People to People International Peace Camp

Hey guys! Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to join the People to People International's Peace Camp in Turkey next year!

This prestigious full scholarship program will select some 50 students, ages 16-19, from around the world to participate in an educational adventure in Turkey from June 7 - 17, 2011. Students will learn about PTPI's mission to work towards Peace through Understanding and visit remarkable cities of Turkey!

Application deadline for this program is December 10, 2010 so chop! chop! hurry up and apply! As this is a competitive full scholarship program, we suggest you read the program description carefully. Click on the LINK HERE to learn more about the program and itinerary.

Kindly note that applicant selection will NOT go through AFS but will be done by People to People.

Learn to Sign the AFS Song

Do you know the AFS Song?

Oh, silly me. Of course you do.

BUT, do you know HOW TO SIGN the AFS Song?

Bet you don't!
But no worries, Farhan and Tim is here to show us all how!

Join us in Paradise!

HELLO DEAREST RETURNEE PEOPLE,

How does Paradise sound to you?

Cool breeze, straw hats, shady coconut trees as you listen to the gentle crashing of the waves against the sandy beach. Ohhhh YES. Now we're talking!

After a year-long worth of hard work, hectic schedules, stressful days and deadly deadlines. Paradise sounds exactly like what you need right now, don't you agree?

The time have come yet again for YOU, YES YOU, to be recognized and pampered for your efforts and contributions towards the AFS common goal. We are delighted to host the AFS Returnee and Volunteer Camp 2010 to give a chance for us to meet and bond again at the Corus Paradise Hotel, Port Dickson.

However, you have to be quick in confirmation as alas, we have only 40 spots available. Gasp!

This event is OPEN TO RETURNEES AND VOLUNTEERS OF ALL AGES in Malaysia, no age limit attached!

Given the sheer number of AFS volunteers, we suggest you email Kuhan at kuhan.chelvanathan@afs.org as soon as possible, and no later than 17^th November 2010! We predict the spots will go fast :)

Below is the information regarding the event:

Date : 10th - 12th December 2010

Venue : Corus Paradise Hotel, Port Dickson

Attendees : AFS Returnees & AFS Volunteers (no age limit)

Fee : RM 30.00

RSVP Date : By the 17th Nov 2010 (first come first serve basis!)

So how about it? Come join us in Paradise, party by the beach with your friends and let your hair down. Grab your swimming gear, cameras and your glamorous self and come on board for a fantabulously good time!

We've missed you so much! And sincerely hope to see you there :)

Regards from,

everyone of us in AFS Malaysia Alumni

p/s: Here's a sneak peak at what Corus Hotel looks like!

English Enrichment Programme with YES

Dear all, oh what exciting news awaits you!

In an effort to foster relationships between the AFS Returnee and the YES Alumni, SK Taman Keramat, Gombak has invited us to conduct an English Enrichment Program at their school this 3rd of November (Wednesday).

So here's your chance to give back to the society!

Drop your names and contact numbers to Jim Chua (jim91_dc@yesalumni.afs.org.my) or contact him via FB. He'd be very happy to hear from you and share further details with you :)



Then you can be like,




Ok. Just kidding.

AYA Performance Updates!

Dear all,

Just a quick updates for those currently interested in participating in the AFS Malaysia performance for the upcoming AYA Awards Night.

Rehearsals will commence on 29th October until 4th November.

Time from 4pm till 7pm per rehearsal session.
Location is yet to be confirmed, but it will definitely be within Klang Valley/KL area.

The AYA Awards Night is on the 7th November 2010 at 7PM-11Pm at Panggung Bandaraya, DBKL. All rehearsal and sound check for the performance is on the same date (7th Nov) at 2PM at Panggung Bandaraya DBKL.

For those who are interested in participating in this exciting nationwide event can drop us an email at suyin.chia@volunteer.afs.org.my with your contact details!

See you there at the rehearsals!

p/s for more information check out the blog post below =D

AYA Awards Performance

Before you scroll down this post, there are some things you should probably know.

