and team spirit.
Also, the event comes with a participation fee of RM40 per team(consisting of 2 team members) & RM30 exclusive for R.AGE subscribers or Maybank account holders.
Therefore, people, it's of a really substantial amount for a WHOLE DAY EVENT.
You all should take part!

Please send in your entries to R-AGE-Trailblazer,c/o MSD. The Star. Menara Star, 15, Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. For further details, please visit the R.AGE website http://rage.com.my/ or the Star website http://www.thestar.com.my or call 03-7967 1388 ext: 1456/1432/1239.

Trailblazer is a project by the Star's R.AGE team and presented by Maybank Graduate Banking.

PS : To the RAGE team who came all from PJ to Ipoh (Harry, Nelson, Grace and Seri), Thanks for coming. & I did my job well, didn't I? HAHA. I'll show on the dvd to the students as soon as possible. Sure. =) See you guys soon.

Recalling the BRATs Taiping workshop held more than one week ago.
Still   Those memories are still vivid, very much clearly remembered in my brain.
Okay, now let me start of with>>>

DAY TWO.
Woke up at 6:00 in the morning. (Seriously, which I never did that since I graduated high school last year)
&& it was torture for waking up that early.
luckily my roommates : King Sern and Jen were much similar to me. =P

Oh,wait wait wait. Forgot this very important bit about DAY ONE.
The 41 of us were splitted into FOUR groups, & I got into group ONE.
We came up with a group name > the 'It' team!     short, simple and authentic. Ahahaha.
Then, we were required to hold up positions in the team : and my team went out like this :
4 reporters: Fiona, Jade, Jared and Audrey;
2 videographers: Zen Jie and Wan Hong;
2 photographers: Caryn and Puvana;
2 sub-editors: Nick and Boon Hoe; and
1 editor: Joanne.
And trust me, an editor's job is tough. the other jobs are also tough work. =)

Back to DAY TWO.
Had breakfast in the lobby of Heritage Hotel, Ipoh.
-a bread, a slice of sponge cake and a can of milo.-
Ju Eng and the other facilitators were watching out to make sure that we don't throw away the plastic covers into the bin.    (Because we must possess the "Love towards the environment, and conservation" qualities)
& all of us stuffed the plastic covers and milo cans into our bags! =)
Walked towards the bus, and later got a lecture from the facilitators that we were supposed to run for our lives to the bus. like a true journalist.
We went to Taiping Zoo. Located opposite Maxwell Hill, the Taiping Zoo is actually one of the four nationally preserved zoo's.
All teams were separated into 2 smaller groups. Our group picked the monkeys and the birds. I went along with my teammates to the birds cage. We interviewed the bird keeper, experienced  his daily routine in the zoo by helping him clean up the damped leaves and bird droppings, and wash all the birds' food bowls.
It is very eye-opening to me as I am able to see someone actually being so passionate towards his job and takes it as his life. Aw, that's really sweet and seldom in this world right now!
Also, Audrey and I actually got the first chance along with Jeremy to see the Elephants during the first round!

Aren't they just so adorable?
There are 5 elephy's in the zoo.=)
Fed them with bananas and bread. Their food comsumption amount is really large, approximately 200kgs per day.
Then, we asked Dr. Kevin, the director and vet of the zoo about the elephant's characteristics, behavior, health, etc.
& usually we hear that animal dung can be great fertilisers but guess what, elephant dung cannot be processed into fertilisers, instead they can be made into high fibred quality paper. Awesome right?
After the elephants, all of us gathered around the meeting place(under some shelter which looks like a umbrella).
Then, the zoo keepers eventually brought out an animal I fear, a HUGE 40kg 4 metered Python snake.
Okay, looking at it by just using my eyes is okay. And I'm fine with that.
BUT THEY WANTED ALL OF US TO KISS THE SNAKE???!!!!
NOOOO!
All of us needed to hold the snake and carry it until you reach the snake's head, And then, then, KISS THE SNAKE!!
When I held on to the snake, it was really scaly and cold, and really heavy, But luckily I manage to complete the task.
EVERYONE, I KISSED A SNAKE!
Some people even kissed the snake's mouth, with the snake's hissing tongue constantly coming out non-stop! *_*

LONG aite?

After the Taiping Zoo great encounters we've experienced, we headed back to Ipoh.
It was paperwork data time.
We had all the notes and points collected and came up with the article "Behind Enclosures", basically writing out the workers life in the zoo....
We had to do the video too but to bad, the video format wasn't convertible, so it can't be used anymore. Too bad.

Day two was really fun but also tiring at the same time. Learned a lot.