Chapter 1
I didn’t hold a good impression of this scholarship. Last few weeks, I applied it online as my father told me so. After a few weeks later, I received some messages on my mobile phone from the number 66688, that I was shortlisted for the PETRONAS education sponsorship program, which is the scholarship I had been applying, to attend the PETRONAS youngstar day.
I got no idea what youngstar day was, so I surfed the internet about it. I went to the PETRONAS online application website which I used to apply for the scholarship; but then again, after poring over the whole letter, I realized it was incomplete. Well, there are no attachments as mentioned in the content of the letter online, but it just ended with, ‘attachments:’ The particular attachments are the rejoining instructions, and might also include something odd like ‘Indemnity and undertaking’, in which the hell I didn’t know what’s what.
What’s more, I was compelled to apply into UTP online. It was fine I thought, I was all for it. However, I found it a chore as I couldn’t access to the online application into UTP by using google chrome. A pop-up message said I needed to use Internet Explorer 9 to do it. It was a shame to say that my computer wasn’t up to Windows 7, and thus, my Internet Explorer wasn’t the ninth edition. So, I went to find a computer with Internet Explorer 9 to do it. By the way, I had completed it, though.
It puzzled me a lot about the missing of the attachments, thus, I googled Petronas Youngstar day’. I dropped by some blog pages which were owned by people who had gone through the Petronas Youngstar day 2013 to see what the hell it was. Then I got hold of the fact that they were sticklers for the dress code. They were all clad in formal suits, as the men wore long sleeves with ties and ladies were dressed in baju kurungs. Applicants are compulsory to be dressed in such formal outfits, or is it the basic requisite of every interview?
Apart from their clothes, there were exams looming on the horizons, and the paramount matter of all- the interview. The exams were the analytical test, critical thinking test and the test about science and mathematics. I jolly well knew critical thinking was some sort like guessing the fifth diagrams, after examining the patterns and colours of the first to the fourth diagrams. I had that test before in the ASEAN scholarship selecting test in Kuching, too. I was getting cold feet that time, so I didn’t manage my time well and I made wild guesses at last by simply blackening the last few answers.
They said that the analytical exams and the maths and sciences exams are cinches, but I have all concerned myself about them too since I had already forgotten most of the things I learnt in my school. Your conjecture was right: I am an amnesiac. To top it all, I’m also an eccentric person too, who isn’t up to expressing myself well. I won’t be despondent to say I had screwed up interviews and botched scholarships’ exams up before. A piece of info echoed in my mind: Any private university doesn't need an absolute Spongebob Squarepants or a typical bookworm, but they want a more than potential talent. Am I?
Going by my vile experiences and the fact of flying distances over to Kuching for the whatsoever event, I was dead sure the chances of clinching a resounding victory were very slim. I didn't see any options more, and if I refused to go, my head would be bitten off. My parents were crazy about me for getting stricken with scholarships to the extremes. Sis had talked me out of flying so far away and going to the expense for the scholarship which isn’t inevitable to be got in hand. But then again, did I have any other choices? A flat-out no would entitle me to be targeted at ground zero. I could only muster up my courage to take up the challenges looming ahead of me.
Chapter 2
After packing all the stuffs into the suitcase, my father and I headed to the airport. When we reached the departure hall, I was shocked that it’s calling at 2.40pm on the dot. As how dad had been filling me in, I thought the plane would take off at 3.20pm. Luckily we arrived earlier because the plane departed at 3.00pm.
The plane had flown for 1 hour and a half hour. Then, we safely arrived at Kuching before starting down to the cab for a ride to Pullman Hotel. I saw my previous-year classmate, Qi Zheng as soon as I got there. Well, I ran into him when I was boarding Air Asia but I didn’t know if he noticed me. When we checked in the hotel, I wheeled around to greet him.
Pullman Hotel was actually the venue for the Petronas Youngstar Day. The hotel was really big and lavish-furnished. It did have a sense of grandeur where there was a mini indoor fountain, an overhead ultramodern glass roof that shimmered in the afternoon sun, a wide hallway that adorned with vivid frescoes… Then, I spotted a young adult of the like age of mine walking down the stairway. He wore a very formal suit and I guessed he could be one of the shortlisted applicants. My dad told me that there was also a selection test on that day. My selection test was held on the next day.
I dragged my stuffed suitcase all the way to our room. I was thrilled to know how it looked like, given the air of splendour at the main lobby. It must be luxurious and flashy. Spot-on! There were two ornate single beds, LCD tv, micro-oven, yoga mat, gym bells and the long list went on. The bathroom was even amazing. It got a shower tray at the left side of the door and what’s more, a sizeable marble bathtub dominated the right wall, and a large glass mirror was glinting in front of me. Thinking of it made me bouncy!
The night came very soon. After having a dinner near the hotel, we got back to our room. I turned in early at 9pm but I couldn’t get off to sleep. I waited for the drowsiness to come over me but when I checked on the clock, it was 12.25pm. Gosh! I quickly covered my face with the duvet and forced myself to sleep.
(to be continued...)
Chapter 2
After packing all the stuffs into the suitcase, my father and I headed to the airport. When we reached the departure hall, I was shocked that it’s calling at 2.40pm on the dot. As how dad had been filling me in, I thought the plane would take off at 3.20pm. Luckily we arrived earlier because the plane departed at 3.00pm.
The plane had flown for 1 hour and a half hour. Then, we safely arrived at Kuching before starting down to the cab for a ride to Pullman Hotel. I saw my previous-year classmate, Qi Zheng as soon as I got there. Well, I ran into him when I was boarding Air Asia but I didn’t know if he noticed me. When we checked in the hotel, I wheeled around to greet him.
Pullman Hotel was actually the venue for the Petronas Youngstar Day. The hotel was really big and lavish-furnished. It did have a sense of grandeur where there was a mini indoor fountain, an overhead ultramodern glass roof that shimmered in the afternoon sun, a wide hallway that adorned with vivid frescoes… Then, I spotted a young adult of the like age of mine walking down the stairway. He wore a very formal suit and I guessed he could be one of the shortlisted applicants. My dad told me that there was also a selection test on that day. My selection test was held on the next day.
I dragged my stuffed suitcase all the way to our room. I was thrilled to know how it looked like, given the air of splendour at the main lobby. It must be luxurious and flashy. Spot-on! There were two ornate single beds, LCD tv, micro-oven, yoga mat, gym bells and the long list went on. The bathroom was even amazing. It got a shower tray at the left side of the door and what’s more, a sizeable marble bathtub dominated the right wall, and a large glass mirror was glinting in front of me. Thinking of it made me bouncy!
The night came very soon. After having a dinner near the hotel, we got back to our room. I turned in early at 9pm but I couldn’t get off to sleep. I waited for the drowsiness to come over me but when I checked on the clock, it was 12.25pm. Gosh! I quickly covered my face with the duvet and forced myself to sleep.
(to be continued...)
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