Hi guys!

It's been awhile hasn't it! I know that many returnees have been periodically asking about volunteering opportunities and haven't received much feedback. Well I have got good news for you, because the volunteering season is now here! November to January is usually a very busy time in AFS, and we need all the help we can get!

Read on to find out where you can lend us your time, enthusiasm and youthful energy!

INTERNATIONAL ICL TRAINING

Starting on the 24th till 28th of November, 2011.

The National Office are looking for:

1) Volunteers to greet international visitors & arrange transportation to their hotel

All arrivals are on 2th November at 7:00am (G1), noon (G2), 8:00pm (G3) & 10:30pm (G4)

Contact Person-in-Charge, NAMBEE at nambee.ragavan@afs.org

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VOLUNTEER CONGRESS

Starting on the 25th till 28th November.

The National Office is looking for some 30 volunteers for various tasks.

For more info and registration, please contact Kak Nani by calling the National Office at 03 -7725 4966/03 - 7722 4866 or email her at nani.taha@afs.org

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INTENSIVE PROGRAM PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION

France Group

December 1, December 8 (1oam - 1pm @ National Office)

Italy & China Group

December 15, 9am - December 16, noon. (KL Hotel to be decided)

Turkey Group

December 23, (KL Hotel & time to be decided)

Germany Group

January 2, 2012 (KL hotel & time to be decided)

If you are interested, or need more info call the National Office at 03 -7725 4966/03 - 7722 4866 or contact Person-in-Charge Ms. Inani at inani.aziz@afs.org

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Volunteering in Chapters

Would you like to continue volunteering with AFS?

Would you like to be more involved in chapter activities?

Would you like to have the opportunity to get to know our hosted students in Malaysia?

Do you find it too hard to make it to events centered in Klang Valley only?

Click here here here!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/88524463780/doc/10150358596328781/

Camp Facilitator Training

Hello Guys!

Gosh it is already September! How time flies, and guess what? We have new events coming up so it's going to be a real exciting and buzzing end of the year.

For now, We are looking for individuals who are passionate about orientation camps and are available to participate in them. Here is a question.

Are you keen on being camp facilitator with AFS?

Have you received formal training with us yet?

If not, then apply today for the next Camp Facilitator's Training!

It's at Quality Hotel, Shah Alam from the 23rd - 25th September, 2011.

What you can do is write to us at afs.returnees@volunteer.afs.org.my with a short motivation letter as to why you are interested to join. Hurry! We only have some 4 seats for the Alumni, so serious takers only!

Any questions please comment here or email it to us and we'll reply to you ASAP! :)


Good day all you lovelies.

SPLASH before Ramadan! + Potluck

It's been a while, so let's make this next event extra fun! We are going to bond over water fights before Ramadan comes at Wet World, a water theme park located in Shah Alam (directions below).



Date: 30 July 2011 (Saturday)

Meeting place: Wet World entrance at 10am. Even if you arrive later, just buy a ticket, enter, and follow the group with the most noise :) As much as possible please keep the attendees limited to alumni only, please :)

Price: RM12 (pay on the spot)

How to go:
- By Car - check Google map - 'Wet World Shah Alam'. Parking is free! It's next to an aquarium/fish shop.
- Public transportation - [By rail] Get to Shah Alam KTM Station, then get taxi to Wet World (shouldn't cost more than RM10 - come with fellow returnees and share the cost :). [By bus] Bus U80 (RM2.50 one-way from KL Sentral) will stop in front of SIRIM Shah Alam, then you can walk to the theme park :)



Attire: Shirts and shorts/sweat pants are allowed. If possible wear AFS shirts so we can take some nice pictures.

To bring:
1) Towel and change of clothes.
2) Food (potluck and smuggle in style! - bring something that everybody can enjoy!)
3) Flip flops
4) If you have water guns, BRING IT. If you have balloons suitable to make water bombs, BRING IT.

Contact person: Suraya (0172029658 - text only please!)

AFS Intercultural Link newsletter is UP

Good news, people!

The AFS Intercultural link newsletter is UP!

In it, you'll find the key concepts of Intercultural Learning - essential for any international organization participants (and that includes you!) to know.



If you'd like to make contributions towards the newsletter, you can contact us and we'll direct you to the person who made this - Jason Lee - our senior (*cough*, I mean experienced) volunteer and also an AFS Malaysia boardmember.

Get it HERE now!

The Picnic!

Miss AFS?

Want to meet some AFSers and returnees from other countries?

Of course you do :D

If you guys want some love and bonding time, why not come to the The Picnic this Saturday 4 June 2011 at 4pm at Taman Tasik Taman Jaya (near Amcorp Mall)? It's nearby Taman Jaya LRT, so transportation is not a problem, ok! This month's theme is BBQ - so bring anything glazed with yummy sweet marinade - or just bring yourself!



The Picnic is organized every first Saturday of every month, so even if you cannot make it this time around, there will always be others to go to!

