CSR.

So recently I went for my first office trip - a Corporate Social Responsibility trip (or in short, 'CSR') since I started working here. Yesterday marked half a year since I'm here. Wahey!

Anyways, guess where we went? Penang. AGAIN for me. Lol. Can never get enough of Penang, I tell you. Who can resist the temptation of Kapitan's garlic cheese naan?

We stayed at Golden Sands Shangri-La Resort (double wahey lol) for 3 days 2 nights. I even took a room for myself so hubs and Khaisah could tag along. It was basically a free holiday for us - we only had ONE activity on the first day and that activity was dinner hahaha. And another activity on the next day which was the CSR itself.

Fundamentally, CSR as defined in Google, means a process with the aim to embrace responsibility for the company's actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, etc. What we did for our CSR was to go to Pantai Kerachut (the other side of Penang Island), a turtle conservation centre, to help clean the beach where these turtle lay their eggs etc.

It took us 10 mins drive from the hotel to the jetty via bus, about 20 mins ride via boat to the centre's jetty and 10 mins walk under the hot sun and through the super hot sand to reach the centre (thank god I was wearing shoes!).

This is us at the jetty before embarking on our journey via boat.

 
And this is us on the boat. Well, some of us.

It's been so long since I rode on a boat. I truly miss the golden days of me going to the beach every year. Sigh. See what marriage and being a mom do to you. I'm always occupied but I don't know what I'm occupied about. Lol.

Arrived safely at the jetty and it was scorching hot!

After lunch, we were given a briefing about turtles - background, types, origins etc. and they even took out some hatchlings for us to see.

And after the briefing was over, we were divided into groups to do the actual CSR. Some were tasked to plant new ambong ambong trees - yes turtles lay eggs underneath a tree, at night. Some were to clean the beach nearing the ambong ambong trees to make it easier for the turtles to come forward to lay eggs - apparently turtles don't like laying eggs in dirty/messy places. Quite OCD there eh haha.

This was after I helped okay. Hehe.

Then comes the most interesting part of the CSR. We could finally release our hatchlings to the sea! By doing this, we were asked to wait till 645pm so the eagles won't be able see that well to catch them even before they reach to the sea. How risky, poor baby!

And off they go!

With that, our CSR trip ends. Lessons learned: keep hydrated and please don't buy turtle eggs. Hahaha.