How Far I've COME!!??

"How far? How long? It has only been three months for goodness sake...but hard to believe....
I'M ALREADY GETTING CHUBBY!!
life goes on...."

Fill yourself with anger and jealousy because I am already officially a FREE MAN!! *kof kof* correction..FREE GIRL!! *song of freedom* anyways...already getting used to the environment, the multi types of people, new subjects, new lecturers, new friends, new clothes, new...uhh-hem..too much information *smiles* as i was saying, I am already a part of this place called IMI in Kastanienbaum, Lucerne.

As the usual catastrophe that befalls down to innocent yet deserved students...assignments and reports stumbles down on their helpless prey...showing no mercy... (wow i can get the hang of this narrator talk =D) I had finished three assignments since the 3rd of March and three more to go...final exam is in 4 weeks time and I had yet to prepare!! I am still waiting for my In-training reply from the silent Mr. Micheal Hyvaerinen, the person who is in charge of the French speaking area of in-training. French is a tough language though... Je parle petit français (I speak a little bit of French). No need to clap. *grin*

However, not long after the unfortunate events of yours sincerely, I will be on the way to my long awaited dream place, LONDON!! HERE I COME!! Just imagine myself standing on the bridge that I sang so myself when I was seven to play a game called "London Bridge is falling down". Will be going around the beginning of June if there is nothing to hold us (my friends and I) back.

To my beloved friends back in Malaysia, truly Asia (had a chance to promote LOLZ), wipe of your tears if you thought I had forgotten you...yes you!! I really miss everyone back at home and I want to hang out like always before fate tore us apart for two years...do not worry because I'll be back, driving my grayish yet purplish Kenari (local brand car) speeding on LDP *shines* we go hang out and yc (to Lokis : not yc ar...it's yam cha...) like always <3

To my beloved family that had a sudden doubt that I also am missing you guys when reading the previous paragraph...I'll be back with my graduation certificates. Love ya!

I am really a blessed child and I thank the Lord everyday for the life he had given to me...lost at first but was saved by His majestic powers...praise the Lord up high!! My God and my Holy Father.

None other than,
Clarryn aka Liyan

First Snow...and the City

important notice* I thought this post was lost...actually it was in the draft box.... *shy*

View from my room

The day after Fasnacht party (Feb 2), I woke up in the morning for brunch (11a.m for the brunch on weekends). It was 10.30 then. Walked to the window which I seldom does, slide the curtains aside....and there was it. SNOW!! YUKI!! The whole place was white, the tress, the fields, the parking lots were covered with snow! I was so happy to see snow although it was the second time after my Beijing trip few years ago. That day, we (Shiori, Amir, Marco, Kevin and me) planned to go to the town. It was so cold because the temperature was 2 degree celcius (i checked on the internet). *shivering* 12.30 was the time that we'll meet at the receptive to catch the 12.40 bus. I was wearing the thick winter clothings then and went out to wait because i was starting to sweat. Snowball fight!! The seniors (BA Degree) were having a war! Snowballs were flying everywhere, hitting and missing the targets. It was a funny sight!


"Hey! Hey! KDU!!" Suddenly, A senior of mine, Shugen pointed me and shouted. Owh oh...there comes trouble. He was aiming at me!! I ran to a corner but was no where to go. *dam* he came holding a VERY big snowball on his hands without gloves. *Proop* there goes the snowball on my head!! It was icy cold and my head was wet! *sigh* I escaped after that and they were still continuing. Amir was late. He thought that we were meeting at 12.40 itself. So we missed the bus. There was no choice but to wait for the 1.10 bus. Priya and Saori joined us but Kevin went with his friends, so there were 6 of us. After walking downhill to the Kastanienbaum bus stop, we met a senior from Thailand. He was in Switzerland for quite some time and he agreed to show us around in the city. There comes the bus. Number 21. My goodness! CHF 2.80 for the bus fare! (CHF 2.80 x3 = RM8.40) No choice huh. However, they have a half price ticket where we can buy it for CHF 150. It is 1 year validity where you can buy train and bus ticket for a lower price.



