KTM Electric Train Service (ETS)

KTM Electric Train Service, commercially known as ETS is an inter-city rail service operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad. When it began operating regularly between Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Kangsar we place trust on this transportation mode due to its comfort, spaciousness and conveniences of waiting for its arrival or departure at Sentral Station. Unlike the past bus travel, Duta Bus Station seems to be totally outdated and a chore to patronize due to its parking constraint and options available to do while waiting. Even the food stalls have passed its expiry use date. At Sentral Station, a modern shopping center Nu Sentral would allow the necessary amenities or shopping activities while waiting for the train arrival. And we did exactly that a couple of times in 2017.

Adel & Denzel parting ways again.

Brotherly bear hugged was caught on camera.

More of the boys in black t-shirt line up to catch their train.

Last wave for the time being.

Another departure via KL Sentral Station

Beyond the carousel and down to the train carriages below.

MCKK Again - 2017

2 January 2017 - This posting should have been a year back but the arduous working life in Kuala Lumpur has sapped too much of our time. There is never enough time as the saying goes, it is only setting the correct priority to do things that we love to do.  Tracking the boys development and their years of growing should be top most.

It was the day of going back to form 3 in college. Pre-dawn driving to Kuala Kangsar would be the routine to avoid heavy traffic along the highway. Not to mention the heat and crowd along the stop over conveniences.



Denzel - keeping his eyes awake.

Late morning we were back to the familiar stately hostel of the college. Adel's name came up to the ground floor dorm mixed with students of other years except for form one - protected at prep school.

Corridor perspective - to be ingrained for life.

The beds were all assigned to their names

All hands on deck to get Adel to settle in his belongings. Blue bed sheet and pillow casing. Lockset to be metal cabinet. Checking on the electrical items to be in working order. The dorm was not too shabby. It was very airy, spacious and central to plenty of games court around it.

Kakak's helping hand made it all too easy.

Clearing of his stuffs from the car.

Lukman's family dropped by to say hi.

Next - keeping his books at his newly assigned classroom.

Selecting his year-long study table and his most favorable position in the classroom

Marking his name on his selected - or most probably the only lockable - locker.

Class mate Akil dropped by to say hi.

That's done - one pose for the album.

Next would be the registration hall - handled by the teachers collecting on behalf of the college on all kinds of yearly fees.

Simple, straightforward registration and payment procedures.

Class teacher was very cordial - even teasing junior brother on when he should be coming to this college.

If you are a MCOBA this image would bring you back to your own student-day memory, wouldn't it?

Or maybe the backdrop of this photo?

 

Adel has strived to be himself and he began to show his collegian personality - the swagger, confidence and belief in himself. He managed to find and enjoy his standing among the 100 odd students of his year. He has settled himself well into the MCKK system, be it among the teachers, seniors or the juniors, without compromising on his own character, charisma or traits of his younger days. More importantly, the college is driving him to his full potential, instilling the integrity, solidarity and moral values of their wholesome education to their young adult phase of life.

The photo below came slightly over-exposed but couldn't help noticing the confidence of my son striding along in his uniform below the tagline that the college inspires them to become.

 

 

 

Home Sweet Home

A man's home is his castle -  it begins with his mom's cooking. And the boy will be longing to be home always. In his own room, among his lifetime belongings and together with his only brother in this world - he would not want to be anywhere else but home.



College Bus - selfie

Denzel's down with chicken pox.

Somehow the college's swagger grows on him.

Nothing like sharing simple humor on YouTube.

Weekend Home Coming

As the academic year settles in, debating competitions kick in early avoiding the second half-year for the annual examination or other academic performance evaluations. Almost weekly there will be debating competition in major institutions of the country - to expose these young debaters as much as possible. On April 9 2016, they participated in the Malaysian National School Debating Championship organized by Fairview International School in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur.
A bus load of these boys turned up early on Friday morning, after a very early bus ride from Kuala Kangsar to register themselves with 90 over teams participating. Mom was busy as well shuttling Adel back home for meals and rest. After three grueling days of debating, late evening of Sunday saw one of the MCKK teams became champion and Amar was voted as the best speaker of the day!

