Friends in Bristol

There is this Chinese saying says that : Count on your parents when you are at home , rely on your friends when you are out. I totally agree with this.

 

The immediate thing I did after receiving the news was to browse around Bristol City and the University web pages. I found that there is a uni -representative office in KL. So I contacted this lady named Phenix (cool name) for general enquiries etc.

 

Phenix is very helpful in many ways: she helps in applying visa, chasing letter of offer from the uni and most of all she gave me some contacts who are Malaysian and studying in Bristol.

 

I got hold of this gentleman who is a director of National Sport Council - NSC Malaysia, Mr Pahlawi. He is pursuing his MA in Sport Science under the government sponsorship. He brought his family with him, 7 kids with 1 wife (He is allowed to have 4 wives :-P).

 

We managed to meet in his office, Bukit Jalil Selangor as he happened to come back to see his mum. It was timely as I need first hand information from someone who stay in Bristol now.

 

Mr Pahlawi was kind and generous to help. He gave me a lot of advices like what NOT to buy now and things to prepare before departure. He also gave me the Bristol-Malaysian yahoo group, so that I will be 'welcomed' into the community - story about this in later post.

 

Mr Pahlawi also shared that it is quite a standard arrangement for NSC to sent its staff to further their studies overseas - so 2008 was his turn and he is due completing his study in Oct 2009. Many of his colleagues are now in US etc. 

 

He said he 'envied' me because I got a scholarship for a 4-years study.To be honest, I was 'angry' because why WE are not given the chance so 'automatically' !!!

 

This meeting made me appreciating God's blessing even more... really.