Firstly, what is the AYA?

AYA stands for the Asian Youth Ambassadors (AYA), a non-profit youth organization whose mission is to nurture young people to be the best that they can be and to be of service to others.

What about the Awards thingy?

The AYA Awards was set up back in 2005, to acknowledge, reward and further encourage good work and deeds by Malaysian Youth.

Okay...so what does it have to do with AFS Mas Alumni?

Wah! I can't believe you don't know this! Last year the AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia was awarded the Youth Friendly Company of 2009 by AYA.

Look look! That's us represented by Ms. Shazalyna (5th from right) and Kenneth Chin, founder of AYA (5th from left)

Why we won?

Because we're awesome-lah. What else?
(Okay so there IS much more depth to that answer, but it all boils down to because we're awesome to begin with :D)




Oraits! Now that we know what the background story is between AYA Awards and AFS Mas Alumni, lets talk about the important part of this blog-post. *drumroll please*


AFS Malaysia is invited to perform at the 6th AYA Awards Night at Malaysia's Heritage Building on the 7th November 2010 (Sunday)

Therefore, we are looking for YOU to be involved in the performances! The National Office would like to suggest that we returnees can collaborate with our hosted students to perform a combination of 5 Malaysian traditional dance: the Zapin Melayu, Indian Candle Dance, Chinese Fan Dance, Sabahan Bamboo Dance and the Sarawakian Ngajat Dance.

The Finale will be a sign language performance of the AFS Song.

Dance practice is scheduled to start on 24th October until 4th November 2010. So if you would like to be INVOLVED, please do send us a mail at suyin.chia@volunteer.afs.org.my


If you want to read more about the AYA Awards, log on to AYA Awards Website. And while you're there, browse around and send in your votes for THIS YEAR's 2010 finalist for all categories! Get involved today!

Annual General Meeting

The AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia Annual General Meeting was recently held at the Mandarin Court Hotel Kuala Lumpur on the 2nd October, 2010. The fruitful meeting saw the coming together of volunteers, returnees and staff of various ages, racial, ethnic and even religious background in the united vision of voting for the future of AFS Malaysia. As such, AFS Malaysia Alumni would like to congratulate the four dedicated and visionary volunteers re-elected to serve for the next two terms as AFS board member:

Dr. Yahya Mat Hassan

Mrs. Khalilah 'Kelly' Dato Mohd Talha

Mr. Bernard Poobalan

Mr. Thiruchelvam

We would like to thank all who took the time and effort to exercise participate in this year's AGM and have exercised your right to vote as an AFS member. For *those who were unable to make it this time around, there is always next year so make sure you come!

On another joyous note, 2010's AGM is particularly memorable and significant for us here in the AFS Malaysia Alumni because, for the first time ever, the AFS Malaysia Alumni was invited to take part and participate in the Chapters Presidents’ meetings held alongside the AGM. The leaders of our Alumni were given the privileged platform to address, understand, and help give solutions to current and potential problems arising in all AFS related programs.

The AFS Alumni President Chong Cheng Yee and Vice-President Suraya Zainuddin both expressed their heartfelt appreciations to the National Office for including the Alumni within their ranks of discussions. The AFS Alumni is looking forward to continuing our strive in doing our very best in helping to anticipate the needs of AFS Chapters as well as provide help in volunteer support as needed. We hope to serve well in our goal to develop a reserve of well-informed, all rounded volunteers in the future.

Till then,

We'll see you again next year at the 2011 AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia Annual General Meeting!


* voting privileges only comes with the official AFS membership (RM20 for 2 years or RM300 for lifetime). Please call the national office @ 03 77224866 / 77254966 for more details.

5th National Volunteer Conference CHINA

AFS Malaysia Alumni would like to congratulate our President Ms. Chong Cheng Yee, for attending the 5th National Volunteer Conference in Beijing, China from the 16 to 19 July 2010. Representing AFS Malaysia, Cheng Yee brought with her the experience of her volunteering days to the conference, meeting with key AFS colleagues, volunteers and representatives from the local chapters of China.

