We Were so Close. And Yet so Far.

I have gone a l-o-n-g way.

Eh, tak. We have gone a long way. You, and me, and other.

Frankly speaking, this is the best time of my life. Edge of the world. End of the rainbow. Guess there's not pot of gold though.

But yet, I think I found the real thing. Friendship.

Know what I mean that I have gone a long way? I've been through different dimension of life and yet, I survived.

Oh, how great I am. Nope, how great we are.

I grow up in a peaceful FELDA settlement. A kampung, unmodernized, but civilized. Surrounded by plantations. Man, how would I forget the fun?

Stayed there until I was 12. Yes, I stayed there still, though. Just the demands of education for the sake of my future calls me to go out of that place.

My friends? Easy enough. Remember that post I wrote about growing up in FELDA? About two years ago? Click here for some reminiscence. And now, after two years, I don't think anything changed.

*gambar kelas aku, waktu darjah 6. Tahun 2002.*

The headmaster, who was sitting in the middle, Tuan Kamarulzaman has been stricken by stroke. I met him last time, earlier 2010. Strong man, still. Terima kasih, cikgu.

Then I went to SMK Seri Kuantan (now renamed as SMK Sultanah Hajah Kalsom) after UPSR, when I was 13. I stayed there for three years. Of course, it was a boarding school. Strong enough? Good enough? You answer.

Three years in that school. I learned a lot. Lesson of the life. It's not an SBP, so don't expect the student to be nice anyway. I've seen too much for such a young age. Damn. How'd I survived that?

*This is my room, from the outside*

*Our favorite spot. Miss the good old days*

And after three years in this school, after PMR, I went to a school at Kuala Lumpur. Yes, a suburban boy to the big city. I was 16 then. The life in the new school is way different from the last one. I have to work super-independently. If you think I'm not, think again. My dad came only like two or three times to the school to visit me in the two years time I was there. Yes, and I have no relatives in Kuala Lumpur. And yet, I survived.

Okay, when I say difference, what do I mean? One, the students. The students was very excellent, particularly chosen to perform in this school. I learned stand as tall, and keep my head up among the best guys in the whole nation. 

Second, the environment. The school was properly equipped. Well what do you expect?

Third, the location. Placed in the edge of one of the biggest city in Malaysia, walking distance from a LRT station. Every outing is about Times Square, Pavillion, or Low Yat. At least, Mid Valley (it is, because it was the closest).

You're still with me? You see? A whole new dimension. 

Let's recall. My rural primary school, my suburban lower secondary school, my big-city-dreams upper secondary school. Yes, that's what we call a three dimension view. Friends? All around, all over.

*Night class in the surau. With my besties.*

*My desk in the class. Where I inscribed my success.*

*my classmates. during the night prep time*

*we have walk through bushes for Friday prayer ;P

There. See? A new dimension. Okay then. Let's go somewhere else. I finished studying here, and offered to a preparatory program in INTEC, Shah Alam. Not a whole new dimension, but as for me, a new life.

I was 18 when I entered INTEC. How big is this guy huh? Yeah I know this would sound funny, but the collection of my friends boomed. Here is where I learned a lot. Yeah, I mean a lot.

Glendale. The first semester. Where I learned to mingle with girls. Relationship, huh? Different story for that one. 

*our PSA video. Made during an overnight stay at KL.*

Next, let's focus on one magnificent class I've ever been in. EUGENE.

*A music video I make on Eugene.*

There's one more tribute video, made by Hazirah, but I guess she's too stingy to let me embed her video here.

And after two years in INTEC, I've graduated. So next? The United States of America!

Talking bout dimensions, this one is unlike a new dimension. I prefer to mean it as one new universe, a new planet. 

So now, I was in the States. Am I good enough to endure? Am I not?

Am I better than you? Are we still friends if I am?

Yes.

No matter if you're my friends during kindergarten, school, college or university, yes, we're still friends.

I miss you, friends. We walked through dimensions together. We made it through together.

We succeed together.

I've learned a lot. To share is not a problem. May this be useful.

Salam alaik~

=)

*Americans taught me one thing. Muslims, Christians, Buddhist or Jews, we were all human.*