I am a Convent girl. A PURE CONVENT GIRL. Ever since I was
seven, I attended Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Kajang. Growing up in an all girls
school, I never had to think twice to express myself, physically mentally and
emotionally. So, how was Convent like you’d wonder? I basically knew almost everyone in school,
seniors, juniors, their siblings and family members. You can say it’s somehow
like a whole big family. Some of them had generations in school since female
siblings and mothers all studied there. Sometimes absent mindedly I still get
confused with primary school’s song with the secondary one. We had to shift
chairs from classes during Moral or Agama class. Convent never seemed to have
enough chairs or tables. The second floor toilet was rumoured to be haunted but
I never thought twice to use it alone. We would clap for kelas terkotor louder
than kelas terbersih. The complains about canteen food was endless and you can
hear about cockroaches or lizards in them when you’re “lucky”. Classes’ names
were based on ‘permata’ for e.g. Intan, Berlian, Rubi, Mutiara, Nilam, and
Zamrud.
For sports day, we take all efforts to plan it so well
sometimes journalist would come to witness our sports event and to publish it
in the papers the next day. Volleyball, basketball, netball, badminton and
galah panjang were all played on the same court. The entire class would sing
the birthday song for you if it was your birthday.
That was how Convent was like. The last day in Convent was
filled with tears and hugs. I may have left Convent but from time to time we
would still visit Convent occasionally since it was filled with so much of
sweet memories. Leaving behind my school life, I have decided to join ALAM. And
as all of us know, Akademi Laut Malaysia is filled with boys. Well, almost all
of them. It wasn’t easy adapting to ALAM at the beginning since it was
regimental and I never experienced boarding school before. Nevertheless, I had
bittersweet memories in my first year of attending ALAM and I can say proudly
that what I have learnt in ALAM prepared me physically and mentally for the
high seas.
Being a year at sea, I learnt to appreciate everything I was
blessed with especially my family members and love ones. The one year sea experience
was indescribable!
Now, I am in Semester 5. All thanks to The Lord Almighty for
being able to make it this January. And now, if anyone were to ask me if I have
any regrets of choosing this my career, I would answer with a firm NO. Why, you
ask? Well, become a seafarer and find out for yourself!
It is an adventure out
there
Blog post by: Elaine Ng, Iqmal Iddin & Shareth
Selvam