Much thanks to YES for organizing these wonderful sessions :) Map is below (can enlarge), or google yourself the coordinates 3.1059397264438,101.6482156535.

For more info, click here.

Volunteers for Hosting Camps

Dear all,

This June is an exciting time in AFS Malaysia as we're going to have a number of Hosting Camps coming up!

In case you're wondering, Hosting Camps are the orientation camps for hosted exchange students in Malaysia. AFS Malaysia is looking for fun-loving and dedicated returnee-volunteers to help lead the camps! You'll meet other awesome AFS volunteers, as well as some funky and interesting hosted students from all across the world.

We have three camps coming up next, they are : -

1. End of Stay Camp NH10 batch (11 - 15 June, 2011)
2. Mid Stay Camp SH11 batch (21 - 24 June, 2011)
3. Arrival Orientation Camp NH11 batch (14 - 16 July, 2011)

So if you are interested, please follow this link and fill up the application form ASAP! Remember that we only have limited space for volunteers, so you'll want to hurry!

p/s. It's alright if you've never done this before, we'll guide you along the way :)

How to Volunteer with AFS

I must admit, charts are my guilty pleasure. It's amazing stuff. It's straightforward, and looks nice!

So today, we have a chart for you who *wants to volunteer with AFS*. There has been so many questions from so many people who wants to jump into the AFS volunteering bandwagon that we are happily overwhelmed by the responses! So, we've made a special chart for you to follow :)

Just click to enlarge!

HELP WANTED

We are looking for fun-loving,

dedicated

TEAM-orientated
VOLUNTEERS

to join in our crew for the 53rd AFS Malaysia Gala Dinner / Farewell Dinner for YPnh 10 & SMsh 11. Job delegations will be briefed to you when you volunteer :) The Gala Dinner will be held on June 10th, 2011 at the prestigious Grand Season Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Currently, we're also looking for photographers and videographers for the event. You must have your own DSLR camera / video camera.

All who are interested to join in the adventure of making a night to remember for AFS Malaysia, are more than welcomed to email one of our Organizer Extraordinaire, Syant Alias at syant.alias@afs.org.my with details including: -

Your full name and contact number,
and if you are a returnee - your hosted country and year of exchange.

REMEMBER
spots are limited so hurry hurry with writing to us!

AFS Gala Dinner 2011

Hey there fellow Returnees,

When was the last time we last saw each other? Met again to catch up? When was the last time we spent hours just exchanging memories of our AFS journey, and spend even more hours talking about our current lives, and feeling that we're part of a bigger family out there?

Too long, too long ago. Don't you agree?

IF you are feeling just like me, and would like some AFS-goodness, then cheer up cause I have good news for you! Well now there is the PERFECT chance for us to meet again! Come 10th June, 2011 is AFS Malaysia's 53rd Annual Gala Dinner, and I think it would be a wonderful time and event if we would all go together. What do you think?

Below are the details regarding the Gala Dinner, so do let me know by emailing your details to afs.returnee@volunteer.afs.org.my. You can also contact us if you have further questions.

Place: Grand Seasons Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 10 June 2011
Time: 7.30pm onwards
Theme: Colours of the World

Ticket Price: RM100 per pax

Just in case you're wondering what to expect in the Gala Dinner, I've decided to write down some 5 solid reasons why you should come to the Gala Dinner. So here goes : -

1. It's a family reunion. In AFS, we are like one big happy, even though sometimes somewhat dysfunctionally funny family. And each year, we come to reunite to celebrate our family-ness! It's a time to catch out what fellow AFS-ers have been up to and have a good hearty meal like the Malaysians that we are :)

2. The AFS Gala Dinner 2011 is also a combination with the End of Stay Dinner of our hosted students of 2011. Come see and cheer for the foreign students who have spent their year in Malaysia and how they have experienced AFS in their own unique ways.

3. There will be a variety of performances during the night, many of which done by fellow AFS-ers and current AFS students having their exchange here in Malaysia. It's going to be a big, colourful night!

4. It's a very good reason to dress up, look damn good and party the house down with most fun people you know. And if AFSers doesn't know how to have fun, who does?

5. repeatedly read point 1 -4. :D oh, and plus +++ Grand Seasons has good food. We know, we tried it :D


So what are you waiting for? Go call up EVERYONE in your AFS batch, book a table to seat all of you, and get excited!

Guo Xian in Germany

My experience with AFS was extraordinary. Like every other AFSers, my experience was unique. Many might not understand what we had experienced. What I’m trying to say here is that every one of us learnt a precious lesson and had priceless experience even though we might not really enjoy the process of learning it sometimes. However, I had enjoyed mine a lot.

As soon as I finished my SPM, I attended my first orientation camp with AFS. It was a great experience, and filled with joy and laughter. At that moment we were confident that we were well prepared for the exchange program. The excitement continued for another 3-4 weeks, until the day we (those who went Germany, =)) gathered in KLIA and flew to Germany. Our excitement was at the maximum level upon arrival in Germany.

