26.03.13
All 6 days of relentless prep : the late-nights, inconsistent meal times, unstable anxiety and of course, the hard work and effort we all put into making everything run smoothly. All rumbled down to these five event days. I'd be lying with my eyes open if I said I wasn't nervous at all. In fact, my stomach was mainly a whole farm of fluttering butterflies and well, probably my breakfast. Adrenaline and the excitement kept the food down (Thank God!) and my physical body was all jumpy and twitchy that morning. I guess, everyone was excited, newbies and the seniors alike.
After a short pep talk and best wishes from the seniors and some of the bosses, it was our cue to meet up with our delegates and escort them to the tarmac for the opening ceremony. Just when I was making sure I got my roughly-routed-out floorplan in one hand, my trusty phone in my pocket to save my life if weird questions popped out and my delegates' booth schedule with lil' personal reminder-scribblings on the side in my other hand, Ms Azlin and some of the seniors came to me and said they needed an L.O. for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, like immediately. I went into a milli-second mindfreak.
My mind was practically debating on whether it's the right thing to do to take up the job. Because 'the right thing' might either have me regret later for losing out on an amazing opportunity or have me not able to live with myself for going back on my word to guide my Burmese delegate. Either way, I was going to let a party down and involuntarily, my conscience as well. After a quick-but-hard deliberation, deal breaker was that since I had met my A.O. and the delegate's assistant a day before and told them everything they needed to know, I assumed they could handle walking around the exhibition hall just fine. So, I called Cdr Khairul up to inform him that he had to steer this boat of Burmese delegates through this wide LIMA ocean for the day. He didn't seem very confident on the phone but I guess, he was okay with it, since it was the PM that we were talking about here. hubba hubba
Thank God I wasn't alone in this 'betrayal fest' as I wasn't the only one. My fellow PM LOs were Syaim who was our head, Syuhada and Benjamin, and there were a few of them who were in charge of the Deputy PM. So, it wasn't just me who needed to deal with our initial delegate and our conscience. I can safely say that cold sweat started running down our backs while waiting for the arrival of the VIPs at the delegate's arrival lounge. Since the guys' official LIMA shirt were taken away from them for the buggy people, the guys were looking all suave in their suit and tie with their 'clickity-clacky' shiny bally shoes while us girls were in our blood red official LIMA shirts. It surely didn't take long till someone pointed out that we looked as if we were working for TGV. I wouldn't be surprised if someone asked us for movie tickets, really! haha
Thank God I wasn't alone in this 'betrayal fest' as I wasn't the only one. My fellow PM LOs were Syaim who was our head, Syuhada and Benjamin, and there were a few of them who were in charge of the Deputy PM. So, it wasn't just me who needed to deal with our initial delegate and our conscience. I can safely say that cold sweat started running down our backs while waiting for the arrival of the VIPs at the delegate's arrival lounge. Since the guys' official LIMA shirt were taken away from them for the buggy people, the guys were looking all suave in their suit and tie with their 'clickity-clacky' shiny bally shoes while us girls were in our blood red official LIMA shirts. It surely didn't take long till someone pointed out that we looked as if we were working for TGV. I wouldn't be surprised if someone asked us for movie tickets, really! haha
Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrived with his wife and a whole gang of escorts, security officers and God knows who else. It was like a mini convoy. A fast-walking all-dressed-up one, that's for sure. Since it was pretty much impossible for us to break into their tight circle, we ended up just liaising with one of the PM's men-in-black and just running along with everyone. It was a huge game of tagging along and finding Najib's head among the sea of balding heads and at the same time, trying to do our job. It was practically that the whole time, really.
 |
| While waiting for the PM do be done cutting some deals, Naomi came by and with a camera! |
Meet Syaim. One word to describe my first impression of him, suave. I think out of all the guys who were in suits the first few days, he was probably the suavest, maybe? Tailor-made suit with perfectly pressed creases as if his mum ironed it the night before, clean shiny leather shoes like it was brand new (maybe it was), and smartly colour-coordinated shirt and tie. For heaven's sake, his glasses and his outfit was matchy-matchy as well. (I ain't no stalker, Syaim, I just remember the details 'cause I'm a girl!) He came across as a little awkward and quiet at first, flipping two of his phones at the same time to see which had the better reception like a million-dollar-company's CEO or something. But he turned out to be a tebal muka cool guy, who grabs freebies like nobody's business!