We are sure that her memorable trip has added unto her vast experience in leadership and faithful volunteering with AFS, especially as the helm of our AFS Malaysia Alumni ship, yet again.

Mission Zoopossible: Accomplished!

On 8th August, the mighty cleaning warriors from AFS Malaysia Alumni from all parts of Malaysia united and embarked on a brave journey to the Zoo Negara to fight of the evils that is giant poopies and dirty cages that plagued the animals living there.

At approximately 0830, the 46 Alumni warriors, armed with nothing but a bright orange volunteer sticker on their chests, puppy eyes, shovels, brushes and brooms spread out in groups of 5 to various stations to begin battle. Fighting the bleeding smell, the dust and dirt, sweat, sore body parts, pesky flies and raw fishes, the warriors cleaned away in the background whilst the wild animals entertained the paying crowd in the foreground to prevent suspicion of the grueling fight behind in the cages.

Some had to pick up poop and sweep the floor the whole day. Some hacked and chainsawed away in the kitchen to prepare basketful of food for the hungry animals. Some walked around and pretended to be busy Some had the privilege to work in extremely close proximity with the animals such as the stripy zebras, big-mouth hippopotamus, dancing deers, roaring bears, lazy camels, playful primates, various birds of flights and even with slithery pythons. They ventured into areas usually prohibited to the masses, and learned the ways of the zoo keepers.

Leading the warrior army at the front of the battlefield was Iron Lady Yelena Ramli, followed by Iron Lady Suraya and Iron Lady Cheng Yee, who united the warriors and made them work enthusiastically by providing direction and a scrumptious variety of food while lavishing each one with heaps of praises for jobs well done. They even broadcasted the backbreaking efforts of the Alumni warriors to the Malaysian world through THE STAR and NST (click on it!)

At exactly 1600 the Alumni warriors regrouped and declared victory over the Zoo Negara with zero casualties to both human and animals alike. There was a huge celebration of food eating and many a random photo-taking sessions followed by the Alumni Warriors being duly rewarded for their efforts with the presentation of certificates. Thus the fight had ended, the battle was won. Mission Zoopossible: Accomplished!

p/s more pictures coming your way really soon. Keep your tabs on this blog, people!

JENESYS Selection Camp

On 31st July, AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia held its first ever JENESYS Selection Camp in Hotel Maluri, Kuala Lumpur. The overnight camp, consisting of some 100 nervously excited student candidates was run by a dedicated team of 8 alumni members.

The alumni members did the camp module with the participants with activities such as Talent Time and Malaysia Through My Eyes presentations, fun energizer games like Untangle Me, My Bonnie, Big Fat Pony and Daruma-san ga Koronda. The campers also enjoyed the Commercial performances put up by the very creative bunch of students who displayed a multitude of talents and laughter inducing abilities. Everyone present had laughed so hard so much in this camp we had to wipe away tears.


However throughout the entire sessions on the other side of the fun door, was the solemn interviewers' room. One by one the candidates were pulled out of the fun door and waited patiently for their turn to enter the interviewer's room to be interrogated of their abilities, confidence, personality and credibility. Many of the student candidates displayed admirable graciousness as they wished each other good luck for the interview through hugs and handshakes.

This selection camp was also geared to be an avenue for the AFS Malaysia Alumni to help train up the younger volunteers in the ins and outs of running AFS camps. Young volunteers Marina Abdullah, Nina, Amanda and Haiqal were given responsibilities and full guidance under the watchful eyes of the older ones Suraya Zainuddin, Chia Suyin, Khoo Hsien Yew, Syant Alias and Eric Yoh. They proved to be able to stand their own ground (much to our joy!) and the Alumni would be looking forward to putting them to work more often! :D


At the end of the two days, camp commandant Suraya could not help but laud heaps of praises for the student candidates, saying, "Considering this is the first ever JENESYS Selection Camp, things counldn't have run more smoothly. The Form 3 and Form 4 kids were generally well-behaved and polite, and their excitement is obvious, its infections to all of us old timers. I was most surprised by the puntuality of it all. Despite the early hours, the hotel's infamous hard to find location, the number of students AND parents, no one was late for registration and sessions! It must be a first!"

