Assalamualaikum everyone,
Woahhh, it's been a while since I sat and typed something. TBH, I have been thinking about writing a lot since last year, but there was no inspiration coming my way.. eh.. haha
Alhamdulillah, with the Grace of Allah, I got to make my first-ever solo trip to a foreign country for study purposes in March 2023. Alhamdulillah, I was chosen to represent my university (University of Malaya, Malaysia) at a forum in Al-Ain, UAE.
How had it started?
Firstly, we need to apply to join the forum via the Student Exchange department at UM. We applied for it, got nominated, and then filled in the AUA forum form and waited for the application approval. Then we got selected. Alhamdulillah, I and my other three "new" friends got selected for this forum.
TBH, we didn't know each other before so we were talking to each other a little "professionally" in WhatsApp group. Haha... This feeling and attitude changed once we met in real in UAE. They were like quite cool and different from what they seemed online. I guess that's how virtual social networking works. 😂
Let's go back to the journey...
The flight to UAE was like a 7-hour and 10-minute trip from Etihad. During the journey, I was feeling strange and anxious as I was literally doing my check-in, immigration and custom check-in all alone. At that time, I felt like my senses were working together to just look around and see how other people it and I just copied them. Hahaha. Luckily, we have this system of security and nice people working to aid us at the airport, if not, what should I do there?
Let's just fast-forward the story, when I boarded for Abu Dhabi...
In the aeroplane.
When I was on the plane, I was feeling sad, worried, and excited at the same time. It was my first flight alone, and Alhamdulillah, a nice Mexican couple was sitting beside me. They shared their journey stories with me and the sister even helped me to order food, recline my chair, and assisted me a lot during the flight. It felt like Allah had sent her to me, so I wouldn't worry myself out. I don't know how, but she can easily figure out things that I was struggling with on the flight. Because she literally just looked at me and knew what I was trying to do on the flight, even though she had just woken up from her sleep. She just opened her eyes, looked at me and said, 'Okay, this is how it is done.' I was shocked and wondered if she could read my mind. But the sister and her husband were very kind to me. Alhamdulillah, may Allah bless them wherever they are.
To be honest, I've boarded flights many times since I was young, but that moment was different. I was conscious and careful not to disturb anyone, yet I enjoyed myself. I watched movies on the flight and finally completed watching Ratatouille and Frozen 2 movies that had been on my watch list for some time.
As the plane was landing, I got to see the UAE from a sky view and MashaAllah, it looked beautiful.
When I finally landed in Abu Dhabi, I couldn't believe my eyes - everything felt like a dream. I even started imagining that maybe I had landed in a different country altogether. It was such an unreal and magical feeling! When I landed, the first thing I saw was a huge and beautiful MOON right in front of my window in the aeroplane. It was as if the moon was there to welcome and accompany me in my new adventure of life.
Let me tell you about my encounter with the first Emirati at the airport.
As soon as I arrived at the Immigration Department, I noticed that everyone was wearing a pristine white thobe. My first thought was, "Wow, these people must be some high authority figures. I better be careful around them!" With a mix of nervousness and excitement, I approached the immigration counter. The officer behind the counter looked stern and serious, which made me even more nervous. To top it off, he asked me to stand in front of the camera for check-in purposes. I was clueless and didn't know what to do, so I just followed his instructions and stood there like a good kid. Suddenly, he started shaking his head and told me to "Open your eyes". I was taken aback and replied, "But my eyes are like this, they're naturally smaller!" He looked at me with a straight face and said, "Still, open them more." while kept shaking his head. It was such a funny and anxious moment for me, and I couldn't help but starts smiling at the absurdity of it all. Then, I just prayed " Ya Allah, help me to pass this counter" .. and as soon after praying, the camera was able to detect my "eyes" and I was able to check in into the heart of UAE, Abu Dhabi ..haha.
But truth be told, after that incident, I couldn't help but wonder if Emiratis were all strict and no fun (I know it's too soon to judge a culture based on one encounter, but hey, it was my first impression). However, I took a deep breath, said 'Bismillah', and decided to dive headfirst into my UAE adventure!
We (Me and another participant in this forum, Cris) met for the first time at Abu Dhabi airport. We were actually on the same flight, however since we never knew each other before, we didn't talk face-to-face until we arrived at Abu Dhabi. Plus, what if I accidentally disturbed an unknown person? However, we took our baggage and exit the Abu Dhabi airport. We were fetched by Mr. Omer and finally, we start our journey in UAE.
During the ride, it was around 11 pm so we were getting an Abu Dhabi night view. Let's start with the car first, tbh, I was amazed with the positioning of the driver's seat and the roads. In Malaysia, the driver usually sits on the right, but here, they were sitting on the left side. My first thought when I saw that was "I definitely cannot drive here, as it is very confusing to guess which lane is the fastest and for slower cars".
Plus, the roads were empty and there were no buildings at all around us because, in Malaysia, you will always find a car and building at any time and anywhere.
