Sri Aman Eco Rangers

Custodes Terra Meeting 27th February

2012-03-04T22:06:00.000+08:00

Yo, what’s up, people?

Our beloved Custodes Terra Club held a meeting in the Physics Lab on the 27^th of February. Well, it wasn’t really IN the Physics Lab, because there was an outdoor activity. A treasure hunt. To be more specific, a treasure hunt that involves green knowledge. Yeah.

It was cool, I guess – and a hearty congratulations and a slap on the back for the faithful Custodes Terra members who were present. Wow, I kind of guessed that the number of members present would decrease slowly but surely, but I have underestimated these members. Even thought it was going to be the end of the second month; there were more than a hundred members who came. That’s awesome. But the amount of noise made… dude. But I guess you win some, you lose some, huh?

HAHAHA. Get it? Dynamic equilibrium?

Okay, so anyway – we held a treasure hunt. Our new vice president; Anati, was in charge of handling the meeting, along with our new secretary; Alya Zulaikha. Sound pollution increased, and they couldn’t use the microphone unfortunately, as there was something wrong with it. Technical problems.

So these people had to raise their voices and all, and there was a bit of a confusion going on. It seems like there were two group fives – another two groups of, um… something else. Though I don’t know how that happened. Alya seemed to do a pretty swell job of dividing people up with her mental arithmetic (which takes a lot of mentality, because of the number of heads bobbing in the lab). Then, Anati gave out the clues – everyone received the same clue, and they rushed to their first destination – which would be the surau’s water harvesting tank.

There was a hubbub there too, as the person who held on to the next clue was told to hide – and she hid REALLY WELL. Ema Marya managed to blend in with the crowd, and no one seemed to notice that she didn’t belong to any group. I would have been fooled too, because seriously, the number of people swarming around was just too many. Like, um… maggots in infested food or something.

Then when the groups rushed around; some of the last groups found that there weren’t enough clues. They didn’t get any clues; and there was a bit of a commotion. No one knows where the clues went, as the clues were checked several times before being given to the holder. Either the holders ate the clues, or the clues just magically disappeared. Personally, I don’t think the holders ( Ema, Khairah, Durrah, Maryam, Ila) would be that hungry.

Well, the last clue was to find Anati and register – Anati was trying to put white pebbles around the stepping stones in the Herbs Garden – when just a few minutes later, a group came whizzing by and one of the members grabbed her like a hunter would grab a rabbit.

After that, more groups appeared and registered. Once registered, they waited for the other groups to arrive in the Physics Lab. It was surprising how fast the groups managed to solve the clues, and especially how fast they ran. Dude, if they ran like that in the road run held annually, they could win BIG. Once everyone was in the lab, Alya and Anati sorted out the winners. Only to find that only one group managed to glean all the clues. The first few groups were fast; but most of them didn’t get the clues from Ema.

Well. There’s a lesson to be learned from all this. Planning is important – and never play hide and seek with Ema. HAHAHA. After that though, Anati apologized and said the treasure hunt wasn’t really planned out as they didn’t have ample time. So to pass the time, they had a quiz. Some people could answer, some couldn’t.

Most of the people who couldn’t were absent during the Bio-Enzyme Workshop. To the people who were absent then, click on the a bio-enzyme post put up in the past. You’ll understand more.

After the quiz, our newly-elected president; Syafiqah, took over. She announced that there would be eco books supplied to each member. These eco books are used to accumulate eco points. A certain number of eco points can earn you more koko marks; and even a position in the board in future. So guardians, step up and be a HERO. Not just any hero, but a proactive hero, and we’ll all be heroes together.

So, people, I think this marks the end of this post. Just a reminder, but this blog gets updated every weekend, be it Saturday or Sunday. Visit the Sri Aman Planeteers on Facebook too, which is our club’s official Facebook page. Usually, important notices are posted there – or at the notice board in school, and even this blog.

Until next time, then.

Custodes Terra Meeting 6th of February

2012-02-25T17:21:00.001+08:00

Yo, blog-readers. Sorry I didn't update last week. It, uh... kind of slipped my mind.

Seriously, I was wondering why I had more time on my hands than usual - and then I remembered just now. Man, I suck.

So - on to the next topic. Our beloved Custodes Terra Club held a meeting on the 6th of February. The Physics Lab was noisy as usual; and Farhanah had to raise her voice again. Honestly, I don't understand why people need to talk when it's clearly suffocating in that lab. Chairs squeaking and creaking, people talking loudly, exhaling the acidic gases of carbon dioxide... Oh man.

Well, Farhanah managed to catch everyone's attention - she told everyone to ensure that their attendance was taken. Then, she started to give members to their groups. Some members had to weed the Herbs Garden, some other members had to go to the back of Block E to clear up the shelves there, some cleared up the Eco Corner, and so on. I didn't manage to catch all the details that day, because I had both hands tied up with the attendance. It was kind of confusing, since there's an overload of members and the atmosphere's too noisy. I have to salute Atikah, who's undoubtedly a pro at that. Dude, she managed to tick most of the attendance in just a few minutes.

There was also a Custodes Musicus Audition held in the school's gallery for those who were interested to join. Many people were interested at first; but when they heard practices were held regularly on a Saturday - well, let's just say the number of interested members was the definite opposite of the number of people who attended Justin Bieber's concert. The DEFINITE OPPOSITE.

So people were filing out of the lab and to their respective assigned places; when Farhanah called out a few names she wanted to meet outside the lab immediately. She rubbed that in a few times, so I guessed it was something serious - especially when my name was called along too. I'm a good student, don't get me wrong; but at times like these - I just don't trust myself. So I started to scan the list of possibilities of why I got called out along with these... these monsters.

I thought I was going to get busted because I knocked over a potted plant that very morning. I grabbed the attendance sheets, gathered them up, and made my way along with the crowd of members out into the open. I say that most of them were laready gathered there with Farhanah, and I was the latest to arrive. So all I heard was something about the new B.O.D (Board Of Directors). Also about the fact that Nur Syafiqah Adam Malik has snagged the position as president. Hey, Syafiqah, if you're reading this - congratulations!

While Farhanah named the positions, other members were weeding the herbs garden around us.

Then, she said she would leave the club in our hands - or something like that. This was terrifying in a way, to imagine our hands handling the club.

But I guess, if you take it in a metaphorical way - it wouldn't be too bad. I think. So Syafiqah gave out all the duties to the rest of the members and we dispersed. While everyone was gone, both of us sat at the table near the Herbs Garden and started to mark the attendance sheets. We were happily finishing up our task, when one of the members came up to us and reported that one of the other members knocked over a potted plant - which cracked into three pieces.

We dealt with the matter in a cool way - told the member to find the one of the workers around here and ask if there were any spare pots going. They could plant it there temporarily, before we buy a more suitable pot. Then, Puan Yeo sat with us at the table and started discussing the activities which will be held this year - there'll be orientation, installation and more. I'd like to tell you guys more - but we'll leave it there first, okay? I'll sneak in more previews if I can next time. I'll also try posting the new Board of Directors if I get the list, okay? There wasn't an official meeting on the 13th of February, but there were Custodes Musics auditions. The next meeting will be held on the 27th of February; so I'll see you guys there.

Before I go, here's a fun fact about the environment for you :-

LESS than 10% of the sea has been explored by humans. Even so, humans have discovered dangerous creatures like angler fish and more. It's great to meet creatures like this - but the more we destroy their natural habitats underwater; more of them will appear close to shore and one day - even going to the beach won't be safe any more, if the creatures are angered into attacking us.

Remember; destroy the sea, and the sea will destroy you.

Don't anger nature - if you don't want an angler fish on your tail. Until next time, peace out.

Kelab Pengguna Competition

2012-02-04T19:16:00.000+08:00

Yo, guys, I'm in a hurry here - but as I'm a GOOD head of blog, I'm still making time for this blog. HAHAHA!~
So on the 2nd of the February 2012, five of our Custodes Terra members had the honour of participating in the Kelab Pengguna Competition held at SMK Sri Utama. The five members were Nur Syafiqah Adam Malik, Anis Najwa, Siti Zulaikha and Lina Farzana - along with myself, Anati Alyaa Azhar. We had to bring an environmental-friendly creation that uses recyclable items to the maximum. So we decided to present our creation, which is; the BLING!

Yeah, abotu that exclamation mark... I don't usually put exclamation marks like that here, but the BLING! really does have an exclamation mark. It's not just for fun. You know why? The exlamation mark in BLING! show our enthusiastic and excited passion in saving the environment by using it. If some of you are wondering what BLING! is, it's an environmental-friendly window cleaner. It used to be called Ember Glass Window Cleaner, the 'ember' showing that our creation is the BOMB. You know? The BLING! is made out of Bio-Enzyme created by Dr. Rosukon from Thailand some years back. But we improvised by adding in fragrants like Lemon Grass, Rosemary and Cinnamon. Cnnamon is to repel ants, mosquitoes and other pests; while Lemon Grass and Rosemary is to get rid of the sourish smell from Bio-Enzyme.
It's NOT hazardous to the environment or health - unless, you know, you spray it into your eyes or something.

So we presented it in SMK Sri Utama; and we were one of 10 schools that participated. Our headmistress, Datin Noorul-Aini sent us to SMK Sri Utama, which was a great honour. It made us feel even more anxious to actually win something. Puan Mages couldn't send us, because she had come down with a bad asthma attack. D: Get well, Puan Mages.
We also found out that we were the youngest there at the ripe age of fifteen; as the youngest there were form 4's - but there were A LOT of form 5's and 6's too. And as we aren't that tall, we looked kind off... young. But that's okay. All of the schools had brilliant things they brought to be presented; some of them were taken from resources on the Internet. I thought all of them had a good chance of winning; and we were really nervous when they were going to announce the results.
The third runner-up was SMK Damansara Jaya with their Smart Bag, and second place was SMK Taman SEA with their recyclable file. First was a school that had produced soap out of used cooking oil, which was really COOL. We didn't manage to snag any position worthy of medals or anything, but hey, at least we got certificates! ~
So these are the pictures taken by Syafiqah's camera at the event.

The beautiful view that welcomed us in the hall.

Lina and Zulaikha fussing over the posters. We used the brick down there to hit the thumbtacks into place.

Anis Najwa and Anati revising on their presentations.

SMK Sri Utama's (the host) COOL Xtranceiver. A cardboard radio that lights up through the bottle up there AND uses a phone to play music.

SMK Taman SEA, the second runner-up with their recycled files.

Nur Syafiqah presenting the BLING! when it was her turn to present.

Custodes Terra 2nd Meeting

2012-02-04T16:51:00.000+08:00

What's up, people? Hope all's well.
So the second meeting of the Custodes Terra Club was held on the 30th of January 2012, in the same place at last time - which was the Physics Lab. Sorry about the blog post about the first meeting - there was an error there. One of the kind-hearted and alert members told me about it. The Physics Lab is located in block D, not block C. Sorry about that, but you can imagine my shock and horror when that happened.

Not to mention embarassment. But hey, at least I know my mistake now, huh? So the second meeting. Two men from YAWA (Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam) paid the club a visit to teach the members how to make Bio-Enzyme. LOTS of thanks to Atikah, who tried to keep the crowd under control. I mean, everyone was under control - no one was throwing water balloons or making a riot or something - but it was seriously too noisy. But she managed to handle them well, so an AWESOME thumbs up to her. I know how difficult it is to keep people quiet, so it's beyond me how ushers can even survive in movies. HAHAHA, but I've always found the other Usher able to survive a noisy crowd; what with him being all famous and stuff.

So yeah. The two men from YAWA were Mr. Fikri and Mr. Faiz; and the students were paying rapt attention - or at least, that's how I saw it. But some of the members didn't manage to follow or get what the men were, saying; and they must have been desperate. But a few members were reported for comitting thievery concerning Bio-Enzyme made by other members. To the members who, uh... were desperate enough to do that, you shouldn't be scared if you don't get it the first time. And you porbably need to work on your thieving skills and take a leaf out of Oliver Twist's book. HAHAHA, just kidding. To the victimized members, it's okay. People who steal it will still svae the environment by using it because you can't really DESTROY the planet with Bio-Enzyme. So you don't have to be too concerned, okay?
While the members were participating in the Bio-Enzyme workshop, some of the other members were waiting patiently - and also nervously, anxiously and also talking way too loudly - in the memory lane for their names to be called for an interview by Atikah, Farhana and Siti Sarah. The form 4's were claled in first, then the form 3's. The form 2's were asked to attend the workshop first; because they might not have enough time to be called in for an interview that day. A few of the form 3's didn't have enough time to be interviewed too, so those few along with the form 2's were called in the next day before Ruby Red and Topaz Yellow house practises.
For those of you who didn't check the blog last time, these interviews are the ones that will determine which member gets which position for the 2012/2013 Custodes Terra Board of Directors. Man, I myself went for that interview - and it was TERRIFYING. Atikah, Farhana and Siti Sarah sat in a row complete with mysterious pieces of papers which they WRITE on when you ANSWER their questions. I've never felt as nervous in my whole life - except for the time when I had to jump of this crazy 18-foot tall THING in Skytrex. That was really crazy.
But the results will be posted here - I'm not sure when, it depends - but it WILL be updated. Honestly. So now, we go to the pictures taken by Nur Syafiqah Adam Malik, who brought a red camera specially for this meeting.

Members waiting to be interview in the memory lane. Seems like only one is intent on NOT wasting time.HAHAHA.

Iman Ridhuan (top left) tells a horrifying story, causing an unpleasant twist in the expressions of listeners.

The interviewers interviewing what LOOKS like Nadiah Saleha; but I can't say for sure.

The three interviewers smiling as they get their picture taken. Man, them members be tremblin'.

Shortlisted Candidates

2012-01-27T10:35:00.000+08:00

Hey Custodians!

As I promised, the list of shortlisted candidates will be posted up on Thursday but sorry for the delay. So, here you go! However, you will not necessarily get the post which you have applied for. It once again depends on the interview session which will be organized as well as your potential. The tentative date for the interview session would be during meeting on Monday, 30th January 2012. The interview will be conducted by myself, Siti Sarah and Atikah. Shortlisted candidates will not be participating in the bio enzyme workshop. Instead, you will have to attend the interview session.

Time: 2.15 pm to 4.30 pm
Venue: Gather at the Memory Lane at 2.15 pm

Here's the list of shortlisted candidates:

Alya Zulaikha
Sarah Sheilla
Esther Kok
Ilavenil
Maryam Balqis
Iman Syafiqah
Nur Syafiqah
Nurul Anis Najwa
Lina Farzana
Siti Zulaikha
Anati Alyaa bt. Azhar
Durrah Sharifah
Nadia Natasha

We believe that some of you did not apply for any posts as you were not confident of your ability. However, we do see the leadership potential in some of you. Here's the list of those whom we have shortlisted to attend our interview session on Monday based on the potential we believe you have! Please do attend the interview session as you wouldn't know if you have the potential unless you give it a try :)

Nadia Saleha
Amira Zainal
Maisarah Sobri
Iman Ridhuan
Ema Marya
Tengku Hasya
Zainab Sofiah
Siti Khairina bt. Mohd. Fikri
Nurnajwa Natasha A'Aziz
Khairah Alyaa Khalid
Siti Sarah Azhar
Tee Su Jen

We do not really know the current Form 2 batch as you are pretty new to the school and club. So, if you think you got what it takes to become one of the Board of Directors, please do not hesitate to inform us on Monday and do turn up for the interview if you're interested.

*Note: To be fair to those who have taken time to fill up the application forms, there will be a slight difference in the interviews conducted for those who applied and those who didn't.

We hope that everyone's happy with the decision which has been made. For further queries and clarification, do not hesitate to contact me (Farhanah) at 010-3606046.

Adious!

1st Custodes Terra Meeting of 2012

2012-01-26T18:22:00.000+08:00

Yo, gang.
So on the 16th of January which fell on a Monday; the Custodes Terra Club - formerly known as Eco Rangers, though people still keep calling the club Eco Rangers - held their very first meeting in the Physics Lab. It's located in Block C, beneath the form 3 classes. Yeah, it might have been really dreary and grey, but there were too many members that if we tried gathering in a class; it would have exploded. Well, not exploded, but we would have died of suffocation due to the lack of oxygen and too much carbon dioxide... or somehting. Like this fish.

