You-Want's Life

Read previous episode:  WCP by CM Day 2 Part 1: Seeing Sea Turtles For The First Time   It was our second day on the East Coast of Malaysia! We spent our morning in Cherating, Pahang, learning much about sea turtles- a graceful yet highly endangered marine creature. The representatives of Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) , who had collaborated with Charisma Movement in facilitating our Wildlife Conservation Project, brought us to Rimbun Dahan Turtle Sanctuary after a scrumptious local lunch. Throughout our trip, our meals were arranged by TCS- we got to try some special delicacies from the East Coast including Terengganu's special  Nasi Dagang  (steamed glutinous rice served with fish curry),  keropok lekor  (fried fish cakes), fermented fish sauce and many more.     Rimbun Dahan Turtle Hatchery is popular locally for its long-term commitment in turtle conservation work. Siblings Along and Alang now manage the centre with the h...

Read previous episode:  WCP by CM Day 1: Learning About River Terrapins After a long yet interesting first day of terrapin-related activities, we looked forward to the next day. We couldn't wait to see how this page would unfold. Similar to our first day, the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) was in charge of our mission that day as a part their collaboration with Charisma Movement on our Wildlife Conservation Project.   Our day started with breakfast at Hai Peng Kopitiam, a Chinese coffeeshop that serves Halal food. It was a heart-warming sight to see all races in Malaysia enjoying food at the same location, where various types of food regardless of their racial origins were served. It reminded me that Malaysia truly is a mixing bowl of beautiful cultures and traditions.   We took off to Cherating, Pahang, one of the most well-known beaches known for its mesmerising coastline and white fine sand. We did a little running along the beach, took photos and dipped...

We put on our smiles and got   on the road.    This is my third time in Terengganu, the Malaysian state famous for its coastal landscape which hosts turtle nesting areas. I have always liked being in Terengganu as it offers a completely different vibe as what other states offer. This could be a stereotypical perspective, having lived in Malaysia for more than two decades, it has become natural to associate Terengganu with beaches, turtles and keropok (fried fish cakes)- however, don't get me wrong, this place surely has a lot more to offer. Returning here this time feels differently, as I am here for a mission, having participated in a wildlife conservation project hosted by Charisma Movement.   For the past one month, I was heavily involved in a fundraising campaign for this project alongside Charisma Movement's Environmental Project Director, Bella, and 8 other committed volunteers. Being part of the Marketing team, I was happily designing posters and other promo...

There's never a cold day in Malaysia- unless it rains.   It was blazing hot, as usual, on the day I decided to pay the Perdana Botanical Garden a visit for a photoshoot. It is just a stone's throw away from KL Sentral, so my friends and I took a quick Uber to get to it. We would have walked, if the weather was not unrelentingly melting us.   We were the most intrigued to get to the deer park in this botanical garden- imagine getting to see deer in a highly urbanised city- it would have been a blessing to pat on the head any of the ruminant. However, much to our disappointment, the enclosed area in which the deer could roam freely did not have as many deer as we had expected. There were probably only two or three of them, resting in the shades. Just like us, the heat was simply ruthless to them.    We walked around the area, seeing chickens placed in cages as if they were a rare sight. Oh well, I thought so as living chickens were a common sight from where I was raise...