For the next whole month it was always a good experience. Everything seemed new to us. Right after the camp (LOC, late orientation camp), I went to London with my class. London is a cool city. Although it was the capital of England, the air wasn’t as polluted as it is in Kuala Lumpur. I also went on a trip to Berlin during the first month. It was a 4 days 3 nights trip and it was excellent. We had a tour around Berlin but too bad I cannot understand everything because it all in German.

After 3 months when I was thankful that I had “survived” for 3 months, but was the most boring part of the program. Because everything is settled, I had nothing else to do. I started to read books and also watched televisions to overcome my boredom. I also played with my host brother with his video games console. It was always fun to have a little brother that had the same interest with me. I picked up some drum from him (Too bad both my hands cannot synchronize. :/), and also learned some guitar from him. Apart from that, I hung out more often with friends during weekends.

It was summer holidays in July during my stay in Germany. It was the happiest time in my whole experience. I had a 6 weeks holiday and I went on a mid-stay camp (not with AFS) for 3 weeks and had a lot of fun during these 3 weeks. It was organized by another organization and the participants were international. We stayed in an open-air museum in Cloppenburg. The museum itself is surrounded by walls, where all the 18^th, 19^th century buildings were moved from all parts of Germany to this little town.

During the work camp, we had the river cleaned up, cleaned the wells, built some house to cover logs. We stayed in an old German house which had at least 100 years of history, and cooked our own food in a kitchen. During weekdays after working, we had the chance to learn about German history, for example, how people lived in middle age German, how they cook, write, etc. During weekends we would go around the large cities nearby, like Hamburg, Bremen and Bremenhaven. It was a good experience, and it was also a turning point in my experience. After the summer camp ended, I became more outgoing, I started to visit the other exchange students and cities, and I picked up some guitar from a friend, and started to read German stories and articles.

After 1 week the camp had ended, I moved to Berlin for 2 weeks. As I arrived in Berlin, I met my second host family, which is only for two weeks. While in Berlin, I was on top of the Berlin TV-tower (radio tower, like KL tower.), it was amazing to look around Berlin from the top, especially for the sunset. It was pretty but too bad my camera’s battery died at the time. For the next two weeks, I enjoyed myself to the max. Berlin is a good choice for a holiday. Of all of the places of interest, I like Madamme Tussauds and the river the best. I also had a free tour to the Mercedes Benz factory. It was located right behind the apartment my host family was living in. It was huge and fun because I got a free tour by the manager since he was also an exchange student and since he was generous enough. This is actually the first time I am proud of my German because I did not use any English words throughout the whole tour, and yet I understood everything. 2 weeks passed really fast, and I enjoyed my 6 weeks summer holiday in Germany.

The time flies. It was then the last 3 weeks of my stay in Germany. It was the first white Christmas I ever had. It was really cool because I have never seen snow in the past 17 years. Now that I have a chance to experience it, I made a snowman, of course, and also played snow wars with my host brothers. They were good. I am always the loser if we were to fight against each other alone. However, I will always cooperate with my younger host brother against the other because he is seriously too good at it. There was once that I actually ate some snow by accident. Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun. Also, I decorated the Christmas tree and exchanged Christmas present with them. One week after was New Years. It was a pleasant experience to celebrate New Years with my family members. We played poker the whole day, and even though I suck at it, I had a lot of fun.

Throughout the whole year, I experienced joy and laughter, sadness, anger and so on. Even though some of us did not have an entirely good experience, we actually enjoyed it because no matter what happened, we learnt a lot of things that are useful in our future. If you are exchange student in the future, and also, I wish you all have a good and pleasant experience and all the best in the future.

Yau Guo Xian

AFS YP Germany 2010/2011

A Talk for YOU?

Dear all,

We have been allocated 30 free seats to a talk titled "Perangi Kerintangan Ubat-Ubatan Bertindak Hari Ini Untuk Penawar Masa Depan" organised by the International Youth Centre KL in conjunction with Hari Kesihatan Sedunia. Details as below :

Date : Tuesday, 10th May 2011
Time : 7:30 pm
Venue : Dewan Kampo, Pusat Belia Antarabangsa

For further info/details, please refer to the attachment enclosed.

If you are interested, kindly let me know by 8th May 2011. Any other expenses incurred is at your own cost.

Thanks & regards
Nani Taha




Nani Taha
Office Administrator
AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia
40 A Jalan SS22/21, Damansara Jaya
Petaling Jaya, 47400 Selangor
Tel: +603 77224866 / 77254966
Fax: +603 77253966 / 77221105
Email: nani.taha@afs.org
Web: www.afs.org.my

AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia 1st Idea Spinners Meeting: Intercultural Learning, Training and Beyond

Dear all,


As part of our strategic plan in developing AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia as the regional intercultural learning hub in Asia, we are inviting motivated returnees and members of AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia to come join us in the inaugural Idea Spinners Meeting on May 20th-May 22nd at Quality Hotel Shah Alam. The theme for the first Idea Spinners Meeting is "Intercultural Learning, Training and Beyond". This 3 day event aims to get together the best minds within our organization to plan, develop and execute trainings and modules that would tap into our expertise in intercultural learning and push forward the organization to beyond intercultural exchanges.