Yeah, I didn't post a real pciture of a dead fish, because seriously, have you ever tried typing dead goldfish in Google images? Wow, most of the pictures were kind of scary and disturbing, and since I want to maintain the number of readers here due to the importance of this blog (and also my life now), I made a wise decision of putting this picture here instead. At least it's, um... fluffy. Okay, so we held the meeting on that Monday. There weren't enough chairs so members started to get chairs from the next lab so they can sit.
Everyone was just plain noisy, so Farhanah had to tell everyone to be seated - or else. Okay, she didn't say that, but everyone started taking their seats real fast, like they had been shot at. Then, Farhanah started to introduce Custodes Terra. That was a must, since I doubt some of the students even knwo what we would be doing this whole year and why we're an important niche in school. If anyone asked me that, I would answer real easy and quick.
"BECAUSE, DUDE, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS,"

After that, there was this really cool presentation that I really respect made by some of the members of the club. I REALLY respect the people (or person) who made that, because I know through experience that anything related to technology in work is really frustrating and hard. Man, what with all the pictures and music and effects - just wow, you know? Then we had an eco band performance by the eco band, now known as Custodes Musicus; which means the 'Earth Musicians'. Personally, I think it's a really cool and rad name. A genius must have descended upon us. Heh, just kidding. I was the genius who came up with the name.
They were really good even if they SAID they were rusty. They didn't practise during the holidays, but they were AWESOME. I bet everyone felt tignles down their spine when we watched the performance. After that, almost everyone wasnted to join the band. But since the practices would be on Saturdays, a few members decided not to join.
Then we had a tour around school. Each form was taken by two experienced members to lcations that were related to the club, such as the Herbs Garden, the Eco Corner and such. Everyone was excited and looked like wide-eyed does.

Soon after that, we returned to the lab. Members who didn't pay RM5 yet paid their fees and made sure their attendance were taken. Farhanah reminded us about the next meeting taking place on Monday after the Chinese New Year holidays, which will be on the 30TH OF JANUARY. She also told us to bring the following things the next meeting: -
1) Leftover fruit peels (such as orange peels)
2) A handful of brown sugar each
3) And ourselves
When the meeting ended at 4 pm, members started to flood out of the Physics Lab. SADLY, though, not many of the members picked up their chairs and put it back at the next lab where they originally belonged. So here's a personal thanks to this beautifully kind-hearted member, Alya Zulaika from 4SA. She carried al the chairs back into the lab next door. Members, learn from her generosity. Remember the song by Justin Timberlake; what goes around comes around and all that. I have never been good in hearing, sorry.
So last thing before this post end.
FUN FACT: -
Over 100 pesticide ingredients are suspected to cause birth defects, cancer, and gene mutations.

Stop usiing pesticides, and you will not end up like the teenage MUTANT ninja turtles.
Until next time. ~
- Anati Alyaa Azhar

Custodes Terra Board of Directors Application!

2012-01-20T23:09:00.000+08:00

Hey Custodians!

Well, as I mentioned during our 1st official general meeting, those of you who are interested to be a part of the Board of Directors of Custodes Terra (Eco Rangers), would be required to apply for the post of which you are interested in. The senior board of directors will be officially stepping down in March, after our Custodes Terra Official Installation, which will tentatively take place on the 17th of March 2012, Saturday! Those applying will be on probation for a month and interviews will also be organized to elect our B.O.D. The interview dates will be informed later on. The posts that you can apply for are as follows:

President
Vice President
Secretary
Vice Secretary
Treasurer
Nurturing Director (mainly in charge of Bio Enzyme, Composting & Rain Water Harvesting)
Asst. Nurturing Director
Networking & Publicity Director
Asst. Networking & Publicity Director
Events & Campaigns Director
Asst. Events & Campaigns Director
Exhibitions Director
Asst. Exhibitions Director
Multimedia & Photography Director
Asst. Multimedia & Photography Director
Designing Director
Asst. Designing Director
Eco Band Performance Director
Asst. Eco Band Performance Director
Form 1 Representative
Form 2 Representative
Form 3 Representative
Form 4 Representative

Do download the registration forms by clicking on the link, Custodes Terra Application Form. The completed application forms are to be sent in via email to me at farhanah_sriaman@hotmail.com by Tuesday, 24th January 2012. Late submissions will not be entertained. Good luck in applying and try your very best to impress us! The results of the shortlisted nominees for the 2012/13 B.O.D. will be posted on the blog by Thursday, 26th January 2012.

All the best!

Yours Sincerely,
Nur Farhanah
Eco Rangers 2011/12
President

Custodes Terra Registration

2012-01-14T07:53:00.001+08:00

Hey there, again.

On the 13th of January which also fell on a Friday yesterday, there was a club registration in SMK(P) Sri Aman yesterday. Not only were there clubs to be enrolled in, but also sports and the uniform units. Our Eco Rangers, now Custodes Terra (Guardians of the Earth); are one of the various clubs in SMK(P) Sri Aman. Admittedly, a lot of students join the club at the starting of the year. But as time increases, the trickle of students decreased and only a number of them came. Only about twenty out of the first hundred. Which could also be calculated as a fifth of the club members.

Yeah, it was disheartening and kind of sad
.
To think a lot of people dropped out. As the period of time increases, the number of members dropping out also increases. But hey, at least we managed to differentiate the committed new members... Which was a total of three more. But now, we've decided to change our name to Custodes Terra, and hopefully, students will find it cool enough to join. I mean, I know we might attract people you cal, um... 'shallow-minded', I guess? But it doesn't matter as long as we have more members helping out to conserve Earth!

The school opened several other new clubs; like the English Language Club - which I was planning to join when I was form 1, but now my heart is... torn, not stuck. There were also the Maths and Science Club, The Bahasa Melayu Club and other clubs concerning subjects. It may sound cool, but it also increased competition. We have to be the BEST mong all the REST. Beat all the clubs to a pulp and take free reign - rule with an IRON FIST.

So there was a rush of students and the club received a lot of members signing up. Students were desperate for places, especially since there were unconfirmed rumours about each club having a limited space. So people madly signed up while Nur Farhanah Adam Malik, our president, calmed everyone down. There were a lot of the lower forms and some of the top forms. We needed a new generation to keep things up for our club when we graduate ourselves, so the lower forms' commitment was needed. When everyone signed up, they went out, which was a relief. Carbon dioxide had accumulatd in the room, causing it to get warm. Two of the eco teachers, Puan Illyani and Puan Yeo were there. We arranged all the forms and checked off the namelists. Syafiqah brought them home to be typed out properly.

The Eco Music Band now named 'Terra Musicus', received many interested new members.
Now that the form 5's will be leaving soon, they needed to pass down their knowledge to the junior members. Puan Yeo, Farhanah and Atikah has decided that the form 3's take over. The new project manager (president) was to be Nur Syafiqah Adam Malik, while I was put on AV and Documentation. Drrah Sharifah was made as head of exhibition and both Zulaikha and Lina were made into leaders of Terra Musicus and nurturing. It would be a lot of work, but we were willing to do it, so I guess we'll be okay. I'll find out more about the posts and I'll post it in this blog.

Well, I guess it's time for me to go now - since there's nothing else to say. Remember, save the Earth and the Earth will love you. Kill the Earth and we'll all be killed in the end.

Taiwan Trip Pictures

2012-01-10T16:08:00.001+08:00

These are some of the many pictures taken on the trip to Taiwan!

Pn Yeo and Farhanah at the airport with their luggage. :D

The two Taiwan students in charge of the registration booth.

Syaqira writing down her details at the registration booth. :D

Pn Yeo smiling at the camera in the cushion seats of the bus!

Both Farhanah and Pn Yeo in the iEARN International Conference hall.

A picture of the iEarn International Conference and Youth Summit banner.

Young Minds Gathering

2012-01-10T15:50:00.000+08:00

On the 11th - 13th of November 2011, five lucky yet responsible members of our Toyota Eco Rangers were chosen to participate in the Gathering of the Young Minds even held in SMK(P) St George, Pulau Pinang. Puan Normah and Dr Teh, two of the many fabulous teachers in SMK(P) Sri Aman accompanied them to their delight. The event was under the Ministry of Education, and all the SBT schools (Sekolah Berprestasi Tinggi) in Malaysia were involved. The main reason this event was held, was for the schools to be able to share each of their ethos which made them uniquely different from other schools. For SMK(P) Sri Aman, the ethos presented was our school's green project.

Five of our participants; Nur Farhanah, Angela Chong, Siti Sarah, Syaqira Farouq and Atikah were gathered at the Pudu Raya Bus Station to board the five hour bus to Penang, accompanied by Pn Normah, one of the eco teachers. Man, that must have been some journey! But I guess when you're travelling with a group of friends, the journey gets even more interesting, huh? They then made their way to SMK(P) St George when they reached Penang in time to register themselves.

          Once registered, our fellow members made their way into their respective rooms and checked in. They met a lot of other friendly SBT students there, and they used their extra time to make friends. Around 4:30 pm, everyone gathered in the dining area for tea before listening to a briefing of the three-day programme. Soon after, the five went back to their rooms and got ready for the first main event that day; the opening ceremony. The ceremony started with the arrival of the guests of honour, the singing of the national anthem, followed by one of the students reciting the prayers. The headmistress of SMK(P) St George made her speech, followed by the deputy chief general of Malaysia's Ministry of Education which officiated the ceremony. Each school was given their certificates for their participation in this first SBT event which was yet to be held. SMK(P) St George and SJK(C) Perempuan Cina performed to lighten up the ceremony's atmosphere and also as entertainment. Once the opening ceremony was done, all the participants had a light supper before turning in for the night.
          Everyone woke up early the next morning, due to the fact that the main agenda was coming up. The first activity doen was for each SBT school to present their ethos according to the posters they prepared. For SMK(P) Sri Aman, Nur Farhanah presented our ethos by touching on all the green initiatives carried out in our school. There were primary school students performing musical performances at the main hall during the poster presentation. The presentation on the 'Kehebatan SBT' was up next. This event had only six schools involved; three each from primary schools and secondary schools. We were lucky, for our school was shortlisted as one of the schools participating due to our write up sent last month. Skeolah Tunku Abdul Razak presented their ethos followed by our school talking about our green initiatives. NExt, SMK Sultanah Asma presented on their SASBAND followed by the three other primary schools.
          After the presentations, all the students had lunch and got ready for the heritage tour. The heritage tour around Penang were guided by the SMK(P) St George students themselves, which is really impressive. The participants' first stop was Bazaar Chowrasta, where they were able to buy some souvenirs. NExt up was Fort Cornwalls, an amzing place with an interesting historical background; followed by the famous P.Ramlee House. Then, everyone were brought to Gurney Plaza, a popular shopping mall next to Queensbay, for dinner. The heritage tour ended at the Gurney Plaza, and everyone returned to get ready for the Symphony Concert that night. Everyone dressed up in their best clothes, and it was a rather big event. SMK(P) St George, SJK(C) Perempuan Cina, and the Malay College of Kuala Kangsar performed their musicals, and everyone was amazed with the awesome performances. The concert ended at 10:30 pm. After a light supper, everyone was too tired for anything else except bedtime.
          The SMK(P) St George students held an interactive and physical activity the next day. New frieds were made, bonds deepened, and everyone agreed it was a lot of fun. Sadly, the programme was coming to a close at the next event was the closing ceremony. Just like the opening ceremony, the Head of the Ministry of Education arrived, followed by the singing of the national anthem and the reading of prayers. Then, thee was a reflection session and one of the chosen delegates was Nur Farhanah, one of our participants. A video of the three-day programme followed the reflection session, and the Head of the Ministry of Education made a speech as an officiation of the closing ceremony.
          The highlight of the event, was of course, the prize giving session to the contest winners! The Malay College of Kuala Kangsar won first for the poster competition in the high school category. SMK(P) Sri Aman was called up next, for we won the 'Kehebatan SBT' Contest! The ceremony ended with a few performances from SMK(P) St George and SJK(C) Perempuan Cina students. After the ceremony, the delegates had lunch and were able to exchange contacts and such, promising to keep in touch; also saying their last goodbyes before starting for home.
          The Gathering of the Young Minds was an eventful and exciting events, full or personalities and spirits! The participants managed to learn the other SBT school's unique ethos and have all gained a good experience. We hope other events like such will be held in the future, for students can gain experience and share different views and knowledge to build a brighter future. The whole team along with the five participants were happy to know that all their years of hardwork has paid off as we won the competition, making SMK(P) Sri Aman a well-known school in Malaysia.

STOMP '11

2011-12-28T19:42:00.000+08:00

"This Show was Great!!! I remember seeing them before but I don't remember much of it. I'm glad I went this past week to check them out. They use any and everything to make music. The Fun never stops. Beginning to End..Great SHOW!!"

Earl, from Hackensack, New Jersey, has voiced each and every one of our sentiments after witnessing the mind-blowing, out-of-this-world performance put on by STOMP. As a treat for all the hard work we'd invested in carrying all our club's activities out successfully, 15 of us were treated to a STOMP concert held in KLCC's Plenary Hall on the 3rd of December. Due to the undeniable fact that KLCC is situated a considerable distance away from our school, a bus was even rented to chauffeur us to our destination. If that wasn't VIP treatment, I don't know what is!

The show began at 2pm, and I have to say, we made it in the nick of time! Mere minutes after we were seated in our comfortable seats, the show opened with one of its signature pieces, entitled 'Brooms', which captivated the audience for a good 12 minutes. From there, the young, energetic percussionists cum dancers who make up STOMP continued to dazzle audiences by successfully coaxing music out of basketballs, plastic grocery bags, and even lighters! Though the audience was momentarily puzzled by the silent darkness that they were enveloped in before the set featuring lighters began, the avant garde musical piece that was produced by the rhythmic flicking of their lighters, and looked fantastic to boot, left the audience captivated until the very end of their performance.

One particularly interesting piece featured the completely unexpected kitchen sink, which was filled with water and strapped to their bodies. They most successfully proved how even the most common of everyday objects can function perfectly as a versatile instrument, as the mere acts of tapping on the sink with drum sticks, rubbing the sink with their rubber gloved hands, or even by simply releasing the water contained in the sink produced such a vast diversity of sounds that had we not witnessed their performance with our very eyes, we wouldn't have believed that only one 'instrument', the ubiquitous kitchen sink was used.

Yet another note-worthy performance featured rubber tubes of varying lengths being thumped on the floor. When thumped in the right sequence, they produce a melodic progression of notes, reminiscent of the beeping of an old computer. Another piece featured them being strapped into harnesses, and dangled in the air, close to the metal frame where a plethora of crockery, plastic pails, and generally anything that produced a sound were mounted. Armed with their trademark drum sticks, the variety of sounds produced by their rhythmic 'drumming' warranted a most enthusiastic round of applause from the audience.

Humour plays a bigger role in their concert than one would expect it to. Despite the fact that not a single word was uttered on stage, their wordless jokes and perfect comedic timing left had the audience in fits of laughter at various points in the show. At one point, a love triangle was even successfully depicted - without the aid of words! The piece featured two girls rummaging in a box of 'trash' to find a perfect instrument which they could utilise to outshine the other party and capture the heart of the lucky boy they were fighting over. All that drama was successfully depicted using only the power of music and their spot-on facial expressions. Would the wonders never cease?

All too soon, the 100-minute musical journey was over. As we stood up from our seats and reflected upon the stunning performance we had just feasted our eyes on, we came to the conclusion that STOMP offers the best of reminders to us that there's music everywhere, in everything, and we do not need lessons or degrees from fancy musical institutions to find it. Once again, we would like to thank the school for providing us with this fantastic opportunity to witness STOMP's truly inspiring performance, and we hope that the insights we managed to obtain from this concert could be successfully utilised to bring our club to greater heights!

A group photo for the ages!

An lucky snapshot of one of the performers. Isn't she pretty? :)

Farah, Empress, Punietha, and Niraanjana posing with the stage in the background!

Back to the Start

2011-12-28T16:35:00.000+08:00

Hello and good day, environmentally-conscious readers and aliens! Here's a rather interesting video clip for your perusal. We feel that it successfully gets its intended message across to its viewers, what do you think? We'd love to know!