The final in progress

Champion Team - Ammar, Aniq & Lukman

Future leaders of the country

Cik Gu Lyn

Budak Kolej

Students of MCKK - Budak Kolej or College Boy - shall be in the circle of elite men for the rest of their lives. They are drilled on discipline from the moment stepping onto the school compound. They are instilled on grooming, etiquette, protocol or nobility in their daily routines. They are introduced to integrity, dignity and honor among themselves. Above all, they are reinforced with continuous moral lessons and religious knowledge that will sustain themselves to an even-keeled to lead and govern this country.
They were boys used to excelled academically in primary schools. The college further teaches them excellence in other curriculum - be it in sports, debating, creativity, or even artistic pursuits. Passion in their chosen activity is strongly advocated. In building leadership traits, resilience, courage and confidence are being ingrained in them. Of course, intelligence comes second nature to these brilliant young boys.
Most appealing of all, the college develops a strong life-long camaraderie among the 100-odd boys per annual intake. This residential bonding of looking over each other and bear consequences of your dorm actions will lead to lifetime affection, nostalgia and trust (or mistrust) among them.
The dynamics of this relationship, coupled with solid fundamentals of excellence will propel them to success in their career paths - be it in the government services, tertiaries, private or corporate conglomerates - Budak Kolej will forever endeavor this pursuit of excellence for the rest of their lives....!
Even when a fellow or two decided NOT to pursue the traditional charted educational program, somehow they will never be ostracized - instead they will be respected and measured accordingly. And yet amongst the scores of accolades accumulated or material successes gained, these boys couldn't care less. When they are together, it's just like being in Kuala Kangsar all over again...! Most important to them would be their ties are straight, shirts crisply tucked in and immaculately groomed; as after all they must ALWAYS be true to themselves in being Budak Kolej....
  

Chinese New Year Break

Adel got back by bus on Friday evening - Mom collected him from Duta bus terminal for a week Chinese New Year break. His sun-burnt face and elongated limbs were all too familiar of teenage boy physiques. For the last couple of weeks, each evening had been serious cross-country training leading to their marathon event to build up the boys physical, as well as identifying running talents among themselves.
As usual, college assignments were plentiful - more than enough for him to be bogged down on searching, compiling and writing the essays. As the city dwellers continue to leave Kuala Lumpur for the long weekend, it was pleasant drive across to Mak Teh's house for a family gathering as his cousin got engaged on Sunday morning.

Cousins-in-arms

Kuala - Lumpur - Kangsar

MCKK is blessed with a bus station merely a few hundred meters from the school with the traditional train station slightly further away to the west. However, with the bus routes along north-south highway and drivers much more eager to make the journey shorter than the parents, in less than three hours the boys can be back to Kuala Lumpur Duta station...! The bus journey is safe, convenient and definitely value for money considering the highway tolls, petrol and meals to spend when travelling return to Kuala Kangsar.

More Fares

However, tickets can only be bought slightly over two weeks ahead whilst the online service can only be said as a mischievous attempt to show internet savvy, but far from being a service. Best to avoid it completely so as not to get heartache or heartburn to whatever ailments most parents at their age will have with teenage sons...!

Plusliner Fares - Duta & Pudu Sentral Kuala Lumpur

Bus Fares from Kuala Kangsar

Nonetheless, after a year of bus subscription of more than 6 times from Duta to Kuala Kangsar the delays had been not more than slight inconveniences, but more importantly incident free thus far.


Ticketing Counter

Only setback for the boys, sometimes when they reached Kuala Kangsar bus station with their home treasures in bags, sacks, trolleys or even boxes - they have to drudgingly drag their loots a few hundred meters along the uneven footpaths to their hostels. Then again they are boys - that should be really character-building moments for them.

Carpe Diem

John Keating: They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.

1906

1907

1954

John Keating: We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

Hari Anugerah 2015

Debating Trips