It was a 10 minutes ride to Lucerne city from the campus. The station where we were suppose to get down is Banhorf Train Station which is the last stop for the number 21 bus. Amir, Saori and Priya wanted to go somewhere else so we went separate ways. It was still the festival period (Fasnacht) so most of the people at the city dressed up in their own costumes. The town was full of people!
Off we went and visit the lively town. We can see pirates, witches, dragons and much much more!! It was like walking in a fantasy town. *laughs* Anyways...our mission was to get our stuff....detergents, stationary and maybe some snacks. Our first stop was Coop, one of the popular supermarkets in Switzerland. The prizes in Coop are slightly expensive than the other shopping centers like Migros, and the popular Denner where students like to go because of the cheap prizes although there are not many choices.

We got a everything we need but one thing was missing....DETERGENT!! We wont be able to have clothes to wear if we fail to get get that. After searching through 2 different supermarket, we finally found it...on the second floor of Migros!! *hallelujah* After the shopping and stopping for performances from bands and taking pictures, it was already 4 o'clock...time to head home.

We met with Amir and gang on the bus and a few students from IMI. (actually the bus was almost filled with IMI students) We reached our stop, Dorni, which is further up from Kastanienbaum stop because we would not have to climb the steep hill, instead we walked downhill to our "home". Dinner's at 6 on weekends and the dinner was good as always =D

That's all the adventure for that day. Tired but fun hehe...I got to know how was the town structured and the surroundings of it. The transportation system is very good as it comes right on time. (no kidding) The things they sell here is a bit expensive compared to Malaysian Ringgit which is CHF 1 = RM3, but it is expected and cannot do anything about it. There are shops in Banhorf Station that closest later than other shops in town.

Opening and Closing times

Normal Shops
(Mon - Wed) 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. *depends of which shops
(Thurs - Fri) 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. / 9 p.m.
(Sat) 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Sun) Only restaurants and Shops in Barnhof Station

*not that accurate..will update when I get more information*

Life in Switz <3

Woke up one morning and here I am in a new place! It was cold and guess what? Breakfast is 7 in the morning!! Get up or you'll miss it... *sobs* lunch is at 11.30 so just live with it. On the 31st of January and 1st of February, I had to attend the induction of the campus. You know, staffs or lecturers comes in and out of the
classroom, explaining everything about the rules and regulations and stuff. The weather was nice, food is absolutely good (i'm getting fatter...dam), people are friendly and most of all, the scenery is two thumbs up!





Yesterday (1st Feb) was the Fasnacth festival in campus. The festival is held once a year during winter because they believe if they dress up fancily and play loud music, they will scared away the evil winter spirits. The food was absolutely gorgeous that night because the pastries and main courses were better than the usual ones we have. Because it was a special night, they had beer and wine to go with the dinner or the party. There was a counter at the other corner of the cafeteria where cheese was served with baked potatoes, pickles and a type of fruit which I can't identify. I went over to grab some and suddenly, when I was queuing for the tasty cheesy dish, I heard drums outside of the cafeteria. It was very, VERY loud and I saw a group of people marching into the cafeteria with weird looking masks. Some were playing various types of trumpets and some were blowing big instrument but wasn't sure what was it called, and the different types of drums. It was noisy at first but the music they played were awesome. They played a few music and everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a funny sight because the conductor, a man wore a dress and a wig to look like a women. I guess these are their tradition and it was cool.








After the band finished with their songs, out they go with drum beats and all of them marched along with it. It was not goodbye because they joined us for dinner. =D The party was still on and everyone is still eating and drinking while I continued with my queuing for cheese! *yum* Other than the cheesy dish, there was another one which sliced baked breads dips into a pot of cheese looking liquid that was heated over a fire. The chef stirred it every minute and it never struck my mind to ask what it was. My friend, Shiori ask if I wanted to try it and I said yes without much consideration. I'm in Switzerland after all and trying out new food seems like a good thing to me. So there she went and brought one slice of dipped bread back. I was eating the cheesy dish then and it was so delicious! The cheese was very good! *drooling* After that I tried the mysterious bread dip. One big mouthful I took in and out again. *eeak* The sauce seemed to be alcoholic!! It was nasty for me and I rejected the food..so in the end, Shiori ate it for me. Oh! There were ice cream too! Everyone took pictures and videos, knowing people, socializing with friends, drink and go crazy all around the party.