Eco-Trip to Taiwan! (Day 4)

2011-12-27T16:34:00.001+08:00

The final day of our Eco-Trip found all of us, with our luggage completely packed, standing in the hotel lobby, waiting for our bus with reluctance painted all over our faces. The delicious breakfast served by the hotel did nothing to make us feel better about leaving Taiwan after calling it home for four memorable days, but we were cheered up by the fact that we still had an entire day to tour Taipei and visit its numerous tourist attractions.

First up on our day's agenda was a visit to the world-famous Yehliu Geopark. The bus ride there gave us some time to ourselves, so the bus driver decided to play a documentary on the Yehliu Geopark on the bus's DVD player, giving us a little sneak preview of what awaits us at our destination. The documentary successfully whetted our appetite for adventure, and put us in a great mood for exploring the Yehliu Geopark thoroughly.

After a brief group photo-session upon our arrival in the park, we found ourselves amongst the throngs of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the hoodoo stones that can be found in the park. Some of the more famous hoodoo stones include the Queen's Head and the Fairy Shoe. The Queen's Head is such a famous structure that at any given time, the queue of people queuing up to take a photograph with the iconic structure is at least 20 minutes long! A replica of the structure has even been erected, for tourists who have less time to spare but would still like a photographic momento of their time at the park.

Returning to the city centre of Taipei, we then had yet another scrumptious meal at the Halal Bismila Restaurant, where we ate our dinner last night. At 1.20pm, we found ourselves at a memorial park, where two soldiers donned in their extremely smart uniform stood guard at the door. They were standing in a rigid position on a platform, and like every other tourist at the memorial park, we had a field day with our cameras. At precisely 1.30pm, the guards changed shifts, military style. Therefore, they put on a rather entertaining marching performance, which we all watched with relish. After the show was over, we took a quick look around the memorial park, admiring its structures and the numerous paintings that adorn its walls before taking our leave.

Our next stop was an international icon, as well as a highly notable Taiwanese landmark. At 509 meters tall, Taipei 101 is currently the third-tallest building in the world, after relinquishing its title as the tallest building in the world to the Burj Khalifa of Dubai. Like our very own Petronas Twin Towers, a shopping complex is situated on its lower floors, which we were allowed to explore to our hearts' content. Those who were willing to brave the long queue and pay for a ticket were allowed to go up to the observation deck on the 89th floor, but due to time constraints, none of us were managed to do so. The shopping complex was a fun place to explore, though, and we were all glad to have gotten the opportunity to pay a visit to such a famous landmark.

Moving on with our touristy tour of Taipei, we then headed off to the Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, where we snapped a few quick photographs near the entrance. Due to the fact that only 5 minutes were allocated for our visit to the memorial hall, most of us couldn't find the time to make our way to the actual memorial hall, where the bronze statue of Chang Kai Shek sat. Oh well, there's always next time, plus, we were rather looking forward to our next and unfortunately, final stop, which was the Art and Souvenir centre. Apparently, nothing beats duty-free shopping!

We were presented with our duty-free shopping cards upon our arrival, and immediately proceeded to splurge on goods such as keychains, T-shirts, snacks, and other knick-knacks for our friends and family. Feeling satisfied after our shopping excursion, the time finally came for our tour around Taipei to come to an end. We had our dinner, where so much delicious food was served that we felt positively stuffed and satiated after our final meal in Taiwan. We then boarded our bus for the last time, and in what felt like no time at all, we soon found ourselves at the airport. Hendri accompanied us right up to the departure gates, where we exchanged farewells with the tour guide who did everything within his power to make our stay in Taiwan as memorable as possible.

After a last-minute round of duty-free shopping, we finally boarded our home-bound flight at 11.30pm. We were feeling pretty tired by then, but even our exhaustion couldn't stop us from exchanging our thoughts on our supreme reluctance to be headed home. The four days we've spent in Taiwan flew past in a disorienting blur, and we would have given anything in the world to be able to stay there for just a few more days to get to know Taiwan better. Oh well, we had to once again pay homage to the old adage 'all good things come to an end', and look on the bright side. At least we would be reunited with our family, friends and for a certain empress, CATS again!

This trip to Taiwan has been one of the most memorable experience of our lives. It added a deeper meaning to our secondary school lives, and would certainly serve as a pleasant memory to reflect upon whenever we take a stroll down memory lane. Taiwan would forever be a place that holds pleasant connotations and associations for us, and we have the school to thank for that. We would like to extend our sincere and utmost gratitude and appreciation towards the school for giving us this invaluable opportunity to learn and explore, for we managed to learn what it means to learn through exploration on this trip, which is what makes the learning process memorable and enjoyable.

THANK YOU, SRI AMAN!

Eco-trip to Taiwan! (Day 3)

2011-12-27T16:33:00.000+08:00

Day Three began on a bittersweet note, with us having to bid a heavy-hearted farewell to Love River Boutique Hotel, which we had called home for the past two nights. Oh well, all good things come to an end, after all, and the end of a chapter usually marks the beginning of yet another. We were headed for Taipei later in the day, which was a fact we were very pumped-up about. Before embarking upon our journey to the capital city of Taiwan, though, we still had a few places to visit in the lovely city of Kaohsiung. First up was our long-anticipated visit to the Tzu Chi Recycling Centre in Feng Shan.

The moment we disembarked from the bus, we were greeted by a friendly volunteer at the recycling centre, who readily offered to explain some basic aspects of recycling to us, such as the types of materials that can be recycled, and the sub-categories of every category of recyclables. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Recyclables do not only include paper, glass, and aluminium cans. All that she requested of us in return was for us to spread our newly-gained knowledge with our Malaysian friends and families upon our return to Malaysia. Wasn't that noble of her? We most certainly thought so.

Afterwards, we were shown how to disassemble an item (a Pringles can, in this case) and separate its components (cardboard, and the metal base of the can) into its respective category of recyclables. On top of everyday items such as Pringles cans, the highly adept volunteers at the recycling centre also disassembles computers and VCR tapes to obtain valuable recyclables, such as small bits of plastics and metals. These plastics and metals are then separated into their respective and numerous sub-categories, which is obviously a skill that comes with experience and lots of practice. Whew! Being a volunteer is not as easy as it seems!

After a brief hands-on session during which we were instructed to sort the recyclables at the centre into main categories such as paper, plastics, milk cartons, and metals, we were taken on a tour to the recycling centre's organic vegetable garden. The vegetables at the well-maintained garden looked fresh, healthy and crisp, which was no doubt thanks to the usage of the recycling centre's self-produced compost and bio-enzyme. We were given a tutorial on how to produce compost, and were given the opportunity to take a whiff of their bio-enzyme's scent, which was pleasant, thanks to their usage of citrus fruits. We were all shocked to hear that bio-enzyme could be drunk and applied to our skin, to heal minor wounds. I guess we do learn new things everyday!

The final stop of our tour around the recycling centre was its adjoining shop, selling products made using recycled items. Plastic bottles are reprocessed to make t-shirts, bags, shoes, socks, and even baby apparel. Due to the heavy reprocessing required to transform the plastic bottles into breathable fabric suitable for making clothes, these items do come at a heftier price tag, with a t-shirt costing around RM 50, but these items are fashionable, durable, and worth every penny. Key chains, candles, portable chopsticks, and even dried rice that cooks in water to make a complete meal were some of the many items sold in the shop, and unsurprisingly, our departure from the recycling centre was delayed due to our immense and overwhelming need to shop. Oops!

Our final stop in Kaohsiung was none other than NKNUSH, a place we had been looking forward to visiting ever since the idea for this Eco-Trip had been conceived. The charm and appeal NKNUSH holds was apparent from the very moment we set foot into the school. Young, elementary school children were seen playing the diabolo at the entrance of the school, and it was truly an adorable sight. We were immediately ushered into a room next to the Social Studies classroom, where we were treated to a lovely appetiser and lunch. After lunch, we then went into the Social Studies classroom to watch a video presentation on their school, before we were divided into two groups and shown around the school by students of NKNUSH.

Each group was assigned two tour guides, who not only showed us around the school, but provided some background information and fun facts on certain parts of their school. Our guides were pleasant and friendly, and were even willing to accommodate our requests for them to show us their canteen. They even brought us to an elementary school classroom, to point out the Russian foreign student studying in their school. The library, new science labs, rainwater harvesting system, as well as their mini recycling centre were some of the other spots we were shown. All in all, it was a very fun tour, not only because we were given the opportunity to explore a school in a foreign country, but because we got the opportunity to communicate with our peers in a foreign country. A memorable experience, indeed.

We were then brought into a conference room of sorts, where some students had been gathered to partake in a Physics presentation competition. The objective of the competition was to select a candidate to represent the school in a national science competition. Despite the fact that the presentation was in Chinese, meaning that most of us couldn't understand a word of what they were saying, the ones amongst us who could understand what their presentations were about found it highly interesting. Then, the time came for us to give a presentation of our own, on the Eco-Projects that we have carried out through TER. As a bonus, we even through in an Eco Music Band performance. We were all very thankful for their attention and enthusiasm in giving us their support throughout the duration of our performance.

We had to make a hasty exit after our performance, so as to stick to our schedule of arriving in Taipei by 7pm. After a 5-hour journey, we managed to reach Taipei on schedule, and were immediately whisked off for a delicious dinner in Halal Bismila Restaurant. We all agreed unanimously that it was the best meal we've had in Taiwan. After the memorably delicious dinner, we checked into the hotel where we would be spending our final night in Taiwan - Yeso Hotel. Exhausted after a long day of travelling, we fell into a long and fitful sleep soon after checking into the hotel, grateful for the soft, comfortable beds to sleep on.

Eco-trip to Taiwan! (Day 2)

2011-12-26T22:06:00.000+08:00

A scrumptious buffet-style breakfast courtesy of our hotel marked a delicious start to our second day in Taiwan. Though we could have sat in the lobby of the hotel stuffing our faces with the gastronomical fare, we had a tight schedule to follow and lots of exciting places to visit. Hence, we found ourselves on our private tour bus by 8.10 am. A fairly long albeit pleasant bus ride then commenced, during which most of us, at one point or another, seized the opportunity to sleep. Finally giving us the long-awaited opportunity of stretching our legs, our bus pulled up in front of the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Park at 9.30 am.

At first glance, the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Park may seem like a typical park, covering a wide expanse of land. However, a thorough tour around the park, courtesy of Mr Liow, revealed that it was anything but. Built on top of what used to biggest landfill in Kaohsiung, it is now 35 hectares of greenery, and is, aesthetically, on par with any other park you can name. That's not the coolest part about the park, though. A power station is located a mere stone's throw away from the park, and this power station generates electricity using... methane gas from all the rubbish decomposing beneath the park! The methane gas released as a by-product of the decomposition of all the rubbish in the landfill on top of which the park is built on is channeled to the power station, before it is used to generate electricity. To us, the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Park is truly a fine example of the importance of creativity and innovation when it comes to carrying out green projects.

Our day continued with a trip to the Kaohsiung National Stadium, which hosted the World Games in 2009. It was formerly known as 2009 The World Games Main Stadium, and it features a unique design, reminiscent of a dragon's body. 8844 solar panels cover the external surface of the stadium's roof, and some quick online research revealed that it's the first stadium in the world to be completely solar-powered. IN THE WORLD! Considering the fact that they were up against some pretty strong competitors, that's impressive! We spent around 25 minutes in the semi-spiral structure, frantically taking photographs of the majestic exterior and the little glimpses of the interior we managed to steal through the gates. It was as though we had come face-to-face with a celebrity, which, considering the fact that we are Eco Rangers after all, was somewhat true.

We then stopped by the NKNUSH to have a quick lunch in their art room at around 12.45pm. We were very much impressed by how well-equipped their art room was, as the room even had a metal rack for students to dry their wet paintings. Lunch was a quick, albeit yummy affair and after a quick look around the section of the school we were in, we once again found ourselves on the tour bus, eager for our tour to continue.

The moment we laid our eyes on the Kaohsiung Public Library, we were immediately captivated by the structure of the building. Though the structure may appear typical and ordinary at first glance, a closer scrutiny reveals roofs allowing the building to be well-ventilated, strategically positioned windows, and plenty of greenery. Hence, it came as no surprise to us that the Kaohsiung Public Library is an EEWH-certified green building. The fact that it was located in a site that was very much steeped in history lent it an even greater appeal.

Not a soul on this planet can feign the slightest bit of disinterest in the flora and fauna unique to another country. One need not necessarily be interested in wildlife to have a spark of curiousity, leading them to wonder what the plants and animals of another country with a different climate look like. Thanks to the fact that we were all Eco Rangers, this fact rang especially true for us. Thus, our exceptional eagerness to explore the Kaohsiung Original Botanical Garden was not at all surprising. Housing Taiwanese indigenous plants of all shapes and sizes, the park features mangroves, aquatic plants, coastal trees, and even coral reefs! It was indeed, a worthwhile place to visit.

The first thing that greeted our eyes upon our arrival at the Chongduo Wetland Parks was the sight of two long bridges not unlike the bridges found in Malaysia's very own canopy walks. While the sight inspired excitement and eagerness within the very depths of most of our souls, it inspired the tiniest twinge of fear and trepidation in others. The canopy walk cuts across a pristine river, with water so clear you can easily see the floor of the lake, on top of the many fishes that call the river home. One truly fascinating fact about the river was that up until a government-endorsed cleaning project was carried out a few years ago, it used to be a heavily polluted river, and an eyesore to the city. Today, the river is a tourist attraction, which only proves the important role cleanliness plays in boosting a country's image and popularity amongst tourists.

After paying an art exhibition a quick visit, we stopped at an Indonesian restaurant called Masakan Indonesia Pak Zainal Abidin for a quick dinner at around 5.20 pm. Due to our overwhelming hunger, all the food served disappeared off the dining table at an alarming rate, making dinner a quick and delicious affair. We then returned to our hotel after a long, exciting day of touring, where our comfortable beds welcomed us. Despite our exhaustion, it was indeed, a day well spent!

Eco-trip to Taiwan! (Day 1)

2011-12-13T14:22:00.000+08:00

Armed with our suitcases, passports, cameras, and truckloads of anticipation for what awaits us in Taiwan, we, the 10 lucky members who were selected to partake in a Field Trip to Taiwan the school organised for us to attain and exchange ideas on implementing green projects with the people of Taiwan. A secondary objective of this trip was to reward us for all the hard work we'd invested in carrying our all our green projects to a respectable degree of success, which eventually led to us emerging champions of the Toyota Eco Rangers competition. :) We were accompanied by two accompanying teachers - Cik Tan and Puan Ngau.

All of us were gathered in the Malaysia Low Cost Carrier Terminal by 8.30 am to check-in our luggages, which all of us managed to keep below the allocated 15 kilograms, a small accomplishment that marked a pleasant start to our trip. Mr Jamil, the Malaysian representative of CS Holidays who would be accompanying us on this trip as one of the tour guides, was beyond helpful when it came to leading us through the check-in process. After a brief 2-hour wait, during which farewells were exchanged between the doting family members who had come to see their daughters off, we found ourselves happily boarding an Air Asia aircraft. The prospect of visiting Taiwan, a country foreign to us in every sense, be it linguistically, culturally, and even when it comes to the climate, successfully clouded any hint of heavy-heartedness we might have and should have had about leaving our country. Ah, the fickle-minded youth of today.

The flight was scheduled to take approximately 4 hours, and all of us came well-prepared in our own unique ways. For Siti Sarah a.k.a. Empress, she mentally prepared herself for a long, comfortable and uninterrupted snooze (due to the fact that her seat partner was Atikah, and Atikah's many attempts at coaxing Siti Sarah out of her deep slumber using her gentle, soothing voice seems to have the same effect as a lullaby, instead.) If only Siti Sarah's seat partner was someone armed with a camera, and was not afraid to use it. Meanwhile, an inter-aisle UNO game was taking place, which involved lots of card-passing and remarks such as 'Oh? My turn?', due to the vast geographical differences between the players. We like to think that our game also proved how useful Air Asia's aircraft seat tables can be in such situations.