Well done everybody! To the JENESYS Selection camp kids, we give you the best of lucks and are looking forward to seeing you at the pre-departure orientation in December. Till then, study hard and stop Facebooking so much =)

p/s. pictures will be up on the blog shortly. Keep tuning in!

Zoo Negara Volunteer Programme

Hey Guys!

Did you know that the Zoo Negara Malaysia is actually managed by the Malaysian Zoological Society, a non-governmental organization? Did you also know that Zoo Negara is the first zoo in Malaysia ever? Or the fact that today, it is home to over 5137 animals from 459 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Most importantly, did you know that AFS MAS Alumni is having a volunteer trip to the zoo very very soon and that you are also invited, no not that, more than happily welcomed, to join? Below are the details so check it out and give us a beep to let us know your attendance (:

For the love of animals!

Date:

8 August 2010, Sunday (Mark your calendar!)

Time:

8a.m-4p.m (Gather at LRT Wangsa Maju at 7.15a.m)

Venue:

Zoo Negara, Jalan Ulu Kelang 68000 Ampang Selangor Darul Ehsan http://www.zoonegara.org.my/

What:

One day volunteering at the zoo

Who:

AFS Alumni (yes, you!)

Why:

1. Get together

2. To uphold the spirit of community service

3. To create awareness to wildlife conservation

4. To explore behind the scenes of zookeeping's daily routines

How:

Those interested, kindly leave your full name, identity card no., hand

phone no to suyin.chia@volunteer.afs.org.my

Attire:

No fur (of course)

No shorts

AFS Shirt

Sports Attire

NO flip flops

Extra:

Hats, sun cream, mosquito repellent, water and camera (so that you’ll have proof when you tell your grandkids about this!)

Food:

Lunch will be potluck style (Kindly list down what you’re bringing to avoid duplications)

Remember:

Zoo Negara will not tolerate impunctuality. Thus, we’re expected to be there at 8a.m sharp for a briefing.

Spread this good news around. The more, the merrier because that’s how we roll! Let’s not miss out on this opportunity! I’m sure those orang-utans, rhinos, elephants, camels, giraffes, monkeys, tigers, reptiles and sun bears can’t wait to see you!

For more information, click HERE!

Hey you, Smile for Change (:

They say that the shortest distance between two people is a

Today, the YES ALUMNI MALAYSIA, would like to extend the invitation to you to the SMILE FOR CHANGE fundraiser.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will fund the operations of the Child Care Center runed by the Women's Aids Organization, which takes cares of the children of battered women. We do hope that many many of these children in need will be blessed with the event and smiles will be plentiful amongst them (: Don't you hope so too?

Further details about the Child Care Center can be found here

How about bringing a smile to a child today? Below are the details:

Date: 19th June 2010 (Saturday)
Time: 12pm - 10pm
Place: LG Rainforest, One Utama Shopping Center, Damansara Utama


Hey loved one, remember, a smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

(:

Hope you have a smiling day ahead too.

YES Alumni Party

You see, guys, with the number of events AFS is throwing, you really don’t have any reason not be out of the big AFS family loop! We have just wrapped up the 52nd Annual AFS Fundraising and Gala Dinner (which was awesome, by the way, shame on you who couldn’t attend without a valid reason) and ALREADY we have another event organized by the YES Alumni, who had graciously, again, extended their invitation to us.


The details:

Date: Friday, 18 June 2010
Time: 7:00pm-9:30pm
Location: Annexe Gallery, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur
Dresscode: Casual. It will be very relaxing and informal.
Price: FREE

We really, really hope you guys can make it, and it will be a great opportunity for us to catch up and bond. There will be performances, video presentations, and video messages from the AFS International.

