I promised to write something on my practical, but I have kept it late. A bit too late. Emotions are different now than before. I have four weeks left, and this weekend is almost my last weekend here. Next weekend will be Idul Adha and Christmas and after that I'll have only two more weekends left to do anything I've wished to do here.
Practical is one subject I purposely avoid to write because of the fact I hate it. Things that you hate, you actually drive yourself to hate it, and this is one of these things. When people come to do practical, they will anticipate it in two ways: The positive mentality or the negative one. Optimistic people will see practical as a haven of breakout from all the stress of studying - quizzes, tests, assignments, lab reports, projects and ultimately final exams. I, on the other hand, sees practical as an imprisonment from endless game hours, skipping classes, long maple sessions, weekend midnight movies, 3am Champions League and countless more. Life in UTP, I would regard as the most heavenful part in my life so far, and anything else than that would be a downfall.
So I'm sent to Paka, Terengganu, land of no shopping complexes, bowling alleys or cinemas. Big deal, I can deal with that. Keropok lekor and nasi dagang should be able to compensate that.
Unfortunately, nothing can compensate mamak stalls. These are the bread and butter of the chilling life. Eight months stranded in a place with repetitive meals, you begin to taste the food already as you step in a particular eating place. Maple, however, never bores you. Well, all the urban legends about these places planting filthy stuff in their foods to keep their customers coming, it might be very true.
When I came here, I thought I am going to deeply miss Whopper. Oooh, I got it wrong. McD and KFC are both 20 minutes from my place in opposite directions. These fastfood outlets have become our entertainment, a breakthrough from the boring menus of lunch and dinner. We visit them a bit too frequent, maybe twice a week, that now I don't know if I can see these outlets anymore after my practical. Browsing through the boring McD menu behind the cashier of Chicken McDeluxe, Quarter Pounder and Big Mac makes me really miss Whopper, but the biggest thing I miss is nasi briyani. Man, those spiced rice, soaked in dal, a huge chunk of honey chicken and some crunchy acar, that is heaven. There is in fact one nasi briyani outlet here, Asfar Briyani, I might even say it is better than any nasi briyani that I've tasted, it is very unique, unfortunately it is a family business, and once the cooked rice is finished, the outlet is closed, and usually that is around 2 to 3 pm. Sad, isn't it? I wish I could buy it, write the recipe, hire some more workers, make that outlet 24 hours and make a chain outlet at KL or somewhere.
OK that is just about food. And that is a very minor reason why I hate practical. Oh ya, forgot to mention, nasi dagang is also a heavenly food, but unfortunately it is a breakfast meal, so you won't be finding it during lunchtime or dinner. And nasi dagang here is a bit different. The usual brownish color of the rice is said to be Kelantanese. Terengganu's is different.
So why I hate practical? I do think life here will not be as wonderful as in UTP, but I did came here with a burning passion to be very active, to gain as much as possible, to ask all the questions I could possibly ask. Work culture is different, but there should be no shock. I should be able to cope with it.
Unfortunately I don't think that is very me. The actual me is very quiet and reserved. So the very first few days, I just sat quietly at a corner, reading the plant's manual I don't know how many times. Occasionally, I would brave myself and ask some field operators to take me out to the plant and teach me something. Usually these plant trips will be surrounded by awful awkward silence of I-don't-know-to-ask and he-don't-know-what-I-want-to-know. I'm making friends very hard. At work, you don't know a person's age. It is not like university when you can see one's face and say "He's a senior," or "She's a junior". So the Malay complication comes where I don't know to use aku or saya. Yup, such a small complication, but I made it big.
I created a gap between me, a trainee, and the rest of the staffs. Everyday is boring because I'm alone (I'm sent to Ethylene PolyEthylene Malaysia Sdn Bhd with a lot of others, but in my department - which is quite faraway - I'm the only one). When it is boring, time passes by infinitely slow. In week two or three, looking ahead for another thirty weeks sounds like eternity. Waiting for the hour hand to hit 5 is routinous, only for you to be back here by 8 tomorrow. Torturous stuff, 8-to-5.
Well, things have changed. That's why I said I waited a bit too long to write this post. I should've written two posts on practical, one during the early days and another towards the end.
All my friends that have done practical said don't leave your work to the last minute. It is a bred culture in UTP, but it will make your ass painful. Unfortunately I did not listen to them. Not that I did not listen, I had the intention to complete my weekly reports week in and week out, but I'm just too lazy, again, a bred culture I brought from UTP (or maybe even before that). I've done my presentation, phew, but in my remaining four weeks, I have 24 weekly reports to be completed plus the 50-page final report. I really wonder how anyone could say doing assignments and preparing for quizzes is horrible? Isn't weekly reports more horrible? At least I can copy assignments and quizzes from someone else.
