Appreciation Post: I am finally called to the Bar of Malaya!

I am finally able to dust off some digital dust off my blog after a long hiatus of one and half years. 

It has been a super hectic past year for me. 

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But first things first, a short update from me:

I was recently called to the Bar of Malaya! 

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And I thought it would be a good idea to record an appreciation post here. 

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First and foremost, I thank God for always being my pillar of strength. Throughout my CLP and pupillage period, I held on dearly to the Bible verse:

Joshua 1:9

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Those who know me closely know that my journey to the Bar has been really tough and it would not have been possible with God's strength in me.

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I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to my amazing parents and brother who has always been my support and motivation to pull through. Thank you for always praying for me, encouraging me, preparing nutritious food for me during exams and being patient with me when I was going through tough times. 

♡ Thank you mum, dad and Gabriel ♡

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Next up is my long list of family members, from both my mum and dad's side who have been encouraging me since young and guiding me with all your wise words and advice.

Special thanks to all who came all the way to Penang High Court and the cafe to congratulate and celebrate with me. But also not forgetting to thank all my family members who sent their congratulations via text/phone call.

I appreciate each and every one of you from the depths of my heart ♡

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Also not to miss out, my master, Mr. Benedict Anand and his family as well as my fellow colleagues who have been very kind and patient to me throughout my pupillage. 

Thank you for making it worthwhile and memorable. 

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Another group of people close to my heart are my pastors, fellow church members, uncles and aunties who have supported me through prayers. 

I am really grateful for having a support system which prays with me constantly.

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Last but not least, a big thank you to all my friends from different parts of my life.

To all who came to Penang High Court as well as some ninja friends who sent their greetings through texts/in person.

*You know who you are!*

Thank you for all the lovely gifts too. I am grateful for each and every one of you ♡

these two ladies brought my favorite bouquet of the day - fried chicken bouquet specially made by Beckspoochville. (You can contact them via Instagram here)

this pretty lady brought flowers from herself and my besties too (thanks my girls ♡)

Also, to friends I met throughout my pupillage (sad that I did not get much photos taken that day!), thank you for all the well wishes and gifts ♡

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There is one more group of people I would like to thank sincerely. They made great efforts to add a cherry to my celebratory cake - the staffs from Myarte Cafe.

I just want to take the time to give credit to this lovely cafe.

If you have a private event for about 35 pax, please contact them via Facebook here.

Their service is good, food is amazing (I had good reviews from all my guests) 

and the price is very reasonable. 

Also a special shoutout to Joey who had been super accommodating to my many requests.

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In life, we have many journeys that we must take, and there will be a few which are more challenging than the rest. But I am thankful that I didn't have to embark on this journey alone and I am grateful for each and everyone of you who walked alongside me even when it was tough.

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In conclusion,

I've said this before, but I would like to say again that this is not "I made it" but rather

"We made it" and once again

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Bonus photos from 30/11/18:

The morning before my long call ceremony. Puffy eyes because I had too little sleep the night before.

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My mum and dad were really cute together when they had a short sharing on what they witnessed first-hand from my journey to being called to the Bar of Malaya.

 Shoutout to my little bro who came all the way from KL (look at how much he's grown!)

 Moments before my shy niece hides from me for the rest of the luncheon (who's the kid now?!)

 One of my favorite snapshots of the day.

Thanks to all the beautiful ladies who came to support me. Their prayers and encouragement kept me going on even through my toughest times.

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To end my super long appreciation post, here's a video my brother did for me as my Christmas gift.

*Can I get an "AWWWW"*

Enjoy!

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Lang Tengah - The 'Why's

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Before I move on to what we did on Lang Tengah, I will first post on the booking process and why we chose Lang Tengah, just in case you are considering whether or not to travel to this lovely island. (Hint: the answer is the antonym of "no" and rhymes with "dress")

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WHY Lang Tengah?