From the opening ceremony, to the booth visits, to bilateral meetings and to the luncheon. We were liaising with the MIB, running around booths to let them know Najib's coming, finding Najib, reporting his whereabouts through the walkie-talkie like secret agents on a mission, holding on to souvenirs from exhibitors like slaves, and a fair amount of waiting. Truthfully, when I decided to take up this unexpected, impromptu-yet-important job of the liaison officer for the PM, expectations were high. Expectations on me, and most primarily my expectations. Truth to be told, I expected some conversation with the PM. Some direct conversations. Even maybe a slightest handshake, would be good. But nope, I guess I was too naive to think that I'd even get the chance to do so. Oh well.
Like that wasn't disappointing enough, towards the end of the exhibition, after my PM job was done, I met up with my Burmese delegate and Cdr Khairul to check whether their day went well. Cdr Khairul seemed okay and calm but the Burmese assistant admiral, however, was kind of pissed but I guess he didn't want to show it much. He just gave a sarcastic "No need, thank you but no need." when I said I'll be there the next day, since the admiral had a bilateral meeting in the morning. I didn't really know what to feel, immediately. So, I just gave an awkward 'okaay, nice to have met you anyway and have a nice day tomorrow' reply with a handshake and off I went to the OO to seek refuge.
On one hand, I was feeling really lousy and felt like I've gone back on my word and lost his trust, which I don't blame him at all. But on the other hand, I was like well, you win some, you lose some. And in this case, can I say I've put my country first? :O hahah I really don't know, but hey, that was how I felt. And my, was I relieved and happy that my job was done for the day and I was free (hitherto) for the next day!
With mixed feelings, I headed back to the OO, back to familiar faces that I can let loose and be totally myself with. It was always a great feeling walking back to the OO after a long tiring but fruitful day of work. The three of us would gather at our usual place and update each other about the ups, the downs and the in-betweens of the day and laugh at every single thing. I think it comes to us really naturally. Those raw subconscious moments were the ones which really wrapped up a long day's work; laughter. And, of course the thought of going back to a shower and food never fails to put a smile on my face, no Joker blade!
That night, we alighted the bus a little further from our hotel to get our laundry from the laundrette. On the way back, our roaming eyes were always on the hunt for new makan places, cute little thrift-shops and boutiques and cheap massage deals. If a tourist were to ask us where to get good food on Cenang Street, I think we'd be pioneers. Through many walking trips, from one end to another, either on the street itself or the beach route, we pretty much have an inkling on what to do where. Trust me, sometimes my legs surprise me despite the lack of rest they got at work.
After getting some good purchases from a pretty boutique next to the laundrette, we settled for Turkish Kebabs for dinner! This kebab cart had been there with it's exotic-looking owner rapidly mentioning the varieties of kebabs every single time we passed by the few days before, so I guess he had found us familiar. hahaha Nay and I decided to try the deer meat kebab whilst Gup opted for vegetarian. By just standing next to the cart while he was doing his thing, the aromatic concoction of flavoursome Turkish herbs and spices made all our stomachs rumbled even louder.
We also tried the baklava, which initially I mistaken it for a pavlova, since it wasn't displayed. Since the girls had a vague idea of what a pavlova was, I was being all Masterchef and gave a little description of a pavlova. Feeling good about myself, the baklava came and I was then silenced, 'cause clearly, it looked nothing like a pavlova. Instead of looking pearly white with cream and baked awesomeness, it was dark, very crumpled-like and it shaped like a worm. Kind of reminded me of the Mopani worms I had in South Africa. The only difference was that unlike the Mopani worms, baklava was sweet. So, I guess lesson of the day: sharing is caring, but sometimes it's better to just shut up.