This is a picture of a half-eaten in-flight meal. It was so delicious that it only occurred to the camerawoman to take a photo of this after she has devoured most of it, which is a sentiment every single one of us can understand. :)

All in all, it was a fairly pleasant flight, and at 2.30pm, we finally found ourselves in Taipei! If we had been part of the cast of a movie, inspirational music hinting at great adventures lying ahead would have played at that very moment, but unfortunately, the only movie we were a part of was reality. We noted that the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport reflected the environmentally-conscious nature of Taiwanese in general, as numerous recycling bins were planted within the confines of the airport, while toilet paper made using recycled paper were used in its toilets. Yes, small notices informing us about the origin of all toilet papers used in the airport were thoughtfully placed near the toilet paper dispensers.

After retrieving our luggages, we were introduced to Hendri, the Taiwanese representative of CS Holidays who also made up the other half of our pair of tour guides. He led us to board a transit bus which took us to the high speed train station. As it turns out, this part of our trip turned out to be quite the eye-opener, as it allowed us our first glimpse of the streets of Taiwan. Also, the novelty of having one whole bus to ourselves doesn't quite get old. :)

Cameras were hastily whipped out to capture shots of Taiwanese streets, as well as the interior of the bus. This wonderful shot features our empress displaying her excitement over the bus in a toned-down manner.

Upon our arrival at the aforementioned high-speed train station which looked more like a terminal, with its sleek, futuristic design and numerous facilities, we were presented with our train tickets. We had half an hour to kill before the scheduled departure of our train, and the appeal and allure of gleaming, familiar sign of the 7-11 we found ourselves standing in front of was too much to resist. Hence, 7-11 was where most of us spent our New Taiwan Dollars for the first time. The brief wait cum minuscule shopping expedition was over in a flash, and we were eagerly planting our weary behinds onto the plush, comfortable seats of a high-speed train before we knew it. UNO cards were onced again dealt to the tirelessly playful, while the saner ones amongst us made the sensible decision of resting and conserving their strength.

Faces of people who had just spent their first New Taiwanese Dollars. :) You can see the delighted 7-11 cashier in the background, if you squint hard enough.

Is the train here yet?

OMG the train! It's here!

'You have now arrived at Kaohsiung'. The robotic voice that announced our arrival to Kaohsiung lifted our spirits sky high where they continued to soar. By then, it was around 6.15pm, but the skies had already darkened so much that to our Malaysian eyes, it looked like it was fast approaching 8pm. Such a sight brought only one word to our minds - DINNER. Hence, we were all more than pleased when our tour bus (an entire bus just for us, again!) pulled up at a posh-looking Shanghai Vegetarian Restaurant. Its interior was well-decorated, and so was its washroom. Actually, it looked so sophisticated that a term more sophisticated should have been used to refer to it. A term like 'lavatory', perhaps, and maybe, it should be uttered in a British accent. 'Oh, I do beg your pardon, but I'm afraid that I'll have to excuse myself to use the lah-vah-toh-reyh.' Yes, that should work.

We have a bus to ourselves! V for Victory!

Hendri briefly introduced us to the marvelous land of Kaohsiung. :)

The magestic-looking Shanghai Vegetarian Restaurant :)

This is Encik Jamil. He's the guy who's standing, by the way. :)

The interior of the restaurant.

The door of the toilet, which we immediately took a liking to and deemed photograph(s)-worthy. :)

Us touring the toilet to see what it has to offer.

Anisa demonstrating the wonders of the toilet bowl.

But I'm digressing, and back to the topic at hand, our dinner was, to put it simply, scrumptious! Despite the fact that we were all omnivores in every sense of the word, the extremely delectable vegetarian dishes served at the restaurant allowed us to effortlessly overlook the lack of meat on the dinner table, and not miss it at all. For some of us, that's saying a lot!

At the restaurant, we were greeted by Mr Lian, along with a few other iEARN representatives from the NKNUSH (The Affiliated Senior High School of National Kaohsiung Normal University). Not only did he willingly make his way to the restaurant to personally welcome and greet us, he even brought goodies for us in the form of egg puddings served in actual egg shells, possibly a delicacy that's unique to Taiwan. Needless to say, this thoughtful gesture was the warmest welcome to Kaohsiung we could possibly have been on the receiving end of. We polished the yummy egg puddings in a flash - already, we had fallen in love with Taiwanese cuisine. Thus, our dinner ended on a sweet note.

Mr. Lian, who had come to welcome us, came bearing goodies!

SO CUTE!

Even Puan Ngau felt the need to pose for a picture with the egg puddings!

After dinner, Encik Jamil and Hendri asked us if we were up for a trip to the night market. Needless to say, we answered with a firm, resolute, YES! The night market was everything we had imagined, and more. Stalls selling a plethora of goods, ranging from the typical - accessories, clothes, shoes - to the unusual - dog clothes, arcade-style game stalls lined the entire length of the street, and boy, it was truly a sight to behold. However, nothing could possibly top the range of food that was sold. Snake soup, nougats, Taiwanese sausages, seafood Teppanyaki, fruit blended with milk, stinky tofu... these are but a few examples of the wide range of delicacies sold at the night market. It was evident that every craving your taste buds could possibly have would be fulfilled.

At around 9.30pm, we were finally checked into the Love River Boutique Hotel. Staying true to its fancy name, the hotel was in fact, quaintly and beautifully furnished. After being assigned our rooms, we were finally free to call it a day, and drag our excited but exhausted selves to bed.

How to Make a Raised Garden Bed

2011-12-03T16:59:00.000+08:00

Hey there, and welcome to the guide on 'How to make a raised garden bed'.

Firstly, what is a raised garden bed?

A raised garden bed is a garden built on top of your native soil, sometimes incorporating with the native soil, sometimes not. You can plant anything in your garden bed, as long as it is a living plant. A garden bed looks like this : -

The wooden frame surrounding it is optional.

Some of you are probably wondering how to make a raised garden bed. It's easy; depending on your level of independence and skill in the usage of hands.

Here are the steps of making your own raised garden bed. : -

1) Select your site. A flat, level area is important, Make sure water is easy to access, and there is enough space for you to work without trampling the plants to death. If you are planting sun-loving plants like Sunflowers, make sure they can get at least 8 hours of light a day. Your Sunflowers will be happy.

2) Determine the size and shape of your garden. Soil does not get compact in a raised garden bed because they are planned for accessibility. It is a good idea to make your bed four feet wide, so you can easily access the middle of the bed from either side. If you're placing it near a wall or fence, it should be no more than three feet wide. Six inches as the depth is a good start for your garden bed. If your soil is of good quality, than you should make it around 6 to 8 inches deep, while poorer quality of soil should get 10 to 12 inches depth. But remember, the more deeper, the better. The more the merrier.

3) Prep your site. You can use newspaper, landscape fabric, dead leaves, or cardboard to smother it - followed by a layer of soil and amendments on top. However, to ensure ample space for your plant's root growth, dig out the existing sod and loosen the soil to a depth of about 8 to 12 inches.

4) Fill your garden. The whole point of a raised garden bed is that it gives you the opportunity to garden in good soil. Take this opportunity to fill your garden with compost and manure. You are ready to plant and sow seeds once they are raked to a good level. Remember, sowing seeds is an activity of scattering seeds around the earth for crops and such, and not the animal.

Maintaining a raised garden bed is easy. Mulch the top of the soil so it will retain moisture and keep weeds down. Moisture retention is important, because raised beds tend to drain faster than conventional beds.

There are many advantages of a raised garden bed :-

1) Raised beds drain better.

2) The soil in raised beds does not get compacted, because they are constructed with accessibility in mind.

3) After construction, raised beds require less maintenance than conventional garden beds.

As a conclusion, raised garden beds are better than conventional garden beds because they have many advantages that will benefit us, humankind, in the end.

Upcoming Gathering of Young Minds Programme in Penang

2011-11-10T18:44:00.000+08:00

On the 11th of November, 2011 (11/11/11), which is no doubt a date with aesthetic value and auspicious meanings, five of our members would be departing from the lovely state of Selangor for the equally lovely state of Penang, to partake in an programme known as the 'Gathering of Young Minds' programme, which would be held in SMK (P) St. George from the 11th to the 13th of November.

They would be taking a bus to their destination, and are scheduled to arrive at Penang in the afternoon. We would then be given a tea break at 4.30pm, before being given some time to pray (for the Muslims) at 5.30pm. At 6.30pm, they would be having dinner, and at 7 pm, all Muslims would once again be given some time to pray. At 8pm, the ice-breaking session and opening ceremony would commence, before it ends at 10pm. The days ends with them being served supper at 10.30pm.

On the second day, they are scheduled to rise and shine at 5.30am in the morning. Breakfast would be served at 6.30am, and at 7.30am, a fitness exercise would commence. They would be given a short break at 8.30am, and the poster presentation competition would begin at 9 am. After a short break at 10.30 am, the day would continue with a 'Best Practices Presentation Competition' at 11am until 1pm. It is a competition that is participated by six selected High-Performance Schools. At 2pm, after they've had our lunch, they would embark upon a 4-hour 'Heritage Tour' around Penang. They would then be given one hour from 7pm to pray and freshen up, before attending the 'Konsert Simfoni Perdana', which ends at 10pm. Like the day prior, supper would be served at 10.30pm, and then the time would come for them to call it a day.

On their third and final day, their schedule in the morning is more or less the same as the previous day, except for the fact that their fitness session ends half an hour later. They would then be given a break, and at 10 am, the closing ceremony would commence, ending at 11.30 am. Lunch would then be served for an hour, and they are scheduled to leave SMK (P) St. George at 1 pm.

It most certainly sounds as though our representatives have much to look forward to!

Penang, Here We Come!

2011-11-10T15:41:00.000+08:00

It has been four years for us, senior members of SA Eco Rangers in this club. We were the founders of the club and this year would be the last year for us to lead SA Eco Rangers. 2012 will be a start of a new beginning as after four long years of hard work, joy and laughter we will be handing over the club to our juniors. We believe that the juniors would do a spectacular job and maintain this GREEN LEGACY of Sri Aman :)

This trip to Penang would be the very last competition or presentation session that we, seniors will be taking part in and hopefully, we will be able to bring back the news of success to Sri Aman. Well, we will be representing Sri Aman in the Young Minds Gathering Program, organized by the Ministry of Education which involves all the 52 High Performance Schools in Malaysia. It will be a 3 day program, from the 11th of November to the 13th of November 2011. Two competitions which include a presentation as well as a poster designing competition related to the school's ethos will be held. Since Sri Aman's ethos is to be a Green School, we are honoured and very delighted represent the school for the prestigious, national level competition.

We will definitely make full use of our time in Penang to gain experience and this visit would be a great platform for us to exchange ideas among the youths and leaders of Malaysia. Oh yes, we are definitely looking forward for the Penang Heritage Tour too!

So Penang, Here We Come!

When the SA Eco Music Band Practices

2011-11-07T17:26:00.001+08:00

Once upon a time, there lived a group of friends. Under the leadership of their ruler and empress, they named themselves the Sri Aman Eco Music Band.

This is the aforementioned ruler and empress. Though she tries to act like an emperor instead of an empress, she's actually a huge softie inside, which is why members of the Sri Aman Eco Music Band wear permanent fond smiles on their faces whenever she is present.

Fond smiles for the empress!

The empress is assisted by two equally amusing people.

They are very amusing, so they, too, get fond smiles.

Highly synchronised fond smiles for the two amusing people!

This is one of the amusing people. In this amusing picture, she appears to be casting a spell to wake a beautiful princess up from her deep slumber. 'Rise and shine, exquisitely beautiful princess! We have to compete in the Eco Music Fest in a few days, so it's time for us to practice,' she said, while waving her magical wand.

The exquisitely beautiful, sleeping princess. ;)

With the task of waking the princess out of the way, the Eco Music Band started practicing.

They then paused for a short break, during which a member of the Eco Music Band decided to show everyone how to tie their hair, in order to enhance their beauty.

At this point, the empress unleashed her dazzling smile, proving that one doesn't need to tie one's hair in order to be stunning.

Some members required glasses after being exposed to her dazzling smile, as the brilliance was too much for them to bear.

While others remained dazed for a long period of time, after the empress's smile was unleashed.

Eventually, the aftereffects of the empress's smile wore off, and everyone was once again, capable of practicing. That was precisely what they did, until the day of the Eco Music Fest.

To this day, the members of the Eco Music Band remain a close-knit bunch. They still play, laugh, sing, and practice together, under the leadership of their beloved empress.

Organic Farming Workshop on the 4th of December

2011-11-07T16:03:00.000+08:00

On the 4th of December, Eco Rangers, as well as the Form 3 students of our school, who were recently freed from the constricting burden of their PMR examinations were treated to a high educational and interesting talk on Organic Farming by Mr Tapur, an organic farmer who collaborated with The University of Malaya to bring this talk to us. He was accompanied by a few volunteers from the University of Malaya.

Firstly, we were introduced to the basics of organic farming, such as the benefits of organic farming, as well as the advantages of doing so over commercial farming. We were also urged to grow our own vegetables over buying them as he said growing our vegetables is an economical as well as an environmentally-friendly decision, and doing so also reduces our carbon footprint. Growing our own vegetables also ensures that we will have a constant supply of food. We were also given some theoretical information on how to carry out organic farming.

We were then shown how to improve the properties of soil. First of all, he said that Malaysian soil is acidic in nature, which is why a combination of Calcium Oxide and Magnesium is used to reduce its acidity. We were then given a live demonstration on how to make fish amino acid, which is a good source of nitrogen and protein for the soil and plants. Firstly, we had to cut up some fish into around 5 segments. The fish is then mixed with molasses, otherwise known as brown sugar. We were told that if we made the fish amino acid correctly, kept it out of damp places, mixed it every now and then, and covered it with a porous cloth to prevent flies from alighting on our mixture, it should not smell after a couple of days. We were also told that the fish amino acid can keep for up to 6 months.

We were then shown how to extract the nutrients found in egg shells to increase the content of nutrients in the soil. We first had to juice enough limes to provide enough juice to immerse 10 eggs in. This is to corrode the shell of the egg, so that its nutrients can be extracted. The eggs would then be crushed and mixed into the concoction, as they are a good source of protein. Like the fish amino acid, this concoction can also keep for around 6 months. The upside to making this concoction? The peels of the limes used to provide juice for the eggs are perfect for making garbage enzyme, which is not only good for the soil, but also has a multitude of other uses. We were even told that it can be drunk!

After the demonstrations were over, every participant of the workshop was treated to a scrumptious late breakfast, consisting of chicken curry, roti jala, maggi goreng, pudding, and mango juice. After all the excitement, everyone was ravenously hungry. Thankfully, there was more than enough food to go around. Having sated themselves thoroughly, participants were more than happy and eager to move on to the next agenda of the day - the hands-on organic farming session.

Participants of the workshop were led to the proposed site of our vegetable garden, and were shown how to prepare vegetable beds. There was a lot to be done, apparently. First of all, all the grass had to be removed from the vegetable bed. Paths cutting across the vegetable beds also had to be dug, for our convenience. The soil also had to be loosened, and large rocks buried in the soil also had to be removed, along with any potentially harmful pests we uncovered as we were carrying out our respective tasks. Some corn seeds were then planted, and Mr Tapur kindly informed all of us that the corn would be ready for harvesting in a month.

The University Malaya volunteers added the finishing touches to our newly-prepared vegetable beds by sprinkling some compost over the beds. We were told that the compost was made using cow manure, which is a thought we would have cringed at, had we not obtained first-hand experiences in dealing with animal manure during our last composting session with Miss Tan. As it were, we bravely and boldly stuck our delicate, gentle (and gloved) female hands into the sacks of cow manure and sprinkled it over our vegetable beds as though doing so was part and parcel of our everyday lives.

We also harvested the batch of compost we made a few months ago, and Mr Tapur commented on the high fertility of our compost, a fact that was apparently evidenced by the fact that our compost was (and probably still is) completely overrun by earthworms and strange insects. Before taking his leave, Mr Tapur gave us a gentle reminder to keep up our efforts in organic farming by jokingly threatening to report us to the police should we give up on our vegetable garden. He then told us that he would return next year, after school reopens, to further assist us in improving the condition of our vegetable garden, a gesture we truly appreciated.