Coming from Penang Island, I myself thought if we should be going to another island and confine ourselves there for three days. Never have we made a better choice! As we were pretty busy the past couple of months, Lang Tengah was perfect for a quick and relaxing getaway to rejuvenate ourselves. Hence, if you tick the following boxes, I would highly recommend you to book a trip to Lang Tengah right now:

1. You are in need of a peaceful trip. A break from the fast-moving world.

2. You love nature and don't mind being around it A LOT.

3. You love the sea and soft white sandy beaches.

4. You aren't looking for wild nightlife with cheap booze and plenty of shopping.

5. You don't need to be connected to Internet 24/7.

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Now, our reasons:

one) Personally, I think everyone deserves a break without breaking their banks and that was one of the reasons why we chose Lang Tengah. 

two) We have never ventured into the roads of Malaysia's East Coast. 

three) We wanted somewhere which is a little more peaceful and an island which was lower in occupancy. Compared to Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian, Lang Tengah seemed to be the quieter alternative. As I mentioned in the above, be warned that there is very very very limited Internet connection on the Island. Which turned out pretty good. One afternoon, instead of showing each other videos or laughing at derpy comments on social media, we actually spent time by the beach as a family, talking and playing games. I think it would one of those afternoons I will always remember from then on every time I look out into the sea. 

four) We wanted to go snorkeling. 

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There are a total of four hotels in Lang Tengah with three operating hotels, Sari Pacific Resort and Spa (Lang Tengah), Summer Bay Lang Tengah Resort and D'Coconut Lang Tengah; while the remaining one, Lang Sari Pacifica, was under renovation.
 Basically, hotel packages would include boat transfer from Kuala Terengganu (Merang Jetty) to Lang Tengah Island, full board meal plans, snorkeling trips and accommodation.
With three resorts to choose from, we made our decision to go with D'Coconut Lang Tengah after reading reviews online and comparing prices of the packages.
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Our package was for 3 days 2 nights for 4 people. And as we were visiting the island during the school holidays, there was a surcharge applicable too. There are two wings at D'Coconut - the east wing and west wing. We stayed at east wing (Superior Room, quad sharing). Comparing both wings, there are significant points to consider if you would like to choose one between the two:

1. Location

Both wings were approximately 7 mins apart by foot. To get from the East Wing to the West Wing, there is a mini forest you will need to pass, which might be a little steep for some.

Most facilities seemed to be place in the East Wing. While both wings had their own restaurants for meals, the main reception was in the East Wing. The point to meet for snorkeling activities as well as the diving school was also located at the East Wing. However, for a killer long stretch of beach and the livelier side of the island, West Wing has easier access. West Wing also has a nicer pool with a great view.

The West Wing restaurant and pool

 View of infinity pool at West Wing

[Insert any caption which indicates how much I want to stay here]
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2. Overall Location

Based on the following map, you can get a brief outlook of what's where on Lang Tengah. As you can see, Summer Bay and Sari Pacifica are located around the same area while D'Coconut is (sort of) located on the other side of the island.

The yellow mark indicates a mini stretch of beach called Turtle Bay. It is also where the Lang Tengah Turtle Watch Conservation Centre is located. It is a short hike through a patch of (seemingly steep) woods before you can get to Turtle Bay. We wanted to explore it during our stay but we backed off after seeing two huge monitor lizards lurking nearby the beginning of the woods. On the other hand, the blue cross indicates roughly where the West Wing of D'Coconut is which leads to a long stretch of white beach. Passing by the (breathtaking) stretch of white sandy beach, you can hike through (another) patch of woods to reach Sari Pacifica Resort and Summer Bay Resort. A little bit of an adventure for first timers, considering our first hike there was at night to catch a glimpse of some "blue sand" and the night stars lead by a guide from the hotel. However, when we went to the other side of the island on our own the next day, it was pretty straightforward and easily to get through. 

Hence, this might be one of the factors you will want to consider before choosing your hotel.