You guys can RSVP by clicking on this link here

Lastly, here's a little message from the Vice President of YES Alumni, Jim Chua especially for you:

"We realize that the relationship between alumni members is indeed very important towards the whole alumni structure as by close relationship between members will determine the progress of the alumni. Therefore, our main objective here, is to gather alumni together under one roof and basically bond together. We have alumni members that have long been missing , so we hope to update you on what we have done and grasp your interest and hopefully get you involve more in the alumni. We also would want to update our alumni about what we have done throughout the years as well as our future events. This is also a platform where we could ask for your feedbacks and opinions about the events that we are planning to organize so that we could have a more deeper idea on what do the alumni members want. " (:

AFS 52nd Anniversary Gala Dinner 2010

...and we're back in business guys!

The AFS 5nd Anniversary Gala Dinner 2010 is finally here and it will be

AMAZING FUN!

The Gala Dinner will play host to a gathering of returnees, host families, exchange students, and friends of AFS once again for a time of laughter, catch-up sessions and lots of fun in between (lets not forget the extremely good food waiting too!)

There's going to be performances and dances brought to the table by our very own people in AFS as well, so come support your friends performing on stage okay, promise? (:

Good! So below are the details that you will need to :

When : 5th June, Saturday
Time : 7.30pm
Where : Nikko Hotel, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Theme : Bling Bling / Dress to Kill

Ticket Prices per pax:
RM150 / RM100 (student discount)

For more information contact:
Dahnyor / Kuhan @
03-77224866 / 77254966
info-mas@afs.org

Now for the most important part, please follow the 4 steps below.

1. Check your calendar. Book the 5th of June so nothing last minute can EVER happen on that day.

2. Pick up the phone. Call the AFS office and ask for Dahnyor or Kuhan. Tell them you are going.

3. Put the phone down. Now pick up your handphone. Text EVERYONE you know about the Gala Dinner.

4. Go find suitable clothes to wear for the Gala Dinner. Shop if you must. (:

AFS YES - MAS Alumni Picnic

Hey guys!!


Busy with life and wishing you had some time to just drop all the things that demands your responsibility and attention, take a breather and just CHILLAX with friends? Well, how does a picnic sound to you right now?

Our good friends from the YES Alumni have cordially invited us from the MAS Alumni to join them for a time of fun and fellowship for their 4th YES Alumni Picnic this coming 1st of May (Saturday) in Central Park, One Utama.

WHAT TIME IS IT?

4pm to 7pm!

Their selected theme this time would be America! So come dressed in anything that represent America, bring games that you played in America or even bring American food!! Yes bring real food people, as this is a pot-luck styled picnic.

So what you can do is just comment here on this post if you're interested/confirm coming. Just so we know and can look out for your AWESOME presence on the day itself (: Let us know too if you need maps/directions/recipes. Heh!




Toodles~

Volunteer Training to Denmark

Dear all,

AMAZINGGG NEWS TO SHARE!



There will be a Volunteer Training in Denmark, home to Legoland, Little Mermaid and the Aarhus Cathedral in November 2010, and we're inviting YOU, fellow volunteers, to come apply for this rare chance of a lifetime to be a part of it and represent AFS Malaysia. So what do you need to know and what do you need to do? Read on below!

Basic Information:
The training is held from Nov 5th till Nov 7th 2010. The exact city where the training is not yet known for now. AFS Volunteers from all over the world is expected to participate in this training and each to bring fresh perspectives to the table. Further training information will be provided nearing the event itself.


Volunteer Requirements:
Firstly, you need to have been actively volunteering for at least 2 years. And when we say active, we mean really quite active in volunteering. Aside from that, it doesn't matter how old you are, what gender you are, or what anything else you are (:

To apply, you will need to contact AFS Malaysia for the application procedures. Look for Kuhan. The deadline is 30th April. From then on, all applicants will be subjected to an interview by a Selection Committee. The usual stuff lah, really (:



Costs
This is what must be on everyone's mind as they read this post. So I have taken the liberty of breaking it down into two parts for you : -

What you need to pay for :
Cost of traveling to and from Denmark only (for now)

What AFS Interkultur will cover:
1. Transport within Denmark (e.g public transport, domestic travels)

2. Room and board AFS Interkultur style, that means your lodging and yummy food is provided

3. If you arrive early, AFS Interkultur will arrange for you to stay with some volunteers and experience the warm welcoming of the Danish culture there.

