Salai Z T lian

Rosemary (ACTS, Director) called me and asked whether I was willing to climb the mountain with Allen and Juliet, organized by Yayansan Nanyan Press Foundation, on 16/8/2009 to 17/8/2009 while I was wrestling with my work in Mental Health Department, ACTS. Due to the doubt on my fitness and presuming of hard competition, I requested Rosemary to give me a few times to make decision whether I would be able to climb the mountain as I thought it may be hard competition and I felt that I may need to check my fitness since I didn’t have exercises for a couple of years.
At night, I was thinking of whether I should participate in this climbing mountain or not? After taking a day, I have decided to participate in this climbing whatever my fitness may be. And then, I informed her that I made decision to participate in climbing the mountain. She said to me on the phone, “Thank you very much, Salai for being willing to climb the mountain”.
Two days later, Janet sent me a letter regarding to what things I may need to bring along with me in case of raining etc... I have read it carefully. I came to know that I needed to buy a rain-coat after reading a letter from Janet. In order to buy it, I went to Pudu Plaza with Salai Van Cin Mang & Van Kham Hrang Lung and bought a rain-coat. And then, I came back to ACTS clinic where I stay with Van Moong.
The time has come to pack my clothes for leaving to Cameron Highlands where I would also participate in climbing Mt. Gunnung Berinchang. While I was putting clothes into the bag, a message entered in my phone. This message was from Jennifer and said, “About 8:00pm, Adrian and I would like to have a dinner with Allen, Juliet and you”. I replied to her, “Thank you very much. See you tonight,”
It was about 5:50pm on 15/8/2009 when I was leaving to ACTS Office with a small bag on my back. Allen and Juliet were already there when I have arrived ACTS Office about 6:30pm.Jenifer and her husband Adrian picked us up around 8:30pm at ACTS Office and brought us to a very fantastic restaurant: Kim Gary restaurant. We ordered food what we liked to eat as Jennifer and Adrian told us to order whatever food we liked or how much it was. After enjoying delicious food there, we came to ACTS Office, PJ where we slept for a night before leaving to Cameron Highlands. 16 August about 6:00am, Rosemary picked us up at ACTS Office and took us to Nanyan Press Foundation Office in Subang where the Bus to take us was ready to leave.
A lovely young lady Jess asked me enthusiastically, “which organization are you from?” “We are from ACTS”, I answered her. “Your name is Salai, his name is Allen, and her name is Juliet, right?” She asked me. “Yes”, I replied with bowing my head. “Ok, please can you take a seat on the bus?” She told us. And then, we went into the bus where a couple of people greeted us with smiling. A few minutes later, our Bus was heading to Cameron Highlands. On the Bus, I felt the bus tried to lull me like as a mother rocking a child to asleep on her chest.
We arrived to Cameron Highlands after riding the bus for over 4 hours. There were fresh air and green trees which made us relaxed. We enjoyed fresh vegetable and food for Lunch, and then we went up to Hotel De La Ferns where we have to stay for a night. We all went into our own room. Some were resting by stretching their body on bed. Some were also talking each other. A few hours later, we went together to view Strawberry, various flowers and other plantations. It was fascinated to see Strawberry. Flowers were also so romantic. Cameron Highlands’ beauty was unbelievable.

The time came to go back to the Hotel before my desire was not enough to look around. We had a rest for a while in Hotel, and then we went for dinner. After dinner, we had a meeting especially for what we needed to know before climbing the mountain. Ann (Yayansan Nanyan Press Foundation, Director) began briefing about the purpose of this climbing mountain. She urged us that we have to climb the mountain as a team, and reminded us that we should have full cooperation. Mr. Chin (our leader of climbing) told us that what we have to do if we lost the right way, and we should not leave anything else in mountain whatever we carry along with us. The leader of blind group shared his belief that with our help, they (blind people) can get the peak of mountain. He also told us that how to take care of blind people and how to lead the blind people in the jungle. His optimism was unimaginable. After the meeting, we said goodnight to each other and we went to bed. 17 August morning appeared with cold mist .It was the day to start climbing the mountain. We were heading to the bottom of mountain from the Hotel. We were briefed a little bit about climbing the mountain and took group photos after we have reached at the mountain bottom.
It was a foggy and chilly morning where around 60 people including 18 blind persons from Malaysia Association of the Blind (MAB) and myself were gathering to climb Mt. Gunnung Berinchang amid freezing wind. Its height is 6666ft/2031m. Freezing wind chilled us with rainy coldness, but our hearts were still warm. This warmness pushed our hope and belief more vigilant to go forward. Compassion of young’s eyes also gave confident to blind persons to climb up the mountain where dense forest is as dark as night. Actually, it may be even hard to imagine for healthy people to dare climbing such height of mountain through steep and slippery jungle, but all of us including blind people didn’t think that we may not be able to hike the mountain. But we were excited to know of how we could make a difference.
It was 7:00 am over on 17/8/2009. Various birds were waiting for a better day to come by singing the songs. We also waited for our leader to lead us. As our leader was in the position of readiness to start climbing, we were lining up behind him in order to follow him. A few minutes later, the leader started leading us into deep jungle site through a lot of mud and tree roots. We were very careful not to fall down or to break our legs since there were a lot of mud and tree roots which could make us fall.

The dense forest was filled with the voices of saying, “Give me your hand… give me your hand please”. “Please give me your hand, don’t worry for something to happen to you in this journey because I am here to take care of you to get the top of mountain”, one of our friends said to his friend who is blind.“Thank you, without your help, I can’t make it. But with your help, I can”, the blind man also told to one of our friends.
The voices of calling: “Abang (brother),Kawan (friend) and Kak (Sister) were melodious with various birds’ singing in the jungle”. The voices of the kind offering: “Give me your hand, please be careful” and “Hold me please and there is a lot of akr (roots)” strengthened us in climbing Mt. Gunnung Berinchang through muddy, slippery, steep and dense forests.
Gently asking, “Are you ok, Kawan (friend)” made us forget our tiredness. Seriously, our concern for one another in the jungle overcame challenge and all of us have reached at the peak of mountain earlier than we estimated. Our success in climbing the mountain indicated that if there is cooperation between the less fortunate and the more fortunate, can be achieved.
All of us (mountain climbers) celebrated happily by clapping our hands, hugging each other and shouting joyfully at the top of Mt. Gunnung Berinchang (photo). The sky shed its happy tears when it heard our triumph. The courageous spirit of blind people and the kind cooperation of local Malaysians were amazing. The leader of (18) blind persons said firmly that the blind people got confidence and interaction through climbing the mountain successfully with their fellow human.
Although, my heart still yearned to view Cameron Highlands’ natural beauty, and shared joy with the less fortunate but courageous, and the possessors of the kind heart there, but the time to say goodbye to them. Actually, it was too soon to say GOODBYE to them. However, a moment of climbing Mt. Gunnung Berinchang with them remains as an unforgettable part of my life.