We can't wait for the next school year to begin, as we're eager to see our vegetable garden yield produce. Should we be allowed to consume the vegetables we planted, it would be the first time most of us got to eat vegetables planted by ourselves. That should be an unforgettable experience, as nothing tastes better than the fruits of our own labour. :)

Upcoming trip to Taiwan

2011-11-06T18:37:00.000+08:00

Taiwan. Ah, the fabled land of good food, beautiful sceneries, and pleasant people. Never in my life had I foreseen that my very first trip to Taiwan would be on a school trip. The sheer thought alone invites incredulousity and disbelief, because to put it simply, it seems far too good to be true. As much as I can't believe my good luck, the fact that 10 lucky Eco Rangers would be visiting Taiwan from the 15th to 18th of November remains a fact, albeit a pleasant one.

We would be taking a morning flight to Taiwan, which departs from the LCCT. We would first arrive at Taipei, and would be taking a high-speed train to Kaohsiung, where we would be spending most of our time at. A quick internet check put my fears about catching a cold from the winter chill to rest, because the temperature is predicted to hover around 20 to 30 degrees celcius. Our teacher advisors for the trip, Cik Tan and Puan Ngau, were quick to put any myths about there being snow in Taiwan during the winter to rest by informing us that it does not snow in Taiwan.

On our first day, we would be touring various green buildings in Kaohsiung, such as the Green Library. On the second day, we would be visiting The Affiliated Senior High School of National Kaohsiung Normal University, which is abbreviated as NKNUASHS to learn and exchange ideas regarding implementing green features and projects in our school. We would be shown some of the green facilities implemented in their school, such as a water saving tap.

On the third day, we would be shown what Kaohsiung has to offer, through a thoroughly planned touring and shopping trip - what better way for us girls to get ourselves acquainted with a new place, right? On the forth day, we would once again, take a high-speed train back to Taipei as that's where our flight back to Malaysia leaves from. Fortunately for us, we have a night flight, which means that we'll have plenty of time to kill in the capital of Taiwan before we have to make our way to the airport. What an upside!

Needless to say, all ten of us are eagerly anticpating our upcoming trip. Stay posted to know how our trip went! :)

Upcoming trip to Stomp '11

2011-11-06T16:55:00.000+08:00

There is no doubt about the fact that being an Eco Ranger is a lot of work, but more often than not, our hard work usually translates to a lot of fun, and if we're lucky, we might even get unexpected rewards in return. Participating in the recent Eco Music Fest was a good example. For around 2 to 3 weeks, our lives were a blur of band practices, skipping classes to carry out the aforementioned activity, taking short breaks, and then, practicing again. Not that any of us band members were complaining - practicing gave us golden opportunities to bond over lame jokes and off-pitch singing, after all. :)

I'm pleased to announce that our hard work paid off in the form of us emerging champions of the competition, allowing us to walk away with a digital camera and 15 thumbdrives. We were delighted, and overwhelmed with glee by our unexpected win and the prizes we received, so we thought that the rewards for our hard work ended there. Imagine our surprise when we were greeted by the news that in order to reward us for all the hard work we invested, the school was sending us on a trip to watch Stomp, a percussion group using everyday objects to produce music, live in action!

We couldn't believe our ears. All of a sudden, we were attending a concert, and it's not just any concert, it's the heavily publicised STOMP '11 - LONDON'S WEST END SENSATION RETURNS TO KUALA LUMPUR! Our glees were barely suppressed enough for us to grasp more details regarding our upcoming trip to the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, where Stomp would be entertaining us. Details such as the fact that we were going for the December 3rd afternoon show, and that we're taking a bus from school, would have soared over our heads, had those details not been of paramount importance. There are going to be around 30 students going for the concert, including us Eco Band members, which was yet another good news. As they say, the more the merrier!

We are eagerly anticipating the 3rd of December, as that trip would most definitely be one of the highlights of our years as Eco Rangers.

How to make RECYCLED PAPER

2011-10-11T16:26:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the 'Making Recycled Paper' Experiment.
Firstly, what is this 'recycled paper'? Recycling paper is the act of recovering waste paper and making it into new products. In this case, the product produced are recycled paper.

RECYCLED PAPER

Experiment : Make recycled paper

Aim : To investigate how to make recycled paper, besides producing something that can be deemed under    the category of recycled paper.

Hypothesis: Recycled paper is easy to make and the product produced CAN and WILL be accepted as what humans call 'recycled paper'.

Variables :
Manipulated variable : Presence of professional guide.
Constant variable : Feelings of ecstacy and wonder.
Responding variable : Recycled paper.

Materials : Old newspaper/ waste paper, supply of water.
Apparatus : Blender, basin, frames complete with wire netting stapled to it, plastic, sponge.

Procedure:
1) Fill beaker with 500 ml of water. Shred paper into pieces and put into the blender. Blend for 5 seconds and pour filtrate into basin. Repeat following logic and calculations, not instincts.

2) Cut plastic and spread out on the desired surface. Use frame with netting to scoop out some of the filtrate. Shake gently for water to drip out,before placing frame face down on the plastic. Filtrate will come out in the shape of frame.

3) Leave filtrate to dry. If desired, shape the filtrate into the shape wanted, such as a fish.


4) Filtrate will dry into recycled paper... Someday.

Observation : The filtrate dried into recycled paper after 29 hours.

Conclusion : The hypothesis cannot really be accepted. The process is not easy and the product formed looks like a mutated and deformed form of recycled paper.

Report : Our members produced excellent results with senior members as guides around to help. But sadly, the quality decreased when the presence of guides were eliminated. But after a few tries, they have managed to produce something that is concievable as recycled paper.

SAFETY WARNINGS:
- When blending paper and water, remember to CLOSE THE LID andnot leave it open while talking to companions. Companions, please be aware.
- DO NOT follow instincts in any way. Use cool, calm logic and knwon facts to ensure succession and avoid injury caused by an agitated leader.
- DO NOT leave fan on while cutting plastic. Plastic will fly around and enjoy making life hard for you and you will end up cutting your own finger.
- Paste plastic on table with water, or possbily tape. If there is no tape, use water, and NOT bubblegum chewed by member.

I hope this guide is of help to you, and good luck in trying.

Eco Music Festival

2011-10-11T15:51:00.047+08:00

Good morning, afternoon, evening, night, hey, yo and what's up to all you readers.

Thanks for always checking this blog out, because I assure you solemnly that you probably won't regret it. So on the 28th of September 2011, our club - SMK(P) Sri Aman's Eco Rangers - threw a big event; known as, well... You can see the title up there. Yeah. the Eco Music Festival. It was awesome.

What is the 'Eco Music Festival'? Dude.

The Eco Music Festival is where eco bands from other schools get together to perform songs and such using recycled stuff. There're judges and prizes, which makes it a big event.

Well, let me start from the very beginning, which are the preparations. We were told to stay back on the 21st of September, a Wednesday, to get everything ready. And by everything, I mean the bookmarks, recycled paper, origami, bio enzyme and important stuff that actually matters in this world. A few girls who weren't in the club volunteered to help too, and we managed to get the work done.

While we were busy with the preparations, our Eco music band practised in the school hall. Let me just say one thing, if the winner of the compettion was based on the number of practices held or how much a band bractised, well, let's just say that I'd vote for our band to win; no questions asked. We stayed back until four on Wednesday and Thursday (the 21st and 22nd) but there were still some unfinished business. For example, decorating the bookmarks, and making more recycled paper. But some of the members touched that up at home, so we were well organised all right.

On the 27th of September on a Tuesday, we received our new Eco Ranger shirts. It was light green in colour, and everyone seemed attracted to it. Which was good thing, but due to their manic attraction, the rate at which their work progressed decreased considerably. Hence, it was time for them to put their new, pretty shirts away (albeit with heavy hearts), and get back to workin' again. This determination to persevere in the face of adversity (pretty shirts) ultimately led to their success in completing their assigned tasks. Hurray!

Then came the day. I'm not sure if other people were excited, but from my own experience; I felt nothing really. Just... emptiness. But that's usually the way I feel, so no surprise there. But everyone was really stressed up on that day. They looked nervous and anxious, but that's normal. People started arriving at 8:30 a.m. and they were brought to the school hall. We were in our positions at the booths. We used four of our mobile classrooms (AKA cabin classes); 4SA, 2F, 2G and 2E. 2G and 2E were used by two other schools for their own booths, while we used 4SA and 2E. The candle-making booth, Bio Enzyme, Compost and Herbs Garden booths were all situated in 4SA. Arts and Crafts and Recycled Paper were located in 2F.

The composting booth. Or rather, an amusing picture.

The origami booth

A lot of people were attracted - and maybe looked a bit infatuated, or is it just me? - to the Arts and Crafts, Recycled paper, along with the candle-making booths.

The other booths gained visits from grown-ups mostly, who were knowledgeable and interested in the wares offered by nature.

The aforementioned booths weren't the only attractions of the Eco Music Fest, however. If one happened to walk past the gallery at the right moment, he or she would be greeted by the astonishing sight of a long line of students, queuing up outside a black, dome-like structure. What, precisely was in that dome-like structure? Well, it was an exhibit by the National Planetarium, which introduces students to the universe via three documentaries which are projected onto the internal walls of the dome-like structure. Students who enter the structure and immediately engulfed by semi-darkness, and once the show began, all that surrounded them was darkness. The structure was also well-ventilated, which made the entire atmosphere reminiscent of a cinema's. The only difference was that we were even allowed to lie on our backs, to get a better view.

The Planetarium also had an flight simulator exhibit in one of our computer labs. Using devices and software typically used by aviation academies to train pilots-to-be how to steer and control a plane virtually, us students were given a brief taste of how it felt like to be a pilot.

While we were all entertaining people at our respective booths; our Eco Music Band were rocking in the competition. We had two bands represented, and our official Eco Rangers Music Band won the competition. It was a very, very close call for us, however. We were up against some pretty tough competition from all of the other bands, so we were taken by surprise at our win. We would also like to congratulate SMK Setapak Indah, who emerged first runner-up, as well as our friends from Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah, who willingly crossed the South China Sea to take part in our competition, and emerged second-runner up. Congratulations are also in order for the consolation prize winners! :)

That's us!

The band from Setapak Indah.

The Eco Music Festival ended with a photo shoot session at 2pm. Our band emerged champions of the competition, and we were proud of that.

That's our empress and her princesses up on stage, receiving our prize on behalf of the band!

But then came the matter of clearing up. I can tell you first-hand it was tiring. We had cramps and aches all over, but I for one, felt like a real man. A real MACHO kind of man. We carried and piled all the tables properly together, mopped the floors and cleaned everything up. Real men take care of their cleanliness. So we were men.

We finished allt he cleaning up until 4:30 p.m., but someo the more awesome workers stayed back until 5p.m. just to clean up. We owe them a salute. We made quite a high profit, but due to safety reasons such as murder, I have been sworn to secrecy. To the Eco Music Band of SMK(P) Sri Aman; you folks really deserve everything you got. To the other schools; Hey, you guys were awesome too.
So I guess this is it. Until the next post, then.

SA's Eco Music Band!

Eco Rangers Meeting

2011-09-04T21:20:00.000+08:00

On the 22nd of August 2011, the Eco Rangers Club of SMK(P) Sri Aman held an AGM meeting - also known as installation - starting from 2.30 pm until 4.00 pm in 4 Science Amanah, located at the cabin classes.

Farhanah stood at the front and handled the election. She was elected as Project Manager - no doubts casted - of the whole club. Her secretary would be Atikah, and after a lot of discussion and racuous laughter; Anith Afrina was selected to be the secretary's 'apprentice'. It was agreed that if the clb did not train their juniors, then the club will go to waste. Destroyed. Eliminated. Extinct. Dead.

Our treasurer was to be Angela Chong, who used tobe Head of Blog, but has thankfully given up the position to another member. Siti Sarah was elected as Nurturing and Events Director; meaning she would 'nurture' and 'direct' events and produce wondrous eye-catching and heart-stopping events.

Next, we moved on to the Nurturing area; which Siti Sarah is also in charge of, as Nurturing and Events Director. The Bio Enzyme head was to be Ili. Compost would be under Syaqira and Recycling is under Maryam.

Arts and Crafts - also under Nurturing - had the glory of having Anisa and Nihad as heads. Amalina and Khairina would both lead Tree Planting, and Farah Dinah is now officially the head of the Eco Music Band. Durrah was put in charge of Exhibition, where she will be referred to in case concerning exhibitions and displays.

Lastly, was the Documentation area; which is everything that has to do with technology. Multimedia, also known as VP's head is Soo Sun while Photograpy was put under Nisa. Good for them, because knowledge in technology is something to be proud of. Syafiqah was to be head of Research and Plant Inventory. Shes had a lot of experience in that field, and we felt that she would have the upper hand in it. I have now taken over the post of Head of Blog; Anati.

But there were shocking news. Rain Water harvesing (river rangers), the Recycling team and Compost has now been grouped into Eco Rangers. We are now known as PENCINTA ALAM, also known as NATURE LOVERS. Besides that, the other big news was that an Eco Music Festival will be held on the 28th of September 2011. It's a big event, and the head is Syaqirah.

We were given to groups, and told to discuss it. We'll discuss it together in the next meeting. Until then... later, alligator.

PS. Alligators and crocodiles eat stones by the riversides so they can be weighed down in the water. This way, they can hide from hunters and enemies. I mean, sure they're the predators - but come on. Nothing's safe in this world.

iEARN Youth Summit & International Conference 2011

2011-08-13T12:28:00.004+08:00

From the 17th to 23rd July 2011, two of Sri Aman's Toyota Eco Rangers Club members, Nur Farhanah and Syaqira Farouk attended the iEARN Youth Summit & International Conference 2011 which took place in Kaouhsiung, Taiwan. The theme of the summit was "Green Life, Green Tech, Great Era!" Both of them were also selected to be presenters at the Youth Summit on the topic "Embarking Towards a Greener Future".

Sunday, 17 July

After four hours of cramped leg space and a tiring flight with nothing to do other than talk and sleep, we arrived at the Taoyuan International Airport. Puan Yeo asked for directions and after a few wrong turns and a bit of getting lost, we made it into the highspeed railway train. From there, it was another one hour of cramped leg space with beautiful landscape sceneries until we arrived at Kaohsiung. We caught a taxi and finally reached our hotel, Garden Villa. After registration we found out that we had no rooms and were relocated to Han Hsien International Hotel-a 20 minute bus drive from Garden Villa. We decided that it was time to call it a day as soon as we set foot into the room as we were physically and mentally exhausted. Well, what would one expect after lugging huge luggage all over the place the whole day.

At the Taiwan High Speed Railway Station

Registration at the Garden Villa Conference Centre

Monday, 18 July

We woke up early and headed down for breakfast. Took the shuttle bus they prepared to Garden Villa to attend the opening ceremony. The countries attending the conference as well as the youth summit were introduced one by one. Standing tall with a total of three delegates from Malaysia, we waved to the rest of the world. A total of 42 countries attended the event. We listened to the opening speech and the few announcements made before snapping a few group photos. Yes, a group photo of all the delegates from the 42 countries. We then proceeded to have lunch. Ah, food was always something to look forward to. After the satisfying lunch, we participated in the various team building activities. During these activities, youths were asked to join their respective groups which they had been assigned to during the registration. It was to enhance better interaction between each other. We briefly introduced ourselves to our group members and vice versa before proceeding to the team building activities. We were not too sure what happened as it was mostly chaos with a lot of running and hopping about but what we do know is, it was a whole lot of fun. Next, we participated in the cultural activities. We joined the mandarin class and learned some interesting new words and common phrases in mandarin. Other activities carried out were calligraphy art, Chinese knotting key-chain, tai chi and paper cut-outs. Dinner was served at 6pm and with that the day ended. We had a few laughing fits back in the room before going to bed.