27.03.2013
Funny how girls think ahead before choosing what to wear for the day. Every morning or the night before, we'd go through the day's events, level out the potential amount of running around for the day, contemplate for a while longer, then choose whether it was a good day to be wearing a skirt or the more practical slacks. haha and I am not ashamed of this, mind you! Since we figured there wasn't going to be much for Nay and I to do on the 27th as both our delegates were flying back to their homeland that day, we embraced our femininity and went with the skirt + pantyhose combo. Plus, I liked how my pencil skirt made me look like I have an arse! ;)
As we were walking around the booths, there was one which caught our eye and that was the very authentic themed Tourism Malaysia booth. Naturally, since we love traveling and exploring places. The aroma of the coffee from Amanda Coffee Painting and ironically, the teh tarik booth right opposite it lured us towards that direction. The Tourism Malaysia booth last year was where we got loads of pretty souvenirs from. Well, it wasn't the case this year but better. We got this amazing opportunity of witnessing her, doing what she does best, painting with coffee and having a conversation with her about her passion and why coffee, as her medium of art. I'll blog a separate individual post about our experience with her and more details about her work. So, make sure you keep a look out for that!
So, we were chillin' at the OO, our usual place and after lunch, we were met with another impromptu last minute situation. Which we were totally up for. Ms Azlin, very hurriedly asked Nay and I to be the liasion officers for Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir and that he was already in the vicinity! This was urgent. Without a single thought, we said okay, since we couldn't thought of anything else that has to be done except mingle around with free volunteers in the Volunteers' Room or walking around the exhibition hall (again!). So, really quickly, I got my hands on a walkie-talkie and had a 5-minute walkie-talkie 101 session (courtesy of Vern) whilst Nay grabbed a floorplan and a VIP schedule and off we ran, on a rampage hunt for Datuk Mokhzani via walkie-talkie crazy talk!
We were supposed to contact Izzat Aziz, the kilang CEO as you've might notice in my previous post, as he was apparently with Datuk Mukhriz, who came together with Datuk Mokhzani. And we got word that he was at this booth which I've forgotten its name. So, both of us ran to Booth X, to find out that Datuk Mokhzani wasn't with Datuk Mukhriz anymore. So, off we ran towards the delegates lounge under the scorching hot sun in hopes that Datuk Mokhzani's arriving soon. Mind you, running in pencil skirts aren't exactly the most lady-like thing to do. What more, attractive. hahaha
There were a lot of waiting, fuzzy distorted walkie-talkie chatter due to bad reception, and miscommunication about Datuk Mokhzani's whereabouts which led us running around, in and out the exhibition hall like mad cows playing tag. In the end, Izzat gave up on the walkie and called, to inform that Datuk Mokhzani wasn't coming till the 29th, which was the two days away. Nay and I looked at each other, stunned. I think I almost punched somebody in the face though. Almost.
It was around 4.30pm when we slowly headed back to the OO to get a drink, rest our legs and cool down our bodies. We have been having daily evening Volunteer Meetings at 5pm where there'll be a debriefing for everyone; mostly made up of questions, problems and updates. Sometimes, encouragement, which were always good for the soul. You know what was good for the soul as well? Meeting new people or finally mingling with new volunteers who you've only known their faces for the past few days, when you're physically in a dire state of fatigue and tired-drunkness*.
*Tired-drunkness. noun. refers to the state of being physically drained to the extent of acting as if intoxicated.
We were supposed to contact Izzat Aziz, the kilang CEO as you've might notice in my previous post, as he was apparently with Datuk Mukhriz, who came together with Datuk Mokhzani. And we got word that he was at this booth which I've forgotten its name. So, both of us ran to Booth X, to find out that Datuk Mokhzani wasn't with Datuk Mukhriz anymore. So, off we ran towards the delegates lounge under the scorching hot sun in hopes that Datuk Mokhzani's arriving soon. Mind you, running in pencil skirts aren't exactly the most lady-like thing to do. What more, attractive. hahaha
There were a lot of waiting, fuzzy distorted walkie-talkie chatter due to bad reception, and miscommunication about Datuk Mokhzani's whereabouts which led us running around, in and out the exhibition hall like mad cows playing tag. In the end, Izzat gave up on the walkie and called, to inform that Datuk Mokhzani wasn't coming till the 29th, which was the two days away. Nay and I looked at each other, stunned. I think I almost punched somebody in the face though. Almost.
