pUNCAK ALAM
what a wonderful place it was
"Every cloud has its silver lining" is the perfect way to describe my experience here.
The Start
I have never been away from home for school before. In Malay, people call someone like me"Budak Sekolah Harian". I like how it rings. As you can tell, I was pretty nervous when I first moved into Puncak Alam, and very confused. It was the first time in a while I was going out due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), and I have only been having online classes.
I went into Dewan Berlian and I met Alisha for the first time, my classmate. She was so small and I was a bit too loud in greeting her (I get excited). Then, I got onto the bus and was surprised at how much time it took for us to get to the campus. We kept spiralling around the hill until we eventually reached our campus.
I was assigned to Dahlia 2 and met three other people– Anis, Farah and Mira. We all clicked from the start, but I fell sick on the first week. The room was so dusty and I felt irritated because I was covered in sweat. I brought too many luggages with me, after all. That was my fault. Thankfully my house was on Level 2, so I did not use the elevator because the line was very long. I was too impatient for that.
The Wonders
I could not forget the times I spent with my classmates too. I remember walking and getting exhausted with Meera because we could not find a way to get to the PTAR Library. Most of T10 also spent a lot of time together in the cafeteria. Then, one night Farah bought an ice cream for me. Radin came over to my house a few times and slept with me.
On various mornings, I would explore the greens of Puncak Alam and get rejuvenated from the fresh morning air. The lake behind Dahlia 1 was so beautiful. It was also where Alisha, Fatin, Iera and I stumbled upon a snake. It was actually a great experience. I never got to see a snake up close before in real life. There was that one time when Fay and I ran together, I did not expect that either because I thought it was only a morning walk.
Of course, I spent time outside with my roommates too. We had so much fun. There were so many cats in Puncak Alam. On top of that, there were cows, a dog, cute little birds, caterpillars that would get crushed on the walkway, unfortunately, and boars that would rummage the trashcans. I also remember being in my room and listening to distant screams because people were scared of them. I do not blame the boars, the food in Puncak Alam was exquisite.
I surprisingly met some of my old friends there, like Najwa and Intan. I got to spend time with them in their dorms, and we would help each other out with our errands once in a while. It was a great.
Settling In
I got sick. It was the type of sickness where no matter how much sleep you get, it does not go away. The dusty room and the change of scenery may be the cause of this. While my housemates were getting along, I avoided contact with them so they would not catch my cold.
It was horrible, I felt millions of emotions stir up within me, specifically negative ones. I had to focus on my classes too, and everything felt overwhelming. Fortunately, some part of me hated giving in to the despair. I fought my sickness, took care of my health, ate properly and drank a lot of water. It helped.
Soon, I got to know my housemates as well. They would always sleep together. I was a bit late to join the party, but I did once in a while. If you read the 'About Me' section, you would know that I prefer to be alone. My housemates, well, they are the best I could ever ask for.
Anis was obsessed with fairy lights, out of all things. Farah and I shared the same interest in BTS, a K-Pop group. Both Mira and Farah could finish their K-Drama series in one night. I never understood them. We had a lot of night talks which end up with us chasing each other around the house. Anis and I would fight over plushies. The house was always filled with laughter, if it was not, most of us were likely asleep.
There were also..
1) the normal Maggi nights,
2) movie nights that only Anis and I end up paying attention to,
3) the casual "Meen, do you want McDonalds?",
4) my housemates being afraid to knock on my door,
5) then there were also plenty of "Let's go out and eat breakfast!", as Anis angrily drags the three of us by our feet from our peaceful sleep.
6) and climbing through our windows to sit on the roof of Level 1 for no reason.
The End
But all that is good must come to an end. Puncak Alam was a dream, too much of a dream for an introvert like me who barely goes out. I am eternally grateful for my chaotic housemates, lovely classmates and helpful friends.
At first, Puncak Alam was a mysterious place, and most of us were reluctant to even move there. We all had our minds set on Dengkil. But now, there is no way I would want to replace Puncak Alam if I had a choice as I learnt to love the welcoming air there over time.
I hope that one day I get to experience the same happiness I felt there in a new place, at a different time.