During the opening ceremony

Japan Blue Planet Exhibition

At the Kaouhsiung Night Market

With friends from Japan & Taiwan

Tuesday, 19 July

We spent the whole of Tuesday at the National Science and Technology Museum (NSTM) participating in various workshops organised for us. To name a few, there was the Crazy Scientist, Solar Car Racing, Dam Design, Treasure Hunting and Spaghetti Building. In the Crazy Scientist
workshop, we were enlightened by the interesting facts of science that may appear magical. We also had a chance to build our very own mini solar car in the Solar Car Racing workshop. A competition for the best dam to withstand the marble avalanche was held in the Dam Design workshop which was done in pairs. Syaqira and her partner failed pathetically in their pathetic attempt to create the best dam the world has ever seen. Farhanah on the other hand, created a very stable spaghetti building which could withstand the earthquake test. Dinner was again served at 6pm and before retiring to bed, we participated in one last activity of the night which was the Adobe Youth Voices film festival. This was particularly a long day as the workshops went on and on.

At the National Science & Technology Museum

Adobe Youth Voices Film Festival

Syaqira's magnificient dam design

Wednesday, 20 July

We had the whole day free for this day. It was originally for those who wished to participate in the one-day tour they arranged for the delegates but we decided to take a tour on our own. We bought a whole day ticket for the MRT and basically travelled all over the place. Our first stop was the Zuoying Municipal Junior High School. It was a great chance to collect ideas and bring back some information for our school to help in the betterment of Sri Aman. We made lots of comparisons and took loads of pictures. Basically, we were in awe. Their school was the size of our universities-and it was only the junior high! Although we would probably not come even close to compare with their academic facilities, but our sports facilities are to be proud of. Apparently, students in Taiwan bury their heads in books all the time which. It sounds boring but it allows them to concentrate on and only on their academics. Still, it would probably be really stressful. We also found our way to the mosque. It was interesting to see how Muslims there go about in their daily lives. We took the opportunity to visit an Indonesian restaurant to have our lunch before heading towards Kaohsiung National Stadium. Here, we found out that it is powered by solar power! They have solar panels for roofs. We didn’t miss the opportunity to visit Lotus Pond, which is a tourist attraction to see temples and the sort. It was an amazing experience to see the incredible architecture of some temples and pagodas up-close. We snapped a few embarrassing photos before heading back to the hotel to have dinner. Later that night, we visited the Love River and found out that their boats are also solar powered! How awesome is that?! We went to bed with great memories of the day-and feet full of blisters.

The solar powered World Games Stadium

At the Lotus Temple :)

The Chinese-Muslim uncle whom we met at the Kaouhsiung Mosque

The LOVE River <3

Visit to the Zuoying Junior High School

Thursday, 21 July

Finally, our presentation day arrived. This whole day was spent in the NSTM. Basically, it was the chance for the youth delegates to present their project. Some presented and some came to listen. It was an interesting day full of information. We presented our project about the various efforts taken in our school to help the environment. We can conclude that it was a successful presentation. After the presentation session, we were split up into our respective groups again to attend two more activities which were the aboriginal dance and the lantern painting event. Later that night, we attended the International Cultural Night. Delegates from a few countries had organised a performance or two. Mainly they were from Indonesia, Spain, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Qatar, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Japan. It was truly an enjoyable day. On the bus, everyone fell asleep.

Friday, 22 July

Another fresh new day! The closing ceremony was held on this day but before that, we attended a workshop called Fun for Change. The workshop was all about trying to make change in a fun way. Youths had to come up with ideas to make change fun on specific issues such as recycling, being friendly and etcetera. Night came pretty quickly and we found ourselves in the gala party. We took a few final photos with our friends and bid them goodbye before retiring for bed. Next year, the event will take place in Trinidad and Tobago. So, here are a few snapshots with our friends from all around the globe :)

As you can see, the trip was truly an enjoyable one packed with fun and information. We learnt about the various efforts to help the environment that can be carried out here in Sri Aman or better still in Malaysia. Solar power is definitely something worth looking into. Recycling which has become mandatory for every citizen just shows that it is not impossible for us to follow in their footsteps. It was sad to leave new friends but exciting to come back to old friends and family. So, yes! We had a great time at the 15th Youth Summit held by iEARN in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and wish all the best for the 16th and the coming conferences and summits. We thank everyone who made it possible for us. Thank you, thank you! Or as they say in Taiwan, xie xie!

Malay College Youth Development Summit (MCYDS) 2011 (Daily account)

2011-08-11T12:32:00.004+08:00

Day 1 - 20th June 2011

We arrived at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) about 11.30 am and we were welcomed with open arms by the MCKK students. We were required to register at the registration counters and were then shown to our dormitories, which are usually used by Form 3 students on normal schooling days. Lunch was served at 1pm at the Summit Square. This was when we first met delegates from other countries such as India, Pakistan, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand as well as delegates from Malaysia. After having our meal, we were allowed to go back to our respective dorms to freshen up and unpack.

The next program lined up for us was the sepak takraw demonstration by the MCKK sepak takraw players followed by the Kedah state players. We were shown two methods to play sepak takraw, the traditional and modern method. Then, we were divided into groups and were given the opportunity to play this traditional Malay sport. A mini competition was also organized whereby Hassan Ayub, the delegate from Pakistan, emerged as the champion.

At 8.30 pm that night, we had a welcoming dinner near the Hangreaves Hall. During the dinner, representatives from each school were asked to introduce themselves and to say a few words on what they expected to gain from the summit. Farhanah represented our school and spoke on behalf of all of us.

Once the dinner was over, we had an ice breaking session at the Hangreaves Hall. The highlight of the session was the Penguin Feet game, similar to Musical Chair. We also had a game which required us to obtain as much information as we can about any delegate within a period of one minute. The last game was mainly about trust as the delegates had to select a partner and work together to be part of the Dancing Newspaper game.

All in all, the games met the purpose of breaking the ice among the participants and it was the first step for us, delegates to get to know each other better. The program ended at 10.30 pm and we then went back to our respective dorms to have a goodnight rest.

Day 2 - 21th June 2011

We started our morning by having breakfast at the Summit square around 7.00 am that morning. After breakfast, all the delegates were asked to gather at the Hangreaves Hall as the opening ceremony was about to begin. During the opening ceremony, the principal of the MCKK, Mr. Anand bin Baharuddin gave his welcoming speech and wished all of us a pleasant stay at the Malay College. Mr. Anand also explained that the main purpose of organizing the Malay College Youth Development Summit (MCYDS) was to polish the leadership potential and soft skills of youths to produce great leaders of tomorrow. The opening ceremony was rejuvenated by cultural performances from the MCKK students such as the Dikir Barat & 1 Malaysia traditional dance performance.

We then had refreshments and the program of the day proceeded with the first session of the “What Works Well (WWW)” Project Presentation from seven schools, including ours. SMK Raja Perempuan Kelsom started off their presentation by explaining about the eco- friendly detergent, followed by Vajiravudh College, Thailand. They spoke about the Vajiravudh Sufficiency Economic Movement the works well in their school. Students from SMA Negeri 1 Purworejo, Indonesia then explained about their student exchange program continued by SMS Sains Selangor. Finally, it was our turn to present about what works well in SMK (P) Sri Aman. As we are part of the environmental project of Sri Aman, we presented on the various eco efforts taken by us, in order to preserve and conserve the environment. It was an 8 minute presentation and a 2 minute Q & A session. During the Q & A session, Daanish Ibrahim Izhar, a delegate from Pakistan, asked us a few questions about the green initiatives that we had taken. Our presentation was indeed a success as we received and overwhelming response from the audience. The presentation session ended with the MCKK delegates talking about the “One (1) Decision” software that was designed by an ex- MCKK boy.

We later got ready for the Royal Banquet Dinner rehearsal which took place at the official Iskandariah palace. Upon our arrival at the palace, we were lead to the royal dining hall and were educated on the etiquettes of English fine dining. We headed back to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar after the rehearsal as there was a dialogue session on the “Role of Youth in the Society” planned for us. The speaker of the event was Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, also an MCKK old boy. This session was very interesting as the delegates shared thoughts and perspectives on what they truly understand about the role of youth as leaders in today’s world. We also had the privilege to listen to Dato’ Saifuddin’s view on this topic. The program for the day ended at 11 pm.

Day 3 - 22th June 2011

After breakfast that morning, we gathered at the Hangreaves Hall for the 2nd session of the WWW Project Presentation. SMA Negeri 7 Purworenjo, Indonesia started their presentation by talking about their school’s co-curricular activities and the Bonsai Program that had been organized in their school. Next, Olongopo City National High School talked about the special programs offered, such as the Journalism, Sports and Science programs. SM Sains Machang talked about their project to produce well-balanced students before the Aitchisonian College, Pakistan surprised all of us with the amazing project they have done to treat cancer patients in Lahore, Pakistan, by setting up the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in collaboration with various parties. SMK Raja Perempuan Bainun, Ipoh then spoke about the Living in Fine English (LIFE) program organized in their school, followed by Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR), which highlighted about the International Inspiration program, a sports program organized in collaboration with colleges in London. The next presentation was by SM Sayyidina Othman, Brunei Darussalam whereby they explained about how ICT is a major substance in their school education system. SMK Sultanah Asma, Kedah addressed on the environmental efforts that are being taken by their school and SBP Gopeng ended the second and last session of the presentation by explaining on the ISIS and WINJAWS System that is used in their school administration system. The session ended at about 1pm, just in time for lunch!

Then, we were given a short- briefing about the Pangkor Trip that was supposed to take place that evening before having our lunch. We left for Pangkor at 2 pm and and it took us about 3 hours to reach the beautiful and exotic Pangkor Island. Upon our arrival, we were served with some refreshments before checking in to our respective rooms at the Coral Bay Resort. Around 5.45 that evening, a community beach clean-up activity was planned for us. We were divided into groups and to make the activity more challenging, a mini competition was organized whereby the group with the most rubbish would win a token. Delegates from all around the globe, the MCKK teachers and even the principal worked hand in hand to clean up the beach. The judging session to determine the winner of the clean-up session was conducted by the MCKK boys and we were informed that results would only be announced during dinner later at night.

Dinner commenced at 8.30 pm followed by a speech from the guest of honour, who was brought up in Pangkor Island and by the organizing chairperson of MCYDS ’11. They both spoke mainly about the beauty of the island, also highlighting on the importance of carrying out community service. The winner of the cleaning up session was announced and they received hampers. After dinner, we went to the souvenir shop nearby to purchase a few items as memories of visiting the island. We then headed off to bed about 11 pm.

Day 4 - 23th June 2011

The main activity planned for the day was to take place at SMK Pangkor. We made our way to their school at about 8.00 am and we were welcomed with open hands by the students and teachers. The main objective of our visit to SMK Pangkor was to carry out team building activities with the students, in order to boost their confidence and help them to socialize. Before the activities started, we joined in their usual morning assembly. Via the speech from the student representative of SMK Pangkor, we learned that they were very honoured to have us to visit their humble school. We sang our national anthem for the assembly was formal and continued on with the Perak state anthem and SMK Pangkor song.

Since the aforementioned school was located just beside the beach, the organizers had planned the team building activities to take part by the beach. The games that were held were indeed challenging as we learnt the true meaning of teamwork and leadership skills. It was truly such and amazing experience not only because the games were fun, but we also managed to make new friends along the way. Light refreshments were served at SMK Pangkor’s school canteen before we headed back to the resort to pack up our things and leave for MCKK.

We headed back to MCKK after lunch as the Royal Banquet at the Iskandariah Palace was planned for the night and we were required to be at the palace by 6.00 pm for a final rehearsal before the royal banquet. Dressed in our traditional clothes, we left for the palace at 5.30 pm. It was the first time for almost all of us to be having dinner at a royal palace. We were all excited and full of enthusiasm. Once we entered the palace grounds, we were awed by the aesthetic features of the palace, not to mention the fine architecture of the royal dining hall. The rehearsal began about 6.30 pm and we were reminded about how we were supposed to behave throughout the royal banquet.

We had to wait for about 2 hours before the actual dinner. Excitement slowly arouse in each and everyone of us. The royal dinner began at 8.30 pm as soon as Raja Nazrin Shah, the crown prince of Perak arrived. There were a few protocols that needed to be done and therefore, dinner was served around 9.00 pm. We were served a 5 coursed western cuisine and were entertained by the MCKK Wind Orchestra throughout the dinner. After the royal banquet, we took the opportunity to snap loads of pictures at the palace as we might never obtain the chance to visit the palace again. The royal banquet was indeed a lifetime experience for all of us.

Day 5 - 24th June 2011

We woke up full of excitement as we were supposed to go for a tour around Kuala Kangsar that morning. Though we are Malaysians, we have not been to Kuala Kangsar, Perak which is also known for its royalty. Three buses were used as the mean of transportation and we were randomnly seated in the bus to allow us to get to know other delegates. We made our first stop at the Enggor handicraft centre which specialized in the production of Labu Sayong. Demonstrations were made on the process of making the famous Labu Sayong. Some of the delegates were also given the opportunity to make the Labu Sayong hands-on which carved smiles on the faces of the delegates, especially those from other countries.After two hours at Enggor, we then made a move to the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery. The items displayed at the gallery were mainly royalty items such as their royal wear and royal cars. We also learnt a bit of Perak royalty history during the visit to the gallery.

We went back to MCKK at noon for lunch. At 2.30 pm, we were given time to practice for the cultural night that was to take place the following day. The Malaysian delegates including us, decided to have two different performances which were the Sumazau Dance and the traditional song, Aladom. The practice for the performance prolonged up to 6 pm. Dinner was served at 8.00 pm and we were given about 2 hours after dinner to prepare for our WWW Project Exhibition. We slept around 11 pm after completing our WWW Project Booth which displayed the green initiatives taken in Sri Aman.

Day 6 - 25th June 2011

After a week-long stay at MCKK, it was finally time for the Closing Ceremony & MCKK Speech Day to take place. The guest of honour for the ceremony was Raja Nazrin Shah, the crown prince of Perak. A short performance by the MCKK Wind Orchestra with a number of instrumental pieces such as the “Ross Roy” pieces marked the beginning of the event. There were also speeches by the guest of honour and the principal of MCKK, Mr. Anand bin Baharuddin. The crown prince of Perak was brought for a tour around the WWW Project Exhibition Booths, including ours. Raja Nazrin Shah was indeed very impressed by the green efforts that we, Sri Amanians had taken. We felt very honoured to be given the opportunity to present our project to the royalty of Perak.

As noon approached, we had our final cultural performance practice and we got ready for the cultural night. Before the cultural performance began, we were presented with our certificates for attending the event and souvenirs as a token of appreciation. The cultural performances that were put up that night by all the delegates were very entertaining. The performances that stood out among the rest were the martial arts demonstration by the delegates from Thailand, the energetic Bhangra dance by the Pakistanis and the melodious voice of an Indian delegate who sang whole-heartedly and captivated the hearts of the audience. Overall, the performances were mind-blowing and received a great response from the audience.

Be that as it may, we were all feeling melancholic soon after the cultural night as that was our last day at the Malay College Youth Development Summit (MCYDS). We took pictures and exchanged our personal details so that we will be able to keep in touch with each other even after returning to our respective schools and countries. That night, we slept with a mixture of feelings owing to the fantastic experience we had attain as well as the naked truth that we had to utter words of farewells and goodbyes the next day.

Toyota Eco Rangers closing ceremony

2011-08-06T11:24:00.000+08:00

On the 26th July 2011, the Toyota Eco Rangers Closing and Award Ceremony was held at SMK Putrajaya Presint 8 (I). The Toyota Eco Rangers programme, which spanned three years after it kicked off in the month of June, 2008, finally came to an end after the final judging of every participating school was completed. This programme was a Corporate Social Responsibility programme by UMW Toyota, who collaborated with Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam (YAWA) to educate the youth of today about doing their part in preserving and conserving the environment for a better future.

As SMK (P) Sri Aman is one of the participating schools, five of our club members were selected to attend this event. They were accompanied by our teacher advisor, Pn Yeo Yen Fern and our Co-curricular Senior Assistant, Cik Liew Lee Ping, to attend this event. It was an event spanning the entire day, so they had to arrive at SMK Putrajaya Presint 8 (I), before 7.45 am.

Upon their arrival, they registered themselves at the registration counter and were given goodie bags and name tags to be used during the event. After registering, they set up their exhibition booth, which was set up to educate attendees of the event about the numerous green projects and initiatives carried out in our school.