When we arrive at the hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Al Ain. It was huge and awesome. I was like amazed by their luxurious view and soft background music. When we arrive at the reception, there were other students too who were registering for their room (from China - Zhengyang, Xiaoxiang and Binyue and Indonesia- Einsteine, Ronny, and Dhifan). We exchange some talks and most of them said that they had a 10-hour flight etc. I was quite amazed by their patience as 7 hours flight for me was very tiring. Haha, as soon as their room issue settled, they went to their rooms.
After I registered, then guess what happened next?
I successfully got a room while Cris was having some registration issues. So, while we were waiting, I met my "new" Sri Lankan friends, they were also having the same issue. But as people say, whatever happens, happens for a reason.
Even though there were no issues with my room, I just sit in the lobby with Cris, and my new Sri Lankan friends (Sachini, Sahir and Madhu). It was quite awkward for me (as I am a socially awkward friend, haha.. poor me), so I let Cris handle it and I just sit and listened. They (Sri Lankans) were sharing about their passport design, flag, languages and many other things at 1 am. However, it was fun for me to learn about Sri Lanka.
I wasn't sleepy at all even though I had a long journey on the flight. I didn't sleep on the flight also, maybe because I was amazed, worried and even excited about the flight. I was excited not only because I was travelling but when I checked the travel path on the tv screen (on the flight), we were crossing over India. At that moment, I was like " Wow, I'm crossing over to Chennai, my South Actors live here, it's so close, I can visit this country later and all". I was happy with this. Haha.
After we finished talking, we went to our destined rooms. My room was a double single bedroom because another female Malaysian friend (Shi Yi) will come tomorrow and join me. So that night, I was exploring the room as much as I can and even went out to see the view outside and see their roads. The roads in Al-Ain are not busy at all compared to Malaysia. Malaysian roads are always filled with cars, I wonder what they do at midnight. Let's get back to the story.
DAY 1 - Sunday, 12 March
That day was my First Day in the Emirates, and tbh, as every person does on their first day in a hotel, I went to the window and enjoy the fresh air, view and deep thought. One thing that I was missing was a cup of chocolate drink. Oops, I am sounding cringy! 😂
After that, I went to meet Sachini's room which was nearby my room, and when she opens her door, she was like "Yes? Are you staying here too?" and I was like "Did she forget me or what, like just last night we were talking, it's barely past 5/6 hours" 😂. But actually, what happened was she didn't recognize me because of the face mask (I was wearing it the entire time yesterday). Then, I meet her roommate, Chloe, a cool Singaporean girl and then we exchange a few talks and went downstairs to the dining area.
Sheeshhh, the food options at the hotel were amazing. They have everything to eat, drink and a huge place to eat. We chose a special place for us to sit (picture below).
And guess what, after the breakie, we (Me, Cris and Chloe (Singaporean) and Sri Lankan friends) went on our first-ever trip to Al-Ain 😁. We walked around Al-Ain, while sightseeing.
Hahaha, because once we entered it, there were a lot of dates (date tree, not "dating" couples 😌) & palm trees and long-long walkways. There were also small lanes on our right and left, however, when we entered one lane, it led us back to the centre of Al-Ain Oasis, and we kept walking until the place started to look like a "Loop" (just like the scene in Dr Strange movie, "Darmammu, I came here to bargain" ) as each turns and corner there look pretty similar. haha.
Then, we walked nearby to a few restaurants, hypermarkets and Al-Ain Mall. From the side, the Al-Ain Mall looks quite small, but maybe I underestimated it. Haha, as soon as we entered, the first thing we saw was an ice rink and a huge mall. Then I just "gg" (to myself) and we began to explore the place. The place was nice and finally, we saw a few Emiratis' walking around wearing the thobe and Abaya. Finally, it feels like "Yeah, now I can believe that I am in an Emirati country" because I didn't saw any Emirati since last night, except at the airport 😂.
Day 2, 13 March
Finally, the big day arrived and all the participants from different parts of Asia like Tokyo, Kazakhstan, China, and Saudi Arabia gathered in one place. As an introvert, I just stood there and eavesdropped on the loud conversations of the extroverts like Azhar and Cris who were speaking at the top of their lungs (literally!). Thanks to their "indirect help", I was able to learn about the other participants too.
Later, we visited UAE University in Al-Ain, and I couldn't help but notice the beautiful Emirati sisters in their stunning Abayas. But I was a bit nervous around the guys who were wearing Thobes, especially Hassan who is now my Emirati friend. I couldn't help but wonder if they were just regular students like the Emirati sisters or some sort of official officer in disguise. There was one guy, Mohamed, who looked like a local Emirati person and was joking around with others. I doubted that he might be a volunteer (which was correct, haha). As usual, my introverted mood was on, so I just observed everyone that day and ended up being the most silent one except for the Malaysians, Chloe and Sri Lankans. Not only that, I was able to make new friends as well during this Forum, who were Fatima, Aisha and more. Fatema absolutely reminds me of this Pakistani actress, Aamna Malik. Haha.
