LIMA 2013, Part Seven: The Way Back

A year ago, a year and 3 months to be exact, I volunteered for LIMA 13'!

It's my second time volunteering and I broke it up into too many posts, but I promise this is the last one :X

If you're interested in knowing more about my experiences at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace(LIMA) Exhibition, feel free to check my LIMA 11' and 13' posts on the left side bar :)

This post shouldn't have taken me this long to blog..I just decided to take a hiatus on the series after the 6th post which dates back to July 29, 2013 hahaaaa Just kidding about the hiatus lol Like I said, I broke it into too many pieces that I got bored of it when it was time for the final post.

An hour or two ago, I scrolled through my blog entries and found this one as draft. So I thought I should get it over and done with. Gotta have some closure, right? (not closure closure cz I might re-volunteer next year LOL..but closure as in the end of LIMA 13' series).

-Begins here-

Final day of the exhibition has gone by and it was now time to go home. Unlike the way we arrived in Langkawi via airplane, we went back by ferry and bus like the rest.

But first, breakfast! We got to wake up a few hours later than our usual timing(5.45am) and it was bright outside! We usually arrive at the hall when the sun just woke up so it'll still be rather dark.

I don't remember why Gup didn't come along, but Char and I went to look for breakfast! Was Gup sleeping? I really can't recall.. But anyway, we got some nasi lemak by the roadside and went to McDonald's across our hotel to get our favourite Coke Float!

Packed up and hauled our luggage into the bus and we're going shopping!!! We had a tour guide bring us to some place to buy cheap textiles, batik mostly. Everyone went crazy buying batik and songket! :D I bought for my mom and myself batik cloth!

go crazy with cloths!!!!

mine and mom's Cheongsams are made of the cloths I bought heh this was at my cousin's wedding in December

After the textile place, we went to another place which sells locally-made skincare products and health supplements. Personally, I don't buy these things because I'm a rather superficial-judge-the-book-by-its-cover kinda person and if the packaging doesn't attract me, I don't buy lol I feel that packaging says a lot about your product. If it's that good, surely people will buy..then why not spend more on a nicer packaging?

I know packaging is part of the marketing strategy. So even if a product isn't awesome but the packaging is attractive, people will buy. But if you couldn't even be bothered about the packaging and not much effort is put in it, I don't really trust whatever products you produce.

I don't like applying products I don't trust..I have enough problems with my skin lol Plus, even if it's good, the fact that I don't feel good using it...the effects wouldn't be much cz I've already psycho-ed myself haha

This shop is mostly about the famous Langkawi product- Minyak Gamat or sea cucumber oil. It's known to result in nicer skin, slow down ageing process, reduce scars, heal wounds and a lot more. They have the gamat products in the form of superficial application like oil and cream, and also for intake like pills...even in different flavours haha

More gamat products

the salesman explaining the benefits of his products and gave recommendations. Probably talking about some skincare products..

same thing, different target audience lol Probably talking about boosting some sort of energy, judging from the smiley, cheeky and excited faces of my colleagues hahaha

homemade soaps

Bought my mom the wooden horn thing to scrape when massaging haha She has 2 made up of some rhino horn or something. And I thought the massaging thing below look very misleading lol Freaking RM18.90! O.o

I've never actually seen a sea cucumber, though I've eaten it as dessert at restaurants...but damn, it looks like a big fat worm! So disgusting!

Ibu Gamat aka Sea Cucumber's Mom hahaha Why mom? I have no clue.

Different types of medicinal plants

Next to the shop was a small hut where they make the minyak gamat. It's in a huge pot and the man said we can dip our finger in if we wanted to. I was like O.O Crazy ah? Want me to put my finger into the pot of boiling oil?

Char was the brave one, she tried lol Apparently it's warm, but no thanks...don't want oily finger heh

We didn't spend much time there cz it wasn't that interesting. Next stop was everyone's favourite- duty free chocolates and liquors!!!! Ok, mostly just the chocolates cz most of my colleagues are Muslims, hence, no liquors haha

Everyone took the shopping baskets and went around the store, cleaning up the shelves, sweeping everything into the basket haha I can't believe I'd spend so much on chocolates. Yes, it was cheap, but RM300 on chocolates is like so wasted! :( I got it anyway for my family, so it's okaylah :)

Michelle wanted liquor chocolates, my dad would love some too..so I got for them and Joe liquor chocolates!!! *confetti* It's so damn cheap there, though I didn't quite realize cz I don't usually buy liquor chocolates. A few months back, I went to the mall to consider getting Joe some, I had the shock of my life! It ranges from RM50(tiny box) to like RM100+! I remember getting the exact same chocolate for at most RM20, but it's sold for RM80 at regular malls. CRAAAAAAAAZY!

Char's, mine, Faiz's

That was fun. Finally, we went to a place called Rams, where they sold duty free household items. I went there to get my mom some stainless steel spoons because cheap cheap!

Char and I also got a huge ass canvas bag to put mine, hers and Gup's plastic bags filled with chocolate cz too lazy to carry.

I think we were probably too tired by then cz we naively put in all the plastic bags and the moment I tried to carry, I got stuck. I couldn't even drag it! LOL Then we all fall into our seats laughing our asses off. Why didn't it cross our minds that it'll be too heavy? hahaha

Should've gotten a smaller canvas bag each so we can carry it instead of holding it..quite heavy, okay..

We had our lunch nearby and soon, it was time to go to the ferry terminal. While waiting, the HWLIMA staffs came over to send us off...or rather, made sure none of us decides to not get on the ferry and roam around instead lol

Mr. Shay and the guys entertaining everyone at the terminal with a song or two :')

with our favourite Mr. Haswan. Mr. Fairul was too hungover to send us off :P

I don't like getting on ferries. My reason is...I hate going down the steps and into the ferry while carrying my heavy giraffe luggage and heavy chocolates. Firstly, it's heavy and so clumsy..the luggage might overturn when I go down the stairs, my plastic bags will hit the walls and all...ugh. Secondly, I may trip..and that's not nice lolol

Thank God for the awesome Afiq(also a former 2011 volunteer)! As I was gathering up my courage and strength to pull my giraffe bag down, praying like crazy I survive the staircase..Afiq hurried over and picked up my giraffe bag like it was a regular hand-carry luggage! Phew, that was close haha

There were a few of the guys helping out with the luggage, so thank God for them! Awesome people :D

Thanks, Afiq! (Image: Mr. Haswan)

Us on the ferry (Image: Khairul Hanif)

Tired faces (Image: Charmaine)

And with that, we left Langkawi Island :)

Glad I got to make new friends from LIMA 13' and met familiar faces. Kinda sad there won't be as many familiar faces for the next LIMA as our friends are all graduating/graduated.

Anywho, end of this chapter. The end.