After every participant arrived, and sated themselves with the scrumptious breakfast served, the event finally began. Representatives of each participating school were first required to give a brief presentation on the green initiatives and projects carried out in their respective schools. Our school's representatives gave a thorough and detailed presentation on the green projects and initiaives that has been carried out in our school, through our club. The presentation session was halted for a brief refreshment break halfway through, and resumed after the break, until around 12.30 pm. Every participant was then required to change into the t-shirts provided before the Award Ceremony began at 2.00 pm.

Around 2.00pm, all participants gathered back in the hall and were seated according to their schools. The event started around 2.20pm when the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, YB Tan Sri Datuk Panglima Joseph Kurup, arrived at the venue. Attendees of the event were first treated to an entertaining performance by the Putrajaya Presint 8 (I) primary school. After the performance, YB Tan Sri Panglima Joseph Kurup made his opening speech, which was followed by a speech by the UMW Toyota President, Encik Ismet Suki. After all the speeches were made, SMK Damansara Damai treated everyone to an entertaining performance by their Eco Drum Circle, Rentak Hijau.

The time then came for the highlight of the day, which was the prize-giving ceremony. Each school was first presented with certificates of participation for every participating student. The winners of each category was then announced. Our school walked away with the prize for Best Reporting, while SMK Aminuddin Baki won the prize for Best Tree Planting. Best Nurturing was won by SMK SS17. A new 'surprise' category was also introduced, which was Best Supportive Teacher. Puan Magespari from SMK SS17 and Puan Siti Zahrah from SMK Putrajaya Presint 8 (I) won this prize. Finally, the moment that they have been waiting for arrived. It was time to announce the overall ranking for this competition. SMK Aminudding Baki placed fifth, while SMK Bangsar placed forth. SMK SS17 walked away with the prize for second runner-up, while the first runner up was SMK Putrajaya Presint 8 (I). Our school's representatives were shocked when we were announced as overall champions of the Toyota Eco Rangers competition.

Gleefully, our stunned representatives made their way to the stage to receive the prize on behalf of the school. After the photo shooting session, SMK Putrajaya Presint 8 (I) treated everyone present to a traditional dance performance, before our representatives were once again invited to give a presentation on the numerous green initiatives and projects carried out in our school.

Everyone present was then invited to pay the exhibition booths a visit, before embarking upon a tour of SMK Putrajaya Presint 8 (I). As the day drew to an end, light refreshments were served to every guest in the dining hall.

It seems unnecessary to point out the fact that the Toyota Eco Rangers programme has provided all of us with the opportunity to learn and grow as individuals through the amount of hard work and effort we invested to make our school a greener school. We are all beyond ecstatic to have emerged champions of this programme, and would do our best to ensure that our endeavours do not waver in the slightest, despite the fact that this chapter of our lives as Eco Rangers has drawn to a close. There is still much we can do to make our school a greener school, so believe us when we say that our efforts do not end here. ;) On that note, we would like to bid farewell to one chapter of our lives as Eco Rangers, though it is most definitely not our last.

In-conclusion, the Toyota Eco Rangers programme really has benefited each member
in our school from the environment knowledge, nurturing knowledge, documentation skills
and also communication skills. We are truly happy as all our hard work for the past three
years has paid off as we won the overall competition. We hope that more programmes like
this are done by different NGO’s or company so that our future generation will appreciate
our mother earth better.

Malay College Youth Development Summit (MCYDS) 2011

2011-07-10T08:10:00.003+08:00

On the 20th until the 26th June 2011, our school has sent three Eco Rangers members to the Malay College Youth Development Summit (MCYDS) 2011 for their annual Summit program in Malay College of Kuala Kangsar (MCKK). This year’s main topic is the What Works Well Project and our school has decided the project that works well in our school is the Environmental Conservation Project. Upon our arrival, we had to register and check in at the dorm that was allocated to us. Then, as lunch ended, we unpacked before being shown one of the traditional games in Malaysia which is the Sepak Takraw. All the participants got the chance to try of the game after the demonstration by the school Sepak Takraw players. Then, that night, we had our welcoming dinner whereby all the school in Malaysia and also from countries like Pakistan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and Philippines got to know each other a little bit better. It was followed by the Ice Breaking session at the Hargreaves Hall with the aim to tighten the bonding of all the delegates. During the ice breaking session, we played several exciting games whereby in the end, we learn the meaning of trust among the delegates.

After our breakfast the next morning, we had our opening ceremony whereby Tuan Haji Rosland officiate the event. We were also been entertained by different types of cultural performances in Malaysia which was really interesting. Then, we had our photo session before refreshment was served. After that, the first session of the presentation on the What Works Well Project took place. Our school presented during this session and we were very happy to get the positive feedback from the audience and other delegates. After lunch that day, we had to go to the Iskandariah Palace as we had a rehearsal for the Royal Banquet Dinner that will be held on the 23rd June 2011. During the rehearsal, we were taught different etiquettes of fine dining that we had no idea before. It was truly indeed an unforgettable moment. That night after dinner, we had a dialogue session regarding the Role of Youth in Society with Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah as the speaker.

The next morning we continued our presentation on the “WWW’ Project at the Hargreaves Hall. As session 2 and 3 ended, we truly had learnt tones of new things and had an idea about the different things that works well in other school. Then, we depart from Kuala Kangsar to the beautiful island of Pangkor. We arrived in Pulau Pangkor around 5.00pm where we had light refreshment upon arriving. Then, after unpacked, we went for a community service to clean up the beach that was nearby. To make the activity more exciting, the group that collect the most rubbish will win the competition. All the delegates collect the rubbish with full of enthusiasm and the beach actually looked clean after the community service. That night, we had dinner where the winner of the competition was announced. The pink group was really happy went they were announced as the winner.

As the clock strikes 7.00am, all delegates were already having their breakfast and were excited for activities that were planned for them. After breakfast, we made our way to SMK Pangkor where we had several activities with the students. During the games that we were playing, we learn the true meaning of teamwork and leadership skills. It was truly such an amazing experience not only because the game was fun, but we also made new friends along the way. After lunch, we head back to MCKK as we have a royal banquet dinner planned for us. Around 6.00pm, all delegates, teachers and other students have gathered at the Iskandariah Palace for the last rehearsal before the actual dinner. Then, the moment of truth came when we actually had the banquet dinner. It was truly a once in a life time experience as we cannot do this in other events.

The next morning, after breakfast, we have gone on a tour around Kuala Kangsar. First, we went to the handicraft center at Enggor where we were taught on how to make the famous Labu Sayong. Delegates were also given the opportunity to make the Labu Sayong hands-on. After spending two hours at Enggor, we then made our way to the Sulatn Azlan Shah Gallery. Here, we got to see so many royalties’ items like their clothes, gifts from other countries and even their cars. We then went back to MCKK by noon for lunch. At 2.30pm, we had our cultural performance practice whereby each country will perform a type of performance not more than 10 minutes. For the Malaysian, we decided to liaise with each other and perform the Sumazau dance and the song ‘Aladom’. After dinner that night, we had to prepare our ‘WWW’ Project Exhibition at the exhibition hall before lights out.

The Speech Day for MCKK was arranged that morning whereby all their old boys will come to collect their certificates. In conjunction with that, the delegates of MCYDS also had to exhibit our WWW Project. The Raja Muda of Perak was brought to all the exhibition counters including ours to see the various projects that we have carried out. As noon approached, we had our final cultural performance rehearsal as we need to perform them at the closing ceremony that night. So, that night, the closing ceremony happened and delegates were given their certificates and souvenirs as a token of appreciation. We also performed our cultural performance after the closing ceremony. We were all very sad that night as it was our last night together. We took pictures and exchange personal details so that we can still keep in touch.

On our last day, there was no activity arranged. We just had breakfast and packed our stuff before going home. The local delegates said goodbye to the international ones when they had to go together to Kuala Lumpur by bus. Then, slowly, the local delegates made their way back home. Overall, the MCYDS 2011 was a really exciting and beneficial event. We hope that we will be invited to more events like this and maybe one day, even organize such an event.

MCKK Youth Summit 2011

2011-07-07T20:26:00.001+08:00

From the 19th to 26th June 2011, 3 of our Eco Ranger members were selected to represent school for the Malay College Youth Summit Development 2011 (MCYDS 2011) to present on the Environmental Conservation Project carried out in Sri Aman, in conjunction with the theme of the summit, "What Works Well".
They also carried out an exhibition regarding the Environmental Conservation Project during the summit and they were featured in the News Strait Times.

A full journal about MCYDS 2011 will be posted soon! Stay tune :)

Puan Yasmin (EcoKnights) workshop

2011-06-23T21:16:00.000+08:00

On the 21st of June, we, the lucky members of the school's Toyota Eco Rangers club, were treated to an entertaining talk by Puan Yasmin Ras of EcoKnights, an NGO established to promote sustainable living. The talk exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds, as all the knowledge Puan Yasmin imparted would most certainly serve us well in numerous aspects, be it reusing, recycling, or even conserving.

Puan Yasmin began her talk by briefly introducing the organisation she represents, EcoKnights, before moving on to the importance of conserving water. She brought up the fact unlike the way it is in Malaysia, many parts of the world face a shortage of clean water, causing many people to suffer from diseases such as cholera as an unfortunate result. She then encouraged us to watch the following video to learn more about this intriguing subject.

Puan Yasmin then suggested that we recycle electronic waste, as the many types of metals used in the production of electronic devices can very easily be recycled to make other useful products, giving them a second life. She shared a rather surprising fact with us - If 2000 cell phones are recycled, enough gold would be collected to make an entire gold bar.

Puan Yasmin then moved on to the subject of organisations and associations that are fighting for the same cause as EcoKnights, in their own ways. For instance, she told us about an organisation which gives single mothers an outlet for generating income, by providing them with magazines so that they can make and sell baskets made out of magazines. However, the organization faces a dire shortage of magazines, which is why Puan Yasmin suggested that we hold a magazine recycling campaign. She also told us about an organization that makes quilts and blankets out of old clothes, which comes in handy during floods and rainy spells.

Staying true to her helpful nature, Puan Yasmin stated that she would like to assist us in taking our Eco Music Band to the next level by giving us more opportunities to perform in public, as well as mingle with other Eco Musicians. She also suggested that we keep up with the current music trends, in order to make ourselves relevant in today's music industry.

We sincerely appreciate the time and effort Puan Yasmin has poured into the workshop, and would most definitely utilise and share the information she has imparted upon us.

Meeting (27th of May)

2011-06-01T23:22:00.000+08:00

On the 27th of May, a two-hour long meeting was conducted to discuss the numerous preparations we have to make in the light of the looming final judging. This meeting was the first meeting we've had in over two weeks, due to our mid-term exams, and it was chaired by Farhanah.

Farhanah began the meeting by informing members that we have two performances scheduled in June, hence the need for two practice sessions to be conducted on the 10th and 11th of June, 2011 from 8am to 10am, in school. She moved on to the topic of our vegetable garden, citing the need for us to keep up our efforts of upgrading it, once all the necessary arrangements have been made with Miss Tan. Our vegetable garden was not the only thing we had to upgrade, she went on to say. Our Herbs Garden and Eco Corner desperately required a face lift, as well.

Furthermore, all paperwork, reports, and slideshows pertaining to the numerous projects we carried out in conjunction with Sri Aman's Earth Month had to be completed and finalized. Finally bringing some joy into our hearts (and tummy), Farhanah mentioned that the Eco Carnival Party would be held soon, to thank the efforts of those who had invested much of their time and energy into making our first ever International Conference and Eco Carnival a massive success. To end the meeting, Farhanah urged everyone who has photos of any events we have partook in or organised to upload said photos on Sri Aman Planeteers, our Facebook page.

That concluded our final meeting before the mid-term holidays began.

A visit from Sarawak

2011-04-30T17:52:00.002+08:00

Our school is truly blessed to be able to play host to a large number of visitors to our school, who come from many different countries, as well as numerous corners of our country. On the 29th of April, our school once again had the honour of playing host to the teachers and students from one of our sister schools, Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah, a prestigious school situated in Kuching, Sarawak. Needless to say, we were all extremely eager at the prospect of learning more from the numerous green initiatives their environment club has undertaken, as well as share ours with them.

The day began with the arrival of 80 students, who were mainly a part of the school's environment club or tourism club, as well 8 teachers, at around 8.30 am in the morning. A welcoming ceremony quickly ensued, during which a welcoming speech was given by representatives of our school's student council, followed by a speech given by our headmistress, Datin Noorul-Aini, before the final speech was given by a teacher representative of our guests. Farhanah and Atikah then gave a talk on the numerous green projects and initiatives that have been undertaken by our club and our school. Their talk, along with the aid of a video presentation, managed to achieve their aim of allowing the students from our sister school to get to know more about our green projects.

The president of Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah's environment club, which was otherwise known as PALS, then presented her slideshow presentation and talk on their school's environment club, allowing all of us to catch a glimpse of the numerous environmental initiatives that are being undertaken by other schools in our country. As the talks came to an end, so did the opening ceremony, which marked the beginning of the next item on our agenda- the tours.

The students of Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah were then divided into four groups, with each group being led by two of our members, who played the role of their 'tour guides' for the day. Meanwhile, the teachers were shown around the school by a few of our school administrators. The main feature of the tour was without a shadow of doubt, the numerous environmental initiatives we have undertaken. They managed to learn more about our green projects through the detailed, in-depth explanation their 'tour guides' provided, as well as through the exhibition booths that were set up by our club members. We were particularly pleased by the numerous suggestions their teachers made to us, which were helpful in many ways.

An short ice-breaking session was conducted before they were treated to lunch, during which we bonded with our guests through a series of entertaining conversations. We then exchanged contacts with them, before bidding a reluctant farewell, hoping to see them again.

A visit from Korea

2011-04-26T17:01:00.001+08:00

The 26th of April was certainly an eventful day for our school. After all, how often do Korean school principals pay a visit to our school? With the presence of such esteemed guests at our school, there was little wonder as to why every teacher and student went all out to show these guests a great time at our school, to the extent where Monday morning found us all learning basic Korean greetings from Puan Ngau during the weekly assembly. In case anyone is curious,the aforementioned greetings included 'annyeong haseyo', which meant 'hello', and 'kamsahamnida', which meant 'thank you'. Armed with our superior linguistic skills, we, the Eco Rangers of Sri Aman, were more than prepared to undertake our task in handling the exhibition booths we set up to showcase all our green projects.

Our Korean guests' visit began with an opening ceremony, which included a stellar performance by our school orchestra, who successfully put on a good show, as per usual. They were then taken on a tour around our school by our school administrators, during which they managed to catch a glimpse of the way our classes and lessons are conducted. They also got to see for themselves all of the green projects our school has undertaken, which included the solar panel project, rainwater harvesting project, bio-enzyme project, composting project, as well as our numerous gardening initiatives.

Booths were set up to detail the way we carry out our green projects. Our Korean guests were shown the way our Sri Aman Composter worked, which intrigued them to no end. They were also introduced to the numerous herbs available at our herbs garden, and were treated to drinks made out of our herbs. One would expect these drinks to taste awful, akin to the taste of traditional Chinese medicine, as they are, after all, herbs, but that was far from the case. Our drinks don't taste half-bad, even if we do say so ourselves. Last but not least, we introduced our Bio-Enzyme project to them, and even allowed them to get a whiff of our pleasantly-scented Bio-Enzyme.

We exchanged farewells with our guests soon after, marking the end of yet another wonderful, eventful day for us.

Planting session on the 21st of April

2011-04-22T22:33:00.001+08:00

On the 21st April 2011, we conducted our third vegetable garden planting session. As per usual, we enlisted the help of the extremely knowledgeable and experienced Miss Tan in conducting the session. We began the session by checking on the progress of our compost, which was fermenting very well. We were pleased as the composting frame was finally ready to be removed, a sizable milestone, in our eyes. The compost was then covered by a large plastic sheet to prevent it from being damaged by the forces of nature.

We then moved on to upgrading the vegetable beds. We plowed the soil of the vegetable bed to maximise aeration and ensure that it was fully fertile. The beds of soil were then raised by around 6 inches in ease the planting process, which will be carried out in the near future. Some compost was then added to the beds to enrich the soil with nutrients, before coconut leaves were added to prevent the beds from being exposed to direct sunlight and rain.