It was around 4.30pm when we slowly headed back to the OO to get a drink, rest our legs and cool down our bodies. We have been having daily evening Volunteer Meetings at 5pm where there'll be a debriefing for everyone; mostly made up of questions, problems and updates. Sometimes, encouragement, which were always good for the soul. You know what was good for the soul as well? Meeting new people or finally mingling with new volunteers who you've only known their faces for the past few days, when you're physically in a dire state of fatigue and tired-drunkness*.
*Tired-drunkness. noun. refers to the state of being physically drained to the extent of acting as if intoxicated.
Here are a couple of shots of tired-drunk volunteers taken by Khairul Hanif (KH), also known as Young Face #1, right after the debriefing session on Day Two of official event day. Why Young Face, you might ask? Well, he just look much younger than he actually is! As simple as that. Story was we started 'labeling' (no bad intentions, just for the fun of it!) Khairul, the original Young Face, since LIMA'11 and this year, we found two more of the same species! So, do look out for them below and in upcoming posts! lol
 |
| that's him! Mr. Young Face, Old Soul :) |
 |
| tired-drunk photo-bombing, at its best. |
 |
| Mazin, the Iraqi who left a bad first impression (Story here!) |
 |
| with Idora a.k.a Kak Rock, Amir's lovebird |
 |
| Young Face #2 a.k.a. M&Ms supplier, who hogs camera shots yup, he's sometimes, full of himself like that ;) |
We got off work fairly earlier than usual that day. It was around 6pm and the sky was still of a crimson hue, which meant more time to lepak at Cenang Beach, to us! 'Cause when we get off work, the sun's usually set. And, there was always either laundry to do or work to be completed.
One of the cons coming for LIMA right after STPM results were released was the sudden influx of university application deadlines and scholarship due dates to meet! And most of them application closes either before LIMA or on the day we leave Langkawi. So, it was pretty stressful, having to settle all the certs and messy application forms whilst working in a very vigorous, almost always unsure situation. Thank goodness though for the WiFi at McDonald's opposite our motel and our very understanding bosses who gave us some free time for applications to be done at the OO. Since Gup had to finalise and settle her NUS application that night, Nay and I went out for a seafood dinner at Orkid, since we knew Gup wasn't a fan of seafood and we were in freaking Langkawi!
The ambience was really warm, with yellow lights which gave it a very cosy vibe. It wasn't too humid or hot nor was it too chilly, as the air-conditioning was at an optimum level. Service was averagely good, considering the place was packed with people, local and foreign alike. Now on to the F&B! We knew we wanted one dish of seafood and definitely a dish of vegetable, considering the level of unhealthiness in our meals the last few days, which mostly consisted of McD and Maggi Cup, which were both convenient, filling and tasty. Unhealthy, nevertheless.
We had the conventional fried rice as our solid staple and to go with that, the infamous butter prawns, egg omelette, baby kailan cooked with oyster sauce and to gush all that delicious food down, we went on a lil curve and ordered Coke with rum, which was pretty good actually! Though when the ice melted away, it can become slightly overwhelming. And that was where the carrot milk comes in and save our systems. See? We're smart like that ;)
Nay recommended Kahlúa topped with vanilla ice cream as dessert, as it left a good impression on her the last time she tried last LIMA and I was up for anything. So, we tried it and I definitely didn't regret it! Kahlúa is basically a type of Mexican coffee-flavored rum. The taste is dense but isn't too alcoholic. Together with the sweet ice cream, the combination was a match made in tastebud heaven!
 |
| the many facades of a hungry and sleepy maiden |
previous LIMA'13 posts
(UPDATE: Sorry for not posting much last month, guys! My lame excuse is that I've been a little busy with university entrance interviews in KL this whole month of May and got to watch a couple of local plays and musicals whilst I was in the big city. You know what that means, exciting blogposts about them coming soon!)
Post a Comment