It was a day to remember - filled with insightful talks and interesting people. The highlight of the day was the inspiring speech by Prof. Matthew Evans about our role as young people in creating a sustainable future for the world. It opened my eyes to the immense responsibility we have in achieving a better and greener world. The day was filled with laughter and meaningful moments, including a panel talk by experts who shared some beautiful and knowledgeable insights.
One of the key takeaways from the panel discussion was that human activities like agriculture and poultry are the largest contributors to GHG gases (with waste burning releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere). Additionally, the Sweihan solar panel farm is the largest in UAE however, desert sands and sandstorms impede its effectiveness. Fortunately, scientists are working on developing solar panels that can "reclean" themselves, much like plants.
The panellists emphasized that everyone can make a contribution to society and solve environmental issues, regardless of their field. Research is not about achieving perfection, but progress, no matter how small. Global cooperation, especially through SDG 17, Partnership for the Goals, is vital to achieving sustainability and saving our planet. We also need to remember that climate change affects all living beings, not just humans, and the temperature rise can severely impact aquatic and polar creatures.
Education is also crucial for the younger generation to learn how to recycle items, understand different materials and their differences, and foster a sense of environmental responsibility early on. Education is not limited to school but also extends beyond its walls.
After the talk finishes for the day in UAEU, we were divided into groups where I was with the Sri Lankans, Kim (Thailand), 2 Chinese friends under our leader, Hassan (This is the moment when I realized that he was a student and not some official officer.. haha). He was a pretty cool and friendly person.
Then, we went back to the hotel to get ready for the last activity for today which was activity at Jabeel Hafeet. At first, we thought Jabeel Hafeet is a small mountain that was Hikable and we were like "Can we walk up to Jabeel Hafeet instead as an activity, it going to be fun" but then Hassan told us how far it is to go up the Jabeel and even act like "You guys gonna faint if walk up until top". Suddenly, I was very curious to see what Jabeel Hafeet looks like as in pictures it was quite hard to estimate. As we rode the bus towards Hotel, we engaged in lively discussions with Hassan and the other volunteers about local customs and cultures.
Later, at night, when we were going to Jabeel Hafeet, I was just curious to see what Jabeel Hafeet looks like, especially at night because most times, at night, we can't really enjoy the view so what gonna do in Jabeel Hafeet.
When we finally arrived at the base of the mountain, I was struck by the sheer size of it, thankfully no one else had remembered our earlier suggestion to hike to the top. I don't even want to walk back from the top. 😌😌
The winding road up the mountain was a bit hair-raising, but the views from the windows were MashaAllah. Before going to the viewpoint, we had dinner at the Mercure Hotel (at Jabeel Hafeet), and the food was delicious. One funny thing happened while we were eating dinner: one of our friends (whom I won't name to avoid annoying him) mistakenly took too many pickles instead of curry on his rice. I don't know why, but I found it so funny that I started laughing uncontrollably. I was crying from laughing so hard, and suddenly my stomach started to hurt. I kept laughing for 10 minutes straight while crying. But to be honest, the incident itself wasn't funny, but our friend's expression was. You should have seen his facial expression.😂😂
After dinner, once we reached the viewing area, my breath was taken away by the stunning view before us. It was like something out of a dream, shrouded in a cool fog that only added to the otherworldly atmosphere. The view was SubhanAllah. As we stood there in awe, taking in the majesty of the moment, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to experience such a beautiful and unique place with such wonderful companions.
It was a night I would never forget. It was so windy and cold yet a beautiful view. It was like my dream came true to enjoy a view like that. Funnily, there were also some participants playing music at the back, so it was literally like a Bollywood movie scene. There was Ibrahim (guitarist) and his fellow not-so-professional singers like Azhar, Salman, Humaid, Cris, Abdurrahman and Mshary.
And the night ends with a smile, Alhamdulillah.
InshaAllah, I will continue the story for the following days in another blog. Stay tuned !!
Keywords: Abu Dhabi, appreciating, Closing ceremony, culture, deserts, Dubai, etiquette, Gahwa, Mosque, sustainability
Review: What have I learnt from these days?
- Travelling is not that hard, at first, we might be clueless and scared, but after that InshaAllah it will be easier.
- Be a traveller and not a visitor. I learned a lot from my friends while having a tour of Al-Ain direct and indirectly. Even though we were quite unprepared, the journey was exciting.
- Don't judge a community based on an official officer at Airport. Haha, seriously, Emiratis are pretty cool, outgoing and friendly.
- Expect the unexpected.
- Saving the world. This one is a serious part where I have finally realized that we as youths have a huge responsibility on our shoulders to protect the Earth. We can do something regardless of our fields and backgrounds. All we need to do is to be TOGETHER and SAVE THE EARTH.
Stay tuned for Part 2!!
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