The satisfaction of being able to complete our agendas of the day was priceless as all our tasks seemed daunting and impossible, at first. Indeed, it was a day filled with much productivity.

Composting and Vegetable Planting on the 18th of April

2011-04-20T13:44:00.000+08:00

It was, for all intents and purposes, a beautiful day graced by the presence of the ever-lovely sun, which had been absent for quite some time due to the storm clouds adorning our grey skies which have sadly, become part and parcel of life in our humid, tropical, piece of heaven. Though it was a Monday, a day so terrible in that it brings an end to our brief reprieve from the rigmarole of our weekday routines, that fact was overshadowed (out shined, rather, since we're talking about the sun) by the simple fact that there was no torrential downpour, no sudden thunderstorms, stopping us from achieving the motto of our day- to finish making a three-feet tall batch of compost, as well as clear all the grass from the area where we have decided to establish our vegetable garden.

Miss Tan arrived at our school bearing sacks containing materials such as wheat bran, on top of dried chicken and goat manure, which are some of the materials we would utilise in making our compost. Miss Tan has kindly sourced these materials which are more difficult to attain for us, while we worked hard at collecting all the materials we can. She also brought her trusty parang along, on top of two pitch forks, which we would require later on to mix the compost.

Our members were already hard at work by the time she arrived. Under the blazing hot afternoon sun, our members hoed at the ground, trying their very best to get rid of the grass growing on the surface of the plot of land we intended to use as our vegetable garden without removing too much of the soil, though the soil was clinging desperately onto the roots of the grass. As more of an onlooker than anything else, due to my clumsiness in performing this delicate task, I have to admit that they did a brilliant job.

Those incapable of performing the patience-stretching task of removing every inch of grass from a plot of land (such as myself), were assigned a chore that required less patience-composting. This composting session completely warped my perception towards composting, a task I previously associated with normal, clean things, such as fresh kitchen waste, soil, and maybe an adorable earthworm or two. I would never have associated composting with dried leaves, fresh grass (from the group of patient people hoeing away at the ground), rotten tofu, animal innards, manure, rice bran (the kind that's used to feed animals, not the expensive, beautifully packaged ones you see in the store), sugarcane residue, and practically everything that decomposes easily.

We had previously created a square frame for our compost, which measured around one and a half feet on each side. Using the frame a guide, we began inserting what would become the first few layers of our compost into the frame. Under the precise, detailed instructions of Miss Tan, we applied the layers in a specific order, so as to maximise the fermentation and mixing of every layer. The rough idea was that every wet layer of organic waste must be sandwiched in between a layer or two of dry layers, before yet another wet layer is applied. This is so that as the compost undergoes fermentation, the layers would naturally mix themselves up. As different types of organic waste contain different types of functions and nutrients, this would create a batch of compost that's rich is all sorts of nutrients.

In the meantime, the group of members who were assigned the task of removing all the grass from our future vegetable garden put up stakes around the plot of land, and joined every stake with long pieces of rafia strings, creating a barrier of sorts to prevent people from inadvertently stepping on our overturned soil, or newly-planted seeds, rendering all our hard labour fruitless. As for the composting group, we concluded our composting session after sandwiching the final layer of wet organic waste between dry layers. A canvas sheet was used to cover our compost and protect it from the rain. The meeting was dismissed after we cleaned our surroundings up and washed all the tools we used. After three hours of hard labour, our vision for the vegetable garden had finally begun to take shape.

It was a productive day, indeed.

The composting frame, surrounded by bags of waste :)

Performance at SJK(C) Bukit Beruntung

2011-04-19T21:03:00.001+08:00

On the 16th of April, our school's extremely fortunate Eco Music Band once again received an invitation for them to perform in SJK (C) Bukit Beruntung, in conjunction with their Eco Carnival, which was already in full swing by the time they arrived at the school, around seven-thirty in the morning. Upon their arrival, the band members immediately did what they could to assist the students of the school in setting up their exhibition booths at the canteen. The band members then registered themselves at the registration booth, and were each given a t-shirt.

The event began with an opening speech by the school's principal, which was followed by a video presentation, during which the band members rehearsed backstage to ensure that they would be able to perform without a hitch. Thankfully, they did manage to achieve just that, and earned the massive support of their audience.

After their performance, the VIPs who attended the carnival were taken on a tour around the exhibition area. They were very much impressed by the arts and crafts booth in particular, due to the fact that it was entirely made out of reused materials. Our band members, along with the rest of the visitors who attended the carnival, then took their time in visiting every booth available, which were not only informative, but interesting, to boot. Every band member agreed without a doubt that they had managed to learn something from the exhibition, which was great.

To end the day on a high note, our band members were then treated to gastronomic refreshments, before they finally bid a pleasant farewell to the organisers of the event and headed home, each of them pleased with the fact that even primary schoolchildren were doing their part in spreading awareness on the critical importance of saving the environment from further destruction.

Meeting (11th April)

2011-04-11T18:48:00.001+08:00

On the 11th of April, we held our usual weekly meetings, which was chaired by Farhanah, as per usual. As is the case with the usual weekly meetings which have been weaved seamlessly into our Monday routine, the meeting was chaired by Farhanah, who told members about the annual Anugerah Hijau competition, and urged every member to partake in it. She explained the two categories the organisers have included in this year's competition, and asked those who are interested in taking part in this truly interesting competition to log on to http://www.anugerahhijau.my/anugerah-hijau-2011/the-competition-anugerah-hijau-2011.html for more information.

Farhanah then notified members that there would be a Vegetable Garden planting activity held on the 16th of April, and informed those who would be able to make it to submit their names to Atikah prior, and bring some items. She then touched a bit on the Zero Styrofoam campaign, informing members that every member would have to be on duty during recess, not just the members of the campaign committee as that wouldn't be fair. Siti Sarah, Elsa, and Angela were assigned some tasks which had to be completed by Friday.

Vegetable Garden Talk by CETDEM on the 31st of March

2011-04-01T17:36:00.001+08:00

As part of our collaboration with CETDEM to establish an organic vegetable garden in our school, Miss Tan, the head of CETDEM came to our school to give an interesting and informative talk on organic farming, which would serve as sneak preview to what awaits us in our endeavour to establish our vegetable garden. She started her presentation off by giving a brief introduction about CETDEM. The objective of CETDEM is to promote sustainable development on climate change. This NGO also carries out a lot of community initiatives, such as holding seminars and carrying out exhibitions. They even organized a fundraiser for the Slow Food Dinner and Organic Farming Community Centre.

After the brief introduction, Miss Tan moved on to the topic of composting, a topic we thought we were moderately knowledgeable on. We were proved wrong as the presentation progressed, as there was much we still did not know about composting. Miss Tan explained that a large variety of organic waste was important in making fertile compost. On top of the usual kitchen waste we utilise in making compost, we also needed sugar cane fibre and soya bean residue. A good compost fertiliser improves soil structure and increases soil fertility. Miss Tan also mentioned that a compost frame was required for us to begin our efforts in producing compost for our vegetable garden.

Miss Tan then moved on to other aspects of organic farming, such as water management, which can be carried out through mulching, a process that involves putting organic matter over the soil bed in order to stump the growth of weeds and protect the soil. Besides organic matter, lalang and sugar cane residue can also be used, depending on the type of plant that is being grown. She also briefly mentioned carbonized dry husk, which can be used as black soil before being burnt as by doing so, the soil acidity can be reduced.

On top of that, Miss Tan also stressed that we must avoid monoculture, which is practice of growing only one type of plant over and over again on the same plot of land, as the fertility of the soil will decrease. Instead, we should practice diverse cropping, which not only does not reduce the acidity of the soil, but also reduces pests and diseases. Intercropping, which is the process of planting brightly-coloured flowers on a plot of land filled with dull-coloured plants, is also a measure we should take, as by doing so, insects would no longer be attracted to our vegetables, choosing instead to flock over to the brightly-coloured, attractive flower. Miss Tan also urged us to carry out crop rotation, which is the practice of planting different types of plants on the same plot of land after the previous batch of plants are harvested. This greatly reduces soil erosion and weed growth on top of loosening up the soil when it is compact.

She then concluded her talk, and briefly discussed how we should begin our vegetable garden project. She told us to begin by preparing the compost we would use on the plants in our vegetable garden. We would need to start collecting all the necessary materials we would require for our vegetable garden, which includes sugar cane and soya bean residue, kitchen waste, dried leaves, fresh grass and fresh leaves. We also fixed a date for us to meet up once again and begin our Vegetable Garden project.

YAWA visit on the 28th of March

2011-04-01T13:24:00.004+08:00

On the 28th of March, we were treated to a visit by two representatives-one from YAWA, and one from Toyota, who came to our school to check on our progress thus far. It was to be the last time they would check on us-the next time they pay a visit to our school, it would be for the final judging.

They arrived at our school at approximately two-thirty, immediately after which they were treated to an Eco Music Drums performance put on by us, featuring every single song we have ever come up with. After being given a warm welcome, they were then ushered to the Bilik Kuliah Bakti to view our presentation on every single aspect of every single activity, plan, event, or even job we have ever carried out, which took around one hour. The representatives commented that although our presentation was very informative and nicely-done, it was a tad too long. They added that for the final judging, they would probably limit the amount of time we can spend on our presentation to around 20 minutes, and followed that comment up by giving us tips on how to shorten our presentation.

A Q&A session ensued, during which members seized the opportunity to ask the representatives for tips on how we can improve the numerous environmental initiatives we have undertaken, on top of asking them how we can overcome some of the problems we face in our endeavours to carry out the aforementioned initiatives. The representatives were then taken around the Bilik Kuliah Bakti, in which numerous booths exhibiting some of our environmental projects were set up, which included paper-recycling, composting, bio enzyme making, solar cooking, arts and crafts, games and to top it all off, a booth exhibiting some of the plants from our herbs garden encased in glass containers so that the representatives may get a whiff of the aroma of our herbs. That booth also featured three types of drinks made from our self-planted, edible herbs, which included our very refreshing bangun-bangun tea. Each booth was manned by our very knowledgeable members, who explained the activity or project a particular booth was exhibiting, on top of answering every question the representatives posed.

Each representative was then presented with a goodie bag as a small token of our appreciation for their invaluable tips and enthusiasm in learning about the numerous environmental initiatives we have undertaken. They were then taken on a tour around our school, so that they could take a look at the improvements and additions we have made to our existing gardens, as well as take their first peek at our newly-adopted gardens. We also took them to our 'Eco Workshop', which was essentially, the area where we make and store our bio enzyme. The judges were very helpful in giving us tips on how we can market some of produce from our gardens, on top of answering all of our questions. We are students after all, the fact that students are inquisitive is not something new. :)

They arrived at the end of their visit at around 5.15 pm. Before taking their leave, they heaped words of support and encouragement upon us, keeping our enthusiasm and determination in winning this competition blazing hot. It was, undoubtedly, a tiring and eventful day, but we wouldn't have had it any other way.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's just our Eco Music Band on the front cover of the Star!

2011-03-27T21:47:00.001+08:00

Remember our performance for the Earth Hour Youth Fest held at Sunway Giza? That's us, right there!

Earth Hour Youth Fest

2011-03-27T18:23:00.001+08:00

In conjunction with Earth Hour, the Earth Hour Youth Fest held at Sunway Giza from 4.30pm to 9.30pm was attended by around 120 youths from various schools in Klang Valley. The brainchild of this event was 15-year old Ravyna Jassani. Our Eco Music Band was invited to put on a performance for this event, and since we would be performing for a noble cause, we readily agreed to do so.

A majority of our members arrived at the venue at around 8.00 pm, and were given custom-made bookmarks to give to members of the public in order to spread awareness about our worthy cause. A flash mob ensued, where every participant of the event was required to freeze in their respective spots for 5 minutes. After the flash mob, the official Earth Hour began, which was kicked off by a performance by our very own Eco Music Band. The enthusiastic crowd clapped, sang, and even danced along, which gave us loads of encouragement.

Despite the fact that it had been a long day for every single one of us, we didn't lament that fact at all, for in a single day, we managed to entertain the attendees of two events which were held for noble causes.

Organic Day 2011

2011-03-27T17:02:00.001+08:00

The Organic Day 2011 was held on the 26th of March, in a field situated in SS2. The event began at 8.30 am, and ended at 2 pm, though the many volunteers and booth operators of that event were at the venue bright and early to prepare for the busy day that awaited them. Our members arrived at the venue before the event began in order to help out as volunteers, and were assigned various tasks such as setting up booths and operating game stalls.

There were many booths selling organic foodstuffs at the event, which included organically-grown fruits and vegetables, pastries made out of organic items which were at the same time, sugar free and gluten free, organic health products, organic noodles, organic seaweed... you name it, they have it! Also available at the event was a lucky draw booth, which contained attractive prizes sponsored by various parties, as well as a grand prize worth around RM200. People who wished to take part in the lucky draw were required to pay RM2 per lucky draw ticket. There were also two game booths for the younger crowd, which included a game where each participant was given a card with the names of three vegetables written on it, and was required to connect the names of the vegetables with their pictures. Another game required each participant to take a look at a comic strip, and come up with a story based on the given comic strips. Attractive prizes were awarded to the winners of both games.

Various talks about interesting topics such as weight loss, and organic cooking, was held as well, which attracted large crowds of attentive audiences.

Our Eco Music Band performed twice for the event, and one of our performances, which featured 'Bumi', was recorded by RTM, which was flattering, to say the least. We were all thrilled at the prospect of our band obtaining more media coverage. Despite the fact that the event tired each and every member out, we all had a ball. Most of our members left the event at around 1.30PM to go home and rest themselves in anticipation of yet another performance later on, at the Earth Hour Youth Fest held at Sunway Giza.

Sri Aman's Earth Month

2011-03-27T16:10:00.000+08:00

As we had mentioned in an earlier post, this year's Earth Day will be held on the 22nd of April. In conjunction with Earth Day 2011, the Toyota Eco Rangers club has decided to hold our school's very first 'Earth Month', which begins on the 22nd of March, and would end on the 22nd of April, which would be the official international Earth Day. Our club has come up with numerous activities which would be held in conjunction with Earth Month, which are: the 'One Class One Plant' campaign, an inter-house recycling competition, and Sri Aman Hour. Students and teachers are also encouraged to bring their own food containers throughout the entire duration of this month, as by doing so, they would receive coupons from the canteen operators, which can be inserted into the coupon 'banks' of each house, which are situated near the entry of the canteen. One coupon contributes one mark to the sports houses. Donation boxes would also be passed around to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The Earth Month was launched with a speech by Nur Farhanah and Sharifah Hani Yasmin, and was officiated by our headmistress, Datin Noorul Aini.

The One Class One Plant campaign is a competition which every class has to partake in. Each class has to buy a plant and take care of it for a month. The winning chances of a particular class would increase if that class establishes an 'Eco Corner' in the class. The Inter-House Recycling Competition is a competition very much like the Inter-House Recycling Competitions we have held over the course of the years. Students are highly encouraged to collect aluminium cans and newspapers before contributing their accumulated recyclables to their respective sports houses. The house which has collected the highest number of recyclables would win marks as well as cash prizes. Ah, the Sri Aman Hour. The sheer mention of it brings a wave of nostalgia to the front of every Sri Amanian's mind. After the massive success of last year's Sri Aman Hour, we have decided to hold it once again, in order to remind every student, teacher, and staff of Sri Aman about the importance of conserving electricity and the important role electricity plays in our lives. The lights and fans of the entire school were switched off for an hour from 8.30am to 9.30am.

It has been one week into Sri Aman's Earth Month, and an apparent difference has already been made in our school. Hopefully, the rest of the Earth Month continues to be equally successful.

Practice (25th of March)

2011-03-25T21:27:00.000+08:00

Today, members of the Eco Music Band skipped our recesses once again to attend the short band practice that was held. The sequence in which we will be performing our songs was decided. We then practiced the songs we would be performing in the aforementioned sequence. We managed to rehearse our entire performances twice, before the bell signalling the end of recess rang, marking the end of our band practice.

Earth Hour Fest 2011 Official Flier!

2011-03-24T21:29:00.001+08:00