Everyone was happy and enjoyed the party so it was a success for the student councils, contributers and volunteers for making this party a memorable one. It was a good start for new students to know about the Switzerland's festival and will get to know it better in the future. Well, even as the party ended, most students continue drinking and hang out among themselves. Again, it was a special night, it was exempted from school regulations and of course, I'm a good girl! I never drink =D End!!

The Very Day...and the day After

Jan 29th 2008
Yea...the big day...the hectic one as well. Reached at the airport at about 6 in the evening and found the counter to be checked in. Firstly, never and NEVER trust the weighting scale that we use at home. Trust me because the overall weight was 35kg at home and when the luggages was weighted at the airport. "I'm sorry the maximum weight is 30kg and you have already exceeded 11kg. Every kg is RM45. You can either pay or minus out the weight."
Repacking was done again. A book was taken out. I repeat. A book. So my dad agrees to pay the RM45 x 8kg = RM360 after much of arguing with the "Almighty Counter Lady". To the paying counter my dad went with his shiny credit card. Let's go to the scene shall we? This is what I heard when I got there. "What? RM152?" my dad said in a shock. For me, it's not a good thing either. Another drama just happened. "Yes. 1kg extra is RM152 for international flight." almighty counter lady no.2 said with much pleasure. The counter lady no.1 meant domestic flight for the RM45.


You should see how my dad and mom rushed to the check-in counter to retrieve the bags. I'm not at the very scene but I'll leave the imaginations to you guys.

The packing #2 (last)
Mom opened the luggage. Almost like throwing everything out. Just imagine. What she told me to bring was taken out by herself. Sad rite? Even the shampoo.

The weighting #3 (last)
After all the effort of taking out the extra weight, we went back to the check in counter. Finally, the desperate moment to unpack certain items from the luggage paid off. It was 32.6kg and we do not need to pay for the extra kg. So folks. Learn from this. Do not be an idiot unpacking luggage in the airport. Few of my friends were there too. Watching drama.

Dinner time!! What else can we eat at the airport? McDonalds!! I'm lovin' it! Weekdays flight are sad because many of my friends and relatives can't make it to say goodbye to me at KLIA. Never mind that, there are some of my faithful and dearest friends and family who wanted to see me off, and I'm very happy to see them to be able to travel for an hour or more to the airport. Goodbyes, hugs and pictures were taken. I was not able to shed a tear because I have control of my emotions. I'm not lying. (to those who don't believe) Went down to the elevator with my pouch, hand-carry and my laptop bag and wave at them for the last time. I don't really like goodbyes. *sigh*


My journey has begun! I went through the passport and fingerprint check-point with the of my newly met friends at the airport on that day itself. Cool right? They are heading to Switzerland too but it's a shame that the two of them are going to a different city, far from mine actually. (a reminder that I'm heading to Lucerne) At the custom check-point where we have to let them scan through the hand-carries and our body if there's any metal. I took mine after that and head for the train to go to gate C. Standing there waiting...suddenly something was wrong. I thought hard. Oh S***!! My laptop bag!! was left at the custom scanning check-point. I rushed back and looked for it and Thank God it's there with the custom lady. If I had heart problem, I should have been death by this attack. Yeah...yeah...I blur. Case close. The train arrived and the next thing we know, we (me and the other 2 friend) were at gate C, queuing up to pass another custom scanning check-point. I didn't forgot this time so shush. To the plane we went and we were having different seats. The Thai Airline cabin crews are quite friendly and the food was SO much nicer than the MAS ones. Seriously.

Bangkok! Only till then I know the two new friends of mine was taking another airline. They were leaving earlier than me and so we went our ways. Strolling down the Bangkok's airport was like running a 5km cross-country I did in high school. Did I mentioned that I was carrying a laptop bag and another hand-carry? The shops in the airport is mostly branded good, ranging from well-known cosmetic products to dream watches. When I thought the walkway was never ending, I saw the gate of my flight. Gate C, again. The time difference in Bangkok is one hour behind KL. The custom check in Bangkok is very strict. Declare every liquid items to them or you will get into trouble. Everyone with laptops have to take it out from the bag to go through the scanning machine. It was 11.40p.m. after I went into the waiting area for my flight at 12.35a.m.