We are looking for highly motivated individuals to attend this meeting in May with the following qualities:-
1) Passionate about developing modules with the ability to follow through the development and execution of the modules
2) Team player and ability to work with other highly energized individuals
3) Willing to sacrifice your time to help drive AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia to higher levels

With your participation in the Idea Spinners Meeting, we promise you the following:-
1) Your chance to be a change agent within the organization
2) Opportunity to work with people with diverse talents and skills both locally and internationally
3) Develop your intercultural communication skills
4) Working with individuals who are equally as passionate about intercultural learning such as yourself
5) Recognition in the modules you have developed

If you think you are up for the challenge, kindly fill in the following form before the 6th May and we will get back to you by the 13th May to inform you on the results. Limited space is available so why wait? This is your chance to contribute and we would love to hear from you. The link for application is:-
http://tinyurl.com/ideaspinners2011

However, if you are unable to make it to the meeting and would like to contribute, kindly fill in the form and also indicate that you are unable to make it to the meeting this time. We will try to absorb you into different workgroups based on your skill sets and interest.

As a reminder, closing date is by 6th May 2011.

Thank you.

The Idea Spinners Team

Suitcase of Memories in Italy

Hi there & ciao! I’m Muhammad Faizan, an AFSer from Sabah, Malaysia, who went abroad on an Intensive Program to Italy during the short winter terms break (18Dec-18Feb).

18 December 2010 is an unforgettable date for me. All of us (32 Malaysian students) had actually step foot in Rome after the 13hours+ ride in the airplane. We were greeted with warm welcome by the AFS volunteers. All of us were so excited plus crazy that time as we had made our first Italian friends with those volunteers as soon as we meet up at the airport. The volunteers then took us to the arrival orientation camp in a hotel at Rome and we had so much fun throughout the camp. I can still remember the following morning as we including two of our friends from South Africa experience our first white snow in Rome. We were like monkeys non-stop taking picture with the snow without wearing any winter jacket and the temperature was like almost 0˚C. Mamma Mia! E molto freddo (Very cold)! I almost caught the flu that day.

The following day, we were split into groups and was sent to our respective host family throughout Italy. I was placed at the northern part of Italy which is located in small town called Cassine, Alessandria.

I was in a 9hours train along with some of my Malaysian friends going north. I only had one host sister and mom and dad in my host family. My host sister was very generous in letting me to use her bedroom during my 2 months stay because she seldom stayed at home as she is in university right now. She is currently doing her practical in medicine in Torino. My host dad is a director while my host mom is a tourist guide in that area. Although my host parents are quite busy with their career, there was never a day that they would not treat me with a generous heart. Sometimes, I follow my host mom on her tour guides every week and so I had a chance to visit many places in Italy!

Then I attended my first day of school. I was placed in a Liceo Linguistico (language school) in Alessandria. I learned other kinds of foreign languages which I never expected to ever learn. I met many new friends with various kinds of faces and attitudes. Some of them are friendly and nice, yet some of them are way too crazy and are passionate to know about me and my home country as they don’t know where and what Malaysia is. But as least, they know where Borneo a.k.a Sabah and Sarawak is and it make my job lot more easier to introduce Malaysia to them!

I can still remember the day when I present my Malaysian presentation to my fellow friends, wearing full set of Baju Melayu that I brought all the way from Malaysia. With only around 30minutes of my presentation, they were all amazed with the beauty of Malaysia, the culture and also the people. Some of the teacher and students even plan to visit Malaysia someday. Proud to be Malaysian! Being a young ambassador representing your home country is a honor especially when you are in a completely different surrounding. Not to mention the language. But I manage to speak their language fluently with all the help from my teachers and friends. This helped me to communicate with the people in my surrounding a lot easier. With that, I can now speak a total of 5 different languages, including Italian and Spanish.

My relationship with my host family and the people in my town is one of the important part in my experience. I was welcomed with incredible hospitality by the people at Cassine as soon as I first arrived. Not to mention my host family but many of the people of Cassine gathered and prepared a welcome feast for me. And that is the first time I ate my host mom homemade meal. To be straight forward, my host mom and my sister are great cookers. Thanks to it because now I can eventually cook many kinds of Italian meal and dessert, including lasagna which I like the most!

The following morning, I was in the local newspaper. Throughout my home stay at Italy, I was visited by quite a number of people. First is a doctor (my host sister friend) from Peru who celebrate Christmas Eve and New Years Eve together with the family. And another one is a girl (a friend of mine) from Malaysia. Their appearances during my home stay in Cassine really turn-out to be an unforgettable memory for me which I can't really describe it one by one.

