SAMPLE ESSAY FROM FORM 2 ENGLISH MID-TERM EXAM 2011

Dear Surya,

How are you getting on in Penang? Did you manage to adapt yourself in the new environment there? I hope you can get along with all the teachers and students. Moreover, it will be as easy as ABC for you to make friends because you are a bubbly and cheerful person in nature. Anyway, I am sorry for writing to you late as I went on a fun trip to an island with some friends for five days and four nights.


To tell you in detail, Syifaak, Jia Yi and I went to Kampung Ayer fishing village to have a better view of nature and relax our mind after the stressful examination period. We took a boat ride from the jetty to the village. It was a first time experience for me to go on a boat. Although the boat ride made me seasick and feel like throwing up, I really enjoyed it.


As we stepped into the village, we saw many fishermen mending their nets and boats, drying and selling fish. We were welcome with open hands by Pak Mamat and his family. Pak Mamat is Syifaak's maternal uncle. We decided to stay in Pak Mamat's house for a day as we were quite exhausted. I loved the environment there which was very cool and breezy even though the sun was shining brightly.


The next day, at about 6:30 a.m., we followed Pak Mamat to sea to try our luck in fishing. Pak Mamat showed us an easy and effective manner of casting the fishing net for more fish. Syifaak, Jia Yi and I managed to catch variety of sea creatures such as variety of fish, cockles and prawns. We bought home the contenting catch and Pak Mamat's wife cooked them as our mouth-watering dishes for lunch.


At about 1:00 p.m., we left Pak Mamat's house and went jungle-trekking after packing our equipment. We enjoyed the view of the green forest where we saw rare orchids, wild plants, colourful lizards and eye-catching insects. We got to see a better view of the vast area of the rain forest from the hanging bridge. When we reached a wonderful man-made waterfall (according to a notice), we decided to set up our camp and spend a night there. We enjoyed swimming in the cool water.

On the third day, we packed our tent and camping bags to continue our journey to the north-west, Teluk Hitam. Luckily, we had a map with us as a guidance throughout the journey. As we reached Teluk Hitam, we set up our camps again to spend a night there. The beach was black and sandy, unlike other common beaches where the sand is golden brown. The water was as clear as crystal and very inviting. We did not miss the opportunity to splish and splash with small fishes swimming around us. Furthermore, this was an experience that happened once in a blue moon.

We caught a big fish for dinner using our handmade fish-catcher. The fish barbecue was a big feast for us as the fish was freshly caught.

On day four, we went back to the jungle and continued trekking further until we came to an "orang asli" settlement. The people there were not that different from ordinary people. They were actually very friendly. They showed us their culture and social activities. We even got the chance to explore the caves where they harvest birds' nest. There were two types of birds' nests: the brown and white ones. According to them, the white birds' nests have higher nutritional values.

We spent our night in their village and returned to Kampung Ayer the next morning. We spent our day walking around the village and also visited a handicraft centre where they sold handicrafts and local delicacies. We did not miss our chance to see the famous "wayang kulit" performance which is a favourite puppet show among the Malays.


After buying some homemade souvenirs to bring back home, we bade farewell to Pak Mamat and his family who were very kind to us during the whole trip. We felt very sad to leave Kampung Ayer fishing village. It was a very wonderful experience. I would definitely bring you there one day as you are an adventurous person and also a nature lover. Well, I think I have to put my pen down for now as our grandparents are here. I hope you will reply to my letter as soon as possible. Take care, Suriya. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Ashnira

*NOTE:
The essay was written by Ashnira d/o Kesavan from 2KP1
All the pictures are downloaded without permission but only for educational purposes. Hope that the owners do not mind their pics being used.