Hello Hokkaido!!!

Konichiwa!!! 

Sorry for disappearing for quite some time and I just came back from Hokkaido!!!

I was so LUCKY to be selected for a 15 days student exchange program to Rakuno Gakuen University in Hokkaido~

It was still winter in Hokkaido during early March and the temperature was Extremely COLD with lowest temperature down to -7 degree Celsius!!!

Mechak Samuyi!!!!

 ( Means Very Cold using Osaka Slang)

Before I went to Japan, I thought I will die of freezing...

In the end, yet I Survived -ve degree!!!

Proud of myself!!!

It was my first time ever to see the snow....

First time ever to eat the snow....

If You ask me How was Hokkaido,

I will just say...

Snow....

Snow......

And COLD!!!! 

See how thick do we wore!!!

I wore 3 layer in total but I'm still freezing...

Trucker to clear away the thick snow.

We visited the Rakuno Gakuen University - a private University which is famous in veterinary and agriculture. 

Really  thankful to Rakuno Gakuen for inviting us to Hokkaido and provided us Scholarship~

Ngek ngek ngek~ evil smile~~~

Rakuno Gakuen is a very HUGE University with a protected forest area behind it's backyard!

So, we had to walk for a very long time to reach our classroom in the University...

Thank God it's cold~ If in Malaysia , for sure we sweat too much till faint already...

And in here, we make LOTS of new Friends~~~

We have lots of activity together~

First we had welcome ceremony and lunch~

Yaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmm SENGGGGGGG!!!!

We Kam Pai or Yam Sheng with the Rakuno Gakuan Made Milk!!!

I have to say that it taste SUPER GOOD!!!!

Even I don't like to drink milk, but it is exceptional for this milk!

It taste really fresh without the ordinary "cow" smell that I don't like~

Food!!!! Although it was prepared by the cafeteria, it still taste yummy!!!

Sushi sushi~~~

We had a tour around the campus and introduced with the laboratory available within the campus.

This is the traditional Japanese classroom with all the wooden desk and chair "carved" with words and picture by students many years ago~

Me trying to act like I'm a Japanese student~~ xp

We also enjoyed the interaction and cultural exchange with Japanese student.
Here are some activities that we have fun together.

Rock climbing session

Well... It was my first time to have Guts to try on Rock Climbing...

Looks ugly from below... ( The one with pink jacket is me)

But it was really Hard!!!! 

My hand just don't have enough strength...

Japanese Archery

We had demonstration by our Mr. Green Fumi sang~

He demonstrated the ritual and the correct posture of Japanese Archery.

Me posting with the Bow without a string....

I'm a Cupid~~ Opps... I accidentally killed Hugo!!!

Hiking in the forest reserved covered by snow with traditional snow shoe that prevent us from sinking when we walk in the forest... 

Oh Ya... Forest that covered by 2 meters snow....

This was actually one of the wildlife management class that we attended in Rakuno Gakuen University.

 The sensei told us that we might just be the first Malaysian that ever wear this traditional snow shoe!!!

It was  really a different experience to walk in the forest covered with snow.

Well, I can say that it was harder than hiking in the tropical rain forest as it was so hard to walk on the thick snow with the super cold weather which freeze your feet and toes...

My toes were numb and I had a large water pots on each of my feet after the freezing walk... :(

This was the Fox's trail.

On the thick layer of snow, we can clearly see the animal's footprint which is hard to detect in tropical rain forest.

Yuki No Hana ( Flower in the snow)

Guess what am I actually doing?!

The answer is We were making Snow MAN!!!!

Isn't it adorable? <3
Unfortunately, we meet the super snow storm when we were in Hokkaido.
So, we had to cancelled everything and spent our day in the apartment.
But the friendly and kind Japanese students had rang our door bell and brought some surprise for us!

Dang Dang Dang dang~~~ 
They brought the takoyaki maker to our room and cooked takoyaki for us!

It was so So SO Yummy!!!!

I also got the chance to make my very own Takoyaki~~~

They also made us  the Doreamon favourite food- Doreyaki!!!

Feel so touch and warm with their kindness!!! 

Love them!!!

That's all for now~

Stay tune for more post on Hokkkaido~

Jiak, Mata~~~ ( means see you again)

:)

Borneo Bird Festival 2012 @ Kinabalu Park

During the weekends of 5-7 October 2012, Borneo Bird Festival was held in Kinabalu Park.

P/s: It's my first time to be in Kinabalu Park!!!

This year, I joined this great event as a volunteer for the Malaysia Nature Society (MNS).

I'm helping my supervisor to look after her booth as she is the adviser of the MNS.

Well, my job was selling T-shirts, Suara Enggang magazine (its all bout birds), and asking people to join the membership of MNS~

Borneo Bird Festival (BBF) is an annual event for birds lover to gather and share their experiences in Bird watching and photography.

This event also expose the public to the importance of the avifauna (birds) in the ecosystem.

They organized lots of program for this BBF event such as Bird talks, Guided bird walks, Bird race (identify bird species), Birds photography competition, children drawing contest, Youth Bird camps and Birds sound mimicry contest.

The main reason I was here is actually I'm coming for the bird talk as I'm taking bird diversity as my thesis title..

I attended few really great talks especially from Mr. Dave Backwell.

He is the bird specialist of Malaysia Nature Society Bird committee.

He gave interesting topics about the rarity of birds and the migratory birds~

A picture with Mr Dave~

He is actually the editor of Suara Enggang which I was selling in my booth~

Besides MNS , there were many booth exhibition from different NGO in Malaysia such as  WWF, Danum Valley, Tabin Wild Life Reserve, Sunbear Conservation, Kinabalu Avian Club and many more.

 Malaysia Nature Society

 Borneo Eco Tour of Danum Valley

WWF

 Kinabalu Avian Club

 They were exhibiting beautiful photo snapped by their members.

This is one of my favourite photo from their booth~

 They also exhibiting their 'Bazuka' camera in the booth~

The total cost for all the equipment need to take a bird photography which includes the camera, the 'bazuka' lens and the tripod stand is around RM40k!!!!!!

P/s: That's why most of the bird photographer shown up were uncle.... 

as only them are able to afford those EXPENSIVE gadget!!

The photos that won in different category in bird photography.

Tatoo artist were also invited during that event~

Say hi to Mr. Tatoo~ xp

 I'm getting myself a temporay tatoo too~

Too bad that the tatoo fade after two days...

:/

Love  my bird tatoo~

Say hi to Mr clown~
He is hilarious and funny.
P/s: the photo of me getting a tatoo was taken by him~

Mr.  Clown magic show~

 He also made me a flower balloon for my GF5~
So cute~

Suria Radio crew was there too to give away all the goodies~

 Bird sound mimicry competition~
The grand prize was Canon Tripod stand!!!
The contestants were super funny with their "bird" act while making bird sound~

Another main event here was the guided bird walk~
Professional bird photographer brought us to explore the secret hide out of birds~
I'm so regretted that I din't brought my binocular there.. :/

Feel so tired as it was quite some time that I din't go hiking...
LOw stamina...
Need to jog more!!!

 Trails of Kinabalu park~

I brought souvenirs too~
They are O'BON news paper pencil~
Eco-friendly and wood free hand made pencil~
I love their design so much!!!

And at last some photo of me~

Look like a tourist?

Many thinks that I was a foreigner~

Hahahaha~

They were shock when I speak Malay with them~

I'm a Malaysian ba~

 Interested in Bird watching?

Just look around your neighborhood ~

You might found out that there are actually many different species of birds just around you~

P/s: Special thanks to Florina as she accompany me to stay in Kinabalu park for 3 days 2 night~