As time pass by, our relationships became deeper and deeper. I was well recognized among the people at the town and also in the city of Alessandria. As I walk into the streets, I was like part of it where I belong to which I cannot described or explained in only a few sentences. Every AFSer knows that feeling. My life as an exchange student as well as a young ambassador of Malaysia ended just as quickly as how it started. The two months in Italy was definitely more than just a student exchange programme. It had changed my life entirely as a person.

The suitcase of memories with my host family, school friends and the people in Italy as well as my others foreign and Malaysian friends really will stay in my heart forever. I hope that someday, I will have the chance to see all of them again. No matter whatever and wherever the circumstances are, this bond of friendships and relationships will never end. With AFS, I believe that the people in the world really are connected. Sharing different culture and different ways of living truly lead to a peaceful and better world.

Thank you,

Grazie mille per tutto AFS!

Muhammad Faizan Bin Mohamad Su'ait

AFS Returnee,

Italy Intensive Programme 2010-2011

En Ying in ITALY

There are many things in life that cannot be described or explained in a few sentences. My experience with AFS to Italy is one of them. Standing right under the Coliseum, it is definitely a dream come true as I have always been longing to come to this part of the world. But all too soon, I am snapped back to reality. I am here as a young ambassador of Malaysia in this marvelous country, and not as a tourist.

16 December 2010 is a date I will never forget in my life. All the 32 Malaysians gathered at the Maluri Hotel, Cheras for a pre-departure orientation. A few AFS volunteers shared with us their experience of being abroad as exchange students under AFS. That evening, we departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, leaving family members behind in tears. For most of us, that was the first time travelling to a faraway country without the company of our families. Quickly, friendships were fostered amongst the merry group. All I had in mind at that very moment was, I should be grateful for being selected to participate in this once in a lifetime chance.

As I stepped foot on to Rome, the once capital of the world as its name is in Latin, I totally had no idea what lay ahead that would change my life so profoundly. The journey is yet to begin. In the beginning, there were lots of obstacles to be overcome. The culture was so different, not to mention the language, but I clearly knew that these were some of the reasons for me being here.

I was welcomed with incredible hospitality by my host family. We lived in a small village named Sant’Agata dei Goti. My host sister had been very generous in sharing her bedroom with me. Although my host parents are quite busy with their career, there was never a day that they would not treat me with a generous heart. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them from the bottom of my heart for all of their patience and unconditional kindness for letting me become a part of their lives. Of course, there is no way I could forget the trip to Rome and Naples with my host family.

Besides that, I was also glad to have a chance to celebrate some of the main festivals such as Christmas, New Year and Epiphany in the Italian way. We went to one of the majestic churches on Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day. I was totally amazed by the painstaking carvings in the church. We had a late lunch on Christmas Eve, a very late one indeed, which started at around 6pm. A variety of scrumptious, typical Christmas Eve dishes were served. The atmosphere of the festival was made merrier by the presence of relatives from afar.

As this is a school-based programme, we were required to attend school. In school, everyone enthusiastically helped me to fit in. Just in a few days, I was already involved in a drama which required me to speak in Italian! As I attend a classical school, Liceo Classico Tito Livo, I had to study subjects such as English, Italian, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education and many more. The challenging part was that all the subjects were taught in Italian. In the first two weeks of school, I had to fight boredom listening to the professors teach in a language so unfamiliar, which made me unable to track the beginnings and the ends of the lessons.

My Italian professor gave me crossword puzzles to help me learn some basic Italian vocabulary. Then, there was my English teacher, who was also my tutor, and who even challenged me to introduce Malaysia to my schoolmates in Italian. At last, I managed to promote the wonders of Malaysia to almost all of the classes. This is my first step as an ambassador to let the other corners of the world know Malaysia better. The students were also very cooperative and expressed their curiosity about Malaysia by asking lots of questions.

My schoolmates threw a party for me on the last week of my stay in Italy. They organized a sort-of fashion show and I was to wear baju kurung to school. The main idea of the fashion show was to make a comparison of the daily clothing and traditional costumes of Malaysia and Italy. I was shocked when I saw another Italian friend of mine wearing cheong sam! The student representative of the school even made a short video for me and I was simply touched by their thoughtfulness.

I also found myself discovering new bonds of friendship between myself and my schoolmates, although initially I knew that both party could barely understand what the other party was talking about. So, I began by communicating with everybody slowly so that the vocabulary will get into my head. As time went on, words after words were forced into my mind and before I realized it, I could already participate in many of the conversations, ignoring the grammar mistakes I made.

Some of the most cherished moments during my homestay in Italy were born out of daily lives, too. Little things such as watching football matches with the family while listening to them cheering for their favourite teams, going out for a walk with friends in the historical centre of the village on Saturday nights, playing Scopa (a popular Napolethan card game) with nonna (grandma) on Sunday mornings and watching many of the Italian movies or listening to Italian songs were all the unforgettable memories that made my two months stay more wonderful than ever.