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3. Price

Comparing the prices of the three places in Lang Tengah, we found the package offered by D'Coconut to suit our wallets a little more. As we were on the island during the Malaysian school holidays season, we were subjected to a RM 30 per person surcharge. In total, our bill did not exceed RM 2,000 for a 3 days 2 nights package with D'Coconut.

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4. Snorkelling

As every snorkelling trip would be, ours was pretty tiring. In our hotel package, we were given 2 snorkelling trips to go one. The first trip was during the first afternoon we arrived on Lang Tengah and the second trip was either in the morning or in the afternoon (we were under the impression that we had an option). However, if you prefer a lesser crowd, the morning snorkelling trip might be more to your liking as the afternoon trip would include new visitors who just arrived on the island.

- Service

Kudos to the team who brought us out to sea (including from Kuala Terrenganu to Lang Tengah). They spoke perfect English for starters, were kind and understanding throughout the trip. They also took extra care of those who were'nt good in swimming.

- The view

While there was a variety of fishes and corals to look at, I would not say that it was the best I've seen. (That would probably be Krabi, Thailand) However, it was a good trip and the water was clear. Little fishes swam close enough for us to catch a good look and there were alot of corals embedded in the sea bed.

All in all, we had a good time but did not make it for the snorkelling trip during the second day as we were dead tired! We decided to explore the island instead. 

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5. The alternatives

When we were on the island, we managed to take a sneak peek at the other two operating hotels in Lang Tengah. By reading through some blogs on the hotels, I got the impression that Summer Bay catered more to China tourists, and yes, it looks new and very grand looking. Plus the staffs looked like they were mainly made up off Chinese staffs. During our night strolls, Summer Bay resort was considerably the liveliest and we heard (pretty good) live music coming from the hotel's cafe. Limited night life was also present at Sari Pacifica Resort, where we saw a cozy bar and plenty of angmos.

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Kuala Terengganu > Merang Jetty > Lang Tengah

After having some delicious "pau"s for breakfast, we headed out early to Merang Jetty to catch our boat to *drumrolls* Lang Tengah.

The trip takes about an hour and there is hardly any traffic on the road.

Please note that there is a MARANG Jetty which heads to Cotton Island (Pulau Kapas); which is 20 mins away from the hotel but in the other direction. If you're heading over to Lang Tengah like we did, you will most likely be heading for MERANG Jetty.

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We headed out at 8.15am and arrived there shortly before 9am. It depends on what time your hotel asks you to meet at the Jetty, but ours were scheduled at 10am. We decided to head there earlier just in case. Now, there are a few things to note when arriving at the Jetty:

1. Parking

There is a couple of covered parking spaces under a shed. The parking fee for 3 days 2 nights was RM 45 in total.

2. Marine Conservation Fee

In order to enter Lang Tengah, we were asked to pay RM 5 each (for locals)/RM 20 each (for foreigners). Fair enough, as we were informed of this by the hotel before we made our booking.

3. Jetty Fee

At the jetty, we were asked to pay an additional RM 1 per person as jetty fees. Not sure if this is legit or not as no hotels mentioned it to us nor were there any sign of this online. But its only RM 1 so no biggie.

4. Toilet

Arriving one hour earlier ahead of time, we needed to use the loo. For a cleaner option, I would suggest you drive out to the Shell petrol station which is approximately 2 minutes away. There is a small shed and a basic toilet but there was no water (at that moment, I prayed that God bless the soul of whoever invented hand sanitizers).

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I don't know how I would describe the boat rides from KT to Lang Tengah.

TBH, it was pretty nerve wrecking.

We took a speed boat from Merang Jetty out into the vast sea and middle out of nowhere, we switched to a bigger boat. In the middle of the sea. With no lifevests.

Apart from that the trip was fine. It took us about an hour to get to Lang Tengah and the trip there was pretty smooth. However, on the way back, we met some pretty rough waves and I felt a little seasick. Just a heads up for those who feels seasick easily.

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With that said, Lang Tengah, here we come!