As I remember them

I met Tok Wi yesterday and we rambled on dicipline matter and the life in the Prep School.

During Prep School days, there were sets of rule that we need to follow. I must write this down so that I won't forget these facts.

1) It was hard to eat in a steel tray with your steel fork and spoon without making noice. Thus, we must adhere the rule to our bones to survive the penalty. If you make noice accidently or not, you have to run several rounds following the inside perimeter of the dining hall with soy souce bottle or your fork and spoon holding on to your head. I had it once and I remembered this well.
2) Games attire was quite strict implemented. You needed to wear white shirt (total white) with total black shorts (maximum of 3 different colors stripes on it) and a short socks (total white is best with maximum 3 different colors stripes on it) .
3) Our railings to hang our wet cloths must be organized and commonized. Duty roaster must be followed.
4) We must follow the route or path properly and no green area passing through except with our games attire.
5) If you meet up with seniors, you must give salam or greetings properly with correct pace and intonation. You have to add prefect or teacher if you met one.
6) Every time we must assemble by lining up according to heights; the shorter was at front side while the taller was at the back side. Then we marched together either going to the mosque or class.
7) There were lots of fire drills and common room events. Each session last minimum of 3minutes and max of 2hours. We were asked to assembly in front of TAR hall and purpose was to simulate fire events. However, this is where the prefect drills us up and comments on our behaviors after short comments on fire simulation events. Under the stars was much cooler condition then. I was always sleepy. Sometimes the were three in a row of fire drills in a night espacially weekends. Common room was an assembly inside our common room. Just imagine 100 something people cramped in a room. You can feel heat, odor and sweet. Even with the maximum output of ceiling fan, those things won't wash away. Sometimes there were "meetings" in the surau but I can tolerate it. Normally it was lectures by the prefects but the tone was good may be they respect the place.
8) Do you remember the smells in the toilet espacially those people just forget to wash their clothes and simple soaking and keeping the cloths in a bucket? I wonder there were detergent that can provide the necessity smells even you left the cloth for 10 days. That was so horrible. I normally send my dirty cloths to the laundry and luckily my schoolarship provide me with laundry allowance.
9) Getting your allowance was not easy. You have to request a week prior to your crediting your account. Long ques and some time the clerk just finished the money due to bad preparations! My parent provided me with RM30 per month for 3 months and then I request them to stop sending me after getting my schoolerships.
10) Saturday morning was inspection day and this event was hell. You can get confinement or detention class by this activity. It was so easy to get this punishment. If you get one then, you cannot go to town during Saturdays and Sundays or during public holidays. Luckily the detention class for form 1 and 2, we were exampted from calling out names during school assembly during Monday afternoon and walked to stand in between teachers and students assembly positions. Inspection was conducted by a warden and prefects.
11) My dorm was Dorm C and it was located on top of Dorm A. Unfortunately the stairs was wood. Once we were caught stepping too hard by our prefect and we had to go up and down the stairs 10 times until we make no noice. This was terible. Imagine bunch of people around 30 people line up going up and down the stairs politely for 10 times!
12) One time at the end of 2nd. semester, we had fire drill but this was fun. We had to sing advertisement songs. This was the only fun fire drills I ever had.
13) Pumping and frog jumping was common during the daze.
14) However, the prefect was proper and polite. For me they really had the character for us to copy. They really respected us and we looked up to them too although they were 4 or 5 years senior then us.

May I continue next time...