Looking back, I remember the times being showered with questions such as: Do Malaysians have tigers as pets? Do Malaysians live on trees? Oh, so, Malay characters do not look like Chinese characters at all, and they are written in alphabets too? Perhaps some of these questions may sound ridiculous, but to me, I am proud to have done my part of clearing the misconceptions of the many Italian friends of mine about my home country.

My two months in Italy as an exchange student as well as a young ambassador of Malaysia ended just as quickly as how it started. It really broke my heart to part with all my beloved family and friends. However, the suitcase of memories and experiences that I would not have achieved anywhere else will be etched in my mind for the rest of my life. These experiences belong to me, and there is no need for me to compare my experience with the other Malaysians who went along together with me because no one could have the same experience as mine, and I cannot have theirs either. Thanks for the memories, guys!

AFS gave me a strong belief that we are able to make this world a better place as long as we are willing to be tolerant. If I were given another chance, I would surely want to share Malaysia with more people from more places. The two months in Italy was definitely more than a student exchange programme. It totally had changed my life somehow and prepared me for the road yet to come. For this, I shall be grateful to AFS, my host family and family, both my schools in Malaysia and in Italy, and of course all my friends!

GRAZIE MILLE PER TUTTO!!! (THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! )

Summer Academy on Intercultural Experience

Dear Returnees,

AFS Germany will again organize the “Summer Academy on Intercultural
Experience”. This program will take place in the city of Karlshruhe
(which is the southern part of Germany) for two weeks. It is a
cooperation between the Karlshochschule – International University
and AFS Germany.

The Summer Academy will last two weeks (August 1st - August 12th 2011)
and you can enroll for either one or two weeks. Classes will be
organized in three different tracks:

This is the second year that this program is offered and there are in
fact a limited number of scholarships available for AFS Returnees!
Yes, that means all of you quality! These scholarships are partial
scholarships and valid for a 2-week enrolment in the Summer Academy.
Your are required to contribute 450 € and the scholarships will cover:
accommodation, participation and the reimbursement of air fares (Up to
700 € will be reimbursed to you for your airfare upon completion on
the program)

The following criteria will be relevant in the awarding process:

- Intercultural experience (e.g. internships abroad, semester abroad,
school exchange)
- English language proficiency (level C1 highly recommended)
- Academic record of the past 2 years (Grade average of at least 2,3
respectively B)
- Proven record of active participation within the civil society (e.g.
community service programs, volunteer work, school/class
representative)
- Individual indigence of the applicant

In case of equal qualification of applicants, preferential
consideration for scholarships will be given to those who are
successfully participating in the AFS Core Competency Development
Program.

Please note that this is only a partial scholarship and you will have
to come up with the 450 € commitment fee (non refundable) and also the
initial airfare to Germany which will be reimbursed back to you likely
in September by AFS Germany. This scholarship is not offered by AFS
Malaysia and we do not have control over the selection of candidates.
AFS Germany will be the one handling all the logistics and courses.

More information can be obtained from their website at
http://summeracademy-karlsruhe.org

If you like more details on the program, I can share with you some of
my experience on the program as I was part of the pioneering batch
last year.


Kind regards,

Jason Lee
Director for Returnees Affairs
Returnee Australia 2000
Jason.Lee@afs.org

ADAPT Aftermath

AFS Malaysia Alumni and the core committee of the ADAPT movement would like to thank each and everyone of our participants for your kind and super-b-ly enthusiasm in joining/supporting the ADAPT flash mob that happened on 23rd January at e@Curve! The journey has been long, tiring but totally fulfilling cause it was just sooooooo muuuucccchhh ffffuuuuuuunnnn!

Now that that photos are up, we'll just let the pictures do the talking :)


after tonnes of meetings....

...came tonnes of practices. For dance...

...for formation (and loads of fun yelling and head bobbings!)

...to learning how to sign "Imagine" at the park

Miss Cheng Shae Nee woo-ed the crowd with her beautiful rendition of a CNY song

whoopsies make way, fireworks boys and gals coming througghhhhhhhhh....

first we did the point to the sky thing... cause we awesome like that,

then we did the star thing....

and the get together in a circle thing...

and the merry-a-go-go-round thing, cause we're "fireworks" :D

"Imagine" singing with our hands

Amalen was our charming host for the day after the performance.

Kudos to the dynamic duo that brought the performance together : Karen & Shu Fei

and lots of play time after the event :D


Watch the videos!



The ongoings on performance day



THE PERFORMANCE!

Of course, these are but a tiny, itsy bitsy, eeney weeney portion of all the pictures and videos that was taken over the course of this performance production. Check out more of the photo collections by clicking HERE (find & tag your friends and you!)

all photos are credited to our wonderful, heavyweight camera wielding superheroes Hsien Yew, Mark, Isaac Cheah, Jason Leong and many others!

