Coffeestops!

The general system of accomodation in INTEC works like this: The new, fresh, guilible male scholars will be allocated at Kolej Cendana which is situated in Section 6, Shah Alam. It is approximately 15 minutes drive by bus to INTEC and there are busses coming to INTEC approximately every half an hour. However male scholars will only be posted here for one year. After a year, they will be posted to the hostel NEARER to INTEC: Akasia. The adjacent hostel to Akasia is called Cemara, usually allocated for first year female scholars. One can infer from the statements above that I am currently at Cendana Hostel.

Welcome to College Cendana! Do take note, in this case: Kolej = Hostel

What are the good things about Cendana? Well, Cendana Hostel is relatively new, in comparision with Akasia and Cemara. So it’s looks and feels nicer, cleaner, better etc. And don’t think it’s not well equipped! It is VERY well equipped. There’s a room for laundry; our in-house gym, basketball courts, computer room (equipped with internet access), TV room (usually VERY crowded during football sessions), and even study rooms (fully air-conditioned). Curfew is at 11pm. There’s lots of freedom allocated to the scholars as long as one doesn’t do anything stupid! Scholars can walk in and out of the hostel anytime provided it’s not after the curfew. No such thing as ‘lights out’. Such flexibility really gives the scholars maximum comfort when it comes to planning schedules.

One will generally be placed with roommates in the same program to facilitate maximum interaction among course mates. Look, one certainly can’t compare Cendana to home. Home is always better. But if one looks at Cendana and gives it an objective rating, I strongly think that Cendana will pass off as a very condusive place to stay.

This is how Cendana looks like! As you can see, we have 1 basketball court. One mini-football court. During evenings, it will be filled with scholars who are “sweating it all out”.

This is how the hostel looks at night!

How’s transportation? Well, if you are asking on whether commuting from Cendana to Intec is convinient….I don’t really think so. Don’t get me wrong: Busses are provided. It’s the distance that matters. Unlike Cemara and Akasia, which are situated really close to INTEC, Cendana is a little off the track. Though one will see many female scholars commuting back to their hostels especially in between 2 far apart classes, one seldom see any male scholars doing so (for Cendana at least). It takes a person 15 minutes one way. And 15 minutes to get back. The time allocated for “bus waiting” isn’t added yet. So one is approximatedly going to spend 45 minutes just moving to and fro. Time of such could be better spent in the library.

Is Cendana well connected? YEAH!! In fact, I daresay that Cendana really accessible. We have a T602 Rapid KL bus that takes us directly to the a location where most of the inter-changing of busses happen. So with the T602 bus, one can get to most of the places around Shah Alam provided one changes bus mid-way. Besides, we always have taxis coming around. My suggestion? Get the handphone number of a gregarious taxi driver. It might come in handy one day.

T602 Rapid KL stand!

The bus that will be taking us to INTEC is called the RESTU BARAKAH. They will wait at the bus stop just in front of INTEC. One definitely can’t miss it!

The bus stop where RESTU BARAKAH and Rapid KL stops.

A closer angle.

Now what about food?? Well, this is one drawback of staying in Cendana. We have a limited variety of food. We have Pasar Malam which opens every Tuesday and Friday night. 7-11 is just walking distance. But the most popular place among INTEC students in Cendana is: DAWOOD!!

Our MAMAK!! People here are nice! You better be nice to them! You are staying here for year k! Price? Reasonable I guess. It’s neither cheap nor exorbitant.

My usual drink. Teh Tarik = RM 1

Nasi Goreng Mamak = RM 3.20 (One thing is for sure: One is going to hear the word “mamak” and “dawood” a lot!)

Nasi Goreng Melayu = RM 4

That’s the usual food we guys have here. I mean there’s more to it: Roti Canai, Naan etc

Well, that’s all for now! There’s more to it but I guess I will have to post it later!

Last 5 posts by Jian Wei

• How does one say goodbye? - January 6th, 2009
• Humpty Dumpty - November 17th, 2008
• Happy Birthday Papa! - October 4th, 2008
• What's In a Name? - September 15th, 2008
• Happy Mooncake Festival - September 14th, 2008