Sleep goes me. Orientation day was, in a word, exhausting. And since when did orientation become the time to disorientate people like me.
I felt like a dumb mule or sheep being herded around from 9 am to 4 pm today. It's been the longest I've ever been out and about, sat down on my arse for hours end, and listened to speeches and intros for what seemed forever.
Okay. What shall I start with? I'll try to retell the day in chronological order but maybe with some smatterings of oddities that happened then as well.
Reached HELP University College (as they're now called that too) at approximately 8.30 am. I could've reached there earlier if it had not been for busybodies Malaysians slowing down and peering to see the not-that-small car accident that happened on the road. I really don't understand the mentality and logic that most of us have. Maybe it's better if I try not to understand it at all or risk having my brain damaged as well and then turning into one of those mind numbing idiot drivers and road hogs.
In any case, reached there safely with lots of time to spare. I thought that there was going to be about only 20 students this year but apparently most of the "lost" ones were waiting idly at some other area instead of the designated lower foyer. Why don't people read instructions?
To cut things short, we were then ushered along our way to this theaterette at 9 am where briefings and all that formalities were to be held. Four of my ex-classmates from SAM apparently made the same choice as me and decided to come to HELP, whom were Huai Yi, Melissa, Susan, and Justin. It was nice catching up a bit with them and they changed quite a bit. Especially the crowning glory part. Also, Rui Chiang, an old school mate from the bygone days, turned up there as well. That was a bit of a surprise for me too as I thought that he was doing something more along the lines of science or bio thingy or something like that.
Thus, more yada yada yada and blah blah blah were forced down our throats and weary and lack of sleep eyes till 10.45 am. Sometimes these things can be a bore but then again, I'm quite surprised that HELP's staff was really very formal and punctual. The whole thing actually ended at 10.45 am as stated in black and white in out little orientation brochure. I remembered vaguely about there being clubs and societies and sports available at HELP. I'm actually thinking of joining one but then again, my ability to be so dedicated to a single club or society or sport has been pretty petty and unfulfilling. Maybe I should just stick to reading and picking up more books.
Next, was the grand tour of the main campus, which is a giant building of concrete and stone. Not exactly a proper university campus but I'm not complaining much. After the first five minutes of dragging our stubborn asses along the corridors and our tour guide (who incidentally happened to be the Biz Council's president as well) shouting over our voices about what was what and which was which, I lost track of almost everything he said the five minutes before. It's going to be another long year of getting to know the place better. And after getting nicely acquianted with Taylor's, another building is thrown at me. And HELP actually has a roomfull of high tech looking Apple computers with flat screen monitors and cool illuminating PCs. I don't think I'll ever be able to use them but seeing them just makes me want the iPod even more. More walking and more talking infused with errant lame jokes make a walking tour jolly and funner. I'm tired.
So, yeah. Where was I? After that, we boarded the shuttle bus to ferry us to the other two buildings where our classes and lectures and exams would be held at. One is called KPD and the other Wisma Perdana, or as they insisted on calling it, Wisma HELP. Apparently the main campus is just a building like a bridge of medium where we hang around for a bit till we get on the shuttle bus to our lectures at this other rather old and decrepit building. Okay, I'm exaggerating, not that decrepit. Though the stairs were dangerous as the railing had this big gaps between them where anyone could slip through it unknowingly. I didn't pay for all not getting to use the main building and instead being hauled away and tossing us to other out of the way buildings.
Oh, and did I mention that the main building has a student lounge too with Astro and foosball. I don't play foosball but at least there's Astro. Hee. One of the main things I like about the main building is that it's air-conned and stays cool all the time. It's one way of getting out of the hot and scorching sun.
It was another walking tour yet again (surprise, surprise) and this time my stomach was just grumbling and arguing all the way till 1 pm when we were served with free nasi lemak for lunch. Yum! Satiated and filled with sambal and rice, more "briefings" were held and this time it was more for real. There would be lectures starting tomorrow for the following two weeks till Chinese New Year. After CNY, then the tutorials and more lectures would begin officially. At least that's what it felt like to me. I'm still rather confused over the timetable that they've given us but at least there'll be friends to get confused with me as well. That I don't mind.
There's actually quite a lot of food places to stuff our faces into. And if HELP students just flash our ID cards, we can get dicounts off dine-in and take outs (certain ones only) at places like KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Rice Bowl, Pizza Hut, Dunkin' Donuts and more. Though the discounts only apply to the Pusat Bandar Damansara outlets only. But, it's still cool. I love these student priviledges. Though I'm more likely to get all paunchy and chubby by the end of the year if I keep eating at these places. Or maybe even broke. I think going broke is the more likely outcome.
To continue, ice-breaker games were played as well. There were trivia quizzes, charades and another one where you hit a person with a rolled up newspaper if they can't get your name right. That's the first game to kind of get the students to know each other better. Right.
Soon, it was time to go at 4 pm. And again, HELP is punctual. It actually ended at 4 pm as stated on the brochure. I like this punctuality thing too. Hopefully it'll stay like that permanently.
I haven't got my student ID yet but I did get exempted from taking horrible LAN classes this year. Muahaha! I only need to attend classes from Mondays to Thursdays now! Three day weekends sounds so good. Woot!
I think I'm going to take up only three subjects this first semester. I might just do four in my second semester but who really knows, right. Which would leave two more subjects to complete in the third semester. This is a totally different system of education that I'm being exposed to so if I'm being a total "jakun" at being new at this, please forgive me. I feel so adult. That translates to being old. Sigh.
Tomorrow, I have lectures starting at 10 am till 2 pm so I think I deserve a well rested sleep tonight. I've cut out some unimportant stuff from today's news but it's nothing really, since it's um . . . unimportant as in irrelevant.
Goodnight.
