Assalamualaikum and hi :) Finally, I am writing again! Phew, I don't know where did my blogging courage have been to, seriously. I am currently using a borrowed laptop since my Asus is currently in the service center for how long I don't know (they won't tell me/respond to my email/answer my phone call).

Well now I feel like sharing my experience as a part time worker for BookXcess at Pesta Buku 1 Malaysia 2013, which was held at PWTC from the 30th Jan-3rd Feb 2013. It was my classmate, Izzuddin who invited us to join the crew as her aunt was working with BookXcess, that's how we get in ! So I joined, along with my other classmates (Jannah, Izzat, Izzuddin and Khairul). The pay was okay, RM6 per hour. Meals were provided, twice a day for lunch and dinner.

We started working on the 28th, at 7pm. It was a huge and painful delay since we were supposed to set up the place at 9.30am. However due to the PM's visit at PWTC (he came at 4.30pm), we had to start way later than planned. There were three trailers full of books on pallets, and 30 of us part-timers + full timers. We were assisted by a group of Bangladeshi workers during the part of transferring the boxes from pallets, bringing it inside the hall, stacking the boxes at their respective sections, and setting up the tables. Painful ? Yes. Imagine skinny me with the boxes, I wonder if my muscles are stronger by now, hehe! On the 29th, we proceeded with unboxing the books and stacking/arranging it on the tables. We started at 9.30am and only finished at nearly 2am on the 30th. My whole body aches. Feet, due to the long standing hours. Hands, due to carrying/heaving heavy boxes. Back, due to stacking/reaching on the tables and of course, carrying heavy things. This was the first time I ever get myself involved in such heavy duty work so, I kinda learned a lot from it ^_^

During the exhibition, which was from the 30th Jan-3rd Feb, my workload diminishes a bit as we staffs were only required to welcome the visitors/customers, assist them in finding the books, arranging the strewn-all-over-the-place books (which of course, was the most useless thing to do out of boredom as the books kept on scattering every single second) and we got to go home at 8.30pm every night since the fair closes at 8pm. I tried inviting some of my KL/Selangor friends to come but sadly, nobody came coz they were either too busy or too broke to come XD never mind, there's always more book fairs coming :D one of my lecturer did came however :)

On the 3rd of February we closed at 8pm and we had to pack everything and clean the area before working hour starts the next day. So, we had no other choice than to keep on working. We first packed all the books back into the boxes, tape the boxes and label it respectively. Each person got 8 tables to be cleared. Then we transferred 1/3 of the boxes (by using trolleys) from the hall to the pallets outside, which were then transferred into the trailers by using a forklift. Next we cleared the remaining boxes to a corner in the hall, along with the tables' woods and metal stands. We worked from 9pm till 5am the next day =_='' I should congratulate myself for only getting pricked once by the wood splinter.

As the prices were too low to be ignored, I bought some of my favourite books. After all, I am an avid reader who enjoys book discounts more than anything. Even though I am approaching 21 years old of age, I still love fantasy books. So what I did was, I bought some Enid Blyton books which I considered as my childhood gem. Out of all her writings, these two series were my topmost favourite. The Faraway Tree Collection and The Wishing Chair Collection. I want my little sisters to read it too, and have it at home. Unlike me, I first read them by borrowing from the school's library. Other than that, I bought a fantasy novel about a dragon shape shifter, a cross-stitch design book (I do cross-stitch as a hobby since i was 12 years old), three novels from the Septimus Heap series (my other favourite magic series), a Malay book, a Sudoku book and teenage novel for my sisters, and a novel that is not about dragons or magic (I'd rather not share the title here unless you ask me).

I really appreciate the days I spent working there as I managed to learn, witness, and experience things that I may never get if I wasn't there. I even developed a crush on a guy, hahaha !!! But it was only then and there, part of my growing up experience, I guess :p Lucky me that all my friends there understood me and they somehow got used to bear with me babbling about it, hehe~

So below are some pictures, forgive me if some of them are of low quality since it came not from 1 single camera. 

Khairul and Izzuddin promoting our site to the visitors

taping the boxes

tired but happy

staff pass

Jannah reading at the corner

the books i bought (Malay books were from other booths)

me sitting at the exit saying TERIMA KASIH/THANK YOU, COME AGAIN to our customers