4. Participation fee

What else should I know?
Upon returning from this training, the volunteer is required to conduct a nationwide training on what has been learnt from this Volunteer Training. In addition, a detailed report is required from the participant with photos and learning experiences.



So tuan-tuan dan puan-puan, you know whats the next step. Don't miss out on this awesome opportunity! Remember, the deadline to apply is April 30th!

Perdik Waterfalls : Not Your Average Sunday Afternoon

Imagine the sounds and sights of nature. To be protected by the shade of huge bamboo shoots, the cool stream touching your feet while the insects sing their songs. To reach this state of bliss in paradise, a group of AFS students had to go through more than ten soiled diapers, mountains of plastic bottles and endless piles of wasted plastic bags. This is the tale of how I and my fellow comrades,”MAJLIS PERBANDARAN AFS”, cleaned up the disgustingly filthy Perdik Waterfall of Ulu Langat.

We departed rather late thanks to my tardiness. As I entered the bus that would bring us to the destination of our cleanup mission, I was disappointed by the small number of AFSers. Although we were a small group it didn’t mean we didn’t get the job done, for we accomplished great heights on that eventful day. Once we arrived on Ulu Langat soil, we were briefed by the lovely Cheng Yee, AFS Alumni Committee President and her equally charming Vice President, Suraya. We started with a few ice breaking games before getting our hands dirty, literally of course. We were divided into groups of five, to scavenge for rubbish. The group with the highest amounts of rubbish would face the promise of a treat from Starbucks.

If I do recall accurately, we spent almost two hours searching high and low for all types of rubbish. Amongst the “treasures” uncovered were the usual plastic bags and plastic bottles, but what proved more surprising were a used up barbeque pit, car tires, stinky socks and the jackpot, soiled diapers collected mainly by the courageous Jon Wern. Judging by the way he collected those diapers fearlessly, proved that he sure is going to make one heck of a loving dad someday. Everyone did a decent job collecting rubbish and by the end of it we had filled out the twenty black huge garbage bags.

We didn’t travel all the way to Ulu Langat to just collect rubbish; we AFSer work hard as well as play hard. So of course we enjoyed a mesmerizing forty five minute hike to the waterfall. At first all I could concentrate on was reaching the waterfall quick enough to avoid being the victim of leeches, but halfway through I looked away from the leeches and fell in love with nature. We were so lucky to be in the very depths of Mother Nature’s territory. We enjoyed a relaxing picnic on the rocks by the waterfall, feasting on sandwiches, “keropok”, cake and fried chicken together with each other’s stories and shared lame jokes.

By the end of it all, we were exhausted but reluctant to leave the once filthily disgusting place. We looked at the twenty black garbage bags brimming with rubbish from our sheer sweat and blood. I mention blood not to be melodramatic ,but blood was involved as several of us couldn’t escape the wraths of those blasted leeches. All in all it was a joyful experience, yet no matter how much fun we had as a team, it saddens me that even today some people can be so ignorant and easily pollute and strip away the beauty and marvels that nature has offered to us. It’s time we made a change.

Written by: Arththi Sathananthar ( Italy IP 05/06 &YES programme 07)
Edited by: Suyin
Photo courtesy of CNU @ cnu-cama.blogspot.com

You Know You're an Exchange Student When...

Exchange students are pretty unique creatures. As exchange students, we did things that no one else would have really done, such as dream in languages that is not our mother tongue, simple because we can. We have experienced odd, awkward, hilarious, tickling moments that are applicable only to an exchange student. How much of an exchange student are you? Scroll down the list to check out!

You know you're an exchange student when....