And there is this very common thought towards the end of your practical. "I wish I could've done more." Don't worry, everybody thinks like that. If you thought of "I'm satisfied, I think I have done my best here," well, congratulations, dude. Seriously that is no sarcasm. Nothing less than an A is what you deserve, plus all the experience which will be more valuable than the grade itself. For me, yup I know a little about one particular petrochemical plant, I know my CEO's name, but other than that, maybe not much. When I graduate later and work (most probably in PETRONAS because I don't see myself any good for better companies) people will ask me "What did you do during your eight-month practical? How on Earth you still don't know this?" Well, dude, I'm sorry. I didn't make full use of my practical. When you're a trainee, you are the lowest positioned personnel in the organization (often you will not even feature in the organizational chart) so you can have all the humility and ask everyone you wish, be it to your boss, engineers, non-executives and even contractors. Once you're a qualified engineer with a degree certificate in your hand, it'll be harder to ask your operators, "What is the difference between XV, PV, TV, PSV, PCV?"
Yup, that is my practical life. I still hate it, though I enjoy having breakfasts on a daily basis. This is one culture I hope to continue in UTP. I said I wanted to make a tour around Malaysia (Peninsular only) and visit every state and everyone I know who is doing their practical in that state. There goes my hopes and dreams. I'm sorry to those I said I wanted to visit. I've eaten keropok lekor, satar, nasi dagang, checked. I've gone to KT only once, and that is 4 in the morning when I sent my friend to a bus station, so that is not checked. Kenyir, not checked. Pulau Kapas or Perhentian, not checked. Watching turtles, not checked. Eating turtle eggs, hmm, this one I still have doubt. Eating at the famous Kemaman Kopitiam, not checked.
Thirty-two weeks is a long period. UTP allocates the longest period for internship compared to anywhere else. You'll see other practical students come and go and you will still be here, being asked "Eh, kau tak abis lagi? Kau sampai bile ye?"
I believe most of my readers have done their practical, but if there are those who haven't or just started, do make full use of it. Eat everything you can, go everywhere you could, do everything you want. To me, it has been miserable, and I think it is a good thing. At least I get to appreciate how wonderful UTP's life is, and I got to treasure a remaining one year (in cumulative weeks, it is even less than my practical duration) before I'll start finishing off my 10-year contract on my routinous 8-to-5 life.
Practical is one subject I purposely avoid to write because of the fact I hate it. Things that you hate, you actually drive yourself to hate it, and this is one of these things. When people come to do practical, they will anticipate it in two ways: The positive mentality or the negative one. Optimistic people will see practical as a haven of breakout from all the stress of studying - quizzes, tests, assignments, lab reports, projects and ultimately final exams. I, on the other hand, sees practical as an imprisonment from endless game hours, skipping classes, long maple sessions, weekend midnight movies, 3am Champions League and countless more. Life in UTP, I would regard as the most heavenful part in my life so far, and anything else than that would be a downfall.
So I'm sent to Paka, Terengganu, land of no shopping complexes, bowling alleys or cinemas. Big deal, I can deal with that. Keropok lekor and nasi dagang should be able to compensate that.
Unfortunately, nothing can compensate mamak stalls. These are the bread and butter of the chilling life. Eight months stranded in a place with repetitive meals, you begin to taste the food already as you step in a particular eating place. Maple, however, never bores you. Well, all the urban legends about these places planting filthy stuff in their foods to keep their customers coming, it might be very true.
When I came here, I thought I am going to deeply miss Whopper. Oooh, I got it wrong. McD and KFC are both 20 minutes from my place in opposite directions. These fastfood outlets have become our entertainment, a breakthrough from the boring menus of lunch and dinner. We visit them a bit too frequent, maybe twice a week, that now I don't know if I can see these outlets anymore after my practical. Browsing through the boring McD menu behind the cashier of Chicken McDeluxe, Quarter Pounder and Big Mac makes me really miss Whopper, but the biggest thing I miss is nasi briyani. Man, those spiced rice, soaked in dal, a huge chunk of honey chicken and some crunchy acar, that is heaven. There is in fact one nasi briyani outlet here, Asfar Briyani, I might even say it is better than any nasi briyani that I've tasted, it is very unique, unfortunately it is a family business, and once the cooked rice is finished, the outlet is closed, and usually that is around 2 to 3 pm. Sad, isn't it? I wish I could buy it, write the recipe, hire some more workers, make that outlet 24 hours and make a chain outlet at KL or somewhere.
OK that is just about food. And that is a very minor reason why I hate practical. Oh ya, forgot to mention, nasi dagang is also a heavenly food, but unfortunately it is a breakfast meal, so you won't be finding it during lunchtime or dinner. And nasi dagang here is a bit different. The usual brownish color of the rice is said to be Kelantanese. Terengganu's is different.
