Desert Mocha
June 25, 2006 by haziamyperspective
Enchanting…
I sat at the table nearest to the swimming pool and lazy river, feeling the desert’s chilly evening breeze on my face and arms while sipping my ice-crushed orange mocha. Not a smart choice but the menu was limited due to the place being new and my skipping alcoholic beverages.
The view was magnificent, desert mountain scenery with miles and miles of sand and sea. It was not everyday that I get to enjoy a luxurious holiday at a secluded 6-star resort in an exotic Middle Eastern destination. I was there for work, in particular for a media familiarisation trip for a client. While the others were occupied catching up on lost sleep, packing their stuff and getting ready to head for the airport, I got to escape for a while. There was something that I really wanted to do before leaving the country.
Yes, I wanted to get to know the castle-like establishment through the most reliable source, its service staffs. These people were the heartbeat of the hotel. Knowing that I was part of the Malaysian media visit group, the Sabahan Restaurant Manager greeted me warmly. It was amazing how much and how fast he unveiled upon knowing that I used to be a hotelier.
A huge part of the taskforce consisted of Sabahans, this was due to the fact that the GM was the former GM for the hotel chain in Kota Kinabalu. He took his loyal troop with him to Philippines for a few years before bringing them to the present location. Sounds good, he reminded me of a reputable Danish leader that I used to work with. He happened to be the icon of KL’s hospitality industry, kept his hotel pre-opening team with him for years until he left the country.
I also chatted with the Front Office staffs. A young girl who had just arrived was really home-sick. Their accommodation and 24-hour transportation were all provided for. It took only 20 minutes to get to town but that seemed to be like long distance travelling for these folks. Well, you couldn’t compare that to KL:)
The resort’s Director of Communication graciously took us for a short tour of the spacious property. A Bulgarian, she spoke no Arabic despite having been in Middle East hospitality scene for 9 years. Coincidentally, it was only her third day at work. She was young, lively, outgoing, practically ready to dedicate her whole life to her work 24-7.
In fact, that was 1 of the reasons I left the industry, I wanted to have time for a personal life. However, I do miss life on the fast lane, the amazing team spirits when the experts from different areas came together to deliver out hearts out. You got a kick out of knowing that you had a hand in making very important affairs, events of the world specifically, happened.
Nevertheless, I had given myself a period of 24 months to stay away and do some thinking while also spicing up the ‘other departments’. It has been 15 months now and I am still unsure.
What I do know is that if I did meet that special someone soon, I would definitely not got back. Since the end of last year, I made a decision to venture beyond my comfort zone. I’ve met quite a number of guys from a wide range of backgrounds . Among the many, 3 fascinating guys who entered my life at around the same time touched my heart. The status? Right now, 2 down, 1 more to go. Well, the third one disappeared for 1 month before popping back in. Otherwise, who knows he would be gone by now too:)
I couldn’t help imagining introducing these guys to my parents (chuckle). The first one would have made them faint. LOL. The second one…they would need time to adapt but upon lots of explanation, they would accept. The third one? Whoa…I had a feeling that words would not be needed at all, that he would blend right in:p. There were a few others but they were not worth it and I would not consider. Couldn’t believe that I have also mastered the ‘art of disappearing,’ so many aspiring magicians around. LOL.
9 MORE MONTHS TO GO, counting days, hehe…
‘Your life is the sum results of all the choices you make, both conciously and unconciously.’
~Robert F Bennet~