1. You ask for some type of food/snack/drink to be care packaged to you as your X-mas present.

2. you classify "doing your homework" as translating half of it. And that alone took three hours.

3. you'll read anything in your native language just to have something to read...even packaging labels.

4. you're better than your teacher in your foreign language class.

5. you've ever mispronounced something in your native language (for example, names of products, TV shows, companies) because you know the others will understand it better if you say it with an accent.

6. after you come back everybody tells you that you have a weird accent.

7. your dreams are bilingual.

8. you automatically use words in a foreign language that you cant even translate but they just seem to fit the context.

9. you begin to enjoy foods that you had previously despised at home.

10. it becomes a habit to introduce yourself by saying: "I am from (country) and my name is (name)."

11. you are always counting the time difference between where you are and home.

12. you always forget the time difference when you call a friend or family member back home.....sorry for waking you up at 4 AM mom.

13. you carry a dictionary and a camera in your bag.

14. you do something wrong and people look at you weird, your excuse is "That's how we do it in my country" even if it isn't.

15. You can sing all the Top 20 songs from your exchange year...even a year later....

16. You get letters and emails in a language that no one else can read.

17. You cringe at the mention of 'baggage weight limit'.

18. You go to school only to do nothing

19. You 'talk' to your pets when you phone home.

20. You watch really stupid television shows late at night, and you stay up late to do so, just because they're in English.



To all our beloved returnees young and not so young anymore *ehem*, we hope this fun post made you smile a little brighter today. (:

Waterfall Postponed

Dear All,

Due to unforeseen circumstances that was inevitably unavoidable, the Waterfall Beautification Volunteer Project has been postponed to 7th March 2010 instead. We apologise for the changes, and do hope that more people will be able to join us in our ventures to help save Mother Nature in the most heroic manner!

Like Captain Planet and his friends:

before our waterfalls becomes like this:

What are you waiting for? Sign up today! And we'll be seeing you there in a jiffy (:

Waterfall Beautification Volunteer Project

Hey Folks,

Have you been back to nature lately? Surround yourself with lush greens and the sounds of gushing sparkling waterfall? Give back to Mother Nature?

No? We thought so.

That is why in February, everyone in AFS is invited to our Waterfall Beautification Volunteer Project for some nature appreciation, gotong-royong, and picnic fun at Perdik Falls, Ulu Langat!

Exclusively open only for AFS returnees and volunteers under the AFS Malaysia Alumni project, we decided it's time to branch out in our volunteering and explore something new in our community outreach! It's also an opportunity for all to get to know your recently-appointed AFS Alumni Malaysia Committee Members :)

So what will it be? Read the following for more details!

Venue :
Perdik Waterfall, Ulu Langat

Date :
21 Feb 2010 (Sunday)

Time :
9:00am to 6:00pm. Meet up at 8:50am.

Attire :
Sportswear and comfortable shoes.

Gathering place :
Taman Jaya LRT where bus will be provided (next to A&W PJ)

Contact person :
Suraya Zainudin
(who says please comment to RSVP or check out our Facebook event page)

Payment :
RM 5 on-the-spot payment to cover transport fees and water only.

Please bring a change of clothes and towel if you plan to "mandi" (bathe) in the waterfall. Don't forget that lunch is POTLUCK style, so bring something nice to share!

Please RSVP as by 17th February (Wednesday) as only 40 spots are open!

annnnnndddd.... in case you're wondering, this is what Perdik Falls look like. Awesome :D

German Language Crash Course

Dear all,

[WARNING]
Please be reminded that a crash course does not involve any physical collision that will result in damages or pains in any way. Crash courses refers to an activity that will result in the possibility of mental trauma one may suffer from the forceful jamming of incomprehensible information into one's brain in the span of a short period.