So why I hate practical? I do think life here will not be as wonderful as in UTP, but I did came here with a burning passion to be very active, to gain as much as possible, to ask all the questions I could possibly ask. Work culture is different, but there should be no shock. I should be able to cope with it.
Unfortunately I don't think that is very me. The actual me is very quiet and reserved. So the very first few days, I just sat quietly at a corner, reading the plant's manual I don't know how many times. Occasionally, I would brave myself and ask some field operators to take me out to the plant and teach me something. Usually these plant trips will be surrounded by awful awkward silence of I-don't-know-to-ask and he-don't-know-what-I-want-to-know. I'm making friends very hard. At work, you don't know a person's age. It is not like university when you can see one's face and say "He's a senior," or "She's a junior". So the Malay complication comes where I don't know to use aku or saya. Yup, such a small complication, but I made it big.
I created a gap between me, a trainee, and the rest of the staffs. Everyday is boring because I'm alone (I'm sent to Ethylene PolyEthylene Malaysia Sdn Bhd with a lot of others, but in my department - which is quite faraway - I'm the only one). When it is boring, time passes by infinitely slow. In week two or three, looking ahead for another thirty weeks sounds like eternity. Waiting for the hour hand to hit 5 is routinous, only for you to be back here by 8 tomorrow. Torturous stuff, 8-to-5.
Well, things have changed. That's why I said I waited a bit too long to write this post. I should've written two posts on practical, one during the early days and another towards the end.
All my friends that have done practical said don't leave your work to the last minute. It is a bred culture in UTP, but it will make your ass painful. Unfortunately I did not listen to them. Not that I did not listen, I had the intention to complete my weekly reports week in and week out, but I'm just too lazy, again, a bred culture I brought from UTP (or maybe even before that). I've done my presentation, phew, but in my remaining four weeks, I have 24 weekly reports to be completed plus the 50-page final report. I really wonder how anyone could say doing assignments and preparing for quizzes is horrible? Isn't weekly reports more horrible? At least I can copy assignments and quizzes from someone else.
And there is this very common thought towards the end of your practical. "I wish I could've done more." Don't worry, everybody thinks like that. If you thought of "I'm satisfied, I think I have done my best here," well, congratulations, dude. Seriously that is no sarcasm. Nothing less than an A is what you deserve, plus all the experience which will be more valuable than the grade itself. For me, yup I know a little about one particular petrochemical plant, I know my CEO's name, but other than that, maybe not much. When I graduate later and work (most probably in PETRONAS because I don't see myself any good for better companies) people will ask me "What did you do during your eight-month practical? How on Earth you still don't know this?" Well, dude, I'm sorry. I didn't make full use of my practical. When you're a trainee, you are the lowest positioned personnel in the organization (often you will not even feature in the organizational chart) so you can have all the humility and ask everyone you wish, be it to your boss, engineers, non-executives and even contractors. Once you're a qualified engineer with a degree certificate in your hand, it'll be harder to ask your operators, "What is the difference between XV, PV, TV, PSV, PCV?"
Yup, that is my practical life. I still hate it, though I enjoy having breakfasts on a daily basis. This is one culture I hope to continue in UTP. I said I wanted to make a tour around Malaysia (Peninsular only) and visit every state and everyone I know who is doing their practical in that state. There goes my hopes and dreams. I'm sorry to those I said I wanted to visit. I've eaten keropok lekor, satar, nasi dagang, checked. I've gone to KT only once, and that is 4 in the morning when I sent my friend to a bus station, so that is not checked. Kenyir, not checked. Pulau Kapas or Perhentian, not checked. Watching turtles, not checked. Eating turtle eggs, hmm, this one I still have doubt. Eating at the famous Kemaman Kopitiam, not checked.
Thirty-two weeks is a long period. UTP allocates the longest period for internship compared to anywhere else. You'll see other practical students come and go and you will still be here, being asked "Eh, kau tak abis lagi? Kau sampai bile ye?"
I believe most of my readers have done their practical, but if there are those who haven't or just started, do make full use of it. Eat everything you can, go everywhere you could, do everything you want. To me, it has been miserable, and I think it is a good thing. At least I get to appreciate how wonderful UTP's life is, and I got to treasure a remaining one year (in cumulative weeks, it is even less than my practical duration) before I'll start finishing off my 10-year contract on my routinous 8-to-5 life.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Have We not expanded for you your breast?
And taken off from you your burden,
Which pressed heavily upon your back,
And exalted for you your esteem?
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief:
Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.
Therefore, when you are free (from your immediate task), still labour hard,
And to your Lord turn (all) your attention.
Al-Inshirah:1-8
Have We not expanded for you your breast?
And taken off from you your burden,
Which pressed heavily upon your back,
And exalted for you your esteem?
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief:
Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.
Therefore, when you are free (from your immediate task), still labour hard,
And to your Lord turn (all) your attention.
Al-Inshirah:1-8
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