Japan Will be in Our Hearts Forever

“Japan will be in our hearts forever,” was one of the phrases mentioned by the participants when the JENESYS Programme was nearly coming to an end. Perhaps this was why the JENESYS Programme was so unique; it touched each and every soul of the participants; it had the power to create the ever all embarrassing moments when tears came flooding out from the eyes of literally everyone more than once, beyond the understanding and comprehension of those who first felt that parting could be so difficult.

In a society where the values of respect, tolerance, care, and accommodation have been embedded in every citizen, I have always said, “Never underestimate the Japanese’s hospitality.” Throughout the programme, all volunteers had shown dedication beyond their own tasks and responsibilities, they treated everyone with great compassion. The places that they have brought us to: the Kiyomizudera temple and the Arashiyama in Kyoto, the Peace Memorial Park and the Disaster Reduction Centre in Hiroshima would be entirely different, if there were no signs of constant welcoming smiles and friendliness on their faces.

But beyond their great hospitality, I found that the Japanese are bonded from one to another, civilised for the sake of the community and disciplined for the sake of others. One of the situations that we encountered was in the Kansai Airport, Osaka. At that time, we were all rushing to the first lavatory that we could immediately caught sight of, which was just located not more than 10 metres from the escalator. Immediately, we were informed by the airport officials to avoid congesting to the washroom as it hindered others from walking past the route. And, you will most likely gasp when you enter their washrooms, because of its unusual cleanliness that you can almost never see in Malaysia. As some people put it, “You can always sleep in the toilets of Japan.” If you were in Japan, you will also realise that the fire extinguishers, unlike in Malaysia are placed literally at the corners of the floor, without any form of containment.

What’s up next is how the Japanese put things at their own hands when it comes to the environment. Virtually everywhere there are recycle bins, but finding a trash bin is a difficult task in Japan. It has become a habit of the local people to carry their trash with them back home. Walking down the streets, there are cyclers along the clean pathway. Cycling and walking are few of the preferable transport means to the Japanese.

Overall, the JENESYS programme has taught me a lot. Besides those mentioned above, I have also learnt the importance of peace and harmony, the effects of an atomic war, ways to prevent disasters and how to face one when it hit you and of course, love.

Michael Fork

JENESYS 2010

My Experiences in JENESYS Program

Hi! My name is Nor Aqilah, JENESYS returnee 2010. I will start my story from the very first moment I know about AFS.

One afternoon, my 2^nd sister was surfing the internet for information on student exchange programs because she wanted to apply for it. She found AFS, but unfortunately she can’t apply for the AFS program because she was already beyond the age requirement. So she asked me to apply instead. At first, I don’t want to apply because I know I am not qualified. But everybody in my family supported me. So I just applied.

A few week later, after I came back home from school, I found a letter from AFS in my mailbox; I was so happy that I was jumping around with my sisters. I read that letter and it asked me to go for an interview at JPN PERAK on 7^th Jun 2010. I went there with my sisters. The best part was that I was the first person to enter the interview room. Luckily, I’m not a nervous and panicky type of person, so I went inside the room with confidence. In the room, I talked about myself and answered their questions. I did some syair since I’m not really good at dancing and singing. Then I went back home, relieved.

About 2 months later, I got the letter for the Selection Camp in Kuala Lumpur. And I got a place in JENESYS Program. This is where the real story begins.

Before departing to Japan, we had to attend a pre-departure orientation for 2 days and 1 night at Hotel Maluri Cheras Kuala Lumpur. We did games and some sessions to prepare ourselves in Japan. It was fun.

On 4 Dec 2010, at 11.50pm I boarded the Malaysia Airlines flight MH52. It took about 6-7 hours from Malaysia to Kansai Airport in Japan. We arrived in Japan at about 6.30 am. As we arrived there, we were welcomed by the JTB people. We then took a bus and travelled to Osaka, about an hour’s journey. When we arrived in Osaka, we had to attend an arrival orientation. In the hall at Otsu Prince Hotel, more than 400 JENESYS scholars from other countries were gathered. We took this opportunity to introduce ourselves and make friends. I met people from New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, and more. In that orientation I was in the group called Country Mix 9 or also known as CM 9. We stayed one night at Rhiga Royal Hotel.

The next day, we went to Kiyomizu-dera (temple) in Kyoto. The view at the temple was really nice with the variation colour of the leaves, red yellow and orange. It was a view that I’ve never seen in my life. The weather was cold; it’s about 9°C. I learned about Japanese beliefs when they come to this temple. For lunch, we went to Arayashima to eat udon. The udon was served in a very unique way. It was really delicious. I ate all of it and nothing was left behind except for the meat, because I’m a Muslim.

After lunch, we started our journey to Hiroshima by shinkansen or in English, the Bullet Train. It is a very fast train, travelling at about 300km/h. It is the fastest train in the world and is considered to be never late. It took about an hour and the half from Kyoto to Hiroshima. When we arrived in Hiroshima, they brought us to Okanomiyaki Restaurant for dinner. It is one of my favorite food in Japan. I love it so much. We stayed at Rhiga Royal Hotel and my room number is 2705. We stayed for 2 days and 1 night.

