a Trip to Maliau Basin

I was lucky enough to be one of the 2 students to represent our school - SM St Patrick Tawau, in participating in the Nature Orientation Course (Kursus Orientasi Alam Sekitar) from 10 to 15 November 2012 in Maliau Basin Studies Centre.

This course is a part of the awareness campaign organized by the Sabah Nature Society and Yayasan Sabah to educate the young generation the importance of conserving nature. 22 students from secondary schools all over Sabah participated in this event and accompanied by several teachers, park rangers, Mr. Jimmy Omar and his team from Yayasan Sabah.

Wait !  There must be a beginning to this story. 

Here it goes....

It all started one afternoon just few days before the STPM examination starts, I was supposed to call my mum to pick me after school is over but unfortunately all the 3 public telephones in the school were having technical problems. Since I could not contact my mother, I decided to just visit the school canteen to hang out with my friends while thinking what to do next.

A teacher passed by the canteen minutes later holding some papers began talking to my friends. I overheard their communication and got interested as soon as I heard the word "MALIAU". That word could only mean one thing ~ MALIAU BASIN - THE LOST WORLD OF SABAH !
I rushed over to poke my nose into their conversation and found out something about camping in Maliau Basin. The teacher saw the interested look on my face and told me about this nature orientation program. My friends are interested to join in this program but unfortunately for them, the date of the course clashed with their very important STPM examination time.

2 person are to be chosen from my school to participate in this course. The students are usually chosen from the Nature Club members in our school but somehow this year only one student from the school Nature Club joined and that leaves one more room for another student. The teacher had to get students from outside the club and that is when he walked past the canteen looking for students who are interested. 

I showed great interest and the teacher gave me the last form. After I received this 2nd form, there won't be room for another participant from this school. And of course, I have filled and handed the form. It was a last-minute application but a successful one.

If the public phones were still functioning.....
If another interested student bumped into that teacher first and took that form......

If I had not stayed back in school.....    

If I have decided to ask my friends for a ride or a phone.......

If I have not switched schools and remained in my old school......

If........

If.....
If..

I kept thinking about what had happened. All these coincidence happened in the right time to change my life. Whether you believe in God or not, you ought to believe in great coincidences, or you might call it Miracles. Do also believe that there is a silver lining in every cloud.

Maliau Basin is a wonderful place that have diversity in the species of flora and fauna found there. I have always aimed to visit Maliau Basin one day and I did not know that my dream was achieved that early. Thank you very much Teacher Ramli, Mr. Jimmy Omar, Encik Andreas Boital, park rangers, Yayasan Sabah, my school and fellow participants for making it possible for me to visit Maliau Basin and making it one of the greatest experiences in my entire life.

Don't miss my follow up posts.