Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Fun In the Sun Part 3

Every year, towards the end of July or early August, about 200 people will be jumping with some excitement over the annual company event which either consists of a casual outing (usually to a water based theme park) or a dinner where people dress their best and eat boring sharks fin soup. I used to wonder what it is about shark fin's soup that leaves people in awe... it tastes pretty normal and each time they bring the dish to the table my thoughts go to the shark that lost it's fin, all bleeding and falling deep into the ocean floor as it can't swim. Then it dies.

But I digress...

This year, nobody really jumped. The trip to Tambun was looked on as an inconvenience as it involved a 2 to 2.5 hour drive one way, and us needing to stay there. Of course those who work in the company had everything sponsored except for travelling expenses, but parents had to pay for their kids - especially if they're above 90 cm. In the end, not that many people went. (Oh, they decided to reimburse us for petrol and toll today)

What I found exciting was the journey there... the radio played good music until I lost the reception as we headed away from the frequency which was then replaced with a bit of music from my mp3 and another friend's Japanese music. Driving was so much fun that I didn't feel all that tired or sleepy and the view from the highway was picturesque. I loved how the clouds hovered slowly at the tips of the limestone hills and it was all so green and beautiful.
The limestone hills

The Lost World of Tambun itself was pretty alright as far as theme parks go. I hung out with a bunch of people I don't usually hang out with (yes, I am a loner and therefore can gel with anyone for that matter) We hardly went back to our company tent especially after someone told us that the treasure hunt was for 'guys only' except for lunch, which was honestly a bit pathetic considering how water can make you extra ravenous. I just found out today that we were lied to. Our watery fun ended at about 2.00pm as it started to rain and we had also run out of things to do. The water also temporarily killed my camera which will explain the lack of photos here. Sorry.

After a quick shower, we headed to our hotel to check in. That process was a bit of a mess as the hotel people had not planned out the giving of the keys properly. A good and proper shower later, I found myself drifting off to sleep until I woke up with a slight headache at about 5:30. As time progressed, the migraine just got worse but I tried to ignore it for the dinner that night which was awesome in terms of entertainment. Despite the headache. An epiphany hit in the middle of the event... what if the hairdryer could save my camera? Turns out I was right. A few blasts of hot air made my camera work again. Sadly I missed out on almost all the reasons to take pictures :(
A view of an old house in Ipoh town


As much as it was not an event that I was anticipating for, I did have an enjoyable time and am at least 20 - 30% happier than I was in July. So all is good, I suppose

11 comments:

  1. Excuses, excuses - I want more pictures! I know you're hiding them. I just know it. A sneaky little bastard like you. Come on, give it up!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Honestly, if I had more people-less pictures, I'd put it up. You can't imagine how disappointed I was when my camera decided to temporarily RIP on me then :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. i never been to Tambun yet. i heard that Bukit Merah is much better than Tambun since Tambun is a new place they just developed. i heard so. guess you can tell me better since you already been there.

    i think sometimes being a loner is much better than always stick to a gang or someone always stick to you. you will feel irritating sometimes, and that you need some freedom. like a bird flying freely in the sky.

    i think this year should be my last year joining the company event as i think they are getting more boring each day. end up i have to be one of the idiotic committees and got myself burnt in the sun. i hate that. not that i want to stay pale, but just that my skin will be sore and red as the grilled fish.

    glad that you at least had a good time even though it was not even close to 80%. haha.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ah, btw, thanks for the hot air from the hairdryer tip :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. So would you actually recommend going to Tambun or is it just not worth the tme?

    ReplyDelete
  6. BabYpose: Hi... you're welcome, and thanks for visiting :)

    Faisal: And I've never been to Bukit Merah... so I can't really say. That said, the area around Tambun is gorgeous. I love nature, and the hills are just so enchanting!

    As for being a loner, I'm quite used to it... kind of glad I'm that way as well. Anyway, use sunscreen... it prevents the burn... but the skin peeling off is inevitable. It's less painful though.

    PS: You're welcome! :)

    sabrina: It depends on what you're looking for, actually. It's pretty new, so there are definitely less rides than it's counterpart in Sunway. However, if you're from around there, then it is quite worth it... I'd say give it a year or so to expand. But the scenery is lovely, though... I actually feel like relocating to Ipoh!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh well now this looks like someplace I'd like to see. I need to travel more!

    That is a pity about the sharks used to make the soup. Seems wasteful and mean to the animal.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Don't we all? So many things to see and do, and just not enough time!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I was thinking of taking the family to bukit merah but Tambun sounds good too :D But this will only be possible once the H1N1 dies down which doesn't look likely at the moment ...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yeah, it's wiser to allow the H1N1 virus to cool down a bit. I bet your sons would refuse to wear masks while having fun. I know I would...

    ReplyDelete

IT's THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Time for the Annual Appraisal again.  It's a cloudy Sunday afternoon, and I had just finished giving scores to my subordinates on their ...