Dec 6 2010, our first study trip in Hiroshima was the Peace Memorial Park. I learned about the Bomb-Dome, Cenotaph and Children Peace Monument. We cannot make noise while we were there. We ate udon again for lunch, but this time we ate it in a traditional Japanese style. After lunch we went to the Hiroshima Reduction Centre. Here, I experienced man-made earthquake at the size of 7 magnitudes. I also learned about how to escape from smoke when a building is on fire and rode the fire truck. After that, we went to the Hiroshima Memorial Museum. I didn’t have a chance to explore the museum because it is the time for me to do my prayer. So, I have to search place to take ‘wudu’ and pray. I decided to pray at the bus parking lot, I prayed between two buses.

Dec 7- Dec 12. This was the time when all JENESYS scholar would spend our 5 days at our host community and family. My host community was in Kumamoto. My host parents live in condominium. I shared host family with one Indonesian girl named Ferralda. I’m the only Malaysian in that Kumamoto group. I tried my best to be a good ambassador of Malaysia. My school was at Kumamoto-Kita High school, we spent 2 days there. There, I explained about Malaysia culture, food, education system and our flag. I also brought a replica of the PETRONAS Twin Tower and showed it to the Japanese student. I also explain what I know about it to them. The Japanese student was really nice and friendly. Time flew really fast, I was reluctant to go back to Tokyo and I cried a lot at the last night.

We went to Tokyo from Kumamoto Airport by flight. When I arrived at the Tokyo Airport, I was so happy to meet my fellow Malaysians, you won’t know how much I miss Bahasa Malaysia. Dec 14 was our last day in Japan. That day, all 559 students from all the different countries were gathered in a big auditorium for a closing event which is the JENESYS Festival 2010 and Pre-Departure Orientation. There were a lot of dances from about 10 countries. It was a happening event. After the event, we travelled from Tokyo to Narita and stayed at Marroad International Hotel Narita.

The next day, we went to Narita Airport. Our flight was at 10.30 am. And this is the time all of us from Malaysia felt sad and happy at the same time. Sad because we had to leave Japan, happy because we are coming back to our country, a land where we belong. The conclusion of my experiences is this, I learned to be myself and confident. I appreciate my country more and wish to bring changes. I gained a lot of wonderful experiences that helped me to be matured. I made a lot of friend from many countries, which is better than chatting with them. These are the experiences that I will never forget and wish to share it with people. Thank You AFS Malaysia and Japan for giving me these unforgettable moments.

NOR AQILAH BT SEDEK SHAH,

IPOH PERAK,

JENESYS 2010.

YP & SP Volunteers Needed

Hello all,

It is time for the much anticipated annual Year Program Pre-departure Orientation Camp! So busy busy busy with preparations and organizations! We need help! Hence we are looking for willing, fun-minded, hotel food loving, great with crazy kids returnee-volunteers to join our camp facilitator bandwagon :)

We are in need for *facilitators that can stay for the whole duration as well as returnee with fresh experience to pass on to the next generation in the country orientation (2nd day of camp).

Send us an email at suyin.chia@volunteer.afs.org.my / chengyee.chong@volunteer.afs.org.my if you are able to join us with the following details:

Who:
All YEAR PROGRAM & SEMESTER PROGRAM returnees only

Camp Date:
14th - 16th January, 2011

Location:
Quality Hotel, Shah Alam

Stay required:
YES for main facilitators / NO only for country briefing volunteers

We will answer any inquiries ASAP! Your favorite student exchange organization thanks you :)



If you don't qualify this time around, don't feel bummed out! There's more events and activities happening REAL soon! Have you checked out our ADAPT page yet? :D


*New returnees / first time volunteers are highly encouraged to apply. Relive the memories. Pass on the experience!

ADAPT - AFS Deaf Awareness Project

AFS is kicking off 2011 with another fun, yet meaningful project called the AFS Dear Awareness Project (ADAPT). Inspired by hearing-impaired volunteers of our own, ADAPT aims to raise awareness for the deaf community among society members like us by introducing and learning Malaysian Sign Language (MYSL) in a fun way! There’s even a Flash mob zomgoodness!

What are we doing you ask? Well for starters, we are launching a 2 week pledge to post your ADAPT M.Y.S.L profile pic and AFS badge on Facebook starting 8 January! Then, we're going to close the event with a BANG by having a flash-mob signing the song "Imagine" by John Lennon (inspired by Glee!) at a yet undisclosed location within Klang Valley!

So YES! Come join us at our Facebook page where you can find tips and guidelines on how to be a part of this campaign (and also see who is already involved!) Hurry! Download the step-to-step guide today on how YOU can be a part of ADAPT on Facebook and join the flashmob!