Jan 30th 2008
12.a.m. is the boarding time. Most of the passengers of the flight are Switz, German and French if I'm not mistaken. I can only see a few black heads. Into the plane and on a quest to find my seat. I was concern of my "buddy" who would be sitting next to me. God has been good and He IS everyday in my life. I saw a nice looking (not sure he is British or German) guy sitting next to my seat and he helped my with my luggage. I was relieved.



He seemed to be a nice guy and he's in the medicine line. He travels a lot and gave me an idea of where to visit after I reach Switzerland. Although the food is great and the service is fine, I'm still not pleased because my "TV" seemed to be cut off from movies and my audio system was not functioning. *sobs* There were some movies I wanted to watch too. After 12 hours of flight and unpleasant sleeps, here we are, at Zurich, Switzerland at about 8a.m. Again, my newly met friend who I failed to ask his name went off to another flight to Germany. I was alone again. I pass the custom areas smoothly and claimed my luggages and it's weird that the customs did not do the scanning step. Out I went and saw the chauffeur from IMI who was holding the IMI Logo cardboard. Marcel is



his name and together with another two IMI students who arrived earlier than my flight was on our way to the campus. The drivers seat is on the left side in this country and they have heavy traffic jams too like Malaysia but better. They have a lot of railways and the buses here work with the wire above it like KTM. The time difference is 7 hours behind Malaysia. Although they said is only 45mins from the airport to the campus but it's quite a journey because of traffic jams. I slept for a while and when I woke up, we were in Lucerne already. There was no snow but I saw the mountains were covered with it. The lake was beautiful and the scenery is fantastic. We arrived at the final destination at 9.30a.m. and were shown to our rooms with great hospitality. I'm having the sharing bedroom without bathroom but my roommate haven't arrived yet, so I had the room to myself for now. Had a tour around the campus lead by 3 of the seniors around 4p.m. and ends around at 5. I love the food at the cafeteria and met new friends from Japan, Hong Kong, Canada and India. That's all for now and tomorrow will be having the orientation at 9a.m. but the breakfast is at 7a.m. As the french say, au revoir! (Goodbye)

Few Days Left...

Well...yeah...few days from today, I'll be saying "Goodbye my dearest friends and family! *Sniff* I'll be back!" Okay, okay! I'm not that sentimental type of person *duh* but some drama partings will be done at KLIA. *smiles* Enjoying myself on these remaining nine or eight days in Malaysia, I am yet to have the so-called "Owh! I'm going to go Switzerland soon! I'm so excited!" feeling...not this week I guess...try asking the last 2 days! I think I should be having that excitement at least. My friends and family have always been blessing me every single day without fail and I am truly grateful and appreciate of what they did before my departure to a new world. God is good as He always filled me up with the joy of life and has also been blessing me as well. This is a very challenging journey for me as a first timer to hop on and get down from a plane alone, stepped in a foreign country alone and sleeping with a stranger in a twin room alone. Will I be able to blend in with the students in the University which I have never been to? Will I be able to cope up with the studies there? Or will I be able to find the most delicious chocolate there....? *drooling* Well...we'll soon see about that!

A Blogger's Life...?

As a person that never blogged before, that's me, always wonder what is blog actually? When blogs was first introduced, I've taken no notice of it until recently. Millions of people write blogs, about their lives, experience, favorite books, favorite events and so on. Is it that fun to blog? Is it not the same as writing a diary? Well, yeah...diary is a private kind of book which is NOT supposed to let anyone read it except for the writer himself. Okay, back to the point. I'm very curious about blogging lately and quite interested too. So I have been going around checking out some of my friend's blogs and finally sort of deciding to have my own. Writing my own opinions and story or even experience is quite fun because it can be read by anyone that's connected to the net. I like reading other's blogs too so why not having to share my own? Still, I'm a beginner for now and this is only the forth time typing a blog but also the first blog sharing my opinion of something. The start of something new eh? I like it. ^^V