PREP TIME!
Brand new day the next day! We had to be up by 7am as the bus will leave Sandy Beach to MIEC at 7.30am. but being the early birds that we are, we woke up at 5.30am every day. Thanks to Naomi Ng, our trusty alarm clock! Since we were always the earliest bunch, once we're done, to the beach we go for a morning walk or a glimpse of dawn. That means, more pictures!
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| We didnt catch the sunrise though. Either we were too late or it was too overcast :( |
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| Shot by Naomi |
There were 3 days of Prep and on the first morning, when we reached the place, we were clueless about where to go and what to do. So, we practically just sat from outside the hall to inside the hall when the sunlight came in. Vern, being the enthusiastic one and the L.O. amongst me and Nay to have attended the L.O. meeting which was two weeks before, explained our jobs and what kind of problems to expect, yada yada yada. It was enlightening, really. Then, five of us decided to go on a tour around the hall, locating the booths, the planes and the important pavilions, instead of just lazing at the cafeteria and just waiting for the big people to appear.
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| Waiting. Shot by Naomi |
Oh if you are clueless about our jobs, Vern, Naomi and I are Liaison Officers (L.O.) who were mainly to bring a foreign delegate to booths and around the exhibition so he could buy some equipment or systems back. We were supposed to call up and liaise with a Malaysian Accompanying Officer (A.O.) to make sure we bring them to the right booths and whatever booths they were interested in going.
Gup and Izz were in charge of the information counter at the entrance. They were primarily supposed to answer any questions the visitors ask them; Where the toilets are? Where is the nearest taxi stand? Where is the EADS booth? What time is the airshow? etc. And during the briefing, Haswan warned us no matter what funny questions they ask us, we must never say, "I don't know". Big shoes to fill indeed, all of us!
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| During one of the many L.O. meeting |
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| "No, don't take the picture!" |
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| We were all smiles! Shot by Naomi |
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| TADAHHHH! WE ARE HERE ! |
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| Who could miss out on jump shots right? Shots by Naomi |
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| I believe this is the Agusta Westland's heli |
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| Eurofighter Typhoon was definitely a highlight. |
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| On the tarmac where I didn't get the chance to as I was working like a slave. LOL |
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| Fenced. |
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| Opening Ceremony rehearsal went on in the ballroom. |
First two days of prep was hell! We were dead shocked or surprised to see that nothing is done. The booklets were not. Not even the schedules! The Welcome Packs which were a bag filled with their schedules, the aerial display programme, an exhibition directory, their pass tags, all in a file for the delegates were not. And, to think that we only had 2 days to complete everything! To add petrol to the burning flame, we had to work with the not-so-friendly MINDEF people. Just imagine, how much work is cut out for us.
I was in charge of a Burmese delegate and one from Qatar. Both caused me prep-complications due to MINDEF people, coincedently. I was damn pissed at this old hack who was, in a way, thought we were some kids who doesn't know anything. WTH man!
Myanmar: As Vern, Nay and I were in the same Myanmar boat, we got the same problem. Well, mostly just Vern and I. Nay's one was just missing the phone number incident. Anyways, our welcome packs were no where, i repeat, no where to be found. I swear, we were this close from staying the night in MIEC till the wee hours of the next morning, redoing something that has already been done just because of the ignorance and selfishness of some of the MINDEF people who didn't want to let us check. I'll leave it at that, thank you very much.
Qatar: When I called my A.O. for Qatar, he said he wasn't anymore. He was switched to Sudan. So, after asking and waiting for my answer from my boss for pretty long, i must say, I've had it. I went to the MINDEF secretariat to check it out cuz they were the ones in charge of the A.O.s. When I asked the balding man who was supposedly some hi-fi person (rolls eyes), he blantly said: "Oh, no, he's not coming" I didnt quite believe it at first and I think it showed on my face. He sternly reconfirmed with me and said if I didn't believe, I could call up the Chief of Air Force of Malaysia and ask. He even gave me the number which was weirdly already on his name card on his table. I was like, why would his number be on his name card? And why the heck was he hinting to this man at the back of me like that number was his and he was hinting to him to pretend that he was the major? Ugh. I felt like punching his face, really. He was, in a way, mocking me and thinking that I was naive enough to follow through his little scheme. Ish.
Just to solve all of those problems, we worked overtime for two straight days, or was it three? I don't even remember! LOL On the third day of prep, I was meeting my A.O. just to brief him about where to meet the general and which booths were we heading to. He seemed like a fun-loving person. You know, not too strict and not too serious. So, that part, I felt relieved.
That night, it was madness again. Once we finished everything and that was at around 7pm, we all headed to the bus. Waited in the bus to move but for some reason, we got word to get back in the building, to help clean up or something. I was like, what the? Then, all of a sudden, there was word saying we've got dinner or something. I was like, what the? We got dinner after waiting for half an hour, i think. Then, we got word that we were allowed back already. I was like, what the? Urgh, frustration.
So, since that was the first night we actually got to get home early, we went out to tambah lauk to our packed dinner. LOL We had Ikan Bakar! It was heaven! Oh funny thing is, Naomi kinda saw Mr Haswan (our Head of Volunteers) coming for a drink or something in the same restaurant. He must have seen a few tables of volunteers and he just moved to the counter and left. Nay had a glitch that he might've just paid for us. We didn't believe it at first and was staring at his every move, literally. It was funny. When we went to the counter to foot the bill, true enough, he paid for us.
I was stunned and surprised, at first. Probably 'cause I don't get treated often! Haha! But it was a really nice of him though, after all that prep madness going on. Kesian him also lah sometimes, cuz some of the stuff are literally out of his control and he was kinda blamed of it. Oh well, anyway, thanks Mr. Haswan!
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| Shot by Naomi |
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| Shot by Naomi |
At the end of Prep days, tho I was really tired and jaded, I actually thought it was definitely really worth-while and was an experience to remember. Plus, the adrenaline keeps me going! So, it wasn't THAT bad after all, looking back! LOL
Next blogpost! - On The Job, time to get down to business. Stay tuned! =)
I wanted to thank you for this great post!! I enjoyed every little bit of it, I have you bookmarked and waiting for all the new stuff you post.
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sharela ur post @LIMA'11 volunteer facebook. im sure everyone would love to read it.
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