Things after Iran trip

1) May be I will be back in Iran as soon as a week. I prefer another month. (It will be after Raya after confirmation with the suppliers)
2) I need to write down a lot of things for lots of jobs. Checking gmails and yahoo account sometimes makes me sick because jobs back in Malaysia, Vietnam and Kit countries is coming to me. I try to forget every other thing when I in Iran but I need to follow up other jobs too. PPE is coming and bonus will be at the end of this month.
3) I started fasting this year in Iran. Could not wake up for sahur for the first day. (Continue this activity in Dubai and Malaysia.) Tehran and Dubai have similar time for starting time for sahur and iftar(break the fast). They are ahead of us for an hour. For instance, in Malaysia it was 7:00pm for iftar while in Tehran and Dubai, it was 6:00pm with some tolerance. I saw people in Tehran smoking on the streets and in the cars. I was shocking things to me.
4) I bought back honey, pistachios, sweets, Bam date (wet type- the best date I think). My partner Mr. Akram was busy buying Gaz - sweet with nugget shape. ( I understand all Gaz is from Isfahan)
5) Pistachios during this time period is very special one in Tehran. I saw on a truck load was red in color and it was a wet type. Only in Tehran we can find this special edition of pistachios. I did not follow up with Mr. Ali Reza to buy.
6) Mr. Ali came from the 2 hours border from Azarbaijan and he talks alot about the yellow melon type from his home town. He remembers that during his visit to Malaysia couple of months ago his other friends was surprise to see the yellow watermelon! Tehran watermelon alwasy red in color.
7) Our project leader, Mr. Hatta (hailed from Kuala Kangsar) was so fortunate to visit Shiraz. This was due to some PWB suppliers was located at this city. Darius the great stationed here and the structure of ancient kingdom was so big and captivating people who visit this place. I met with couple of Hong Kong and Japanese tourist wanted to go to Shiraz back in the airport arrival back then. I cannot write down so much about Shiraz here but Tok Wi and I had a good discussions in this matter. Place of 1000 halls?? I already downloaded some great pictures taken by Mr. Hatta but my Vaio crashed last month. Need to remind myself to do this activity again!
8) I was really freak out about the Shiah things. I cannot write down what I saw back then. There were pictures of the prophate and Imam Ali. Lots of banners. I was always in conversation with Mr. Ali on this subject.
9) Last time, Homa hotel provide free internet service at their outlet near the restauran but not in the rooms. But this time, it was the other way round. I try to register some service in the net but cannot because I was accessing from Iran ( banned by the US)
10) I cannot see why US need to attack Iran because there was so many US interest like Coke and Pepsi reign supreme here!
11) I wish I can ski in Iran in my next visit. I really miss skiing!
12) I talk with Mr. Ali endlessly on the food subject. Luckily, he also came to Malaysia for 3 times now and we can compare and share our knowledges. I have been to Jeddah(2X), Madinah(1X) and Mecca(2X)-umrah too, Dubai(7X) and now Tehran(4X)I am expanding my knowledge on Middle East or Middle earth?
13) I stayed in Dubai for nearly 12 hours and I visit Hard Rock Cafe(bought a 85Dirham T-shirt), Burj Arab(the famous hotel), Jumeirah hotel and Beach. Soo many westerners lingering around. Settle down in Deira City Center for Iftar - eat a hefty load of food in Burger King. Get another one in Mc Donalds in Dubai Airport. Airport was busy during the graveyard shift. My partner, Mr. Akram got some sleep but I didn't. I had this fear of missing the plane. Got into B777-200 at 3:15am and watch The longest Yard (damn good movie- I love Adam Sandler from his Saturday nite daze), Bewitched (sleeping 1/3 way through) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (could not finish this movie). Arrived in KLIA at 2:10pm and went home with loads of Beznet, Rear Covers and other stuff. We were over the limit by 10kg again and need to pay USD100 in Tehran airport. Get some shower and relex for an hour. Then went to the office and report to my boss. Arrive home just 5 minutes after iftar.
14) I brought along my PS2 and I finished Dynasty 3: Extreme warriors. (Game from The romance of 3 kingdoms). The hotel TV brand was PARS (Grundig). the inlet was using scart type and the hotel cannot provide me with our normal AV jack. I brough back with me Shahab 14" and the hotel staff looks like pissed off with my action. I just don't give a damn. I had a crash course on Metal Gear Solid 3: Snakeeye with Mr. Akram. There were many PS2 lovers in Sony. What can I say!
15) Mineral water was soo cheap 1.5 literin Iran (just Rial 2500 - ) You just check it out (USD1 = Rial 9000)
See ya! Don't wanna be ya!

Things in Iran

Arrived in Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport around 1.5hours delay. I saw 2 young ladies and 2 young gentlement from Malaysia by looking to the passport cover at the immigression counter but I did no interact with them. Wondering what is their business here. Looks like they don;t want to be friendly by their look even I was standing at their back. Whatever.
Got my luggage and went through the custom check point with ease. Mr. Ali Reza is waiting for me. He is a manager in Shahab company that take care of me. He knew the delay after he arrived the airport and he said he should call first. Anyway, I thank god for my safe arrival to Iran.
It took around an hour to arrive in Shahab.
I will be busy with mold and painting trials.
I need to buy pistachios, wet dates, honey and other wonderful stuff from Iran.
I will start fasting from today!

Things I hate

Taking B777-300, I went to Dubai. I was slepping for about an hour after getting light meal then I woke up by a tremendous jerk by the plane. It was a full flight. 3 times it jerk so hard that I was so scared trmendously. Quickly I check out the location through my not clear TV screen. I was between Penang and Medan. The sound was soo loud coming from the engine that it jerk almost at same intervals. I was worried sick on this phenomenon. Not again the shock that I experienced during going to Singapore flight. Luckily, it was smooth sailing and I fall to sleep again when the plane was at Acheh province.
When I woke up again I knew I already missed dinner again because the plane pass through India subcontinental. I remember on my previous flight dinner normally serve when we get to the middle of India. To tell you the truth, I prefer taking direct flight from KL to Dubai because it is using B777-400 with bigger capacity and better modern facilities. Anyway, I cannot sleep anyway after that although my body ache so bad. My transit in Singapore does not do good to me except I can read a lot of things.

Good things I pick up in Singapore.
1) Lots of books on Singapore using world class phrase. It is the state of their mind.
2) Toilet signs was putting double outside and on the way to inside the WC so that people won't make mistake.
3) End of travellovators always have proper marking so that people have time to perpare for taking off the machine.

Arrived in Dubai at 5:12am. Lots of people and lucky for me I was ready to clear all security checkings with ease. There were people that had to repeated screening for security and this made the place jam up. Too tired to think. Just stepping to the near mosallah.

Was boarding to Iran by 7:00am and just falling to sleep again. Got to wake up just seconds before hearing announcement that the flight to Tehran was delayed. The officials advised us to go to the nearest restaurant for our breakfast. It was Safar restaurand used by the Emirates for long transit people. I've been using this place for a couple time during my previous trips. I took an apple and a nice asal (honey) jam when another announcement asking to go to gate number 20. I straight away walk to the place which is the other side of terminal and board in. I fall a sleep again and wake up on time for boarding. Emirates was using A330-300 for this full flight again.

Arrive in Tehran around 11:30am and Mr. Ali Reza Tajgardaoun was waiting for me. The custom never stopped me for the double sided tape thing.

It was a full day and I was very tired to do a thing.