I've been 'working' for the past 6 days in KLCC for the 10th International Conference on Low Vision. Bravo to Malaysia and Malaysian Association of Blind with THONEH for winning the bid to host the conference in KLCC. Malaysia is the first Asian country to be given the honour to host this conference which held once in every 3 years. As THONEH is one of the organizer, we were sent to be volunteers. Frankly speaking, I was feeling kinda excited about it. Classes were cancelled for the whole week, and 50 of us were there for help. :D Bad thing is the bus leave at 7am, which means I have to wake up at 5.30am to get prepared! And when I reach home, its already late at night.
19/2
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| Place where we work! |
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| Potential of being factory workers |
But the first day ruined my excitement. We seems like working in the factory for packaging the bags. Even putting up the badge made me bleed 2 times. I'm careless, I know. We were given our job before we leave. My job? Sad. I wasn't in the same group with people I know. I'm under the Secretariat team with Rosessela and Prashanthi. Actually, I don't really know the seniors. :x On the first day itself I was chosen to be the photostat girl. Ms Yon - the team leader, start teaching me to use the photostat machine. The first day, just not so good.
20/2
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| Drawing - Failed. |
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| The Mother, Ms Yon |
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| See! Lots of mat salleh! |
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| First friend I met, Ms Regi from Penang. |
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| Us. |
Things start to go smoothly on the second day. It was the Registration Day. I have lots of paper to be photostate. Ms Yon kept searching for me to photostat. Ling Ling here, Ling Ling there. Okay, now I named her as - The Mother! Someone was so free and he sticked this paper on the photostat machine. The girl drawn doesn't look like me, AT ALL! ;p The whole day I was busy helping them at exhibition hall to stick the posters. (I ran off from the Secretariat room!) The dinner that day was awesome, superb! Grab the dessert like nobody! And a lot of mat salleh eh! *Slurrp* Desperate gila, not only me okay.
21/2
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| Plenary Hall. |
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| Opening Ceremony. |
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| Exhibition Hall |
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| Mariko from Japan |
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| Blind Therapists |
Third day, everyone started to be serious. Serious with their job as today is the opening ceremony of the conference. The plenary hall is huge! As I walked around the exhibition hall, there was a booth of blind therapists. They were doing foot massage for RM10 for 15mins. Looking at them being so optimistic and strong, I felt touch and my tears almost fall.
22/2
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| BINGO. |
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| Table 55. |
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| NIOs. |
The following days obviously get better. As I was stuck in the Secretariat Room everyday, I get to know seniors better. Rosessela and Prashanthi bought breakfast for me, playing Bingo with seniors, laughing and teasing seniors. Although it was kinda boring to stay in the room, but we tried to find ways to enjoy. We had banquet dinner on the fourth day. The appetizer was great but the main course was just - so so. That night, we went back at 10.30pm.
23/2
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| Lunch. |
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| Firman's camera. |
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| From Italy. |
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| Ian Bailey from USA. |
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| Jan Lovie-Kitchin from Australia. |
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| The most handsome guy - Dr Daryl, from UK. |
The lunch served in the ballroom was delicious! The first thing I'm definitely gonna miss here is the FOOD. As the event gonna end soon, we 'grabbed' mat salleh and took photos with them.
24/2 Last day of Conference
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| Selling CDs and T-shirts. |
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| Mariko, I'm gonna miss her so much. |
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| Mother. |
Finally, the event is ended. It was a tiring week as I only slept for 4-5 hours each day. But seriously, I missed the moments we spent together, worked together. I got no regrets joining. But wait! I think I gained weight! :/
Looking forward for the next conference! 2014 in Melbourne? :)
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