Trapped

It was a lovely day filled with beautiful smile, delightful words, big bright sun that give a tight warm hug. Kind of wonderful day that gear up your excitement.. mmm..

.. just to be a bit dramatic in presenting some contradictory scenario between a perfect scenes and what was really happened on that day. I was alone trapped inside a 4x7 dark elevator last few days back. It was hell of a horrible 25-minute of experience, fear of being restricted in a small place and also fears of suffocation. It was just not my day. Everything went malfunction, the alarm, the support lighting as well as the ventilation. I called some friend to inform about my situation and start to cool myself down. I sat down, talk to myself and start to pray. Something that we need to do in that situation, else we might end up having claustrophobia, start to sweat and eventually choked to death. At least those are some of what runs inside my head during the situation. Nevertheless, I was extremely grateful with the effective and efficient response by the Security personnel and maintenance people. Within 25 minutes the door to the elevator was unlocked from outside with ease. It was an electricity breakdown on the whole campus due to technical problem with our GDC. 

I received and apologizing remarks via my cell phone by the Maintenance people but a routine checking on the elevator should provide a freedom of discomfort should there be any cases of trapped-in-an-elevator again. The ventilation, support light and alarm should be in function with no excuses. That was my message to him.

Could you imagine being alone inside the small, dark hole inside your grave? It does cross my mind for an obvious reason while being trapped inside the elevator. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala), praise and glory be to Him, and Him only..

P/s - Nora was so worried, I could 'smell' it from the choices of word she uttered and uncomfortable tone of voices...

Qurban

Kazakhstan 2012

After years lapse from overseas stint, I was asked to assist the institution’s participation in the A2 Education Fairs in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan from 20 – 24^th Sept. On day 1, the Fairs started at 1pm to 8pm venued at the Rixos Presidential Hotel in Astana Central. More than 1,000 students mostly high school leavers turned up for the event. We had engaged a local translator to assist us in communication and interaction with potential students, as majority of Kazakhs/Russian could not speak or understand English language. We had a fruitful discussion with an English Language Centre from Malaysia, the English Language Company (ELC), on how we can ride on their existing recruitment agency for recruiting potential Kazakhs. Students will be having one year of English Language course in KL, tailored towards our Engineering programme before they continue with UTP’s programme.

Further discussion with local university (Al-Farabi National University) on the utilization of Bolashak programme of which with the collaboration, we should be able to utilize the Bolashak via adjunct lecture series, research officers, research grants, post-doc, and other non-degree research/short courses. Bolashak programme is a scholarship which is awarded to high-performing students from Kazakhstan to study overseas all-expenses paid, provided that they return to Kazakhstan to work for at least five years after graduation.

  

We had also a nice dinner hosted by His Excellency Dato' Ahmad Rashidi Azizi, Malaysian Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan at the end of day 1.

  

The A2 Education Fairs in Almaty is even better. We welcomed almost 2000 parents and potential students throughout the 2-day exhibition. Below some more pics that could tell 1001 stories..

Kazakhstan is like 5000 miles away from home but the warm and friendly people of Kazakhs make our visit so welcomed. It was a nice trip altogether..

P/s - lama x haplod lagu neh...