With that said, AFS Mas Alumni is offering a

German Language Crash Course

for local AFS students who are leaving this year on the Year Programme to Germany. Details are as followed:

Date:
Sunday ( 31st January 2010)

Time:
2pm - 4pm

Fee:
RM30 per individual

Place:
To be confirmed

Tutors:
Julian Theseira/ Lucas Hornung / Chong Cheng Yee

Interested alumni are also more than welcomed to join if you want to pick up some basic German (:

JENESYS VSscNH09 Post Return Orientation

On the 10th of January 2010, students from the JENESYS 09' programme were reunited once again after their two weeks stint to Japan in December in their Post Return Orientation Camp in Singgahsana Hotel, Petaling Jaya.

They spent the two days sharing about their experiences and feedback during the trip, about the places they visited and the sights they saw. Games were also played in between important sessions about understanding the cultural divide of Japan and Malaysia. The chaperons that led the students too gave their two cents about what was good, can be further improved and general opinions about the entire trip. Overall, everyone had very good reports about the trip and were excited to share how the experience had changed their lives and personal outlook on the world.

Lastly, a certificate awarding ceremony took place to acknowledge the success of each participating student for completing the two weeks JENESYS programme to Japan.

Boys bonding

Chaperon Alan Ch'ung giving out the awards to the participants

Once an AFSer, always an AFSer

Group photo
*All photos are credited to Marina Abdullah

Participants who would like to share their experience with us here in AFS Mas Alumni, do feel free to drop us an email at: suyin.chia@volunteer.afs.org.my (temporary account) with your essay/story/article/photo memories. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Toodles~ :D

Pre-Departure Orientation 09

On the 19th till 21st December 2009 the Pre-Departure Orientation was once again organized in the effort to help orientate, educate and facilitate overseas bound participants of the AFS Year Program to get better prepared for their journey. Held in Singgahsana Hotel, Petaling Jaya, this time around we saw 47 hyperactive participants from all across the nation gathered together for 3 days and 2 nights, while the poor volunteers had only 7 people between them to handle the bunch of over-excited 17 year olds.

The volunteer facilitators were: Chong Cheng Yee, Chia Suyin, Suraya Zainudin, Edmund Chua, Dexter Yin and Chia Sze Jian.

The day officially began with an ice-breaking session, a time where everyone got to know everyone. As volunteers, it was also our job to try and force them to memorize each other's names. *laughs*

Going round the room with self introduction

We held various discussions on many important topics such as how to blend into a new community with minimal culture shock, the importance of being open minded and such. There was room for us volunteers to share our past experiences, as well as room for the participants to express their hopes, dreams and even concerns of what the journey overseas would bring to them and their family. Ultimately, it was important to instill the sense of responsibility as a young Malaysian ambassador into them, and that they understood this was not just a travel program, but a cultural one that will change their lives.

Much knowledge to impart

Being serious whilst in discussion...or maybe not so?

Edmund sharing his experience in Argentina

The country orientation took the bulk of the 2nd day. Technically, it was an extended sessions where each volunteer, who was a AFS returnee from a specific country, would speak to the participants who are on their way to the same said coutry. Here volunteers can share specific cultural information and experiences, do's and don't and certain how to's that applies to the country. The participants, eager to know more, would suck the volunteers dry of information with never ending questions!

But of course, it wasn't just all talk and no play. We at AFS knew how to have fun too! We played games and energizers in between sessions, had one too many photo taking moments and even had our traditional lets-cram-into-the-volunteer's-room-and-tell-ghost-stories time. :D

Everyone doing the "Funky Chicken"

Nothing beats a back massage from a friend

Each participant was also given an AFS bag, the iconic yellow AFS luggage tags and a free "Just Different-lah" t-shirt. Look how happy the girls are with theirs.


All in all, it was a good orientation camp where strong bonds of friendship were fostered, not just within the participating group but also between them and the volunteers. We hope that this camp had served its purpose in better equipping the participants and extinguish most of the myths, uneasiness and unpreparedness that they may have had previously.

Have a safe trip guys!

Oh, and here are more pictures to satisfy your need to see more pictures.

These are the volunteers, who enjoyed the entire camp way too
much as compared to the students

They may look all good and innocent, but we knew better!

Group picture with the volunteers